MIT Stitch & Bitch

Notice of a Yarn Crawl ...

2010-01-24T19:26:00.003-05:00

Coming soon to the North Shore area.

Do you love to Knit? Crochet? Or just stash fiber? Plan a weekend trip!!

I know it's been awhile since I've posted but I'm hoping some of the M.I.T. crowd stops by in Salem to say "Hi" and visit some of the best yarn shops in the area in March.

BTW, the picture in the Seed Stitch Fine Yarn store shows a scarf that was crocheted by me, the StitchingNut. I used Spud & Chloe Sweater Yarn ... so nice for the crocheter. But equally as nice for the knitter; which you may already know if you read my Blog.

See ya in March!!

Is the Cotton and Acrylic stash piling up?

2007-10-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

Would you like to find a home for the extra cotton and acrylic taking up room in your stash, as well as help others at the same time?

Donate to a charitable organization that put's both cotton and acrylic yarns to good use. Yup, the evil acrylic is wanted and needed by the ladies at NH Services who knit items for needy children and residence of nursing homes that require machine washable items. They use the cotton for kemo hats ... the softer the better. If you have a lot, consider the tax deduction you could get also. The RSVP Volunteers (there are 60 total) ... love to knit ... love to crochet ... and love contributing to others. This is something they do all year long by the way.

I've recently received this note from the Volunteer Services Director, Dee Martin that I want to share with you.
********************************************************************

Emailed Oct 12, 2007 12:38 PM to Rhonda the Stitchingnut

Hi Rhonda,

We would like to share with you the wonderful support from various places in the country that have responded to our request for yarn because of your website. Yarn came from all over New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia and many many towns in Massachusetts.

Our volunteers, in turn, create beautiful knitted and crocheted items (such as hats, mittens, scarves, afghans) which are delivered to needy families, non-profit organizations, and nursing homes throughout the area.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Dee Martin
****************************************************************

Below are a few pictures of just a few of the lovely ladies doing the knitting & crocheting for others in need. In fact, The first picture is of Helyn Malay (93 years young) who had started a knitting group called "Yarn It All" to knit hats, mittens and scarves for low income area school children. The other pictures include what they've been knitting and crocheting that are ready to be distributed during the Holidays.

I think I would also like to give every one of them a big hug.

SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE SERVICES, INC.

The Community Action Agency for Hillsborough County

Dee Martin, Volunteer Services Director

40 Pine Street, Manchester, NH 03103

Telephone: (603) 668-8010 ext 6022 Fax: (603) 645-6734

dmartin (at) snhs (dot) org www.snhs.org

Give a helping hand when you can ...

2007-10-03T14:44:00.000-04:00

Subject: Pine Street Inn Knit-A-Thon November 4, 2007

This message is being forwarded to you on behalf of Farley Sullivan who is organizing the Pine Street Inn Knit-A-Thon taking place on November 4, 2007. Please direct all questions to Farley at fnsullivan@comcast.net

---------- Forwarded message ----------

The weather outside is starting to cool off and if that doesn't make you want to start knitting maybe the upcoming Pine Street Inn Knit-A-Thon will! Time is going so quickly and the November 4th Knit-A-Thon is a little over a month away.

So please, don't be a square.... KNIT ONE!!!!!

STEP 1: Ladies (and gentlemen) start your needles! Start knitting your 9 inch by 9 inch squares. They can be ANY COLOR, ANY MATERIAL, ANY GAUGE, ANY PATTERN... And, you can feel free to knit as many or as few as you are able!!!!
STEP 2: Go forth and multiply! If you can knit one, you can knit two.... And so on, and so on. Each blanket will take 35 squares. Even if you can only knit a few - they will help complete a blanket.
STEP 3: Please follow the easy, step by step instructions and make your very own webpage at www.firstgiving.com/pinestreetinn.
STEP 4: Estimate how many squares you can knit by November 4th. I estimated that I will make 50 - which is a lot... In fact, I am knitting while I type this email... really!
STEP 5: Ask your friends and family to support your knitting efforts by pledging on a per square basis on your webpage. For example: $1.00 per square x 50 squares = $50.00. Or they can make the dollar donation of their choice. The donations you collect on your secure First Giving webpage will go to the Pine Street Inn's Supportive Housing Program.
STEP 6: Join us on Sunday, November 4th from 10:00am to 5:00pm at the Women's Inn at Pine Street, 363 Albany Street, Boston (you can drop in any time during these hours). Bring your knitted 9 x 9 inch squares on November 4th and together we will assemble them into blankets. Check out http://www.pinestreetinn.org/knit-a-thon/ . If you cannot make the event, please knit anyway... Your squares can be collected by a fellow knitter or shipped to the event.

The Knit Garden

2007-08-19T13:20:00.001-04:00

The Knit Garden
Originally uploaded by Stitchingnut

Knitted Plants on display at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn on 21 Front Street, Salem, MA. August 13 - September 30, 2007.

Join us on September 14th, 2007 for a reception and lecture by the Artist, Tatyana Yanishevsky at 6pm, $20. For tickets, call (978) 744-5557 or email info@seedstitchfineyarn.com.

Just click on the picture to view the rest on display ....

Helping others to Knit for charity!

2007-04-16T16:04:00.000-04:00

I met up with Dee Martin this past Saturday. She's with the Southern New Hampshire Services, Inc. as their Volunteer Services Director. Dee and I go back about 15 years to the NH Lung Association. We worked together for a few years before I came down to M.I.T. We were also crochet buddies and good friends, so I couldn't ignore an appeal for help. Especially to help Senior volunteer knitters. Fortunately, the MIT SnB community, as well as Victoria at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn in Salem, MA couldn't resist either. I handed over a car trunk load of yarn and pattern books to Dee this Saturday in Portsmouth.

Thanks everyone for donating! RSVP will put it all to good use.

And remember; they knit & crochet for charity all year long and will appreciate your donations.

SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE SERVICES, INC.

The Community Action Agency for Hillsborough County

Dee Martin, Volunteer Services Director

40 Pine Street, Manchester, NH 03103

Telephone: (603) 668-8010 ext 6022 Fax: (603) 645-6734

dmartin (at) snhs (dot) org www.snhs.org

The RSVP volunteers ...

In 2006, 84 RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) volunteers knitted over 3,000 goods such as hats, mittens, scarves, chemo hats, lap blankets and much more to be delivered to inner city schools, hospitals, nursing homes and the American Cancer Society. The total cash value was over $28,000, but the impact it made on the lives who needed help to stay warm was priceless.

Volunteers warm the hearts, hands and feet of many children and frail elders in the community. They are making a difference by knitting year round to keep up with the constant demand come the winter months.

Can you help these seniors change the world one stitch at a time?

They need skeins of yarn of all colors to keep the volunteer needles going. To donate yarn, please email dmartin (at) snhs (dot) org or call 1-800-322-1073 x 6022.

Calling all Knitters and Crocheters,

2007-03-27T08:34:00.000-04:00

I just got a note from a friend in New Hampshire that works for the Southern New Hampshire Services and they need donations of yarn. Would you like to clean out some of the unwanted, don't know what you would make with, or have no time for Yarn? If you like to donate knitted or crocheted items to worthy causes, but haven't the time to do the work ... help the Seniors do it for you! Donate yarn! BTW, they like Acrylic the best due to easy & multiple washings.

SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE SERVICES, INC.

The Community Action Agency for Hillsborough County

Dee Martin, Volunteer Services Director

40 Pine Street, Manchester, NH 03103

Telephone: (603) 668-8010 ext 6022 Fax: (603) 645-6734

dmartin (at) snhs (dot) org www.snhs.org

Who knew a skein of yarn could change the world?

Can you help these seniors change the world one stitch at a time?

We need skeins of yarn of all colors to keep these volunteer needles going. To donate yarn, please email dmartin (at) snhs (dot) org or call 1-800-322-1073 x 6022.

*************************************************************

If you write or call ... just tell her that Rhonda the Stitchingnut sent you!

*************************************************************

I plan to get together with Dee in April if anyone at M.I.T. would like to send some yarn up with me I'll be happy to carry it along. I have some of my own to bring anyway. She also said that she could arrange to have it picked up. The ladies knit and crochet for charities all year, so donate as often as you can. Thanks for you help.

