tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85153372024-03-06T21:34:11.838-08:00craftoholicyarn, fabric, paper, beadscraftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-5432512686653712912010-08-23T21:46:00.000-07:002010-08-23T22:36:11.264-07:00Summer happeningsSummer just started in SF. July and August had been unusually foggy and chilly, so I ended up spending more time indoors working on projects. Sorting through my fabric storage I came across a few yards of Kona cotton in bright greens and blues, destined for a quilt I was no longer interested in making. But the longer I looked at it I realized that one of my best friends, who also happens to be my cousin thrice removed, loves these colors. Though we live thousands of miles apart we are very close and I decided to make a quilt for her, big enough to cuddle under on the sofa, or take outside for a picnic. Using five colors total, I paired each dark or cobalt blue triangle with a green, jade, or light blue one and put them together randomly. Unfortunately I discovered the awesome half-square-triangle (or hst in quilter's lingo) technique after I was done cutting my squares into triangles. I read somewhere that triangles aren't maybe the best project for a novice quilter because the bias edges can stretch, and yes, my resulting squares don't all line up perfectly. But she won't care, and I, despite my perfectionist tendencies, don't really either, and love how the quilt turned out, crooked squares and all. For the back I used what was left of the green and jade Kona cotton, divided by a band of blue. I machine-quilted it with turquoise cotton thread and diagonal lines, and applied the binding using this awesome <a href="http://turningturning.com/tutorial-invisible-ladder-stitch-for-quilt-binding/">technique</a> by <a href="http://turningturning.com/">turning*turning</a>. Voilà!<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/4895538853/" title="Triangle Quilt front by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/4895538853_ba6fb40553.jpg" alt="Triangle Quilt front" width="333" height="500" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/4896135206/" title="Triangle Quilt back by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4896135206_321f10fbdc.jpg" alt="Triangle Quilt back" width="333" height="500" /></a><br />It felt good to use supplies I already had that were perfect. I started the quilt in July and completed it just last week.<br />Back in July I also won this beautiful owl softie in a give-away hosted by Emma, creator of the wonderful blog <a href="http://www.themarionhousebook.com/">the marion house book</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/4896059532/" title="iBeastyou owl by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/4896059532_262147ddfc.jpg" alt="iBeastyou owl" width="333" height="500" /></a><br />I recently cleared out a lot of style blogs from my reader, because I got tired of looking just at stuff. The marion house book though has a wonderful mix of interior design (love the hello! neighbor house tours), recipes, art, and diy projects, and every post is inspiring. The beautiful owl is one of a kind made by artist Becky Lane, you can see and read more about her work at <a href="http://www.ibeastyou.com/">i beast you</a>.<br /><br />Gina asked after my last post what ever happened to the Aaren dress I was knitting last year. Hmm. So this is what happened: I knit both the front and back up to where I needed to decide on the neckline (didn't feel like the crew neck, didn't want a turtle neck either) and then totally lost steam. I know it wouldn't take that long to finish it, but at this point I'm not even sure if I still want to make and wear a knit dress, even though the pattern is so pretty. So I plan to wait until it gets cold again to get in the mood for cozy knits and revisit the dress. Finish or frog, that'll be the question.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-84713005348121151502010-07-02T17:53:00.000-07:002010-07-02T21:09:48.527-07:00Catching up and starting againWell, hello, I missed this spot! It's summer, and though I'm not taking classes two very awesome internships are keeping me busy. One more semester to go and I'll have my degree. Unbelievable. I've been able to make time for crafting though, now I just need to get the blog going again. If you're a flickr contact you've probably seen some of the things I've made since I last posted.<br /><br />First, a pair of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bellas-mittens">Bella's mittens</a>. Practical me didn't quite understand why I needed woolly mittens in a mediterranean climate. But I loved how cozy and comfy they looked, and they knit up very quickly. Perfect for winter beach walks. I used less than two skeins of Plymouth Yarn Galway Worsted, held double, and US 8's.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/4526673216/" title="Bella_mittens1 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4526673216_c145e7dec1.jpg" alt="Bella_mittens1" width="333" height="500" /></a><br/><br />A new favorite, the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jacques-cousteau-hat">Cousteau hat</a>, knit with two skeins of Louisa Harding's Kashmir Baby in a rich dark navy. It's super soft and not itchy at all on my wool sensitive head.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/4526673228/" title="Cousteau1 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4526673228_301855c4bc.jpg" alt="Cousteau1" width="333" height="500" /></a><br/><br />I made a necklace with Thai silver beads I've had for ages and dark gray embroidery floss, which I crocheted with a tiny hook.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/4526673214/" title="Orb_necklace by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/4526673214_edc6fa4ea1.jpg" alt="Orb_necklace" width="333" height="500" /></a><br/><br />And a small bag, perfect for carrying essentials when going out for breakfast Sunday mornings. I pieced this together from leftover fabric used for my messenger bag, but used the reverse side, which has more texture.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/4619808359/" title="Breakfast bag 1 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4619808359_918b1be2b1.jpg" alt="Breakfast bag 1" width="368" height="500" /></a><br/><br />I also made a shirt with all the trimmings (cuffs, collar, button band, still need pictures) and joined a quilting bee with some very talented ladies. A quilt for a dear friend is currently in the works. More to come soon!craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-91350118902636664952009-09-26T14:45:00.000-07:002009-09-26T14:56:02.208-07:00And I think it's gonna be a long long time...until I'll be able to wear <a href="http://www.kimhargreaves.co.uk/acatalog/AAREN.html">this</a>, at the snail's pace I'm knitting. But I'm just happy to knit, for ten minutes here and there. Can't wait for winter break!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/3956995990/" title="Aaren by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3527/3956995990_fa9eb82bcb_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Aaren " /></a><br /><br />The yarn I'm using is Valley Yarns Northampton. It's very similar to Cascade 220, but I think it's softer and cheaper. It's a bit fuzzy and the cables don't pop so much, which I was convinced I didn't want anyway (the photo makes it look more contrasty than it really is). I wanted them to be more subtle. But I keep thinking about it.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-90606239369504854282009-08-23T11:43:00.000-07:002009-08-23T12:01:48.915-07:00Squeezing in a few projectsI miss coming here, but school is keeping me busy and I was silly enough to enroll for summer as well, so there has been little time to craft. But I'm not quite ready to give up the blog, so it'll probably straggle along until I graduate. I managed to squeeze in some knitting a few months ago. There have been many lovely textured shawls on ravelry and the gorgeous skein of Malabrigo sock yarn I got for my birthday didn't want to be socks. It's more of a kerchief than a shawl, but that works; it's lightweight and soft and great for when it's just a bit chilly.