Tag Archives: knitting

Apr 01 2013
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Antics, Cooking, designing, Family, Hats, knitting, Music, Other Crafty Things, Texas, travel

Insta-March

Insta march

March was a busy and music-filled month.  We kicked things off with the 35 Denton music festival, where Redwood Studios played host to tons of bands over the course of three days, and the next weekend we went to the SXSW music festival in Austin, where Joey played a showcase with Israel Nash. We were introduced to Laura and Israel’s brand new baby and spent a couple of great nights around a giant fire pit while the guys made some great new music.  I went to a fabulous ladies’ champagne and tea party, and knitted a new wooly hat while I was sick in bed with bronchitis for a couple of days.  We also saw the first signs of spring with budding trees, blue skies and an Easter celebration, where I tested out my crafty cooking skills by dyeing Easter eggs and baking bread.  Next up: I’m looking forward to April’s nice weather, Joey’s birthday and getting back into some knitting!

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Mar 20 2013
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Antics, Hats, knitting, Yarn

Hofsós Hat

If you haven’t seen Stephen West’s latest KAL collection, Westy’s Besties, you should probably drop what you’re doing and go take a peek.  I’ll wait.

Gorgeous, right?  Well, it would kind of have to be when its a collaboration of Stephen West designs, Brooklyn Tweed Yarns, Cirilia Rose styling and Jared Flood photography all set to the amazing backdrop that is Iceland.

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The pattern I fell in love with the most is the Hofsós Hat, which has really interesting construction and amazing textures.  It is knit using three different colors of yarn, with two strands of alternating colors held together throughout.  While I didn’t have any LOFT on hand, I did have three shades of Palette in my stash that are similar to the ones used in the pattern, so I went ahead and cast on using those.

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The pattern was so addictive because each time I finished a section I couldn’t wait to start the next one and would just keep on going.  It even rekindled my love for seed stitch, which is a stitch pattern I love for its look, but hate for its tediousness while knitting.  Using two shades of yarn just amplified the textural aspect that I love so much that my mind is now whirling, wondering how I can put this to use in other ways.

As soon as I cast off Joey tried it on and then I tried it on.  And even though I made it for Joey, I told him we’d just have to share this one.

hofsos1

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Feb 26 2013
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bags, designing, knitting, Yarn

Test Knit: Zip-N-Zag Bag

I’m looking for a couple of people to test knit an upcoming design I’ve been working on, the Zip-n-Zag Bag.

McClellan_Kimberly_2a

Details:

I’m looking for two testers that can complete the item and provide feedback to me by 3/15/13.

Skill level: Intermediate.

Skills required are: knitting stranded color work in the round (only two colors are used), provisional cast on, knitting, purling, basic bind off, three needle bind off, sewing in a zipper and fabric lining by hand, making a tassel.

Experience: Experience using stranded color work is preferred, but not required.

Finished size: 9.25” wide by 6.25” tall

Gauge: 22 stitches and 25 rounds = 4”/10cm in stranded colorwork pattern, worked in the round. Gauge is important to this project to ensure that your zipper will fit into the finished pouch.

 

Materials:

Yarn requirements: 300 yards/275 meters of worsted weight yarn in two contrasting colors (150 yards/137 meters of each color). Sample was knit using 2 skeins of Berroco Vintage Worsted in Cast Iron (#5145) and Butter Cream (#5102). Other brands and colors of yarn can be used, but I would prefer you stick to a worsted weight.

Needle sizes: Needle A: One 16” circular in size needed to obtain gauge (Suggested size US 8/5.0 mm), and Needle B: One 16” circular three sizes smaller than Needle A (Suggested size US 5/3.75 mm)

9” plastic zipper

Fabric for lining, cut to 9.5” wide x 12.5” long

Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch marker, sewing needle and thread for zipper and lining, pins.

 

Any questions you encounter as you are knitting, please feel free to email to me. I would like feedback at the end of the project regarding your gauge, what size needles you used to obtain gauge, finished size, and your thoughts on sewing in the zipper and lining.

 

Compensation:

A copy of the final tech-edited pattern will be provided as compensation.

 

If you’d like to test knit this, please leave a comment below letting me know and I will be in touch via email!

 

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Feb 05 2013
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designing, Hats, knitting, Texas, travel, writing

Hill Country Hat

Image via Pom Pom

Image via Pom Pom

The article I wrote for Pom Pom Issue 4: Verdant Stitches chronicles a trip to Texas Hill Country, where Joey and I stayed in a big ranch house with some of our good friends while the guys were recording an album.  The issue is available HERE and also contains a bonus pattern for my Hill Country Hat, which I knitted during the trip.

Image via Pom Pom

Image via Pom Pom

Be sure to check out the preview of the other lovely patterns in this issue of Pom Pom.  They are so gorgeous, you will surely want to knit them all.

