Archive for October, 2007
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007
There’s a new podcast at Yarncraft! I was interviewed by Zontee Hou of Lion Brand yarn. It was an interesting conversation about inspiration and creativity…really nice to chat with Zontee.
You can listen directly if you click here. (Opens right up, so check your volume!)
Posted in press | 1 Comment »
U-neck vest errata
Monday, October 29th, 2007
OK, first, let me apologize for how long it is taking me to compile all of the errata.
Things have been hectic over here…I’ve transitioned from full-time scientist / part time knitter to part-time University instructor / part time knitter. For a while there, I was doing both a full-time job AND teaching, AND writing 2 books, AND getting ready for the baby.
I’m trying to compile all of the errata myself, with the help of the book’s technical editor, and get them all submitted to the publisher for inclusion in future editions of the book. It’s taking a while to go through all of the posts on all of the message boards, all of the comments on the blog, and all of the emails and figure out what’s really errata, etc., and get those pages updated. It’s an arduous process, but we’re working on it!
I’m finally getting caught up…
Here are the errata for the U-neck / back to school vest:
Upper front
Dec 1 st at beg of next 12 (12, 12, 12, 14, 14, 16, 16) rows–68 (72, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 88) sts.
Front neck
Row 2: Bind off 24 (28, 28, 30, 28, 30, 32, 32) sts, work to end.
Upper back
Dec 1 st at each end of next 6 (7, 7, 8, 9, 9, 9, 9) rows–44 (46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 58, 62) sts.
If that doesn’t solve the problem, please let me know!
Posted in Book Talk, Patterns | No Comments »
Petal pattern is now available.
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
“Petal”
Stefanie Japel
Glampyre Knits
Sizes: 32-34(36-38, 40-42, 44-46, 48-50, 52-54)
Yarn: 675(750, 850, 950, 1050) yards Berroco Touche (50% cotton, 50% rayon) 89 yds (82 m) / 1.75 oz / 50 g (or other worsted weight cotton, wool, linen, silk, or blend yarn.)
Gauge: 5 sts, 6 rows / inch in st. st,
(Trim Gauge: 6 sts / inch)
Needle:
US 8 (5 mm) 24″ or longer circular needle
US 4 (2mm) 24″ or longer circular needle
$6
NOW AVAILABLE!
**This pattern has been tested by the Glampyre Knits TestLab. This time a whole Community College knitting class tested the pattern for us! The knitters were of varying ages, sizes, and skill levels and we took their input SERIOUSLY. We also included knitters from several different countries with different native languages and access to unique substitution yarns. Knitters found the pattern to be clear, and the worsted weight of the yarn easy to substitute.**
Posted in Patterns | 1 Comment »
Mens’ hat pattern?
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
OK, I’ve got a Christmas present to knit, and knit FAST, since we’ve got Thanksgivingmas in about a month.
I want to make a hat / scarf set for an 18-yr-old college guy. Who is into sports. Who would not like “funky”.
Last time I made him the Marsan Watchcap…and he’s been wearing it for at least 3 years.
Are there any new coolguy hat patterns I should be aware of? How about “guy scarves?” Something textural, but not color-heavy.
Thanks!
Posted in just chit chat | 17 Comments »
Yarn pics
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
Ok, so here are the fruits of my yarn-dyeing efforts.
This BFL is so fluffy and nice! After dyeing and washing, it plumped up to be totally squishy and awesome. It was a little bit more compressed when I first got it off the cone.
Here’s the “warm” batch. With my gigantic swatch.
I think I figured out how to dye so that the yarn doesn’t pool. I don’t *hate* pooling, but I’m pretty much over the psychadelic look that hand dyed yarns can take on. It can be really funky and nice, but on *me,* especially when I look like I have a basketball up my shirt, subtle is better.
Here’s what started out as the “cool” batch.
Like said, the black turned to purple in the crock pot, so at first it was just a green and purple mess. Then I added the rust over the top of all that, and I like it a lot better. I haven’t swatched this stuff yet, it was just dry this morning.
I’m excited to see how it comes out, though.
Yesterday we went to the NMSU homecoming parade. Nathan was in marching band in high school (base drum) and I play drums, too…so we like to go to parades. And I’m somewhat affiliated with NMSU…I’m a professor there. I have one student in the band and one who’s a cheerleader. I’ll be honest, I didn’t recognize either of them in their outfits.
Here I am, beached on a big rock watching. Jeez. I’m enormous.
