Hey Jule

Last spring DH’s best friend asked me if I would knit her daughter a dress. Heck, I can’t just knit something, I have to design something. So I came up with an idea, knit the dress, sent it off to Germany, and all was right in the knitting universe. Then I decided to submit the design to Knitcircus Magazine et voila, the dress, she is published. I present to you Jule, modeled by the editor’s adorable niece in Issue #9, Spring 2010.

Photo and cute model courtesy of Knitcircus Magazine

I used Knit Picks Shine Sport (a cotton/modal blend) for the dress which is incredibly soft. There are 3 sizes in chest circumferences of 22 1/2 (24 1/4, 26)”. Embroidery is optional, though I was surprised at how easy these flowers were to embroider once I figured out how to do the first one. *ahem, YouTube, ahem* I used some of Lisa’s leftover sock yarn scraps for the flowers, and not to toot my own horn but I think the embroidery turned out quite well!

Photo and cute model courtesy of Knitcircus Magazine

Knitcircus has a new format for issue #9. Instead of purchasing a glossy print copy, everything is online. (WARNING: Just make sure you have flash enabled on your computer or the issue doesn’t show up on their website). You need to purchase the entire online magazine to get instructions for all 20+ designs, but the articles and ads are free if you just want to browse.

Photo courtesy of Knitcircus Magazine

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Part-time blogger

I seem to be turning into a part-time blogger! I think I’d first like to blame my crappy camera, and the fact that every post should include at least one photo, therefore, no posts for way too long. No, I haven’t gotten a new camera yet. *grumble, grumble* It’s also difficult to blog about knitting when I can’t really talk about or show my current knitting projects. I’m often working on projects I’d like to submit to magazines and I can’t divulge anything!

One thing I can divulge is that the “Pico Socks” have arrived at their final destination and have been really well received. My aunt said they fit perfectly! Whew! My next project will be to finish Ishbel and give it to someone who just received some bad news. That should cheer her up a little I hope!

I had another great Halloween this year at Lisa’s. Here’s the motely crew in full glory…

(Thanks to Lisa for sending me this photo). This year I was Raggedy Ann, and Markus was Zorro. I was Raggedy Ann for Halloween when I was 3, then again during college, and then this year. As usual, Lisa’s house was mobbed with kids, and at one point there was even a line to get up to the front door!

Oh I almost forgot, check out Knitcircus Issue #8. I have a men’s sweater pattern in there called “Zipp”. It is pretty cool. It has detachable sleeves. That’s all kinds of awesome right there.

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Done, done and done!

My aunt’s socks are finally finished! And only 4 months late… I hope she likes them!

Pattern: Morrocan Lace Socks (aka “Pico” socks)
Designer: Lisa Lackney
Published in: Knitcircus Magazine, Issue #4, October 2008
Yarn: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock, colorway Equinox
Needles: Knit Picks circular US 0 / 2.0 mm working magic loop

My Ravelry page says I started these socks on June 4, 2009. Eeek! I bought the yarn from rosiekittie’s stash on Ravelry. My gauge was way off from the pattern, so I ended up going down from a size 2 needle to size 0! I then started knitting on some horrendous bamboo dpns which ultimately sidelined me with an arm injury. Go figure. I ended up switching to a size 0 Knit Picks circular needle to finish the second sock. I really should have used the one long circular needle right from the start. And unfortunately switching needles partway through this project changed my gauge, but it’s not too apparent.

Mods: I tried to work the picot cast on but I wasn’t pleased with how it turned out. I ended up doing a regular longtail cast on instead which looks quite nice. I worked 6 repeats of the lace chart on the leg instead of 7. When I got to the toe shaping, I first knit it as written (the standard toe) but decided the toe looked too plain. So I ripped it out and worked the star toe from the Embossed Leaves socks pattern. Much better!

This pattern presupposes you’ve knit socks before, so don’t start with this one if you’re a beginner. I was a bit confused with the instructions for picking up gusset sts because it didn’t seem to be written in a logical order from needle to needle. But I’ve knit socks before so I was able to figure it out.

Yesterday while I was waiting for Lisa and Beth outside of the Union Project, I pulled out my knitting. I don’t knit in public to be a spectacle or to actively promote knitting, per say. I knit in public because I’m addicted to knitting, and if I have any moment to spare then why not be productive? I anticipated the usual comments from passers-by. 2 older ladies came over to admire, or rather make comments, about the socks. One comment was about how pretty the cables look. Ummm, it’s lace actually. Then came this one: “My goodness, they’re a little too thick for my liking!” Perfect, since they’re not for YOU! Seesh!

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So what do I do now?

It’s official. I just sent off my Knitty submission. I’ve been working on it non-stop for what seems like ages and now that it’s all done I feel sort of lost. Aaack, at this very moment I have nothing to knit! I think I may be going through withdrawal here…

Actually, the plan is to start the Morrocan Lace Socks by Lisa Lackney from issue #4 of Knitcircus, but my yarn hasn’t arrived yet. Then there’s the ongoing Kate’s Cardigan from issue #5. I’ve already done the back, left front and 3/4 of the right front, but I think I need to do some recalculating. Oh heck, she says, I’m sure size small will fit fine… I should have looked at the schematic first. Turns out that if I continue on with size small as written I’ll be drowning in the sleeves. There’s nothing wrong with the pattern itself, it’s just that I have pretty skinny arms. I guess I’ll need to resize the sleeves, recalculate how deep the armholes have to be, retool the shaping of the sleeve cap, then RIP back a few inches and reknit the pieces that are already done. So much for a relaxing project! Gee, I REALLY hope my sock yarn comes soon!

