31 December 2009

Amazing British Glove collection

In case you haven't seen this amazing collection of gloves, be sure to visit here and here and all of the rest of them. Leather, knitted fabric, amazing embroidery - wow. I'm inspired.

25 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #25: Treeline Striped Cardigan

I'm sure you were very good this year and received a bag of yummy Manos del Uruguay or other Aran/Worsted yarn of your choice. Now it's time to make something for yourself. I'm thinking of the Treeline Striped Cardigan, with Malabrigo Merino Worsted and some Kidsilk Haze. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

24 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #24: Stocking Ornament

You've still got sock yarn nuggets, don't you. How about a few last-minute mini stockings for your tree? Everlasting Liz comes through again with these cuties. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

23 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #23: Gifted Mittens

I bet you need a pair of mittens for snowball fights right about now or know someone who would appreciate them this Christmas, and these go very quickly with bulky yarn (or doubled worsted weight) on two needles. The seaming up is pretty quick. Kate Gilbert is a lovely knitwear designer, and it's very kind of her to share this pattern. [Ravelry link / Pattern link / PDF link]

22 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #22: Sweater Ornaments

Surely you have a little nugget of sock yarn in your oddballs stash. A few last-minute sweater ornaments would be perfect for the tree or to decorate a gift. I've included two today; one is top-down and the other bottom-up, so you can go with whichever is easier for you (or try the other for a light challenge in miniature).  [Bottom-up: Ravelry link /  Pattern link; Top-down: Ravelry link / Pattern link]

21 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #21: EZ as Pi Lace Beret

Lacy, pretty, quick. What more could you want? You are running out of time for Christmas gifts, Hannukah is over, and today is the Solstice (yay, turning towards the light!). This one does go quickly, though you need to leave time for blocking -- I do mine over a cake stand and run a strand of thread through the YOs closest to the ribbing and tie it tight around the base of the stand to open up the lace and keep the brim snug (at least to start, as we all know wear will stretch out that ribbing). [Ravelry link]

20 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #20: Pooch Pouch

We're getting down to the wire! How about some saddle bags for your dog's retractable leash to hold keys, ID, perhaps even a baggie or two? A little bit of worsted weight yarn is all it takes. Sized for small, medium and large retractable leashes. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

19 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #19: Lobster Buoys

You don't have to be from Maine to know what a wonderful place it is. Why not add a few lobster buoy ornaments to your tree or someone else's to keep Maine fresh in your mind? These little buoys from Molly Lincoln, who also designed the awesome knit lobster, are a great stash buster and a quickie project. Knit them up in Christmas colors or come up with your own lobsterman color scheme. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

Falala Free Pattern #18: Goldfish Mittens

Still looking for something special for the little one in your life? These mittens are adorable, a good chance to practice your stranded knitting technique, and have a clever cuff design that looks like a fish tail. I worked up a pair for Isobel in Malabrigo Merino Worsted on US4s, and just in time as it's finally cold here in New York. And there just might be a pair on the needles in blue and gold for a certain nephew of mine for Christmas. They go quickly, so you should have time to work up a pair before the big day. [Ravelry link]

17 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #17: Little Red

Do you have a little fairy-tale lover on your list? How about the new Little Red Riding Hood set from Petite Purls? Little Red, her Grandmother, and the Wolf work up quickly, being small, in DK yarn -- perfect little handfuls. And if you hadn't visited Petite Purls yet, what are you waiting for? Lots of darling things for your little darlings on this new online publication. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

16 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #16: Francis Revisited

Today's delay brought to you by ... changing email addresses. Yes, after 15 years I've decided to chuck the mac.com addy and go gmail (kathleendames at, for those who are interested in such things). Which means I've spent the day unsubscribing and resubscribing to a kajillion mailing lists. Wow, some online entities are waaaay better than others when it comes to managing your personal data/preferences/subscription. Yahoo!, you stink. Sorry, but I had to change every Groups subscription I had individually, and I still have to see the stupid "kathleen_fivel" identity, even though I am no longer Kathleen Fivel and have, in fact, changed everything to "kathleen_dames". Grumble grumble. Gah! Enough of that, on to the fun stuff!

It's cold (finally) in New York, so I'm in the mood for a sweater, something cosy, perhaps with a cowl neck? How about Francis Revisited? Beth Silverstein has kindly written up her pattern for all of us (XS to 3XL) and offers it free on Ravelry. The pattern is worked on slightly larger needles (US10) for the worsted/aran yarn, so it should fly. I have a pile of 100purewool worsted merino in the Frog Pond that may be just right. New Christmas sweater, anyone? This one doesn't have any intarsia reindeer! [Ravelry link]

15 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #15: Knitted Fisherman Stocking

Until I work up my own knitted fisherman Christmas stocking pattern, you will have to make do with Mary Thomas's lovely one. A row of these hung by the chimney with care would be so pretty. This pattern has been in my queue for a long time, so I should get cracking on at least one. If only we had a fireplace in our apartment! A word of warning on this pattern: there are no charts. However, the written instructions seem fairly clear. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