Cheers,

Rhonda

2006-12-04T11:13:00.000-05:00

Real Men Knit

Something for the guys!

Do your socks really rock?

2006-10-28T11:49:00.000-04:00

Are you interested in joining Blue Moon's Sock That Rock Club?
Sign up notification will begin in November (if you're on their list).

Keep on Rocking ...

For those who missed it ...

2006-10-05T13:42:00.000-04:00

The Circus is in Boston. The Elephants and horses walked past M.I.T. today on their way to BankNorth Garden. There they go ....

Is knitting on it's way out?

2006-09-07T08:49:00.000-04:00

Here's a recent article from Publisher's Weekly. What do you think? Is knitting on it's way out?

Of course they haven't seen my knitting library. But then I'm only one knitter even if the DH thinks I have enough books and yarn to start my own knitting school. Hey that's an idea!

Christine got a shout-out on KnitCast!

2006-08-15T18:27:00.000-04:00

Shannon Okey talked about Christine and the Seamless show on KnitCast.

Save the Date ...

2006-08-03T14:44:00.000-04:00

Sunday, September 24, 2006
12pm - 4pm
Boston Common, Boston, MA
Rain or Shine

For the Boston Knit Out and Crochet Too

I had a blast last year! I marked my calendar and plan to go again this year.
Hope to see you there!

A video production on knitting gifts ...

2006-07-20T15:18:00.000-04:00

Blood, Sweat and Wool! ...

and one that's totally crazy: Totally Naked Hand Totally Knitting

Have you heard the Llama Song yet?

2006-07-18T12:39:00.000-04:00

Llama, Llama everywhere ... check it out here!

Do you need some more stitch markers?

2006-07-15T09:53:00.000-04:00

Here's some really cute ones from Designs by Tami!

I just purchased a few this week and I don't know why, but I just love those little rolly polly sheep. There's something about SHEEP these days!!

You Knit What?

2006-06-28T10:45:00.000-04:00

Check it out ... this blog on the "errors of knitting design" is worth the time it takes to have a good laugh!

You Knit What?? Seriously. What the hell were you thinking?

2006-05-19T14:34:00.000-04:00

he looks enough like a beaver.

i think this should be the official mit snb mascot. what do you think?

short rows can kiss my tootie*

2006-05-12T00:29:00.000-04:00

thanks crystal for the froggy cheerleading! :)

*ref. anne slowey, project runway 2

2006-05-11T15:00:00.000-04:00

roooooooseberry!

so i got the latest interweave in the mail last friday and was a little ho-hum about the issue, and i'm usually against summer knits and cottony things. somehow rubs me wrongly against the wholesome wooliness of yarn and knitting. however, i'm a humongous fan of twinkle design, despite the fact that most women can't wear superbulky knits without looking completely stuffed. however, i cannot resist textured knitted leaves. absolutely cannot. i love the cute simplicity and the huge button at the neck. not only a i changing gauge, but also making the motif asymmetrical on the front. i am also omitting the bobbles because i am seriously bobbled out.

my adaptation is with misti cotton + silk (incredibly soft! from windsor button) in a colour called terracotta. my swatch lied, just like the yarn harlot sez. i thought i had 16 sts 24 rows = 4", but with my 'real' swatch (i.e. the growing garment) looks like i have 18 sts 26 rows = 4". not too bad, since i believe the cotton will relax some after washing. anyway, i can slip it on, and it's good so far!

and wonky reverse stockinette short rows. hideous or tolerable?

Crocheting is okay too ...

2006-05-05T11:48:00.000-04:00

I still crochet ... but I'm into knitting right now.

I put up pictures on my Stitchingnut page, if you're interested in taking a look see.

A Knitted What?

2006-05-03T14:21:00.000-04:00

Check out this "Extreme Craft" ....

I think it's call "power knitting", LOL~!

A sideline of one of our Knitters ...

2006-04-28T11:41:00.000-04:00

DANCING this week at the Stata Center of MIT for Earth Day;
Nadira of Boston [our own Jessica]

BTW, ignore the date & time on the pictures ... I have a new camera & hadn't set it yet.

If you weren't there ... here's a tibit of what you missed...

Woohoo, love the dancing ... you go girl!

Yarn Harlot was here attracting local knitters ...

2006-04-21T09:59:00.000-04:00

... to promote her newest book.

[ Did you think I was going to say, "take over the world?"]

[Altho that might be the hidden agenda ... you didn't hear it from me.]

She even signed all three of her books for me!
Check out who was there ...

How's ewe doing?

2006-04-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

Knitting a flock ... how about Ewe?
[hehe I know, corny ... side effect of knitting too much!]

I'm baby alpaca! What kind of yarn are you?

2006-04-10T11:47:00.000-04:00

What Kind of Yarn are You?

Baby AlpacaYou are beautiful and soft, if sometimes a little difficult. Nothing but the best for you, etc. Quality, but out of the league for the rabble.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Warming Grace ...

2006-04-04T12:14:00.000-04:00

Would anyone be interested in joining this project?

See Two Wooden Sticks and a Ball of Wool

If you don't have time to knit a square but have PINK cotton or soft wool yarn to donate, I'll be happy to knit it up & send it off to Cynthia.

I love little new born lambs ...

2006-04-03T11:57:00.000-04:00

Went to visit mine in New Hampshire this weekend ... take a look at the next picture ... aint she sweet?

Did you know about this?

2006-03-28T12:43:00.000-05:00

Flash Your Stash 2006 at zibibbo is good

I've signed up. Have you? What better way to see what you have and get organized in the process!

No Wool on this one ...

2006-03-20T09:19:00.000-05:00

It's a girl ... and this new little lamb has lots of hair!

odessa^2

2006-03-10T00:14:00.000-05:00

ahem. it's the odessas!

sometime in the last two weekends, between the oscars and whatnot, i managed to whip these cuties up. i think each just took a couple hours on a comfy evening. blame it on the aran weight yarn, heh heh. :) without further ado...

so i made my roommate's first (the cream), and then mine. they're pretty much identical except for color.

yarn: laines du nord korall (from my sp7!)
needles: 9 (ribbing) / 10.5
beads: i tried to string some size 6/0 beads (the largest that beadworks carries), but on the aran weight yarn it was like trying to put a camel through the eye of the needle. anyway, camels are fuzzier.
amendments: i cast on 70 stitches; the rest is the same. i found that if i started decreasing at 5.5" (like in the pattern) it stlil worked out fine for my big head. plus i got some mileage from blocking, so all is superwell.
verdict: so cute and so satisfying! plus the yarn is very soft and s p r o i n g y.

see? even totoro approves.

Zenfully knitting

2006-03-06T10:11:00.000-05:00

Using up the left-over yarn from my stash and

I'm trying to stay low-key around the house for awhile...

Gold medal

2006-02-27T11:44:00.000-05:00

Ladies, in commemoration of your hard work ... here is a ~~CD on a ribbon~~ 2006 Olympic gold medal for you!!

Thank goodness for small favors

2006-02-24T11:41:00.000-05:00

Now that our relay is complete, let me point out the obvious. We are lucky that we did not have to make relay transitions like short track speed skaters ...

"Hey! Get your hands off my arse!"

The blanket, she is complete!

2006-02-23T15:20:00.000-05:00

I missed today's SnB due to a lunch time conference call. On a side note, one of the parties was conducting her end of the call while wearing a swimsuit and sitting on her balcony in Florida. Oh, how I wish I was part of that world!

But, since neither The Mafia or I were able to make it at noon, we held an impromptu SnB of our own at 1:00 p.m. We had some the good conversation. We started with discussions about the woman who tried to use plastic surgery to look like a cat, which led to a discussion about the equally scary plastic surgery adventures of Helen Gurley Brown. Followed, with no particularly graceful segue, by a discussion of why you might not want to attach your laptop to a live internet connection and a projector and enter a single set of quotation marks into a Google search. (Apparently, typing in just the opening quote brings up a list of recent search strings that you've entered in quotes. Just think about some of the search strings you've run ... would you want a room full of people to know about them??)

But, back to the knitting content ... and thanks to this stimulating lunchtime conversation ...
THE BLANKET IS DONE! Well, I have 2 ends left to weave in, but I can do that tonight :)

Here is the whole thing.

