Accepting the Challenge

So, the art directors at this magazine decided to go with this sweater. This is what I have to reproduce in ten days. The yarn is being overnighted, and I'll cast on tomorrow. The sleeves and back will be done on my machine, and all the finishing by hand. I think I'll duplicate stitch the crossing lines on the front. I'm a maniac, aren't I?

I Can Do That

A final green item for Project Spectrum. This sweater uses Farmhouse yarn for the body, color unknown. The bands are Cape Cod Fibers in Seafoam, tipped with Lobster Bisque. You never know what's going to pop up as a result of your website or blog. A stylist for a popular men's magazine did a Google search for sweaters made in Chicago, and I may be knitting on the fly for a magazine cover! At first, I thought she was looking for a dog sweater. I can do most of the piece on my machine, but the front must be hand done, as it will be intarsia (!) I'll hear tomorrow if they want to proceed. They will need it in about 10 days. Add this on to the book project, and well, my schedule is full. Why does it always happen, that when you're the most busy, there's just one more project to add to the mix?

Too Hot for Cookies

We're home from a road trip to Wisconsin, that had a short detour to Minnesota. Here are some photos of lovely Wisconsin sites. I had to re-direct the Man often about who takes priority on a Road Trip. Always make sure that the Driver is well rested, hydrated and fed. When going through a drive through window, make sure the Driver is set up with her meal before you dig in. We stayed in LaCrosse, in less than desirable accommodations. I think we were in a smoking room. The room just didn't smell good. Now that summer is here with a vengeance, the Air Conditioning Wars have begun. I seriously considered leaving the Man in LaCrosse because he put up a stink when I wanted the air conditioning back on. The room was probably hotter than 80 degrees. Here's a tip on how to get a pet in your room--tell the desk clerk after you've paid for the room! The Man forgot to tell her beforehand. For those traveling to LaCrosse, Wisconsin, the Hampton Inn usually does not allow pets. Piccolo did a good job traveling, but we did not always find parking that would allow us to leave her in the car. The best we found was a shady spot under a big tree in Winona, Minnesota, while we had a late breakfast on Sunday. With all the windows down a few inches and lots of shade, the car didn't overheat inside in the least. We spent last night at my mom' s house in Fontana--a comfy bed, where I knew the Man would have no control over the air. Except we both think it was off for a time this morning. I was sweating enough in bed this morning to wonder if I was having a hot flash. We're now home, I'm making dinner, and our upstairs neighbors are the Noisiest People Alive. They have a duplex, and media on their second floor, and their choice for loud television viewing (always) is above my living room and bedroom. I swear, these people don't have a clue that there are Others in the Building. In addition to dinner, the man wants cookies. When the heat index is 100+ degrees, I'm not inclined to want to use my oven. Especially with the air conditioning battle. I try to not use the oven in summer, at all. Here's a summer tip--I use flannel sheets year round. It sounds crazy, but a sweaty body does not stick to flannel. Try it.

The Lost

Here in the Lucky Penny studio, it's time to reclaim lost items. Garments where the knitting has been completed, probably long ago, and what keeps them from being worn is the finishing. The knitting on the shawl, the Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style, was completed more than six months ago (bottom photo). The yarn is Dzined sport weight, yellow purchased at Cathy Montoya's, supplemented by "onesizes", 100 yard lengths that Deborah Daniels sold at Stitches Midwest, and some left overs from a pair of socks. Not the best blocking job, because the shawl is much bigger than my space board, and there isn't a surface big enough in my house to lay it flat. So it had to be dressed in stages. But now, I could potentially wear it (top photo). There's more blocking to be done here. I've got parts of a Ribby Cardi on the board now, awaiting the very first zipper I will have ever sewn into a sweater. We're going away for this weekend, a road trip up north. We're both getting wiped out from work, and need to get away. I would love a retreat with no distractions, so I can finish that other big project.

Suck It and See, part Deux

My finished swatch, and the swatch in progress with the art that inspired it. Brandon encouraged me to keep going lighter with my color choices, and then said I went too light in that yellow part at the top center. The finished swatch has some bits that are fraying near the top, because at one point in the afternoon, Brandon attacked the back of my swatch with a scissors. He believes that what it looks like on the back doesn't matter much, and clipping your ends really short. This is the most intarsia that I've ever done at one time. I don't know that I could attempt a whole garment, but maybe work in some here and there as a design element. I would be more inclined to try a dog sweater or pillow top, however. At the end of the afternoon, all the swatches were pinned to a neutral background. They all look really beautiful. Mine is the top row, third from left. The piece is 7.5 inches wide, and 13 inches long. Two days of knitting, pinning, stepping back. Suck it and see. It really was a challenge, and I must say that I was exhausted at the end of it. I did have a few people come up to me and say that mine was their favorite. I really think it's those Lobster Pot yarns. The colors are just magnificent. The little swatches on the far right are from knitters who did a one day workshop, and tied together bits of yarn for a light ball and a dark ball, and knit Kaffe's pattern Persian Poppies. I want to try that with two highly contrasting colors of Noro Kureyon. I've been a fan of this type of color work, and while I love to look at it in books, I was always reluctant to try it. The only thing I have close is the first sweater I knit for Yoda. I did buy the book Kaffe Fassett's Pattern Library as soon as I got home, and I feel like I've rediscovered an old friend. Now there's my new friend, Brandon. There's a Rowan magazine from a few years ago that has an article about him, and has some photos of him with his mother and sister. There's one shot where he's having a hearty laugh, which I think really speaks to the type of person he is. Besides coaching us through the exercise, the workshops were peppered with jokes and laughter. I love that an experience like this could maybe push my knitting into new, undiscovered territory.

