Archive for February, 2007
Updated Flickr link
Wednesday, February 28th, 2007
I updated the flickr group link, so that the group is now called fitted_knits_knits.
The old link had an “@” in it, and Wordpress didn’t like that.
Posted in just chit chat, Book Talk, Patterns | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 27th, 2007
I just want to let you guys know that all of the errata for Interweave Knits (cabledown raglan) are handled through their website (here.)
They have a “contact us” link where you can let them know if you’re having any issues, and they’ll post the corrections.
Thanks!
Posted in Patterns | 2 Comments »
New Pattern
Saturday, February 24th, 2007
Hi Guys!
I’m totally flooding you with patterns at the moment, I know! This is one I started back in November, and everything’s finally come together (remember all the third parties?) and it’s ready for release. Kits are available in all the Tilli colors, but I especially love the ones in the image below.
Posted in Patterns | 2 Comments »
Back to the HAPPY!!
Friday, February 23rd, 2007
Isn’t it amazing what a little sleep, some nice reviews, and a darling FO can do??
This is what I believe to be the first FO from Fitted Knits!!
Let’s start a Fitted Knits Flickr group! YEah! That’d be cool. Add any FO photos, or progress photos…or eXpecially things you’re having trouble with…we can work through it together!
PS: If you’re in any Glam Knits Knitalongs…let me know and I’ll a link to the sidebar. I think it’s helpful for people to see these discussions…and I like to peek in, too, to make sure everything’s going ok with the patterns.
ALSO! Please leave your comments about the errata on the errata page, that way everyone can see them in case I’m not at the emails one day. THANKS!
Posted in Book Talk | 14 Comments »
Growing Pains
Thursday, February 22nd, 2007
I’ve been chatting with my peeps lately quite a bit. Feeling sorta weird about posting the other day that I’m having trouble handling the growth of this Glampyre Knits thing. Anyone with any business sense would never let on that they’re having growing pains…they’d just go along, smooth on the surface. But *I* just come out and say, “OK! This is more than I expected and I’m going NUTS!”
It’s not the extra work or the added orders that are driving me nuts, but the stress of not having everything go perfectly as planned on MY timeframe. (Speaking about all the 3rd-party involvements that go into it.) It’s coming together, though, and soon I’ll be sailing along like normal.
So many things have happened at this exact moment in time…that I’m caught offguard a little.
Posted in just chit chat | 5 Comments »
Things I’m working on
Monday, February 19th, 2007
This post is all about the things I’m working on. Since I’ve had nudges from many elbows lately that I’ve been pretty secretive about various projects…I took some time yesterday morning to go around the house and take some photos of various projects and projects-in-waiting.
First: On the Mannequin.
This is a pattern for my second book. I’m still draping and figuring out how it’s all going to come together, but it’ll be a lace cami-dress of as yet indeterminate length. It’ll look awesome over jeans, a pretty cotton slipdress, or sexy silk slip of contrasting color. The yarn is Lorna’s Laces Angel, and was custom dyed just for this project.
Second: In the Knitting Bag. (no photo…too lazy)
There’s Tilli Tomas yarn, to be used in a pattern for Vogue Knitting Magazine. So I can’t tell you exactly what it’ll be. It’s a small thing, and not something I’ve written a pattern for before…to give you a hint. It’ll sparkle, though…that’s for sure.
And lots of Vickie Howell collection SWTC yarn for swatching.
(as well as book stuff!)
Third: On Deck.
Yarns that are waiting to be knit. Believe it or not, most of this yarn is already assigned to specific projects. Some are book knits, some are magazine projects, and some are patterns for the site.
Whew. Exhausted? No? You’ve got more stamina than me! This is where I like to hang out, when I’m not knitting in front of the TV. It doesn’t always have such a beige feel…I love color.
Oh you guys, I went to the nurse practitioner on Wednesday last week. I’ve gained almost 15 pounds post-op! Can you believe that!? No WONDER I feel bigger. I AM F***ing bigger! It’s all in my tummy and on my hips, too…so I’ve got a GREAT look goin’ on. I think that my body somehow targeted the tummy for the weight because of the trauma…like an extra padding in case I bump into something. I think I told you I was walking around with my hands on my tummy for at least two months. Totally freaked out about someone touching it.
(For those just tuning in, I recently had surgery for fibroid tumors…the non-laproscopic kind of surgery. I sort of let it become my identity and am trying to stop obsessing about it. Obviously, though, I find that difficult. This is the first time I’ve really ever thought about my age, mortality, “settling down,” I always felt young for my age until now, etc. etc. etc.)
ANYWAY: She gave me a diet. argh. I’ve been given a diet by a medical professional. And she said, “Well, at your AGE…” a few times. In Germany, 35 year olds are thought of like 25-year-olds are here. They’re just getting married and having their first kids. Some people wait to get married and have kids until age 40. There’s so much traveling and living to do. Then, once that’s done, they settle down and start a family. It’s a much less ageist society. I don’t consider my practitioner to be ageist, but I did notice a big emphasis on my age. 35 is the boundary age for a lot of things in their textbooks, I think. She called for a lot of bloodwork, like thyroid, diabetes, iron, and even cholesterol.
It’s not a strict diet. Just the standard “eat more times a day, rather than two big meals. Eat lots of protein in the form of nuts and eggs and fish, lay off the fried stuff and the sweets, eat more fresh veggies. Um. Take fish oil capsules that are fished in deep (mercury-free) waters.” I’m sure there’s more…I have it all written down. She just called to say all the tests are normal…but STILL DO THE DIET!! Thanks, Kathy. (!)
