bonnie: the long & the short of it

last fall, inspired by a classic movie still of faye dunaway in bonnie & clyde, i improv'd the sweater on the right. that's the same sweater on the left...just longer.



it was a lot of fun to make; i'd never done smocking before.



i love the way it creates the interesting waist detail--almost like a wide belt. the only problem was, i never wore the dang thing. it was just too short. so, i held my breath and snipped the hem and recast to make this elongated version. i added a couple of rows of smocking to cover up where i recast the hem, so now the smocking is a smidge wider, which i think i'm diggin'. (btw, please disregard the heinous burgundy carpet in the background...just repainted our b'room and haven't gotten around to installing new carpet. just seeing how fug it looks in this shot is quite possibly the kick in the ass i needed.)



i also increased one stitch inside each vertical rib to widen it along the bottom a bit. if you click on the pic, you can see where i increased...DAMN. (does anyone know how to do invisible increases in rev ST st??) also, i originally intended to make it more dress-like, but chickened out and ended up with this tunic-y length.



this shot with the pencil skirt came out relatively clearly. i also tried it on with long khaki shorts and heels which looked kinda cool and summery. this time around, i think i might actually wear this piece!

the idea that you can elongate and change knit pieces after the fact is so cool and one of the major things i love about knitting: if you hate something, it's no big whoop to change it. now if only i could figure out a way to elongate my legs...

this just in



if you're headed to TNNA this weekend, be sure to check out my friends lucinda and rachel of modalura. as the featured designers for a new blue sky alpacas collection, they'll be hanging at blue sky booths #136, 138,140 & 142. btw, don't be surprised if you see yours truly there as well! stay tuned for more on modalura and their super-cool new designs, like the one shown above.

seeing red

along with hot dogs and parades and potted geraniums, memorial day got me to thinking about this again. it is sad to think there is still a need for so many little red sweaters.

my very first sweater design: the fleur jacket

ta da! i am so excited...this is my first sweater design: the fleur jacket. inspired by mid-century fashion editor fleur cowles. rowan scottish tweed knit up in the aptly named dimple stitch creates a dense, textured fabric that feels light yet substantial. deep v-neck, single button closure and slightly cropped style make it an easy and stylish layering piece. what do you think??

i have to give a big shout-out to my friend lucinda, who showed me how to add, subtract, and listen to the yarn. she is living proof of this: give a woman a pattern and you feed her knitting passion for a day. teach her the basics of design and you feed her creativity forever! thanks, buddy.


sorry this pic is a little dark. snapped a quickie before heading to a meeting this morning. will post a better one soon.


inspired by fleur cowles and these wonderful images from flair magazine

aussie patches

check out these charming illustrations from aussie patches. there's something very mary quant about her fashion girls that i just love.

lino bahhh

dig this adorable linocut print from etsy artist rainyprints. entitled "one sheep hill," it won an honorable mention in the maryland sheep and wool festival's catalog cover contest.

bereft

i am officially in mourning over the loss of the best little yarn shop in the whole wide world.

it was the best because it was here.

because it was full of color and texture and wegman's ultimate chocolate cake.

because where else could you discuss the finer points of suspending a 20-foot knit christmas stocking from a 40-foot coal tower at 4 o'clock in the morning.

because chris and joan said so.

because of train knitting and knit graffiti and 40 scarves hung from telephone poles in a blizzard.

because it was as wild as it was wooly.

because the only thing standing between you and a giant wall of blue sky alpaca was a giant white dog named bailey.

because there wasn't a speck of red heart or lion brand in the place.

it was the best because of lucinda.

and she made us feel like it was all ours.

this emptiness feels like a giant mothhole in my heart.

sweater girl

move over lana turner, and make room for a real sweater girl.
thanks to dona for clueing me in to this unending
gallery of glamor.

oh my mortal yumminess

i think i finally found the perfect fabric for this danish lovely i scarfed up just as a little old lady was hauling it to the curb last spring:



both fabrics are from the uber-talented amy butler's forest collection. now the only question is, which colorway?

can we talk?

i just got back from a heated breakfast discussion with my friends justin and michele. i hate to burst your big booberry bubble justin, but these have to be three of the gayest characters ever to grace a cereal box. not that there's anything wrong with that. if i had to choose one, i'd have to go with the count. first of all, there's the accent. that in itself is enough to make me overlook the bad teeth. those pointy-toed spectators are so chanel spring 2007. and don't even get me started on that cape. can't you just see it knitted up in a nice drapey blue sky alpaca/silk? come to think of it, frankenberry is lookin pretty snappy himself. i dig the slutty red nail polish. the red flats with little pink socks are TDF. and those chain suspenders are oh so fendi. but forget booberry. i don't care how much smoky shadow he blends into his creases. i just don't trust the guy.