Suck It and See

I giggle at the possibilities of hits with the title of this post! It was a catch phrase uttered by both of the Men of Colour, Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably. It's origins are not so naughty, it was about sampling a candy flavor (or, I should say, flavour) to see if you liked it. We chose a post card, and selected colors to knit a piece of intarsia. My swatch is under Brandon's hand, or in the other photo, on the left, fourth from top. I actually chose my post card based on what yarns I brought, but we were all seated in a circle on the periphery of the room, with all of our yarn on the floor, for people to cut bits as they needed it. We used Kaffe's pattern Tumbling Blocks. The exercise was about relationships between colors when you place them next to each other, which I do often with my Lucky Penny work. If a relationship wasn't working, you were to change colors and just keep going, no frogging allowed. I confess that I did frog a few rows on day two when I missed a part of the chart. I was going for sharp contrasts, because I really wanted the blocks pattern to be clear, which Brandon may have described as "aggressive." Most of his commentary was hilarious, and some people's pieces were described as "dried toast" or other charming descriptions. A few students really got into it with Brandon, as I heard the words "I could argue with you about this until the cows come home." These picture are from close to the end of day one. Tune in tomorrow for more fun, from day two of the workshop.

That Was Some Kind of Fun

Home today after two days of looking a a postcard of a painting, and knitting the colors into a swatch. A big swatch. I don't have the pictures on a disc yet, but I'm looking at the swatch now, and I like it a lot. Enough that I want to do this again. If you ever get the opportunity to take a workshop with Brandon Mably, don't hesitate. I would take the same one again. Since I have no pictures of the workshop yet, a little dish. There's always someone in one of these who I find particularly annoying. Like the woman at Stitches Midwest that ruined my class with Maureen Mason-Jamieson. That deserves its very own post. Today it was She Who Would Not Stop Talking. Then she decided she would take a photo of everyone with their knitting. Until she got to me and I growled "No!." First of all, this person does not know me. Why would she require a picture of me? Secondly, I look terrible in photographs. There's only one decent photo of me that exists, and I was about one year old. I have one of the Man and I together, that is now only the Man because I cut myself off. That's why there are no pictures of me on this blog, and all my garments are on hangers. So why on earth would I want a stranger to have a bad photo of me, so some time in the future she can wonder about that odd looking woman in the workshop. Obnoxious. So in lieu of workshop photos, here's my stand in, Piccolo, who almost always is photogenic.

A World of Color

Kaffe and Brandon Mably had a soft suitcase on the stage in the auditorium, and pulled out some amazing works of art. I'm hoping that my brain explodes tomorrow at the workshop!

But Can He Knit Socks?

Tonight I got to be in the presence of the Master, Kaffe Fassett, the King of All Things Colorful. He began as a painter, but has mastered what appears to be all the needle arts. I own some books, and have made some of his needlepoint designs, which I think are just breathtaking. This, for me, is like seeing a movie star. I was paranoid about taking pictures, until a lot of other flashes went off. Kaffe called us "paparazzi." What is so incredible is the passion that he still has for all this stuff after slogging away at it for decades. He is a true artist. The event was in a community center in Lake Forest, a beautiful, affluent community north of the city. I was seated next to Cathy Montoya, another artist who I admire tremendously. Tonight was a slide show and some q and a, and Thursday and Friday, I'll be in a workshop with Brandon Mably. Kaffe told us, that someone had asked the sock question, which got a big laugh from the crowd. My guess would be no.

I Hope it Fits!

A tiny wool sweater for a little sprite in Brooklyn with two broken "wings."
I should have put a prop in these photos so the size relationship could be conveyed. It's about six inches long. I used Cherry Tree Super Sport that was left over from a pair of socks. Knit on size two double points. This should get to the recipient on Thursday, and I have packages that went to David and Josh that will arrive then, too. It will make me feel good later this week to know that I've made some people and pets happy. It will make me feel better about some unpleasant activities that will occur later this week. I hope that the unpleasantness won't damper the Kaffe Fassett lecture and Brandon Mably workshop that I'm attending this week! I have to assemble a kit of at least 20 colors of worsted weight yarn to use in the workshop. With my stash, coming up with that number won't be any sort of problem.

