Archive for November, 2009
SITE LAUNCH!
Monday, November 30th, 2009
The big day is here! My new website launches today!
The gorgeous design is thanks to Julie Levesque of www.symposi.com, and I LOVE it!
You will have a MUCH easier time navigating the site, finding out about upcoming classes and events, and finding out more about me and my designs. Click on the image below to enter:
To celebrate the launch of the new site, I’ve written a new free pattern for you!
Mazie’s Mittens: quick 2-needle mittens
Pattern Notes
Knit on straight needles, these mittens are a great way for a beginning knitter to make handmade mittens without trying to use double-pointed needles. (Or for an advanced knitter to make mittens when you’ve forgotten your knitting bag at home over the holidays and have to borrow stuff from your mom.)
I used two colors of DK weight yarn: one for the ribbing, one for the hands, and a little bit of white to embroider the snowflakes. You could do these in a solid, use up several leftovers to make stripes, or any number of combinations.
By changing yarn weight and needle size, you can make these mittens larger or smaller to fit children of various ages and sizes. (Use sock yarn and US1 / US3 needles for baby mittens, Use worsted weight yarn and US5 / US7 to make mittens for older children.)
You can download the free pattern here on Ravelry.
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We survived Thanks-Mas Week, did you?
Monday, November 30th, 2009
My sister was in town last week to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now that we’re all grown up, it’s hard to see all of our family on all of the “real” holiday dates, so we smushed the two together this year. It can be a little bit intense, having so much celebration in one week, but everyone did ok this year! Mazie and I decorated a little bit early (Monday):
We hosted a dinner at our house on Wednesday night…
Complete with lace tablecloths and extra seating:
(Looking at these pictures reminds me that we need to hang some art on our walls. It’s hard, after all that painting!)
Then on Thursday we had Thanksgiving dinner and opened presents at my parents’. Friday, we all lounged around, and then Saturday, Tonya and I took pics of some of her Etsy shop stuff. All in all a really nice week!
Posted in just chit chat | No Comments »
Preview my new WEBSITE!! (www.stefaniejapel.com)
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
Oh you guys, I couldn’t be more excited! My new website is about to go live! It was designed by Julie Levesque of http://www.symposi.com. The site has everything all in one place: shop, portfolio, workshop information, links to my blog and etsy shop. The best part is that it all works, it all looks great together in a unified, beautiful presentation.
You may recognize Julie as the graphic designer who created several promotional materials for Ravelry.com, such as Tshirts, brochures, totes, pins, and logos!
Here’s Jess in a tee designed by Julie:
To see more of Julie’s work click here.
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New Online Class: How to Fit Your Knits
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
I’ve developed a new online knitting class, at the suggestion of many of the 430+ members on my online Knitting Studio site. The class is called “How to Fit Your Knits” and is based on a workshop that I have taught in person many times. The class will be held on my Ning.com site, starting a few days after New Year’s, to give us all time to enjoy the holidays before we start this class.
This is the most intensive class that I will have taught online so far, and I’m incredibly excited to be able to offer it. I’m going to keep the class size relatively small for the first run, so if you have been itching to take this class, be sure to sign up early to hold your spot.
DESCRIPTION:
How to Fit Your Knits January 4 - February 4
In this four-week class, you will learn how to examine any
printed knitting pattern, knit flat or in the round, whether top
down, or bottom up, and determine whether its shaping will work for
you. You will learn to add custom shaping, based on your own body
measurements (or those of any friend or family member) to any
commercial knitting pattern.
This is not a “design your own sweater” class, but you will
learn the fundamentals of fit, shaping, taking proper figure
measurements, and doing the math that will help you to create
knitted garments that actually fit.
The class will take place over four weeks, and you will have
24-hour access to class materials during that time. You will be
able to work at your own pace, with the help of forum discussion,
live chat, video instruction, and PDF handouts.
Class Fee: $65
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Two Tshirt Yarn shrugs, a WIP and a Mazie update
Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Here are two new Tshirt yarn shrugs that my mother knit up:
She dyed her tees with tea, and I think that the colors she got are just fantastic:
Very subtle, but very nice.
Here’s a link to the pattern, and one to the class.
WIP update: I’ve been working on a sweater for myself, and even though I have been knitting top down raglan sweaters for literally decades, I still place the whole thing on waste yarn
So that I can try it on:
I want to add a drawstring detail to the underbust / overbelly so I have to make sure that it will hit at exactly the right depth in the bodice. I still have a few inches to go!
Mazie update: it was (is) just a head cold. AND…while we were in the office, our Nurse Practitioner got in a shipment of H1N1 vaccines, so we were able to get one for Mazie.
I have received a lot of comments, by personal email, on Facebook, and Twitter, from people telling me NOT to vaccinate our daughter. I think that parenting is such a personal thing, I’d never deem myself expert enough to advise others on what to do for their children, especially in a situation like this. Living so close to Mexico, where the virus originated, and having such a high number of local cases (800 in the next county over, and 50 here locally) and numerous deaths, we have decided to protect ourselves and Mazie.
