Wendy Bernard's Blog, page 19

Don't Forget to Ask the Shoe Size and Look Deep into Their Eyes

A few years ago when we were finishing up the first Custom Knits book, I was talking to my stylist or maybe I was sitting and knitting socks and he expressed an interest in some hand-made ones. Not being the experienced sock knitter that I can now say I am, I remarked: "Hey, I'll make you some!" And he said: "Great!" and I said, "What color?" And he said, "Oh, something neutral."

Next thing, I had three skeins of some Euroflax sock yarn in a nice, dove gray.

After choosing a great pattern, I gave him a call and asked him about his foot size.

I won't even tell you his reported size because I think he totally underestimated: He has some mighty large feet. I mean, if he has such a typical size feet I can tell you with all certainty that they aren't large enough to allow him to walk, he's so tall.

But I cast on anyway, thinking it will be a breeze but months passed and I barely finished one sock. And then one day, we were having a conversation and he mentioned his teeny tiny mom and it hit me: "I think I'll dump his socks and surprise her instead; yeah, that's what I'll do, I'll do the ol' redirect, ninja style."

So, I dumped his honker and made some nice petite socks for his mom and sent them off. You know: the old bait and switch sock routine.

Fast forward to recently while we were shooting again and in front of the crowd he asked me about his socks.

"Shucks," I said. "Your feet are too big. Does you mom like hers? [nudge nudge wink wink]" But I could tell by looking at him he would be one of the good guys, you know, the type who'd actually appreciate the hand-mades and then I caved.

I apologized, found the greatest yarn--Shibui Sock Yarn in Bark--and sent him a picture of the skeins with a note saying: "You like the yarn? Give me a little time since you have such big feet," and he replied:

"Don't worry a bit, darling, it has been only three years, I can wait a little longer."

Moral of the story: If you ever feel like you want to open your big mouth about kntting socks that aren't sport or worsted--or better, bulky--take a look at their feet first, in person, and hopefully naked.

Or, if they're over about 5'11" and don't allow you to actually measure, assume that they have large feet. OR--if you are like me and have actually found a guy (on a blind date) who is at least 6'5" but has super-short arms compared to their body (Ever seen a T-Rex?), it's better to ask first and look deeply into their eyes just in case they act cagey-like.

If they do, then you know they want the socks, above and beyond anything else. Because, we all know, having large feet in the sock-knitter realm is more of a curse than having large calves in the case of leg warmers.

BTW: I'd give you more details on the ShiBui but I dare say that three skeins will not be enough and I might need more.

Like Dad Used to Say: "We all Know that 'Shoot' is "Sh*t" with Two O's"*

Now that I have finished the hardest part of writing a book: the actual "writing" of the text, the designing of the patterns, the knitting of the patterns (oy) and the first round of edits--and the shoot (they don't call it "shoot" for nothing), I'm literally walking in circles.

I'm back to my old habit of putting the tv on on both floors of the house and wandering here and there. Today, I got up and stared at the computer, waiting for all the emails to pour in, and they didn't. Then, I wandered down to the kitchen and cleaned all the stainless stuff (but forgot the dishwasher) then wandered back up and sat and stared again.

I didn't knit a stitch.

I thought about knitting a stitch.

But I didn't.

So now, while HWWV works out in the garage, punching that dang bag so loudly it shakes the house, I sit and stare some more and wonder why.

I guess I should take a look at that re-do of Girlfriend's Swing Coat Sweater pattern and get back to it before Girlfriend is too tall to fit into the sample.

I guess I should vacuum and clean the carpets.

I guess I should maybe go for a walk. You know, get back to being active in the legs instead of the wrists and fingers, only.

This is how it has been for each and every book. The first one, the second one--due out this Fall--and the third, due out next Spring (it is an accessory book). I think there is a little bit of a let-down, a kind of: Is it all over? Now what?

Here are a couple pictures from the shoot, taken by my editor, Liana Allday (she's a trip).

First one and first day, at my sister's home in Los Angeles. A pair of legwarmers and a pretty girl.

We ended up moving her because of the brightness of the wall. But what I remember most about this set-up is that I alone knew of the secret bathroom downstairs and understood that should I have a panicky moment, I could flee and no one would find me (it actually never needed to happen, but I was thankful).

