Friday, June 29, 2012

Friday Finds #5


Lovely garland (& photo) by Steph Loves Ben

I tend to be a creme brulee purist, but would you try this pistachio rosewater version?

This is old but brilliant: preserving fresh herbs to use all year!

Starting in August, we are having a little worsted-weight cardigan knit-along. Want to join?

I was featured on the Sage Yarn blog, along with other local yarnies!

And of course, the Boston Handmade Marketplace is tomorrow! It will be the only sunny day this weekend, so I hope you come out to join us!

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Summer Knitting: Do You?

When the weather starts to warm up, the same question always comes up: Are you really going to knit with wool during the summer? Some people switch to non-wool yarns, some people stop knitting entirely until the fall rolls around, and some of us just stick to wool all year round. As you might have figured out from my current WIPs, I am a year-round wool knitter.

There's always the question of what exactly one should knit with wool in the summer. The lovely Brooklyn Tweed just came out with their Wool People 3, focusing on wool summer knits. Here are some of my favorites:


Image borrowed from Brooklyn Tweed

And here are some lovelies from Ravelry. This short-sleeved cardigan is a quick knit in worsted weight yarn, and perfect for those chilly air-conditioned offices.

Abalone
Abalone by Beata Jezek (free pattern!)
Photo by Beata Jezek


Stripe Study Shawl by Veera Valimaki
Photo borrowed from Ravelry, Copyright Veera Valimaki

And you can never go wrong with a light shawl or wrap, to wear over your summer dress in the evening!

So how about you? Are you a year-round wool knitter?

Monday, June 25, 2012

Upcoming Show: Somerville Marketplace by Boston Handmade

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I've been spending a lot of time with my dye pots these last two weeks. I was invited by the lovely folks at Boston Handmade to participate in their Somerville Marketplace this upcoming weekend. So I've been working on new colorways and getting myself ready for this weekend! The show is this coming Saturday, June 30th, in Union Square from 3 pm to 7 pm. Perfect for a post-lunch stroll!

There will be a raffle and you can enter for a chance to win goodies from several of the vendors! And if you come by my booth, you can get 10% off your purchase with the secret password: Ghost Busters. Yup.


Image borrowed from Boston Handmade

Well, back to the dye pots! Hope to see you there!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Friday Finds #6


Set of Letterpress cards, image by Pressbound

This sad face cat demanding belly rubs.

An adorable wombat pillow.

A handmade cupcake pincushion gift set, perfect for sewers and quilters!

A radio interview about blogging with Danielle of Merriweather Council

On a less awesome note, did you see the US Olympic Committee's attack on Ravelry, knitters and crocheters? What do you think about this issue?

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Artist Crush: Pressbound

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Last weekend, I visited the Porter Mill Studios in Beverly, MA. It was my first time there and it was great to see such a wonderful creative community close to my home.

Melissa of Pressbound has a letterpress studio there. I met Melissa through the local craft show circuit and have been lucky to get to know her better over the last few months. Last Saturday, Melissa showed us her fantastic 100 year old letterpress and did a demo which I recorded on my phone and posted to YouTube.

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How cool is this machine?
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Melissa was just interviewed on the Bazaar Bizarre website so click on over to learn more about her!

Monday, June 18, 2012

WIP Sweater and New Colorways!

Folded Sweater

I hope you all had wonderful weekends and a great Father's Day! We weren't able to see our dads, but at least the weekend was full of fiber. I started my Folded Sweater with my Knit in Public Day yarn and did a lot of dyeing for an upcoming show.

One of my dyeing projects this weekend was a new collection. A customer asked me if I'd be willing to develop a line of Downton Abbey yarn, and of course I said yes! My first two colorways are Lady Mary's Room and Lady Sybil. Are you a Downton Abbey fan? What colorways would you like to see?

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Lady Mary's Room Cashmere Blend Sock

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Lady Sybil Merino Nylon Sock

Friday, June 15, 2012

Friday Finds #7


Honey Badger Soft Sculpture by Royal Mint

Purl's Place, a brand new online shop specializing in hand-dyed yarn by indie dyers in New England.

A great video on small creative business marketing with Tara Swiger.

A gorgeous paper flower bouquet.

Lindsay put together a great collection of DIY cupcake stands.

I had forgotten about this adorable DIY Heart Elbow Patches tutorial, and fell in love with it all over again!

A gorgeous lace tattoo done in white.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Auracania Yarn and New Sweater Projects!

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Last weekend, Seed Stitch had a 25% off sale in honor of Knit in Public day. So I got to hang out and knit with some lovely ladies and treat myself to some yarn. This is my first time trying Auracania hand dyed yarn. I was really intrigued by their unique color combinations.