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/3849387014/" title="textured_shawl by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/3849387014_7b255a992c.jpg" width="326" height="500" alt="textured_shawl" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/3849387026/" title="textured_shawl_2 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/3849387026_1006422d4b.jpg" width="363" height="500" alt="textured_shawl_2" /></a><br /><br />Pattern: textured shawl recipe by orlane, available <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/textured-shawl-recipe">here</a><br />Yarn: 1 skein of Malabrigo sock yarn in eggplant<br />Needles: US 5<br />Mods: The number of rows had to be adjusted due to the smaller gauge: I knit 4x 26 rows alternating stockinette and textured pattern, 22 rows of stockinette, 6 rows of textured, ending with 19 rows of garter st.<br /><br />Right now I'm working on a sewn bag, all that's left is the zipper and the lining.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-21602989907494665312009-03-02T09:14:00.000-08:002009-03-02T10:31:13.968-08:00I should be catalogingBut I'd rather be blogging. So this will be just a quick post, and then it's back to homework.<br />What do you do with knits you don't have much use for? I admit to being rather reckless when it comes to things that have outlived their purpose or aren't quite right. They're either frogged, given to someone who will love them more than I do, or passed on to Goodwill. That is how this blanket came to be:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/3320705972/" title="Garter Stitch Blanket 1 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3567/3320705972_d7598a6227.jpg" alt="Garter Stitch Blanket 1" height="500" width="382" /></a><br />It once was this:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/540839889/" title="Flicca7 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/540839889_f91a24d0c2.jpg" alt="Flicca7" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />Was that a gasp I heard?<br />My Flicca was lovely, but except for the photoshoot and one other time I never wore it. It was just a bit too heavy and cumbersome and sat neatly folded in my sweater drawer for a good year or so. Between two humans and a cat, we had only one wool blanket in the house (so you can guess who got to use that blanket) and another was desperately needed. Frogging went rather quickly without any pangs of regret, and in about a month I had a big almost 6'x5' garter stitch blanket with a scalloped crochet border. I've used it a lot and feel so happy every time I do.<br />Lesson learned: People use yarn with acrylic for a reason: it's lighter than 100% wool. I'll remember that next time I feel like knitting a coat again.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-28071004575585498922009-01-21T09:09:00.000-08:002009-01-21T09:49:51.746-08:00Sanity BeretI was afraid blogger wouldn't let me log in after not having posted for so long but it still works, yay! Where have I been? Alive and kicking but really busy. I started grad school last fall and took a full course load on top of working 40 hours a week. There was no time for anything not school related, no knitting, no blogging, no watching movies, no socializing. I got home from work and hit the books. I woke up on the weekends and started to study right after breakfast. It was hard but it was also fun and I kept surprising myself by pushing the boundaries of what I thought I can do further and further. There was however one point right after midterms where I needed to knit something so my mind could relax a little and my senses enjoy something other than a plastic keyboard. It needed to be quick and useful so I picked the cabled beret from Debbie Bliss new magazine and soft non-itchy wool. It took me just a day to finish it and it is perfect. I've been wearing it a lot since then, but during our annual Bodega Bay outing last weekend it was actually too hot (we've had crazy warm temps in California the last week) to wear.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/3210358977/" title="CableBeret3 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3491/3210358977_f1ffecaa27.jpg" alt="CableBeret3" height="500" width="332" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/3210358969/" title="CableBeret2 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3467/3210358969_002cbe577f.jpg" alt="CableBeret2" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />It was a lovely day, not a cloud in the sky. The seals were having fun bodysurfing the waves, it was amazing to watch. I could stare at the waves rolling in all day long.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/3210358985/" title="Pacific by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3210358985_9a5abc161d.jpg" alt="Pacific" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />Pattern: Cabled Beret from Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine Fall/Winter 2008<br />Yarn: 2.5 skeins Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran, color 13<br />Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm and US 8 / 5.0 mm<br />Mods: I knit this in the round instead of flat to avoid seaming (to keep the pattern correct I cast on two sts less).<br />I'm not sure I would use the yarn for a sweater (it was difficult to get the sts even though it may have been me), but it feels very soft without being itchy on my head. After wearing it now for a few months I think it was a great choice for the beret.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-92195661257389281852008-07-21T09:38:00.000-07:002008-07-21T09:38:41.199-07:00More citrus dreamingAs I've mentioned <a href="http://craftoholic.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-dream-of-citrus.html">before</a>, I love citrus, especially in the summer time, when my sweet tooth craves something that's also tart and refreshing. I've been favoring cookies over cake/pie lately, so I dug through my recipes binder and found three Martha Stewart Living recipes I've been meaning to try.<br />First the <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">Lime flowers</span>, which I turned into rounds for lack of a flower cookie cutter.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2655389587/" title="Limerounds by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2094/2655389587_d3c0627607.jpg" alt="Limerounds" height="500" width="332" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">lime flowers (app 2 dozen)</span><br />1. Sift together <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 c all-purpose flour</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 ts baking powder</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 ts salt</span> in a large bowl, set aside.<br />2. Put <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 c granulated sugar</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 TS lime zest</span> in a mixing bowl, mix on medium speed about 1 min. Add <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.5 sticks unsalted softened butter</span>; mix until fluffy, about 2 mins. Mix in <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 ts vanilla extract</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 c fresh lime juice</span>. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.<br />3. On a lightly floured work surface, halve the dough. Flatten each half into a 10" disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill dough in freezer 30 mins.<br />4. Preheat oven to 325 dF. Roll out disk on parchment paper to 1/8" thick. Using a 3" cookie cutter, cut shapes from dough. Space on baking sheets 1" apart. Repeat with other disk.<br />5. Bake until set, about 16 mins. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool. Before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over cookies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Omitted:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>I didn't sift confectioners' sugar over the finished cookies. I like sweets, but I don't like them too sweet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Next time:</span> I loved these cookies, however, sometimes I could taste the vanilla extract and it just didn't seem to go. I'll omit the vanilla extract when I make these again.<br /><br /><br />Next up, <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);">Lemon Poppyseed cookies</span>. I omitted the last step of adding more poppyseeds on top. Like the lime flowers, they are buttery and have the perfect texture just between soft and crunchy.