Full Yarn Alchemist

Delicious Dish

Here's my first garment - an apron for a very dear friend's bridal shower. Too "bridal shower it up", I included some white thigh-highs:) She wanted an apron, as it turns out, and made me feel like a superstar for sewing her one. And a funny thing is that J. is a scrapper, and I did not know this, but Amy Butler also designs paper so J. recognized the fabric designer. It was a great time and I'm flying out for her wedding TOMORROW! Holy cow time flies.

 

Still Thwarted After Crochet Porn

A few weeks ago I took a fortuitous walk down the Alberta and stumbled into a yarn sale at Close Knit. It seemed the perfect excuse to buy some yarn in a fanciful colorway that always caught my eye. Inspiration's mantle descended (justification's?) and I realized supersoft yet washable fingering weight Misti Alpaca would make super baby leg warmers to keep Lucy's little sister warm during a diaper change. I was excited to finally get something off to Lily after over six months. 

But the way the color pooled vexed me. It piled up in weird ways because of the gauge. I thought I could also make a pixie hat to match, but suffered similar setbacks: the garter stitch band around the head looked like a garter snake across the middle - really it was odd. The two sides of the leg warmer I frogged: 

           

SWATCH- NICE!             SANTA FE SIDE        VICTORIAN GARDEN SIDE

To close this rant, I then thought, if I can finally approach You Tube to see "The Greatest Commercial Ever Made" (Apple's 1984 Superbowl ad - which explains the ta's-ta's - made me chuckle) then I could use it learn to crochet flowers out of my new yarn.

Not to disparage Teresa - hey, 40,000 people have learned uh, something from Crochet Pansy Variation 1. But there's something weirdly tantric about it.

I did get a cute flower to adorn my over-large hat, but feel uninspired. Oh, and just in case, that hammer. I work with a guy who not only worked with Steve Jobs in the 80's, but turned down an inside job offer at fledgling Pixar. He's cool.

Snow Day

Well, it didn't last. But waking up to it set the tone for an indoor afternoon, in spite of sunbreaks and the giant rosebush stubbornly blossoming outside my window. It felt like winter and I ended the day in front of the fireplace. The last three weekends I've spent the afternoons working on my quilt project and I'm pretty pleased so far. Before I continue I have to find the right fabric for the back and buy the batting. I may spend this weekend working on the interim projects I've been dabbling with on the weekdays. Some have languished for months. I feel spring coming though, and with it the attendant desire to shed the quiet accumulations of winter - and dormant projects. My sweater for one. I worked on it last night at Townsend Teas, delighted that I could use my iPod Notes to jot directions that I wouldn't misplace for bus knitting. Unfortunately it's been so long I typed in directions for the back and had to frog it when I go home. Phooey on that.

Two of the fabrics I bought as remnants because I spared my raincoat and didn't have enough fabric from the white shirt I cut up. It's unwieldy to sew something so large, but I really, really, like it:)

It Takes a Closet to Build a Blankie

Or it takes a village to fill a closet? Hey, whatever. I've been carting around clothes I seldom wear telling myself that I would sell them on e-bay or Craig's list, as friends of mine have done. Much more highly motivated friends. Years pass. The clothes are great: a great brand, a great bargain, a great find. . . but maybe not a great fit. 

The vintage dress from a shop in Wicker Park was particularly distressing to deconstruct. It was clearly handmade by someone who put a lot of skill and effort into it. But it was a petite and choked off my floating ribs making breathe in quick, shallow sips as if I'd been shot a few times and my lungs couldn't hold air. 

And all of it looks good together - the common, ahem, thread, is me: I'm the filter that brought it all together across time so it kind of looks intentional.

I've spent the last few weekends washing, cutting, pressing, and measuring and this weekend hope to safety pin the pieces to the muslin so I can tote the whole thing to the fabric store to pick out the backing. 

NOTE: the lack of any largish unseamed section stayed my hand at the last minute from my raincoat, which will see another spring. 

   

Here is a thumbnail I put together to see if I could make the colors work by estimating my largest and smallest fabric sources for each piece.

Zinnia Pillow

Not that satisfying. A little too much tracing and cutting for me. I only did a little at a time so it dragged on forever. I'm working into another Amy Butler fever though, with the patchwork quilt and may make another coordinating pillow from the scraps. A square pillow. Me, and sewing straight lines. Like peas and carrots. Also,I bought three yards of this fabric with no plan in mind regarding use because it reminds me of Japanese textile waves, something that I always doodle. But the colors and the print make the petals look like feathers. Maybe it's a thanksgiving turkey named Zinnia. Oh well.

