Wendy Bernard's Blog, page 4

Hello There! What I did on my Vacation and a Giveaway.

Well, now that THAT's over with, I can get back to "regular" life.

Seriously, first you face Halloween, then a tornado sort of begins to swirl and you end up in some sort of angsty vortex until it's New Year's Eve and you just want it all be over with. Then, you spend New Year's Day watching TV, hiking, what have you, and you tell yourself that it's safe to go out and about again and then it hits you like a brick in the face: Valentine's Day is coming! I used to be a marketing professional so I know the shtick, but man. It's outta control nowadays!

Lots of things have been happening. For the past couple of months, I've done a LOT of sewing. Susan B. Anderson has a blog that I follow. She knits but she also sews. And when I see one of her projects that I must sew, well, I drop the knitting and get out my sewing machine. In this particular case, she was sewing some quickie placemats. I'm a sucker for that kind of thing and I have lots of fabric hanging around so I made some!

Quickly, here's how I did it:

1. I gathered fabric that I liked, each in lots of about 1/2 yard each. I planned on making six.

2. Since I wanted to make six, I used an existing placemat and cut out 12 rectangles roughly 1/2 inch longer and wider than my existing placemat.

3. Then, I cut out six pieces of batting that were the SAME size as the existing placemat.

4. Next, I just sandwiched each placemat thusly (is thusly a word?): Facedown fabric/batting/fabric right-side up.

5. Last, I went to the sewing machine and simply sewed straight lines, reasonably straight, or crooked (that kind of thing doesn't bug me too much because we dim the lights while eating dinner) and then I sewed all the way around the edges, just to neaten things up.

6. Last, last, I clipped notches all around the raw edges.

7. Last, last, last, I threw everything in the wash.

I love them.

Now, for some knitting.

For those of you who love artisinal yarns, I was introduced to a new company called M J Yarns. This is a yarn that is hand dyed in Colorado. I have two colorways, each with a different base. I'm going to keep one and give one away very soon. I just need to swatch the skein that I'll keep before selecting a winner.

Here's my dilemma: I don't know what to make with it!

I plan on keeping the golden one. It's obviously fingering weight and it is a blend of merino, cashmere and a bit of nylon. It almost seems a shame to knit socks, but with that nylon content, I'm certainly tempted. Another idea would be armwarmers.

What do you think?

Please tell me what you think in comments, and based on them, I'll make a decision and then pick a RANDOM winner of the M J Yarns Simple Sock Fingering Weight in the colorway, Green Orchid. If you want to name specific patterns in comments, that's cool too. I know people love to read through things like this to get ideas of their own.

I'll choose a winner in about a week.

Now it's time for me to wind my skein and do a little swatch and wait for your ideas!

There's Just Too Much Noise.

I've been sort of waiting to write a blog post.

First, there was all the lead-up to Thanksgiving.

By the way, every year, us "girls" take a picture in pretty much the same formation. Although it is a little strange to see yourself age or change throughout the years, this is a fun tradition.

Here is this year's Thanksgiving picture; I always get to make the potatoes. My sister Dooze is always holding a martini shaker or pouring milk into the mash, and then the third person (my sister's sister-in-law or mother-in-law) gets to do whatever they want to:

It's nice to have a husband who is a professional photographer. There were special lights hanging from the pots and pans above, giving us such a Thanksgiving-ish "glow." You can't tell by the picture that Loretta had gotten into something and had been throwing up all over the joint. Or, that it was 90 degrees outside and we were sweating like crazy. All in all it was a great day. (P.S. I made my shirt dress. I'll post about it after I talk enough about yarn and knitting.)

Then, there was Black Friday. Oy.

Then, there was Cyber Monday.

And all manner of other things that get in the way this time of year. 

Things are getting out of control. It's all so noisy.

When things get out of control, I shut down.

That is just my way of dealing with all the chaos.

I just want to get back to the regular day-to-day things. You know: knitting, some sewing, some weaving and such. (And finishing up my next book) I don't like feeling like I need to wait for things to die down in order to reach out or write a post.