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2655389575/" title="LemonPoppy by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2655389575_7dc5e86cb2.jpg" alt="LemonPoppy" height="500" width="332" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">lemon poppy-seed cookies (app.30)</span><br />1. Preheat oven to 375 dF. Bring <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 c fresh lemon juice</span> to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until reduced by half. Add <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 stick butter</span>, stir until melted.<br />2. Whisk together <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 c all-purpose flour</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 ts baking powder</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 ts salt</span>. Cream <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 stick butter</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">1c sugar</span> on medium speed. Mix in <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 large egg</span> and lemon butter, mix until pale, about 3 min. Mix in <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 ts pure vanilla extract</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 TS freshly grated lemon zest</span>. Mix in flour mixture and <span style="font-weight: bold;">1 TS poppy seeds</span>.<br />3. Stir together <span style="font-weight: bold;">1/2 c sugar</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">1.5 ts lemon zest</span>. Roll spoonfuls of dough into 1.25" balls; roll them in sugar mixture. Place 2" apart on baking sheets. Press each with the flat end of a glass dipped in sugar mixture until 1.25" thick. Sprinkle with poppyseeds.<br />4. Bake until just browned around bottom edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Omitted:</span> Rolling the dough balls in the sugar mixture. I thought there was already so much sugar in these cookies, more would have been overkill.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Next time:</span> BF thought they were perfect, I found them a tad too sweet. Compared to the other two recipes, there is an extra half cup of sugar in these cookies. I'll use one cup of sugar when I make these again.<br /><br /><br />Last, and definitely my favorite, are the <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Lime Cornmeal Glazed cookies</span>. I was very curious about using cornmeal in cookies, I haven't really tasted it in anything else besides cornbread. The cookies are a bit fragile (they crumble easily) but they taste amazing and are well worth the work. I often forgo glazes (too sugary), but this glaze (with bits of lime and orange rind) is so good, I even ate the leftover glaze by the spoonful.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/lime-cornmeal-glazed-cookies?autonomy_kw=lime%20cornmeal%20cookies">get the recipe here: Lime Cornmeal Glazed Cookies</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2655389557/" title="LimeCornmeal1 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3038/2655389557_dcfe437f54.jpg" alt="LimeCornmeal1" height="500" width="332" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Omitted/Substituted:</span> I used whole wheat flour instead of regular. It was a great choice and went incredibly well with the lime. Sometimes Martha's recipes use too much zest for my taste, here I used 2 ts of zest instead of the 4 ts suggested.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Next time:</span> I'll omit the almond extract. Like the vanilla extract in the lime flowers, it adds an somewhat odd aftertaste I can make out now and then. I think these fab cookies will be better without.<br /><br />Last thoughts: Yummy cookies, all of them. They had in common an incredibly sticky dough, but rolling it out between two sheets of plastic wrap made handling it much easier.<br /><br />c = cup<br />ts = teaspoon<br />TS = tablespoon<br />dF = degree Fahrenheitcraftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-80375007964311775252008-07-14T10:02:00.000-07:002008-07-14T10:03:24.763-07:00Bear LoveI'm not much of a toy knitter. It's not that I don't like knitting toys, but that the toys never make it to their intended recipients. Blame for this solely rests on bf, who, after watching limbs and heads and ears emerge from my needles, gets, ahem, somewhat attached and looks at me in wide-eyed terror when I try to tell him that they are supposed to be gifted....(haha, he hasn't been checking out my blog in a while, so let's just hope he's not reading this post ;-)<br />But, I love bears, polar bears especially and when I first saw Ysolda's <a href="http://ysolda.com/store/toys/otto/">Otto</a>, I knew I had to make one for myself. I had a few balls of leftover yarn, and born was Bina<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2658994728/" title="Bina by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/2658994728_638180ce7b.jpg" alt="Bina" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />and since I still had yarn leftover, she got a younger, slightly larger brother, Rudi<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2658994734/" title="Rudi by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2082/2658994734_b863cca8ef.jpg" alt="Rudi" height="500" width="323" /></a><br />they are so adorable<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2659028630/" title="Rudi&Bina by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/2659028630_1fd622753b.jpg" alt="Rudi&Bina" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />Pattern: <a href="http://ysolda.com/store/toys/otto/">Otto</a> by Ysolda Teague<br />Yarn: 3 skeins total Louisa Harding Grace, Otto also has some Kidsilk Haze in his head and body until I ran out<br />Needles: US 3<br />Mods: I made the bear snout a little shorter by omitting the knit rounds at the end (I only knit the decreasing rounds). Also, I took me forever to figure out the disappearing loop cast-on. I think I’m still not doing it correctly, but fudging it worked.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-42685600097564371552008-07-10T09:40:00.000-07:002008-07-10T10:57:28.371-07:00Summer Roadtrippin'Well, actually I've been back for a week, but as always after some time spent in nature, it's taking me a while to get back into the city living groove.<br />BF and I spent two weeks visiting places that have been on my dreamlist for a long time. We flew into Salt Lake City, drove up to Grand Teton National Park, spent a week at Yellowstone National Park, headed through Montana to Glacier NP, traversed Idaho to check out Craters of the Moon National Monument, then finished the loop by skirting the Bonneville Saltflats in Utah to SLC. What an amazing trip! My hopes of spotting some wildlife no matter how far away were rewarded by fairly close but respectful encounters with lots of the local fauna.<br />I love love love geothermal areas, and Yellowstone is a great place to experience lots of different features, here's just one of many colorful hot pools<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2655389593/" title="Nature's hot tub by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2655389593_d361e063ed.jpg" alt="Nature's hot tub" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />We were lucky to not only see Old Faithful erupt a few times, but to experience some other geysers who erupt less frequently<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2655407829/" title="Geyser by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/2655407829_3d3727218c.jpg" alt="Geyser" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />Buffalo often wandered into the campground<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2655407821/" title="Tent Neighbors by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2655407821_2acd8d15b5_m.jpg" alt="Tent Neighbors" height="159" width="240" /></a><br />my favorite, Glacier national Park<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2656237456/" title="Glacier NP by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3129/2656237456_a929926254_m.jpg" alt="Glacier NP" height="159" width="240" /></a><br />where we saw these guys, two adolescent grizzlies<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2655407837/" title="Grizzly Bears by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3218/2655407837_37f7fbf6d0_m.jpg" alt="Grizzly Bears" height="159" width="240" /></a><br />lots of moose<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2655407843/" title="Bull Moose by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/2655407843_2f49397cbe_m.jpg" alt="Bull Moose" height="159" width="240" /></a><br />we meet this mountain goat on hike<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2655407849/" title="Mountain Goat by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/2655407849_0ed5160dbf.jpg" alt="Mountain Goat" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />I loved the eerie lava landscape at Craters of the Moon in Idaho, but man was it hot!