And here are some glamour shots of individual sections...

Don't forget FRIDAY FROLICS at lunch tomorrow. See the last post (below) for more details!

Invitation to a Friday Frolic

2006-02-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

I have 3 1/2 blanket borders complete!! Unfortunately, I will have to miss lunchtime knitting today due to a conference call. I will post a photo as soon as it is complete. In the meantime, here is a reposting of the "Friday Frolic" event, along with a partial listing of places that our blanket should visit. Email me to add more, or leave your ideas in the comments.

**************
In order to celebrate the completion of our relay event, The Mafia and I have hatched a crazy idea. Yeah, us, go figure.

We formally invite you to the
Official Knitting Olympics' Friday Frolic
Subtitle: Whack Knitters Run Around Campus with a Hand Knit Blanket
ETA: By "run", we do NOT refer to running as in exercising or moving quickly. Rather, we mean ... ummm ... "galivant" or "traipse" or something equally clever and descriptive. Yeah, that's it :)

Date: Friday, February 24
Time: Noon until ???
Place: Meet at the Women's Lounge. Exact itinerary to follow.
Purpose: As stated above, we will ~~run~~ galivant around campus with a hand-knit blanket, taking pictures of it doing, ummm .... things. Lots of things. And that's where we need your help!! What should the blanket do on its tour of campus?

Send me an email with your ideas, and I will do my best to create a circuit of campus. If you can't join us for all of lunch hour, come for what you can. Wear something hand knit, if possible. I'll bring my cell phone (I'll send the number with the final itinerary) and you can connect with us along the way. Even if you can't join us, suggest some photo ops.

Here's an idea to get you started:
A victory lap for the gold medalists: Photo taken at the track, with the blanket used as a flag -- like in this photo -- (umm, except without the buff abs... unless one of you has been hiding away an unbelievable six-pack stomach that you've never mentioned.)

PLACES FOR THE BLANKET TO VISIT
Victory lap on the track
Go to Killian Court, with a photo angled to appear as if it's laying over the dome
Hike to Stata, with photo accentuating a weird angle in the architecture
Get a hug from Armando, one of Susan Hockfield's assistants (or by SH herself???? shall we dare to dream?)
Go through the Kendall T turnstile (ala Christine's class project)
Pose in front of the Coop
'Climb' the steps to Bldg 7 from Mass Ave.
Order food at the trucks
Gaze onto the Charles, perhaps looking toward the salt and pepper bridge
Go visit Christine at the Media Lab (and meet some wacky hip cool grad students/robots)
Fall asleep in the student center after an exhausting trip around campus.
Pose with the biohazard signs in the bio building
Make friends with a robot in the Stata Center
Spend some quality time with the books in the library

She shoots, she scores, and the crowd goes wild!!!

2006-02-22T13:59:00.000-05:00

Sorry. Wrong sports metaphor. Wrong season too. Umm, how about this instead ...

"And the baton is passed without incident. Our fearless anchor races to complete the last leg of the relay. Nothing can stop her -- not fatigue, not dehydration, not even the splitty single ply Lopi yarn she used for seaming!"

(Yeah, that's me, receiving the blanket from Gurukarm, and rushing off to go add some borders. Because, as Katie says "I didn't think it was that small"!)

**********

And, while we're at it ... here is another fearless Knitting Olympian, looking a bit fatigued.

Jim: "We return to the Women's Lounge, where top athlete Rhonda is looking a bit fatigued."

Bob: "No, Jim, I'm not sure that she's wearing a look of fatigue...."

Jim: "Not fatigue? What is it then? There is certainly something not quite right with Rhonda. By the way, did you know that she has 48 grandchildren? And one great grandchild on the way? And she learned to crochet at the age of 19?"

[Segue into cheesy human interest segment. Use your imagination ... although, there is definitely an interview with DH, who naively admits that he has no idea how much he has spent on Rhonda's training equipment since she joined up with The Knitters. He thinks it might be a couple of hundred dollars, though. Ha ha ha ha ha .... ]

Bob: "Now, back to the action in the fair isle event of the Knitting Olympics. Jim, we were discussing Rhonda and her entry in this competition. Look closely ... the vast expanse of fair isle that she has traversed. The hand to the brow. The wild look in her eyes..."

Jim: "Oh yes, now I can tell. And Bob, let me tell you ... I've seen this before. Many a great athlete has succumbed to the demands of the fair isle event, and Rhonda is no different. Although, she's making a valient attempt to hide her symptoms and push on, on behalf of team MIT, we can tell."

Bob : "Yes, Jim, Rhonda is suffering from Post Traumatic STEEK Disorder."

Jim: "Well, Bob, I hope she can recover quickly, as she has a bit of finishing yet to go."

Bob: "Let's go down to the floor and talk to her trainers."

[Bob tentatively knocks on the door to the Women's Lounge, wondering if he needs to dress in drag to get in. Lucky for him, the friendly knitters of MIT open the door for him. Gosh darn, nobody else knows the code, why should we expect him to?]

Jess: "Well, Bob. We think Rhonda can make a speedy recovery. She plans on resting up, drinking some nice merlot, and eating several high-quality chocolates tonight. She should be back in shape tomorrow."

Mafia: "Yes, red wine and chocolate should do the trick. This afternoon, Rhonda has headed back ~~home~~ to her office where she can send several non-work-related emails and flog Paula with a braided i-cord. I expect that will help her perk up significantly. We should see a stellar performance from Rhonda over the last few days of the event."

Bob: "Well, there you have it, Jim. A case of Post Traumatic Steek Disorder, but our athlete is on the mend."

Jim: "Tune in tomorrow night at 8 to see if the wine and chocolate worked. We will continue our coverage of the Knitting Olympics, fair isle and relay events, tomorrow night at 8pm."

Sunday, 12 PM. Codename: "Carla"

2006-02-21T14:15:00.000-05:00

Disguised by her new haircut and armed with her yogurt tub and noise-cancelling headphones, Susan made her way to the safe house and added her squares to the blankie. A problem - she did not have Claudia's address. Susan contacted Control (aka the SnB list) and received the necessary info. The exchange was made on Sunday. To safeguard against any Plamegate-style issues, Susan wisely gave her contact a codename. Care is being taken to decrease the blankie's resemblance to a Scandinavian flag. Although to be fair if there were a country with a Noro-based flag, well, I'd have to question my fealty.

I know, this is supposed to be an Olympics knitalong and I'm making it into a Le Carre novel. I must've taken one too many spills when ice dancing.

Blankie handoff, 2/18/06. 12:30 PM.

2006-02-21T14:07:00.000-05:00

I (Katie) handed off the blankie to Susan on Saturday. To avoid suspicion, we chose a public place - Eastern Lamejun Bakers. To cover our tracks, Susan is holding a tub of yogurt, and I went in just after the exchange and casually bought some lamejun, tabouli, pita bread and string cheese. I think the people in the background of the photo did wonder what we were up to. Hopefully they were not spies from Team Canada.

forecast (for stormy weather)

2006-02-21T11:20:00.000-05:00

last SnB i cast-on for forecast, and i got this far over the weekend. (check out other gals doing the hurricane over at the forecast KAL).

however i will be stepping down the crafting for a bit. maybe the SnB hour (on either wed or thurs) will be all i need to get my fix. just pushing forward...

all y'alls who have done the graduate school thing: mad props, because self-deprivation (sleep, time, friends, pleasures) for the sake of advancing knowledge is hard! and even so, i'm doing a less-than-stellar job at it too...

The Knitting Olympic continues ...

2006-02-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

Ready to ... Steek, steek, steek!

the cute almost stopped my heart

2006-02-17T19:23:00.000-05:00

i just received an email from my mamallama with the following:

CONGRATULATIONS TO US

We are gr8 grandparents again

born Friday Feb 17 2006

AWWWWWW! ^_^

She almost dropped the baton!

2006-02-17T12:56:00.000-05:00

I met Katie at N42 mere moments before an important videoconference with some ~~geeks~~ folks in Tennessee to discuss how to use some video game in educational settings. Katie - on most days I wouldn't say this, but ... Can I Have Your Job? I'm feelin' the gamer vibe.

