buns

time for rabbit photos, i think. Boeing first, Squeezle second.




that is all. have a good day!

Shazam! with extra pinkness at the end

When I visited Scout on her home turf last year, we had a massive dye party and the result was a new colorway we called ZuluKnitty -- a collaboration between the two of us. She offers it in her shop, and I've seen many skeins pass through her Flickr stream, so I know people are ordering it, and that makes me happy and proud. :-)

Well, someone special was having a birthday and I wanted her to have some Scoutness, so we put our heads together again and here's what Scout came up with: ZuluKnitty Shazam [it's the skein on the left]! The same basic color palette as the original ZuluKnitty, but with extra shazam, oomph and general joie de vivre.

You'll also notice that the yarns look different. That's because, when Scout painted the first skein of ZuluKnitty [on the right], she didn't yet offer silk in her shop, so we bought retail stuff. You can now get this gorgeous 2-ply cascade silk directly in her store, in whatever colorway you choose. And she has a lot of them. Power couple is my new favorite.

Thank you, Ms Scout! This skein will be the one I use to teach my special SeaSocks class with.

---

I didn't mean to fall in love, but I did. Apple released a new pink [peeeeeeeeeeenk!] version of the new Nano just in time for Valentine's Day. And I might have walked around, squeeing "peeeeeeeeeeenk!" for an entire day. Okay, I actually did.

So when a small box came from Apple today, addressed to hub, I should have known, but I didn't. This little pink jewel was inside. He spoils me, my boy, and I am very grateful.

The first thing I listened to was Cast On. It's fabulous, and now holds my favorite playlist, a few choice movies I've yet to watch and lots of Neil Gaiman.

Life, she good.

i baked.

it must be one of the signs of the apocalypse: i baked muffins. these muffins, actually. i have had this recipe printed out and magnetted onto my fridge for months, and finally realized i had all of the ingredients [except two] so i started baking. and then sent hub out for the eggs and applesauce. :-)

minor changes: i used regular all-purpose flour instead of half whole wheat. 3 eggs instead of 2 and 2 egg whites [seemed wasteful to me] but everything else as spec'd. it took longer to bake, probably because of my recipe changes, but was very yum. hub, who says he hates pumpkin pie, loves 'em. of course, he doesn't know they're pumpkin muffins. he just said they were nice and moist. i used silicone cupcake liners and, having heard that they stick, used non-stick spray first. bingo, no sticking.

i also did what one of her readers suggested and made soft cookies [see above] out of the rest of the batch, with the addition of a sprinkling more flour.

actually, the only sign of the apocalypse is the current state of my kitchen. pumpkin batter in little blurps everywhere. this is why i don't bake more often.

perl grey makes my head hurt

what kind of deranged mind comes up with sweater construction like this? why, Perl Grey, that's who!

i'm not saying it's not brilliant. it just makes my head hurt trying to envision this sort-of-closing-in cocoon turning into anything wearable. EXCEPT that, before i picked up the sts for the front section of the sweater, which is the part that makes my heart beat faster [not kidding, i love it that much], i tried it on and it fits. so i will trust in the Perl and in Jacquie B who told me, "just keep going. it'll work out." and i believe it will.

can you even tell what you're looking at? it's a side-to-side knitted cardigan with integrated sleeves. i'm just now knitting the fronts and the collar at once, with short rows. [for those who will ask, and i don't blame you, this is discontinued Artfibers Gypsy, colorway 11, which is knitting up at exactly pattern gauge, and doesn't that blow my mind? yes, it does. [Kira tells me that Artfibers Bambusa or Sumo would make good subs.]

i am also driven with the fire of a well-trained team of dragons to finish this baby and get it on me! finishing the duvet covers has reminded me of the pleasures of the FO, and though i do love a good knit as it goes along, i'm all about the FO.

Knitty Yarn Roundtable nights -- 3 new dates available for RSVP!

You haven't seen the feature yet in Knitty, but we've been collecting content for a while now, and it will go live in the next issue. What is it?

Here:
Starting with the spring '08 issue, we're adding virtual yarn sampling to Knitty. In the spirit of Knitty, this will be a social, collaborative project where a group of us will gather around an assortment of yarns from just about every yarn company on the planet, and get to touch, swatch, fondle and tell the world what you think of the yarn. We want to share our favorites with our readers and let them know about surprises that knit up much differently than the average knitter would expect from just looking or squeezing a ball. As is the custom with Knitty, stuff we don't like won't appear in our pages.

Jacquie B. [goddess of all things organized and fun] and I will be there as secretaries and social butterflies for the evenings, gathering your comments and evaluating which yarns will end up in the Yarn Roundtable feature each issue.

We'll be holding the Yarn Roundtable nights at the fabulous, friendly The Purple Purl [1162 Queen St. E. Toronto]. 30 knitters are welcome at each evening, and in order to let as many people as possible have a chance to participate, you can RSVP for only one event in a row. So if you were at January's event, you can RSVP to the 2nd or 3rd of the three I announce today, but not the first. We're planning to hold these monthly (or almost) so there will be lots of chances for everyone to swatch the good stuff!

