Archive for April, 2007
Fitted Knits Sighting: Puffy sleeved cardigan
Monday, April 16th, 2007
The Puff-sleeved cardigan, finished by Yuvee
Posted in Book Talk | 3 Comments »
Vickie Howell Collection Preview
Monday, April 16th, 2007
I think I mentioned before that I’m working with Southwest Trading Company on some patterns for the Vickie Howell collection. Here are a couple of previews of ideas I’ve been playing around with:
The blue/pink/green top is knit using ROCK, which is silk, wool, and hemp. Even though this yarn is 30% wool, the silk and hemp blend with that to create a great 3-season yarn. Rock is less shiny than CRAFT, and has a really nice smooth texture. I used US7s to knit with it and found that it knits fast and doesn’t strain my fingers at all, the way some yarns can.
(These are only teaser pics because we want the FOs to be a surprise!)
ALSO: PS: Who am I kidding that I have time to sew?? We need to get my parents moved into their new house so that my MOM can help me 
Posted in yarn reviews | 4 Comments »
Built by ME!
Friday, April 13th, 2007
Cirilia sent the patterns and Kate has gone and made the cutest version of this dress. And I found a nice jersey print in good ‘redhead colors’. My desire for this dress has been building and building over the last few weeks…and I might just have reached the point at which it MUST be made.
Kate made hers in one day.
Posted in just chit chat | 5 Comments »
Tilli Tomas “Glampyre” colorway
Tuesday, April 10th, 2007
I received this gorgeous yarn in the mail a couple of weeks ago…but…as we decided yesterday…I’ve been a jerk about taking pictures. So. Yesterday at lunch I snapped a few. This colorway is a mix pf purples and blues anchored with black. GORGEOUS!
Posted in yarn reviews | 11 Comments »
The Weekend / Cranking
Monday, April 9th, 2007
…this past weekend was SO SO fun!!
Friday night was the book signing/fashion show at Unravel.
We had the show in the courtyard outside and Cyndi A’s son let us borrow the P.A. from their band. (I was the M.C.) The girls got ready in the new classroom upstairs, and then came around the balcony and down the stairs and around the front through the crowd and then back up for a quick-change.
The courtyard is *perfect* for fashion shows, and we’re trying to think of reasons to have another one. My next book isn’t out for a YEAR!
I am so proud of the models! Everyone did extremely well and looked gorgeous.
We had all sizes and age groups represented, and it went really well!
We had such a good time that we did the fashion show part TWICE. AND…we completely sold out of books.
The only bad part: I FORGOT MY CAMERA!! Fortunately, Michelle has told me that she’ll put her photos on a CD for me, so I can still post some later on.
Saturday, I taught a class on the drop-stitch lace tank from the book. There were ~10-12 students, and it went pretty well, I think. I had fun! (Thank you Cindy for your help with the class!) (AGAIN: NO CAMERA!)
The Cindy (there are THREE at Unravel) who helped me with the class had on the eternally cute “Ballet Tank” by Teva Durham (from the book Loop-d-Loop.) I was so enamored of hers, I cast on and made myself one. It took about 3.5 hours of cranking. (I’ve been calling knitting ‘cranking’ lately for some reason.) It uses Blue Sky Cotton, held double on 15s.
I’m serious, you guys…I need to take more pics!! We were so good about it in Germany…everything was so once-in-a-lifetime, we took tons of photos of everything we did. But NOW that we’re HOME…we haven’t taken many.
Posted in just chit chat, events | 4 Comments »
Something in the back of my mind
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007
Tan sweater on a tan dirt road:
We went out to look for places to do the photo shoot for the pattern for the sweater I’m wearing in my “author photo” in the book. We have to be a little more creative here in Las Cruces than we did in Mainz. The scenery is just different. No random castles or lush green ivy-covered walls. Las Cruces has its charms. There are tons of interesting sites…we just have to figure out how to use them.
Here’s an image that says a lot about this town:
Some days no matter how much I get done, I just have this feeeeeling that something remains UN done. Something major. Like if someone were to walk in on me sitting here at the computer, I’d be embarrassed because maybe they know what I SHOULD be doing. So I’m a little on guard. It’s a very odd feeling.
I had a big proposal due today and got that done and turned in.
I owed sketches to a friend at a yarn company and got those sent off.
I’m going back through my email with a fine-toothed comb. What IS it?
Maybe the feeling is just that “waiting to hear the verdict” sort of limbo feeling.
OH: A really good thing happened today! I walked into the main office in the department…and the secretary told me I look “skinnier and taller!” This walking to work and my ‘diet’ (in quotes because I *try*) have apparently been working.
Posted in just chit chat | 20 Comments »
Bluegrass Festival of BOOKS
Monday, April 2nd, 2007
I just finalized plans to attend the Bluegrass Festival of Books in Lexington Kentucky April 21, 9am - 5pm.
I’ve been invited to appear on a panel called “A Good Yarn: Knitters, Fiction, and More!” on Saturday, April 21 at 11:00 am.
I’ll also have a book signing sometime on Saturday (TBA).
I’ll be in Cincinnati most of the weekend, driving down to Lexington just for the day on Saturday. F&W(my publisher)’s headquarters are in Cinci and so I’ll get to meet the whole team. I’m looking forward to it. This means, though, that NOW…instead of needing LEXINGTON yarn shop info…I need CINCI yarn shop info!
(OH! I know! I’ll check my guidebook!)