Wish List, Winter 2009

What's on your wish list this year? Oh, in addition to the little list below, I'd like peace, universal health care worth having, meaningful work for those who don't have it, and a new season of Project Runway or The Rachel Zoe Project. What? A girl can dream.
  • Backup for my digital life (all of it - 1 TB!)
  • Perhaps a new interchangeable needle set -- there are lots to choose from these days. This one from WEBS comes in such a pretty case, and, of course, there are the Knitpicks Options sets (metal/the original Options , wood/Harmony, or acrylic/Zephyr). I like that the set from WEBS will have a US3 needle, since I tend to knit yarns on the finer side these days. There is also the HiyaHiya Interchangeable set, though it's not available for purchase at this time -- perhaps they underestimated the demand for a high-quality set. Usually I'm not that keen on metal needles, but I liked the brushed finish on the lightweight steel tips from HiyaHiya.
  • Oh, anything and everything from my Etsy Wish List. I just love Etsy, despite Germaine Greer's tirade against handmade gifts in the Guardian a couple of days ago.
  • A silicone basting brush -- my current "dishwasher safe" one keeps losing bristles, making it clear that it is not, in fact, dishwasher safe.
  • A job, ideally the one I interviewed for last week. It's a design position with the university. The people seemed nice and cool and have a similar design and work philosophy. Plus the office is about halfway between home and the kids' school. Good work, good people, good location, good benefits: All around a really good fit, if they like me.
  • A case for my camera (Nikon D80) -- it's pretty heavy to lug in my purse, and it deserves a little more protection.
  • Lovelies from past wish lists, like Scilla, a C pin from Leslie Wind, a Mermaid blanket, or some ORK posters

14 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #14: Impatience

Here is another pattern for knitting up some of that beautiful sock yarn you're hoarding. Impatience is a large cowl/scarf worked in Dream in Color's Starry (all of DIC's lovely, superwash color with added sparkle -- what's not to love). [Ravelry link / Blog link / PDF link]

13 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #13: 22.5 Degrees

Do you still have sock yarn looking for a purpose? Of course you do! Why not knit up Martina Behm's lovely little shawlette. Garter stitch-based with a very wide angle, it's more interesting to knit than a scarf but fills the same need. Be sure to check Martina's video link on the pattern page to see her work the scalloped edge. She used a skein of Wollmeise, which has over 500 yards, but since the body of the shawl is garter stitch (no extraneous lace), you should be able to adjust, starting the edge a little earlier -- just follow her notes in the pattern for how many stitches you'll need on the needles. This would make a perfect quick gift or a project to look forward to in January. [Ravelry link]

12 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #12: Jean Beret

Hats hats hats! They're quick and satisfying to make, do a super-efficient job of keeping their wearers warm, and brighten up one's winter ensemble in a snap. The slouchy style is very popular right now, so why not try my Jean Beret, especially since today is my mom's birthday, and I created this one for her. Worsted-weight yarn make it a pretty quick knit, while the twisted stitches lend interest to both knitter and wearer. [Ravelry link / PDF link]

Happy Birthday, Mom! I love you.

11 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #11: Hemlock Ring Blanket

I know, I know! Everyone has knit this blanket. What? You haven't? Oh, you should. It's a neat pattern and makes a lovely gift. Just ask my parents. I made one for them last Christmas (I wanted to make two but had this little, hungry baby who wouldn't let me accomplish much of anything) and there was so much squabbling I had to whip up another one (for Dad, he let Mom keep the first) once Penelope started eating solids. So far I've made four, including one for me. Go on, make one! Brooklyn Tweed (Jared Flood) made this one famous, and the Rainey sisters whipped up a lovely PDF chart. [Ravelry link / Brooklyn Tweed's blog link / Rainey Sisters' blog link / PDF link]

Falala Free Pattern #10: Petrol

Have a man in your life? How about a nice vest for him. Quicker than a sweater (especially if you have one of the long-armed varieties) but a step up from a scarf or hat, Carol J. Sukcoski (yes, that Carol) wrote this one to knit quickly in beautiful Aran-weight Manos del Uruguay. Folks have also subbed Cascade 220, Cascade Eco Wool, Malabrigo, and more. Work it up in one color for Mr. Conservative, or push his boundaries a little by including the stripe. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

P.S. Apologies for missing a post yesterday. I had an interview for a position I really want and then sold some of my handknits at the kids' school Craft Fair yesterday. Busy busy busy. Today's pattern will be up shortly to get us back on track.

