Spring Break Bandit

A few months ago I got super committed to KNITTING WITH MY STASH YARN, and I pulled out a bunch of old yarn and matched it to patterns in my Ravelry queue. You know, like you do after completing a big design and craving the simplicity of just following someone else's pattern for a bit. 

I'm one of those knitters who enjoys picking out yarn, and enjoys knitting, and enjoys wearing their finished hand knits. Those are all pretty common attributes of "the knitter." 

But I'm also one of those knitters who hates having a stash of yarn sitting around, taking up room, just being yarn. I'd rather have socks, or a scarf, or a hat, than yarn. Maybe this is because I live in a one bedroom apartment, so my yarn has to live tucked away, taking up valuable space that could be used for something else, like old tax returns or VHS tapes or something. 

Now I've used the word "yarn" so much it's lost all meaning.

ANYway, I got really excited about this using-up-of-yarn for a minute, until I was distracted by those Downton Abbey towels, and in that minute, I made this shawl.

I'm usually not so into shawls, but this one is more like a big scarf, less like a poncho. 

I was pretty proud of myself in this picture.
Look! If you use the nails already in the wall, you can hang up your shawl!

The pattern is Springtime Bandit by Kate Osborn, and I made it just as written using a little less than two skeins of leftover Cascade 220 from my Beatnik sweater. I knit it while on vacation in Captiva Island, and I made one mistake in the lace. I accidentally did two extra YO's, which I later just stitched closed and wove in the ends. Such is life. 

Thanks to Ravelry, I know that this yarn has been sitting around, just being yarn since the spring of 2011. So I'm pleased that it will now sit around as a shawl until December or so, when it cools down enough to wear this, or I go home to Michigan for Christmas. And yes, this is somehow better. 

Holla Knits KAL - Nachtfalter

Just looking at that lacy swatch makes me happy. 

This summer I'm leading a knit-along for Holla Knits, for my favorite sweater from the Spring/Summer 2013 issue: Nachtfalter.

I'm using CotLin in Gosling and Wallaby, and we start next Monday. Care to join us?

Works in Progress - Blankets & Lettuce

A few weeks ago, I went home for my Mom's graduation from college. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Art after about 30 years of taking classes on and off. She has 4 kids, 3 grandkids, paints professionally (that links to her sweet art blog), and is very involved in the community and at church. So basically, she's amazing and her commitment to education has finally paid off. Other people would have given up 25 years ago - but not Jean Canavan!

She also reads this blog - I love you, Mom! -  so if she's blushing right now, she'll let me know.

So for her graduation, I wanted to make her something big. When my little sister, Meghan, graduated, I made her a crochet blanket, and I knew that Mom deserved the same. 

But where to get the amount of yarn that a great blanket requires? Ah yes, my old WORK+SHELTER yarn line! 

I still have a bunch of this yarn and held double, it's perfect for a blanket. Seriously, this is what this yarn was MADE for. I searched around for a good pattern, and landed on the Starburst Flower crochet motif. 

I'm only about a third done, but I presented the blanket to my mom in April. It fit over about half her body, but she loved where it was going! She has vision, my mom. 

What else? I've been re-growing my romaine lettuce heads on my windowsill. Sarah from Knit York City posted a picture of her lettuce on Instagram, and I was intrigued. The bunnies go through about 5 heads of lettuce a week, so we definitely have lettuce leftovers to spare around here. After I cut the leaves off, I popped the stems in water, and voila! New lettuce!

And really GREEN lettuce, too. It's funny how such bland grocery store lettuce can look so healthy when grown somewhat naturally. And by funny, I mean a bit creepy.

Adventures: Seattle & Port Townsend, WA

This past weekend I went on a little trip to Seattle to get this guy (Chris. My boyfriend.) and see the show he's been working on Port Townsend, WA. Chris is a stage manager, and lately he's taken a few more jobs out of town, which is always a fun excuse to travel!

We spent early Saturday in Seattle, and I got to meet up with my long-time blog-friend, Andi, from Untangling Knots! It's so fun meeting up with people, but with Andi it was especially awesome, since we've "known" each other online for so long. And she was wearing a super cute hand knit sweater, too! 

Chris and I went to the EMP Museum to see all the nerdy stuff like props and costumes from our favorite SciFi/Fantasy/Horror movies and TV. Which, to be honest, there was less than I thought. But the stuff they DID have was pretty cool, including this Iron Throne to sit on and take pictures. Chris was just begging to be thrown off... (throne.. off?!!? ehhh??)

Clearly I'm more devious.

Then we got in the car and drove around the bay to Port Townsend, WA, where Chris was working at the Key City Public Theater. 

Port Townsend is an adorable little town, and I was kinda jealous that Chris got to spend the last month and half there. 

We ate a lot of delicious seafood, drank some yummy drinks, and of course I had to visit the local yarn store and purchase something. 

I got these super soft, hand dyed, French crewel threads at Bazaar Girls! Finding crewel supplies is hard enough, so I knew I had to get a few of these high quality threads. I wanted to buy all the colors! 