And since we totally forgot that I needed to make some basic fingerless mittens for a shot the next day, I sat there and knit and knit and knit and knit, then I went home and knit some more so they could be ready. Yes, friends, I can knit some substantial mittens using fingerweight in one day. You could, too, if you had to.

The woman looking on is our makeup artist and hair person. She's tuff-cool and probably thinks I'm an old lady. I like her. She went to my high school--as did my editor--but obviously after the Stone Age.

And last, here's a shot of my editor and the guy we lovingly call our "man prop" on the Custom Knits shoots. Don't know how or why that came about, nudge, nudge, wink, wink. But I think I can probably thank some of the early folks who bristled when they saw a bikini (or lack of long pants) with sweaters in my first book. If it weren't for you, dear friends who prefer models wearing long pants . . .

And yes, this third one won't disappoint. There is a boat, a bikini, a babe and a ... man prop.

I only have that * in the title because I get really stressed out during these shoots. Luckily, this third experience was so good that I might actually have outgrown my dread. That is all.

 

 

Latest Loser but I Don't Mind at All

I don't know what I was thinking when I cast on and knit this. I think it was a chapter that I wrote for my next book about knitting shawls from the inside out that made me do it. It was like a bulb went off in my head about shaping circular shawls, or something. I never really thought about it until I was forced to. I realized that if I cast on eight stitches, doubled my stitch count and joined in the round and evenly placed eight markers and worked increases on either side of the markers every other round that I would end up with a star shape.

As I knit it, dancing sugarplums flitted above my head. I kept thinking this would be the "next best" knitting pattern evah!

And then I ran out of yarn and bound off.

Total slump-dum ensued.

Girlfriend, when I handed it to her and asked her to pose said, "this looks just like table topper."

"You mean a doily?" I asked.

"No, just something that you'd put on top of the table and then stick a lamp on top of it."

Loser pile, here we come.

Glad to be back to blogging. Finished the shoot for the third book--it was the best shoot experience I ever had. I am so in love with all the pictures and I can't wait to share some with you.

New Yarn to Try

For me, the best part of being a knitwear designer is getting yarn in the mail. Who doesn't like getting yarn in the mail? Even though I still buy about half of what I use in my books or on my site, once in awhile a yarn company sends you something willy-nilly and when that box arrives you pretty much swoon.

You pretty much swoon because there isn't any work involved. Of course, they send you goodies so you can try it out and talk about it with your friends and readers, but that part is easy. There aren't any patterns to design, or pressure to finish a whopping poncho out of fingering weight by last Tuesday. Instead, you get a sneak peek of a new yarn or a new line and usually the way it is presented is fun and unexpected.

The other day, I got such a box of goodies from the folks behind Debbie Stoller's yarn line. This time, it's Washable Ewe. I'm pretty picky when it comes to yarns and can luckily afford to buy "the good stuff," but this Washable Ewe seems to be "the good stuff," too, in spite of the lower price point.

There is a lot of talk on the internet about "big box" yarn versus boutique type yarns and some people try really hard to prove that they aren't yarn snobs and others argue that being a yarn snob is a good thing. I'm sort of on the side of being a slight yarn snob, but only because I am able to obtain some pretty hard-to-find/to-get yarns, and for the most part these type yarns are lovely. But there are exceptions to the rule. I've worked with some of the worst yarns, to me, that happen to be relatively highly priced. I mean, there are some yarns you couldn't even pay me to knit with for all manner of reasons, and they usually involve reasons like the yarn just doesn't perform, it is hard to knit with, or the colors do not appeal or the drape is wonky no matter what you do.

This Washable Ewe has a really nice hand-feel for a superwash wool. I've used a couple others that are almost twice the price that don't feel half as nice. I can't describe what I mean by "feel" but I guess I have noticed that superwash wools sometimes seem like they have a chemical residue on them. Does that make sense? This stuff doesn't feel that way at all. The color range isn't super huge right now, and they are colors that you'd see for more youthful garments or items that I wouldn't consider super "serious," meaning, the palette is definitely one that is youthful and happy and perfect for garments that you'd make that absolutely have to be machine washable. I will say that my very favorite color in their palette is called "Kitten," a beautiful grey, and it reminds me of my now-gone cat Lois' fur.

