april showers...

i'm excited because:

-after eight long months i finally have the internet at my house! as my friend briana put it, i could have had a baby!

-also, it is almost summer! even thought it doesn't feel like it. cold, wet, windy, dark. well... almost.

-i got a new digital camera. i used it to photograph my other new camera. see...


-i have been reading lots of good books. join me on goodreads.com.

-i have also felted a new bag (pictures soon!) and a cute, short but sweet scarf. I am about to start stitching this tee.




that's all for now. isn't it enough??

when i'm not knitting i'm reading.

I was excited when I spotted this book in the store:


not so much for the stories, but for the cover. It is an image by one of my favorite photographers and aib teacher Cig Harvey. Take a look at her work online. You, too, will be enthralled.

march.

it's spring!

I have not really been doing much in the way of needles and yarn, but I did have the time to scan some negatives and create some photographs last month! I added them to my website and they can be seen under "current projects." check it out!

February.

Thanks for checking in to see what I have been doing. I haven't felt all that much like taking pictures and then writing about every little thing I have done in the last few weeks. There have been bigger things going on. But maybe one day I will get back to it. It was nice to track my progress, you know? And nice to get messages from you all.

Be in touch.

evoking new mediums.

I said to myself, when I started blogging or whenever I blog, that this was only going to reflect what I was doing, that I couldn't just blog about wanting to do things or talk it up. This was supposed to be a reflection of my productivity, not in place of. But ideas have been swarming around in my head so much lately that I need a place, besides sketch books and notepads and just talking to others, to spill them! I am this excited, that I want to start blabbing before I have even made anything yet!

My crafts and styles are always evolving which I think is pretty cool. But it's also because I get bored so very quick and cannot focus on one craft for too long. This prevents me from really ever mastering one particular thing. Getting a degree in photography was probably the closest I ever came to focusing (literally, haha) on that.

But there comes a time artistically, that all paths lead home. Whatever new idea I get, or new hobby I evoke, I start to notice little details that link me to projects of my past. My bags, for example, from last winter, that I became obsessed with designing, knitting and felting, all mocked the colors used in my senior thesis project, which involved photography, text, cutting, sewing, layering and assemblage.
This winter, I have become been inspired to use similar skills: cutting, assembling and sewing a quilt! I have been admiring Denyse Schmidt's gorgeous quilts that have quirky patterns and use lots of contract stitching as subject matter. The idea to do something different, yet familiar, surfaces and I am liking the thought of using patterns with words I choose and abstract text (like in my senior project) to create my own originally patterned fabric.


In the past I have printed these images and words onto material with a simple photocopier and stitched right over then with my sewing machine, but I may introduce myself to something fancier like silkscreen and work with some kind of paint. The idea of the screen being like a film negative is exciting to me and makes the two projects feel very connected. In the end I will have a very memorable piece of work, both in its process and result. I like the idea of tying together the threads of my many different crafts and taking on something big with new things to learn. This may not be completed this winter, the text I want to use and colors and fabrics are not all decided on yet. But inspiration and ideas don't seem to hard to get. Now I won't say another word until I know.

Knitting in New Mexico.

Well here I am, winter in Las Cruces, NM, visiting Nick and spending our lazy days in the sun. We have been taking long walks, visiting parks, cooking yummy meals, reading plenty of books and, of course, I brought along my knitting! But this glorious vacation cannot last forever... after a quick trip to San Francisco (to see Stella on my birthday!) I will be heading back to New England to get back to work, winter and my family and friends there.

In the meantime I have been knitting a simple scarf for my Dad. He wanted something specifically 26" long and 4-5" wide. A short scarf that he could tuck inside the collar of his coat and keep out the chill. Nothing hanging, no fringe, no cables, buttons or frills. I think I completed that task!

Seemed a little dull at first, but after I started knitting in the 1 x 1 rib pattern I found a calming beauty in the simplicity and a meditation in the monotony. It came out quite nice and I am excited to give it to him. In the meantime I have let Paco model it for you (above.)