<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2656237464/" title="Craters of the Moon NM by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/2656237464_2e9a7c4926.jpg" alt="Craters of the Moon NM" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />It was wonderful to spend two weeks without many creature comforts, just living simply, and in the moment. My senses heightened, I became able to spot animals at a distance that would have been a blur before, and smell and hear better (unfortunately I'm hoping to lose some of that sense of smell, the first few days in the city made me almost nauseous, what with all the paint fumes and exhaust hovering in downtown).<br /><br />Some of my favorite experiences on this trip:<br />- watching a grizzly and her cub being stalked by a coyote at dawn<br />- huckleberry ice cream<br />- friendly Canadian border officers letting us into Canada for a few hours despite our lack of appropriate ID<br />- meeting a group of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutterite">Hutterite</a> people at Waterton Lakes Park I spoke German with<br />- hearty breakfasts at family diners in small towns<br />- dipping hot feet in glacial lakes after long hikes<br />- BIG skies<br />- seeing a baby moose on our last day at Glacier<br />- cooling off in icy lava caves after hiking in 94 degrees through black lava<br /><br />I'm already dreaming about the next roadtrip...maybe drive from Canada to Alaska on the Alcan, maybe revisit the Southwest....<br />What have your most memorable roadtrips been?craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-31262794615188274992008-05-22T14:01:00.000-07:002008-05-22T14:27:52.977-07:00JonnaI've been on a minimalist trip for a while. My favorite colors right now are white, grey and blue. Simple shapes. No patterns, no frills or details. So I surprised myself when I felt the desire to knit the Jonna scarf from Berroco's Norah Gaughan Volume 1. Was I really going to wear are scarf with, ugh, bobbles dangling from the edges??? Well, yes indeed. I had a few skeins of yarn in my stash in a beautiful steel blue color, which would help tone down those frivolous bobbles just a bit. Paired with dark jeans, a white top (my favourite uniform) and a vintage coat, the bobbles add some spark to an otherwise unassuming outfit.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2487849212/" title="Jonna2 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2487849212_6349168b82.jpg" alt="Jonna2" height="500" width="347" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2487849214/" title="Jonna3 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3236/2487849214_9a760b7533.jpg" alt="Jonna3" height="500" width="332" /></a><br />pattern: Jonna, from berroco Norah Gaughan Volume 1<br />yarn: Poshyarn sock yarn held double<br />needles: US 8 circs<br />mods: I knit the bobbles in the round on dpn's instead of flat and seaming them up; and I used cotton quilt batting to stuff the balls instead of polyfill (the name alone sounds itchy and scratchy).<br /><br />Next on my plate is the lovely <a href="http://involvingthesenses.blogspot.com/2008/03/shalom-cardigan.html">Shalom cardi</a> by <a href="http://involvingthesenses.blogspot.com/">Meghan</a>. I am pretty excited about this pattern because many months ago I had ripped out a picture of a Paul & Joe cardi with the intent of copying the design. Meghan loved that cardi too and wrote up a pattern for it. How awesome to find something you've wanted to make and then another blogger writes up a pattern and shares it. Thanks Meghan! I'm making this with Rowan Big Wool that was meant for another cardi that never came to be. And I'm thinking of adding sleeves. Sure it's already pretty toasty here in SF, but bulky wool knits up pretty fast, right? Right!craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-15925910904228377242008-05-12T15:18:00.000-07:002008-05-12T15:26:30.421-07:00Shedir #2<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2486196481/" title="2ndShedir2 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/2486196481_bdf0589544.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="2ndShedir2" /></a><br />Shedir is on its way to hopefully give its recipient some cheer and comfort. Calmer still isn't my favorite yarn (I get confused by its odd stretchiness), but I love how soft it is. I have another skein and may just make a hat for myself, with a different pattern though.<br />Pattern: Shedir from <a href="www.knitty.com">Knitty</a><br />Yarn: 1 skein of Rowan Calmer in peacock<br />Mods: All knit sts are tbl, for more stretch and definition.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-23045662369595776822008-04-30T10:35:00.000-07:002008-04-30T11:36:18.260-07:00I dream of citrusThank you all so much for your suggestions and well wishes. Shedir and Calmer it was, started the same day and now finished. I will have pics soon.<br />Here a picture from my trip, which can be descriped as fun and frosty.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2455022934/" title="Trees&Snow by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2342/2455022934_ab6cd41ea4.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Trees&Snow" /></a><br />Yes, this picture was taken in APRIL!!! I'm glad I'd packed the long undies. I hadn't seen snow like this in a couple of years, so it was actually quite wonderful to wander through this snowy wonderland.<br />Back in SF, life took off almost immediately. I'm working again and I got accepted to start grad school this fall. I look back at the past few months with deep gratitude. When I quit work last summer, I'd had all these crafty plans....lots of knits and sewing projects, quilts (plural!) were to be made. In the end, I spend a lot of time doing nothing. Literally, sometimes I would just sit for hours on the sofa, watching my cat sleep. I read a lot, and I baked a lot (and henceforth went to the gym a lot). It was the best thing I've done in a long time, and I feel recharged and happy. The baking frenzy I went through is taking a backseat now, but I wanted to share a few recipes with you that I thought were just fabulous (which is high praise from a picky, fresh-loving country girl). All these recipes contain some kind of citrus, which is just my favorite flavor and scent ever! This recipe from Martha Stewart had been on my list for a long time, Pistachio-Lime Tart.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2455022938/" title="Pistachio-Lime-Tart1 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3213/2455022938_d4601f4c65.jpg" width="409" height="500" alt="Pistachio-Lime-Tart1" /></a><br />It takes three days to finish (you have to drain ricotta, make lime curd, and let the tart rest overnight). It's really worth the trouble though, the end result was delicious! The crust is made with pistachios, whose flavor get a little lost in the lime, but tastes awesome when you have a crumb by itself. The lime curd was so good, I could have eaten it just like that (never mind that there are 20 egg yolks in there).<br />The only adjustment I would make next time would be to substitute drained greek yoghurt for the ricotta. I'm not sure I love the ricotta grainyness, I even pushed it through a sieve once more to get it smooth. It tasted wonderful, however, I was envisioning thie filling to be super smooth, like the curd. I'm going to make this again, just thinking about its tangy goodness is making my mouth water. You can get the recipe <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=183c2c8f0a4d3110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=pistachio%20lime%20tart&rsc=header_2">here</a>.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-60965383506805981882008-04-22T09:21:00.000-07:002008-04-22T09:37:05.847-07:00Quick QuestionWhat would be a good yarn for a chemo cap? For a pattern, I was thinking Shedir, or does anyone have a better suggestion? If you are sending good thoughts into the world today, could you please send some to a girl named Sarah, who is 29, a mother and wife, and undergoing treatment for AML (leukemia)? Thank you so much.