*************

Sort of another subject entirely: You know how I feel about knitting gifts. I usually just don't do it unless it is for Girlfriend or HWWV. They like the hats or socks that I make and they use them. I once knit for my niece who lives in Colorado and I saw that she was wearing what I made for her, which made me smile. Yesterday, my brother whispered in my ear that she'd like a "Wendy Scarf" for Christmas. That made me so happy that I cast on for a simple herringbone scarf with some Pagewood Farms yarn. (Don't remember the color name. Oh wait: It's called "Crayon.") You can look in your favorite stitch dictionary for a herringbone pattern or look at Favorite Scarf Ever for the pattern. I looked at it, but I read up on other people's modifications before I cast on. I think I'll put some tiny pom poms on the points. 

What do you do when there's too much noise?

The chaos this time of year can kiss my grits.

 

"Never work with animals or children."

That's what W. C. Fields said a long time ago. I guess, in theory, he could have been right. I mean, animals and children are unpredictable. But adults aren't half as cute and adults can be mean.

So can dogs. 

And girls starting at around age six.

I know this because I have a girl. The girls at her school started to get a little mean around that age.

But Girlfriend doesn't seem to have that trait . . . 

yet.

Just like traffic in Los Angeles, you never comment on how good it is, because if you do, then next thing you know, you're stuck on the freeway for the next six days and seven nights. So I will not brag about Girlfriend's lack of "mean."

Back to the subject, well, part of the subject: Animals. And knitting for dogs specifically.

This past July, I went to San Francisco and taped some classes for Creativebug. I did a four-week series on Top-Down Sweater Knitting (see the button on the right-hand sidebar), but one of the classes, the one that goes live today, is about how to knit an easy, custom dog sweater with any yarn and at any gauge, without a pattern. Pup Charlie up there was on set and he's sporting one that I knit for the class. The doggie on the right is Wes. He's a real humdinger. He'll steal your hot dog right out of your hand when you're not looking. True story.

To make a custom dog sweater like these, all you have to do is take a few simple measurements and knit some simple shapes, sew a couple things together and you have a nifty dog sweater! What's really cool is that I provide you with a simple worksheet to fill out with the measurements so it's all made very simple and straightforward. You can even knit one of these as a gift for a friend or family member's dog by asking for the measurements over the phone--or shoot--by text messaging!

But seriously, even if you don't have a subscription to Creativebug, you can get a free, 14-day trial to see if you like it; just use PROMO CODE: KNIT. There are tons of classes there. There are knitting classes, crochet classes, illustration, sewing, you name it. Even cake decorating and paper folding.

Click on the button below to view a preview!

Magpies, Homebodies and Nomads, a Review and Giveaway

It's no wonder that I like Cirilia Rose's book so much. First, just look at the sweater on that cover! It's a gorgeous shade, one to which I normally gravitate. But beyond her color choices and palette, this is such a fun book to read. Not only is Magpies, Homebodies & Nomads a pattern book, in it, Cirilia offers all kinds of useful advice for us knitters who, although we are definitely NOT all the same, we do share a couple important similarities:

Our love for fiber

Our love to "make"

The tension we feel when putting outfits together featuring what we have made

So not only do we have 25 patterns--many of them timeless and some of them quirky--we also have a lot of attentive commentary on color selection, styling tips and useful info on substituting yarns.

With all of the knitting books out there--have you noticed that it seems like there are millions?--this is one new book that I would highly recommend. Not only for the patterns, but especially for the spirit of the book and the thoughtful way Cirilia Rose approaches her knitting and explains her process.

This is one of my favorite patterns, the Jordaan Cape. (I love capes and ponchos and I'm not afraid to yell it from the mountain tops!)

From what I understand, Cirilia got to assist with the styling in this book. As you can see, she also did some of the modeling. I can tell you from experience, that this is sort of unusual and I'm so happy to see her fantastic results!