So if you're in Seattle and want to take a little day trip - Port Townsend is highly recommended! Very cute and cozy town with lots to see, do, and eat. 

A Little More Downton Abbey and some other nerd things...

 

I've been busy this week stitching up new Downton Abbey embroidery patterns for Kitschy Digitals. After the warm reception for the first 15 characters, Heather Davulcu designed 6 more, and I've been stitching while watching season two of Game of Thrones. 

Speaking of Game of Thrones and other such nerd things, I went to the local Renaissance Faire last weekend. Surprisingly, I had never been to a Ren Faire before, despite my love of the Tudors, dressing up, and drinking mead. 

It was quite the experience. WHY did my parents never take my to a Ren Faire when I was a kid!? I spent hours playing dress up as Laura Ingalls or Felicity (the American Girl, not the character played by Keri Russel), and would have loved something like this. Maybe Ren Faires weren't as cool in the 80's as they are now... right?

Me with Lizzie and Joey, aka my wenches

Now, those of you who come here strictly for knitting and sewing posts may be shocked at my nerdy social life. I know, you are surprised that someone who knits and plays the accordion would also partake in something as geeky as dressing up in historical garb. 

... obligatory

But it's really not that far off, is it? I've always been interested in history and fashion, which lead to a major in costume design, and learning to knit. I mean - what's more historical than knitting!? Or embroidery - the hobby of the upper class in Medieval and Renaissance times. 

Captain Joe (a Jack Sparrow wanna be) - I am highly skeptical

And if you're wondering about my costume - it's handmade, but not by me. I found the green dress almost a decade ago at a thrift store, back when I used to actively keep a stash of costumes on hand for design purposes. The shirt was found at a thrift store the day before - it's from Target - along with the leather belt. My necklace was a gift from my Grandma this past Christmas - she used to wear it in the 60's. 

And I can't help but include this photo, Instagrammed by Joey - Renaissance lady in a modern world! 

A little crochet cozy

When Alycia from Habitual Homebody posted the newest crochet along pattern, I was totally into it. A cute cozy that also uses up scraps of yarn? Yup. 

And then on top of that, it was my friend Katy's birthday on Saturday, and I knew she'd love her own little aloe plant wrapped in a sweater. Although, wow, this aloe plant is sad. Thanks for nothin', Lowe's.

The "pattern" is here at Hopscotch Lane, but I didn't do any of the increases, because as you can see, my pot was a little galvanized tub, not the ceramic kind. It still turned out pretty cute, though, so I think the pattern works for pots of all shapes and sizes. It's inclusive like that. 

Currently Reading!

So after my "Recently Read" post last week, I wanted to continue with what I'm currently reading. Yes, I'm reading three books at a time (one audio, one Kindle, one serial):

Title: The Alchemyst

Author: Michael Scott

Read Via: Audio Book

So far: Ok, I'm only on the second chapter. And yes, this is mostly just to break things up from my last two audio books (super serious and super dumb). So far - it's magic-y! 

Title: A Storm of Swords

Author: George R.R. Martin

Read Via: Kindle

So far: Best of the Game of Thrones books thus far. 

Title: Gooseberry Bluff Community College of Magic, the Thirteenth Rib

Author: David J. Schwartz

Read Via: Kindle Serial

So far: So I heard about Kindle Serials from Amanda from Hey Porkchop, and got on board with this book. When I bought it, two episodes had been released, and I tore through them. And then it took THREE WEEKS for the third to be released, which was kind of a bummer. Since then, they've released about one a week, which is much better, but I still don't think I'll buy another of these serials. I loose track of the story too easily, and get impatient waiting. But the story itself is so far, so good. 

Honors Geometry on Knit Picks! (and the winner of the Giveaway)

Exciting news! My Honors Geometry pattern just went up on Knit Picks as part of the IDP program.

Knit Picks makes it so fun to pick out yarn for their IDP projects - you can just drag and drop your color choices and see which look good together. For this sample, I had fun with some new colors. I knit it in Wool of the Andes in Fedora (brown), Lullaby (dark purple), Fairy Tale (magenta) and Avocado (green). 

This face says NO NONSENSE

And thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway for my new pattern, Julep Jacket. The winner is...

Congratulations, NanaJen! Look for a message from me today! 

Recently Read, Since January

Way back in January, I made a New Years Resolution to read more. I love reading, and that's one of the main reasons I became an actor. What's better than being IN a story!? 

But in the past few years, I hadn't made much room for reading in my life. So this year that changes. Or goes back to normal, I guess, since as a kid I would devour books. 

So how did I make all this reading happen? TECHNOLOGY. I've been reading books on my Kindle and listening to a lot of books on tape. Thanks, Audible. Since a lot of what I do at my day job is filing, I have a lot of time to listen to books, and it's been awesome. 

Here's the run-down of the books I've read since January (not including Blogher Book Club books):

Title: A Homemade Life

Author: Molly Wizenberg

Read Via: Actual, physical, book. 