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-7602994466508573642008-03-20T02:17:00.000-07:002008-03-21T05:13:13.602-07:00Souffle, demystifiedI need to remind myself more often that when I started this blog, I meant it to be a log for all the things I love to do. My creativity needs are constantly in a state of flux. Sometimes, it's all about the knitting, then the sewing, baking, cooking,reading, bookbinding, jewelry making etc,. But I usually just post about my knitting and sewing projects, and when I don't do any of these, you guys think I've fallen of the earth yet again. So, I'm going to post more about the many other things I enjoy doing besides stuff with needles and thread. Since the beginning of the year I've been really into trying new things in the baking department. I bake almost every weekend, mostly recipes I've been making for years already. It was time for something new, something a little challenging. I decided to make a souffle. The first time I've ever had a souffle was at a wonderful restaurant not far from SF called Manka's (which unfortunately burned down a year ago) and I still dream about it. It was savory with little bits of fresh asparagus throughout. Now, If you like to cook and read cooking mags and books, you've probably heard how difficult it is to make a souffle, how a drafty kitchen or opening your oven door can immediatley ruin it, or that it'll probably deflate the second you remove it from the oven before your guests have a chance to see it. I decided not to think about what could go wrong and just go for it. I made it for myself, so if it did turn out badly, it could just go straight to the green bin, no stress involved. I used <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2007/02/meyerlemonsouffle">this recipe</a> from Gourmet magazine.<div><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2346649137/" title="Meyer Lemon Souffle1 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/2346649137_8a9975d1b1.jpg" width="359" height="500" alt="Meyer Lemon Souffle1" /></a><br />I opened the oven door twice to check on its progress, because the parchment paper collar was too high to see anything.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2346649143/" title="Meyer Lemon Souffle2 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2023/2346649143_b226ba4646.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Meyer Lemon Souffle2" /></a><br />After I took it out of the oven, it stayed nice and fluffy for a photostuff until I attacked it with a spoon. It was light and fresh and airy, just perfect. The only change I made was using regular lemons instead of Meyers (to be honest, I'm not a big fan of Meyers...they have a peculiar taste. I prefer the tartness of regular lemons).<br />Btw, I'm blogging long distance. A week ago I decided spring break would be a fabulous time to go to Europe for cheap, so I'm enjoying Bavaria's cold and snowy capital right now, going to museums, eating, and eating some more. I'll be back in April, then I'll show you the sparkly skirt I made.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-15773794222608004352008-02-26T10:04:00.000-08:002008-02-26T11:09:55.351-08:00The Sophia Carry-AllMaybe some of you have worked on a project with this tiny gnawing feeling in your tummy that something is not going to work out, and that you really should do it the way YOU think is the right way, but you don't. Then you finish, and you look at it and think: "I wish I had "insert solution here". See, back when I made my Weekender Bag, I also fell for its little companion in <a href="http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/inspiration/lifestyle.php?photo=/images/inspiration/lifestyle/sunbloom_7.jpg">this photo</a>. There was no pattern for it yet, and I wasn't feeling the need to just figure it out on my own. A year and a half later, the pattern for the <a href="http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/patterns_display.php?id=35">Sophia Carry-All</a> becomes available and I'm super excited. It's the bag! I've got some gorgeous vintage linen in my stash, lining too and I'm hitting JoAnn's to get the interfacing. Here's my first problem. Both JoAnn's and another fabric store I check have Thermolam Plus, but it's not fusible (like the pattern says). The product called fusible fleece is not fleecy at all, it's more like a very thin version of Timtex. I ended up using the non-fusible Thermolam, only to find out later that there are two types of this stuff. 970 is what I'm using, 971F is what I should be using. But the whole time this little thought is gnawing away, saying, you really should be using Timtex (that heavy stuff that makes my Weekender Bag looking so sturdy and neat), because really, I want that crisp bowling-ball bag look from the picture, not the squishy smooshy look of the bag that is staring at me from the pattern envelope. But of course I'm so wrapped up in sewing, I'm not listening. But I wish I had. So here's the bag,<br /><a title="SophiaBag1 by craftoholic, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2265523974/"><img height="500" alt="SophiaBag1" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2187/2265523974_1406e1f273.jpg" width="354" /></a><br /><br />and before you say that it's fine, here's a better picture to illustrate the smoosh:<br /><br /><a title="SophiaBag2 by craftoholic, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2265523988/"><img height="500" alt="SophiaBag2" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/2265523988_c2b3a0c0c1.jpg" width="359" /></a><br /><br />Not at all what I wanted, and I just have myself to thank for that. I just have to put it away right now, because I'm not in love. Unlike my Messenger Bag, which, despite its lack of cuteness, loves me right back by being so sturdy and useful. Or maybe I just need to get rid of the initial expectation, and accept it for what it is, and not what I wanted it to be (man, I think all those self-help books are finally paying off!)<br /><br />Pattern: <a href="http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/patterns_display.php?id=35">Sophia Carry-All</a> by Amy Butler<br />Fabric: vintage midweight decorator's linen from my stash. It was a bit smaller than the suggested yardage, but I've found that if you use your own pattern arrangement, you can often get away with getting less yardage. The lining came from some scraps of silk wool. I cut the fabric for the piping on the half bias to save some more fabric, it worked just fine. Sewing this took almost as long as the weekender, the piping on the bottom part is difficult to handle.<br />Mods: I used a regular zipper instead of a purse zipper (which I couldn't find anywhere and didn't feel like ordering.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-42719681224425195302008-02-13T09:40:00.000-08:002008-02-13T14:16:52.745-08:00Let the sun shine on meIn the past few weeks, life has thrown me some of the bad, the ugly and the just plain weird, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and mine is slowly getting brighter by the day. Yesterday was my birthday, and though I'm usually a bit mum about it, I decided to fully enjoy myself, with all the bells and whistles. I haven't done much crafting lately, but there are still a couple of things that got done a while ago, but haven't been blogged about yet. First off my sunhat:<br />I don't even remember anymore when I actually finished this (a year ago?more?). But it was even longer from conception to completion. It all started out with <a href="http://www.voguepatterns.com/item/V7600.htm?search=7600&page=1">Vogue pattern 7600</a>, version A. Looks simple enough. But the crown part of the hat ended up having this ridiculous shape, sort of like a shortened bishops hat maybe. I couldn't figure out how to fix the existing pattern piece, and designing a new crown seemed to be a little over my not so math loving head. Enter my best crafting buddy <a href="http://www.yaiann.com/">yaiAnn</a> and her wonderful mom. As we were fidgeting around with elongated triangular shapes after realizing that six individual sections (sort of like a beach ball) would make a better fit, y's mom donated one of her gardening hats for us to take apart. After making individual adjustments, each of us managed to get a perfect fitting and nicely looking crown for our noggins. I truly love this hat. Its wide brim, which is lowered in the back, is perfect for keeping my face and shoulders from getting sunburned and for making me feel like a Bloomsbury Lady and Paddington Bear at the same time. It's perfect for travelling, you can just smoosh it into a bag, and remold it into desired shape when you put it on.