I'm going to be quiet for a few days as the shoot for my third (!) book starts tomorrow. And unless we spot some folks on the beach behind us with their clothes off like we did that one time with the first shoot, I'll probably be quiet. Big news though: We won't be shooting on the beach this time. We now have bigger fish to fry...a HUGE sailboat in Marina Del Rey! I can't wait until I can show you.

Ground Hog Day - More Destashing and Neighbor Talk

My neighbor, the guy who tore out a huge tree--like a 30 ft tree--out of the ground with his bare hands about a year ago is now (finally) tackling an overgrown hedge. This time, he is using a puny chain saw. I doubt this one could do much damage to anyone now that it has been dulled by a few minutes of 13-yr old privet branches but if he tried really hard, he might be able to, so I'm typing this with all the windows closed. I live in a gated community folks, and we have a crazy-man who can tear out trees with his bare hands yet doesn't even rent a decent chain saw to take down a hedge. And funny thing is, he has just one green bin in which to place all the branches. That hedge must be 10 ft tall and 20 feet long (who knows how thick?) Just now, he plopped a piece of wood on top of the stuff in there and jumped into the tiny bin and hopped up and down on it while shaking his head side to side. I'm thinking he's thinking that maybe he should re-think the whole deal.

Meanwhile: More yarn. I have yarn up the ying-yang and down again. I have yarn, yarn, yarn. If I got my very own green bin and stuffed all the extra yarn in it and asked for my neighbor's piece o' wood and hopped in and jumped as hard as I could, I doubt I'd be able to compact it down to the right height. Maybe I should ask the guy from across the street to come help.

Just like before, if you want the lot of yarn that I present, please email me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom first and allow me to respond. Once I do so, you can Paypal the funds and I will send the yarn, priority shipping. All prices include priority shipping. Right now, I want to send domestic mail only as I'm super busy and cannot stand in line at the post office.

Three skeins Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, wool and silk, ahem, a nice rich brown, color 54 - SOLD!

Sport weight? DK weight? I think it is DK weight...(175 meters / 50 grams / 5.5 stitches to the inch on about size 6 needles, love it)

I make no bones about it. This is probably my favorite yarn of all time. Of. All. Time. I used this yarn for a couple sweaters in Custom Knits (Slinky Ribs) and while going through my stash, I came upon these skeins. It was as if I got hit in the face with reminiscence, if one can get hit in the face with that. All I know is, this stuff is great and three skeins will bring you heaven in a hefty cowl, a long, long scarf, or a midi-shawl that could.

Make a Midi-Shawl that Could for $17.95 which includes priority domestic shipping. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and they're yours.

Seven skeins of, what? More Elann.com goodness: This time, Peruvian Quecha, a blend of alpaca and tencel, the color is somewhat more "rusty" than what is shown here. - SOLD!

DK weight (122 yards / 50 grams / about 5.5 stitches per inch on size 6 needles)

What can I say? Another Elann.com late-night binge order. I have another lot in another color. Don't know what I was thinking at the time but I will quietly wait another day to share a picture of the other lot. Let's just say that I'm happy that another knitter/crocheter can enjoy this. It has great stitch definition and the color is divine. Shoot, if the temps dipped below 60 more than two days a year I might just keep this and knit, oh, leg warmers.

Just kidding.

Can't remember what I paid, but trust me: I'll ask way less than what I paid. How's about $20.75 for a nice round number? (Think I paid about 26 bucks without shipping.) This includes priority domestic shipping. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and they're yours.

Seven balls of Gedifra Tiago, silk and viscose, ivory color (#6825) - SOLD!

Heavy Worsted/Aran weight (85 meters / 50 grams / they say 15 stitches to 4 inches on 9-ish needles)

I crocheted a huge beach/pool bag for Girlfriend a few years ago with this stuff and it is still going strong. She dragged that thing through the mud, on top of cement and Old Smokey. Truly. That bag, in spite of washing and washing and even drying in the dryer seems like it will never die. No wonder I bought loads of it when it went on sale at the local yarn store. I think I got about 20 percent off, but I can't recall. I will pass on a much better price, trust me, because unless your wrists are made of steel, you'll hunt me down and make me crochet the bag FOR you. (Like I said: The stuff wears like a charm.)