09 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #9: International Cat Hat: Turkey

Let's not forget the kitties this year! Stacy Mar of Spindles and Spices has come up with a number of adorable, hysterical patterns for cat hats. It was a toss-up between this Turkish fez and the Statue of Liberty crown (the French beret is cute, too), but the red of the fez seems more festive for the season. If you can get your cat to wear such a thing for more than a nanosecond, I would be impressed. Riley says, "No." [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

08 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #8: Hearts and Bones Dog Sweater

Do you have one of those dear little dogs that need a sweater when the weather turns foul or know someone who does? How about a little dog sweater with charted intarsia hearts and bones for embellishment. This sweater is from Picture Perfect Knits (Chronicle Books) and has some nice details, like front-leg sleeves and straps that keep the back of your pooch warm, too, without getting the back of the sweater dirty. Recommended yarn is Lamb's Pride Worsted Superwash, and this is an instance where you should choose a superwash yarn. Your faithful companion will thank you. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

07 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #7: Child's Gansey Sweater

Do you have a special child to knit for? Perhaps a traditional Gansey Sweater is in order. Claudia at Countrywool wrote up this chatty pattern for the Aranknit list covering all the details that make a Gansey Sweater unique (Channel Island cast on, twisted-stitch yoke pattern, and gussets for a better fit where sleeve meets body) in Worsted weight yarn. She gives us her recipe for a 28" chest and 5spi, but because it's a recipe, she gives you the information to adjust for your own size/gauge. If you follow the Yarn Harlot's adventures, you may know that she's been working on a Gansey for Joe for years. Why not try a smaller version and finish it up in no time? That's the beauty of a kid's pattern: lots less yarn/knitting and you still master new skills. [Ravelry link / Pattern link]

KSA: Vogue Knitting Winter Sale Ends Today

Wow! 40% off books, 50% off patterns. Lost your copy of the Winter 06/07 with Norah Gaughan's Cabled Bolero on the cover? You can get a copy of the pattern for half off. It's in my queue. Is there a knitter in your life (perhaps yourself?) moving on from following patterns to designing their own? Get one of Nicky Epstein's "edge" books or a Vogue Stitchionary (Knit and Purl, Cables, Colorwork) on sale. Ends today (12/7/09). [Link]

06 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #6: Gloves Can Be Deceiving

Perhaps you're a fairly new knitter, looking to move on from scarves, starting to stash beautiful hand-dyed sock yarn, but not yet ready for socks and/or knitting in the round on double-pointed needles (DPNs). Try these gloves, knit flat with sock yarn and then seamed (slightly tedious, but totally worth it). I used about a third of a skein of Madeline Tosh Sock for mine and didn't do the stripes (happily, the pattern is based on measurements rather than a certain number of rows or repeats of the striping pattern, so just follow the inches), which makes it a little easier with fewer ends to weave in and all, plus that hand-dye does all the work. [Ravelry link / pattern link]

05 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #5: Irish Hiking Scarf

This classic, cabled scarf is perfect for just about any man or woman on your list. [Ravelry link / blog link / PDF link]

If you're a knitter with access to the interwebs and don't know who Adrian Bizilia is, you're missing out: beautiful hand-dyed yarns and fibers, clever patterns, some free, others available in great knitting publications like Twist Collective and Clara Parkes's books. Wander around her site from the blog link above or browse her projects on Ravelry.

04 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #4: Amy March's Slippers

These slippers, worked up in bulky yarn (pattern calls for Lamb's Pride Bulky) or two strands of worsted (I've done a number with Malabrigo Merino Worsted, doubled), are quick-to-knit, cozy, and feminine with a bit of ribbon. Plus, they are a great gift for a traveler, since they are small and stretchy and can be slipped in a carry-on. Bonus for the knitter: learn toe-up sock construction with a short-row heel on a much smaller number of stitches. PDF available for download from Ravelry. [Ravelry link]

03 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #3: Kelly Bag

I was going to say I'll add this to my queue for after the holidays, but Jennifer Casa (the clever designer) and several others on Ravelry said they knit theirs up in a day. Economy? What economy? Kelly bags for everyone! [Ravelry link / Blog link]

02 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #2: Mini Mittens

How about a string of mini mittens for an Advent Calendar? Or use them with long strings to wrap up holiday presents? This pattern [PDF link / Ravelry link] from Valley Yarns (Webs) work the mittens flat with a little seam to sew up, which may be less fiddly for some knitters. If you are looking to work in the round, try these from Mindy Lewis [blog link / Ravelry link].

01 December 2009

Falala Free Pattern #1: Elsa Schiaparelli Bowknot Sweater

Thought I would share a free pattern a day until Christmas, some suitable for quick-knit gifts, others to put in your queue for a gift to yourself once the holidays are over.

Why not add Elsa Schiaparelli's Bowknot Sweater to your queue? Shocking pink, perhaps. The good people of Schoolhouse Press offer this pattern free on their website. In addition to knitting a bit of surrealist fashion history, you could add Armenian knitting* to your skill set. Or if you're a crazy-quick knitter, you could wrap yourself up for the holidays!

*Looking at the trompe l'oeil bowknot on the front of this sweater, you would think it is done with intarsia, and you would be wrong. Armenian knitting uses trapping of the second color (a la two-handed fair isle knitting) to carry the second color throughout the piece. The pattern is written in pieces, which means trapping on purl rows -- I think I might try to convert this to knitting in the round to avoid that and work out some seamless set-in sleeves with EZ's help.