If you have chosen not to vaccinate yourself or your child, that is your decision, and I’m sure that it was based on hours (or more) of long hard thought and is a decision based on what you think is best and safest for your family. Our decision is, too. Please do not comment / write telling me that I’ve endangered my child or my fetus by vaccinating Mazie and myself.
I would never write to you criminalizing your decision not to vaccinate.
For those of you who have been supportive through this whole thing (here and on Twitter / Facebook… I APPRECIATE YOU!
Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »
Uh oh, Mama’s got a new lens
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
On Miriam’s recommendation, I bought a new 50mm lens. So far, I think it’s wonderful!
Here are some knits…don’t they look so much more mysterious and intriguing in short focal length? The background just disappears.
This is a vest that I originally knit for my book, but which now really doesn’t go along with the text. SO…it’s just a vest. Not a BOOK vest. In Cascade 220 Tweed. I’d try it on for you, but it’s a fitted knit, with waist shaping that exactly matched my curves before I was 26 weeks pregnant.
Here’s a sweater in progress knit in Interlacements Yarns Oregon Worsted II in color 411. We decided to go back to Iowa for a week this winter, and I would like to have a handknit sweater that fits over my belly. I’ve got a lot of knitting to do for the book, so we’ll see if that dream comes true.
And here’s my Mazie. She’s not feeling well today…runny nose and rosy cheeks. We go to the doctor this afternoon. We were able to find her a flu shot, but not an h1n1 vaccine. Cross your fingers for us?
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
How much relaxing can I cram into one weekend?
Sunday, November 15th, 2009
Here’s me on the couch on Friday afternoon. I finished my book on Thursday afternoon, then on Friday we had an ultrasound that somehow took all day. I was so exhausted from both the book-finishing and the emotional stress of the ultrasound that I just felt the sofa and bad TV calling me. SO…late in the afternoon, I just sat around….knitting.
Last week I got the sweetest package in the mail. One of my students, Tonia, sent me a skein of Wollmeise in my favorite blues, along with a few other cool things:
Like a row counter bracelet from Pancake and LuLu that I will actually USE. This one is much less confusing than some I’ve seen, and the beads are pretty glass. It actually looks like jewelry. I also love the magnetic bookmark, I’m already using it to knit my Aestlight shawl.
Yahaira knit an Aestlight, so I’m knitting one. When I decide to make a project for fun, I pretty much copy whatever Yahaira does. It’s great to have a friend with such a great sense of style. I get so wrapped up in a project (whatever’s in the works) that when I pop up for air I just look at her blog and go, “Ok, I’ll make that, too.” (Our Coin Quilts are an example…hers / mine.) See, I don’t make the EXACT same thing, but she picks great projects. It’s fun to have someone to make things with, even though we don’t live near each other.
Yesterday, our little family pretty much just hung out at home. My friend Cindy and I went out to lunch, then she came over for a while to knit. When se left, we did some house stuff (there’s always house stuff) and hung out around the fireplace. Today, we took a family trip to White Sands national monument in search of snow-like scenery. One of the Star Wars movies was filmed there to fake a snow scene, so we thought it would work for us…
So now, it’s time to start a fire int he fireplace, contemplate dinner, and get ready for the week. Another session of both UPcycled Tshirt Yarn class and Fitted Raglan Shawl class start tomorrow! I’m also going to be going through book edits. SO, a busy day, but good-busy!
Posted in just chit chat | 1 Comment »
My book is written.
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Here it is, before edits and patterns. 40,824 words and 229 pages about how to design and size and write patterns for top down raglan sweaters for men, women, and kids.
Oh. My. God. It’s done.
Posted in Book Talk | 9 Comments »
Classic Elite newsletter: Free “Sprout” Child’s Tunic Pattern (with bonus Mazie photos!) :)
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
Have you seen the new Classic Elite Yarns Newsletter? If you aren’t signed up, you’re missing out! Every issue has at least one free pattern, and in this issue…there’s a free pattern from ME!
I designed a child’s tunic sweater using their Sprout organic cotton yarn, and Mazie is the model. This sweater is great for both boys and girls, and has a very classic feel, in that it’s not sugary-sweet.
There’s also a great review of Glam Knits: 25 Designs For Luxe Yarns
This was a GREAT experience, loved working with the people at Classic Elite, loved the yarn, and am so happy to have this little pattern to share with you all! (Ravelry link to FREE pattern download.)
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Feeling a little bit match-matchy…
Saturday, November 7th, 2009
My bathroom wall matches my TOPSECRETPROJECT matches my Soak wash.
While I was in the bathroom photo-ing the above knitting geekery, I caught a glimpse of my belly in the mirror:
Do I look stunned? I am HUGE. Some days I walk around wondering, can anyone even tell I’m pregnant!? And then there are days like today…when I am officially HUGE. 24 weeks as of yesterday.
(I am also full-on into the stage where my hair’s growing too fast to keep up with a cut so I wear it up ALL the time.)
AND…the sweater is this one that I started almost exactly two years ago while pregnant with Mazie!! Weird.