I have no knitting related pictures to post today which makes me sad, so here’s a cute one of Otto, my friend Lisa’s cat.

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Knitcircus, quilting, n’at

Wow, I turned on the Today Show this morning and guess who was performing? The New Kids on the Block! When (and why) did they make a comeback? They’re no longer new nor kids. They must be in their late 30’s by now. Gees, that brings me back to 1989… Let’s just say I used to be a big fan and leave it at that.

Yesterday I received Knitcircus Issue #6 in the mail. I’m continually impressed by the quality of this magazine. This issue contains some cute patterns, including a lacey blanket called Renee Baby Blanket by Staci Perry and lace shawl called Pivot by Michelle Miller, both of which I would like to make if only I had the time.

I’ve still got a pair of Morrocan Lace Socks from issue #4 queued…  Aren’t they cute? I’ve been so busy with my own designs that I haven’t had time to work on anyone else’s. I’ve finished the item I plan to submit to the next issue of Knitcircus, but I still don’t have any photos to send with it. My little model isn’t available until after Mother’s Day. And unfortunately, all the photography genes were passed down to my brother, so doing a photo shoot worries me. Seriously, I’m that bad at photography. And yes, I’m still plugging away at my secret Knitty submission, which I am determined to finish by the deadline.

This past weekend my mom came to visit and brought her antique quilt for us to work on. Lisa is already a pro at quilting, and I’m still learning. The quilt is coming along great!

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Green apple knitting

Today was the memorial ceremony for the 3 police officers who were killed a few days ago in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh. 3 lanes of Forbes and 5th Avenues were blocked off for police parking. I’ve never in my life seen so many police cars! They drove here from neighboring states (Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, New York) and from all over the country and beyond (Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Lansing, Maine, Toronto). It really was a sight to see. There must have been 10,000 cops in Pittsburgh. I’ve never in my life felt so safe! I pity the fool who tries to rob a bank today… ETA: Watching the news now. Someone actually DID rob a bank in the area today! What cheek!

In knitting news, I haven’t touched Kate’s Cardigan in an entire week. I’ve put it aside to concentrate on a design I’m working on for the youngest child of DH’s best friend in Germany. This design will hopefully serve double duty, since I plan to write up the pattern and submit it to Knitcircus when I’m finished. I’ve been knitting like crazy to make sure it gets done before the deadline! Then the other night I realized I would probably run out of yarn, so I put in an emergency order to Knit Picks which they shipped the next day. Wanna bet that my order will be here by Saturday? It’s unbelievable how smooth of an operation they run over there!

Here’s a small sample of the design. It’s made with Knit Picks Shine Sport (60% Pima Cotton, 40% Modal® natural beech wood fiber) in Green Apple which is a very kid friendly color. Sorry I can’t show more details. I have to keep some of it a secret!

I’m still waiting for my copy of the Reynolds Spring 2009 booklet which contains one of the designs I did for JCA. I’d like to blog about it and get everyone all excited about the lovely Spring designs, but I guess I should at least wait until I receive my copy. Then I can post the official picture of the model wearing the top, not just the photo DH took of me modeling it before I sent it off. Although, surprisingly, it really does look good on me. I may have to knit one for myself. Maybe someday…

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Yarn ball as big as my head

Kate’s Cardigan in Issue #5 of Knitcircus

I made a few gauge swatches and determined that I’m not allergic to the Alpaca with a Twist yarn I got from Natural Stitches. Silly me for thinking I was.

I used my handy dandy handmade PVC pipe swift named Charlotte. One of the giant hanks of yarn had no knots in it at all, resulting in a yarn ball as big as my head. Reminds me of a burrito place I used to eat at in Champaign, IL. But I digress…

I can’t say enough good stuff about this yarn. It’s soft, springy, and has been lovely to work with so far. Plus, with a continuous strand of 549 yards, I can knit the entire back without having to join in a new ball. That in itself is a treat, especially since I hate any sort of finishing work.

I’ve done about 4″ or so, and I’ve already started the decreases for the waist. My row gauge is a little off from the pattern specs, so I decided to do the waist decreases and increases every 6th row, not every 5th row. It’s nice for once to be able to follow a pattern, I just have to remember to follow it without making too many modifications!

So it’s official, I guess. My pattern in the Reynolds Spring 2009 collection has finally been published, well, I think it’s been published. I saw an ad for the Spring 2009 collection in the latest Interweave Knits and it’s listed on JCA’s web site. The picture of my Tank Top on their web site is about 100 X 100 pixels so unfortunately most of the lace detail on the bodice is lost. My design is the royal blue tank top knitted in Rise and Shine yarn, for those of you who have a booklet. I’ll post a larger picture on my blog hopefully soon.

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