The photographs are by Jared Flood, whose eye, if you know him you wouldn't be surprised, is spot on and captures the spirit of Cirilia's creations.

I can give away a copy of this book!

Cirilia believes that we are all a mixture of magpies, homebodies and Nomads. Me? I'm probably more of a homebody than any of the three and magpie would come in second.

What about you?

In comments leave me one that tells me which of the three overtakes most of your knitting personality and I'll enter you to win a copy of the book. I'm teaching in Chicago at Vogue Knitting Live until Monday, but I'll check in and see how it's all going while I'm there. Shortly after I return, I'll select a winner!

BTW: This book will be out in November and was published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

Good luck!

 

Weaving and Memories of a Boyfriend Who Never Was.

What I want to know is where the time goes. I remember when I could hardly wait for her to learn how to walk or even to sit up. Now she's weaving and wearing that dang cap that I knit for her a long time ago and she won't take off. She's wearing skirts again, too.

She says there is a "hunk" who sits next to her in algebra.

"A hunk?" I ask.

"Yes. He's a total hunk," she replies.

"How old do you think he is?" I ask.

"Oh, about 11 or 12."

Then, before I burst out about how there is no such thing as a 11 or 12-year old hunk, I remember that there was a so-called "hunk" when I was about her age, as well. His name was Brian Hood and his best friend, Fabio, walked across the hallway to tell me that Brian liked me and offered Brian's bracelet for me to wear. I looked across the hall to Brian who was watching Fabio offering me his bracelet. 

I took the bracelet and put it on. Fabio went back across the hall and nodded to Brian. They both looked over at me and smiled.

About a week passed. And then it was time for us to go to the skating rink like we did every Saturday night. Fabio told me that Brian would be there. So, I went. After a few songs, the lights went down low and it was time for Couple's Skate. Brian skated over to me and gestured to me. I took his hand and once we got on the rink, he reached down and flipped on the twinkle lights underneath his skates. We skated around and around. And then the song ended and that was it. I am pretty sure that the song that played was by Electric Light Orchestra and the song was Strange Magic.

When the song was over, he reached down and turned off the lights under his skates. Then, he dropped my hand and went home. I swear to you that that boy never said one word to me. Ever.

A week later (this was 7th grade, same as Girlfriend), I got fed up because my "boyfriend" never spoke to me once, despite the bracelet Fabio gave to me on his behalf. 

The day after my disgust, while in the hall waiting to be let into school, I gestured to Fabio to come over. I took Brian's bracelet off and handed it back to Fabio and said, "tell Brian that I'm breaking up with him. Loved the twinkle lights under his skates, but tell him thanks, but no thanks."

Every, single, night before I go to sleep I think of Girlfriend and hope and pray that she won't take any crap, either.

I'm not sure how to teach her how to not take any crap except to help her to feel wonderful and confident.

So, I will not say a word about that hat that she refuses to take off. 

But I will tell her how nice this scarf is that she weaved on her new loom. I have been talking a lot about it. She's ambivalent about it, but I'm not. But then again, I'm a crafty gal. She's more of a drawer and a dreamer but at least she has access to this sort of thing. 

We used her Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom from Paradise Fibers. It was a dream to use (yes, I weaved this, too. Don't tell her.) We used a 7.5 DPI reed and some cotton for the warp. I'd say the cotton was equivalent to a DK weight. The warp was quite long because I wanted for her to have lots of practice, so I'm guessing that it was at least 90" long. When I warped the loom, I allowed for about 18 warp threads, or whatever you call it! I'm not used to these terms. But, anyway, I threaded it 18 times for the width of this scarf. We used just one skein of yarn, however. It's the Knitterly Things Vesper Sock Yarn in Pure Pumpkin. The resulting scarf is approximately two yards long. (That is, approximately 72".)

BTW: I just noticed that when Girlfriend talks about her girlfriend's boyfriends, when she says the word "boyfriend," she puts them in air quotes. : )

Double BTW: That hat she's wearing is a pattern that I'm going to publish. It's all ready to go but the "sample" is so worn out that I need the time to knit another! Stay tuned!

