All the News That’s Fit to Stitch: “These go to eleven.”

September 25, 2014September 25, 2014 Kate2 Comments

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:

What the kids are doing: yarn-bombing on the University of Rochester campus.
How learning to knit helps you learn to code. (thanks to martinimade for the last two links)
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.
Bunting! Need I say more?
I know what I’m knitting for Halloween!
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.

All the News That’s Fit to Stitch: Part the Seventh

June 21, 2014June 22, 2014 KateLeave a comment

Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Knitting America — from border to border and coast to coast and all the ships at sea. Let’s go to press!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The new fall Knitty is online and I’m like a kid in a candy store. My three faves are Jasseron, Indigo Cones, and Heart’s-Ease Bouttonière (I include the latter in no small part due to the fact that I worship the ground Franklin Habit walks on).
Three novels that feature the dark, figurative, “kick butt” complexity of quilting, as recommended by Tracy Chevalier. I’ve read two of them (Alias Grace and Beloved) and although I wouldn’t strictly call them “quilting novels,” they’re wonderful. I’ll have to read the Carol Shields novel now to complete my quilting trifecta. The comments section also has some suggestions. Alas… so many books, so little time.
For any knitter in the Los Angeles area: the Craft and Folk Art Museum (on Wilshire Boulevard across the street from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the La Brea Tar Pits) is having an amazing sale on yarn and other knitting- and crochet-related items from their yarn bombing campaign(s). Every ball of yarn is $1. Support a great cause and replenish your stash!
The Great Tapestry of Scotland. In keeping with the theme(s) of this blog, some of my favorite panels include, of course: “David I Fosters the Wool Trade c.1130s” — an important moment in history for any knitter to celebrate (in fact, sheep are a recurrent image throughout the tapestry which even includes a tribute to “Dolly the Sheep”), and “Mary Queen of Scots” which depicts the queen (and famous needlework enthusiast) working on her embroidery, the panel celebrating “Shetland Knitters” and the panel devoted solely to “Fair Isle Knitting.” The Victorianist in me loves “Victoria at Balmoral 1850s/60s” and “Robert Louis Stevenson” And, of course, I can’t possibly not mention “Charles Rennie Mackintosh Designs Glasgow School of Art.” This entire project is so amazing; words fail me.
Il faut souffrir pour être belle.
And, speaking of fashion, the knits aren’t the only beautiful items in this collection, but they do remind us (if we needed it) that knits have a lot of contribute to haute couture. (Thanks to my friend, Ashley Gormley, for pointing out this collection to me).

Alas, there's a lot of truth to this... — Alas, there’s a lot of truth to this oldie but goodie…

Pumpkin Hat for Ronan’s First Halloween

October 27, 2008January 26, 2012 KateLeave a comment

In celebration of All Hallow’s Eve this Friday, I’ve made this pumpkin hat for Ronan, the son of my high school BFF. If you’re interested, the story of the last gift I made for Ronan starts here. This is Ronan’s first Halloween and I thought he needed a suitable “costume.”

I have a thing for pumpkin patterns. And I love the idea of babies wearing hats shaped like fruits and vegetables — the result of some early childhood trauma, no doubt. Knitty has an adorable berry tart baby hat pattern here that I can’t wait to do.

The pattern is slightly adapted from “Kürbis” from the Sonnentaler blog (“kürbis”–with an umlaut of course–is the German word for “pumpkin”). The yarn I chose (a double strand of Berroco Comfort DK color 2731) had a different gauge so I redid the math for a 15″/38 cm head circumference. I also chose to do a seed stitch border rather than garter stitch to avoid the “rolled brim” look. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

The stem is knitted from the leftover scraps of some Noro Kureyon (color unknown) and the leaf is made from some scraps of Suss Ull in “nervous green.” To me, the slightly scratchy texture of the Kureyon suggests a pumpkin vine stem. The leaf pattern is just something I pulled out of my hat. Get it? I pulled it out of my hat… nudge nudge…