Anyway ... in OLYMPIC KNITTING content, the baton was officially passed today at 11:54am. In spite of a devastating series of setbacks with a mystery illness, Jess persevered and added her two squares to the blanket on Wednesday night. She's a trooper. The Mafia added her squares on the Friday morning commute, and now it's Katie's turn to work magic.

Once Katie stops laughing at the blanket's stunning resemblance to the Ikea logo/Swedish flag, she'll attached a lovely Noro square and pass it along.

Stay tuned...

The thrill of victory...

2006-02-16T09:25:00.000-05:00

... or the agony of defeat? You be the judge.

Team MIT Relay

2006-02-15T13:38:00.000-05:00

The first hand off has been made ...

Go Team!

2006-02-13T09:46:00.000-05:00

(excerpted from my blog, apologies, though i really appreciate your advice, dear SnB!)

i finished seaming the last few bits of my james coviello sweater. finally, a new FO to my name!

isn't it cute? all spaghetti + meatballs.

project: james coviello sweater from vogue knitting holiday 2005
yarn: lion brand wool-ease thick + quick in charcoal purchased from windsor button
needles: size 15 wood/bamboo
started: around december 2005, exact date unclear...
finished: 2006.02.12

i love the undulating bobbles, and the mix of cozy playfulness and textured sophistication. so, here's where i need advice from you all on construction, tidying/tucking, styling. the jacket is warm and wearable, but it doesnt seem to visually fit me in the best way. i'll show you what i mean...

i wouldnt call myself necessarily tiny, though i am on the whole somewhat petite. (can you tell? i stand 4'11.5" :) ) there you have some before-jacket, and after-jacket, pictures. i'm just wearing jeans and a tshirt, but once i don the jacket i become football matador femme. a bobbly one, to be sure. does this look totally hideous? i shouldnt be self conscious but i dont want anyone to recoil in horror either.

i think what is mostly bothering me is the lower areas of the jacket, like where it fits under my bust. it's quite roomy under there. any suggestions? i was thinking perhaps to create a ribbon tie (either a closure, or perhaps a belt?) at the bottom of the front, to secure the lower section together. however, i dont want to get SANTINO'd away and go trim-crazy :) or is there an easy fix, a la pin + tuck, to make it drape a little better?

here it is with a dress; not necessarily the best color match, but i wanted to test it out in terms of silhouette. a bit better, yes? though it is still quite billowy under the arms. do you think it would work as well with a top/skirt ensemble?

if you guys have any suggestions on how to best wear this sweater (which includes give it away to a lovely gift recipient) or manage its misgivings, i'd love to hear. i looked back and forth to the photo in the knit magazine, and i think my shaping and all is correct to the pattern; the key is that the model has no bust! ah, details, details. you live and learn. :)

Ready for the Olympics

2006-02-09T13:21:00.000-05:00

I've completed the Pink Baby set and the clock is ticking to the opening ceremonies with the "lighting of the torch" ... needles ready ... get set .... on your mark ... now wait!

MIT Relay Team Hand-off Schedule

2006-02-07T14:06:00.000-05:00

Before you read this, check out Christine's post, which I've just bumped after only a couple hours. Sorry about that, Christine!

It's confirmed! Here's the final relay roster / hand-off schedule for the Knitting Olympics.

Tues 2/14, Paula, 2 squares
Wed 2/15, Jessica, 2 squares
Thu 2/16, Crystal, 2 squares
Fri 2/17, Katie, 1 square
Sat 2/18 , Susan, 2 squares
Mon 2/20, Claudia , 2 squares
Tues 2/21, Gurukarm, 1 square
Wed 2/22, Danielle, Borders (anchor)

(the date listed next to your name is when you receive the blanket and add your squares)

Reminders:

- You can make and block your squares any time between the lighting of the torch on 2/10 (this Friday), and your seaming date. The opening ceremonies start at 2pm EST, but I'm not sure at what point in the ceremonies the torch will be lit.

- Squares should be 8" x 8". Those dimensions include a garter stitch border that's 3st wide on either side, and 3 purl rows high on the top and bottom.

- Be sure to use animal hair (or mostly-animal hair) yarns, knit to approximately worsted weight. You may also want to read the guidelines on Afghans for Afghans' web site, just to be safe.

- Do your best to balance the squares by color, weight, etc., but don't stress about it too much.

- The blanket will be three squares (horizontally) by four squares (vertically). For example:
X X X
X X X
X X X
X X X
Be sure not to break that configuration when you sew on your squares. Also, if your stitch pattern has a specific direction, be sure to orient it appropriately.

- Be sure to weave in (or otherwise neatly secure) your ends.

- If you have any yarn left over, be sure to leave a long scrap of each (2-5 ft. ideally) in the baggie, in case others want to seam with your colors.

- You are responsible for scheduling the hand-off with the knitters you receive the blanket from and pass it to.

Go Team MIT!

Jess
Fearless Leader

the elusive james coviello

2006-02-07T10:20:00.000-05:00

so here i am, making a sweater that literally no one in cyberspace is, as far as i can tell. would blogsearch lie? it's like a one-woman-KAL!

this is the james coviello from the vogue knitting holiday issue. the model is a size negative small, blonde, and is wearing $200+ of WHITE blue sky alpaca bulky. (aside: someone at the editing desk of vogue knitting is clearly under the influence or getting free yarn swag.) i am clearly not any of these things, and despite that, i think it looks alright. :)

still one more side to act upon, and a good polishing all over, but overall it was a super on-your-toes but quick-knit piece. though, you know when someone's not really thinking knitterly (to borrow deborah's term) when you're instructed to knit bulky sleeves *not* in the round. i'm using embroidery thread to seam, but still, what were they thinking? however, it's no biggie, not everyone has a set of size 15 dpns lying around... except when you borrow them from a small-needle convert... heehee.

knits go chic

2006-02-03T17:39:00.000-05:00

photographs above by james patten. see more at his seamless gallery.

i wanted to share with you some knitting-related stuff from the seamless show from wednesday. leave it to adorable diana eng (yep, of project runway) to put her knits into the spotlight! they're beautiful pieces, hand-machine-knit, and the collection she presented were called 'mathematical knits'. the stitches and shapes are inspired by the aesthetics and representations of mathematical patterns.

it's arguable that all knitting is in some form or another is inherently math-based... counting stitches, using old algebraic formulae to ensure correct gauge and estimate shoulder seams, resizing, increasing/decreasing magic, ribbing, etc. knitting is all about dextrously manipulating textile pixels!

i didn't get a chance to look at them closely enough, but i do want to attempt to reverse engineer it for a hand-knit pattern. :) especially the scarf!

the lovely models are nadia katana (scarf) and shawna speltz (coat). the scarf is a yellow/green/brown variegated sock-weight yarn (very bright and fine, reminded me of koigu kpppm), similar to this colorway. the coat is entirely knit in fingering-weight, with a fine lace ruffled edging. so beautiful it makes you want to go and master a knitting machine, doesn't it?

there's runway footage if you want to see it in action. watch here!

Swatching Saga ...

2006-02-01T11:45:00.000-05:00

Well the StitchingNut has done her swatching and got the correct gauge. Yippy!

But I am curious ...Does anyone have a trick in finding the yarn end to start a pull-out skein? Why can't they find an easier way to "give us the end" ... if there isn't a trick to finding it?

MIT's Knitting Olympics Relay Team

2006-01-27T12:10:00.000-05:00

Here's the tentative roster for the relay event in the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics:

Jess, Fearless Leader and co-anchor: 2-4 squares (confirmed)
Crystal: 2-3 squares (confirmed)
Paula: 3 squares (confirmed)
Gurukarm: 1 square (confirmed)
Claudia: 3 squares (confirmed)
Susan: 3 squares (confirmed)
Katie: 1 square (confirmed)
Danielle, Anchor: blanket borders (confirmed)

We are definitely interested in taking in more members, so if you want to join the team, send me (Jess) the questionnaire I sent out to the group list.

The project: a blanket for the Afghans for Afghans project

Go Team MIT!

and Rhonda's KnitPicks order for her entry came in today ... swatching begins ...