When the Stash isn't Doing its Job.

I don't care how much of a stash I have, there is never, and I mean never, the "right" stuff in my stash when I have either a special request from a knitworthy person or a sudden knitterly inspiration.

Never.

And I have a stash that could choke a horse.

Case in point: I made this cap awhile back and had the pattern edited. All we need to do at this point is photograph it and I can make the pattern available. I call it "Cable Down Easy."

It takes just one skein of Malabrigo Arroyo. But since Girlfriend has decided that she will not take it off for any reason except to sleep and shower, it is getting a little iffy. It's so iffy at this point, I'm beginning to consider a little motherly thievery might be in order.

Which reminds me of the time when I was a little younger than her. I had these dreamy white vinyl go-go boots that I wouldn't take off. One day, poof! They disappeared. They were gone, gone, gone. Years later, my mom admitted that she had stolen them while I lay asleep. They stunk so bad, she just had to for her, and for the sake of others.

Girlfriend is asking for a "moody" color, and although I have plenty of yarn that is in the correct weight, I do not have a "moody" color. So, what did I just do? I called my not-so-local-LYS and they are sending me a couple of skeins.

BTW: My courses are now live on Creativebug! Click on the image on the right-hand side of the page for more information!

 

October 2014 Mystery KAL

Hey friends! If any of you are on Craftsy or want to try it, I created a knit-along for Craftsy and it has just gone live! Since it was a mystery up until now, I couldn't show you the final knit, but it's here, in all its glory.

The cowl is an easy cable pattern that is totally reversible and beginner-friendly. For those of you who are experienced with cables, it is a perfect item for gift-giving, because you can crank one out pretty quickly. Right now, the KAL and kit (both pattern and yarn) are on sale and available at Craftsy.com for $24.99. I'm checking in at Craftsy a few times a day, so I'll be there with you should you encounter a problem or need some questions answered. This is my first Craftsy KAL and so far it's a lot of fun!

I call it the Lucky Ribs Cable Cowl. Depending upon the color you choose, it's totally unisex because if someone doesn't want to wear a cowl, all you have to do is not connect it together at the and keep it flat... And then you'll have a reversible scarf!

I hope to see you there!

BTW: Still working on the loom! Girlfriend just loves it and that weaving gnome seems to be moving her latest scarf along a bit too quickly. I know this because Girlfriend's beginning to think that something is up. 

I had no issues at all telling her that there was no Easter Bunny. (Because, really. A Bunny That Has The Time to Bring Candy and Go to The Store AND Deliver The Goods to the Children All In One Night? Really?) But, I'm not so sure I want to tell her that I've been hogging her loom.

Hence, my silence and guilty look on my face.

Photos soon!

LOOM!

There's something about being a parent that makes you sorta wish that your child takes after you, looks like you, has your best qualities and likes to do the same things that you like to do.

Girlfriend can't stand knitting. 

There. I said it: She can't stand it. 

She likes fiber. She likes fabric. She loves to paint and to draw, but for the life of me, she's just not going to knit any time soon. And the more I talk about it, the more she shrinks away.

Enter The Loom.

I got this idea that she might like to use a medium-sized rigid loom. I do already own an Ashford Knitter's Loom that I got from Paradise Fibers, but I thought that having one of her own might be something that she'd like to do. Not to mention, I have yarn coming out of my ears, spilling out of otherwise empty lugguage, hiding in drawers and up in my closet. I'm literally drowning in it. HWWV always says, "Hey, why don't you just sell it?" but let's be honest, just you and me: It's all good stuff; I don't WANT to sell it. I WANT to KEEP it. Go ahead and try to make me sell it, Mister.

This 16" Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom comes in a box and needs a little attention before assembly. It is this gorgeous Silver Beech Hardwood and is unfinished, so I gave it a coat or two of paste wax the night before we put it together.

