Monthly Archives: April 2013

Probably something you would like… Yarn Con Edition

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Probably something you would like… Yarn Con Edition

I finally made it home from Chicago! And even the fact that my return flight was three hours late didn’t harsh my post-YarnCon buzz. What a lovely weekend we had!

I am predicting that, in a few years, YarnCon will be the must-attend event of the Midwest. You heard it here first.

Part of what made YarnCon so amazing was the quality of the vendors. I have been to Maryland Sheep and Wool and Rhinebeck lots of times and I have never attended an event with such consistently great yarn-and-knitting related, handmade stuff.

Here are some of my faves:

The Wool Dispersary

I am completely smitten with The Wool Dispensary!  I love the name. I love the logo and branding.

Wool Dispensery yarn

I love the yarn.

Wool DispenseryAnd I love Sam, the genius behind this indie yarn company.

jelby

You guys may already know about the amazing Jelby but she was new to me. Super-cute needle felted stitch markers, pendants and tiny little tins to hold your notions. All lovely, handmade and ridiculously inexpensive.

Jelby

Biggie sign

This weekend was also my introduction to Biggie, a smart young women who weaves, screen prints, spins and I don’t know what all else. I bought this little bag for Amy as a thank you for taking care of the flock while I was away (and maybe one for myself):

Biggie Bags

Sticks & Twigs

The award for the best name and sign at Yarn Con goes to Stick ‘n Twings. Isn’t that sweet?

recycled yarn

They sell recycled yarn that is reclaimed from discarded sweaters.

I actually have a few more to share with you but I’ll save those for latter this week. In the meantime, I am off to NYC (via Washington, D.C.) and I’ve got to get ready for my meeting.

Comments Off on Probably something you would like… Yarn Con Edition

Tagged

2013 Balcony Garden

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on 2013 Balcony Garden

The balcony garden is officially started. Not everything is planted yet, nor do we even have all of our seeds or seedlings, but we got the balcony fully de-winterized this weekend and a bunch of stuff planted. It’s only a matter of time before we are resting cool behind our food-bearing wall-o-green ™.

sugarsnappeas2013
First, the peas I planted a few weeks have finally started to come up. I swear they have grown three inches since Saturday. (You’ll also notice that we are using Hefty bags instead of Earthbox approved mulch covers. As much as I love my Earthboxes, I am not paying $15 a mulch cover for every planting when a garbage bag and duct tape serves the same purpose. We used this method last year as well.)

seeds2013

seedpotatoes2013

seedlings2013
These are summer seedlings, and will likely live inside another month before they get Earthboxed.

basilseedling

athrunsmint2013

sageseedling2013

Our herbs so far are basil, mint (for Athrun), and sage. Has anyone ever had luck with oregano? It has never grown enough for me to do much with. What are your favorite herbs to grow?

Comments Off on 2013 Balcony Garden

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Book Review: Stitch Definition by Annie Maloney

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Book Review: Stitch Definition by Annie Maloney

stitch defnStitch Definition, Annie Maloney, 2013.

Stitch Definition is Annie’s latest stitch dictionary, with 111 new stitch patterns, and four of Annie’s own designs incorporating them.

The format is the same as Aran Lace:  a solid introduction covering the ins and outs of the stitches, yarn choices (including as section on handspun yarn), general design, shawl design, combining stitch patterns, etc.  The second chapter goes into detail on abbreviations, how to work yarnovers depending on the situation, etc.

It’s a simple, spiral-bound book, printed on a solid weight of paper (no bleed through of the images), with a protective plastic overlay for the front (cardstock) cover.  Photos are black and white.

glamorganStitches 1-59 are lace patterns, to include all over patterns, columns, and edgings.  60-81 are Lace Cables (like those in Aran Lace, though some appear more on the lacy side than is included in that book). 82-111 are cable patterns.

The remainder of the book includes the four patterns:  Merioneth, a lacy scarf; Glamorgan (shown left, photo © Annie Maloney) a cable & lace cable stole; Lanberis Pass, a cabled wall hanging (VERY pretty); and Capel Curig, an intricately cabled throw.

Highly recommended!  As a designer, I’m constantly looking for new stitch patterns that are different than what most folks are using, and I love the thought and dedication that Annie puts into developing her stitches.

I received my copy from the author.

