Blog Celebration!

Well it was roughly about a year ago that I began this wee blog and I truly can't believe what a great outlet it has been during a year of living far from friends and family. I've connected with so many fiber loving folks out there and come across some wonderful sources of knitting related reading. Thanks to all who stop by ......

The thing that got this blog going was having a design accepted by Amy Singer over at Knitty.com.....well guess what....to add to the excitement of reaching a year of blogging here on the Shetland Trader she has accepted another of my designs for the Summer 08 issue....couldn't ask for a better gift than that!

Modifying One's Own Pattern

Well here she is, "Slipped Hours", a short-sleeved, cowl-less version of her former self!
I realized a good way into knitting this that I didn't infact have as much yarn as I had thought. So mods needed to be made. After a quick eyeball of my quantities in relation to what was left to knit, it was apparent that I'd need to shorten the sleeves and do without the cowl.
Turns out my estimation was spot on and I have a teensy ball of yarn left!

I'm really happy with how it came out and I even got to finally use one of my lovely tagua nut buttons (they've been wanting to adorn something for a while now)

Pattern: Slipped Hours- By me!
Yarn: Dance, from the Sanguine Gryphon (in Merengue)
Needles: US #4

Mods: Shortened the sleeves. I cast on the number of stitches needed at the top of the sleeve thus eliminating any shaping and knit for approx 5 inches before joining to body. I also worked 4 repeats of the cording stitch pattern for the collar/neck with 12 extra stitches cast on to create a flap for a button. Button hole shaping from Maggie Righetti's book "Knitting in Plain English"- This was the first time using the directions from her book and it really does produce a superior button hole, you must try it!

Other things: I discovered an error in the pattern and got to practice using my camera's self timer!

March Sweater Madness

As we head into Spring (well technically I don't think we actually had what could be classed as a winter) here in Fresno and I don my flip flops (which makes it hard to finish those Pomatomus socks-they're slow knitting) a crazy voice inside is persuading me to spend time working on sweaters....perhaps crazy or possibly intentionally organized....you see if I work on these now then they'll be all ready for selling when cooler weather is on the horizon again!
First up is the aforementioned design that I withdrew from publication and which I can now reveal here: (No Name Yet)!

YARN: Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool-Silk DK weight in "Ice Blue" (50% Tussah Silk/50% wool)
Took 1 cone (1120 yards) to knit ......great value, an amazing range of colours...love this yarn!

CONSTRUCTION: This is a bottom up raglan using an all over Shetland lace (Same as I used for the Unst Cap).
The shaping was created by changing needle size so as not to disturb the lace pattern to much. Definitely intended to be close fitting-negative ease means the lace pattern opens out when worn.

Some of the pictures have pretty intense colour issues going on - taken before I got my new camera- sorry about that!
I originally designed this for my sister (who now has it and loves it) and right now only have the pattern written up in rough. So I need to get some test knitting done (I'll be contacting you soon Christy), write up the pattern properly.....tech edit it and all that good stuff....shouldn't take too long right?.....I'm so impatient!

(removed the part about a sweater design I'm working on)

and....I decided to knit myself a "Slipped Hours"...(is it weird to knit one of your own patterns?)...I really loved how the original turned out but wasn't able to keep it....and I had the same yarn (but in this gorgeous burnt golden colour)...and I'm hoping by knitting another in a different size and colour I may inspire some of those folks on Ravelry who have this in their queue!

Then there's the other stack of Malabrigo that may arrive on my doorstep today destined to be a sweater (not sure which one yet) for a friend in Scotland......told you it was madness!

Sugar and Spice and I Need some Advice!

The sugar and spice refers of course to little girls.....and things girly that they enjoy...like these fairy wings ("Woodland Fairy Wings"- from Boho Baby Knits by Kat Coyle)....destined for my soon to be 4 year old niece in New Zealand.
These were a fun knit and actually didn't take too long even with my painfully slow crochet...took me an hour to do one row (well one of the ties was 300 sts).....