UPDATE 5:09pm: Um, favor, guys? If you edit my post, please sign the part you added. I don't mind Rhonda's information being added to my post, but I don't like having something with my name on it changed and still attributed to me.

olympic team buttons!

2006-01-24T17:48:00.000-05:00

come and get 'em while they're HOT.

i tried to make them sexy and nerdy at the same time. killer combination.

Knitting Olympics Buttons

2006-01-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

If you're interested in grabbing a button for the Boston Knitting Olympics Team, go to Obsession Du Jour to download one. If you're interested in the project team buttons, check out JenLa's.

With everything on my plate right now, I'm desperately trying not to get pulled into this insanity, but it's hard. But I'm a great cheerleader, so I'll be jumping around and screaming on the sidelines. See -- look at the cool cheerleader button I got from JenLa's:

GO TEAM MIT!
(doesn't the MIT team need a button? someone ... anyone ...?)

Joining The Knitting Olympics ...

2006-01-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

There are at least two of us right now that have decided to enter
The Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics.

Jessica is trying to decide which project to do and needs your vote.

Rhonda (that's me) has thought about how challenging this should be and since I have already ordered the yarn for the
"Andean Treasure Sampler Vest"
from KnitPicks (it's on it's way in the mail) ... guess I'm going for the Olympics! I've never done fair isle knitting before and I think that's what this is. Right? Well I've certainly never work with so many colors in knitting before. So I'll give it a try.

If there are others in our MIT knitting group, just add yourself to this page.
Let's all get in on the event!

Mr. Furry Forearms

2006-01-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

What would you do if you had 48 skeins of Lion Brand Fun Fur laying around? Why, knit your own bearskin rug, of course!!

Also, would someone please advise Mr. Metrosexual that if he is going to wax his chest, he should suck it up and hit the forearms too??

Hats on girls!

2006-01-18T12:19:00.000-05:00

Gave my grand daughter the knit hat I made for her and it went over really well. I do think she'll be wearing it with all the compliments she got. And I think the scarves were a big hit also. Aren't these guys cute?

THEN..... I finished my FIRST felt project ....... a hat for myself!
So easy, I'll be making more I bet and I'm already making plans ....

Pictures before & after felting .....

Next felted project? I think I'll make a bag.

Knit on girls & guys!!

Pattern!

2006-01-18T11:45:00.000-05:00

If I may toot my own horn, I've just posted my first (successful) pattern.

This is for a steamed bun cat toy (inspired by Feline Dim Sum in the Spring 03 issue of Knitty)

A very big thanks to Christine for test knitting!

We don't like your stinkin' hat!

2006-01-14T16:31:00.000-05:00

hat
Originally uploaded by stacy's plate.

Sam isn't too pleased with the hat I knit for him. It's actually a little too small.

Dad looks really tired...

handspun llama!

2006-01-09T12:25:00.000-05:00

i always knew growing up that georgi otis, a lady i knew from church from back home, owned some sheep and llamas, but that didn't quite register as much as it does now as a knitter! i got back in touch with her (her kids are about my generation, out of school and working / marrying / the like), and she excitedly sent me a bunch of her handspun sheep wool and llama. she doesn't knit, though she just got a loom off ebay (ha!) and i promised to whip up some things to show off her yarn potential!

in a package from last week she sent some chunky (think size 13/15 needles) gray/black finn/shetland wool, and worsted llama in plain ~~camel-~~ llama-colored and also a chocolate brown striped yarn. all of it is hand-dyed, and the natural colors are super! i also like her 'novice' spinning since it makes it nicely thick-thin and textured. and look at her card! she is truly a llama mama.

here are pictures of her sheep (almost too cute):
http://www.gloenterprises.com/sheep.htm

so i did an earflapped hat (pattern on interweave.com/knit) in the beige llama and trimmed with the brown (moliné?). size 7 needles, in the round, and kind of whimsical fluffs here and there.

i'm sending it out in the mail to her today, though for the curious, the llama is very soft, probably between the texture of wool and alpaca. i imagine it is as warm as alpaca (in terms of warmth versus thickness) and i love how it smells, the natural oils in the fiber. all of the yarn smelled so nice -- no vinegary dyes, of course, but very clean. you can almost smell the smiling animals!

an interesting tidbit: the yarn is from an llama 'no longer with us.' interesting to muse upon that when you are knitting it into an object that may last much longer, and loved.

Another Knitted Gift...

2006-01-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

In one week I'll be seeing a grand daughter I haven't seen in over 6 years. She's a beautiful 14 year old now and I wanted to make something especially for her. I had to make it quick tho because I had so much going on and I had (only) 2 weeks to make it in.

I can't wait to see her, but of course I was undecided on what she might like. I settled on a scarf ... made it a little on the wild-funky side and thought, "What if she doesn't like wild & funky?"

So I made a conservative scarf ... to go with a black leather coat I saw her wearing in a picture. THEN I had more time to make something else. Why not a hat to go with the conservative scarf? Finished it yesterday. Maybe the hat's a little on the CUTE side rather than conservative ... pushing toward the funky, but I liked it so much I had to make it anyway.

Well it remains to be seen if she likes any of them or will even wear them.
I can only hope so, huh?! What do you think?

Love & kisses to Catelyn (just in case she sees this)

First Handknit Sweater Completed ...

2005-12-28T11:31:00.000-05:00

Harray! Got it done ... my first handknit sweater. Just have to block it. Hope to do that this weekend along with my most recent pair of socks. Yup, finally got the ones that I bring to S&B on Thursday done!

But the sweater I am very proud of.

Now to make plans for my next one. I'm thinking blue ...

Christmas knitting ...

2005-12-21T09:09:00.000-05:00

Well now that I've given out my Christmas gifts to my co-workers, I can put a picture up of what I made for them. Everyone got a Knit Santa Hat Pin. The first one I did (the proto-type) came out way too large I thought, so I turned it into a barette/pin. I can wear it in my hair during the day, but then pin it to my coat when I leave to go home ... pretty clever, if I must say so myself, hehe. Don't want to "waste" any of my knitting-time right? I loved making these ... and loved giving them out just as much!
Now I can concentrate on completing my sweater. Here's a series of pictures I took as I got to each stage in the sweater knitting process from The Sweater Workshop. Sure hope I like it when it's all done. I hope to wear it to the IAP Knit & Crochet series.

As Santa goes off into Christmas Eve night, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and happily knit in whatever spare time you can find.

Knitting frenzy ...

2005-11-30T11:26:00.000-05:00

I'm back to work after a short leave ... one filled with knitting & crocheting Christmas gifts. But I did complete something for myself. Here it is ... the cape with me wearing it on Thanksgiving Day.

The yarn I used is Winter Berry Decadence from KnitPicks. The softest and warmest yarn I've every used. I absolutely love it!

Then there are the Christmas gifts ... knitted Bath Rug, Airwick Cover, Christmas Stocking, DooDad Holder, and of course ...

the Dolls for my grand daughters. Now I MUST say, those dolls were a "big hit". I had to find the girls in the back bedroom inorder to get this picture. Their excitement was just sooooo SWEET!
Now I'm planning to make a sweater. A sweater for me! I've done the practicing by making up my sweater sample from The Sweater Workshop

Here's the front..................and the back..........

Now if that isn't enough ... here are the flower washcloths I made this summer with the last of the dolls I made. They're officially called "Reverse-Bloom Flower Washcloths" and are from the Weekend Knitting book edited by Melanie Falick. The pattern also can be found in the Winter 2003 Interweave Knits. The washcloths are knit up using one skein of Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille on #6 (4mm) needles.

And now I'm knitting myself a bath rug from The Knitted Rug : 21 Fantastic Designs by Donna Druchunas. Using up left over yarn, you know. In fact, I'm using up all that ucky acrylic (well it has it's uses) yarn.

Happy knitting girls. I'll see you this Thursday.

FO!!! FO!!!

2005-11-28T23:49:00.000-05:00

My So-Called Scarf. Ta da!

I still need to snip the ends, but that'll take all of 15 seconds.

My first xmas present, finished! Whee!

The secret is out!

2005-11-17T14:27:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not referring to Alexis Stewart. You'll need to go speak with The FemiKnit Mafia about that one.