Posted in just chit chat | 8 Comments »
Welcome Olin Patrick Japel!
Sunday, February 18th, 2007
This is our new nephew, Olin Patrick! He’s the son of Nate’s brother Aaron and our sister-in-law Margi.
Isn’t he sweet! He has blond-red hair, too!
Posted in just chit chat | 4 Comments »
Tilli Tomas pattern…ALMOST ready!
Wednesday, February 14th, 2007
Did I show you the photo shoot that Tilli Tomas did for the wrap sweater? It looks pretty cute. Is it freaky not to see me modeling my sweaters?
This is the pattern we’re waiting on from the printer…any day now….”C’mon….you can do it!! Just hit print and then mail them to me!!”
Posted in just chit chat | 10 Comments »
Tuesday sometimes = Saturday AND Sunday
Tuesday, February 13th, 2007
This weekend was a short course in computational modeling in theoretical physics, and I hosted one of the out-of-town undergrads at my house…so today I ran around doing all my errands.
I completely planned to go to the office this afternoon, but by the time I put that 16-roll pack of T.P. in the trunk (we were sharing one dwindling roll between the two bathrooms), it was already time to go pick up Nate from work. Crazy.
I’m really behind right now, in everything. Having no weekend and no evenings has completely killed my schedule.
Quote from something I had to type earlier: I *did* get the patterns sent off to the printer, with a 3-day turnaround…so THEY WILL GO OUT SOON. I’m never a good judge of how long it’ll take to do things.
I think next TNNA will be boothless for me. I’m not organized enough to handle orders yet. Now that everything’s in good shape, it should be easier, though. SO who knows.
Man. I was talking to my sister today, and we were both sort of (and this is how you know we’re fried) wishing we were Victorian Ladies. That way, when we felt overwhelmed by life, we could just go to the sanitorium (NOT SANITARIUM!) and take a break.
We wouldn’t go to the T.B. one, just the one for general malaise. Sitting on the lawn reading under parasols, having picnics, taking drawing and painting classes…yeah. It’s just….so….ARRRRRGH….right now.
Posted in just chit chat | No Comments »
Book! In the WILD!
Friday, February 9th, 2007
Look what I found in my inbox this morning! Someone (thanks, Shannon!)saw my book on the actual shelf in an actual bookstore!! I haven’t been to the local B&N in a while to check for myself…but, as Joey Lawrence always used say, “Woah!”
I just had the thought: “I talk about myself WAY too much on this blog.” Then: “Um. It’s a BLOG.”
SO…more about ME.
I was just sent the most beautiful package of yarn from Tilli Tomas. We met while I was working on the Stitch Diva Simple Knitted Bodice (three links) pattern and have become friends. 
Tracy has come up with a new color called “jade” that’s a blend of really rich greens. The sequins on the “disco lights” are even green.
I love that disco lights!! I’m like a magpie…if it’s sparkly I MUST have it. So, we’ve been working on some things together…like the wrap cardigan pattern that I’m currently in the process of getting sent out to my TNNA people! (I’m sorry, TNNA people! This is taking MUCh longer than I imagined.)
I’m sure I’ve told you this before, but wherever my husband I go out to eat, before long we’re treated like regulars…and one time I asked him, “Why do you think people in restaraunts always remember us? Down to what we order?” And he said, “Because you’re so flashy.”
He didn’t say it in a mean way at all, just very matter-of-fact. At first, I was a little offended. I’m from Iowa. We are NOT flashy. But…he’s right. If I’m not sparkling, I’m wearing pink and yellow argyle socks with green sandals…or a long white leather pimp coat with a fur collar.
I was at a conference the past few days, and one day someone even said to me, “That’s a quite a shirt. What is that? Embroidery?” Well. That’s quite the polar fleece that you’ve been sporting the past four days. What is that? Goretex with Thinsulate? (He was nice, actually, and I think actually kinda liked the shirt…but it was slightly unusual/out of place at that particular venue.)
Another standout moment: Some of our research is done at a facility that’s arranged in a big ring. (To remain nameless, so this can’t come back to haunt me later when I apply for jobs) They provide you with bicycles so you can get from point to point in the ring faster than if you had to walk the mile from point to point.
One time that we went, I brought my rollerskates and was skating around the ring. No big deal, right? What’s skates compared to a bike? Is it really that weird? YES. Apparently it was the freakiest thing that people had seen in a long time. People took my picture, and they had to call the safety people to see if it was ok, and it was HUGE deal. (It was deemed NOT ok, safetywise, and I had to take them off.)
I heard a really funny story from a girl I went to grad school with (in another department…not mine.) She went over to the lab one night really late to pick up a notebook while she was studying for her comps or something. She walked in and the entire lab floor was covered in newspaper. Like, every inch of the floor.
She looked around for anything spilled, or broken glass…nothing. So she started picking up the paper as she walked back to her desk for the notebook, and there sitting at the computer was one of her labgroup members. In longjohns and trench coat. And that’s it. No shirt, no shoes. (This was the same guy with the Playboy belt buckle and matching Playboy backpack.)
She said she didn’t even ask. Just got the notebook and backed slowly away. Later, we tried to piece together what might have happened…but never were really sure. Did he spill something on his pants, shirt, and shoes and have totake them off? Was he in bed and had to rush over to check his email and forgot to put shoes on so he spread out the paper? Was it just too hot in there?
There are varying degrees of ‘flashy’…