I have also been busy at work making my first pair of mittens! well they aren't quite yet a pair. Still just one mitten, but I am happy with it's turnout and ready to begin the second. They are made out of the same grey speckled "tweed" yarn, which was all I brought with me. I am thinking that after this mitten i am going to need a new fiber badly and was glad I discovered Unravel, a gorgeous little knitting shop in the downtown mall. If anyone ever visits Las Cruces, be sure to stop in there!

Merry Christmas!

...from my desktop to yours.


Cards are all made and sent out, gifts are wrapped and ready to give. My suitcase it packed and I am off! To New Mexico for the rest of 2006 and some of 2007.

See you in January! Happy Holidays!

busy fingers.

This time of year I always start making my christmas cards. Last year it was cutting out lots of tiny mittens from red and green paper that I fastened to string with itty bitty closepins. The year before I simply made colorful squares and threaded through silky ribbons to tie on top.

This year, it's trees.
Lots and lots of trees!




I worked on these when I was visiting my parents house this week. They hardly ever get a tree anymore and sometimes I really miss it. This is what I always remember it being like.



Happy Holidays!

plant one on the seed stitch.

I don't have time to knit everybody stuff for the Holidays, so here's something fun to make and wear from a pattern I made up. Consider it my gift to you! Or you can make one and give it to someone else. You can thank me later.

I have a very small head and I always make hats that are TOO BIG. Hats stretch out easily, too, so I started here with only 58 sts. You may choose to do 60 or 64 even, but just make sure it is an even number and keep in mind that the ribbing on the brim is going to look MUCH smaller than it really is…

Ok. So cast on 58sts. Size 10 needles strait needles (even tho the yarn calls for 11 or 12s)
Knit 1 x 1 rib for desired length of brim approx. 1 - 2”

Next, to begin first row of seed stitch begin knitting onto size 11 needles. Now knit in a knit purl pattern that is OPPOSITE of the rib. The stitches will not sit nicely on top of each other like in the ribbing, but will create a pattern of bumps and dents.

Rib pattern – knit, purl, k, p, k, p etc!
Seed st row 1 – Purl, k, p, k etc
Row 2 – Knit, purl, k, p, k, p
Row 3 – purl, knit and so on…

Shaping the crown is difficult with the seed stitch, at least it is difficult to keep all those intentional bumps in order. I managed by beginning my decrease row as:

Dec row 1 – K1, Purl 2tog, *K2tog, P1, K2tog, P1* *to end
Row 2 – same thing!
Row 3 – seed stitch even, no decrease!
Row 4 – depending on which stitch you are supposed to start off with, I K2tog, P2tog all sts in an even rotation.
And same for Row 5.
And Row 6.

Stop when you have approx 7 sts on your needles and cut the remaining thread with enough yarn to loop through the remaining sts and to sew up the top. If you knit this hat on straight needles instead of circular (which I did and works fine!) then sew up the side seem so it is nice and invisible.

Islander Notecards Are Here!

Available in packs of 5, these adorable notecards feature the Islander ferry as it leaves Vineyard Haven harbor on a crisp October day in 2006. The well known and often traveled boat has been making trips between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard for over 50 years and will make its final run this January, 2007. In celebration of a visit to the Island or to commemorate this special vessel, send these cards to all your friends!

5 cards w/ envelopes $9.50.

$2 to ship.

email granary [at] vineyard [dot] net

or leave me a comment and I'll get in touch with you.

see more of my photography at www.vlephotography.com

see more of my crafty little things below....

blogger saved me.

My computer was comatose for a couple days and I had to send her off to apple to get fixed. All is fine now, except everything that was on my hard drive from the past year (I did back up on nov. 2005) was erased. Now I am slowly putting everything back in place.

Silly, but I was bummed that I lost pictures and notes from all the knitting projects I had done in the past year -- felted bags, armwarmers, the knit tank, etc. but behold -- the blog! I have it all right here. online and ready. So in a way keeping this blog was not a goofy waste of my time. an entire years archive exists in a place I hopefully can't erase it.

Did you all remember to go vote today??
i hope you did.

