Bananans

Like I said, I've been working on my spring line and here is the first item that will make the cut. This is a mesh knit banana silk scarf. I have two , and i'm keeping the blue one!
I haven't set a date for the release of my spring line yet. I felt that April was too late, but I'm not sure if I will be ready by March. I think I'm going to try mid March. That gives me time to order my supplise and get a small stock together.


With these scarves I may knit them in two solid colors and one varrigated. I haven't totally decided. Now I have to wait for my yarn samples to arrive to press on.

Icky

I had an icky work day.
I will now consume lots of Chocolate, and work on my Spring line.

*My lace is huge!*

This is my mom's wee tree, it has all the christmas orniments that my brother and I made for her through the years. There are some on that tree that I made in Knidergarden.
This one is the actual tree in the family room. I took this one after we opened presents on Christmas eve.
This is one of my favorite pics of my brother. Simon and i bought him a snuggy and made him put it on for a photo op. It has moose, bears, deer, and tree stumps printed on the fleece. Zach couldn't stop laughing when he opend it up. He is going to be the coolest kid at RIT.

December's Aftermath

I'm so tired. I felt like I ran a marathon yesterday.
Today I slept in and I did get to go to the yarn shop in the town over from mine. I bought some more teal silk and some yellow and orange wool for a scarf. I've been trying to break out of my blue green circle, but I love that color family so much. I though a bright rock melon orange would look nice and go with most of my teal items in my closet.

I'd love to post some pics of my new yarn or even a gift or two that I got, but sadly that will have to wait till I am back in my apartment in the city of brotherly love. I also got two proto-types finished for Blue Betty's spring line. It's a lace mesh scarf knit up in banana silk, and I ordered samples of the bamboo I want to use in the colors I'm interested in. Over all I felt that I've been decently productive this month, but I need to get my butt in gear. I want all my proto-types done in January. Time to get my butt in gear.

Not to spread myself too thin I also got a lighting design gig for a production of one acts in Febuary. I figured that the small chunk of change that i make doing that i can split between my savings and Blue Betty and order supplise for the spring line.

Tomorrow Simon and I are on the road to Philly. I'm working all week Sunday to Sunday, at least my pay check will look nice this week.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! I hope everyones day is filled with family and friends, good food and great times.

We have just returned from breakfast and are shooting off to Rochester for the rest of the day. I'm going to nap in the car, mom had me up at 7am...ick. A good dose of Coffee is needed.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and it's a beautiful white Christmas up here in the Finger Lakes. I've been home for two days and my mom has been baking like crazy. We have five different baked goods in the house not to mention the fudge I made. The tree is up and looks beautiful and I would post a piture, but I forgot my USB cable for my camera.

Tonight my mom is making a roast with all the trimmings and we'll make a pie for tomorrow. We'll open our presents to each other and watch about four different movies from batman to a Christmas story.

On Christmas morning we go to My mom's friend Mindy's and have a giant Breakfast with all the family friends. There's no other way to celibrate the birth of baby Jesus than with Bacon and mimosas. Then we'll come home and open our stockings, then it's off to Rochester to spend the rest of the day with my mom's dad. Grandpa King will have the turkey and potatoes and mom is taking up her famous sweet potatoes and apple pie.

It's all very wholesome, or at least it appears to be, but I really love spending the Holidays with my family. Next Christmas Simon and I are going to Australia for Christmas and the New Year. It will be the first holiday that I'm not home, but Simon has been staying here for the past two years, and it will be exciting to see Australia.

My lace is coming along and it is taking longer for me to finish a row. I blame that on two things, the lace, and the number of stitches on my needles.

Happy Holidays to All!

It's growing! I've got about two inches in the lace pattern. It's moving a lot faster than I thought it would.

Tomorrow Simon and I leave the city for the country. I'm excited to go home, it's a great place to visit. I've wraped all the presents. Simon's are mostly at my parent's house already. That way there is no risk of him peeking.

