** H O L L Y W E S T -- Live, Love, Create **

Spring Knitty

It's always a happy day when a new issue of Knitty comes out.  As always, there are at least a few designs I feel compelled to knit (which doesn't mean I get around to it).  Here are some of the highlights from the new issue:

Hands down, my favorite design is Jaden.  It has a lovely shape and some really nice details.  I am tempted to put down everything and knit this immediately, even though I am deep in the middle of Christmas gift knitting (I started in January this year!  Unfortunately, all unbloggable)  and an original project I'm designing for myself (which I will blog eventually).

My next favorite design is Mosey.  I've been wanting to knit a pair of leg warmers for awhile and I love this pair.  The weather in Southern California is warming up quickly though and I fear it might be too late to get much wear out of these now, but they would be fantastic for Fall.

Nob Hill  is another favorite design from this issue.  My only concern about it is that my figure tends toward boxiness and this shrug might exacerbate that look.  It looks like a quick knit though and it if it doesn't work for me I could probably find someone to give it to who doesn't suffer from rectangle syndrome.

Next on the list is Honeycomb because it looks like a good challenge and I've been looking for a flattering vest pattern for awhile.  This one might fit the bill.

Sigh.  I love knitting.

Crazy Hat Lady

Every time ski season rolls around, I get an overwhelming urge to knit hats.  Ironically, now that I've got a helmet, I can't even wear hats when I ski.  This isn't something I took into consideration when I bought the helmet, but I figure safety trumps cute headwear.

The hat below was knit a couple of weeks ago to match the scarf, which I knit last year.  Originally, I envisioned a hat with a folded ribbed brim, but I didn't like the look of it so I wear it more as a slouchy hat.

 
The yarn is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky in light teal, which is one of my favorite yarns.  There is really no pattern for the hat--I cast on 76 stitches on size 9 double pointed needles.  I knit the ribbed pattern for about 3 inches, then switched to stockinette in the next round, increasing 1 stitch every 19 stitches (80).  I continued in stockinette for about 2 1/2 inches.  For the top shaping, I did a decrease row (knit 8, knit two together, repeating until the end of the round), followed by a regular round.  Next decrease row was knit 7, knit two together, repeating until the end of the round, followed by a regular round.  And so on, until there were 8 stitches left on the needles.  Break the yarn, put it on a tapestry needle, and run it back through your stitches, pulling tightly.  Weave in your ends, and Voila!  You have a hat.

For the scarf, I used my trusty Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns.  I highly recommend this book, or a book like it, because it is filled with loads of patterns that you can mix and match to add detail to your designs.  In this case, I used a basic cable stitch down the middle and some twisted cables on either side.  Forgive me, I knit this scarf over a year ago and I don't remember exactly what stitches I used.  No matter--if you want to knit a scarf like this, create your own unique design.

I have a few more hats I'll be posting in the next few days.  Please try to contain your excitement!

Livin' la Vida Geeky

I am a geek, for sure.  A few of the things I am geeky about:  the Bee Gees, celebrity sightings, dogs, genealogy, Judy Blume books... the list goes on.

So it should come as no surprise that I'm also a knitting geek and had to purchase custom labels to sew into my finished projects:

These were cheap:  about $27 for 100 labels from Sterling Name Tape.  It took about 4 weeks for the order to arrive, but I'm very happy with them.  The only thing I wish is that I'd ordered them with dark gray lettering rather than the red.  I was going for a look similar to my hollywest logo, which is why I chose the red.  They're cheap enough where I could order another set, I guess.

Another thing I'm very recently geeky about is the Treasury on Etsy.com.  I've gotten a few of them now and it usually takes me at least an hour (and by hour, I mean 3) to do one because I try so hard to make it just so.  My most recent treasury is called Hooray for Hollywood (note: this link will expire around 2pm on October 16) and has a vintage Hollywood theme.  So far it's getting good feedback but I have yet to be featured on the etsy home page.  The geek in me will keep trying!