Instead, I am talking about our surprise baby gift for Baby K, the soon-to-arrive son of our very own Stacy. For the past three months, we have been working on a baby blanket for Stacy's little one. We threw her a party at lunch today. Here she is opening up our gift:

We all contributed a square to the project. Here's a "flat" shot of the finished product.

From left to right, top to bottom, the squares were made by Danielle, Christine, Cynthia, Erin, Deborah, Rhonda, Kathy, Paula, Claudia, Katie, Chris Q, and Jess. Danielle and The Mafia worked the border.

Here is a close-up of one section of the blanket, as well as some photos of the rest of us, celebrating with Stacy and enjoying some treats. (The observant among you will notice the chocolate cake from Rosie's Bakery. We also celebrated the Mafia's 31st birthday today.)

And, per my normal obsessive nature, here are the project specs:

Yarn: Mission Falls 1824 Wool; 100% superwash wool. We used 12 different colors. I'm not even going to try to name them.

Gauge: One might think that the gauge was 18 sts and 24 rows in a 4"x4" swatch, as the name implies. If one thought that, one would be very wrong! I think our gauges ranged from 16-21 sts/4 in. Our "8 inch x 8 inch" squares were anywhere from 7.25 to 8.75 inches wide. Some aggressive blocking techniques were used before seaming up this bad boy.

Needle size: I used a 9. The Mafia used a 6. I'm guessing the rest of us were somewhere in between.

Pattern: We all chose our own stitch patterns. Except for Paula, who had to knit up her second choice stitch pattern, since Rhonda "took" her first choice. Edging is just a simple garter stitch with a slipped stitch selvage edge.

Baby K, we hope that you will enjoy snuggling up in your blanket during your first New England winter!

Finally something I'll be wearing is finished!

2005-11-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, I finally did it ... knitted something for ME to wear. While I'm recooping at home, I am now giving this project it's finishing touches ... an Icord frog closure that I knitted. It's also sitting on my floor Blocking right now. I plan to wear it to Thanksgiving dinner next week and will have my DH take a picture of me wearing it before we go over to his sister's house for dinner. I'll post it here when it's taken....

Okay... so what is it? Comes from Creative Knitting Magazine November 2005 issue It's the red cape -- but it isn't red. I did mine in KnitPick's Decadence in Winter Berry. It's superfine alpaca and just the most lovely yarn against the skin -- light yet warm. I'm wearing it with black ... just haven't decided exactly what that'll be yet.

I did learn something new for my knitting skills ... called "three needle bind-off." Here's a visual site to see how it's done, in case you're a "visual kind" of learner and have never done this before like myself. Worked great!

baby cardigan

2005-11-13T17:25:00.000-05:00

baby cardigan
Originally uploaded by stacy's plate.

I finally finished the cardigan for my baby! I don't know how old he'll be when he fits into it, but at least it's lace and will breathe in case it's spring or summer. My luck it'll be August before he fits into it and he won't ever get to wear it!

Some specs:

Pattern - Best Baby Sweater by Elizabeth Zimmermann from the book Vogue Knitting American Collection

Yarn - Cleckheaton Country 8 ply color 2166 (golden yellow in my opinion)

There are a couple of flaws in the final product but I won't list them here.

Click on the image and you should see a detail of the lace pattern and the wood turtle buttons.

Friend gets into the Bazaar Bizarre!

2005-11-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

A crafty friend of mine and her pal were accepted into this year's Bazaar Bizarre! I've never been, but it sounds like a lot of fun and a good way to support local "alternative" crafters and get some holiday shopping done. Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be able to attend as it's 4 days before my due date.

You can see some of my friend's work here. She knits, but there's no knitting on the site at this time. Rollie, the greyhound is a lovely model though, dontcha think?

Channelling my inner Cynthia

2005-10-20T14:42:00.000-04:00

Ommm ... must knit socks ... ommm ...
(For complete details, read on).

For Cynthia, but Rhonda can peek too ...

2005-10-17T17:53:00.000-04:00

A store that sells only sock yarn...

Spam and Alpacas

2005-10-17T14:35:00.000-04:00

Hmm, it seems that we just got our first comment spam on the last post. I left it there "for posterity", a.k.a. too lazy to figure out how to delete it.

But, I did turn on the word verification tool. Sorry for the extra work, but I don't think any of us need to be able to "Find out how to buy and sell anything, like things related to private road construction on interest free credit and pay back whenever you want! "

On the other hand, some of us may could use some of that "interest free credit" to finance the purchase of an alpaca.

For Rhonda...

2005-10-17T11:48:00.000-04:00

... and her eighteen million granddaughters :)

It's a Cupcake Hat pattern!

tweediness

2005-10-17T11:03:00.000-04:00

i've been working on the hats for my dad + nephew. easy as

1... (casting on gingerly with debbie bliss aran tweed)

2... (going round 'n' round)

3... (adding the ~~banana~~ brim)

commuting

2005-10-14T11:24:00.000-04:00

For those of you who questioned my sanity, here is photo evidence that I only knit at red lights, not while actually moving.

Looking for something out of the ordinary?

2005-10-13T11:11:00.000-04:00

Have you tried Free Form crochet ? Know any Free Form Knitters? The Knot Just Knitting web site explains the process using knitting and crochet together. Okay, that shawl at the bottom of the page under what is freeform is NOT for me, LOL. But I found the intarsia closeups in the gallery rather beautiful.

Just thought you might like to see this interesting process.

Too funny

2005-10-11T11:30:00.000-04:00

You Knit What?

what do we do on rainy holiday weekends?

2005-10-11T08:43:00.000-04:00

Work on FO's of course! I got the poncho done for my granddaughter, age 15. I'm a little too wide to model it for you, but here it is on the back of my couch.

Then I finished something for myself ... a scarf made with Pizzaz by Caron
Follow the link for the free pattern. I hope to wear it this Thursday. BTW, I don't think I'm going to make another ... one novelty scarf is enough I think.

Of course I had to finally complete the crocheted outfits for the two little dolls going to my 2 youngest granddaughters at Christmas. Both girls are age 5 and still playing with dolls. So of course I had to make a few outfits ...

All and all, it was a very productive weekend don't you think?

double-play

2005-10-10T23:49:00.000-04:00

two FOs back-to-back! oh, the excitement.

ms. green pillow! my first home-decor-type project. not quite wearable, but one could definitely stretch boundaries. i used the bark rib motif from a tunic pattern in loop-d-loop. done in knitpicks merino style (doublestranded). i am getting more and more impressed with knitpicks. i have not yet had a bad experience with their yarns or their service. i hope they plan to expand their yarn selection with more aran/chunky weight yarns, and more subtle colorways. without knitpicks, i don't know where on earth i'd buy my yarn...

the corkscrew scarf for my sister dearest. intended for her birthday in sept, but looking like a christmas gift in my updated timetable. she's taller, but has a skinnier neck. i think it'll work.

Also spotted in the wild ...

2005-10-05T09:18:00.000-04:00

Is is a zebra? Or a knitter?
(For the full scoop, click the link...)

Spotted in the Wild

2005-10-03T14:21:00.000-04:00

I had such an excellent time at the KnitOut. Thanks especially to Rhonda and Jessica for watching stroller/pile o' baby crap while I chased Little Man around (and around and around) the Common. Another huge Thanks to Cynthia for entertaining Little Man while the Mafia used the very-unladylike-lady's-room. It's the little things that matter.

MIT SnBers spotted in the wild:

Christine (far left in official green T) was a great MC. She's so comfortable in front of a mic. Color me impressed.

Rhonda is really fast with a hook. Katie and I cheered "Go Rhonda" loudly. Perhaps we prevented her from winning the gold medal? Nah, she loved it.

Rhonda and Jessica knit peacefully in the grass.