<br /><br /><a title="Sunhat1 by craftoholic, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2064428876/"><img height="500" alt="Sunhat1" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2140/2064428876_6e0de920d1.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Sunhat3 by craftoholic, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2064427678/"><img height="500" alt="Sunhat3" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2035/2064427678_66e622269f.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><br />Pattern: The brim from Vogue 7600, the crown from 6 individual segments.<br />Fabric: Plain medium weight cotton from my stash, interfaced brim, crown is lined with lightweight cotton.<br /><br />On the knitting front, I just got the new <a href="http://www.colourway.co.uk/rowan/rstud8/rstud8.htm">Rowan Studio 8</a> booklet. There are some beautiful designs, my favorites being the textured cardigan, long waistcoat, flared jacket and double yoke jacket. Just until a few days ago it was still very cold here, and despite the welcome warmth and sunshine I still feel like knitting warm stuff.<br /><br />Also, I wanted to thank the wonderful crafters <a href="http://queenofthefroggers.blogspot.com/">queenofthefroggers</a>, <a href="http://www.yaiann.com/">yaiAnn</a>, <a href="http://amingledyarn.wordpress.com/">a Mingled Yarn</a>, <a href="http://knitsnotesetc.com/">knits, notes, etc.</a>, <a href="http://poshyarns.blogspot.com/">poshyarns</a> and <a href="http://alittleloopy.blogspot.com/">Nonnahs</a> who have given me a "you made my day award". Thank you so much for enjoying my blog and putting up with my irregular posting. I'm not good with the mushy stuff, but I also wanted to say thank you to all my readers, you all make my day and inspire me. I will pass this award on, but if I tried today this post would never get posted. Next time :-)craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-16748750120651170932008-01-13T17:37:00.000-08:002008-01-13T18:28:06.531-08:00Retro Redux ShrugMmmmmmmalabrigo. Not much needs to be said. If you haven't treated yourself to a skein or two or ten of this stuff, you really should. This shrug is supersoft and perfect over a tank top for a San Francisco summer.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2175231309/" title="Retro Redux Shrug5 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/2175231309_1678916969.jpg" width="352" height="500" alt="Retro Redux Shrug5" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2175194899/" title="Redux Shrug2 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2254/2175194899_bee8700082.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Redux Shrug2" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2175194895/" title="Retro Redux Shrug1 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2279/2175194895_84ab941b30.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Retro Redux Shrug1" /></a><br />Pattern: Retro Redux Shrug from Lace Style, Interweave Press<br />Size: Second (42")<br />Yarn: Two skeins of Malabrigo worsted in Polar Morn<br />Needles: US 8, 9, 10, 10.5<br />Mods: I lengthened the shrug so the ribbing of the sleeves would start/end below my elbow.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-5859967040907277302008-01-07T11:40:00.000-08:002008-01-07T12:06:06.098-08:00Herringbone HandwarmersThe little garageside office I'm currently blogging from is freezing most of the time. I needed something to keep my hands toasty, but not obstruct finger movement, so I converted Elliphantom's cute herringbone mitts pattern into simple handwarmers.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2175194927/" title="Herringbone Handwarmers3 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2105/2175194927_46ab8b1db8.jpg" width="354" height="500" alt="Herringbone Handwarmers3" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2175194919/" title="Herringbone Handwarmers2 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2293/2175194919_044c64fe95.jpg" width="368" height="500" alt="Herringbone Handwarmers2" /></a><br />Pattern: Herringbone mitts by elliphantom, available free on her <a href="http://www.elliphantom.com/">blog</a><br />Yarn: 2 skeins of Koigu, in lilac and brown (lost the tags). I used a bit more than half a skein of the brown, and a third of a skein lilac.<br />Needles: US 1 dpn's<br />Mods: I converted the pattern from mittens to fingerless gloves, and cast on 66 sts to make up for the smaller gauge (I added 16 sts to the pattern, which is two of the herringbone repeats).<br /><br />My crafty goals for the new year are to get better at sewing. I'm pretty happy with the accessories I've made this year, but garments still make me freeze up with fear. The problem is that I have high expectations of craftsmanship, and my enthusiasm starts to crumble as soon as the pieces don't quite match up. So, first, I'm gonna lighten up, because I'm not planning to become a dressmaker at the house of Chanel, and second, I'm gonna learn as much as I can and start off with a (hopefully) easy project. Also, I'd like to use up all the odd balls of yarn I have. Some are leftovers from projects, others just single skeins to 'try out' the yarn, so there will be more <a href="http://craftoholic.blogspot.com/2007/12/hoppelpoppel-socks.html">hoppelpoppel</a> projects. Once I've got 50% used up, I'll get to reward myself with yarn for a planned project. That should be motivation enough ;-)craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-36193720563474424232008-01-02T23:36:00.000-08:002008-01-02T23:54:55.961-08:00High Street Messenger Bag (the craftoholic edition)What happened?? Wasn't it just the middle of December a few days ago? Well, happy New Year then, I hope you all survived the holidays as well as I did. There was lots of crafting, albeit little blogging, but I'll make it up to you. I've got quite a few fo's to show you, but it's gonna be bit by bit.<br />On my last trip to Europe I realized that I needed a new purse/bag, one that could hold my camera, maybe a laptop, and all the other stuff I like to drag around, and still have enough room for me to squish in an extra jacket or sweater. Regular purse and tote doesn't work when you're transiting Heathrow, trying to shove the former into the latter because you're allowed only one thing to take onto the plane. Which I'm not really complaining about, it's much easier now getting on and off the plane without everyone wrestling loads of plastic and shopping bags.<br />I didn't feel up to creating my own pattern, so I used this one by Amy Butler, adding lots of mods to turn it into the bag I need and actually use.<br />Here's the action shot, taken on a hike around Bodega Bay:<br /><a title="Messenger1 by craftoholic, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2160964483/"><img height="500" alt="Messenger1" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2270/2160964483_d08fbd8758.jpg" width="332" /></a><br />here you can sort of see the inside:<br /><a title="Messenger5 by craftoholic, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2160964493/"><img height="500" alt="Messenger5" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/2160964493_dde5f6c311.jpg" width="332" /></a><br />the back:<br /><a title="Messenger6 by craftoholic, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2160964499/"><img height="500" alt="Messenger6" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2169/2160964499_af425b1fcf.jpg" width="332" /></a><br />and one more, just so:<br /><a title="Messenger7 by craftoholic, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2160964507/"><img height="500" alt="Messenger7" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2407/2160964507_3daa2daff0.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><br />Pattern: parts of High Street Messenger Bag by Amy Butler, plus my own<br />Fabric: Denim for the exterior, heavy cotton twill for the lining<br />Changes:<br />I made the bag twice as wide, it now measures 6" instead of 3".