30 November 2009

Pattern: Dennis



Back in the day, I remember my dad, Dennis, sporting a cool knit tie like this for casual wear. Now everyone seems to be getting in on the action. Quick to knit from luxurious alpaca and silk, this tie has an elegant texture that makes it stand out (quietly) from the crowd and would make a great gift for the man (or woman) in your life.
I used the entire skein of Blue Sky Alpaca's Alpaca Silk for the small tie, so if you want to knit a gauge swatch, be sure to buy a second skein or be prepared to frog your swatch. The men’s tie will leave you with plenty of yarn for a swatch and the tab, to keep the tail of the tie under control (men like that kind of thing; ladies usually wear their ties with a little more insouciance).
The Spot Stitch gives interest for knitter and wearer while being easy to remember. It is also a good lesson in “seeing” your knitting with purl bumps every other stitch every other row.


Columns of purl stitches up both sides help it to lie flat in the front, while the back, knit flat, helps the yarn go further, keeps the around-the-neck area slim, and the front lie smoothly over the back.
The pattern is available here on Ravelry or you can buy it directly using the button below.

Dennis






Back in the day, I remember my dad, Dennis, sporting a cool knit tie like this for casual wear. Now everyone seems to be getting in on the action. Quick to knit from luxurious alpaca and silk, this tie has an elegant texture that makes it stand out (quietly) from the crowd and would make a great gift for the man (or woman) in your life.
I used the entire skein of Blue Sky Alpaca's Alpaca Silk for the small tie, so if you want to knit a gauge swatch, be sure to buy a second skein or be prepared to frog your swatch. The men’s tie will leave you with plenty of yarn for a swatch and the tab, to keep the tail of the tie under control (men like that kind of thing; ladies usually wear their ties with a little more insouciance).
The Spot Stitch gives interest for knitter and wearer while being easy to remember. It is also a good lesson in “seeing” your knitting with purl bumps every other stitch every other row.



Columns of purl stitches up both sides help it to lie flat in the front, while the back, knit flat, helps the yarn go further, keeps the around-the-neck area slim, and the front lie smoothly over the back.


The pattern is available here on Ravelry or you can buy it directly using the button below.

24 November 2009

Online and knitting

Whew! I'm back online on my own laptop, thanks to freshbattery. I've been busy job-hunting, kid wrangling, and knitting a bunch of items to sell at the School's Craft Fair next month. I have a big ol' cone of School Products Cashmere Merino Bulky yarn in charcoal grey. I was saving it up for a swashbuckling cabled sweater coat design that I have in mind, but it will be put to better use at the moment as gloves, mittens, scarves, and hats, perhaps even a cowl or pair of wrist warmers for good measure. I'm going to work up a couple of Infinites, too, as well as sell printed copies of the pattern.


Isobel and her new guitar from Baba and Papou


I've also been pretty busy because my girl turned five last week. How did that happen?! There were dark chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate frosting to bake for school, which were very tasty, from the back of the E. Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate box. Then the cake to bake for the all-girl party (Cook's Illustrated's chocolate layer cake with milk chocolate frosting), complete with make-your-own-tutus, crustless grilled cheese and PB&J triangles, and hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows, which were pretty easy to do, if you have a stand mixer.

As you can see she really likes her new guitar. And she likes the Leapster from Grandma and Grandpa so much that she tried to hide it under her pillow Sunday afternoon when we insisted she take a nap. Once that was removed, she was out in two minutes. Birthdays are exhausting! I didn't knit her a thing this year but may work up a sweater for her soon. Still have to put the button bands on Penelope's birthday sweater, which probably means I should give it to her cousin who would actually be able to get some wear out of it.

We're off to Chicago tomorrow with all three kids (wish us luck) to see both families and attend my high school reunion. How could twenty years have passed since my graduation? I'm also going to get a chance to go out and see my grandmother who, after getting out of the hospital, will be spending a few more weeks in a nursing home regaining her strength before getting back to her place in her assisted living community. I'm so glad I'll have a chance to see her - she is an amazing lady, and I'm so grateful that she is still around. So, my sister and I are going to take the girls out on Saturday and perhaps stop by The Fold on the way back. Talk about gilding the lily!

12 November 2009

Technical Difficulties

More work to come once the new battery arrives to save my laptop from brickdom.

09 November 2009

Please don't call it a "snood"

Check out this article in the WSJ about "snoods" or what normal people call a cowl or circular scarf, and hip people call an infinity or eternity scarf. We already have something in the world called a snood, folks, and it is meant to corral all your long, beautiful hair in a sort of netted bag. Think '40s beauties or Scarlett O'Hara working at the hospital in Atlanta. Fashion marketeers seem to view "snood" as some sort of brilliant, Brit-inflected mash-up of scarf and hood. Now, I'm no genius, but wouldn't that be a "scood"? Grumble grumble.