Note:  I now have another treasury which expires on October 19.

Ravelry

After waiting a couple of months or so, I finally got my invitation to sign up for Ravelry yesterday.  I'm still exploring, but so far I'm enjoying it immensely.  As someone who came very late to the online knit community party, I find it valuable and more importantly, inspiring, to read about and look at so many people's projects. 

Since I learned about Ravelry on someone else's blog (unfortunately, I can't remember which), I thought I'd post about it here and maybe someone who is interested would learn about it from me.

Ravelry is an online knit/crochet community that has all sorts of features, from forums to a yarn index to a pattern index, etc.  One feature I like so far is that you can search for projects by yarn-type.  I'm hoping this feature will help me get through my stash!

Right now Ravelry is in beta, but you can sign up for an invite and wait for an invitation, and like it said, it took a couple of months for me to get my invitation.  But it was worth the wait!

Spinning for my Supper

For our anniversary, I told Mick to look on Etsy and buy me something he thought I'd like.  He bought me a handmade spindle and some wool, which was a very nice surprise:

Today I set out to spin a little.  Turns out it's kind of hard!  Here is my first attempt at making yarn:

I have to admit I'm not very good at reading and then following directions, so this attempt was lame, at best.  I feel quite certain I wasn't doing it right because it didn't spin very smoothly.  That said, it looks more like yarn than it did when I started out.

I'll have to keep practicing...

Knitting Season

Not only is it Fall, the best time of year, it's also knitting season.  I pretty much knit year-round, but there's no question I get a surge of knitting energy when the cooler weather arrives.

I blogged about my Christmas knitting a couple of weeks ago and I have since begun another gift.  When I get bored of knitting one, I can go to the other, as both of my current projects are "long-haul."  Good thing I've started my Christmas knitting early!

I will continue posting "teaser" photos of these projects and when the gifts are given I'll post complete pictures and patterns, where applicable.

I am also itching to start another sweater for myself--I've got the design in my mind and now I've got to detail it.  I'm still dreaming of submitting a design to knitty.com, you know...

Top o' the Mornin' to Ye

I mentioned here that I've started my Christmas knitting, which means that although I constantly have something on the needles, I can't really blog about it.  However, a couple of weeks ago I started a project that I'm really pleased about and I think it's going to be really cool when it's completed.  Here is a preview:

I've been wanting to do an Aran-type design for a long time and although I'm not sure where the inspiration for this particular design came from, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to try Aran knitting.  Using the Sweater Wizard I designed the bare bones of the project, then I took out my trusty Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns and searched for something I liked.  The front and side patterns came from that book.

The pattern for the back center of this piece came from here.  It is the Wide Multi-Cable.

I'm very pleased with these stitch patterns because the large center cable echoes the pattern on the left and right sides of the piece perfectly.  The mini-cables on the sides work very well for under the arms.

Designing this piece was a bit complicated, but not so much that it was daunting.  Yes, yes, I know math is hard, but even with my meager skills, I was able to do it.  Of course, it's not done yet!  Unfortunately, I won't be able to show the finished work until after the gift is given.  Until then...

Another Baby Cardigan

About a year ago, I made these little sweaters for my friend's twin boys.

Over the weekend, I finished another, this one for my cousin Ashley's baby who is due in November:

Again, I used this pattern:

Fran's Hooded Baby Sweater

The yarn is Caron Simply Soft, which I find to be a good baby-knitting yarn since it is soft and easy to care for.

The baby, who is a girl, will be named Madison.  Mick and I will be in Oregon when she is born, and I can't wait to meet her.  Ashley asked me to video tape the birth.  I'm skeered!  Since it is the closest I'll probably ever come to actually giving birth, however, I'm going to do it, in fact I'm excited about it.

