Category Archives: Other craftiness

Kaleidescopically beautiful

Posted on November 24, 2019 | 9 comments

Coming soon, Dotty Cake, a hat that makes me think of Funfetti. Yes, really.

I designed this Dotty Cowl last year for Knit Picks, and I really loved the slip stitch pattern that I created for it. I knew it wanted to be used again. And I finally got around to it. It’s being test knit now, and has already been tech edited. I’m guessing I’ll publish it in early December, plenty of time to make a slew of them for gifts! I knit one in 2 days, and I think test knitter Ann is even quicker than I am.

It’s been a whirlwind of a November, with Vogue Knitting Live, Vogue Knitting Destination: Portland, a raft of full classes at Twisted, and a little time spent on a not-knitting project, too.

I took a block printing class last year with Leslie Nan Moon while I was in Ellensburg, WA. I liked my block, but knew I could do better. So I recarved my block a couple weeks ago, and love it so much more. Here’s a print from the first one.

And here’s a print from the revision:

It’s so much better! I’ll be using this for…something soon!

I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year for DH’s family, so there’s a lot of last minute stuff going on, too. Gotta fly!

What are you doing for Thanksgiving, if you’re here in the USA?

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Posted in Knit, Other craftiness, pattern design

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More Brioche, LYS Day

Posted on April 24, 2019 | 6 comments

Mmmmm, brioche. It’s been quiet around here, but that’s because I’ve been doing a deep dive.

I’ve gained new skills frogging two color brioche and getting it back on the needles. It’s actually easier than it sounds. I do it by ripping until I’m close, and then tinking a row of both colors at the same time, picking up each stitch as I go. It’s just a variation on how I frog single color knitting; that controlled tink of the last row is key! I’ll eventually make a video, but if you’re desperate, give it a try.

Syncopated brioche knitting

I’m also teaching myself syncopated brioche. This is so much fun. Basically, you change the knit and purl columns instead of staying in the normal brioche rib pattern. You do have to consider what’s happening on the other side of the fabric, if both sides are going to show. I’m having fun with this, and look forward to using it on…something. Soon!

In case you’re wondering, the yarn is Knit Picks Chroma Worsted, in Pegasus. I love this colorway; I used it to design my Dotty Cowl last year (free pattern from Knit Picks here).

I’ve been playing with more block printing on fabric. I’m kind of in love, here. We did these at Vickie’s in Ellensburg last week, but I carved two more blocks when I came home. The small circle is for making a contrast cener to the flower block. Looking forward to printing these.

Carved rubber block for block printing

And! Are you celebrating your local yarn shop this Saturday? It’s LYS Day, which is a great time to support your local fiber sources. There are events and special promotions on that day.

For Yarn’s Sake in Beaverton has a mini skein deal for you: Purchase a set of minis and you’ll get a coupon code to get my Lucky Star pattern for $2. (The pattern is very adaptable to whatever yardage minis you have.) Not local to For Yarn’s Sake? If you purchase a set of minis from your LYS on Saturday (4/27/19) and email me a copy of the receipt, I’ll send you a coupon code for the same deal. Cool beans!

OK, I’m heading back to brioche land. Knit on!

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Posted in events, Knit, Other craftiness

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Crafty Moms Weekend 16.0 (2019)

Posted on March 22, 2019 | 8 comments

One more time! We had a spectacularly beautiful weekend on the Oregon Coast. Great weather, beautiful sunsets, camaraderie and crafts. I’ll put the scenic photos at the end. Yarn and other craftiness first!

Brioche and Bellini breakfast

I brought three knitting projects, but I only worked on one of them. I spent a day trying different ways to reverse the colors on the new section, and I’m finally happy with how it’s working out. It was a technical challenge.

Now it’s just a matter of finishing it! I may have to set it aside for a bit; another project has a deadline and needs to get underway.

Laurie was crocheting unicorns. So cute!

Sharyn brought supplies for block printing on tea towels. I brought some of my previous blocks, and carved a new flower block. I purchased these bags last year in Sisters during the Lantern Moon retreat, but hadn’t gotten around to printing them yet. Done!

This is pretty easy, and lots of fun. I see more of this in my future!

This was our 16th year at Rockaway Beach. The house looks right over the water so it’s perfect for any weather. But this year it was sunny all weekend.

Twin Rocks

This cloud bisects the sun

This one does, too

We stayed Friday afternoon through Monday morning. It would have been hard to go home on such a gorgeous day, so I didn’t! I had a free night expiring soon at Tolovana Inn in Cannon Beach, so Carole and I headed north for an overnight there. It was so warm that I bought a sundress and walked barefoot on the beach.

Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach

The afternoon low tide was perfect for tide pooling.

We only saw two sea stars; I hope they’re coming back.

The anemones look pretty healthy!

The moon was nearly full, and the early morning moonset was gorgeous to behold.

It clouded over as the day went on, but that made it easier to head home. It was a perfect weekend!

Bisquee missed me. A lot.

And today (Friday), we brought this guy home. He’s 2 years old. His shelter name was Frumpkin. That’s got to go. But I don’t know what to call him yet. Working on it…

The fun never stops around here!

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Posted in cat, Knit, Other craftiness, travel

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Wool Tinctures, cats, Nine Lives

Posted on May 7, 2018 | 6 comments

It was a busy weekend!

Remember the dye project we bought from Abundant Earth Fiber? We loved meeting Lydia Christiansen and learning about her milling and spinning on Whidbey Island. Lydia’s entire inventory was stolen, along with her trailer, on her way to Stitches West, and she is working hard to get back up to speed. We wanted to support her business, and get to play with color, too!

Saturday was the day. My yarn is worsted weight domestic merino, and Lisa’s is DK weight 80/20 merino and Rambouillet.

I love how tidy this whole setup is. This plus yarn plus hot water.

Why yes, I’m dyeing my yarn in a Lego bucket. It’s usually the wastebasket in my studio. Lisa is classier, and is using a ceramic bowl.

This dye is exhausted!

My yarn is slightly semi-solid. Because I dunked one end in first? Insufficient stirring? It’s pretty, though.

Lucy approves! Thanks to Lucy and Lisa for hosting the fun.

It was a cat filled weekend. I was catsitting for both my kids, who were away on two different trips. This is MisMis. She’s very friendly…with people. She’s a great only cat.

And this is Gator. He’s very handsome, and very amiable, too. Gator is coming to live with us for a while, if he and Biscuit can get along. We’re just starting a slow introduction.

There’s been some growling and hissing on Biscuit’s part, but we’re not getting them face to face for a few days. Wish us luck!

Gator is currently chilling in my studio.

And! Speaking of cats, it’s time for the drawing for the Knit Picks Nine Lives Collection. The winner is: Margo! I’ve emailed her for her addy so I can send her the book. Thanks to Knit Picks for their support for Knitters with Kitters at Purringtons, and thanks to you for reading and playing!

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Posted in cat, Other craftiness, yarn

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36 hours in Ellensburg

Posted on May 2, 2018 | 2 comments

One catch up post!

I spent 36 hours in Ellensburg, WA to celebrate a friend’s birthday the weekend before Knot Another Fiber Festival. It was quick but we packed in a lot of fun!

Saturday was LYS Day. I wasn’t near my LYS, but Ellensburg has a very nice shop, Yarn Folk. Ann Miner’s shop has lots of high quality yarns and is full of inspiring shop samples. I didn’t need any yarn (do I ever?), but I needed a shawl pin so I picked up this leaf pin by One of a Kind Buttons. (More about the book in a bit.)

There was a sheep to shawl exhibit by Thorp Mill at the rodeo grounds, and I met this sweet lamb, as well as some spinners and weavers.

In the afternoon Vickie and I took a beyond basics block printing class at Gallery One. Every time I play with block printing, it gets a little better. So much fun!

This particular class was about chine collé (like collage, adding contrast papers in the printing) and puzzle blocks (cutting your carved block into pieces so you can put it back together while using different colors for the different parts). In three hours we sketched and carved blocks, and tried these two new techniques.

Pictured above, top row: Carved block (it’s been cut and put back together), original test print. Bottom row: Chine collé bird print, and puzzle block print. I’m looking forward to playing more with this block, or even re-doing it now that I know what I want it to look like.

In the evening we went to the college rodeo. Why yes, this was my first rodeo! It seemed about time my boots went to one.

Waiting

Birds on a wire

Matched set

I came home Sunday to teach a class, and picked up the new Mason Dixon Field Guide, Transparency.

I love the look of this Shakerag Top. (Thanks, Biscuit, for helping with the picture.) It’s knit with one or two strands of yarn to create the striping, but the yarn is all the same. This particular yarn is Jade Sapphire Sylph, a blend of cashmere and linen. I love linen and I love cashmere. It’s a little spendy, so I have to decide if I’m really going to make it. Also, deadlines! We shall see.

Knit on!

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Posted in cat, classes, Knit, Other craftiness, travel

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Carol Milne knitted glass, WWKIP wrap up

Posted on June 24, 2016 | 3 comments

Remember Carol Milne’s knitted glass entrelac from Madrona? (More pictures in that link.)

carol milne glass entrelac

I sponsored a piece, and it just arrived in the mail, along with a postcard of Carol Milne wearing her finished creation last month. I think it must be pretty heavy when it’s all put together.

knitted glass carol milne

carol milne knitted glass entrelac

The glass is strung on an adjustable cord and is ready for wearing. The postcard says “A metaphor for the fragility of life and the power of social structure. Individual strands are weak and brittle on their own, but deceptively strong when bound together.” So true. And so cool!

Knit Pick-nic WWKIP

If you were following on Instagram last weekend (I’m @pdxknitterati over there), you already know that WWKIP Day was a bit damp, but fun. If you weren’t following, here are some pictures for you.

free yarn from knit picks
Knit Picks sponsored this Pick-Nic, and gave away project bags, yarn, and books. I had a trunk show, along with three other designers. Thank you, Knit Picks!

bacon and eggs scarf

We were greeted by this lovely KP person, wearing a bacon and eggs scarf.

Hannah Knit Picks finger puppets

Hannah loved these finger puppets!

OK, back to my knitting. Trying to finish up a pattern…What are you doing this weekend?

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Posted in events, Knit, Other craftiness

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Crafty Moms Weekend catch up

Posted on March 8, 2016 | Comments Off on Crafty Moms Weekend catch up

The weekend before the yarn crawl was the 13th annual Crafty Moms weekend at the coast. That’s a lot of tradition!

The Beanstalk Poncho that I wore Sunday?

Terri, me, M

I seamed it at Crafty Moms weekend.

beanstalk seam

I was going to use mattress stitch, but my blocking wires left a loopier and rufflier than expected edge, and I didn’t want to take up even more fabric in the seam allowance. Those holes ended up being perfect for slip stitch crochet. I didn’t have an appropriately sized crochet hook, but I had this little repair hook, and that did the trick.

Twin Leaf at Crafty Moms

I almost finished my Twin Leaf Crescent for the Black Trillium KAL, which wraps up at the end of this month on Ravelry. The view beyond the window was pretty, too.

wrap bracelets

Carole made the bracelet on the left for me with beads we bought at Shipwreck Beads on the way home from Madrona. The middle one is hers. And I made the one on the right, but I don’t love it. The orange beads with the brown leather don’t make me happy. So I’ll frog it and do it again, later.

It was rainy and not rainy, as is customary on the Oregon Coast. So there was walking and not walking!

rope and sea creatures

The ocean likes beading, too. I think these beads may be anemones?

Here’s a little live action…

sunset

It was a very relaxing weekend with 16 Crafty Moms!

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Posted in Knit, Other craftiness, travel

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Banging out Sleeves

Posted on February 5, 2016 | 2 comments

I knit a sleeve yesterday. An entire sleeve. This is quick knitting, I tell ya! I’m on the second sleeve now.

stopover bangoutasweater one sleeve

I could have knit both sleeves yesterday; they’re that fast. But I took some time out to seam this pillow.

snowy woods log cabin trees

snowy woods log cabin firs

It’s another Snowy Woods Log Cabin Blocks pillow. I made it with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky for the Knit Picks IDP program. The pattern will be for sale on the Knit Picks site, as well as the the version that’s already up on Ravelry. More Snowy Woods! More Log Cabinning!

I also took time out to make these pillows. (Whoa. Just noticed they’re the same color as the log cabin pillow. We have a palette here.)

cat pillows

I was inspired to make these when I saw the cat pillows over at Mason-Dixon Knitting last month. The fabric was printed by Spoonflower. Now my grown kids can have their own cats at their respective abodes!

cat pillows with cat

I’m not sure what Mookie thinks of them. But I’m sure I’ll never get that little top hat on her again.