This is a process that can be done on your own, but I figure a 12-year old--even though she knows how to use certain power tools--needed some supervision.

I also figure that if you get to assemble it on your own, that it feels more like it belongs to you. That is, unless we're talking about IKEA furniture. That's an entirely different ball of wax.

Speaking of wax, we put some candle wax on those spindle thingys. And no, I do not yet have all the lingo down. (Ha ha, come to think of it, that's a candle from, you guessed it: IKEA!)

The process, all in all, took about 20 minutes. Right after that, we warped it and so far, Girlfriend made a short scarf and tied the ends last night. She has been weaving each night, and after she goes to bed, I grab it and work on it a little while she sleeps. When she finished up the scarf, she remarked how quickly the whole process went. I didn't have the heart to tell her that a little weaving gnome had been working on it behind her back.

Stay tuned: I'm going to go through my Knitterly Things Vesper Sock yarn stash and help her warp her loom so she can make a striped scarf. I'll take pics and show you how it goes. I also think that I will be warping my Ashford Knitter's Loom (both from Paradise Fibers--very affordable and great service) and compare and contrast their performance.

BTW: I have a Mystery KAL starting in October with Craftsy! Check it out here! It's on sale right now for $24.99.  I just know that you'll love the project. I have to keep it under wraps for now, but as soon as I can post pics, I will.

 

Lots of Yarn. Lots and Lots of it. Lots of Ways to Use it, too.

There is always a lot of yarn in this house. There has always been a lot of yarn in this house, come to think of it. When I wasn't knitting--I really didn't start until about 2002--I was crocheting. I know I don't mention it too much, but yes, that's what I was doing.

I crocheted lots of baby blankets. One memorable one was so cute I nearly died crocheting it. It was a swathe of blue single crochet. After that was done, I cross-stitched Noah's Arc animals on top of it. To die for.

But not for the person to whom I gave it. She said it was too heavy for her climate and practically tried to give it back.

See? Even crocheters get the gift-giving blues.

I also crocheted some Christmas afghans for my step-mom. To this day, she happily brings them out and drapes them all over the joint. Bobbles, lots of bobbles. I don't like knitting bobbles, but crocheting them seems okay to me.

So. In the end, our lives even themselves out. And crocheters get just as much gift-giving grief when giving gifts as knitters do.

Trust me on this one: It's sort of a equal opportunity angst-fest.

Which brings me to this and the whole "there's always yarn in the house, and always has been" thing.

Girlfriend has a new loom.

She doesn't like to knit, but I tell you what: If I don't make a weaver out of her I will promise to lay off forever (and steal her new loom).

This is an Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom from Paradise Fibers. It's a 16" one, so she can make me loads of items like place mats, scarves and table runners. She will be able to make them in no time flat! Based on what I've seen on Youtube, it's a satisfying loom and perfect for beginners. Just think how happy I will be when she replaces all the woven items in the house! In all my colors! While I put my feet up on the ottoman and watch!

"But don't you already have an Ashford Knitter's Loom" you ask? (Shhhhh. Don't tell her.)

Any rate, I'm giving this baby a bit of a paste wax, and this weekend, we'll put it together, together.

Imagine how much yarn we'll be able to move out of the house with this new toy! Hurray!

And, on another note: I have been having fun with an outfit named Creativebug. Below is a shot of me on the beach wearing a sweater for a trailer for some online classes I've taped for them. Stay tuned for more. I'm so excited about this! They'll be live pretty soon and I'll be sure to let you know when. (About the trailer: There's a pretty good shot of HWWV in it. Mr. Mysterious will finally be revealed.)

P.S. We may be having the worst drought ever and experiencing horrible heat, yet I am thankful for this huge stretch of land that brings me so much joy. : ) I wish you all could be here, too.

Fancy Nancy Stash-Out: Last Hurrah

I can't tell you how happy I am to have readers like you. Almost every, single lot of yarn has been snapped up. I've saved four lots for last. There may be a fire sale at the end for a couple lots that didn't ever sell, but before I do that, I'll bring them back to Nancy and ask what she wants me to do with them.

