Yup...

... on rare occasion I get gussied up, head off to the The Big City and end up in a TV studio...
Click here to enjoy....
I'll be in the corner cringing.... ;-)

Deep...

... Fall?
But... I'm still wearing my flip flops!


The latest Knitty is up and fabulous!!


I had some time to come up with a design contribution this time around and Amy was kind enough to include it with some stellar designs from the likes of Norah Gaughan and Jordanna Paige.
Here is my pattern... Mothed.


I guess the name really does say it all, but here’s the back story...
I have had more than my fair share of loss by moth over the years. Every time it happens my heart feels a little more heavy. How do those winged monsters know which knit in my closet is my latest favourite woolly to wear?!?!

What I want for this season is an easy as pie, super soft, wonderfully warm, top down raglan with the simplest of details that weighs about two feathers. The kicker? I’ll be adding some real/simulated moth activity as I knit! Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em ... join ‘em!

I’ve kept the design very simple so that my increasing collection of scarves and wraps will not be fighting for attention when I layer them on. The nice, open neckline has a very simple thick ridge pattern achieved by alternating double rounds of knit and purl. Neither the body nor sleeves have any shaping. All hems end with a round of reverse stockinette stitch before loosely binding off.

The moth “activity” (aka- simple yarn over eyelets) can be found only on the sleeves-- starting with small nibbles at the top and working with increased hunger down to the bracelet length wrist.

Americo’s yarns are one of the most thrilling. I'll fill you on about their Toronto shop in a short while. Their thick and thin spun Winter Flamme offers the perfect combination of lightness and coverage when working with larger than labelled needles. This yarn blocks like a dream but I chose to let the edges of my version lightly roll for a casual and relaxed look. I know I will be stuffing this into my bag on those occasions when I am uncertain as to how chilly I’ll be when out and about. It can be quickly pulled out, flicked open and tossed on.

Maybe next summer when those moths are up to their mischief they’ll see the “damage” on the sleeves... consider it leftovers... and move on. Fingers crossed...

ps--- If you want to experience the thrill of Americo's Winter Flamme yourself, Unwind Yarn House in Ontario, Canada has a lovely sampling of colours available in their Online Shop . Just toss them into the easy-peasy shopping cart!

Time...

... is of the essence.


I just found out that there are only 9 more days left in the latest knitcast.com contest!
9 more days and your chance of winning a copy of Gifted will be gone... 8-O
All you have to do is leave a comment. Now, how hard is that? Even if you already have a copy... just imagine what a lovely gift Gifted would make.
While you are at knitcast, don't forget to listen to Marie's interview with me...
One other thing. I have made a move on Facebook. Click here to join in on what could be a whole lotta fun!

Look...

... at the advertisement that showed up on my Facebook page!


At first, I scratched my head.
Then... all I could do was laugh!

Attention...

... Fashionistas!!!
Today I dropped into our local Salvation Army Thrift Store in search of wool sweaters to felt and make "stuff" out of. It is a bit too early for a good winter selection but I did happen across a quite a lovely 100% cashmere cardigan from Lands End...


in a lovely shade of aqua...


in pretty darn good condition...


with a price tag of only $3.00!
New, they are $150.00!!!!!
My experience is, cashmere does not felt well so it does not suit my "stuff making" project but boy there sure is a little room in my closet.
Do your closet, your wallet and those in need a great favour and visit your local good works thrift store. You might want to drop a buck or two in the bucket at the cash.
I did... it only somewhat lessened the guilty pleasure I felt as I walked out the door with such a lovely treat....
Same time next week..... for wool sweaters... of course... :)

A gift...

... from me to me to celebrate Gifted!
I am not much of a sock knitter--- gasp! And, I certainly did not want to hide this beautiful Noro colourway under boots… so I made this instead!!


I had just finished all the projects for Gifted and thought this would be a lovely little gift for me to make and celebrate.
The original design from the book--- Linen Summer Wrap--- is a wrap/scarf for, well, the summer months.


I loved the cool, dry hand of Berroco's Linen Jeans and felt the soft neutral contributed to a sense of coolness I wished for the piece. Perfect for the summer or to take along on a tropical vacation...

It being late fall at the time, I grabbed my hot-hued, woolly Noro!
I used a kitchen scale to wind off two fairly equal balls out of the one that I had.
I did not block the finished piece. I liked the way the skinny ends had become colourful tendrils.


I started and finished it while on an incredible trip I took to Morocco last November. The colours in the wrap mimicked many I saw in the souks of Marrakesh.
Mmmmm… this wrap makes me think of mint tea…

A gift...

... from me to you to celebrate Gifted.

A free pattern!!

Not every idea and every pattern can fit between the covers of one itty, bitty book. Sometimes a design or two must be shelved. Gifted had such moments. But, fret not! Dust barely began to collect on that shelf before I saw a good reason to bring out this "gifty" idea for all to make.

Cinched!

This is a fun, quick felted belt that makes my heart sing...
Very few things thrill me like a good stripe. With Cinched I am able to play with colours, stripe widths and spacings while formulating new ways to use colour when designing larger projects.


I'm on my third Cinched. Unfortunately, for those around me, I have been closeting my creations for my own, personal use. I know..... baaaaaaaaad gift maker ;).
FYI, I feel there is absolutely nothing wrong in practicing a project--- many, many, many times if needed--- until I feel happy enough to wrap it up and give it away. That is my story and I am sticking to it....


Here is a link to the Ravelry page so you can save it in your library and queue it up. And here is a link to the pattern on my website.
Happy Cinch-ing!

Well...

... who'd a thunk!?!
Doodling as a "zen" and "creative" exercise!

Zentangling!

For all I know, this has been going on for eons ... but it is new to me!
I tripped across this wonderfulness when I started hunting down more info on a very inspiring stuff maker with a really great name---Julie Fei-Fan Balzer.
I've been playing with photo-transfer ideas for my own personal creative exploits and started watching YouTube clips totally mesmerized by Julie's makings.
With a click of my mouse I fell into this...


I could not wait to grab a fine tipped marker and start!
I must say, seeing that I spend a bulk of my creative time either knitting, stitching or keyboarding, the cool feel of a pen in my hand is odd yet pleasing.
Here is the start of my first attempt.
I began by mimicking Julie's lovely layers of ribbons and went from there....


I can only get better... I'm liking this. :)
I can see these as fun gift cards...

Ta da...

... te de!
It's here... it's here... it's here!


Gifted has just started shipping so grab those needles and/or hooks and get ready to start gifting!!
If you have a Ravelry account click here to view all of the projects. At the moment there are only a handful up. Patience.... I'll be loading them up as quick as I can...
Have a FABULOUS weekend!

Mexico...

... on my mind. That's what it must be!
It is my birthday this month so I thought I would buy myself an early birthday gift.
It arrived today. Just in time to be my companion while lying under a shady tree to avoid the second blast of heat that has drifted over us.


Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress--- Frida's Wardrobe--- Fashion from the Museo Frida Kahlo


I have yet to read a word. I quickly did a little flip through and lost my breath. From what I understand, on the day of her death Diego insisted that Frida's closet be sealed for 50 years. Once opened in 2004 every item was lovingly restored and catalogued.


From amazon.com--- "Now, for the first time, 95 original and beautifully staged photographs of Kahlo's newly restored clothing are paired with historic photos of the artist wearing them and her paintings in which the garments appear. Frida's life and style were an integral part of her art, and she is long overdue for recognition as a fashion icon. "

Oh, all of her rebozos!
I was fortunate enough to tour Frida's home in Coyoacan the last time we visited fantastically, dizzying Mexico City.


I could not help but cry as I moved from room to room. The beauty and passion and pain of her life could still be felt.


This is my cotton rebozo. I picked it up in a market on an adventure in Oaxaca. I was tickled to see one almost like it in the tiny gift shop at Frida's Museum. A little bit of Frida lives with me in The County.... sigh.


Now, where is that cool breeze?

Beauty...

... from chaos.
The older I get the more I appreciate hindsight and the more tolerant and philosophical I have become of chaos--- even when in the thick of it.
Three summers ago we endured

country road maintenance.

The "staging area" was the farmer's field directly across from the house. 6:30 every morning the workers would arrive with their pick-up trucks clanking and grinding. Loud, manly voices would travel across the lawn, up the wall and directly into our bedroom window. By 7 am the giant road eating machines would fire up. At 7:01 I would close the front facing windows keeping out a good amount of the dust and dirt but barely muffling the ten hours of mechanical cacophony.
It felt like months... it might have only been weeks.
When it was all done the road appeared only slightly wider and was filled and flattened. It was not "real" paving that topped up the surface, but what was applied kept most of the dust down and needed not to be sprayed with that gooey and odorous gawd-knows-what-black-muck-paper-processing-by-product-carcinogen that was used in the past. Brand new good-sized culverts were installed and Skeeter added a new mischief to her repertoire-- Culvert Crawlin'. Most disturbing was the frightening depth of the dug up gutters. I figured them to be deep enough to swallow up a Smart car. In the end, really not worth all the caffufle... or, so I thought...

Now I have what I have appreciated driving down other country roads in The County...


...wild day lilies in my gutters!! Those ominous, Smart car swallowing gutters!!!


All the grinding and moving had created the most lovely no-maintenance garden for me and all who travel down our road to enjoy from the end of June to the beginning of August.

Isn't chaos grand?

What a MAGIC...

... bus!!

I hope you enjoyed and were inspired by this weeks Web Wandering Wednesday.....

Busy as a...

... bee.
That is what I have been making "stuff" for the two shows I have lined up for this autumn.
I must say, it is a nice change making things that need not a pattern nor directions so someone else can replicate my idea.
This is a promo I created to share "the mood" of my 2010 line...



The Maker's Hand has its website up for the 2010 show and lookie whose egg cozies are included on the load in page.... yipppee!
Rest assured... I have some knitting designs and patterns on the go for those of you who prefer to make!

Don't hate me...

... because my rubber gloves are b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!


I just could not help myself when I saw this dah-ling pair at the local dollar store.
I'll be putting them to good use. I've got lots and lots of felting to do over the next little while as I ready myself for the yearly Prince Edward County Studio and Gallery Tour.
This is my second year participating. It was so much fun meeting all the very interesting people who swung by last September I thought I would be a fool not to participate again.
I whipped up this pincushion the other week.


The shape reminds me of a Donut Peach. Have you ever tried one? Ohhhhh... you really should. They usually show up in my market sometime in July. They are thrilling to the taste buds... but I digress. I'm thinking I'll make a few more of the pin cushions for the show. I do have to come clean, however.


The cheery felted ball punctuating the cushion is store bought---- eeeeeek! Ornamantea has lovely, well-priced ones in colours that make me happy. I, once again, could not help myself. Besides, as they use to say at the end of Craft Corner Deathmatch, "sometimes it is just cheaper and easier to buy it"! Gosh, I enjoyed that show...

I hope you are enjoying your weekend and the longest day of the year--- for those of you who live north of the equator!

My, oh my...

... something fun, fabulous and FREE for the weekend!


Knitting Daily TV has offered up a pattern from Gifted that is one of my personal favourites!!
I have an armful amount in assorted colours that I love to pile on to gussy up my “uniform” of jeans and gray T’s.
For “gifting” I group them in threes and tie them together with a pretty ribbon.
This is such a great way to use up all the odds and sods in your stash....
Dig up all those walnut sized leftovers of colourful sock yarn you have squirreled away!!
Imagine how fantastic they would look as the wrapper yarn!!!
Oooooohhhhhhhh....
Here is a pic of some of my original prototypes. What did I tell you? Gray T and jeans... ;-)



I'd love to see what masterpieces you come up with.
Pleeeeease post them on my Gifted Facebook page so we all can see them!!

It ain't easy...

... being a "green" knitter.
Correction.... it is easy!


Since cutting up my silk skirt and turning it into Paris Recycled for Ann Budd's book, Knitting Green, I have never looked at my closet quite the same way!
Some of you might remember me cutting up jeans for a project a while back.... quite a while back!

My original idea was not working so my knit strips of denim were frogged and my giant ball of "yarn" was shelved.


Well, one thing led to another and I soon forgot about my recycled jeans project. That was until a few weeks back....
I happened upon a grand yard sale find.... four good, solid, wooden chairs in need of a hard scrubbing and a little TLC. The thrill was they were only 5 dollars each!

Then... I had the reduce-reuse-recycle- green- and funky- stylish light bulb moment!!!!
I dusted off my big, denim "yarn" ball...


reached for those huge, honkin' orange needles and started knitting...



... tada!!!


A wee bit of "toosh cush" for those spending time on my porch this summer!

Basic Sittin' Purty Toosh Cush Pattern

• about 8 oz of jeans legs cut in a long continuous strip about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Sometimes I knotted the ends together. Sometimes I hand-stitched the ends together with red embroidery cotton. I liked mixin' it up.
  

• 12-19 mm needles-- whatever you need to make you happy with your project.

Cast on 20 sts (or whatever you need) using the backward loop method.
Work in Stocking Stitch for desired length.
Shape, if necessary, by decreasing or increasing 1 st at each edge as needed.
Cast off.
Cut 2 strips to about 20" in length. Use to secure the "cush" to the chair with a nice knotted bow onto a leg or the chair back .

Please forgive me... but I must hurry off now ! I have three more chairs to tart up before Friday....

Oh... and don't forget the Knitting Green Blog Tour continues on June 9th with a peek into Cecily Glowik MacDonald's beautiful and creative world!
Before you ask... yes, the dottie heart is a pumped-up version of the cover pattern found in Gifted.... I found the red, white and blue colour theme perfect for my south of the border buddies upcoming fete!