Poor Nate has the flu! Last night when we went to bed, he had a fever of 102. It’s coming down, so that’s good…but he’s definitely not doing well today. Poor baby. I think it’s the same thing I had, but these things always hit him harder than they do me. I had to cancel class one day…but he is just OUT of it. Poor guy.
OH! The bath bombs worked GREAT!! Despite having too much liquid, as one reader pointed out in the comments, they fizz, they smell GREAT, and have just the right amount of cocoa butter. The one thing I’d work on is how they look. Maybe color them or do different molds so the shape is better. Other than that, though, making my own is the way to go from now on. It’s fun, it’s cheap, and it feels great to do it myself.
Posted in yarn reviews, just chit chat | 7 Comments »
Fitted Knits Trunk Show at WEBS!
Saturday, October 20th, 2007
Thanks to Kim for taking this photo for me!
Here’s Fitted Knits on display at the Mothership.
Posted in Book Talk, press | No Comments »
To Do list update…what I actually accomplished last night.
Friday, October 19th, 2007
I don’t know what happened yesterday, but Mazey and I went to TOWN on the “to do” list..the only things on the list I didn’t do are 5 and 8…and I did a bunch of extra stuff instead.
Remember this?:
I got the “Petal” pattern corrections done and it’s sent off to the graphic designer. As soon as it’s formatted, I’ll release it for sale here on the site.
And Sanpoku has a sleeve. I’m going to have to do something to close it other than use a stick. If I use a stick, I’ll put out an eye. Maybe not even my OWN. Just looking at that stick makes me shake my head…all the places that could get caught. For now, the plan is to just put buttonholes on that one edge. But maybe it’ll be frogs or who knows. Weeeeeee’ll see.
REVISED TO DO LIST:
1) cami top and finish pattern
2) “Press” page update
3) one more freelance pattern
4) 4 more book patts
——-
So I’ve had this 2-lb cone of undyed Blue-Faced-Leichester** yarn sitting in the living room for about a month. Last night, I decided that I could multi-task if I skeined up the yarn and put it in the dyepot WHILE I was knitting/doing patterns. So I got out my niddy noddy and wound it all into 4oz / 205 yard hanks (after skeining over 1600 yards of yarn by hand, my arm’s tired!) soaked it in cool water for 30 minutes, mixed up my dyes, and put half of it in the crock pot.
I decided to do half in ‘warms’ and half in ‘cools’, the ‘warm’ batch is called, “IT’S FINALLY FALL!” The cool batch turned out to actually be warmer than I intended. There was a little mishap in which my black went purple, and the whole thing was a muddy mess of washed out green, grey, and hot purple. SO…to tone everything down, I added a big squirt of brown. Now it’s sort of peacock-colored and sort of brownish…I’m not too sure about that batch.
IT’S FINALLY FALL! is a mix of yellow, orange, pink, copper, red, and a tough of dark green acid dyes.
Are you tired of me saying IT’S FINALLY FALL!?
Too bad. It’s finally fall here in the L.C.. It only got up to 79F yesterday!! It’s supposed to only be in the high 60s next week!!! It’s not going to freeze for a WHILE which is too bad, because the mosquitoes seem to have had another round of babies. I’m so sick of mosquitoes. We need a FREEZE. (Hmm…possible “cool” BFL yarn name?) My flowers are still blooming! We got another round of zinnias and the hibiscus is still going strong. Amazing.
Dyeing yarn is FUN. I did a TON of dyeing back in Baltimore, when I first started this blog (so like 2002-2003), and I’ve done a little here and there since then, so it was really nice to get back to it.
SO…after I got everything in the pot and sat down to watch the Daily Show, I ended up finishing patterns for: a skirt, half a cami, a lace tunic sweater, and a babydoll top. SO, only 3.5, not my quota of 4. So I have a total of 3 new knits (that Cathi actually knit and knit WELL, let me say) with patterns for my editor, one freelance pattern, and one pattern for the site DONE. WHEW.
**This BFL yarn is famous for being good for baby knits. Water-resistant, pill-proof (extra-long staple length), takes dye wonderfully, soft, etc.
Posted in just chit chat, Book Talk, Patterns | 4 Comments »
checking in on the list….
Thursday, October 18th, 2007
Holding myself accountable this afternoon!
OK, so far I’ve finished 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7.
I’m going to work on 8 for a while, and then settle into 4 and 5 for the evening.
AND:
I made a vet appointment for Medea, reserved a U-Haul to move the washer and dryer in on Saturday, met Nate for lunch, and made BATH BOMBS.
