A little note on fall submissions

This weekend is a long one up here in Canadia [land that I love]. So I'll be making the final decisions on all submissions, patterns and articles, and getting back to the rest of you before Monday is over.

There are a few kind souls who I owe e-mails to. By Monday, promise.

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Meanwhile in Silken world, I have a 2nd skein in a new colorway and have been knitting away on a stole pattern that I worked up based on a Mary Thomas lace stitch, with lessons learned from Charlotte. it's quite pretty.

And I'm bored.

I'm bored!

Knitting the same two rows again and again is boring me. It's not boring enough to be stockinette, so that I can turn my brain off, but it's not challenging enough that each new row is an excitement. So now what?

I think it may be time to rip and rethink into a Charlotte poncho, a la Steph. My only concern is that I won't have enough yarn. It's 500m per skein of Silken, and Steph used almost 4 of Koigu, which translates to 800m, give or take.

I could start lower at the neck. I will likely knit it on larger needles than called for, so I get more mileage anyway. The rest...well, you'll just have to tune in and see.

Hm. That's a challenge for a long weekend, eh?

more new toys

Like the new toy? --->
I saw a similar thing on a publisher's website and figured I should have one too. So now I do!

[a girl only publishes her first book once. might as well go for the full dose of foofarah!]

Our Natalie is famous!

And thankfully, it's not a porn site that's taken notice of her work in the summer issue of Knitty...read it here!

Congrats, Natalie. We're proud of you.

Road trip?

Okay, this is all just hypothetical.

Let's say I'm trying to pull together a book-signing road trip for Knit Wit. If I were to start in Toronto, drive via NYC to NJ (for a big trade show, say this October), and then wind my way back up the east coast, through New England, what are the shops that you would suggest might be interested in having me come by for an hour or so for an onsite SnB and whatever? And Montreal? Eastern Ontario?

Off the top of my head, and never having visited any of these, I come up with Purl and Knit NY (in NYC), Halcyon (in Maine), Knit Happens (in VA), Patternworks (in NH) and I don't know what else!

I would appreciate any hints you guys can give me. Hypothetically, I need to pass a list of possibilities to the publicist [the book has a publicist!] and see what we can pull together.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't loving this.

[you could leave a note in the comments or write me at amy a-t KNITTY d.o.t. you know the rest. thank you!]

The. Book. Is. HERE!

I got a big box today. Actually, three.
In the first, my most colorful knitting needles which were sent to Quirk for the photoshoot for Knit Wit.

In the 2nd, the insanely huge Woolybully knitting bag I'd been waiting for. Which you can see, sitting under...

The book! Readers, meet Knit Wit. I hope you will like her. This is her front cover. [click the pics for bigger versions]. The book measures 7x10".


This is her back cover. This is where the clever spiral binding peeks out. The pink at the bottom is a flap that holds the book closed when you're not reading it. And when you are?


...the flap folds back out of the way and the book sits neatly open in front of you with its built-in easel.

I knew this was the format, but wasn't exactly sure how they would execute every detail. I think it's pretty neat!

These are our advance copies [I and the designers got them direct from Quirk]. Knit Wit will be available in stores by October, but you can pre-order your copy now if you like.

I think this is a very, very fine day.

Current obsession

Thanks for the kind words about the gifty Charlotte. I will be very sad to see it leave the house, but it's going to a good home. The recipient, like her daughter, is a fussy broad and I do hope she likes it! I know she'll appreciate the work behind it, at least.

Meanwhile, I have found myself obsessed. I WANT TO SPIN SILK. I have not a single clue how to proceed. I don't want to buy a wheel, because a kind friend has offered me the use of hers when the time comes. Makes sense to borrow before I buy something...I wouldn't even know what to buy, and we won't discuss the chunk of disposable income it will require when that day arrives.

I don't want to buy a drop spindle, because I know myself and am probably going to be a wheel spinner, due to my overwhelming drive to GET STUFF DONE. Slow and leisurely isn't usually my pace when it comes to seeing how things will turn out. [For proof, see the 1-week silk Charlotte. :-)]

I can't seem to find lessons in Toronto. I don't know where to begin. I'd like to take lessons on someone else's wheel, and the lessons should be in the fiber I want to use. Does anyone have any leads for me?

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P.S. In case you're not on the Knitty readers list [and why aren't you? We're having this kickass contest and giving stuff away, but you have to be a list member to be eligible!], you might not know that the Knitty summer surprise #1 is out. #1? Yup. Two surprises this season. Neat.

