I don’t know if it’s the whisperings of autumn in the air, or the fact that schools are back in session, but, whatever the reason, things in the world of knitting are starting to liven up lately. I’ve been collecting these links from around the knittingverse, and I’m ready to unleash them now. Please enjoy the following:
Although the issue of Scottish independence has already been voted on, the campaigns for both sides have included some of the oddest political advertising I’ve ever seen. Check out reason #3. (And, although this isn’t knitting- or stitching-related, you’d be doing yourself a favor by watching John Oliver’s charming and hilarious plea to Scotland to remain part of the UK. Did you know that the unicorn is Scotland’s national animal? Seriously.)
Exactly as advertised: Great Moments in Dystopian Knitwear. Full disclosure: I used to work for the woman who designed the sweaters for The Matrix. For years afterward, she was still getting requests to make Matrix-style deconstructed sweaters.
Artist Carol Milne makes amazing knitted glass sculptures. Yes, you read that correctly: knitted glass. Be sure to click on the links to find out how she does it.
The new “deep fall” Knitty is up! My favorite patterns in this issue are “Two Sides,” a reversible Aran scarf with a cabled edging, this pattern for a knitted, orange stuffed octopus, and Franklin Habit’s pattern for a “Jersey jacket for a child (1888).” Opus, the octopus, would make a super-cute friend for “The World’s Deadlist Crab,” a pattern from the summer 2009 issue.
Where does all the time go? I can’t believe it’s September already, which means I’m two months behind in my half-year update, although I suppose that’s really right on schedule since I didn’t even post my year’s goals until the beginning of April. You’ll just have to take my word for it that I’m great about meeting goals in other parts of my life. I’m really very organized. Seriously. Anyway…
Update on Knitting WIPs and Goals for 2014
So, let’s see what I’ve gotten done since April’s reckoning. The progress bars in the right-hand sidebar will let you know how far along I am with my current projects. Here’s the list of knitting projects, some finished, some still in progress:
Baby Bobbi Bear and assorted outfits (a belated gift for my niece’s second birthday) update: Baby Bobbi Bear was completed on 4/5/14 and the sweaters were completed on 6/29/14. Pictures and more details are below this bulleted list.
Winter Lace Afghan (a belated wedding gift — are you sensing a theme here?) update: completed 5/16/14!
Breast Cancer Ribbin’ Scarf (seriously, all this needs is some kitchenering. Is that a verb?)
Felted Sashiko Cover (this is a little something I’m working on as a freebie pattern to accompany the sashiko-style cross stitch I’m designing for Wordsmith Designs — see below)
Susie Rogers’ Reading Mitts (you know, because it’s so cold here in Los Angeles in springtime)update: completed 5/22/14!
Swedish Thora (a belated gift for my beautiful and patient Aunt Janet — there’s a point where gifts become so belated, there’s no point in rushing anymore. Sigh.)
And here’s Baby Bobbi Bear in all his glory:
Baby Bobbi Bear, Nappin’
Baby Bobbi Bear, Chillin’
Baby Bobbi Bear Close-up
Baby Bobbi Bear, Maxin’ and Relaxin’
And here are his fabulous sweaters:
Blue Sweater with White Crocheted Star
Baby Bobbi Bear with all his Sweaters and his Scarf
Ivory Sweater with Crocheted Cherries
Orange Sweater with Crocheted Daisy
Mauve Sweater with Green Crocheted Heart
There’s more info about all the yarns I used and the various crochet patterns on my Ravelry site (it would take too long to list them all here). The scarf is a simple 10-stitch 2 X 2 rib knitted with self-striping Adriafil Knitcol (color 46) on size 5 needles. Pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.
Last April, I also stated “plans to make some Easter knits for the girls, including the Fiesta Tea Set by Annie Modesitt (knitted with Tahki Cotton Classic in yummyFiestawarecolors like lemongrass, peacock, plum, scarlet, shamrock, sunflower and tangerine).” Update: Done and done! Finished sometime in late June or early July. Here are some photos:
Tea Cup and Saucer, Shamrock
Tea Cup and Saucer, Scarlet
Tea Cup and Saucer, Tangerine
Tea Cup and Saucer, Sunflower
Creamer, Sugar Bowl and Pitcher
Creamer, Lemongrass
Sugar Bowl and Lid, Peacock
Fiesta Tea Set
Pitcher, Plum
And here’s a picture of my niece Ella playing with her new tea set:
Ella Playing with Fiesta Tea Set
These were not part of my goals, but I also started a pair of the “The Wallpaper Had It Coming (Again)” mittens as part of a Sherlock-related challenge with the West Hollywood (WeHo) Stitch ‘n’ Bitch group, and the Spring Kerchief by Sachiko Uemura. I’m about halfway through the first glove, but I’ve only just cast on for the kerchief.
Needlework WIPs and Goals for 2014
As of April my current cross stitch WIPs were as follows (oldest to newest):
“Ewe and Eye Needlecase” by Maureen Appleton/Heart’s Content
“Celtic Band Samplar” by Homespun Samplar
“Union Jack,” an original design of the Union Jack flag which I will be “releasing” as aWordsmith Designsfreebie soonupdate: completed 04/06/14!
Since I’m being brutally honest, I will admit that I haven’t completed a single stitch on the Needlecase or the “Celtic Band Samplar.” They’ve been on hiatus for a few years now.