Of course, I call it an infinity scarf. Or just Infinite.

Anyway, the weekend was not great, chez Purly. Penelope picked up some bug and (Warning: mildly gross Mom oversharing ahead) had diarrhea all weekend, with special added vomiting all day Saturday. Now, normally, with three kids I end up doing a fair amount of laundry, but this weekend it was all laundry, all the time. And then we have the dead computer (battery, hopefully). Luckily, Nick is busy grading papers, so I can borrow his computer for a mo'. But all my pics and the half-written pattern for a little vest/camisole thing (how do you decide when something is one or the other?) are trapped on the dead laptop. A replacement battery has been ordered (my 'top is almost five years old, so no popping down to the Apple Store, unfortunately), so I hope to be back up and running in a few days. Until then I'll be knitting hats and mittens for the kids' school Holiday Fair next month.

And the cherry on top is that my darling, ever-shrinking grandmother is in the hospital. Her bones are crumbling, and she's in a lot of pain. She is a smart, tough lady, and if she says she can't take it, it must be bad. I just wish there was something I could do for her.

05 November 2009

Safari


Safari: Home page



Safari: User home screen





Safari: Search results screen


These are screen shots of the original user interface for Safari: O'Reilly Books Online (now Safari Books Online, as other publishers have come on board to add their content to this online interface). I worked with the development team in Belgium and the East and West Coast offices of O'Reilly to come up with the interface back in 1999-2000.


This was such an interesting project to work on because I not only had to reinforce the O'Reilly identity but take it into a new online realm. I also had to think about how different readers/users would want to work with our material online. Luckily, my earlier experience in educational publishing came in handy, where I had learned about different modes of learning. And my years working with Edie Freedman, Creative Director extraordinaire helped, too.


From here I went on to work for Gomez.com, largely in the GomezPro division, designing online tools for customers, including a tool to create online surveys, which was, again, interesting, as I had to think of all the different kinds of questions users would want to ask and then figure out the best design for those elements. I am looking through my archives for design samples from my Gomez days and will post what I find.

Pattern: Matryoshka Japonais



Who wouldn’t love their own set of soft, woolly, knitted dolls? My daughters can’t keep away from these three. They are based on the traditional Russian nesting dolls known as Matryoshka, which were in turn inspired by a set of Japanese dolls representing the Seven Gods of Fortune. The blue and white colorwork was inspired by Japanese indigo resist-dyed fabrics.
These dolls are a wonderful way to try intarsia and stranded colorwork techniques on a small scale. If that is too much, the dolls could also be worked plain with their faces added afterwards using duplicate stitch and their skirts embellished with embroidery.
This pattern is for all three dolls and includes five charts.


CSB Fashion Show Invitation






Invitation, envelope, reply card, raffle cards and tickets, note card (not shown: reply envelope, stationery sheet for staff use, and program) for The Children's Service Board of Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago 46th Annual Gold Coast Fashion Show


This was a two-color job, so I chose the classic combination of red and black for a sharp and sophisticated look -- previous years had gone for a softer color combination. The checkerboard added a graphic element to balance the lovely fashion sketch, and I really liked the impact of opening the invitation and getting that full-on pop of red.

04 November 2009

Pattern: Infinite



Just one skein of luscious Rowan's Kidsilk Haze will give you the most popular accessory of the season: an infinity scarf. Wear it long, like a super-drapey cowl, double it up for that casual scarf look, or pull the second wrap up over your head like a smoke ring. $2.00 PDF download from Ravelry.

ETA: Infinite will increase in price to $4.00 on 15 November.

Infinite

You know how those infinity scarves, like this one from American Apparel, are all the rage? Well, I decided I could do better than that, and here it is in all its silky-mohair glory: Infinite.


And there are, if not an infinite number of ways to wear it, at least three ways to wear it. Doubled up as a cuddly neck scarf (above), with the second wrap pulled up over your head like a smoke ring (below), or as a long, drapey scarf (far below).




This lovely used just one skein of Rowan's Kidsilk Haze. I had this ball of Majestic, purchased at Yarns in the Farms moons ago, that I wanted to work up into something special. I know I'm going to get a lot of use out of this one, and a few folks on the holiday list may find themselves opening up a little bit of infinity on Christmas morning. Pattern is available for $2.00 on Ravelry here. Or you can buy it now.

ETA: Infinite will increase in price to $4.00 on 15 November.

03 November 2009

News and whatnot

I won! Veronik had a little contest for some mini skeins of her new St Denis yarn for those of us who couldn't mob her at Rhinebeck, and I am a winner. Can't wait for that little package to arrive.

You may have seen that Susan B. Anderson has a new book of knitted toy patterns, including a set of Matryoshka nesting dolls. Clever construction to make them nest, but I'm still partial to my Matryoshka Japonais :)

Non-knit
If 98% of those polled think that driving while texting should be illegal, do we really need a law? And while we're at it, people, make up your minds. Does everything need to be legislated, or do you think you can use a little common sense and act like adults? Just don't do it, people.