For the bombs, I followed a recipe that Dalila pointed me to here. I found all the powders, cocoa butter, and epsom salt at the health food store. If this works out, I spent about as much on the whole shebang as I would have on just 4 or 5 pre-made bombs. (There are 6 more bombs in a regular muffin tin. I ended up making 4 batches.)
I didn’t try adding any extra scents, but if they work out (I keep saying that) I’ll try them again using some of my BPAL stash. How awesome would some Jack or Gingerbread Poppet bath bombs be!? And you know WHAT!? We have lavendar in our garden! I smell stocking stuffers…(if they work out!) I don’t cook much and so usually if a recipe works for me, it’s like a total shock.
OK, anyway, back to work….
PS: Click on this baby gear photo to see the set.
I’ve been sneaking in a LOT of baby knitting.
Posted in just chit chat | 5 Comments »
Today is a real TCOB day!
Thursday, October 18th, 2007
Thursdays are my day off. The whole freakin’ day is MINE!
Last Thursday was the day my printer exploded (well, not a real EXPLOSION, but it hit that magic expiration date that all printers have when they suddenly, after like 2 years of excellent service, decide to chew paper and ka-CHONG and just act up in awful ways.) Of course it was a few months after the expiration of the warranty, so I had to go buy a new one. Last Thursday just was NOT a good day. Last Thursday was so bad that my mom came over and did all the laundry. It was just over the top bad.
TODAY, I’m working on Glampyre stuff. Catching up on correspondence, updating things, sending yarn to knitters, writing out patterns, etc. It’s only 9:30 and I’ve already gotten more done than I did all DAY last Thursday.
Woo!
Here’s what I’m hoping to do with the rest of my day, and I’ll check back in to let you know how it goes:
1) photograph all the baby knits I’ve finished…even stuff that still needs buttons. There are lots of little things that I’ve finished that I haven’t had the gumption to actually photograph, and they’re cute. Must Share.
2) mail out yarn and patterns to my knitter-helpers.
3) block the lace scarf. This means I have to actually cast off. If this scarf was just for ME…I’d knit to the end of the ball, but since it’s for a class and the class is next week…I need to get it to the yarn store so they can display it. It’s about 6 feet long.
4) finish up …4…patterns. By the end of the day. This MUST happen.
5) work the “boob” parts of a camisole. This poor thing has been sitting around almost done…except for the cups…for weeks.
That’s not too bad! I think I can maybe do this.
6) I also need to go to the health food store and to the yarn store. Isn’t it funny when you get up early and sit around waiting for shops to open? I’ve been up since 6 today! They should be open now, so
7) I’m gonna get this yarn packed up so I can ALSO go to the PO!
8) update my “press” category. There may be a string of posts in the near future containing one photo…just ignore them if you’ve already seen this stuff. I need to get my press pages updated so that I look like I’ve been doing something these past few months that I’ve been hibernating.
OK. Here I go. Any second now, I’m going to put the laptop down, cast off my scarf, and put it in the sink to soak. Then I’m going to seal up this yarn package and put an address on it…get dressed…and start the day. Ok. One. Two. Three.
Posted in just chit chat | 2 Comments »
Gift Swap Knitting and lots of “signing up”
Wednesday, October 17th, 2007
I signed up for a handmade gift swap on one of the message boards that I visit, and here’s what I’m making:
They’re little cotton bath scrubbies, and each one has a bar of nice soap inside. They take about 20 minutes to knit (if that). There are 11 people in the swap, I can’t wait to see what everyone makes. So far, I’ve finished 6 of my gifts and have 4 more to go.
Mom and I signed up for a 5K fun walk at the end of the month. I think it’ll be a lot of fun. Nate asked me if we were going to start training. I need to train to walk 2 miles? Sheesh, I must look really out of shape. I was at the mall yesterday for a whole HOUR. That had to be at least 1.5 K
We also signed up for a natural dye class in November. I’m really looking forward to that. I’ll take lots of pics. I’ll be careful not to stand in any poison steam, don’t worry.
I was at the mall yesterday, looking for bath bombs. I rediscovered my LUSH stash last week and used it all up…so I need more bath stuff. STAT. Unfortunately, our mall isn’t that extensive. So, I left the bath bomb trail and just spent an hour or so looking at baby stuff. I don’t know, do they still even MAKE bath bombs?** The expiration date on one of mine was 2004. I know they were THE Christmas gift a few years ago. But was it really 2004!? Time files, dearhearts.
Not much really new is going on. We’re going to Sioux City for Thanksgiving-mas and having Christmas with Nate’s family at Thanksgiving time. We’re leaving on the 20th…that’s only about a month from NOW!
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**ETA: Yeah. They do.