20 January 2012
Swatches are lie-y, lying liars
I think the title says it all, don't you? Looks like I am not halfway through the current OTN project. Sigh. Never mind that I swatched a good-sized swatch, washed it, let it dry (sometimes, having patience on that is difficult), and measured carefully. It seems I should have measured larger samples, especially for the stitch gauge, in this instance. I usually measure in a few places on the swatch, but I think this time it would have been better to measure over a greater area rather than double-check my measurements over smaller areas. Lesson learned. And now shared.
18 January 2012
This is not a monthly blog.
Goodness gracious, where have I been? I haven't posted since ... December 19th?! Apparently, I've been busy. Last-minute Christmas knitting (bears for the girls and one of their cousins, hats + mittens + felted balls for the other cousins, scarf for Mom, as-yet-unfinished hat for Dad, and trying to design a cap for my sister), baking and candy making, and three weeks of kid wrangling, including over the East River and through the air to the grandmothers' houses. Life would be easier if Penelope's preschool calendar was in sync with Isobel's and Stephen's.
Amidst all that I agreed to a design for Knitscene (yay!) and have been talking with the editor of the now semi-annual Jane Austen Knits (double yay that a one-time idea has turned into a regular publication) to do some projects for that. So, on my plate I've got one done, except for some last-minute calculations, one half-way through the process both in knitting and pattern, and one that's just a sketch and a swatch. Being a designer keeps one pretty busy!
On Sunday, before visiting the Marketplace at Vogue Knitting Live, we went swimming with some friends and their kids, and the missus asked me how exactly one goes about designing a sweater. So I thought I'd write a little bit about my process here. Of course, it's different for every designer, and it's not even the same every time for me. But here goes...
Inspiration comes in different forms. Sometimes I'm inspired by a call for submissions, sometimes it's an empty spot in my closet/sweater drawer, and often it's a "crazy" idea that I have to see through to the end. There are, of course, a wide variety of crazy ideas from a stitch pattern to a detail in a museum piece to my ever-increasing understanding of what you can do with knitted fabric. The more you knit, the more you'll know. I like interesting details, prefer working mostly in one piece (and in the round, if possible), and am always inspired by the brilliance of Elizabeth Zimmermann.
Next come the doodles! Nick would tell you that I've been in training for this since college, when my notebook margins were littered with dress sketches. Now, it's a succession of Moleskine note and datebooks that bristle with notes, descriptions, lists, and, of course, drawings.
And then, most often, comes the yarn (sometimes it comes first - we all know how it can go at the LYS: the yarn just demands to come home with you, saying "You'll figure out later what I'm meant to be"). I'm a loose knitter (the only relaxed thing in my world! Kidding! Sort of :) , so I often have to go down a needle size or two from the ballband suggestion, if I'm knitting a sweater. For lace, of course, you go up a needle size, and down for socks, mittens, even hats on occasion. The great thing about being the designer is that you are swatching for the fabric you want, not a particular number of stitches per inch. It's freeing, though it puts a lot of pressure on said swatch when writing the pattern.
More to come ... tomorrow? I'm not sure this will again become a daily blog, but I'm going to aim for at least a few times a week. Happy New Year!
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| Penelope's Christmas bear (Isobel's needs minor surgery before her photo shoot) |
On Sunday, before visiting the Marketplace at Vogue Knitting Live, we went swimming with some friends and their kids, and the missus asked me how exactly one goes about designing a sweater. So I thought I'd write a little bit about my process here. Of course, it's different for every designer, and it's not even the same every time for me. But here goes...
Inspiration comes in different forms. Sometimes I'm inspired by a call for submissions, sometimes it's an empty spot in my closet/sweater drawer, and often it's a "crazy" idea that I have to see through to the end. There are, of course, a wide variety of crazy ideas from a stitch pattern to a detail in a museum piece to my ever-increasing understanding of what you can do with knitted fabric. The more you knit, the more you'll know. I like interesting details, prefer working mostly in one piece (and in the round, if possible), and am always inspired by the brilliance of Elizabeth Zimmermann.
Next come the doodles! Nick would tell you that I've been in training for this since college, when my notebook margins were littered with dress sketches. Now, it's a succession of Moleskine note and datebooks that bristle with notes, descriptions, lists, and, of course, drawings.