If you're interested in any of this, contact me at knitandtonic AT gmail DOT com and I will tell you next steps.

So, here we go: 

 From what I am told, this is the last cardigan that Nancy was working on. She has completed the back (in the 41-42" size; only one size is given in this particular book). She has also started on one of the fronts, which is still on the needles. Another 11 or so balls of the Katia Brisa, a viscose blend, are still waiting to be knit. The pattern, model 6 in the Katia No. 40 "Primavera Verano" book--it has 45 patterns in it and they're pretty classic--takes 13 balls, yet it looks like she bought a total of 15.

Nancy is a spectaular knitter so the back is really nicely knit. But whatever you decide, all the materials you see here are up for sale. Size US #4 needles (Inox), a needle holder, 15 balls' worth of Katia yarn and a Katia booklet that probably retailed for $20.00. She paid $5.50 for each ball of yarn, so that comes to $82.50 plus the $20.00 or so that she spent on the booklet.

If you're interested in what the cardi she was working on looks like, it is pictured here.

There are 137 yards in each ball of the red yarn, so there are well over 1,700 yards here. This is a beautiful color. I wonder if she already purchased the buttons for this. I think I will ask her.

I will sell the lot for $65.90 including Priority Mail shipping, to US addresses only. SOLD!

The next lot is also red:

Here are 7 balls of Sinfonie, a blend of mohair (of course) and 8 spools of Anny Blatt Victoria, a ribbon yarn made of nylon. You can see the entrelac sweater that Nancy wanted to make in this Threads magazine. The magazine will come with the yarn. It is the July, 1994 edition--but note that the pattern isn't actually in the magazine (it says you have to send for it). She also printed out a tutorial on knitting seamless entrelac, which I will, of course, include.

The Sinfonie is a mohair blend that knits up on US # 8 - 10.5 needles with about 13 sts to 4 inches. The Anny Blatt is about the same. She paid about $5.50 for each of the Sinfonie's and $12.80 for each spool of the Anny Blatt. That's about $140.00. I won't pass on the cost of the magazine because, heck, I'm mad that there isn't a pattern in there for the sweater!

I will sell the lot (including the magazine that has an extensive tutorial on entrelac, but not the pattern) for $60.90, including Priority Shipping. US addresses only.

This is for cotton lovers. There are 17 skeins of this Classic Elite Newport, a mercerized pima cotton that has a gorgeous sheen. Three of the skeins have been balled up by Nancy. I'm not sure why she did that because the skeins are ready to go, but that's what she did. Who knows? Maybe she's one of those knitters who just like to ball the skeins by hand even though they don't really need it.

Each 50g skein has 70 yards and yeilds 18 sts to 4 inches on size US #9 needles.

This yarn screams baby blanket to me. Or poncho. But, I like ponchos. And baby blankets.

I don't know what she paid for this, but I'm assuming around $4.00 a skein. I will sell this for $40.00, including Priority Mail shipping. US addresses only. SOLD!

I know it is hard to see. But one thing you can totally tell is that this is a deep, deep, pine green. It is a truly jewel-toned dark evergreen.

Nancy never disappoints when it comes to Mohair. I can't believe that I have typed "mohair" this many times the past several months. But at any rate, that's what she liked so that's what I'm selling on her behalf. Agian, this is probably a purchase that brought her back to the pin-up sweater days. I don't blame her. Those times looked like fun times.

Come to think of it, I've knit a mohair sweater in this color before!

Five skeins of Katia Cuore. Mohair blend. Size 8 - 10.5 US needles, about 147 yards per skein. Enough for a medium short-sleeve sweater or vest, I think.

She paid $6.00 for each skein. I will sell it for 27.95, including Priority Shipping. US addresses only. SOLD!

Thank you to everyone who has participated in Nancy's de-stash. It has been a bit cathartic but happy, too. : )