Harmony Lace

Here it is! My lace is growing! I took this pic yesterday afternoon, It's a bout an inch and a half larger since then. I just started the actual lace part of the knitting and it's moving really fast. I'm amazed because the last lace project i did with tiny yarn and tiny needles took FOREVER. This one is moveing right along and the yarn is so fun i never know what color is next. Of course the lace patern I chose was fish tail lace and i have two repeate of it all ready.

As crazy as this project is i'm really enjoying it. I love the way it is turning out.

Holiday Cheer

I would love to post about my Christmas presents here, but my family know how to get to my blog, But here are a bunch of indiscriminate bags that contain said gifts. I still need to wrap, but i have a few more things to get. That's my surfboard in the back, it has become our impromptu tree in a sense. I miss surfing, the water is way to cold right now, even with my wet suit. I will just have to wait till May.

Below are a pair of fingerless mitts I'm knitting for my boss at the shop. We had a holiday party, but she didn't really get anything, so these are for her. I've also made about a ton of fudge for all my friends and employers. I have three containers full.

I'm in town for two more days then it's off to PY, NY to see the family. I hope they have a lot of snow and that my mom has made cyclops cookies. They're on of my favorites, peanut butter cookies with a giant hersey kiss in the center!

Lace Knitting

My lace is GIANT! I think it's giant. I'll Pst some photos of it tomorrow.
I'm also working on a pair of fingerless mitts for my boss with some hand painted yarn. They are coming out well. I've been working all week and can't wait for the holiday and visiting my family. I just saw them about a month agao, but I can't think of spending the holiday anywhere else.

Holidays

The Holidays are here, last night was the shop's holiday party. It was at my favorite resturant on South St. in Philly. It's this Italian resturant called LaFourno. They have the best Penne a la Vodka and their desserts are amazing.

We had our polly anna and I got the most lovely blue (my favorite) angora and ribbon yarn.
These are totally my colors. I'm not sure what I'm going to make, but they are so yummy to look at.

To Early

This is too early for me to be up, and it's not even for something fun. I'm not sure what would be fun and require you to get up at 8am, but I'm sure there is someything I could be doing that is more fun that being up and getting ready for work. I've had two late evenings in a row and two early mornings imediatly following, not fun.

Today is an odd day for me as i have overhire work at a local theatre in Philly and must be there by 9am. My usual day jobs don't neeed me to roll out of my bed till at least 10am, sometimes later although i feel very sloth like if i sleep later than 11am. I love working at the theatre, but it sometimes interfers with my sleeping and knitting, two things that are vey important to me.

Tonight is the knitting circle's holiday party. It's going to be ons of fun. We are all going out to La Fourno on South st. (super yummy Italian food) then we play the white elephant game, or cut throat pollyanna as some know it. I've made a lovly pair of fingerless mitts. I hope I get Yarn!

LBD

I have a wedding to go to tonight and since it's at 5:30 tonight and in the middle of december i'm wearing my LBD. But i do have some awesome accesories to wear with it.
The gray wrap I crocheted out of a wool and silk blend. It's about 6 feet in length and all pinapple lace. It's from the book vintage crochet. I love all the patterns in that book.

Harmony Lace

Jo Jo land Harmony in Harvest moon. 850 yards of gossamer lace. We'll see what happens.

Sewing Machine

I'm in the market for a sewing machine. I've been looking everywhere and have been asking anyone with any experience for advice. One of the women at the circle is a textile enginer and I've been picking her brain as to what would be the best machine for me.
I need something small and portable that can do multiple sitiches including multiple sizes lengths and zig zag stitch, button holes, and zippers. It should be able to sew through delicates and heavy fabrics like canvas. I only want to spend about $150 on one.
I've used other peoples machines and have tried everything from a singer to a viking to a brother and I think I'm over informed and not sure what the real difference is.

If anyone has some advice let me know.

Sad face

I broke my favorite knitting needle tonight. My favorite needles is robin's egg blue and are vintage size US 11. I was using them knitting this lace banana silk scarf and dropped one on the marble floor at the knitting circle and the nub broke off.