Sorry, the day off for the kids seems to have gotten to me already, and I started this post at 9am.

Knit
I've finished my Vines Vest with the yummy Madeline Tosh Worsted and have to write it out properly before I can settle down to grading the pattern. I'm quite happy with it, though the armbands may need a little reinforcement (crochet? pick up and bind off?). I'm working away on my Selbuvotter and realized that the initials chart is quite a few rows taller than the original. I'm on to the rosemaling portion now and will see how this first one comes out. I was so careful about the width when creating the charts that I forgot about height! Another lesson learned.

30 October 2009

*U*FO: Mohair Pi Shawl




Apologies for the mediocre photography on this one, but what's a girl to do? I knit this Pi Shawl out of two skeins of hand-dyed mohair yarn I bought at the 2007 Shepherd's Market in Door County. I just loved the color and was intrigued by the adult mohair. It is not next-to-the-skin soft but it is a lovely yarn and would make a good shawl. Unfortunately, there is no more of this yarn, and still about a third of the edge to bind off. I already frogged back once to before an increase round when it became clear that I wouldn't have enough yarn for the edging, so I'm not doing that again.

I supposed I could frog back the edging, keep going around and around with this yarn and then start the edging with a different yarn when I run out. But this yarn is so unique (how much two-ply adult mohair have you encountered in your knitting career?) that I'm not sure what would pair well with it. Or I could frog back the edging and redo it as a simple garter edge, which is one of the options EZ suggests. But this edging is so pretty!

Right now this lovely thing is sitting in the time out basket. Think I'll go work on my mitten.

FO: John's Yoke Sweater








Pattern: Seamless Yoke Sweater lessons from Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmermann, colorwork patterns from Sheila MacGregor's Traditional Fairisle Knitting [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Wool/Tencel blend sock yarn from Foster Farm in blue and natural, purchased at the Columbia Farmer's Market
Needle: US4/3.5mm
Recipient: John, my one-year-old nephew
Mods: Well, there aren't really any, since I was following a recipe, rather than an exact pattern, but I did try to make the arms long-ish, so the sweater could be worn for a while.

Now, I've knit seamless sweaters before (mostly raglans), but this was my first yoke-style one with colorwork, and it turned out pretty well, I think. Getting five stitches per inch, I cast on 130 stitches for a 26" chest and went from there, following EZ's guidelines. This was all in Part II: Two Sweaters, Lessons One (Seamless Yoke-Sweater Body and Sleeves) and Two (Yoke Patterns, Weaving and Finishing). I threw in a couple of short rows to lengthen the back before starting the yoke and did the Casting-On Casting-Off at the neck, which was a little tedious but came out nicely. The only thing I didn't do was the phoney seams, which certainly help a grown-up sized sweater hang better but seemed not quite necessary on a sweater this size.

In more EZP news, I'm taking a break from her sweaters for the moment and have the Stonington Shawl on the needles, with the lovely red merino Mom and I brought home from the Door County yarn crawl. I've knit the body (a square on the diagonal) and the first side and am now wondering why I can't knit the edging on this side before going on to pick up the next side -- EZ has you knit up trapezoids on each side and keep all stitches live before you knit them all off in one long go for the edging. Doing the edging on one side would eliminate holding all those stitches, since they'd be done. I guess the question is linking the edging from one side to the next. It just seems like an unnecessary step to have all the stitches OTN around the shawl, when you work the edging perpendicularly. So, I've stalled as I ponder. And I have to choose an edging pattern, as this version of the shawl is from the book recipe, rather than a pattern (it was published in pattern form in Knitter's and a Spun Out, later).

I also have my first Selbuvotter OTN, having charted my initials and the year -- I'm doing NHM #10 with some modifications. The stranded work takes some concentration, going back and forth between Terri Shea's charts and mine for the front and back of the mitten. I'm excited about them -- it's been a long time since I had a pair of mittens.

And I just whipped out a little vest with the lovely Madeline Tosh Worsted from the NYC Yarn Crawl. I'm not sure it's finished yet, and then I'll need to grade the pattern. This will be my first grading experience (yay, no sleeves), so I'm excited and a little anxious.

29 October 2009

Healing with Crystals & Gemstones


Healing with Crystals & Gemstones by Daya Sarai Chocron (Weiser Books)
Art direction, photo research, production

The Fairy Party Book


The Fairy Party Book by Marina T. Stern (Red Wheel)
Art direction, hiring of freelance illustrator, production

Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow


Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow by Karen Casey (Red Wheel/Weiser)
Art direction, photo research, production

28 October 2009

Free Pattern: EZ as Pi Lace Beret



A beret from the top. Starting with i-cord and progressing into a Miniature Leaf Lace from Barbara Walker, this beret increases based upon the principle of Pi.

Download a PDF now.

Free Pattern: Jean Beret



A new pattern...