Silken Charlotte is done!

I finished the knitting last night. That's 8 days, in case you're counting. At about 5 hours a day, that'd be 40 hours to make this baby. Yes, obsessed.

But look!


I pinned it [about 8 times, till I got it right], nearly soaked it with the spray bottle in the areas I was most concerned about, and wetted it lightly everywhere else, and after 24 hours, removed the pins. I expected it to sproing back to its original shape, but it just laid there, perfectly flat. You probably heard the squeals! Eee!

Because our fence didn't want to do the obligatory Charlotte shot, the adirondack chair stood in. [click for the big shot]



And so you can see how big it turned out:


Do not taunt the girl in the green-pea boxer shorts. It's hot out here. It shows offcenter in the pic, but that's just hub who didn't know to tell me to move it for the pic. It's lovely and straight.

One 500-yd skein of Handmaiden silk = one Silken Charlotte, with about 12" of yarn left over. Two ends to weave in. Can you stand it?

Pattern notes, circa 2006 for the new visitors to the blog:
Charlotte = Charlotte's Web, designed by Koigu
Yarn = 500 yards of Handmaiden Silken
[two current skeins = 500 yards]

do you jean luc?

well, then, this might be to your liking.

hurry. auction ends in 4 hours! [i think it's hysterical that the seller doesn't even note the resemblance. right down to the cleft chin!]

Silken Charlotte is growing!

As is my obsession. [click for big pics]


I think about it all day at work and get knitting it the moment I come home. Sometimes dinner has to wait.

THAT's how you know I'm obsessed.

You can see the lifeline in place. You have to have a lifeline when doing lace, unless you're some kind of freak mathematical savant. I haven't had to rip back to mine yet, but am very glad it's there. Especially as each row gets so much longer at this stage of the pattern.

Love
love
love
this silk. I may have to change my name.

signed,
silk ho™

Silken charlotte

I. Am. In. Love.

You know I finished a Charlotte, yes? It's unblocked and still missing the crocheted edging, so pics forthcoming.

Meanwhile, I realized I have a very important event coming up that requires an extra-special gift. I have less than a month. The recipient is allergic to wool just like me, so another Koigu Charlotte is out of the question. What can I use that will show off the lace and be special enough without causing hives?

Solution [click the pics for bigger views]:
Step one.

1 skein of Fleece Artist pure silk. 500 yards.

Step two:

See how big the cake is when I wind it up? It's huge!

Step three:

This is one afternoon's obsessive knitting. Did I get anything done in the house on Sunday as I planned? No. I did this. I figured, as I knit, that the first 2" would show me if it would work or not.

It's working.

The silk is laying beautifully flat and showing the lace pattern without any blocking. I figure a little pin and spritz when I'm done and it should be perfect. My only concern is that the yarn I have is enough for a good-sized shawl. Without changing colors and by using this one huge skein, I will have only TWO ENDS to weave in. This is a dream project. The silk is smooth, flat and has that same beautiful two-ply look the Koigu has, without the itchies. It's so soft to touch, that even if the recipient doesn't wear it, I'll be shocked if she doesn't love just having it around to drape over a chair and fondle.

And when it's done, I think I'll have to make another...for me. Who knew I could like knitting lace?

Amazing! Wahoo!

So today, as I am wont to do, I went to log in to the CBCF run site to see how Team Knitty is doing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see something that looks like our team name on the login screen. Seems they've got the top fundraisers -- individuals and teams -- displaying on the site from highest to lowest. Guess who's number one right now? Go on -- guess!



How cool is that? I'm not sure how long we can stay in the number one spot. Huge organizations like banks and corporations form teams for the Run. But right now, little Team Knitty is number one. That rocks. [and that's not even including the Elann sponsorship! wow.]

Want to help keep Team Knitty at the top? Click on any of the team members' names over there on the right and donate through them. Let's keep the good works going!

More toys!

Love silly web toys.

So here's a little something to decorate the blog with. Take any or all, and please upload to your server. [If you have ideas for others that should be here, leave me a note in the comments and I'll see what I can do!]









a few more





and for the guys

summer knitty is live

and it's juicy, too!

We hope you like!

We also know that there's not a lot in this one for women who, like me, have big gazongas. [But if I wouldn''t wear a bra without underwire, I certainly wouldn't wear anything made of knit fabric alone to hold up my girls.]

We always encourage designers to provide a full and generous range of sizes [see the submission guidelines], but sometimes it's just not possible for them to comply. We'll keep on trying, though!