Shoot, if you don't knit or crochet, this stuff will make a mean old skool macrame plant hanger. Otherwise, I'd be on board for a beach bag of sorts. This is perfect for that sort of thing. $28.50 for the lot. This includes priority domestic shipping. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and they're yours.

More Lamb's Pride Bulky. Three Skeins. Sandy Heather.

Bulky (125 yards / 100 grams / 3 stitches per inch on about 10 1/2 needles.)

I have nothing more to say about this yarn except that I knit a poncho out of it... a PONCHO for goodness sake, for the last book, and I decided, last minute, that it just wouldn't do. I know, I know, I should have tried it on while I knit, but I didn't follow my own advice. The result? A poncho that weighs approximately 20 pounds and that is about as graceful as an elephant with PMS. You take the three skeins from me and I will finally release that last bit of breath. If I had balls, I'd send you that 20-pound poncho, too. Thing is, it will cost me about 100 bucks to get it to the next city if I use the postal service instead of a flat bed truck. Flat bed truck? Anyone have one?...

I'll let go of these three skeins and a whole lot of bad memories for $18.25 which includes priority domestic shipping. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and they're yours.

 

De-Stash Continues

Will it ever end? Probably. Probably someday it will end. I will end it when I empty another bin or two and then I'll repack everything and let it simmer for another six months. So, before I bore you all to death, this is how it goes. I'll post pictures and descriptions and the first person to email me at KnitandtonicATgmailDotcom and send money via Paypal gets the yarn. I will wait 24 hours and if payment isn't made, I'll let the next person in line have the yarn. For now, I want to keep everything domestic because I don't have time right now to stand in line at the post office.

And please, if you want the yarn, wait to hear from me with payment instructions before you willy nilly send me funds. I like getting money and all that, but sometimes I get multiple offers very close together and I want to keep everything fair.

Doozy of a LOT of Lamb's Pride (Wool and Mohair): - SOLD!

1 Full Skein Bulky Golden Mushroom

1 Partial Skein Bulky Golden Mushroom (3 oz)

1 Full Skein Bulky Seafoam

1 Full Skein Bulky Mulberry

1 Partial Skein Bulky Mulberry (2 7/8 oz)

1 Partial Skein Bulky Limeade (3 1/4 oz)

3 Full Skeins Worsted Wild Oak

Bulky weight (125 yards / 100 grams / 3 sts per inch on 10.5 needles)

Worsted weight (190 yards / 100 grams / 4.5 sts per inch on size 8 needles)

If you love to felt or like warm winter items, you probably know about Brown Sheep Company Lamb's Pride. I used some of these colors for Custom Knits 2 (September 2011) and an accessories book that will come out next year. These usually go for around $7.25 a skein.

Six full skeins plus 3 partial skeins, $43.50. Includes domestic postage. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours.

12 Balls Elann.com Super Tweed, 39% Cotton, 28% Wool, 28% Acrylic - SOLD!

Heavy Worsted (104 yards / 50 grams / 4 stitches to the inch on size 9 or 10 needles)

In a late night and probably wine induced haze, I trolled Elann.com and bought a bag of this stuff. I remember distinctly thinking that it would be perfect for a cute cropped cardigan with a fluffy collar. Princess seam-like shaping and the perfect buttons were part of the dream as were a sassy pencil skirt and pointy-toed Audrey Hepburn-like pumps. Alas, none of it came to pass and I no longer fit into my one and only pencil skirt. Add insult to injury: As I write this I'm still in my pajamas and it's after noon for gosh sake.

Take the bag off of my hands and the wine dream far far away, please. $40.95, which will include priority domestic shipping. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours.

Two Skeins Mirasol Sulka, Rose Pink, 60% wool, 20% alpaca, 20% silk - SOLD!

Heavy Worsted (55 yards / 50 grams / 4 stitches to the inch on size 10 needles)

I knit a cap out of this yarn for Custom Knits 2 and bought an extra two skeins after I found out the dog on the set of the photo shoot ate the cap. Turns out, we ended up getting the shot we needed before it was too late and I didn't have to re-knit it afterall.

I'm not sure if this color is still available, so be sure that two skeins will be enough for your project (The two would make a lovely cowl). I'll sell them for $15.00 which will include priority domestic shipping. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours.

Stay tuned for more in the next couple of days!

Yarn De-Stash Event Part B

There's nothing like unloading a heap of yarn in order to make room for some more. Heh. Actually, I'm more of the mind that I might be able to re-claim my closet. Not that I have any clothes to put in there. I've spent the last three years indoors, knitting. In my pajamas.

Just as I have done in the past de-stash events, I will post pics of yarn for sale a handful at a time. I am very busy with all sorts of projects, so I'm going to work this process in little batches. Just stay tuned for more yarn. Some of it is great; some of it is stuff that I can't stand, but I won't fess up no matter how much you pay me. I'm emotionally attached to all of it, either way, which might mean I have a personality disorder, but what they heck.

I'll take PayPal only and this time, I'd prefer to only ship within the United States (sorry other folks; I just can't stand in line at the P.O. right now.) Shipping will be included in the total price unless other arrangements are made. Priority mail only. First person to offer for the lot will get the deal. If they don't respond or send PayPal in 24 hours, then I'll offer the yarn to the next person in line.  PLEASE: Once you write me to express your interest, wait for me to respond by email so you know where to send payment, since I have a very secret and elusive PayPal email address. (Just kidding; but do wait, please.)

Oh, BTW: Can't say that Rocko or Chuck haven't sniffed any of this stuff in the past.

Filati Cotton, mulicolors: black, light pink, spring green. Don't believe the photo. 10 balls.

DK weight (135 meters / 50 grams / 6 sts per inch on "probably" size 5 or 6 needles)

Okay. Here's the deal. I found this yarn on Elann.com (one of my favorite secret pastimes) and I bought THREE full bags of the stuff in three different colorways. I envisioned myself crocheting little motifs and connecting as I crocheted, delightfully so, and ending up with a charming multi-colored swirl of a blanket. (Actually, three.) I managed to hack the first attempt so badly that I threw in the towel. I have this one bag leftover that is still intact. The other two, well, let's just say I fiddled with them too much to actually give away. If you are completely nuts like I am, you'll love this stuff. Like I said above, the colors are a little more vibrant and you can see pink a lot more than in the picture. If you buy this and actually make a little crocheted blanket out of it, one that swirls like I had envisioned, I will love you forever if you show me a picture.

10 balls of pure torture and dreams that may never come true, $32.45 (Funny number only because I'm in a good mood.) Includes domestic postage. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours.

 


Malabrigo Fantasy Selection-Grab Bag. 2 hanks Silky Merino (Silk/Merino), #2810, 1 hank Kettled Dyed Merino, #41 Burgundy

Silky Merino: DK weight (150 yards / 50 grams / 5.5-6 sts per inch on "probably" size 5 or 6 needles)

Kettle Dyed: Worsted weight (210 yards / 100 grams / 4-5 sts per inch on 7-9 needles)

I love Malabrigo yarn. Love, love love it. I just have too much of it. Come to think of it, I have two cakes of it sitting up in my office and it stares at me and I'd totally add those two to this grab bag, but I'm not yet ready to part with it. The Silky Merino was something that I purchased on a whim--you know what I'm talking about--and the other skein is one that is leftover from a project that I have in my third book. There's enough of the Silky Merino to make a shawlette or a scarf and the Kettle Dyed will make you a hat or mittens or something along those lines.

Malabrigo Fantasy Selection Grab Bag, $20.50. The Silky Merino retails at $9.50 each. Not sure about the Kettle Dyed since I usually black out when I purchase the stuff. Includes domestic priority mail postage. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours.

Aslan Trends Artesanal, 3 hanks color 218, cotton/alpaca/polyamide

Heavy Worsted (218 yards / 100 grams / 4 sts per inch on 8-10 needles)

I bought these, I think, when I was at a book signing in Colorado somewhere. Love the denim look of it. Love the color. Makes me think of heathery yarn without the itch. Not sure why I never got around to designing something for it or just knitting it for pleasure, but at this point in time, you'll have more fun with it. It almost pains me to send this off, but if it just sits on my shelf, it'll be full of cobwebs by the time I get to it. Bye bye, my love. I will miss you, but you are better off with someone who will knit or crochet or weave you.