I'm Ready for my Close Up

Sometimes I feel like a bit of a poser when it comes to crafting because I'm relatively new to it.  When I was a kid, I didn't do much in the way of making things, although I did write a lot.  I remember I used to make little satirical "magazines" (more like pamphlets) based on Better Homes and Gardens.  They were made out of construction paper and I'd staple the pages together then draw pictures and write "articles."  That's as close to crafting as I ever got.  Wait, that's not true--I remember I had a little metal loom that you'd put elastic loops on and weave them through to the other end to make potholders and such.  That's the closest I ever got to crafting.

Now, a day doesn't go by where I'm not making something.  I don't think it's because I didn't have the interest when I was younger, it's just that so many other things got in the way.  And it wasn't that I lacked creativity--I made a lot of stuff for my doll house and my Barbies had some pretty sweet digs (I used to make waterbeds for them out of zip lock bags and my record albums formed the walls of their houses).  All that said, I was never a crafter like my sister and mom were, and I certainly never considered myself an artist.  Frankly, I still don't.  There's something about that word, that label, that I really don't feel qualified to apply to myself.

Not that it matters.  I create a lot of stuff that can be called art, for lack of a better word.  I enjoy making it, people like it, and they even buy it.  If I don't feel like calling myself an artist, then I'm not sure it makes much difference.

I'm not saying this to knock myself down--I love what I create and think it's for the most part beautiful.  Maybe I just don't like labels.  Maybe I don't want to be defined by any one thing because I'm so likely to change my mind and switch to something else.*

But enough about that.  The new issue of Knitty is here and there are things I'm going to have to knit:

Patch Pocket Raglan - There are some really talented male knit designers out there.  This is an example.  I totally wish my husband would start knitting--I think it would suit him and his programmer mentality well.

Mr. Greenjeans - Hooray for the raglans!  I solemnly swear I will not knit myself a non-raglan sleeve sweater ever again.  (And how cute is her haircut)?

Flower Power - This, frankly, is a must-knit.  I already have three recipients in mind.

I have already started my Christmas knitting and have one project that I'm very excited about well underway.  Unfortunately, I can't really blog it because what if the intended recipient happens upon my blog?  Unlikely, but possible.

*  The one label I do use in reference to myself is "atheist."  I only do that because I think it's important to identify myself as such, and in terms that the rest of the world can understand (well, maybe not understand, but at least know the meaning of).

Urban Pioneer

I was sitting on my couch yesterday afternoon, minding my own business, when suddenly I heard a loud boom.  I looked up to see the transformer in front of our building lit up like a dozen sparklers on the Fourth of July all going off at once.  When the fizzing and sputtering was over, big clouds of smoke puffed up and the tree in front of the building was shaking like crazy, along with all the power lines connected to the transformer.  I seriously thought the tree or the side of our building might've got on fire (although I now realize that was kind of silly).

If only I had some photos of the action.

When the carnage was over, the blown transformer dangled precariously over the sidewalk.

At this point, we still had power.  About an hour later, however, they turned off the power and over the course of the afternoon, removed all three transformers.  We could see the guys working from our balcony:


Since it didn't seem like they were going to be finished any time soon (a rumor circulated that they were waiting for new transformers from Dominguez Hills), Mick and I went to drown our sorrows in Mexican food and margaritas.  When we returned, they were no closer to getting the lights back on so we went upstairs to start setting up the candles and finding flashlights.

For some reason, my husband loves flashlights.  I've never understood it, but for once this infatuation did us some good because not only did we have more than enough flashlights for ourselves, we lent some out to people in the building.

I'd just started a new project and I was itching to make some progress on it, despite the lack of light.  I surrounded myself with flashlights and candles and got to work.  Unfortunately, the light was still really bad and after just a few rows I decided to wait until morning to continue rather than make a mistake because I couldn't see what I was doing.

I imagine this is the way the pioneer women used to do it, don't you?

About 1 am the power came back on, much to the chagrin of our dog Stuart, who is the most neurotic pooch I've ever met.  He can't stand any sort of beeping or high pitched noises, and when the power goes off and on there are numerous such noises. 

Poor little guy!