And then, most often, comes the yarn (sometimes it comes first - we all know how it can go at the LYS: the yarn just demands to come home with you, saying "You'll figure out later what I'm meant to be"). I'm a loose knitter (the only relaxed thing in my world! Kidding! Sort of :) , so I often have to go down a needle size or two from the ballband suggestion, if I'm knitting a sweater. For lace, of course, you go up a needle size, and down for socks, mittens, even hats on occasion. The great thing about being the designer is that you are swatching for the fabric you want, not a particular number of stitches per inch. It's freeing, though it puts a lot of pressure on said swatch when writing the pattern.
More to come ... tomorrow? I'm not sure this will again become a daily blog, but I'm going to aim for at least a few times a week. Happy New Year!
19 December 2011
Pattern: JOY garland
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| JOY garland |
A little something for the holidays! I dubbed this garland "JOY" because it came out even better than I thought it might. You see, I had this idea of using i-cord, and then it all fell into place. This is knit in one piece (oh, joy!), and I didn't even weave in the ends, just trimmed them to an even length so they could be used to hang the garland.
It comes in two sizes, and the pattern includes templates to cut out felt letters to spell JOY, PEACE, MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH, and HAPPY NEW YEAR, large and small.
My JOY garland hangs on our front door, makes me smile every time I see it (I seek out peace and joy all year round), and gently jingles when the door opens or closes (and we all know what happens every time a bell rings, don't we?*).
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| Our door, which does not photograph well for patterns |
I chose Plymouth's Encore Worsted, since it was in the stash, cheery, and sturdy. You could use just about any yarn you like (I'm contemplating some teeny garlands in fingering weight yarn because I'm twee like that), though I'd save the cashmere for something else. And then you'll need to visit the craft store (unless you have a five and dime - I'm sure they would have had felt and bells at the 5 & 10 I visited when I was little) for some jingle bells and felt. I went classic here, but I saw glittered bells in various colors *and* sparkly felt. You could really bling this one up, if you were so inclined. I may have to go back to the craft store...
The pattern may be purchased through Ravelry or on Etsy, or you can use the handy button below to buy instantly.
May the coming year bring you peace and joy and lots of yarn. xoxo, Kathleen
*"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets it's wings," according to It's a Wonderful Life. Whether you believe in angels or not, jingle bells are a merry sound.
12 December 2011
Craft Fair 2011 and Etsy
Goodness, how the time has flown! I've been busy knitting up items for the kids' school craft fair, and anything that didn't sell is now available on my Etsy shop (see the sidebar). The craft fair, as always, was lots of fun, and again I was impressed with all the creativity in the room.
I've also been coping with turning forty and having a seven-year-old daughter. How did all that happen?!
I need to get back into the blogging habit, so I hope to show up here more often. There is a holiday decoration pattern in the works, so come back soon!
I've also been coping with turning forty and having a seven-year-old daughter. How did all that happen?!
I need to get back into the blogging habit, so I hope to show up here more often. There is a holiday decoration pattern in the works, so come back soon!
14 October 2011
An Aran for Frederick
Designers have started uploading photos to Ravelry for Jane Austen Knits 2011 [link], so I realized it was time to add mine. If you can't wait for the print versions to show up at your LYS next month, you can purchase the digital edition from Interweave's site [link]. My contribution is called An Aran for Frederick [link] - a men's cabled pullover knit in the round with an EZ-style hybrid yoke to show off all those amazing cables.
You can also see a little of the sweater in Catherine Shields's Fitz fingerless mitts [link].
This bundle of cable-y goodness was knit up in Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter, which I really enjoyed working with. Most of the time I work with Worsted-spun yarn, like tosh dk, so working with a Woolen-spun yarn was interesting. There is a fluffiness to it, and yet the cables really pop. Plus, it spit-splices like a dream, which is perfect for a sweater knit in the round. I only had to weave in the cast-on and bind-off ends, as well as the underarm Kitchener-ed ends.
Ever since I read Elizabeth Zimmermann's description of the hybrid yoke, I've wanted to see what would happen if you tossed cables in there, winding up the arms and shoulders, climbing up the back. So, when submissions for Jane Austen Knits were called, it seemed like the right time to explore this idea.
Persuasion is my favorite of Austen's novels, closest to my own story, and I thought a sweater inspired by Captain Wentworth was a great idea. Happily, clever editor Amy Clarke Moore agreed, and I was able to work some Frederick-themed cables into a handsome, strong-shouldered sweater.
I hope you like it! And the best news is that Interweave is already planning another edition for 2012 - call for submissions may be found here.
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| © Christa Tippmann |
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| © Christa Tippmann |
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| © Christa Tippmann |
This bundle of cable-y goodness was knit up in Brooklyn Tweed's Shelter, which I really enjoyed working with. Most of the time I work with Worsted-spun yarn, like tosh dk, so working with a Woolen-spun yarn was interesting. There is a fluffiness to it, and yet the cables really pop. Plus, it spit-splices like a dream, which is perfect for a sweater knit in the round. I only had to weave in the cast-on and bind-off ends, as well as the underarm Kitchener-ed ends.
Ever since I read Elizabeth Zimmermann's description of the hybrid yoke, I've wanted to see what would happen if you tossed cables in there, winding up the arms and shoulders, climbing up the back. So, when submissions for Jane Austen Knits were called, it seemed like the right time to explore this idea.
Persuasion is my favorite of Austen's novels, closest to my own story, and I thought a sweater inspired by Captain Wentworth was a great idea. Happily, clever editor Amy Clarke Moore agreed, and I was able to work some Frederick-themed cables into a handsome, strong-shouldered sweater.
I hope you like it! And the best news is that Interweave is already planning another edition for 2012 - call for submissions may be found here.
10 October 2011
Forty
So, that happened. Now, I'm 40. How did that happen?
I can't really believe my "big" birthday has come and gone. It was a fairly low-key day, with phone calls from family, kisses from little people (and big ones), and macarons from Ladurée. And a surprise breakfast the following day with some of my mommy friends, since I was the working parent at Penelope's school on my birthday.
Now that I'm a grown-up, I have finally gotten my proper New York State driver's license, which means I can drive myself to Rhinebeck this weekend! Hope to see some of you there, though I missed the Rhinebeck Bingo deadline.
And I've applied for some jobs, which is properly grown-up. I mean, my less-than-thrilled feelings about this birthday mainly stem from wanting to accomplish more, professionally. I love my husband and kids and feel so blessed to be at such a good place in my life in that regard. Yes, I managed to avoid the whole When Harry Met Sally... breakdown ("And I'm going to be forty! ... Some day."). But I want to contribute more. I've been brushing up my resumé, which has reminded me of how much I enjoyed working. I know, going to an office, interacting with co-workers, coping with deadlines, all that stuff can be tough. But producing things, hanging out with the smart/cool co-workers, and wearing grown-up clothes (I have had some work wardrobe fantasies after applying for jobs) are pretty great, as is that whole getting paid thing.
In regards to my birthday wish list, some yummy things did make their way into my life, in addition to the aforementioned macarons (fleur de sel caramel were my favorite). Some shiny red Hunter boots have been keeping my feet dry, though, luckily we haven't had much rain since my birthday. Blue and white striped espadrilles arrived from my besty - so "me" that it's almost funny. And my sister tracked down some Wollmeise, sending me a lovely, giant (300g) skein of the stuff in a beautiful kelp forest colorway (teal, greens, black). It's one of those one-of-a-kind dealies, so I don't know the name of the colorway, but I'm sure going to have fun figuring out what to do with it. Then, I may have acquired a sweater's worth of tosh dk in Baltic during the NYC Yarn Crawl. Oops!
Yarn photos will have to wait for daylight.
I can't really believe my "big" birthday has come and gone. It was a fairly low-key day, with phone calls from family, kisses from little people (and big ones), and macarons from Ladurée. And a surprise breakfast the following day with some of my mommy friends, since I was the working parent at Penelope's school on my birthday.
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| Birthday treats with the cuties |
Now that I'm a grown-up, I have finally gotten my proper New York State driver's license, which means I can drive myself to Rhinebeck this weekend! Hope to see some of you there, though I missed the Rhinebeck Bingo deadline.
And I've applied for some jobs, which is properly grown-up. I mean, my less-than-thrilled feelings about this birthday mainly stem from wanting to accomplish more, professionally. I love my husband and kids and feel so blessed to be at such a good place in my life in that regard. Yes, I managed to avoid the whole When Harry Met Sally... breakdown ("And I'm going to be forty! ... Some day."). But I want to contribute more. I've been brushing up my resumé, which has reminded me of how much I enjoyed working. I know, going to an office, interacting with co-workers, coping with deadlines, all that stuff can be tough. But producing things, hanging out with the smart/cool co-workers, and wearing grown-up clothes (I have had some work wardrobe fantasies after applying for jobs) are pretty great, as is that whole getting paid thing.
In regards to my birthday wish list, some yummy things did make their way into my life, in addition to the aforementioned macarons (fleur de sel caramel were my favorite). Some shiny red Hunter boots have been keeping my feet dry, though, luckily we haven't had much rain since my birthday. Blue and white striped espadrilles arrived from my besty - so "me" that it's almost funny. And my sister tracked down some Wollmeise, sending me a lovely, giant (300g) skein of the stuff in a beautiful kelp forest colorway (teal, greens, black). It's one of those one-of-a-kind dealies, so I don't know the name of the colorway, but I'm sure going to have fun figuring out what to do with it. Then, I may have acquired a sweater's worth of tosh dk in Baltic during the NYC Yarn Crawl. Oops!
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| Tres chic espadrilles! |
26 September 2011
August Trip Report
I'd better write this up before October arrives!
In August we went up to Massachusetts so Isobel could spend some time with her father and a bunch of his relatives. We stayed in Cambridge while they went up to Burlington. Conveniently, this was the same weekend as the Fiber Revival in Newburyport (yay! if you know me even a little, you know that the combination of knitting supplies, old friends, and an antique farm in the summer in New England is pretty close to perfect). Inconveniently, the traffic out of Boston was ridiculously awful (and Penelope gets carsick in stop-and-go traffic), so we almost bailed. I am so glad that we didn't! In addition to seeing my Yarns in the Farms ladies (hi, Carolyn, Jill, Joanne, and Suzanne!), I got to meet Amy King, Ms. Spunky Eclectic herself. I also had a chance to catch up with Leslie Wind who made the beautiful C-pin on Turn of the Glass and who lives on Cape Ann.
But the best part was that Nick, Stephen, and Penelope came with me, and they had fun! There was a triple-header of antique rules baseball (1861 - no gloves, balls caught on one bounce are an out, underhand pitching, sideburns and charming uniforms) played in a grass paddock with a field of corn for an outfield. Nick had seemed ... not terribly enthusiastic when I mentioned this beforehand. But once we got there, it turned out to be really neat for all of us to watch. And there was a beer truck from Ipswich Ale (yum!) with hot dogs and whatnot. Penelope discovered the popcorn popper (and an adorable cast iron toy stove in the gift shop). Stephen found some other kids to play soccer and baseball with. And I came away with a bag of The Woolen Rabbit's Sporty that is destined for greatness (well, that's the vague plan, anyway) in Storm and Midas. I haven't even tried to take a picture because I'm not sure I can do these colors justice. I'll try at some point, but today is not picture day.
The rest of the weekend was nice, too. It was as if New England was on its best behavior (except for the traffic Saturday morning and the lack of a Red Sox game in town). The weather was lovely - sunny and warm during the day, cooling off at night. New England in the summer can be so delightful. We had dinner at Farnham's in Essex where I realized that I have a painting of this house:
After a long weekend in Massachusetts, we high-tailed it back to New York for lots of laundry, showering the cats with affection, and repacking before we headed to Chicago. Nick's parents live within walking distance of Loopy Yarns, so I got to visit there (with Nick - his first time), though I couldn't find yarn I wanted to buy (that Woolen Rabbit yarn was still on my mind, and I kicked myself for not bringing it along, even though I was working on another sweater, which I finished). I have some gorgeous yarn in my stash that I need to knit up before I invest in something new.
And then we made the great migration North to Door County, Wisconsin. My sister came from Berlin (via Paris and Detroit), and my brother and his family came up, too. It's tons of fun for the kids, and the grown-ups have a good time, though with six kids things get a little crazy. We even made it up to Washington Island, where I got to visit the famous Sievers School shop. Again (is something wrong with me?), I didn't buy any yarn, but my sister came away with some lovely, dark grey alpaca. Of course, the stop caused us to miss the ferry, but we caught the next one. My sister and I also checked out Whitefish Bay Farm and Spin in Sturgeon Bay. I was tempted by the hand-dyed yarns at Whitefish Bay Farm but couldn't decide what I wanted, especially as I still have a sweater in various shades of their undyed yarns OTN (I think I have a gauge issue - it's biiiig - and can't really face how much work I've put into it already).
Of course, the end of our week saw Miss Hurricane Irene pop up on everyone's radar, and we started to panic that we wouldn't get back to the East Coast. A phone call to the airlines had some nice lady in India talking about flying back in September, which would not do at all. We even reserved a car and started gearing up for driving the kids back from Chicago to New York. Luckily, our flight was one of the first to land at La Guardia on Monday. Whew!