Aslan Trends Artesanal, 3 hanks, $26.00. It retails between $10 and $13.50 each. Includes domestic priority mail postage. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours.

Yarn De-Stash Event Part Uno

You know how crazy-busy I am. In spite of that, I slowly continue to hoard yarn.

Any rate, I'm going to post pics of yarn for sale a couple at a time. I am very busy with all sorts of projects, so I'm going to work this process in little batches. Just stay tuned for more yarn. Some of it is great; some of it not-so. You be the judge. I'll take PayPal only and this time, I'd prefer to only ship within the United States (sorry other folks; I just can't stand in line at the P.O. right now.) Shipping will be included in the total price unless other arrangements are made. Priority mail only. First person to offer for the lot will get the deal. If they don't respond or send PayPal in 24 hours, then I'll offer the yarn to the next person in line.  PLEASE: Once you write me to express your interest, wait for me to respond by email so you know where to send payment, since I have a very secret and elusive PayPal email address. (Just kidding; but do wait, please.)

Blue Sky Cotton Color 605, 12 whopping hanks - SOLD!

Worsted Weight (150 yards / 100 grams / 4-5 sts per inch on 7-9 needles)

Don't ask me why I purchased 12 hanks of this stuff. Twelve hanks? I must have been planning for a nice, cozy sweater or something. But that was YEARS ago. I re-visited this yarn a few months ago when I embarked on an unfinished journey of re-vamping Girlfriend's Swing Coat Sweater until I realized that this color is now discontinued. And since I don't have the time to knit for myself at the moment, this yarn can be yours. And if you have Custom Knits and want to knit the Indigo Playmate cardigan, there's enough in this lot to do it in any of the sizes. I will warn you that it was hard to photograph the color perfectly. The color is not quite as bright as in the picture and it has a bit of a dijon-ish-ness to it.

Twelve full hanks: $64.00 (I think the price per hank is around $9.50 for current colors). Includes domestic postage. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours, baby.

Araucania Pehuén, 100% Cotton, Color 13, 4 hanks - SOLD!

Worsted Weight (131 yards / 100 grams / 4-5 sts per inch on 6-8 needles)

Back in the day when I was still operating under the delusion that I could squeeze in enough personal time to knit Girlfriend a little shrug, I bought these. I guess I wasn't that crazy--in those days she was small enough that I could pull it off in a weekend--but now? Forget about it! I still think that this sweet boucle would look wonderful on a little girl, but knit up first. I doubt she'd feel comfortable just hanging a hank or four around her neck.

Four full hanks: $42.00 (I think the price per hank is around $12 for discontinued colors). INCLUDES domestic postage. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours.

Blue Sky Cotton Color 621,  3 hanks - SOLD!

Worsted Weight (150 yards / 100 grams / 4-5 sts per inch on 7-9 needles)

These are what is left of the yarn I used to knit Flair. Remember Flair? Not sure why I held onto the leftovers, but these three hanks would be enough to knit a nice scarf or a hefty cowl, especially if you don't like the feel of scratchy wool against your skin.

Three full hanks: $18.50. INCLUDES domestic postage. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours.

 

Queensland Collection Maldive, Cotton/Viscose/Acrylic, Color 14, 5 skeins  SOLD!

Worsted Weight (90 yards / 50 grams / 5 - 6 sts per inch on 6 needles)

I was knitting a sweater in this yarn in an ivory color and loved every minute of it so I snatched this up in this sweet color to make something for Girlfriend. And you know the story well: Never had the time to do it! There are tiny flecks of charcoal and a gold color. The sweater I was knitting had a crochet border and if you're into crochet, know this: This yarn is great for crochet, too! It kind of makes me sick to part with this, but guess what? I have two other colors of this stuff in my stash, come to think of it. *Off to go looking for it*

Five skeins: $22.50. INCLUDES domestic postage. Be the first to write me at knitandtonicATgmailDOTcom and it's yours.

