Archive for April, 2007
The Needle Arts Studio
Friday, April 27th, 2007
Hello from ROCK CITY!!
So you probably thought I’d never fly again after LAST weekend, but LOOK! Here I am in DETROIT! With Shay Pendray!
We’re taping a segment on the Needle Arts Studio, a PBS program that reaches 60 MILLION households in the US and Canada.
Here’s me and Shay on set:
The yarn we’re fondling is the new Cash Vero from Cascade yarns. It’s a blend of Cashmere, Merino, and Microfiber, so it’s soft and shiny and economical at the same time. You can pretty much sub it for anything you’d use 220 for. The ball band wants you to use a bigger needle, but I think I’ll be using it in worsted situations.
I’m going to be updating this post today with more photos, but want to get this posted! I neglected to post right away about the book fair, and now the photos are on the other computer…
The trip started out like any normal trip that I go on alone…very very iPod-zone out and knit…THEN. In Dallas. I’m in line to get on the plane and am approached by a gorgeous blond woman who seems to know my name! Guess WHO! Tina Whitmore of KnitWhits!! You’ve seen her work on her own site, at Stitch Diva, and all over the country in yarn shops. Tina and I rode to the Inn together and had dinner and dished until 10 pm. (Then I had to go finish my project!)
Tina on TV:
This morning, we all got up to go to the studio, and who’s in the lobby? KRISTIN NICHOLAS! She’s published EVERYWHERE, and you probably recognize her work by its use of color. She has a new book coming out (I got a sneak peek at the projects but swore not to post photos, so I didn’t take any.) Her projects are colorful and playful and when she laid them out on the table, every single one of us was over there swarming her. She’s amazing. And just generally really awesome to talk to. She’s got a BLOG! YAY! (She also has her own yarn line and the colors are just gorgeous. Deep and rich.
Kristin, Shay, Me:
I also met the Chicks with Sticks! These ladies are so much fun! The projects they showed use crochet in situations where we’ve gotten used to using knitting, like the potato-chip scarves and even in felting. Their work is very brightly colored and fun. Loved meeting them! I heard that they’ve even sold their knitting kits on QVC! Now *that’s* national coverage!
Lisa Daniels of Big Sky Luxury Yarns and Muench Yarns was there to do three segments. She was showcasing the “Touch Me” chenille with wool core that I used in my Spring 07 Knitscene pattern. Really enjoyed meeting her.
Heather from Monsterbubbles was there. She cross-stitches on alternative surfaces. She sells kits for jewelry and art wall hangings that use window screen as the base for the stitching, instead of cloth. These are so gorgeous, funky, and modern. I really like them. You should check out her site gallery.
Group Photo:
L to R: The Chicks, Heather, Me, Tina, Kristin, Lisa, and the really sweet Borgello needlepoint woman.
PS: Tina’s saying, “We’re suddenly all scrunching down.” and we were. We were. lol.
Posted in yarn reviews, events | 6 Comments »
Bluegrass Festival of KNITTING
Thursday, April 26th, 2007
WOAH!
(photo courtesy of lotus knits)
Was this ever a fun thing to do!
On Saturday, we (me, my editor Jessica Gordon, several charming women who work on the Writers Digest books, and our publicist Greg Hatfield) went to Lexington, Kentucky for the Bluegrass Festival of Books.
When we arrived at the convention center, we were met by show organizer Rachael Ray, the person who invited me to be on the discussion panel. She led us to the table, where we were met by Diane MacDonald and Jane Homeyer, the owners of Magpie Yarns (Because the Yarn Harlot already posted, I borrowed the link from her.) These women are so amazing, as soon as we all got there they started taking a coffee order! AMAZING hostesstes.
On one side of me was Susan Anderson, author if Itty Bitty Hats (which I’m sad that I forgot to ask her to sign.) Itty Bitty Hats is a really sweet and innovative collection of baby hats. On my other side was Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle! I’m just starting my copy, but after meeting Ann and hearing her speak and spending time with her…I know that I will learn a lot from this book. On Susan’s other side was Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, author of (ok, I know you already know.) 
So after we all signed books a while, it was time for the knitting panel. Susan, Ann, and I were on the panel, and my editor Jessica was the moderator. It was really interesting to hear from the other knitters, and in-person get their perspectives on knitting and what it means to them. Susan is one of Wisconsin’s leading entrepreneurs, and Ann has written like 7 novels, so I was the noob in the room of experts!