<br />I eliminated the pocket on the inside flap (I didn't think I'd really use it, besides, it seemed awkward to access), instead, I put a pocket on the outside flap.<br />Instead of making an exposed the zipper on the outside back of the bag, I opted for a lapped one.<br />I changed the tool pocket in the inside to my specs (special compartments for lipbalm, phone and iPod) and attached it to the body side (not the opposite side as the pattern states). I also added an adjustable water bottle holder.<br />Didn't use canvas as an interlining, as my fabric for the bag and lining is already heavy enough. I just ironed medium interfacing onto some parts I wanted to have a little more structure (front and back main panel, outside pockets).<br />It made no sense to me to have a messenger bag with a strap you can't adjust (if I do ride a bike with this bag, I want it snug against my back!), so I used the hardware from an old bag to make an adjustable strap.<br />I'm really happy with how this bag turned out, I'm using it all the time.<br /><br />My Jana tunic (from Rowan Studio 3), hasn't been going quite as well. I've reknit it now for the second time, and I'm still not happy. It just seems so....big. It'll hibernate for a little until I can look at it with semi fresh eyes.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-67549518897780688192007-12-14T16:35:00.000-08:002007-12-14T16:43:04.766-08:00Hoppelpoppel SocksAs leftovers of sockyarn were piling up, I figured I'd have enough to make a whole new pair of socks for bf out of them. They are rather ugly; yet at the same time, I love them for what they are, something useful made from leftovers, like a scrap quilt, or a rag rug. Bf loves them too, the crazier the better, he says.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2063637145/" title="Hoppelpoppel Socks by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2309/2063637145_4f8b09737b.jpg" width="354" height="500" alt="Hoppelpoppel Socks" /></a><br />Pattern: Basic top down 2x2 rib<br />Needles: US 2<br />Yarn: mostly Lana Grossa Meilenweit leftovers<br /><br />soon: sewing fo's.<br />btw: hoppelpoppel is a dish made from leftovers...so it can be pretty much anything.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-63891336134502743102007-11-25T17:21:00.000-08:002007-11-25T17:41:35.932-08:00Deep-V SweaterWhen I first flipped through Erica Knight's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Knits-Timeless-Designs-Collectibles/dp/0307347192/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196040281&sr=1-1">Classic Knits</a> I was more impressed by the beautiful styling and photos than the actual projects, they seemed almost too simple. But over the next few months I kept coming back to that book and started to fall in love with the projects in it, especially the Deep-V sweater. I've had a bag of Debbie Bliss' Cathay in my stash, which is the suggested yarn. All that stockinette didn't put me off, I wanted some mindless knitting for a change. Well, that pattern turned out be an absolute joy to knit. Cathay, despite being a bit splitty at first try, is wonderfully soft; it reminded me of melting vanilla ice cream. After a nice steam, any uneven knitting transformed into an even, drapey fabric. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2064423350/" title="Deep-V Sweater1 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2022/2064423350_d5bddeb036.jpg" width="354" height="500" alt="Deep-V Sweater1" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2063631261/" title="Deep-V Sweater2 by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/2063631261_29642705a0.jpg" width="357" height="500" alt="Deep-V Sweater2" /></a><br />and check out the lovely decreases:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/2063632963/" title="Deep-V Sweater detail by craftoholic, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2226/2063632963_f31e4092b7.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Deep-V Sweater detail" /></a><br />Pattern: Deep-V Sweater, from Classic Knits by Erica Knight, second size<br />Yarn: 11 balls of Debbie Bliss Cathay<br />Needles: US 5 (3.75mm)<br />Mods: I used a tubular cast-on and knit in the round instead of separate pieces. If I were to knit this sweater again however, I'd knit it in pieces and seam it up (yes, me, the I-wanna-turning-everything into-seamless knitter). Why? Because you end up weaving in lose ends within the knitted fabric, and no matter how careful I was, you can see a slight indentation on the other side. When you have such a smooth fabric, seams provide a place to weave in your ends and keep the rest of the fabric looking perfect. Lesson learned. Sometimes, seams are good (argh).<br />The only thing I would change is to make the sweater a size bigger. It fits great, it's just that when I started, I wanted something more fitted, something I could wear to the office and look professional. Now that I'm freelancing from home, I crave the casual lounge-around look that enticed me to the sweater in the first place. I guess I could always frog it....;-) Yeah, no way!<br />I see more Classic knits projects in my future, the kelly cardi and maybe the slouchy socks, but right now, there is more stockinette going on, and a little bit of cabling. I'm making the Jana Tunic from Rowan Studio 3. There are no sleeves so this should be a quick knit.<br /><br />I've added some more details of my mods to Flicca, you can find them <a href="http://craftoholic.blogspot.com/2007/06/flicca.html">here</a>.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-49953017483781364902007-11-07T12:25:00.000-08:002007-11-07T13:12:41.763-08:00Peaches on my headOne of my cousins still has every little piece of craft from her childhood. This is a good thing for me, because between being slightly o/c about getting rid of stuff, having moved a lot and having a bad memory in general, trips back in time to my childhood tend to yield murky pictures. On my recent visit to Germany my brain got a refresher when she brought out a box filled with stuff from our childhood. As kids we loved clubs, and in our years playing together must have formed a dozen or so, all either about animals or TV shows or even hats. Yes, hats. Berets, to be more exact. I had a black one, my cousin's was red, and we were the club of the Basques ( in German, a beret is called a Baskenmuetze). Looking at our manifesto and handdrawn passports, this club seemed to have been a spy club (don't remember who we were spying on), and my code name was Britta (which was my favourite name at the time, stemming I believe from some kid's book about a girl named Britta and her pony, Silver. Oh, the memories, they're coming back..) <br />So, this is a pretty long intro to be telling you that I still love berets and have been excited about so many of them popping up in blogland. But hey, I usually don't tell you much, so here you go. This is the second Kim Hargreaves kit I made, <a href="http://www.kimhargreaves.co.uk/acatalog/Peaches.html">Peaches</a>, from her 'Summer Breeze' collection. Described as a "slouchy crochet beret" it was anything but on my first attempt, though I can't really fault Kim for that. Everyone's head is a different size, and mine must be huge, since the first version of the beret perched on top like a deflated muffin. Easy to fix, I just ripped back to the increase rows, added two more of those, one more regular and one more decrease row. I'm still not sure if it's ok the way it is, I may wash it and stretch it a little, to get it more relaxed and not so flowery looking.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/1573571323/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/1573571323_2f50588fa1.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Peaches1" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/1573573259/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2118/1573573259_0f7b6af2a8.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Peaches2" /></a><br />Pattern: Peaches kit, from Kim Hargreaves' <a href="http://www.kimhargreaves.co.uk/acatalog/Summer_Breeze.html">Summer Breeze collection</a>.<br />Yarn: 2 skeins of Rowan handknit cotton in 'thunder'.<br />Mods: Added more rows to make the beret bigger.