All the Yarn is Weighing Me Down

Looking at these socks, rather "this" sock, makes me feel a little melancholy. Not only has the lone knee sock been on sock island for, oh, five years or more, it also represents probably one of the last things I knit for sheer pleasure or just for the sake of knitting it.

I don't remember why I never knit the second sock because that Vesper Sock Yarn in the Knit and Tonic colorway is to die for. The reason I didn't finish the pair could be that after I finished the first sock I discovered how to knit two at a time and never looked back. But, part of me knows that the real reason has more to do with getting more involved with designing and writing books so that most of my time knitting is working on projects that I have to knit in secret--and at a fast pace--all alone up in my office with nothing else to do, my fingers flicking that yarn over the needles without stopping, and looking at my neighbors through the windows: Rachael Ray, The View, two episodes of Beverly Hills 90210, One LIfe to Live, General Hospital and Judge Judy humming in the background, then next, pick up Girlfriend, homework, cook dinner, take bath, and knitting again for a couple hours before turning on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. On better nights, there are a series of shows on hoarders or conjoined twins.

No wonder some days I get lonely.

I don't like how Rachael Ray does her cooking segments; can't explain it. At least she doesn't say "E.V.O.O." anymore.

The ladies on The View drive me nuts. If I hear Whoopi talk about peeing her pants one more time . . .

And 90210? How hopeless am I? I lay in bed at night and go over the episodes that will air the next day. I've watched them so many times that I know which one will come next. When I couldn't sleep at night, I used to mentally plot out the local mall, you know: I'd "walk" down the corridor and try to remember where each shop was. Now, I lay in bed and try to figure out what Donna or Kelly are going to do tomorrow.

Worse! Woe is me: One Life to Live is getting canned!

Maybe that will upset my apple cart and I'll mix things up a bit. I'm open for suggestions. Shooting for the third book starts on June 1st and I have a ton of knitting to do.

Heads up: I'm going to do a big Stash Buster Sale. I have way too much yarn and it is weighing me down. I need more room to think, if you know what I mean.

P.S. Knitterly Things Vesper Sock Yarn is no longer available in the Knit and Tonic colorway (at least I think so). There is a colorway that looks a lot like it, though. Julia has near weekly shop updates, so I suggest checking in from time to time or signing up for her newsletter if you want some. It is some of my very favorite sock yarn, evah and God help me if I order more because, like I said, all this yarn is weighing me down.

 

Smoking and a Yarn/Pattern Giveaway.

Yeah, I know; it's an old theme, the Lé Slouch Deux, but I have a couple of balls of the Elsebeth Lavold Bambouclé leftover and want to give them away along with a copy of the pattern. You all give so much to me in terms of support and I won't ever use this same yarn any time soon--it's lovely but I have a lot of knitting to do--so why the heck not give it away?

We've been so busy that there hasn't been time to take new pictures so I'll post an old one of the beret in the yarn I want to give away. Yes, I'm smoking. I don't smoke. At least I don't normally smoke, but when there's a good cigar in the vicinity, I'll want to give it a try. And I'm no poser. I can blow smoke rings like nobody's business. Not good ones like my grandpa Herman whose name was really Everett yet people called him Herman the German although he wasn't German, either. If you've read this blog for awhle, you know of him. He was the nude sculptor. Meaning, he didn't sculpt in the nude. He scultped nudes.

But I am rambling. About the smoking: Funny thing is I did sorta smoke for about five minutes. It started as a way to shock those around me back when I was in my 20's and at first, it was all about the menthol and then it was all about those French cigarettes in fabulous colors with gold accents. I could only find them at Gelson's. They cost a bunch and tasted like crappola. One day, I hopped in my blue Prelude and drove up the coast to my grandmother's house in the Bay Area. I drove for seven hours with all the windows down and the sun roof open blasting Stone Temple Pilots the whole way. It was a good time there, all alone, in my car smoking and flicking the butts out the window while waving at all the truckers there on the 101.

Until one made its way back into the back seat.

And lit the car on fire.

That was the last day I ever smoked.

Leave me a comment with a remark about an old habit, and in a couple days I'll do a random selection for the winner of two balls of the Elsebeth Lavold Bambouclé and a free Lé Slouch Deux pattern. I don't care where you live. You are all invited to join in.