Roomy Update

I mean that in terms of "expansive" since I've got quite a lot to post. The last six months have been full of tectonic lurching and watchful, quiet resting at the bottom of a pond in weedy disarray. In between, if I had any mental ease and physical capacity, I worked on craft projects, but never had the extra energy to talk about them. Or rather type about them. But it's a new year and I'm feeling pretty good about my decisions. And I mean that in terms of home decorating decisions. I finally finished an Amy Butler zinnia pillow and some woodland drapes for privacy from my next door urban homesteaders' chickens. And I have a very fancy hat!

One night I experienced an odd phenomenon. The wall across from my bed had a glowing crack down it. It looked like entry to a parallel universe. It was the plastic poster frame capturing outside light through the window on the perpendicular wall - from the long vertical angle between the window and my newly made curtain. I marveled at the moment for a while; brain-trickery is so pleasurable and wonder is such a rare treat.

                    

Turns out it happens on Saturday mid-mornings as well: The full poster, the curtain close-up, and what the poster was reflecting from its right-angle companion.

So faux is my forest. I like it. Incidentally, as I was working on my fancy hat, I was sitting in the chair beneath that reflective centennial "L" train poster. I thought, "that hat looks familiar."

Hmmm.

Gotta love winter in Oregon. Yes, it is the hat on the cover of Boutique Knits. The designer, Laura Irwin, is from Portland and sells her handmade items at pricey shops and a swank millinery behind the Broadway wine bar. And yes, unimaginatively, it is made in the same exact yarn - some kind of Rowan sparkly stuff. Again, I like. I'll post that damn zinnia later.

Entomology Hat Finally Finished

Wow, I wish my needles flew as quickly as the summer days. I have been knitting. And I actually have one of the books in my I-covet-crafty-list, but seem to lack the extra brain power to swatch even simple patterns. Instead, I've finished the sleeves for my sweater and finally performed the finishing work on my lone Endpaper Mitt. I just have yet to photograph or post anything. 

So for a brief update here is the Entomology Hat, from the book knitalong, in its natural habitat: a lovely camp site outside of Sweet Home, Oregon where I had the pleasure of spending time with a dear friend and her extended family during their annual camp out. My insouciance regarding accurate gauge forced me to rip it back several inches and omit several rows to keep it over my ears, yes, but over my eyes, no.

International Knit in Public Day

Wow, a week has passed already and what a week it has been - in rather stark contrast to the excellent weekend that preceded it. Truly it was a great weekend for all things - a visiting friend, LYS tours, Japanese cooking, and the Pride parade. We laughed enormously and had a ball, but I particularly enjoyed chatting with the gentleman below; I found his project bag very amusing. You can get one for yourself at Illiane's Corner. They also have Emergency Crochet bags.

SAKe and me, taking in the sun with the denizens of Crafty Portland

Victorian Bonnet for Baby Q

It's a little big for a newborn, but is officially off in the mail today.

Already an Excellent Week for Craft

In spite of having to frog several inches of my Entomology Hat, as it was going to be too deep, it has been a great crafty week with more to come on Saturday's International "Knit in Public" Day. 

Knitflix at Dublin Bay was delightful as ever with Team MT returning in full force with an extra member. Last week was comprised of Team Eugene, or four lovely women who went to school together or work with one another's spouses. Where are the refugees from ID? 

I definitely look forward to Tuesday evenings, and as a consolation prize for Entomology Hat-redo-drudgery, the Victorian Bonnet for Baby Q, from the book knitalong is knitting up fast. It will be a much better picture than this one. 

Last night was my second PDX Knitter's Guild meeting and the special guest was charismatic and inspiring. Jeannie Carver of the Imperial Stock Ranch Company delighted everyone with her passion, imagination, and business acumen. It is a too long and wonderful story to express here; a story of globalization and sustainability, changing markets, and a commitment to survive on one's own terms - the tale of the American West itself. From organic lamb and fiber products to locally produced artisan clothing, the ranch's odyssey details how one of the largest ranch interests of the late 1800's and early 1900's is thriving today. She was dynamic and inspiring, and I recommend visiting the ranch Web site at: Imperial Stock Ranch.

I love the Japanese Shibori style of these hand-dyed, hand-felted wool and silk scarves. But hey, there's

more.

I also delivered my portion of the Barn Raising Quilt. In the interim, I noticed that one of my squares had contact information for its creator. I decided to send a random missive saying essentially, "You don't know me, but I'm blocking your knitting." As it turns out, she is amazingly industrious and also has a pair of socks featured in the book (knitalong). You can check out an abundance of pretty completed projects and knit-a-longs on her blog. 

My Contributions

Meeting Their New Friends