Crystal Palace Yarns Kid Merino:Strawberries and Limes/Tulips
Crystal Palace Yarns Deco Stardust: Gold

I had planned on having Maya model them for me but ...well...she isn't 4 anymore and her wingspan outstretches this pair of wings....instead here she is looking very grown up, sophisticated and art studenty, modeling my latest Bousta Beret (my 5th) which will be going to my Mum (if you live in a house in Shetland called Muckle Bousta then you've got to have a Bousta Beret one would think)!

BTW that's a lizard Maya is working on for her brother's birthday...and yes she now wants a beret too!

Edited: I decided to remove this section of text about my submission issue and instead to finish dealing with it "off blog" and to just put it down to experience and move on! I appreciate all the words of advice both on here and privately.

Not a lot to show for it!

I have indeed been knitting..madly, insanely, furiously....and happily...but well I either don't have anything quite complete or it can't yet be revealed! I'm working on a submission, finished my Knitscene design and mailed it off, have one of my Pomatomus socks done, slowly working on a long-ago-promised vest for my Brother-in-Law in New Zealand (it's summer there so I make myself feel less guilty by reasoning that he couldn't wear it right now anyway) and generally thinking about all the things I want to get around to designing!

One thing I can show are these satisfyingly quick to knit Maine Morning Mitts made for and requested by my nephew in Scotland whose 10th birthday I missed last week! He specifically wanted red and light blue stripes and I can see why....very Dr. Seuss-ish I think! If I had a need for such an item here in Fresno I'd make some for myself!

Another thing I have nothing to show for is the fact that I went to Stitches West this past weekend. I only went on Saturday (with my friend and neighbour Lori who did all the driving-thanks again Lori) and walked around for a few hours in a bit of an overwhelmed daze!
I've never attended something like this before....SO MUCH GORGEOUS YARN EVERYWHERE....I found it really hard to actually buy anything with so much choice...I did of course make some purchases but only after a lot of dithering around!

What was even more fun for me was getting to meet the "real" versions of some of the online folks I've met in cyberspace recently.....Jess and Casey of Ravelry were there and it was great to be able to thank them in person...they're sooo sweet and lovely too....I also met the warm and bubbly Mary heather Cougar of rainydaygoods who was helping out at the Rav booth.....and Romi, so serene and beautiful in person......and I was able to re-connect with some of the WEBS folks I had met when I lived out in Massachusetts, Hi again Cirilia (my beret model) sorry if I seemed spaced out when I spoke to you, think I'd reached my max overload at that point!

Just A Quickie!

Oooo that's a rather naughty post title given that it's Valentine's day! However I am here to spread the Love......of Ravelry that is.....I've been lucky enough to have my store enabled over there so you can now purchase my patterns through Ravelry (only if you're a member at present....soon anyone will be able to stop by and shop....sorry)!
...so all you Ravelry folks who may be considering how cute you'd look in a Bousta Beret.... please hit my Ravelry store for purchases (that way a few cents go back into the running of that wonderful site and the lurve is spread all around)!

Here for you to enjoy is a Love Cat
(By Maya Durham-my daughter)

Socks and a Silly Song

So in amongst all the WIP's that I can't blog about yet I've started a pair of socks...some of you will recognize this popular pattern Pomatomus from Cookie A...I'm probably the last person to knit one of her patterns ... there are a gazillion projects for her socks on Ravelry!!....however better late than never....and the gorgeous sock yarn I bought from Gryphon recently, called out to have it's heathery hues on display soon.......before it's flip flop time again here in California (which will probably be next month)!

I have only knit 3 pairs of socks in my life so far and they were all basic, bog-standard ones so it is a delight to see such a beautiful pattern emerging on these......but a thought has occurred...how does one show off ones fancy socks for admiring comments?

Here for your amusement is a song by the hilarious kiwi boys Flight of The Conchords...the name of these socks (because I always pronounce it incorrectly) makes me think of this song
Warning: There are are a few obscenities uttered in this song....but only to make fun of the truly derogatory rap out there!
Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros