I LOVE NORO

Yes...I admit it, I am in love with Noro. Noro Yarns. The Noro Colors. All things Noro. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmnoro

Okay, I am back. But really, I love it so much that I would love to open a store called "Just Noro." If any one comes asking for, lets say: Plymouth Yarns? "Nope, Just Noro." Trendetter? "Just Noro." Red Heart? "Get out of my store!"

I have looked, searched, and surfed for information on touring the Noro "plant" in Japan. I have not been successful, though. My son is taking Japanese, and my devious plan is to force him to be my interpreter and travel to Japan, meet Mr. Noro, become great and fast friends, and have permisson to open my store. I may not even want anyone else to buy the yarn from me...It's ALL mine!!!!! My precious!!!

Whew! This subject is taking me places that I didn't know I could go to. This is how much I love Noro...take a look-see at what I have made, and mind you, this is just scratching the surface!













Ahhhh heaven comes in a wide spectum of colors!

Sock Monkey dreams

Well, I thought I'd show you my sock monkey hat, as well as some of the photos people have sent me that they made (that really is a rush, seeing others making one of your designs!) So, without furthur ado...



My Sock Monkey Hat

Here are some that others have made (that I know of)

...and look at this one, a sock monkey hat for a sock monkey!!



On the Knitty blog, I came upon this photo of someone knitting it in New York...this was exciting, because the other photos were emailed to me directly. If you or someone you know has knit or seen my Sock Monkey Hat...send me a photo of it. I think I'll start a gallery of sock monkey hats.

Long live sock monkeys!!

lookie lookie

Look at what my wonderful, dear, and talented husband did for me...HE is so sweet!

I emailed DIY network in response to their call for new "Knitsters" for their show Knitty Gritty...I want to be on the show with my SOK Monkey Hat or one of my other designs. This photo was for the picture of me...fun, huh? Wish me luck!!

UPDATE Knitty Gritty emailed me back, and sadly they have all the designers booked for the upsoming seasons, BUT they said if anything changes "know that I will get in touch with you"...that's cool. I will be on with my hat, I can feel it in my bones....

How many projects...or WIP's?

Knitting...how do I love thee, let me count the ways...

WIP's:
Circular Shrug Vest out of Schaefer Yarns Marijaana, color Margaret Sanger

Shapely Tank from White Lies Design - Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed

Zoe's Skull hoodie- Knit Picks Swish Superwash, colors Black & Red Pepper

Art Yarns Zig Zag Modular Scarf out of Noro Tidiori, colors 1 and 7

Dream Swatch out of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn, color old rose

Sample Square Throw out of Noro Iroha, in many jewel toned colors

Side to side garter stitch gloves out of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn

A beaded purse...somewhere in my knitting room...on size 000 double point needles! Tip: dont stab yourself with one of these babies, it'll go right through you!

That's what WIP's I can easily find, or remember.

I have just finished my Cabled Cardigan from the fall Vogue Knitting which I made out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino in black...Yummmmmm. It is blocking right now! I can't wait to wear it! It feels so delicious on. When I do wear it, I may be naked underneath!!! I did find a few errors in the pattern that at the time were not listed online in the errata. One is just a typo, the other is the code for the cables. One of them for the left side is printed as the mirror image of what you really want to be doing with that cable.

I discovered that by doing the right side, all the way, leaving out one of the steps for the cable. I thought it looked a little odd, but the photo wasn't large enough to show the cables in great detail, and it looked alright enough. Then I charted out the left side, and that is when I discovered MY error on the right side. I decided to make up the left side and go back and rip out the right and re-do it. In the process of making up the left side, that's when I discovered the error in the pattern's chart. My cable was wandering off in a direction that was very independent of the orderly manner of the sweater. I fixed that boo-boo, and was then able to do the right side correct. I LOVE it!! I am making the belt right now...OOPS I guess that is another WIP, isn't it?

I have a finished baby sweater out of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, only it is not assembled yet. The pattern came out of Inerweave Knits, from around fall of 2005. It has been sitting in it's bag for well over a year! Why am I waiting??? Well, I am fairly new to the seaming thing. I had been planning most garments to be seamless to avoid making a bad seam. But...BUT...now with the success of my cardigan behind me, I should be able to do a smashing job on the baby sweater!!

I am sure there are many more WIP's that I just cannot locate, or think of, as well as many started projects that really didn't want to be what I started them as, and I may just include them in another post someday. Until then...

Stay happy, keep knitting, and feel your way to joy, one stitch at a time!

A Knittng Genius

Well, well, well...

I have been in the presence of a brilliant mind-and awsome talent, and someone whom I wish was my best friend! On Saturday I (along with three other cool knitters: Lisa, Emily, & Tiffany) went to Eau Claire, WI to see and hear Sally Melville speak.

First we stopped in at Yellow Dog yarn shop and fondled some wonderful yarns. I purchased some NORO yarn to make a multi-directional scarf. More on that later. Then after a bite to eat, we headed over to the hotel to hear Ms. Melville speak. We got to have photos with her, and I got a big boost...she, along with many, many others LOVED my bag. That was so fun, to have other gush about one of my designs!

Sally's talk covered much more than just knitting. She covered the whole creative process, some science, psychology, and quantum physics!! I was so enthralled with her process of teaching, and all the stories surrounding the recent books, as well as the items that didn't make it into the those books, but will be in the up-coming ones!!

I am so inspired to truly become a full-fledged knitting designer, to be in the same "pool" as Sally Melville, to pass my passion and knowledge and methods of teaching knitting on to others, to tap into the "other universe" of fabulous inspired ideas and create wonderful things that push and influence others to create on their own, and in return, know that the world is a better place because of it.

A knitting lovin' dog

This is the worlds cutest dog...Stan! He is sporting his new cabled sweater made out of Rowan Cashsoft Aran. It is very soft and he just loves it. It is blue to match his eyes!

Stan is one year and seven months old. He enjoys licking faces, eating treats, snuggling, taking long walks, and making nests out of someone's knitting.

Stan dreams of being able to fly and knit, at the same time.

His turn-ons include yarn, blankets, any and all stuffed animals, Target brand stuffed bears (which he falls asleep on top of whilst chewing upon) any knitted item being knitted upon so he can crawl under the knitting and sleep, pants, and anything squeaky.

His turn offs include, nail clipping (his own), kennels, being alone, and he hates it when anyone is showing affection to anyone else other than him.

Stan is very smart. He once wanted a stuffed toy that was on a counter, too high for him to get. He ran and got one of his teddy bears, and stood upon it...nope, not high enough. He proceded to get three more bears and stacked them upon each other to try to get up to the one toy he desired! Scary, huh?

He did not get at the toy.

What a clinic!

Well! Yesterday, clinic was very productive and fun. I had four people come with real issues, not difficult , but ones I could help with. It is always so much fun, and such an ego boost, when those I help think I solved world hunger or the equivalent of. Perhaps I should always blog about hoping to get the right mix of "patients" at clinic before going, and then make it come true.

One thing that keeps popping into my head is my desire to make a bag or a sweater with Endora's face on it. You know Endora, she is Samantha's mother on Bewitched...the REAL Bewitched sitcom from the early 70's. I love her power, and her bitchiness. She is just fabulous! Growing up, I always wanted to be either Tabitha, Samantha, Sarina (Samantha's "naughty" sister), or Endora. Now I just want to be Endora...she is so much more powerful and in charge, and FUNNY! What WAS Darrin thinking?!? He could have had it ALL, but his perceived threatened manhood made him squelch the witchcraft that could have rocked his world!

I'm back in the real world now...I have knitted a bag with the likeness of a favorite of mine: Alton Brown from Food Network! Again...when I can upload photos, you'll see the beauty of it right here! taaa daaa

Well...stay happy, keep knitting, and long live the legend of Endora!

Off to Clinic

Here I go off to the Yarn Cafe to do Knitting Clinic. I just love it when I have actual problems/mistakes to fix. What does that say about me? Am I wanting to fix averything in life? Am I one who looks for problems? Ahh phoey! I just get jazzed from stretching my knitting abilities by helping others with their knitting "oopsies."

I just finished the Einstein Coat! It is beautiful! I didn't think I'd like it ON me, but it really doesn't look too bad. I only need to sew on buttons. Too bad it will be living at the shop, and not in my closet.

In the beginning...

I have been knitting constantly for almost nine years now. I honestly can not say why I took to it like I have. Usually I dive into the next neat creative thing and abandon it sometime soon after. I still have bad feelings come up when I mention scrapbooking to my husband. That is one thing I never got into, mostly because arguments always happened...silly, I know, but knitting has stuck. It has stuck hard! It all started with a cute little stuffed bunny.

My former boss is an avid knitter, and back nine years ago, she was knitting cute sweaters for her's and other's teddy bears. I mentioned that I have this cute but naked bunny that would love a sweater...hint...hint. The next day She brought needles and yarn and thrust them in my hands. WHAT!? I wanted YOU to knit one. But she showed me the stitches, and I was doing cables the next day, and looking for my first project to knit.

My experience with knitting growing up was with crappy yarn blankets and other items I had no interest in knitting. No hats or scarves for me, thank you. I am going to knit a sweater! And what sweater did I choose for my first project? An Alice Starmore cabled sweater using the exact yarn called for in the book! Yup! I DOVE in head first!

With some help, I even altered the pattern to knit it in the round to avoid seams! I worked it all the way up to the shoulders, and then, with a sewing machine, sewed where my sleeves would go and CUT the opening. I three needle bound off my shoulders, and then picked up my sleeve stitches and worked down. I learned how to chart out my sweater using graph paper and following where I was using a post-it note. This is a lot of extra work, but so worth it in helping me know my pattern and know in advance if there are any mistakes.

You know how in patterns when it says join in the round being careful not to twist stitches? Well, since it was my decision to knit it in the round, those words were not in my pattern book, and I was not aware how important it is NOT to twist the stitches. I did realize after knitting about 3 inches that, nope, this ain't gonna fix itself when I bind off. So I did the only thing I could do. I ripped out all 3 inches of over 200 stitches of cables! OWCH!

I loved making that sweater! It took me 7 months to complete, and I wore it the following Christmas. It is super warm, and scratchy, and I wear it only when it is freezing cold, along with a long sleeved t-shirt underneath. Now I look for yarns I would wear next to my skin. This tends to be an expencive choice since usually the softest yarns are luxury yarns...but hey...I'm worth it!

Oh! About my cute but naked bunny? I eventually knit him a sweater
...and a cute little fair isle one, by the way.

I am so grateful for having been forced into knitting. It was so worth it!

The 3rd one

The hardest thing about starting a blog is to remember that I have one.

Today is my 16th wedding anniversary! I am hoping to wander around the lakes looking at all the wonderful houses and then visiting a little cafe I've heard about for lunch. I say hoping because I have the day off and my love has to work part of the day. I really want to show him all the neat places that I now drive by every day as a result of having to drive my son to school in another district. Well...what to do until then? Um...how about knit?


I recently received a big box of Knit Picks superwash wool. I got it to start a hoodie for my dear daughter. She wants it black with a big red skull and crossbones on the back and a little one on the front. I have never knit with this yarn, but what I've read about it sounds good. It is soft, and it can be thrown in the washing machine. I am designing the hoodie, so I need to do up a gauge swatch. I'll let you know my conclusion of the workability of the yarn when I play with it some. In the same package came a book that I find absolutley hysterical. It is the Museum of Kitschy Stitches by Stitchy McYarnpants. I love it and it makes me laught till I cry!

I am going to get a blogging lesson from my dear friend Tiff, and when I do, there will be links and photos and much more for your reading pleasure. I have big plans for the look of this blog...so stay tuned!

Keep knitting and stay happy!

Beginner post #2

I am extremely new at this. I am learning, and as soon as I can, I'll be uploading all sorts of photos of works in progress as well as completed works. I may even go into the history of knitting, knitchique style.

I guess one just has to start typing out what ever is in one's mind just to get the ball rolling. Right now, I am working on a store sample (for The Yarn Cafe) of the "Einstein Coat" and I am using Noro Silver Thaw in a purple and green and blue colorway.

It is turning out very beautiful. I always wanted to knit that coat out of a Noro yarn. All the garter stitch is very boring, but with all the self striping, it keeps my interest.

Right at this moment, my beloved dog Stan is making a bed out of my newly knit "Mondrian" scarf that I just submitted to Knitty. He loves my knitting, and has claimed several blankets and always sits in my lap UNDER the knitting while I'm knitting. I recently knit him a felted teddy bear based on the "Baby Bobbi Bear" pattern. It even has a squeaky in the paw! Again,
when I know how to upload photos, I'll include the bear.

I'm wanting to submit design ideas to the print magazines, and am not exactly sure how. I know that a description is required as well as a swatch. That always throws me. How big of a swatch? What if the item is already done? What if it is felted, do I send a felted swatch?? Then there is the possibility of getting yarn from the yarn companies to knit the designs for the magazines. How do I get that FREE yarn?? I have been doing all of this on my own for so long, and have purchased all of my yarn...well, except when I'm knitting store samples, but then I can't keep it either. sigh!

Today being Sunday, I was at the Yarn Cafe doing the Open Knitting Clinic. I really, REALLY enjoy fixing knit problems! I get all charged up having the challenge of finding the source of the problem and then finding a solution. It is an added bonus when my "patients" think I'm a miracle worker. It's a great feeling! I also do Clinics on Wednesday evenings. It is so much better than being a regular store employee. It fits so much better with me.

Well...stay happy, keep breathing, and keep on knitting!

I'm up and running

Well, here I am on Blogger, posting my first post. I am looking forward to posting all my projects and musing about knitting and designing. Stay tuned!