p.s. to binet & paul: i'd love to join your discussion group on climate control and environmental sustainability. but clearly, i have a lot of other more pressing issues on my mind.

let the ribaldry begin!

click to see bigger pic

this is one of the smartest knitting sites i've ever seen. and, as far as i know, ravelry is completely unrivaled. thanks to olga for clueing me in on this one. it is your very own incredibly well-designed and impossibly easy-to-use stash for every bit and byte of your personal knitting info: your projects, yarns, friends, chats, yada yada yada. you can even post and sell your own designs. beware: this thing is addictive. you may find yourself reveling in ravelry more than you do your ever-growing pile of UFOs. (as i have.)

racy lace

remember these via design house stockholm? proof that lace panties aren't the only things that get to be racy. leave it to these guys to get them to market faster than you can say k2, yo twice, k2tog, k1, (yo, k2tog) twice.

fo: twinkle best friend cardigan

twinkle knits can be a bit deceiving. yes, they knit up fast, but don't get too cocky. these suckers are particularly devilish in the details. of course, that is also the charm of ms. chia's elegant, fitted designs. trad details such as english shoulders and bobbled cables are suddenly mod when crafted on fat needles with fat yarn. but keep your wits about you. each stitch is like the type in those large-print books: you can read every word from about 10 feet away. yes, it's a quick read, but watch out for those typos.



knit in canary twinkle soft chunky on US19 circs. i used about 3.5 balls to make the small size. i found the 45mm off-white buttons at my lys. be aware, clown buttons like these are not easy to come by. m&j trim carries them, but were out of the color i wanted. i couldn't find a single other source, though ebay could be hit or miss.

knitty knitty

i am totally smitten with ashley goldberg's charmingly minimal illustrations. her spare sense of line and childlike simplicity belie a depth of emotion. be sure to check out her use of yellowed, stained and very cool vintage watercolor paper. i will definitely be back to her shop again and again.

blues

looky what my BKFF clarity123 whipped up for me. taking pity on my own sad attempt at a slouchy showercap (er, beret), she took crochet hook in hand and showed me what the blues is all about. i didn't think anything could make me wish for a sudden cold snap.

knitting puns DOA

my fave bad knitting pun, spotted in a recent promotional email:

spring is here and it's time to dye!!!

kinda makes me want to poke myself in the eye with a sharp stick.

you?

handmade nation sneak peek

twinkle reposing

twinkle best friend cardi patiently awaits her adornment of big yellow buttons. which i have yet to find anywhere online. in the meantime, she languishes, like a bulky, beached lemon rind.

chia pet

visit the twinkle website to get your twinkle FO featured in this online gallery. yours truly submitted the green shopping tunic and got this exclamatory shout-out from wenlan chia herself:

great job done!! i love the color on you!! please share more pictures with us when you get more done! ~wenlan

bookish

click each image to view full size

i wish my friend dona had an etsy shop or somewhere to link to so you could purchase some of her amazing crafts for yourself. this is a woman who doesn't own a cell phone. who tools around town in a jeep cherokee she bought in 1985. and who still believes in the indelible power of the printed word.

whimsy

i love these little mitten notecards from whimsy press. besides cards, the collection includes stickers, journals, and wrapping papers featuring a variety of themes. the designs are fresh, colorful, and funky. be sure to check out the doggie wrapping papers. forget wrapping gifts with this stuff--it's cute enough to paper a wall.

objects in rearview mirror may be smaller than they appear

what a fun, quick knit these tiny booties are. two inches of double knitting, a clever technique that creates two layers of fabric, pillow-stylee. from there, you work the heel, pick up some stitches, work a few rows of ribbing, and voila! from the beautifully designed last-minute knitted gifts and knit with luscious french angora from purl.

hippity hoppity

place in warm, secluded easter basket. set your ipod to something romantic. leave them alone and don't peek. and maybe, just maybe they'll multiply like little bunnies.

hello yello

i feel sunny despite the four or so inches of snow that have fallen over the past couple of days.


my brand-spankin new wheels might be one reason. (hey, it was this or a $1600 repair bill on my old mini. go figyah.)


my brand-twinklin new best friend cardi might be another.


of course, they all jaundice in comparison to the newly re-va-va-vamped bonnie. previously banished to the darkest corner of my unworn knits pile, she will rise like a phoenix bess out of the ashes. inspired by this dreamy dress from the new VK, and bolstered by this great tute, i took scissors to stitches and snipped away. stay tuned for a longer, slinkier bonnie. do you think clyde would approve?

welsh rarebit

it's not a giant scrunchy. or a beached sea urchin. rather, it is a bit of welsh ingenuity from the knitters of flocks. their funky flash site is the perfect showcase for their unique designs, handspun and knit from the wool of rare sheep and rabbits. dig deep and you'll be treated to a few hidden nuggets, including a fun scan of a how-to-knit page from a vintage knitting book.