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-2686862435819791342007-10-25T20:48:00.000-07:002007-10-25T21:00:26.626-07:00Monkeys on my feetIn more than one way. I've been back from Europe for awhile, but the travelling hasn't stopped. I've been spending my days hiking around Northern California and just a few days ago bf and I came back from a week-long roadtrip to Pinnacles NM and the deserts of Southern California. My mind is still boggled by all the wildlife we saw - a bobcat upclose, a fox, bats, wild turkeys, a tarantula, weird bugs and tons of birds I can never identify. I'm having a hard time sitting still, and need to get re-aquainted with yarn, fabric and thread. Checking through my bloglines feed was a little daunting at first, but it really kickstarted my desire to pick up the needles again thanks to all the great projects I've seen there.<br />Anyway, here is a pair of socks, finished right before the big trip, that I forgot to photograph and blog. What with all the pretty monkeys out there, I needed a pair myself. A skein of squishy soft pureknits sockyarn in a barely there creamy pink was the perfect fit.<br /><a title="Photo Sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/1573567033/"><img height="500" alt="Monkeys1" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2299/1573567033_0c99455dbb.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><a title="Photo Sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/1573569427/"><img height="500" alt="Monkeys2" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/1573569427_5a81cf1ade.jpg" width="332" /></a><br />Pattern: Monkey socks designed by Cookie A., available at <a href="http://www.knitty.com/">Knitty</a>.<br />Yarn: 1 skein of <a href="http://www.pureknits.com/">Pureknits</a> sockyarn in 'alabaster'.<br />Needles: US 1 bamboo dpn's.<br />Mods: I knit these toe up. In order to have the pattern face down as it does in the top-down version, I sliced the pattern repeat through the middle and tucked the left part onto the right side of the right part.<br /><br />Now I'm just one sleeve away from finishing my Deep V-sweater from Erika Knights "Classic Knits", and I've started a pair of socks for bf with this Aloe & Jojoba sockyarn I've had in my tiny stash for ages. It doesn't feel as extra nice and soft as I thought it would, but maybe it'll feel good on bf's feet. I lost the ball band, but I think it's from either Regia or Lana Grossa.craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-46617090764305750332007-08-28T03:48:00.000-07:002007-08-28T04:02:05.836-07:00Somewhere on a distant planet...ok, maybe I‘m not quite that far, though I am currently on another continent, and California does feel like it‘s on a different planet. Call it early midlife crisis or the thirst for something new, a few weeks ago I quit my job and went to Germany to visit family and friends. I just got back from the most northern part of the country and will stay in Bavaria until mid September or so. I brought some knitting, but have yet to pick up the needles. Back in SF, a pile of FO‘s is still waiting to be photographed and blogged about, but for the next few weeks, I‘ll remain silent. When I get back, who knows what‘ll happen? Anything is possible, and that thought is incredibly thrilling.<br />With love from the seaside,<br />Steph<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craftoholic/1257392140/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1271/1257392140_180e4925fa.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="on the island" /></a>craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8515337.post-76507146518882936392007-06-11T09:19:00.000-07:002007-11-25T17:47:15.453-08:00Fliccaor, summer in San Francisco<br /><a title="Photo Sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34083107@N00/540816543/"><img height="500" alt="Flicca1" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1170/540816543_d10d2169a6.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Photo Sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34083107@N00/540839889/"><img height="500" alt="Flicca7" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/540839889_f91a24d0c2.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Photo Sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34083107@N00/540816605/"><img height="500" alt="Flicca3" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1298/540816605_3f64767183.jpg" width="332" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34083107@N00/540847714/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1183/540847714_98caeea14f.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="FliccaBack" /></a><br /><br />Pattern: Flicca by Anna Bell, available <a href="http://needleandhook.co.uk/journal/fashionable_life_knits_patterns_to_buy/">here</a><br />Yarn: 15 skeins of Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Chunky in 'Stout'<br />Needles: US 9<br />Modifications: I made plenty though not because I didn't like the original pattern or found mistakes. First off, I decided to knit the back and fronts in one piece so I could avoid seaming. The sleeves were knit in the round as well, then attached to the body by knitting the front, sleeve, back, sleeve and front all in one piece (this was definitely not a portable project). I opted to knit a raglan yoke and because I was afraid that the weight of the jacket would have me constantly tugging at it, I attached two buttons to the front bands which were knit a bit wider than the pattern states. In the end, there were just a few ends to weave in (hooray). Oh, and I used size 9 needles by mistake! I had swatched with the suggested 10.5 but when I cast on I grabbed the wrong needles and didn't notice my mistake until I had finished the first tier. In the end it was a lucky mistake because I wouldn't have gotten such a nice fit with the bigger gauge. The pictures may not show it but instead of using regular knit stitches, I used ktbl on the right side and ptbl on the wrong side to get more defined stitches.<br />I really love it! It's a beautiful design and a very well written pattern. I can't wait for Anna's book to come out!<br /><br />*mods in detail:<br /><br />Flicca mods:<br />Here is a more detailed description of my Flicca mods. I took no notes during knitting, and I've forgotten a few things over the last few months, but it should give you a good enough idea how to adjust the pattern for yourself. I'm not giving any stitch counts as I don't want to interfere with Anna's pattern sales, you'll still have to buy the pattern for details.<br /><br />A big help in grasping the idea of knitting three tubes onto one needle was the <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vogue-Knitting-Ultimate-Book/dp/193154316X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196041445&sr=1-1">Vogue Knitting</a> book. Check out page 190, the chapter on 'Circular design with Yoke'. It shows three tubes (two sleeves and one body). You'll have two tubes (the sleeves) and the third tube is open (because it's a cardi, not a sweater).<br />How I started:<br />Instead of knitting two separate fronts and a back, I knit everything in one piece, from the bottom up. I made sure to place markers between right front and back and back and left front. Knit to the desired height to cast off for the armholes. <br />Now knit both sleeves in the round (I first used circs, then dpn's, or magic loop is another possibilty), until ready to cast off for the armholes.<br /><br />Depending on how many stitches the pattern tells you to cast off for the first arm hole decreases, put the sts form the right front and back and from the left front and back on scrap yarn. Do the same with the sleeve sts.<br /><br />Pin the sleeves to the body, the holding sts facing each other. <br />Now start knitting:<br />Knit right front until you get to the pinned sleeve, knit the sts of the right sleeve onto the same needle (you're omitting sts on holder), then knit back sts, knit sts of left sleeve onto same needle, then sts of left front. Knit one row (WS). <br />Now you'll have to do a little math. You need to figure out how many sts you have to decrease until the neckedge (use your washed and blocked gauge swatch). In my case I knit a few rounds back and forth, then started the raglan decreases on every RS row until the yoke reached the right height. The decreases on the front edges were started at the same time. I followed the pattern for the collar and frontbands, but I added a few shortrows for a wider collar, making sure to add the same number of extra rows for the frontbands.<br />Good luck :-)craftoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01318676608025831711noreply@blogger.com96