I found thepiece that broke off and will super glue it back together.

I'm working a lot this week, not that i'm complaining, but I really want to work on my designs and knit. Monday is the holiday party for the kniting group and I need to make a present for the polly anna. Last year I brought my hand dyded. This year I think I will make something, maybe fingerless mitts, or a scarf. We'll see what comes to mind.

Pouncing

I've been playing around on Etsy using the pounce search tool and found some really neat sellers. Below are a few that I love, check them out.

Atumn Hollow Farms on Etsy makes hand turned crochet and knitting needles. They have a beautiful crochet hook in ebony that is absolutly gourgous!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5610244

Tangledcolors is a shop with hand painted yarn. The colors are vibrent and beautiful, and the banner in the shop is super cute. I love the Underwater colorway, beautiful stuff.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6507388

Spinningsisters is a shop with yummy spinning fiber. They hand dye all their fiber and it comes in beautiful colors.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6385873

Lake House Loft is another shop with yummy spinning fiber. The colors are rich and the fibers look soft and fluffy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5539054

Check these shops out they have great stuff!

Front Page!

I am on the front page of Etsy right now!!!! I just came home and went to etsy to check my views and my Sunny Day Cowl is on the front page. Someone put me in their treasurey and that treasurey got pick for the front page! I can't believe this!

Solomon's Knot

For the past hour I've been strugling to understand and crochet an swatch in Solomon's knot. I'm not exactly sure what I'm suppose to do. There's a whole section about big loop and the book I'm using has great patterns in it and I've made stuff from it before, but their directions for this stitch pattern are not clear and their photos make no sense to me.

Maybe it's too late for solomon's knot. It's off to bed for me...or back to knitting on two circular needles at least that makes sense.

Cold Outside

It's super chilly outside and Simon and I just walked back about 10 block from my frinds apartment. Our Friend Tay Tay cuts Simon's hair and since we have a wedding to go to it was that time again. Today was very unproductive, well that's a bit of a lie I got my new book "Craft Inc." which is a crash course in Business for crafters. It's got great advice and tips and I'm half way through it already and have started to design a smal spirng/summer line for Blue Betty. I could stay up for hours designing right now, but I need to sleep as I have to work tomorrow.

More about "Craft Inc." and Blue Betty's Spring/Summer line later.

Check it out!

My mini is on another blog! WEEEEEEE!

http://madeforyoublog.blogspot.com/

More on Mitts

I've posted about these mitts quite a bit, but I finally listed them today on in my Etsy shop. I then went to work and when i came home they had sold! I was shocked and danced around my apartment. When Simon gets home from class we may have to go to the WaWa to get a celibratory treat. Maybe icecream, or a donut, something full of fat and sugar.

I also listed some of the cowls I made recently. I'm keeping the sea cowl for myself, but I have a few on my Etsy and will have more up soon.

Overall Today was very productive. I even applied for a Lighting Design gig in Philly.

I thought tis photo turned out great!

Sea Cowel

I made my fisrt cowel over Thanksgiving and found the photos I took on my camera. I crocheted this out of a white wool arcrylic blend. It was a bit cheep, but I wasn't sure if i was going to like it or not. The buttons are my favorite and I was looking for a reason to use them. They are black vintage buttons from a Navy Pea Coat. They're Giant and have anchors in the center. I must admitt i'm a sucker for anything nautical.
The Yarn was a worsted, but I doubled it and used a K hook. It's super cozy and while my mom wasn't impressed her co-worker Tracy loved it as well as some strangers at the Farmer and craft market we go to.

Theatre Work

Today I worked at a theatre!
As much as I want to knit and create things I still love working in theatre. I went to a focus today which is one of my favorite things to do. Mostly you are wandering around in the dark some where high either on a ladder or on a cat walk, while some Lighting designer stands in a pool of light and tells you where to point it.

I love the fast pace, the heights, the effects. There is also something extremly rewarding about doing something you got a degree in. I miss not working in a theatre full time, but at the same time the reason I love doing over hire calls is because I don't do it everyday.