Apparently yesterday was a very Mason-Dixon Knitting day. The #BangOutASweater KAL, the cat pillows…and I learned to log cabin from the first Mason-DIxon Knitting book. I made this blanket way back in 2008-2009.

log cabin blanket

So thanks, Ann and Kay! You’ve changed my life!

Back to the sleeves…some people are already finished with their first KAL Stopovers, and starting a second one! I’m looking forward to starting the yoke patterning. Just have to power through this sleeve, first.

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Posted in Blogging, KAL, Knit, Other craftiness, yarn

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The love of music

Posted on February 7, 2015 | 8 comments

In 2000, DH sent me to piano camp as a birthday gift. We were both taking music lessons (piano for me, guitar for him), and read Noah Adams’ book, Piano Lessons: Music, Love and True Adventures. The description of Adams’ week at Sonata Piano Camp as an adult student inspired DH to surprise me with the same.

music quilt detail

It turned out to be the gift that kept on giving. I went many more times after that. I made great friends, and even improved my piano skills. One of my new friends attended with her mom, Betsy. Betsy was my duet partner in 2001. She was an amazing woman: A college math teacher, marathon runner, downhill ski racer, knitter, quilter.

music quilt 2

When Betsy was dying in 2012, I sent a note along with a CD of her playing at Sonata, including the duet that we played. It arrived the morning she passed away. Last year her husband was deciding what to do with some of her things, and wanted to know if I would like her music quilt.

music quilt

I love the composition of this, how she took the simple repetition of the black and white star blocks and personalized it with a music theme. The one brown star at the bottom left. The heart that balances it visually. The music staff border fabric. The embroidery around the top edge: “I love music, in around and, under the stars”. It is a beautiful piece of hand quilted art, expressing our love of music both visually and in words. I am so honored to receive this. I’m glad I knew Betsy, and I’m glad to have this quilt to remember her by.

duet partners

Here’s our duet from 2001, Pastorale by Stecher, Horowitz, and Gordon. Betsy is playing primo, and I’m secondo.

My time is mostly devoted to knitting and designing now, with not much piano. Guitar and singing with friends is my current musical outlet. But every once in a while, I sit at the bench and play pieces I learned at camp…

If you’d like to know more about Sonata camps, here’s their website. All levels of playing welcome. And here’s an article from the NY Times; my roomie Katie Hafner wrote it in 2002.

Edited to add: Here’s a note from my friend Becky, Betsy’s daughter.

I am Betsy’s daughter. Michele and mom always had a special connection thru knitting and friendship. The CD Michele refers to contained a few songs from the sonata concert. The odd thing was the mailman brought it at 8 am the day she passed away and the receptionist said he never came before 2 pm. My mom had been unresponsive for 16 hrs but when I played the CD her eyebrows raised and she smiled. My stepfather Alex kept the letter that arrived with the CD. This past summer he asked me if he thought Michele would enjoy having the quilt. I immediately said yes they contacted Michele for confirmation. i am glad that my mom’s creativity is in the home of a fellow knitter and music lover.

Thank you, Becky!

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Posted in music, Other craftiness

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Knitted shoes?

Posted on December 29, 2014 | 12 comments

Well, they’re not really knitted. But I can put a picture of knitting on my shoes!

pdxknitterati ZX FLUX knit shoes

pdxknitterati knit shoes

This isn’t quite what I want, but you get the idea. Anything is possible.

pdxcarpet shoes zx flux

I just ordered these shoes for DH’s birthday, using the Adidas mi ZX FLUX photo print app on my iPad.

pdxcarpet shoes zx flux

It’s Portland’s beloved iconic airport carpet, soon to be replaced but not forgotten. DH loves this kitschy carpet, and now he’ll have shoes to remember it by. (Seriously, there are all sorts of souvenirs you can buy with this print on it, including socks and wall hangings. This carpet has its own website and instagram account.)

What about your cat?

pdxknitterati mookie shoes

Yep, possible.

cat zx flux shoes

Favorite photo from vacation?

zx flux beach shoes

Sure!

What would you put on your shoes? I’m going to knit a better swatch and go from there…

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Posted in Knit, Other craftiness

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