Comments Off on Book Review: Stitch Definition by Annie Maloney

Tagged

Juniper Moon Farms Spring 2013 Yarns

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Juniper Moon Farms Spring 2013 Yarns

KS: JMF Spring 2013

Mostly because I can’t help myself, I wanted to give a shout-out to Juniper Moon Farms for the Spring yarn collection.

First, the facts:

Yarn: Moonshine

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 40% Wool, 40% Alpaca, 20% Silk

Yardage: 100g/197yd

Weight: Worsted

Gauge: 5 sts = 1″ on US 7

The Patterns: Moonshine patterns from the new book.

Yarn: Sabine

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 40% Cotton/30% Royal Llama/30% Merino Wool

Yardage: 100g/218yds

Gauge: 4.75 sts = 1″ on US 7

The Patterns: Sabine patterns from the new book.

Yarn: Yearling

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 60% Merino Wool/40% Cotton

Yardage: 100g/109yds

Weight: Bulky

Gauge: 3.5 sts = 1″ on US 10.5

The Patterns Look: Yearling patterns from the new book.

Yarn: Findley Dappled

Company: Juniper Moon Farm

Fiber: 50% Merino Wool/50% Silk

Yardage: 100g/798yds

Weight: Lace

Gauge: 7.5 sts = 1″ on US 2

The Patterns: Findley Dappled patterns from the new book.

As a matter of full-disclosure, I’ve known Susan Gibbs, the woman behind this farm, since she started her Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm back around 2007/2008 and consider her a friend. My mother and I went to the first Shearing celebration of her flock in 2008, and I’ve been getting her CSA shares on and off ever since. I also test-knitted one of the sweaters in this Moonshine line (the one on the cover, in fact), and helped proof-read some of the patterns. In other words, I’m not exactly unbiased, but I’ve loved every one of her yarns that I’ve tried and am a big fan of her, her farm, and her blog (which you should be reading if you’re not already), so … even though these aren’t the kinds of books I usually review … I couldn’t help myself.

Oh, and for the record, knitting with Moonshine was a dream–beautiful and soft with a really gorgeous sheen. It was a delight. And Findley (dappled or otherwise) has become one of my favorite lace yarns. It’s smooth, even, has a gorgeous shine and blocks like a dream. Just saying.

Comments Off on Juniper Moon Farms Spring 2013 Yarns

Tagged ,

Daisy, Daisy …

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Daisy, Daisy …

Pink gerbera daisies

copyright 2013

-copyright 2013

- by Joan -


Comments Off on Daisy, Daisy …

Tagged

Can I help you with that knitting?

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Can I help you with that knitting?

IMG_0712 IMG_0715 IMG_0718 IMG_0721

Comments Off on Can I help you with that knitting?

Tagged

BOOK REVIEW: The Movement of Stars

Posted on April 7, 2013 by | Comments Off on BOOK REVIEW: The Movement of Stars
The Movement of Stars: A Novel by Amy Brill My rating: 4 of 5 stars The year is 1845, and 24-year-old Hannah Price spends her nights watching the stars from the widow's walk of her modest Nantucket home. She has...

Comments Off on BOOK REVIEW: The Movement of Stars

Tagged

Review: Hat Couture/Fresh Design Mittens & Gloves

Posted on April 7, 2013 by | Comments Off on Review: Hat Couture/Fresh Design Mittens & Gloves

Post image for Review: Hat Couture/Fresh Design Mittens & Gloves

HatCouture_Cover

First, the facts:

Title: Hat Couture

Author: Theressa Silver

Published by: Cooperative Press, 2013

Pages: 54

Type: Strictly patterns

The In-Depth Look:

Because sometimes you just want a hat, and other times you want a hat that makes a statement, that’s fun, that’s playful and eye-catching.

The author writes, “Up until just the last few decades, hats were staples in a woman’s wardrobe, and for good reason. The transformative power of a hat is truly amazing. When a woman chooses just the right hat and puts it on she becomes the person she envisioned herself to be. … A woman who knows how to wear a hat can flirt and be coy or be brash and powerful, knowing that all eyes are on her. A hat is whatever statement you want it to be. It can turn the ordinary into an occasion, and an occasion into the extraordinary.”