It was a beautiful day.

more pix from the knitout

2005-10-03T13:21:00.000-04:00

i was happy to see everyone at yesterday afternoon's lovely event!

check out those quick knitters to the left. during the contest, i believe the dj played will smith's 'get jiggy wit' it'. i kid you not. let's see, i think there were two winners, tied, with 8 rows done in stockinette stich on worsted lion brand yarn in 4 minutes. the prizes weren't too shabby either... a denise interchangeables set + a halcyon yarn felted bag kit for the fastest needles, and 2 filatura pattern books, a cd (special music for stitching?), and 3 skeins of soft pink gedifra yarn for the fastest hook. when i saw how sweet the prizes were, i had a difficult time handing them over to the winners. ;)

so above are more photos, and of the scarves entered into the scarf style contest. we got around 26 scarves total, with perhaps 75% of them entries to the contest, the rest as donations. the winning design was decidedly youngish, with colors and fun fur galore, but the interesting twist was that ribbons woven through the crocheted scarf allowed the scarf to be gathered and tied as a neckpiece, or a belt, or a headscarf. reminded me of drawstrings, which might be a cool way to design something sexily ruched, as illustrated on the right. i love the dark silk french ribbon which you can get for like $100 a spool. dreamy.

oh yeah, i also got to pet the classic elite yarns embrace, which is 100% italian cashmere in variegated colorways. a 625 yd hank, which is enough for a sizeable shawl, goes for $280. hey, if anyone has some, i'll be happy to relieve you of some of your stash. :) heh.

Boston Knitout & Crochet 2005, a success !!

2005-10-03T10:44:00.000-04:00

This Sunday I attended the fun "Boston Knitout & Crochet 2005" event.
When I got home I had added to my stash and pattern library with the samples given out by the various vendors at the event and I had even won one of the many door prizes [the balls of Whimsey on the right]. What fun I had!

The day started out with the scarf I made for the contest [I didn't win, but it's going to charity and that's what counts in my book]. I also knitted 4 squares to go to the afghans for charity. At the train station I run across a knitter heading for the same event. We rode into Boston together talking about knitted socks of course while we each worked on a sock project. After checking in, I made the rounds while looking for anyone from our group. FemiKnit Mafia found me first. Then, The Dilettante Debutante bumped into us before the serious "speed knitters & crocheters did their stuff. Someone [Crystal] very easily talked me into joining the speed crocheters... Alas, I was 5 stitches short of being in 1st place. :( .... Note the speed-demon crocheter in this picture.

It was nice see Jessica & Cynthia there also. And Christine supervised the "speed" contest. It was not only a beautiful weather day, but I enjoyed being with people as nice as the knitters & crocheters I know & hang out with now. Here are only a few of the pictures taken during the afternoon. Wish you all could have been there with us. How about next year?!

What can you do with Koigu?

2005-09-26T11:35:00.000-04:00

Someone asked last week what you can do with Koigu, besides the obvious (socks!) and the much-blogged (Charlotte's Web shawl). There is a turtleneck made in 4(?) shades of the stuff at Knitty Gritty, most recent post.

Bubby was just the right size...

2005-09-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

Bubby made it to his new home this past weekend and seems to fit right in. As you see, he's also the right size for little hands. Not that Troy knew what he was holding, but maybe someday I'll hear that it was one of his favorites.

BTW he was born 2 weeks ago, September 9, 2005 on his big brothers birthday!

Well back to stitching for Christmas ...

Rhonda's Bubby and Other Stuff ...

2005-09-22T08:27:00.001-04:00

Well this morning I finished "Bubby" for my new grandson. Going to visit the little guy for the first time and of course I must bring something with me that I knit myself. Stacy was right ... Bubby was easy and quick to knit up. Here he is ready to met Troy. I think his nose is a little big, but Troy won't notice that I'm sure. I still think he's cute!

I'm also including some other projects here that I've finished recently for myself ... in between the Christmas gifts I'm making that is. First a "pincushon or doodad holder" Came out rather nice so I made two for gifts and another even larger one for myself [I have a LOT of doodads!]

The 3rd picture is of the present Tapestry Crochet project that I'm working on for a Christmas gift for my husband's daughter in Maryland. It's a pillow case for a throw pillow to put in her new blue & white bedroom. The yarn I'm using is the Valley Cotton I purchased from WEBS. I'm really happy with the quality!

I've had so much fun with the tapestry crochet, I've also made my own apple design for a "toaster" cushion on my kitchen counter. It didn't come out too bad for my first time, if I must say so myself. I think I'll make one for under the coffee maker also. The reason I made the cushion was so that I could easily just pull out the appliance when it comes time to use it and it won't be under my paper towel rack or the cabinet.

Bubby

2005-09-18T16:05:00.000-04:00

Bubby
Originally uploaded by mitstitchandbitch.

Here is my Bubby from the Fall '05 Knitty.

It was knit using Plymouth Encore (which is a nice acrylic) in a neutral spring green color, with some Dover washable wool for the crochet chain bow and some of the black yarn that Claudia generously donated to me for my other bear project.

The Bubby pattern was a little flaky. The author did post corrections to her blog though. I'm not totally pleased with the outcome. I sewed the arms on a little lopsided and the seams are pretty sloppy. I tried grafting the feet closed (first time grafting) and one came out really bad -- I must have done something wrong. The other came out less sloppy, but still not great. One of the legs is a little shorter than the other, I think because my gauge was tighter. I also learned how to do M1 increases while knitting this pattern.

This is meant to be a gift for yet another pregnant friend of mine. Even though I'm not 100% pleased with it, I still think it's pretty cute. I've determined that you can embroider a face on anything and make it cute. Since Bubby isn't a large bear and since he's not perfect, he will accompany a Target gift card to the baby shower.

Katrina Stash Replacement Project

2005-09-15T15:53:00.000-04:00

If anyone didn't have the time to donate yarn, knitting and crocheting supplies today, here's the flyer that Stacy sent out earlier in the week.

As for the last post -- don't I have a sexy ankle? Admit it. I do.

Yarn Galore!

2005-09-15T15:04:00.000-04:00

As Stacy said, it's a good thing she has a station wagon! Look at all that yarn!

(Tor those readers who don't come and craft with us during their Thursday lunch hour, Stacy's the pregnant one. We took pity on her and helped haul the 6 or so bags of yarn to her car. That other foot in the sassy shoes belongs to the inimitable FemiKnit Mafia. You can just discern the edge of the wonderful -- but not cute! -- black caplet that she made. I believe it is shown in booby-licious detail on her blog.)

This yarn is being donated by the MIT SnB to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. We hope that it might provide some distraction for the minds and hands of those affected by this storm.

So cute...

2005-09-09T12:52:00.000-04:00

Matt and I are thinking about heading to Mass MoCA this weekend (while we can still take spontaneous semi-long-distance trips) and I sent him the link to the Mass MoCA website where there is a photo of the Knitting Machine installation.

He writes back to me "wow, what gauge are those knitting needles?".

I don't know why, but I think it's so cute and endearing that he used the correct knitting terminology for needles! He sits next to me on the couch every night while I knit but I don't think I've ever discussed gauge or needle size with him. Maybe he's picking up this stuff through osmosis.

Tivoli!

2005-09-08T22:40:00.000-04:00

I got stuck in a meeting until 12:30, and missed today's meeting. And after staying up after midnight to block Tivoli!

Here she is:

She's a little loose, particularly in the back:

I'll probably do my next one at least two inches smaller, but I do like it as it is. The looser fit is ladylike, and the extra drape in the back is kind of pretty. I've got an idea for a lace-embellished variant for myself, and just started one for my mom yesterday.

If I may show off: when I resized the pattern, I made the underarms too wide, showing my bra edge and framing that underarm flab... I fixed it, not by frogging, but by grafting! I took a yarn needle and stitched up four stitches on either side of both armholes, narrowing it nicely. Invisible, if I do say so myself:

Jessica
http://jessdr.blogspot.com

Tapestry Crochet anyone?

2005-09-01T11:04:00.000-04:00

I got the tapestry crochet handbag done. Well the stitching part anyway. I love it! I'll be putting in a magnet clasp. And also lining it ... which I'm doing only because I want a couple of small pockets inside. The pattern orginally comes from the Interweave Knits Crochet issue Fall 2004

I'll bring the handbag with me today at lunch along with the book "More Tapestry Crochet" by the author Carol Ventura, in case anyone is interested in looking thru it.

See ya later...

Birthday gifts for another granddaughter ...