Stars (out of 5): 3

Comments/Questions/Concerns: My mom gave me this one for my birthday last year. Molly has a fun blog, Orangette, where she posts little stories followed by a recipe. And that's pretty much what this book is, too. No through-line, no overarching theme, no real point. But man, some of the recipes sound delicious! 

Title: Boneshaker

Author: Cherie Priest

Read Via: Actual, physical, book. 

Stars (out of 5):

Comments/Questions/Concerns: This is a fun, steam punk, series set in an alternate dimension Seattle, where a gas leak has turned the downtown area into a hotbed of zombies. The characters are pretty classic genre characters, but the action is nail-bitingly intense and all the steam-punk-y tech talk is addictive. The only reason I haven't read the sequels yet is that I am terrified of zombies. Seriously, after reading a chapter with a zombie attack, I couldn't sleep. And yet, I loved this book, and that should speak more than anything. 

Title: The Casual Vacancy

Author: J.K. Rowling

Read Via: Audio Book

Stars (out of 5): 4

Comments/Questions/Concerns: Like every other Harry Potter fan, I was excited to read Rowling's foray into the adult fiction world. After the first reviews poured in, naming this a crass piece of trash, I knew I would love it! No, but seriously: I loved it. She has crafted some intensely dark characters that I still cannot get out of my mind (I read this one back in February), that live within a realistically detailed world. On top of that, the audio book is read by Tom Hollander, and he's an outstanding narrator. 

Title: Outlander

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Read Via: Audio Book

Stars (out of 5): 3

Comments/Questions/Concerns: I listened to this because my mom recommended it, because she knows I love historial fiction. Although I enjoyed it, it was loooong, and that wasn't helped by the audio book narrator, who liked to draw out her sentences. A lot. I'm talking a 40-hour audio book here. So perhaps my rating relies too heavily on that experience, but in general I wasn't terribly thrilled with Outlander, and probably won't read the sequels. 

Title: A Clash of Kings

Author: George R.R. Martin

Read Via: Kindle

Stars (out of 5): 4

Comments/Questions/Concerns: After struggling through the first Game of Thrones book, I resolved to stop watching the TV series, and just read. Thank goodness, because reading the second book was really enjoyable. I'm totally sucked in, although I find Martin's writing style to be a bit... derivative and overwritten. That said, the man has crafted some very interesting characters, and I have to give him props for having making his 9083018230 story lines work, all at the same time. 

Title: The End of the Affair

Author: Graham Greene

Read Via: Audio Book

Stars (out of 5): 3

Comments/Questions/Concerns: Ok, I admit it: I started listening to this because it was narrated by Colin Firth, and I lurve him. So sue me! I was totally engaged in this classic at the start, but about halfway through, it lost me. I don't want to give it away, but the ending is surprising and strange, and I guess I should have done my research on Greene before starting. I didn't dislike it, but probably won't read it again. 

Title: Seriously... I'm Kidding

Author: Ellen Degeneres

Read Via: Audio Book

Stars (out of 5): 2

Comments/Questions/Concerns: While this book was slightly cute or funny, it mostly felt like a waste of time. Each chapter is a short story (or in many cases, just a list) with no connection to the next, except that Ellen constantly talks about 1. her show; 2. being a celebrity; and 3. that you SHOULD be happy. Thanks for that. 

What have you been reading? I'm on a roll, so recommend away!

Ps. Other book posts here.

Holla Knits Spring Blog Tour (with a Giveaway!)

I showed you my new design, Julep Jacket, on Monday, but there's a lot more of Holla Knits amazingness where that came from...

There's a two-way tie for My Favorite Design in this issue, and it's between Stefanie Pollmeier's Nachtfalter (above) and Emma Welford's Just Beachy (below). Which to knit first? Both are super cute California-appropriate summer tops. 

These designs aren't the only lacy, summery designs in this issue, though.

Tessa Gregorio created the lovely Lady Bat (above), and Courtney Spainhower's Meeting Point combines lace with geometry. 

But if you're not quite ready for light, lacy knits, there's still something for you in the form of Allyson Dykhuizen's El Matador, a bobble-encrusted cape! 

Each pattern is available for $6 on the Holla Knits site

So, who wants to win a copy of my Julep Jacket pattern? 

I'm giving away one copy to a lucky reader - just comment below, and make sure to leave your email address! 

The giveaway will close next Friday, April 26th at midnight. In the mean time, check out the rest of the blog tour:

April 16 - The Sweatshop of Love

April 17 - Canary Knits

April 18 - Yarn Hollow

April 19 - Under the Red Umbrella

April 22 - Stash, the Knit Picks Staff Blog

April 23 - Emma Welford Designs

April 24 - Pink Brutus Knits

April 25 - Rewolluzza

April 26 - Knits in Class

April 29 - WEBS Yarn Store Blog

May 1 - Masi Knits

May 3 - Unplanned Peacock