This book of 14 patterns are of the playful, attention-grabbing type. Each pattern is named for a star whose sense of style is being captured–Jackie Kennedy, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, and so on. They come with instructions not only for the knitting, but also for making the embellishments to go with the hats (a feature which a lot of knitting books skimp on).

Available from Cooperative Press (digital or print).

Want to see pictures? Click here.

FDMittens Cover

First, the facts:

Title: Fresh Design Mittens and Gloves

Designs by: Anna Dalvi, Ellen Boucher, Laura Nelkin, Laura Patterson, Rebecca Blair, Ruth Garcia-Alcantud, Sara Peterson, Sarah Eyre, Sarah Wilson, Sharon Fuller.

Edited by: Shannon Okey

Published by: Cooperative Press, 2013

Pages: 55

Type: Strictly Patterns

The In-Depth Look:

Part of the “Fresh Design” series of books from Cooperative Press, this ebook brings 10 patterns of gloves and mittens from a group of ten talented designers. They cover a range of single-color, multi-color, mitten, gloves, fingerless gloves, simple to complicated.

This book can be found at Cooperative Press (digital only for now).

Want to see pictures? Click here.

These review copies were kindly donated by Cooperative Press. Thank you!

Comments Off on Review: Hat Couture/Fresh Design Mittens & Gloves

Tagged

Resurrected

Posted on April 7, 2013 by | Comments Off on Resurrected

IMG_0686 IMG_0683 IMG_0684 IMG_0681

I was really pleasantly surprised with how well the repair of Dan’s quilt went. Most of the quilting went smoothly and easily with just a bit of puckering at the edges. I think next time I would pull everything tight and then trip the edges and put on a binding. I used meander quilting and made sure to cross all the seams as often as possible since those are the weakest area of the quilt. I’ll definitely do this same process on my old blue and white quilt to rescue it as well. That one has only  a few small tears.

Comments Off on Resurrected

Tagged

Chappy’s ABC’s …

Posted on April 6, 2013 by | Comments Off on Chappy’s ABC’s …

A few years ago ABC meme’s were popular in blog land… I happened to run across this one that my daughter Deb had her dog Chappy do… I think it’s cute and funny, much like him.

edited-used

A- Age:     11 and a half.

B – Bed size:    Crate. Except on weekends when I get to sleep on the bed with Mom.

C – Chore you hate:  Vacuuming.
D – Dog’s name:   Um, I AM the dog. Chappy!
E – Essential start your day item:  Mommy! Breakfast!
F – Favorite color:    Um, I’m a dog. We don’t really see that many colors.
G – Gold or Silver:   Silver, I guess, since that’s what’s on my collar.
Height :  24″
I – Instruments you play(ed):  I don’t play any instruments, but I can sing the blues when I’m sad.
J – Job title:   Family Dog
K – Kid(s): Mommy said I couldn’t have any, and really, I’m too carefree to want to be a Dad, anyway.
L – Living arrangements: I live with my Mommy!
M – Mom’s name:  Mommy, of course! But other people call her Deb.
N – Nicknames:   Honey Boy. Puppy-face. Chappy-face. Chapperdo. Fuzzy face. Happy Chappy. … Um, okay, this is a little embarrassing.
O -Overnight hospital stay other than birth: I was at the vet overnight when I was 6 months old being fixed, even though I’m still not sure what was broken.
P – Pet Peeve:   I don’t have any pets… What? Oh. People eating food right in front of me and then not sharing. That’s just rude!
Q – Quote from a movie: Woof! (Lady and the Tramp)
R – Right or left handed:   I’m left-pawed.
S – Siblings: I had 5 brothers and one sister.
T – Time you wake up:  Whenever Mommy wakes up. I’m very patient.
U – Underwear:  That’s just silly. I’m a DOG!
V – Vegetable you dislike:  Lettuce. But I loooooove carrots.
W – Ways you run late:    Dogs are never late. We’re never early, either. We’re right on time because we live in the moment.
X-rays you’ve had:    That’s something at the vet, right?
Y – Yummy food you make:    I don’t make any food, but I LOVE to eat it. Just about anything (except fruit–ick), but especially what Mommy makes for me. Mmmm. Food…
Z – Zoo favorite:   What’s a zoo? Can I bark at it?

- by Joan (Chappy’s grandma) -


Comments Off on Chappy’s ABC’s …

Tagged