I did the "responsible" thing and picked patterns before buying the yarn to avoid having it sit in my stash indefinitely. I went with two sweaters!

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Vera
Folded Sweater, photograph by Veera Välimäki

For these lovely earth tones, I picked the Folded Sweater by Veera Välimäki. I love that it's knit in the round and the cute detail at the bust!

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Connie
Intagliata Henley, photograph by Joe Hancock

These gorgeous watercolor shades will become an Intagliata Henley, which I've been drooling over since my copy of Textured Stitches arrived. I admit I generally don't wear colors like light blue and periwinkle, but I was too intrigued by this color combination not to try it out.

What projects are you excited about? Are you still working on summer projects, or are you starting your fall ones?

Monday, June 11, 2012

Knit in Public

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This weekend I ventured out into downtown Salem for Knit in Public Day and was happy to see that rainbow flags had been put up in honor of this weekend's Gay Pride parade.

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It was a gorgeous sunny day! A much welcomed break from the non-stop gray skies and rain of the last two weeks. I camped out at my favorite yarn store, Seed Stitch Fine Yarn, for several hours of knitting. I managed to catch several knitters in action!

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Did you do any knitting in public this weekend?

Me and The Bloggess

Remember when I said I'd go to The Bloggess' book signing? I went and it was amazing. She read a hilarious passage from her book and spoke very frankly during the Q&A. I got my copy of her book signed, and we got a photo taken together. I wonder if you can tell how nervous I am in this photo! I have never seen so many people inside a bookstore in my life.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Friday Finds #8

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Check out Munin's chin hairs!

If you're local, The Bloggess is doing a book reading and signing tonight at the Brookline Booksmith.

Tomorrow is World Wide Knit in Public Day. I'll be knitting at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn in Salem. See you there?

Kim's behind-the-scenes look at her jewelry making.

Anxiously awaiting this Grey Twist Cardi pattern to be available so I can make it.

This simple Hippo Cutting Board is adorable.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Book Review: Let's Pretend This Never Happened

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I briefly mentioned in my previous post that I had finished reading Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend This Never Happened. As luck would have it, she is going to be at Brookline Booksmith on Friday for a book reading and signing! So this seems like the perfect time for a book review.

I started reading her blog a few years ago. I really enjoy her dry, sarcastic sense of humor and her complete openness about her struggles with depression and anxiety. Her playful style is well suited to a blog, but I was worried it wouldn't work well in a book format - how well would short funny snippets translate to a format that requires longer, more cohesive chunks?

I am happy to report that Jenny delivered brilliantly. The book is written in the same dry, self-deprecating voice, but instead of sharing snippets of her life, she tells longer stories. This is one of the few books I have actually laughed out loud while reading. Jenny manages to share both funny, light-hearted moments, and serious, painful moments and she does both very well. She shares her anxieties and the stories of some of the most difficult moments in her life, but she doesn't do so in a sad, self-pitying kind of way. She wraps up the book by being thankful for the experiences that shaped her.

In a nutshell, I loved this book. If you have a dry sense of humor and occasionally laugh at situations you probably shouldn't laugh at, you'll enjoy it too. Jenny is vulnerable, incredibly human and extremely funny.

Have you read this book? What did you think?

The fine print: I bought this book with my own money. I was not asked to review it or compensated, and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Monday, June 4, 2012

New Geekery Afoot

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Frick Frick Beret

It was a rainy and rather gloomy weekend in this neck of the woods, perfect for yarn, knitting and reading. I finished reading Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend This Never Happened and blocked the Frick Frick Beret I finished a little while ago. I can't wait to share some photos once it dries!I'll be posting a full pattern review as well.

Do you remember the beloved 90s movie Coneheads? To me, it's a fond memory from my early teen years, and something I watch these days with a mix of joy and nostalgia. Of course, the climax of the movie is when Beldar, the father, must narfle the Garthok (fight a massive alien monster to the death). Where am I going with this? This weekend, I added a brand new sock yarn base to my collection: a super-snuggley merino/cashmere/nylon mix. The very first colorway: Narfle the Garthok.

MCN Sock
MCN Sock
Merino/Cashmere/Nylon Sock Yarn in Narfle the Garthok

Do you have any favorite 90s movies?

Friday, June 1, 2012

Friday Finds #9

Image & embroidered hoop both by The Merriweather Council

This recipe for making your own candied ginger.

Liz Smith's second episode of Makers in Business, featuring Frank Casazza of Eyeformation.

If you liked the handspun I showed earlier this week, you'll love this beautiful creamy yarn by FiberOlio with colorful bits.

If you haven't seen this yet, here is a live webcam monitoring some kittens.

This dapper double-sided bow-tie. Father's day gift, perhaps?

Have a wonderful weekend! I'm spending Saturday at the studio, what are you up to?