I had four other cross stitch goals for 2014:
A set of fourShepherd’s Bush Christmas Stockingsfor my brother, sister-in-law and The Two Most Adorable Nieces in the World.™ Update: I’m happy to say I’m making terrific progress with these, and will have photos soon.
The Mirabilia “In a Garden” series. Update: I’ve barely started the “Summer” version. Seriously, only a few stitches completed, and it’s “due” September 21st. My stitching time lately has gone to the Christmas stockings; I’d like to have those completed by the beginning of October so they can be finished professionally before Christmas.
The2014 Smalls Stitch-Along(the handy-dandy icon is in the right-hand sidebar). Update: I completed my smalls for April, May, June, and August, and I’m still working on July. Here’s the gallery so far:
August Smalls Challenge
July Smalls Challenge, in progress
May Smalls Challenge
Bonus May Smalls Challenge
April Smalls Challenge
June Smalls Challenge
Goals for Wordsmith Designs
ForWordsmith Designs, my first three design priorities for release are (in this order):
A sashiko-based design that I don’t want to go into too much detail about right now
A Celtic alphabet design that’s already designed and stitched but still needs some “polishing”
A design called “Memento Mori” and that’s all the detail you’ll get for now
A design called “A Rose is a Rose” and that’s all the detail you’ll get for now
Update: I haven’t met any of my designing goals for Wordsmith Designs. I’ve done some work on the sashiko design, but it still needs a lot more work.
an update of my (very basic) Michael Nesmith hat pattern, one that is more historically accurate and includes the four-button variation Nesmith wore sometimes
a scarf and cowl with a breast cancer ribbon-style cable pattern (I’m debating whether to charge a nominal fee so the proceeds could go to breast cancer research)
a small cabled heart design based on a Christmas ornament that IKEA was selling a couple years ago
Update: Apparently, design-work is not my top priority, which is sad because it’s a way of generating at least some income. As I stated in April: “I would love to have the breast cancer ribbon-style scarf completed by October, which the Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” That seems like a goal that could still be met. Stay tuned.
Check back on December 31st! And wish me good luck and good motivation!
“Happy Black Black Cat Day” by The Trilogy, my August 2014 Smalls Challenge entry
My August Smalls Challenge 2014 entry is this little cutie by The Trilogy, called “Happy Black Black Cat Day.” I actually finished this one on time (August 30th), but then I procrastinated for a week before posting it on this site (and, by extension, the Smalls Challenge site) today. Even when I’m on time, I’m not on time.
I thought I was working on 32-count natural linen, but it turns out it was 28-count, so the whole design is a bit larger than I expected. I also messed up and the cat is actually one row longer than it’s supposed to be (and one row higher in the lower half, which necessitated redesigning the “Z” in the alphabet and the orange star next to it). My eyes are getting too old for this kind of stitching, I’m afraid. As a result, the design is a bit more rectangular than it was originally supposed to be.
I also made some deliberate modifications in the design. Instead of the colors called for, I used Gentle Art Sampler Threads “Cornhusk” for the cat’s eyes, “Green Apple” for the alphabet, and “Brethren Blue” for the collar. I used Weeks Dye Works “Mulberry” for the purple lined edging, “Autumn Leaves” for the orange stars, and “Mascara” for the cat (it used an entire skein plus a little bit where I supplemented by using one strand of “Mascara” with one strand of virtually indistinguishable DMC 310). I also added some whiskers in DMC 3799, and left out two of the tiny star charms.
My overly ambitious entry for July, Eileen Bennett’s “Very Victorian… Acorns,” is still underway:
Eileen Bennett, “Very Victorian… Acorns” WIP, my July 2014 Smalls Challenge entry
This is sooooooo not a “small” design, even though it’s less than 90 X 70 stitches. I don’t know what I was thinking! It’s been awhile since I’ve done a sampler, and I thought it would go quicker than it has. I can also tell a huge difference in the quality of my eyesight since the last time I worked on a sampler like this that requires such tiny, precise stitches. For example, the line I’m currently working on is supposed to have the word “acorns” in the center done in one-over-one stitching. I’ve already had to frog it twice today. Blurgh. I think I’m going to set this one aside for awhile.
I’ve already decided that I’m going to do something quite small for September. It’s important to set realistic stitching goals.
Giveaway: If you’d like my gently used copy of “Happy Black Black Cat Day” with two of the small star charms included, leave a comment below letting me know.
I’m working on a much longer post at the moment, but for now this little tidbit will have to do. The Smithsonian Museum, specifically the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, has turned to yarn-bombing their gateway to promote the current Chiharu Shiota Exhibition. The results, as you can see, are spectacular:
Yarnbombing at the entrance to the Freer/Sackler Galleries
There’s even more information and gorgeousness at the Freer/Sackler’s own blog, including background on who did the knitting (the staff of the museum; many of whom learned to knit specifically for the occasion) and what they’re going to do with all the yarn afterwards. Be sure to click on the links to the exhibit itself, which also uses red yarn in a really lovely way to, literally, tie together her installation on the things we leave behind (in this case, shoes).
If you’ve never been to the Freer/Sackler Galleries, the intertwined Asian art museums of the massive Smithsonian complex, you are really missing something. Their collection is not too vast that it’s overwhelming, and it’s beautifully curated, including James McNeill Whistler’s famous Art Nouveau masterpiece, the “Peacock Room.”
Maybe it’s time for a visit to my aunt in Virginia…. hmmmm….
The Lyf So Short 