There's a lot of organization involved in keeping this event tidy and making sure it can run smoothly. Your assistance in following all instructions is very much appreciated!

We've set up a blog just for RSVPs [so that non-Facebook users need not be excluded]. Each event has its own blog post. To RSVP, simply read the instructions for that evening and if you're eligible, leave a comment to that post.

The blog is here. Go forth and be orderly, but with amusement!

all done.

folded vertically for pretty. each duvet is about the size of the top of the mattress, so we both have enough for ourselves and quite a bit to hang over the edge of the bed. yes, they're wrinkly. why bother ironing duvet covers when you'll just crinkle them as soon as you get into bed?

besides, i'm having trouble getting up in the morning. :-)

fabrics include Amy Butler's Belle, Lotus, Charm and maybe even Ginger Bliss, and some choice Kaffe Fassett Roman Glass. very glad they're done.

oh. oh. ohhhhhhhh.

i was as a house afire last night. the top was together, and all i had to do was [oh, how simple, right?] overlock the remaining raw seams, attach the top to the twin sheet i bought for the purpose and sew 'em together.

it was as i was struggling with the latter that i remembered why i don't quilt much any more. sewing anything large-scale isn't fun for me, not at all. BUT! this isn't a quilt. it doesn't have to lay perfectly flat front to back. it's simply a big pillowcase for a fluffy duvet. fluffy is forgiving.

so i forged on ahead. discovered some shortcuts to make it easier, and also discovered that they don't really cut sheets on grain [do they? except where else do you get a piece of super-soft 70" wide fabric without a seam, so i sucked it up and kept going].

unwashed, i slipped the cover on the duvet and admired my handiwork. but it wasn't enough. so i slept under it. and i haven't slept that well in ages. there's something about the puffiness of a good duvet [our last one WASN'T a good one] and the inticing crackle of the high-thread-count cotton the duvet is made out of as you move in the night.

it's all mighty, mighty fine. and very, very pretty.

in order to keep motivated, i post no pictures and will not until the second is made and the bed is dressed properly. you want to talk about second-sock syndrome? how's second-duvet-cover syndrome sound??

going! bye!

i ran out of thread!

the duvets arrived earlier this week, so i finished all the rotary cutting of the strips and sat at the bernina for the first time in years. it still purrs like keety.

single duvet top #1 is assembled and most of the seams are faux-serged at the back so they don't fray all over the place. however, i have run out of sewing-weight thread and must go out and replenish if work is to continue.

i am obsessed. must go.

w00t!

More Big Girl Knits is here!

Look at that. Jillian and I made a book! [With the help of a lot -- a LOT -- of fine people.] Our first promo copy arrived at each of our houses this morning and we had a Skype chat to go over every page. We're thrilled. It looks better than we could have imagined. They made the hardcover [under the paper jacket] all stripy! We love stripy!

We hope you'll like it, too. Amazon will have it April 1 -- your LYS might get it sooner. Never hurts to ask. :-)

you wanna see progress?

i'll give you some progress, baby.



that's about 2-2.5 hours of knitting. see? not so bad at all. i am past the danger zone [aka dropped stitches running right to the cast on and causing me to shave my head], so i just keep a small crochet hook nearby for the occasional stitch that slips off the needle and keep on trucking. it's a great KIP project, and as my imogen sweater gets bigger [i'm at the first sleeve already!], it's much more portable, too.

are you knitting along with me? i've made a button for us that you may feel free to poach and use at will.



free a laceweight prisoner from your stash!
choose one, wind it into a ball and cast on!
just because it's tiny and delicate doesn't mean it won't be fun to knit!

Liberate Your Laceweight!

come. join us. what? my eyes are not all spirally swirls. what are you talking about?

Tivo's been available [the service] in Canada for a while. I went on and on about the convoluted process to obtain the magical Tivo box here.

Well, now you can get the box in Canada without any hoopla or rigamarole. Join us. You know you want to.

don't you call me crazy.

So last night I began the new project. Here are the supplies:



Want a closer look?


Yes, that's correct. Size 0 needles.

Here's what the fabric looks like:


Do you see those perfect, tiny stitches? Well, trust me, they're there.

This is a simple tube, knit as small as the 16" circs would allow, which meant 190 sts. On each side, a faux seam [p1, k1, p1] so that it will lay flat like the inspiration scarf. Both ends will be seamed shut so it will not curl at the bottom, either.

Now all that remains is a year or so of knitting. I can do that. It seems crazy, but it also seems crazy not to even try. It's easy knitting -- I just have to be careful not to drop a stitch, especially at this tender beginning part.

---

p.s. Dear Skacel,
Whyfor you no make Addi Lace Turbos in size 0? Surely lace yarn requires small needles, and there's no more serious need for a tiny needle with a little grip and perfect scoopy points than this project.

I'll be knitting this for a while, so feel free to get on that development wagon and let me know when they're ready. The regular Turbos will have to do for now, but please...save my sanity. Make size 0s, okay?