Stripe Play

A work in progress--This body is knit with 2 rows Noro Kureyon #115 alternated with 2 rows #116. The neck band is Black Water Abbey, and my house is so messy that now I can't find the rest of the ball to do the other bands. The tips will be Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride in Limeade. I like the effect, but find it not bright enough to my liking. This sweater was going to be for Piccolo, but the colors aren't strong enough for her. I'll finish it because I've come so far, and put it into Lucky Penny retail stock. I'll use the combining color technique again.

Project Spectrum--May

Green is a favorite color in the Lucky Penny household. Pictured is part of my Roseville pottery collection. The Freesia pattern is from 1941, came in three colors: green, a persimmon color, which I have some of, and blue. The green is my favorite. I love the subtle shading in the glaze. I would buy pieces on the cheap at flea markets and shows, but haven't really acquired anything in a number of years. I would love to have a cookie jar in this pattern, but that would be a real extravagance. One of the pieces of pottery is serving as an urn, holding the tin that has the ashes of my first dog, Yoda, whose picture is in the photograph. This is part of a series that David shot in his apartment in San Francisco in 1995. These pictures are why I wanted David to work on my book. I'm not sure if I will finish a green project this month, I have so many projects and work is really kicking my behind, but I'm contemplating a few things. The Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran is for a sweater, pattern not confirmed, and there's some sock yarn. I really do love that Cherry Tree Hill Life's a Beach. The other is a San Francisco purchase from Imaginknit, and there's Noro because, there just has to be. The green rabbit is a piece of Viking glass from the 1960's. More green. If you're visiting because I'm now linked from Delightful Blogs, howdy there! I hope I can live up to the delightful thing.

The Alternative Sheep and Wool Festival

The Michigan Fiber Festival is three months away, and not nearly as big or as crowded as the Maryland event. I hope that this year I can get the Man to go up with me again. For those of us who can't go to Maryland for a fabulous weekend of wooly delights, there's the alternative event--the Carmen Ave. Sheep and Wool Festival. Which took place on top of my entertainment unit in my living room. Instead of shopping, there was stash diving out of my yarn closet. Events included sock finishing, and manuscript printing. Libations were premixed Jose Cuervo margaritas from the inside door of the household refrigerator. And, livestock! There's three different breeds of goat, a llama, and because it's a mini barnyard, a cow joins the party, too. These creatures are part of my Steiff collection, and appropriately enough, made of mohair. But, with all these hoofed creatures, there must be a herding dog, which at the Carmen Ave. Sheep and Wool Festival, is a Pekingese.

Under Scrutiny

I printed out the Doggie Knits manuscript this afternoon. It's more substantial than I had imagined, with everything all in one place. But, lots of holes to be filled in! Like yardages, some expanded sizing, a chart for one complicated design, etc. I was not moving forward with it on the computer--too many distractions, like reading blogs and posting to this one. If you are at all thinking that writing a book is glamorous--I will tell you, it's not. I like knitting the garments. I loved casting and styling the photo shoot. I would love to edit the photos, but I'm assuming that would be out of my control. Writing it down in what can only be compared to a foreign language, and doing multiple calculations? Not so much. I finished my sweater for little Tinkerbell, but I'm waiting to see where I should send it. I wrote down the pattern this time! Progress.

In Need

I make dog sweaters because not only do I love to see my dog in a lovely sweater, I really love seeing a pet in a wooly garment made with loving hands. My internet friend in New York City, Joan A., knits sweaters for abandoned pets. She is using her art to create love for creatures in need. Something so they know that not everything or everyone in their world is cruel and painful. Joan is knitting for Tinkerbell, who is in the care of the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition. Go to their site for her story, and be prepared to have the wind knocked out of you. Tonight, little darling Tinkerbell, I will be starting a sweater for you. Thank you, Joan, for telling me about her.

Paring Down

It's time for some reduction here in the Lucky Penny Household. Starting with stress reduction. Which means that in the coming months, I need to curtail some activities. I will try more to make my job work to my advantage. I will prioritize and concentrate on the activities that are the most meaningful. Which mostly means concentrating on my Man, and my Pet, and making our home happy. So once I've completed some commitments, I will step aside. The world will keep turning, I'm sure. My presence there is not essential, like it is here at home.
I will keep focused on that as the year unfolds. This photo of Piccolo is from the Agnes days, which explains the miserable look on her face. I probably look like that now too, after the Man and I got no sleep last night, each of us for different reasons. The sweater on Piccolo is Noro #150, body knit on machine, and bands Peace Fleece, and Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride tips.