2005-08-29T09:17:00.000-04:00

I finished the backpack pocketbook using Lion Brand's Jiffy yarn pattern for my Granddaughter, Brandi's birthday. She'll be age 15 on September 19, so I thought a knitted backpack might be the "in thing" for her to be carrying. By the way, the link takes you to both a crocheted and a knitted pattern. I did the knitted one as you see. I'm also including a beaded change purse [purchased in Florida] with a crisp $10 . Money's always a hit!

I had given each of the other 5 girls a crystal also. The oldest got one inside a necklace, so for Brandi I'm including a clear quartz with it's own little bag ... to wear as a charm around her neck if she liked. I made the bag! It's done in Tapestry Crochet ... my 1st project of this type. Came out pretty nice, I thought, so I've started another tapestry crocket pocketbook for myself.

Happy stitching everyone!

the first of many socks

2005-08-27T02:35:00.000-04:00

little red sock, little red sock...

proudly presenting the firstborn of my rib-and-cable socks. more on my blog, but just wanted to share the excitement!

hope everyone is having a splendiferous summer. how's the knitpicks buffet going? any hits or misses?

KnitPicks Buffet #2

2005-08-26T11:54:00.000-04:00

For those of you who took samples, here are the yarns I brought to share yesterday:

Those are, from left to right:

Top Row:
- Sierra (Cinnamon)

Second Row:
- Radiance Wave (Hazelnut)
- Decadence (Tan)

Third Row:
- Andean Treasure (Embers)
- Ambrosia (Fog)

Fourth Row:
- Palette (Red)
- Panache (Coal)
- Suri Dream (Lilac)

Knitpicks!

2005-08-24T15:57:00.000-04:00

Woohoo! My knitpicks order came in yesterday. I am very pleased. I will be bringing and sharing my sample balls of:
- Palette (fingering weight for fair isle)
- Suri Dream (super bulky brushed alpaca/wool/nylon)
- Sierra (bulky wool/alpaca blend. Nice and basic)
- Decadence (loosely-twisted bulky alpaca)
- Panache (bulky alpaca/cashmere/silk/merino)
- Ambrosia (sport weight alpaca/cashmere)
- Radiance Wave (wavy-textured worsted alpaca/silk)
- Andean Treasure (sport weight baby alpaca)

Will follow Danielle's excellent example and post some pics tonight, as a reminder of which is which.

If anybody has a ball winder they'd like to bring, that would be great.

I'll also be bringing color cards for:
- Palette
- Andean Silk
- Andean Treasure & Sierra
- Suri Dream
- Elegance
- Ambrosia & Panache
- Twirl
- Merino Style
- Decadence

Jessica
http://jessdr.blogspot.com

charity blankets

2005-08-17T17:38:00.000-04:00

After I showed several of you my new afghan blocks book and discussed my baby blanket project ideas, I know a few of you got excited about making afghan blocks as a way of learning new skills and using up stash. Well, I just wanted to let you know of 2 charity blanket projects that are seeking squares, one national and one local.

The national one is coordinated by a blogger in South Carolina named Annie who writes the blog Knitty Gritty. Her project is the Afghan Project in Memory of John Glick. Some of you might know the blog At My Knit's End, written by a Massachusetts knitter with left-leaning political tendancies! Kerstin, the author, is a knitblogger who has really encouraged other bloggers to get their voice on the internet and who has supported newbie knitters and knitbloggers. I think she also organizes the Knit New England webring. She recently lost her brother in a tragic car accident, so Annie is hosting a knit-along to create a blanket to send to his family as well as ones for charities in his honor. Annie will collect squares through October 15th. This blanket will be made of squares of WOOL and WOOL-BLEND yarns.

The other project is the more local Boston Knit Out project. Their blankets will also be donated to charities. Squares will be collected at several LYS's and assembled at the Knit Out in October. They are accepting knit or crocheted squares in WASHABLE WOOL or ACRYLIC.

Just thought I would share this info. If any of you are in need of scrap yarn for either one of these projects, I have some I would be more than happy to share. I heard tell of a group member (ahem, Jessica) who only has a "mini-stash". I guess that makes mine a mega-stash, as it is currently spread out in 6 different storage containers. But, again, that is a story for another post.

Soleil progress

2005-08-16T12:15:00.000-04:00

Here's my Soleil-in-progress:

I need to unseam the shoulders, block, reseam, and do the crochet edging.

I wasn't particularly careful in the resizing, but it actually fits very well. If I do another, I might give it a touch more ease, but that's for the look, not the fit. I'm hoping to have it done in time for Thursday's meeting.

Other crafty pursuits

2005-08-15T13:05:00.000-04:00

I took a vacation day on Friday and pulled out the materials from one of my pre-knitting crafts -- beading. I whipped out several pairs of stitch markers ... I made all of these in about 90 minutes.

I gave the 2 sets on the left to Crystal, who has to put up with my knitting dilemmas on a daily basis, since we share adjoining cubes. I'm not sure that this is adequate compensation for my incessant need for advice, but I hope she likes them! The 2 sets on the right are going to my mother-in-law for Christmas. The ones with the blue stars are all the same, but the stars are only iridescent on one side. The 3 sets in the middle got sent to another knitblogger to use as gifts for participants in a collaborative afghan making project she is hosting.

And, as if knitting and beading were not enough, I also dabble in some paper crafts. I'm just a rookie compared to hard core scrapbookers and card makers, though. Here is a photo album I made 3 weekends ago. We had our 7 year old niece for the weekend. As part of her visit, we made a photo album together and included all of the photos we took of her over the weekend.

This is the outside. The front and back are the same, except for the placement of the bow.

This is the inside cover. All the paper choices -- the flowers on the cover, the inside page, and the green bookcloth and ribbon on the outside -- were Jane's own choices, although we did steer her towards the green cloth.

And, this is what the pages look like. This is Jane, enjoying a snack at Ben and Jerry's on Newbury St. Note the cows wearing Red Sox hats, and Jane wearing a pink tank top I knit her over a year ago.

I learned to make these albums from my mother, a craft lady in her own right. We bought some of the supplies at the Paper Source store in Porter Square. That's where we got the flowered paper, the ribbon, and a pre-cut kit which contained the book board (cardboard like covers) and interior pages. The rest of the materials -- the pink dot paper, the bookcloth, and the glue/cutting suplies/brushes/photo corners/etc belong to me or my mom, in our stash of other craft supplies. The whole project took us about 2 1/2 hours ... and that was with the help of a 7 year old!

As much as I love to knit, I will always enjoy many other crafty pleasures!

Dutch Yarn Stash and more Socks!

2005-08-11T08:48:00.000-04:00

Finally finished & took a picture of my first pair of socks with yarn that I bought while visiting the Netherlands in July. Of course I had to include the rest of my new found treasure...

The four on the right are Dutch made sock yarn and the rest [other than the small yellow yarn ball I got to make a scarf with] is Italian Meilenweit Cotton sock yarn. That's what I used first to make the socks I am wearing. [45% cotton, 42% virgin wool, 13% polyamid] -- machine washable. Great for Summer!

I did have to make adjustments for the stretchiness of the yarn, but it was nice to work with and I love the feel when I wear them.

I'm wearing them to the group meeting today

.... Sock makers take over the world!!

The Yarnman Cometh

2005-08-09T10:48:00.000-04:00

I got my Knitpicks order this morning. I have all my packages shipped to work, since if htey get shipped home, they might sit in my apartment lobby for a while before I get home. I left work at 6pm last night, and arrived back at 9am this morning. sometime in between, the postman brought me yarn!

Here is the selection of skeins I ordered for all of us to "sample".

From the left to right, that's

Sock Garden (100% merino wool; 7-8 st/in)
Elegance (70% baby alpaca, 30% silk; 5.5 st/in)
Shine (60%cotton/40% modal; 6 st/in)
Andean Silk (55% superfine alpaca, 23% silk, 22% merino wool; 4.5-5 st/in)
Alpaca Cloud (100% baby alpaca; laceweight)
And, in back is the Wool of the Andes (100% wool; 5 st/in; I got the "color your own" version, same gauge, etc. as the pre-dyed).
Not pictured is the Merino Style (100% merino wool; 5.5 st/in).

I will bring all of these, and (if I remember!) a ball winder on Thursday so we can all get samples of what we want to try.

I also got my Shine for my friends' baby blanket -- I'll post a photo of it on my blog for you to see!