Somewhere in there I also finished a shawlette (pattern TK) and a sweater I can't wait to wear and show you. I also reviewed the edited pattern for Jane Austen Knits and saw photographs of the sweater on a model. So cool! Publication date is 8 November, so you've got a little time to wrap up your current projects ;)
In August we went up to Massachusetts so Isobel could spend some time with her father and a bunch of his relatives. We stayed in Cambridge while they went up to Burlington. Conveniently, this was the same weekend as the Fiber Revival in Newburyport (yay! if you know me even a little, you know that the combination of knitting supplies, old friends, and an antique farm in the summer in New England is pretty close to perfect). Inconveniently, the traffic out of Boston was ridiculously awful (and Penelope gets carsick in stop-and-go traffic), so we almost bailed. I am so glad that we didn't! In addition to seeing my Yarns in the Farms ladies (hi, Carolyn, Jill, Joanne, and Suzanne!), I got to meet Amy King, Ms. Spunky Eclectic herself. I also had a chance to catch up with Leslie Wind who made the beautiful C-pin on Turn of the Glass and who lives on Cape Ann.
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| Dugout |
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| Outfield of corn |
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| Stephen watching; beards, beer, and baseball |
But the best part was that Nick, Stephen, and Penelope came with me, and they had fun! There was a triple-header of antique rules baseball (1861 - no gloves, balls caught on one bounce are an out, underhand pitching, sideburns and charming uniforms) played in a grass paddock with a field of corn for an outfield. Nick had seemed ... not terribly enthusiastic when I mentioned this beforehand. But once we got there, it turned out to be really neat for all of us to watch. And there was a beer truck from Ipswich Ale (yum!) with hot dogs and whatnot. Penelope discovered the popcorn popper (and an adorable cast iron toy stove in the gift shop). Stephen found some other kids to play soccer and baseball with. And I came away with a bag of The Woolen Rabbit's Sporty that is destined for greatness (well, that's the vague plan, anyway) in Storm and Midas. I haven't even tried to take a picture because I'm not sure I can do these colors justice. I'll try at some point, but today is not picture day.
The rest of the weekend was nice, too. It was as if New England was on its best behavior (except for the traffic Saturday morning and the lack of a Red Sox game in town). The weather was lovely - sunny and warm during the day, cooling off at night. New England in the summer can be so delightful. We had dinner at Farnham's in Essex where I realized that I have a painting of this house:
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| Essex marsh house |
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| Painting of the Essex marsh house |
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| Why, yes, dinner at Farnham's was good. Thanks for asking! |
After a long weekend in Massachusetts, we high-tailed it back to New York for lots of laundry, showering the cats with affection, and repacking before we headed to Chicago. Nick's parents live within walking distance of Loopy Yarns, so I got to visit there (with Nick - his first time), though I couldn't find yarn I wanted to buy (that Woolen Rabbit yarn was still on my mind, and I kicked myself for not bringing it along, even though I was working on another sweater, which I finished). I have some gorgeous yarn in my stash that I need to knit up before I invest in something new.
And then we made the great migration North to Door County, Wisconsin. My sister came from Berlin (via Paris and Detroit), and my brother and his family came up, too. It's tons of fun for the kids, and the grown-ups have a good time, though with six kids things get a little crazy. We even made it up to Washington Island, where I got to visit the famous Sievers School shop. Again (is something wrong with me?), I didn't buy any yarn, but my sister came away with some lovely, dark grey alpaca. Of course, the stop caused us to miss the ferry, but we caught the next one. My sister and I also checked out Whitefish Bay Farm and Spin in Sturgeon Bay. I was tempted by the hand-dyed yarns at Whitefish Bay Farm but couldn't decide what I wanted, especially as I still have a sweater in various shades of their undyed yarns OTN (I think I have a gauge issue - it's biiiig - and can't really face how much work I've put into it already).
Of course, the end of our week saw Miss Hurricane Irene pop up on everyone's radar, and we started to panic that we wouldn't get back to the East Coast. A phone call to the airlines had some nice lady in India talking about flying back in September, which would not do at all. We even reserved a car and started gearing up for driving the kids back from Chicago to New York. Luckily, our flight was one of the first to land at La Guardia on Monday. Whew!
Somewhere in there I also finished a shawlette (pattern TK) and a sweater I can't wait to wear and show you. I also reviewed the edited pattern for Jane Austen Knits and saw photographs of the sweater on a model. So cool! Publication date is 8 November, so you've got a little time to wrap up your current projects ;)
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