I made something for you.

try this pattern... wear this hat!



Knit with Lamb’s Pride Bulky – Aztec Turquoise

You need:
Circular needles size 8 (for brim) and size 10 or 10 1/2 for gauge.
Cable needle
Basic knowledge of what to do with needles and yarn.

To do:
Cast on 66 stitches – size 8 needles – join sts and place marker at the “beginning”
Knit 1 x 1 rib in the round for 1”
Switch to size 10 needles and begin stockingette stitch. Increase 1 st every 10 sts --72 sts!

Cable pattern will be as follows: K6 C6 x6 every 5 rows*
On the rows in between cables, knit the stockingette st. You will know every time you pass a marker that you completed a row. I find that sometimes making tallies on a sheet of scrap paper is helpful for keeping track of my rows. Or I just write on whatever is handy.

*also, you don’t HAVE to knit every 5 rows. You might like tighter cables every 3 or 4 rows. or longer cables every 6 or 7 rows. This part will be up to you and can make each hat unique.

For help making cables, view this helpful link. Cables are really easy and fun. They break up the monotony of knitting in the round and make winter hats even warmer and thicker. Experiment with different waves by placing the “on hold” sts in front of and in back of the project. AND if you don’t have a cable needle handy your smaller circular needles can always double in performance hold your sts!

Follow this cabling pattern for 5 – 6” (depending on how big your head is or how much hair you have. Basically, knit until the hat is about 2 1/2” shorter than what you want.

To decrease:
You will continue to cable as normal during this part. You will only decrease the sts in between the cables and you will do it every other row.
Start by Knitting 2 together (K2tog), K4, C/K6. repeat for the entire row – 66 sts.
Next row, Knit, no decrease.
Next, K3, K2tog, C/K6 repeat – 60sts.
Knit, no decrease.
K2tog, K2, C/K6 – 54 sts.
Knit all.
K2tog, K1, C/K6 – 48 sts.
Knit all -- Be ready to change to double pointed needles to hold the decreasing amount of sts!
K2tog C/K6 – 42
Knit all.
K2tog, K2 all around ignoring the cables.
Knit all.
K2tog K1 all around.
K.
K2tog until you have 8 or 9 sts left and thread a needle with matching yarn to tie them together. Place a couple sts on the top to keep it from being pointy and also to close it up and keep out the cold.



You may know or like a better method for decreasing or shaping the crown. This is how I finished my hat and I was completely making it up as I went. I based it on what the patterns say to do for other hats that I have made and liked the fit. This style may not suit you and you are always encouraged to invent and incorporate your own!!

this is sorta knitting related.

I often catch these guys hanging out on Music Street.



coming soon....
photos of at least ONE of the two sweaters i am working on.
a pattern for my blue cable knit hat.
glitsy winter warmers.
(basically, i'll get back to blogging....)

Three-Way

Digging trough my knitting bag i always find small scanes of yarn left over from bigger projects that still want to use. I decided to combine a few random yarns -- a light purple wool, a gold and purple ribbony yarn and a black boucle -- to create a chunky knit scarf with a little bit of shine. Knit on size 13 29" circular needles, i cast on 100 sts and knit 11 rows.


The end result is a thick and plush wintery wrap that knits up quickly and looks very little like left-overs!



Thanks to Maya for being my model. i thought she was getting a little cold!

a picture of my new place.

here's my bright and sunny kitchen, photographed on my day off when i really should be unpacking more stuff.


also, my little corner in my bedroom with my desk all set up. yes, those are pictures torn from the pages of the new anthropologie catalogue. i taped up the sweaters for some knitting inspiration.



gotta get to work!

the highlight of my summer.

shellac played here on sunday. it was amazing, loud and so much fun. stacie took this picture, and many more, at the show!


can't you just hear all the noise??

be back to posting more relevent things soon.
promise!

we're moving!!!

again.
September 1st will bring me to a new place tucked in the woods off of winding Lambert's Cove road in West Tisbury. It's got a yard full of chickens and a pretty deck, as well as tons of space inside with lots of little alcoves to store all my stuff. Plus a washer dryer to start felting and MAKING THINGS again. This fall I will be getting back to business. yay!