Love,
Amy



---

Meanwhile, last night's Knitty Yarn Roundtable went very, very well. I can say that because the person responsible for the wellness is not me, it's ms Jacquie, hero of my world. She made everything happen including set up and wound balls of yarn [special props to Keri and Sherri on that count] and take down. Thank you, Jacquie! The Purple Purl hostesses were so sweet to us, and it was just an all-around fuzzy kumbaya kind of evening.

We've got three more scheduled: February, April and May. Dates forthcoming soon.

the complete look

[i snork at myself. that sounds so silly.]

but seriously. you saw the new hair. you heard about the new glasses, bought at my eye doctor's office [which i had to return when their lab did such a horrible job of filling my rx -- and I got a full refund on those because it was so badly screwed up]. well, these are my NEW new glasses, extra special because Denny helped me choose them.




instead of rimless, these are half-rimmed, which are great for progressives. for anyone in Toronto who's a tough, fussy fit like i am, i can highly recommend Crystal Beach Optical @ 416-698-3937. Ted has a fully equipped shop and is a really detail-oriented professional. patient, thorough. nice guy. good selection of frames.

that is all. off to the Yarn Roundtable!

a smack on the head with a can of vegetable juice

that is such a convoluted 70s pop-culture reference, i can't even stand it.

but seriously.

last night, i reached, again, for my new favorite scarf. it looks like this:



clearly, i didn't knit it. i bought it, while in London, at Muji. [it's not on their website...sorry] it's made from recycled cotton, woven into supersoft jersey, and it was cheap and i loved it instantly. it came in the recycled cardboard tube which i re-recycled when i gifted Noah's baby hats to his parents. :-) i wore the scarf everywhere. see?

my husband laughed at me. i'm a knitter, and my favorite scarf is store-bought? ah, poo.

i wore it out for the billionth time again last night to knit night at the Purple Purl. and suddenly realized. i reach for this scarf because it's light, it's cool, it feels good against my neck and it's made of SUPERFINE yarn.

wait a minute. i have lots of laceweight in my stash that i have no idea what to do with. guess what i cracked open when i got home?



i believe this may be an ongoing project of stockinetty love. it will certainly require very small needles. :-)

a nice fresh year

happy around these parts. calm [unusually so.] TNNA is coming up [the big knitting (etc) trade show] and this time, I'm not going. I just need to sit still for a while and work on Knitty from my desk, not from a trade show floor. I feel simultaneously sad [not to see all the knitting peeps I love and missing out on seeing what's new in the biz firsthand] and relieved [knowing I'm taking care of business and my sanity at the same time]. I think I'm a little travelled out. :-)

I've already booked my flight to TNNA Columbus in June, though. I wouldn't miss the June show for anything.

---

Meanwhile, around these parts, things are starting, continuing, finishing, in all the best ways.

- Jan 1, I cast on for Imogen. I'm knitting it in a discontinued yarn that I'm lucky enough to have gotten before it went byebye. It's Artfibers Gypsy [of course - you know how much I love the stuff]. Kira tells me that Artfibers Bambusa or Sumo would make good subs. It's colorway 11 -- they'll likely dye almost any of their yarns in this luscious colorway if you ask nicely.



Imogen looks like it will be my ideal sweater -- cozy but still flattering and adjustable to fit whatever my body throws at it that day. Gypsy is my favorite yarn. Damn, I wish they hadn't discontinued it! [Should we start begging in unison?]

- Incoming Blue Moon goodies! First, I finally got my hands on a skein of the Raven series -- Silk Thread in Valkyrie. It's insanely beautiful and these lame pictures don't even come close to showing the subtlety of color change.



The Charlie Brown gang are looking on in silent awe. No, I'm not sure what this will be just yet.

- More from Blue Moon! They're now offering EZ's surprise jacket-friendly kits in my favorite non-wool sock yarn, Sock Candy!



This stuff is heavenly and I love how Tina puts the colors together. And you can get two jackets from one kit, if you alternate the colors. Brilliant. I'd better get knitting!

- the last thing that's got the fire under my arse are the duvet-covers-in-progress.



This is, I'm guessing, about half of what I'll need to make two twin duvet covers [just the TOPS, mind you -- the bottoms will be nice white sheets]. I'm cutting a bunch of 11.5" wide strips every night, and then will start assembling these strips into random assortments, lengthwise. I need 6 strips per top. I wanted to do 5, but didn't want ridiculously wide strips, and 7 was more piecing and cutting than I'm in the mood for.

I almost sound like I know what I'm doing here, eh? Well, I used to quilt. Rather a lot. In fact, I didn't knit when I was quilting. Here's what I saved up for over two years in the late 1990s:



It's my Bernina. If I'm lucky, it should last me the rest of my life!

One thing, though: just before I veered away from quilting all the time, I bought this fabric at the big October quilting and needlework festival in Toronto.



I love it, and want to get more. I think it would make great pillowcases! Does anyone know where I might find some? Web searches are proving fruitless and there is no identifying text on the selvedge to help me figure out who made it, even. Help?

happy new year

beachnewyear08
Originally uploaded by amysinger

from my part of the world.


p.s. see twin duvets Norwegian style, courtesy the lovely Theresa, here.