This one is for my mom. She wanted a cozy, beret-style hat that was large enough to pull down around her ears to keep warm in Chicago (and up in the snowy wilds of Wisconsin sometimes). You can wear it down around your ears like a stocking cap, beret-style, or pushed back on your head, which seems to be all the rage these days. I knit it with two skeins of Crystal Palace Yarns Merino 5 Solid in Black, and a good sub would be Berocco's Pure Merino to get the same fabric, but Malabrigo Merino Worsted or Cascade 220 would work just as well (and only one skein!).
See the pattern now.

27 October 2009

KSA: Yarndex

Inherited some label-less yarn? Just curious to see all the colors Kidsilk Haze comes in? (Thirty-three shades available as of this writing.) Yarndex is the place to explore yarns. While they may not have every yarn ever spun, they cover a staggering number of yarns, including many no longer in production, which could help you figure out if that thrift store purchase is really a treasure (and if you'll have enough to make a sweater). Color cards, yardage and gauge information, fiber content, price, and so on. This is a very helpful site to have at your fingertips.

26 October 2009

Free Pattern: Jean Beret


A new pattern for you! This one is for my mom, which is why I named it Jean. She wanted a cozy beret-style hat that she could pull down around her ears to keep warm in Chicago (and up in the snowy wilds of Wisconsin sometimes). You can wear it down around your ears, beret-style, or pushed back on your head. I knit it with two skeins of Crystal Palace Yarns Merino 5 Solid in Black, and a good sub would be Berocco's Pure Merino to get the same fabric, but Malabrigo Merino Worsted or Cascade 220 would work just as well (and only one skein!).

Size/Finished Measurements
Adult Medium (22-inch head circumference/12-inch diameter)

Materials
Crystal Palace Yarns Merino 5 Solid (100% Superwash Merino Wool; 110 yards/100 meters per 50 gram skein); color: Black; 2 skeins
one set US4/3.5mm DPNs
one US4/3.5mm 16-inch circular needle
stitch marker
tapestry needle

Gauge
20 sts/28 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on US4/3.5mm needles

Abbreviations and Stitches
K = knit
P = purl
K1b = knit one in back of stitch
M1p-i-b = make one by lifting the bar before the next stitch and purling into the back of it
P2tog = purl two together
K2tog-i-b = knit two together in back of stitches

Pattern Notes
I used a smaller-than-usual size needle to create the cushy fabric I was looking for—this one was for my mom, and she lives in Chicago, where it gets cold. I imagine she will wear this down over her ears (see below) rather than on the back of her head (see left) or beret-style as shown on the first page.
Any woolly, worsted yarn will work in this pattern. If you can’t find Merino 5, try Berocco’s Pure Merino, as the composition and construction of the yarns are very similar.

Skills Needed
Casting on
Binding off
Knitting
Knitting in the back of a stitch
Purling
Knitting in the round
Increasing
Decreasing

Pattern
With circular needle cast on 108 stitches. Place marker and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.
Rounds 1-6: [K1b, p1] to end.
Round 7: [K1b, p1, m1p-i-b] to end. 162 st.
Rounds 8-13: [K1b, p2] to end..
Round 14: [K1b, p2, m1p-i-b] to end. 216 st.
Rounds 15-20: [K1b, p3] to end.
Round 21: [K1b, p3, m1p-i-b] to end. 270 st.
Rounds 22–27: [K1b, p4] to end.
Round 28: [K1b, p2, p2tog] to end. 216 st.
Rounds 29–32: [K1, p3] to end.
Round 33: [K1b, p1, p2tog] to end. 162 st.
Rounds 34–37: [K1b, p2] to end.
Round 38: [K1b, p2tog] to end. 108 st.
Rounds 39–41: [K1b, p1] to end.
Round 42: Switching to DPNs [K2tog-i-b, p2tog] to end. 54 st.
Rounds 43–45: [K1b, p1] to end.
Round 46: [K2tog-i-b, p2tog] to end. 27 st.
Rounds 47–49: [K1b, p1] to end.
Round 50: [K2tog-i-b, p2tog] to last stitch, k1b. 14 st.
Round 51: [K2tog-i-b, p2tog] to last stitch, k1b. 7 st.
Break yarn, draw through remaining sts and pull tight. Weave in ends securely. Block over a plate.

About Kathleen Dames
I knit and design in New York City and Bath, Maine. You can find more of my work at kathleendames.blogspot.com and contact me at kathleendames at gmail dot com. I’m Purly on Ravelry.

I'm working on some other patterns, so watch this space :)

Pattern: Jean Beret



Size/Finished Measurements
Adult Medium (22-inch head circumference/12-inch diameter)

Materials
Crystal Palace Yarns Merino 5 Solid (100% Superwash Merino Wool; 110 yards/100 meters per 50 gram skein); color: Black; 2 skeins
one set US4/3.5mm DPNs
one US4/3.5mm 16-inch circular needle
stitch marker
tapestry needle

Gauge
20 sts/28 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch on US4/3.5mm needles

Abbreviations and Stitches
K = knit
P = purl
K1b = knit one in back of stitch
M1p-i-b = make one by lifting the bar before the next stitch and purling into the back of it
P2tog = purl two together
K2tog-i-b = knit two together in back of stitches

Pattern Notes
I used a smaller-than-usual size needle to create the cushy fabric I was looking for—this one was for my mom, and she lives in Chicago, where it gets cold. Any woolly, worsted yarn will work in this pattern. If you can’t find Merino 5, try Berocco’s Pure Merino, as the composition and construction of the yarns are very similar.