Hope everyone's having a great summer. Let me know what you're up to!

my summer reading.

Thanks to Rachael B for sending me this book, which I read (and enjoyed!) in its entirety on the 100 degree day last week:


1.


I followed it by a loaner from Rosemary, and loved that, too!

2.


I can never get enough of Douglas Coupland and am currently reading:


3.




click on the books to learn more about them!

pattern wanted!

it's hard to find time and motivation to work on projects in the summer. cookouts, croquet games, kickball, fireworks, rock shows and beach going seem more tempting than my needles nearly every night. but i am encouraging myself to, if anything, get started on the cute knit accessories that i want to have and give my friends in time for fall. this may mean having someone stand over my shoulder and tell me not to start on another project before i have completed at least something from my abyss of unfinished knits.

This magazine cover jumped out at me in the store the other day. i loooove the grey hat she's wearing and also, inside, a darker colored one. that's exactly what i want to make and if i knew how, i would have no trouble knitting one up without distraction. does anyone know a way to get those kind of stitches? any suggectiosn welcome and maybe i will make you a hat!

more tv related craft ideas.

I do think Vickie Howell is somewhat trite, but some of her ideas are kinda cool (plus he haircut is A+ adorable) Like her scarf knit from recycled, tornup fabric is something more designers should dream up.

project time!

To gear up for a new season (3!) of Project Runway, I'll be hosting a weekly craft night at my apartment! We can sew buttonholes, knit bags, embroider tees and whatever else people need to work on while watching everyone's favorite crafty show. Plus we'll eat snacks and drink beer! Then being hooked on a tv show doesn't seem so desparate and odd.


The new season doesn't start till Wednesday, July 12, but we'll be getting together this week to get some crafty work done before hand.

see you there!

I wish I was making a cable knit hat.

Looks can be decieving.
This purple cable knit cap that I made from the 2nd Stitch and Bitch book is not as cute and snug fitting as this image shows. Its actually too short and too wide around my head. so i pinned it in the back and cropped the photo. It would be quite adorable if it fit me as desired... or if I had followed the pattern as directed.

I learned a new, proper way to cast on yesterday!

My euro-knitting friend, Kristin (right), was visiting and we sat upon my couch teaching each other new things. I never realized how much i knew (and didn't know!) until i shared my knitting time with someone else. I also got a chance to dive into some old projects (like this hat) and finsih them up. Unfortunely I probably will not wear this hat, but I plan to make another and this time i'll know what i need to do right!

bags bags bags

I didn't make this....

...my friend rachel did and I think its adorable!

Plus its for sale!

$45 american dollars and it shall be yours....
hurry and buy one before she sells out and raises her prices or sells exclusively through some boutique in new york city you cannot even afford to look in. yea, they're that cute.

I, on the other hand, have had little in the lines of production lately. I have become the queen of starting projects and letting them pile up beside my couch, unfinished. Currently in the works:
- a drop stitch scarf made from some gorrrrgeous teal wool I bought off island.
- a hotttt pink bag with I am going to felt and donate to the Garden Gate schoo's silent auction.
- sewing the wooden handles on the bag you see below...
- i don't even know what else. sleep, perhaps?

Sewing the scraps

current project, phase 2:


I don't know if many of you know this, but I am not a good sewer. I have been sewing for a long time, so one would think I am good at it, but I have little ability to control my craft and little idea of what the hell I am doing. Today I put together the puzzle pieces I cut from my scrap fabric, trying to make sense of the pattern I cut up the other night. This would have been easier and faster if I did not have to spend so much time with my seem ripper in hand, removing stitches or rethreading the bobbin that I didn't notice was empty till after so many hopeless stitches. oh well.


Time past and the morning flew by. While I worked I got the chance to sit and drink iced coffee and listen to Camera Obscura, Neko Case and of course, Jens. So it was all well spent and fun to be back at my little machine. And the approaching end result (needs a few more finishing touches) I must say, is exactly all I hoped for.

fun with scrap fabric

current project, phase 1:
measuring, cutting and preparing to sew!