After the panel, the Magpie Mavens invited all of us knitting people to lunch! So we all piled into the minivan and went to a restaurant downtown. I’m secretly glad that the food took so long to arrive to the table, so that I could talk to everyone longer. We were discussing things like the slang words that you can and can’t say in different countries, and blogging of course, and book-writing, and traveling…I’m so lucky to have had the chance to talk with these women. It was really, really great. I can’t say enough about how fun that lunch was.
After lunch, I signed a few more books and we went home at 5. I totally had to miss the Yarn Harlot’s talk, but I had a lot of fun meeting people at the table. (Who am I kidding, while the Harlot was speaking, every knitter in the building but me and Ann were in the lecture hall.)
I met a lot of really fun knitters when Stephanie was done, though!! I’ll post photos when I get home from Rock City, I promise!
Posted in Book Talk, Trips, events | 5 Comments »
Turtleneck Tube
Wednesday, April 25th, 2007
If you’ve been wondering how to downsize the Turtleneck Tube Vest from Fitted Knits, I’m knitting one myself in a smaller size over on the Fitted Knits KAL. Join us if you like!
Posted in Book Talk | No Comments »
Knittinghelp.com
Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
As much as I would LOVE to do more over-the-internet knitting help and teaching, I’m just not able to spend the time that it would take to do it really well. If you’re a new knitter and looking for help, check out knittinghelp.com.
There are videos for casting on, binding off, knitting, purling, increasing, decreasing…every basic thing you’ll need to know to knit most patterns.
To get to the videos, click on the tab labeled ‘basic techniques’ or ‘advanced techniques’ and then click through the links in the blue/purple bar at the top.
There are also forums and discussion where you can post questions about specific patterns that you’re working on. You may even find that there are other people working on the same project who have figured out the exact thing you’re having trouble with.
Posted in just chit chat | 1 Comment »
Airport HELL
Tuesday, April 24th, 2007
I have been stuck in AIRPORT HELL for TWO DAYS!
On the way home from Cincinnati, I was supposed to have a 1 hour layover in Houston that turned into TWO DAYS of waiting around.
I arrived in Houston at about 12:30 on Sunday, found my gate, and sat there waiting to board. They kept doing that half-hour delay, half-hour delay that they do sot hat you can’t leave to get lunch or do anything. All around me, flights were being canceled or delayed…the whole Continental Express gate area was completely full of all the people waiting for delayed flights.
I tried to re-book onto another airline, but they refused to it because the flight wasn’t officially canceled. I finally boarded a plane at 9:30 pm. It did take off, but we had to turn back around and land because the fuel gauge wasn’t working properly. So they finally did cancel that one, and I was given a hotel room and booked on the next flight out of Houston…at 7:00 PM on Monday. I again requested to be booked onto another airline… I have a job and had a Monday deadline for several things, and needed to get back.
They had re-routed at least 3 airplanes full of El Paso (my destination) people, and so they would have had me flying back out to NY, then into Phoenix, then into El Paso. And it would have been 7:00 by that time anyway. So I grudgingly accepted and went out to find my shuttle to the hotel. The shuttle never arrived, because it was after 11:30 pm. I had just missed the last one. So I had to take a taxi and pay for it myself. (I was reimbursed later.)
So, I get out to the hotel, and it was sleepable, so I crashed right away. The next morning, I got up and got dressed and went over to the mall (they had a T-mobile shop, and could charge my phone). I had the cables to all my electronics in my checked bag, which apparently DID leave Houston without me, so I had no internet, no phone, no phone NUMBERS and no way to reach anyone.
ANYWAY.
I went over to the airport and checked on my flight, it was still on the schedule, but I went around and sat at the other El Paso flights anyway, trying to get on an earlier one standby. THEN…they canceled the 7pm flight! I was re-booked onto the 9:20 and given $12 in food vouchers. I finally got to my house at about 12am.
Posted in just chit chat | 10 Comments »
Woo! talk about GLAM!!
Friday, April 20th, 2007
(photo by Ron Hamilton)
L to R in the photo above: Jessica (my editor) Nora (stylist) ME and Amanda (art director.) Looking at this picture makes me feel incredibly happy and excited and motivated!
We did the author photos for Glam Knits today at Ron Hamilton Photo in Cincinnati, and also shot one of the garments for the book!
It was so fun, and after talking to Amanda and meeting Ron and Nora (I’m in constant contact with Jessica)…I’m SO SO looking forward to seeing Glam Knits. We talked a lot about the vision for the book, and it’s going to be beautiful. This book is in the best of hands.