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Feb 01 2013
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Antics, bags, designing, Dogs, Family, knitting, Music, NYC, shawls/wraps, Texas, travel, writing

Insta-January

Insta january

January was a bit of a whirlwind for me. Knit-wise, I started off by photographing and releasing my hat pattern, Borlänge, and I made some nice progress on a few upcoming designs. Travel-wise, there was a super quick weekend trip to Texas Hill Country to visit with some dear friends and Joey took a weeklong music trip to NYC during the coldest week ever. In our downtime, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner party with good friends that ended with lots of laughs and even a bit of singing and dancing. There was also a nice long Saturday afternoon spent at Redwood studio: me knitting, Joey working on guitar parts for a friend’s record, and Henry lounging around on the cozy shag rug. Unfortunately, January ended on a sad note with the loss of our sweet, sweet Daisy and my parents’ gentle dog Fly. We’ve all been a bit broken hearted this week as we had to unexpectedly say goodbye to these wonderful dogs that brought so much love and happiness to our lives. But as Elizabeth Zimmerman says, “properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit, either.”

and I’ve got some knitting to do….

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Jan 26 2013
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Antics, bags, designing, knitting, Yarn

Gettin Zippy With It

I’ve been working on a design for a little zig zag bag since before Christmas and I’ve been putting off the finishing- sewing in a zipper and a fabric lining.  I have to admit I have always been a little intimidated by finishing things.  You spend so much time knitting something and if you do a shoddy job at finishing, it can ruin the whole thing.  (See here for the story of the Five Year Sweater that literally sat around unfinished for years because I was too afraid to sew in the sleeves.)

Well today, I armed myself with needle and thread and just dived right in.

zigzagbagzipper

 

I unzipped the zipper and pinned one side of the tape to the inside edge of the bag and just stitched away.  Then I pinned the other side and stitched that down too.  And lo and behold, I sewed in that entire zipper in with no major catastrophes.

zigzagbagzipped

 

Now on to the lining!  And finishing up the pattern I’m writing for this 🙂

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Jan 17 2013
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Antics, designing, knitting, travel, writing, Yarn

Psst….

Just wanted to share the sneak peek teaser that Pom Pom Quarterly have released for their upcoming Spring Issue:

Issue_4_Spring_poster-723x1024

image source: Pom Pom Quarterly

I have a travelogue article featured in this issue and maybe even a teensy little pattern to go along with it!  I’m very excited to be a part of this issue, as Pom Pom is such an exciting new publication for the knitting community.

PRE ORDER  Issue 4 or SUBSCRIBE to the next four issues.

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Jan 14 2013
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Antics, baby knits, cardigans, Hats, knitting, Yarn

Baby Knits

A little over a year ago on the eve of 2012, Joey and I were sitting around a fire with some of our closest friends and discussing the dawning of a new year. One by one we went around the circle, each of us sharing in turn some of our most closely held ambitions. One of my goals was to design and publish a knitting pattern (which I did here and here). One of Joey’s goals was to build and open a recording studio (which he did here). When it came to our friend Israel’s turn, he looked at his wife Laura and shared that they really wanted to become parents in the coming year. I’m excited to share that he and Laura will be welcoming little Miss Willow Blanche towards the end of February!

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Of course I had to pour my love and excitement for them into a couple of snuggly knits for this little one and now that they have been gifted I can share them with you.

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The cardigan is the Baby Sophisticate pattern which is a really quick and adorable knit.  The hat is the Super Soft Super Simple Baby Hat by the Purl Bee and I am in love with the silly pom pom on top.  I used Berroco Vintage chunky yarn for both.

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Jan 09 2013
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Antics, designing, Family, Hats, knitting, Music, travel

New Pattern: Borlänge

Borlänge is a fitted beanie knitted with three sea-inspired shades of Rowan Felted Tweed DK and embellished with a pom pom and an anchor motif.


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Borlänge was inspired by Joey’s travels through Sweden and Norway. During his time there, he was struck by the prevalence of anchors in Scandinavian culture.  The anchor is a strong symbol of hope, stability, and steadfastness, and it was in Borlänge, Sweden where he played the Peace & Love Music Festival that he got a tattoo of an anchor to memorialize his travels and to celebrate the stable and anchored feeling that our love gives him when we are apart.  I knitted my love into this hat, with an anchor of my own to keep us connected when he is away.

Borlange 3

Materials

Three shades of DK or sport weight yarn (Rowan Felted Tweed DK suggested; 191 yards of Clay, 50 yards of Camel, and 2 yards of Seasalter)

1 set of US 4 (3.5 mm) 40″ circular needles for magic loop method

1 set of US 5 (3.75 mm) double pointed needles or

1 set of US 5 (3.75 mm) 40″ circular needles for magic loop method

tapestry needle

6 stitch markers

Finished Size

One Size; to comfortably fit an adult head of 19-23 inch circumference.  Finished hat has a circumference of 19 inches and a depth of 8.75 inches

BUY NOW or view the pattern page on Ravelry

2 closeup

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Jan 01 2013
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Antics, designing, Dogs, Family, knitting, Music, Texas, Yarn

Insta-December

Insta december

December was a great way to finish off the year.  There were piano serenades, scooter rides with my love, fancy cocktails, dog snuggles, walks in the woods, more music, “fireside” cuddles with Henry, warm chunky-knit sweaters, family time at the ranch, SNOW, a trip to a cabin in the woods with some good friends, a little bit of knitting, and a toast to good things to come.

Happy New Year- 2013 is going to be a good one!

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