(I know you put the handles on AFTER, but i just wanted to see how they'd look.)
cute!!!

How they came out...

I know, I know. I have read a million different instructions for felting that tell you what to and NOT to do and using front loading washing machines was definitely on the DON'T list! As always I was defiant and used the only resources that I had. Well, I did it anyways and it as bad as I thought they were going to be. I tried to remain positive during the experience, but was extremely nervous when the washer door was locked and I couldn't check in on my piece. When I eventually rescued it from the sudsy tumbling, I found that it had not just felted, but was completely stuck together inside -- my bag felted shut!! I was able to carefully pull it apart and reshape it a bit, but the over all experience was more than I could take! ahhhh.

I reshaped it with shopping bags and let it dry on a towel....


Even though the piece looks somewhat normal now and after it dried, I can see that the felting is very uneven and inconsistent. Some areas are tightly tightly felted and hard while other patches still have holes were the stitches can be perfectly made out! Not cool!

this weekend I am house sitting and will bring my knitting along to experiment with (hopefully) a better washing machine. Anyone know what I can do to save this piece? I may try hand felting it in the areas that look worst. At this point how much damage could I do?

loaded.

Today will be my first day felting in the front loading washing machine at my new apartment. I have put it off because I am nervous about the fact that it locks and I can't check on my stuff while its felting. I am envisioning this tiny shrunken stiff woolley mass (ew!) to come out instead of the bright yellow bag I recently completed. But my choices here are slim. I've got to take a chance!

results to be posted soon.... stand by.

i'm just showing off.

Its Summertime! or so it feels. the lines of traffic and boatloads of tourists have made their way to the island. I haven't been knitting all that much (a little here and there) but I have been sewing labels in my purses and handing them out to my amazing friends as they graduate with degrees of smartness and celebrate birthdays. friends of all ages! i am working on a pattern for my friend katie, who will get a pink and orange bag when she turns 5 next month!

stickers tags & bags

I just got a new little deskjet printer so i am having so much fun promoting myself and making some REALLY CUTE labels to stitch inside my bags! I decided to try the printing-onto-iron-on-paper-then-ironing-onto-scrap-fabric technique that some wonderful online crafter shared with me once. now if only i can locate an iron!


I chose this image of a girl knitting with a little dog because i loved the look of the photo, although i don't know who took it. I think an alice in wonderland image on the tag would be really cute (and appropriate for me) too. right now i am just giving these bags as gifts/donations so i dont think i should have any trouble using the pictures...

I am allowed to talk about things other than knitting.

I have been printing, framing and getting my work prepared to hang on the walls of the West Chop Club in Vineyard Haven. Several color prints and a few black and whites will be adorning the dining room walls from memorial day weekend through the first week of July. All framed and matted prints are for sale and the proceeds go to helping me make new ones! Hanging is this tuesday! i've got lots to do....

details details

I need to make a quick label for my bag that I was donating to the Island Children's School silent auction. I got a little creative with the stitchery and added one of what is becoming my signature detail...



A tag with my info and a description of the process hangs from the bag, but inside I simply stamped my 'vle' on some polka dots. I hope whoever makes the final bid loves my tote!

What Have I Been Up To?

Nearly a month since I have last blogged, I have been unpacking in a new apartment, driving around in my new set of wheels and sadly saying good bye to my boyfriend as he embarks on an educational journey far across the country.

Adjusting to all the changes on my plate, I decided to mix things up and begin a project that is not a felted bag. Yearning to feel something besides the felting wool and solid colored yarns between my fingers, I started knitting up a camisole a couple of weeks ago with all this crazy colored (and sparkly!) craft store yarn I had stashed away. This is about as far along as I've got.



...just enough tank top to cover my belly! It will be cute (and bigger) when it's done, I swear.



More felted bag designs are coming soon, as well as an online store where you can purchase what you see! In the meantime I'll be writing letters, decorating my place and enjoying the warm weather. Everyday some sort of new adventure.