Skills Needed
Casting on
Binding off
Knitting
Knitting in the back of a stitch
Purling
Knitting in the round
Increasing
Decreasing

Pattern
With circular needle cast on 108 stitches. Place marker and join to begin working in the round, being careful not to twist.

Rounds 1-6: [K1b, p1] to end.
Round 7: [K1b, p1, m1p-i-b] to end. 162 sts.
Rounds 8-13: [K1b, p2] to end.
Round 14: [K1b, p2, m1p-i-b] to end. 216 sts.
Rounds 15-20: [K1b, p3] to end.
Round 21: [K1b, p3, m1p-i-b] to end. 270 sts.
Rounds 22–27: [K1b, p4] to end.
Round 28: [K1b, p2, p2tog] to end. 216 sts.
Rounds 29–32: [K1, p3] to end.
Round 33: [K1b, p1, p2tog] to end. 162 sts.
Rounds 34–37: [K1b, p2] to end.
Round 38: [K1b, p2tog] to end. 108 sts.
Rounds 39–41: [K1b, p1] to end.
Round 42: Switching to DPNs [K2tog-i-b, p2tog] to end. 54 sts.
Rounds 43–45: [K1b, p1] to end.
Round 46: [K2tog-i-b, p2tog] to end. 27 sts.
Rounds 47–49: [K1b, p1] to end.
Round 50: [K2tog-i-b, p2tog] to last stitch, k1b. 14 sts.
Round 51: [K2tog-i-b, p2tog] to last stitch, k1b. 7 sts.

Break yarn, draw through remaining sts and pull tight. Weave in ends securely. Block over a plate. Enjoy!


26 October 2009

© Copyright 2009 Kathleen Dames. All rights reserved. You may print this pattern for your own personal use only. You may not distribute this pattern in printed or electronic format, for free or for resale.

23 October 2009

Moon Magic


Moon Magic by Dion Fortune
Cover design and production
We ended up doing a one-color printing (and had to choose a dark enough color for the barcode to scan) of the cover and then foil-stamping the title in silver - inspired by the lovely cover treatments for the His Dark Materials series but without the budget for the gorgeous hand-lettered titles [The Golden Compass paperback].

Celtic Cross



Celtic Cross: Croes Celtaidd kit by Derek Bryce (Red Wheel)
Design and production of die-cut box and included book

Moments In Between









Moments In Between: The Art of the Quiet Mind by David Kundtz (Conari Press)
Cover design and production, photo research, interior design and production
A lushly illustrated, abridged edition of Kundtz's Quiet Mind

21 October 2009

course|notes Reference Guides




course|notes Reference Guides series design
Brief: Create series design for z-style, tri-fold, laminated reference cards filled with a wide variety of information; color-code information and build in enough flexibility to cover design issues that will come to light as new topic cards are created. Previous card designs were jumbled and filled with undifferentiated type, limiting their usefulness to students.

Alternative MCSE/MCSA Series designs






MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows Vista by Byron Wright & Leon Plesniarski (Thomson|Course Technology)
Alternative designs for MCSE/MCSA Series

Health Care Law



Health Care Law by Janice Kazmier (Thomson|Delmar Learning)
Art direction of freelance designer working with remote team

Evidence


Evidence: Investigation, Rules, and Trials by Benjamin H. Frisch (Thomson|Delmar Learning)
Art direction of freelance designer working with remote team

Illustrated Series


Illustrated Series
Introduction to Computer Concepts, Sixth Edition, Enhanced by June Jamrich Parsons and Dan Oja (Thomson|Course Technology)
Art direction of existing series design included art selection, adjustment, and color correction; color palette selection; interior design adjustment; ancillary design, production, and coordination

MCSE Guide to Microsoft Windows Vista Professional


MCSE Guide to Microsoft® Windows ® Vista Professional by Byron Wright & Leon Plesniarski (Thomson|Course Technology)
Redesign of series for a more modern, graphic look

A Guided Tour of Microsoft Office 2007, Windows Vista Edition


A Guided Tour of Microsoft® Office 2007, Windows Vista™ Edition, Movie Tutorials CD by Corinne Hoisington (Thomson|Course Technology)
Stock photo research and adaptation of series design for new Vista titles.

Lessons from the Top Paralegal Experts



Lessons from the Top Paralegal Experts by Carole A. Bruno (Thomson|Delmar Learning)
Art direction of freelance designer working with remote team
Four different options for dealing with the issues of race and gender when producing books that will entice and reassure rather than offend wide-ranging market, including handsome two-color option