A weird coincidence…we took a walk through the mall after an awesome lunch with the whole F&W Craft team (sales, editorial, art, PR…) and ran into the stylist from Fitted Knits! Totally random and wonderful.
AND…check out this cool ad that’s going to run in the Summer issue of Adorn:
Posted in Book Talk, Trips | 18 Comments »
Bluegrass Festival of Books: Books Signing times
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007
I will have 2 book signings at the Bluegrass Festival of Books on Saturday.
Signings will be at 9 am and 1 pm in the F&W booth.
And don’t forget the panel discussion:
A Good Yarn — Knitters, Fiction, and More!
Thoroughbred Room 8
11 a.m.
Moderator
Jessica Gordon
Editor, North Light Craft Books
Authors
Susan Anderson
Stefanie Japel
Ann Hood
Description
Join author of Itty Bitty Hats, Susan Anderson, Fitted Knits author, Stefanie Japel, and fiction author Ann Hood, The Knitting Circle, for a panel about knitting hats for infants, fashionable knitting, knitting in fiction and more.
You can get a signed book, see the panel discussion, and still have time to go see the Yarn Harlot at 2!
Posted in Trips, events | 1 Comment »
Spin Cycle!
Tuesday, April 17th, 2007
(thanks, google maps!)
Nate and I both have 40+ hour a week full-time jobs. Because we’re both also really busy outside of work (he’s a painter and I have this little knitting hobby of mine) we usually see the weekends as time to devote to the *other* stuff that we do.
We each have our own studios in the house and hole up all weekend and get into our individual projects and don’t really see each other. THIS weekend, we decided to break that habit and go on a long drive together. We sort of randomly chose Cloudcroft, NM as our destination. It’s not too far away, and is up in the mountains so the scenery is really different than what we have here in the Mesilla Valley. They have TREES. They have SNOW!
Just before we got in the car to go on the drive, I checked the mail…and LOOK was in the mailbox:
A hank of Spin Cycle handspun silk in a rich golden red called dragon’s breath. So even though I (as per the “getting out of the house agreement”) didn’t work on any knitting the whole trip…I still got to play with yarn! Spin Cycle is run by Kate and Rachel, who have an unbelievable sense of color and texture and make really beautiful yarns.
Those of you lucky enough to live in Bellingham can just go see them any time at the farmers’ market or stop by the shop…the rest of us can antsily oogle online. I even spotted a modified boobholder in the gallery!
So when we got up the hill we ate at the Texas Pit BBQ place. Nate had a Sliced beef BBQ sandwich (sauce ON it, not on the side) and I had potato soup. Even though the place to eat was my choice…I got the only non-BBQ thing.
We figured it’d be cooler up there, so we brought jackets. Nate brought some thin windbreaker and I brought the jacket to the suit I wore in Aaron and Margi’s wedding (WITH red wine stain down the front, I noticed on the ride home). We were really not prepared.
It was nice to get away for a real day off. Even a few hours.
I came home and finished two knit garments and started a third.
I’ve got a deadline coming up: 8 possibilities for the cover of Glam Knits. I’ve finished a few, and the rest are just waiting for trim. Sometimes I have the hardest time figuring out how to trim something. Plain 2×2 ribbing? Fisherman’s Rib? Some fancy rib with yarnovers or cables in it? So I plop them onto the mannequin and sit here and stare at them. Sometimes I even have 3 or 4 with varying hem lengths on it at a time.
This mannequin backup got to me Friday. I had 3 sweaters on the mannequin and my eyes were having trouble delineating what was what. So I ordered TWO more mannequins. The one I have is (roughly) my size.
Most of the time when knitting samples, whether for the books or magazines or yarn company work…I have to knit to a 34″ bust measurement. So I ordered a 34 (W8). I’ve also decided to use a plus-sized model in the photography for the new book, so I bought a size W16. I know that a 16 isn’t even really PLUS…but that’s what my model is.
They have really cheap ones here. They don’t have every size, but they have quite a few. They’re nice because they’re pinnable. (and cheap.)
Posted in yarn reviews, just chit chat | 8 Comments »
To faculty, staff and students at VA Tech
Tuesday, April 17th, 2007
Please know that my thoughts and those of my family and friends are with you.
I can only imagine what you must be going through.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Knitty Gritty? Did anyone tape it?
Monday, April 16th, 2007
I know this is a lame question, and the answer is probably, “why on Earth would anyone do that!?” But did anyone happen to tape the episode of Knitty Gritty that I was on? I got to see it, but was so weirded out by myself that I didn’t press record.
ETA: Jenny said she’d send me a copy! Thanks!!