Kitchen Stories
(****)
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
fun! (****)
The Last Mogul: The Life and Times of Lew Wasserman
i love documentaries about hollywood in the 60's and 70's. (****)
i designed this sock for Scout's Indie Swag Club in 2007. i am now making the pattern available for purchase!
stats:
skill level: experienced beginner (if you can knit a basic sock, you can knit this!)
gauge: 32 sts/ 4 inches
yarn: 100 grams of fingering weight sock yarn
needles: US size 2 double points
price: $4.50
pdf file will be sent by email within 24 hours of receipt of payment.
from today through tuesday, july 22nd, buy 1 sweater or tank pattern and receive a 2nd pattern (of equal price or less) for free. the available patterns are bibi,lisette, marlo, back in black, tulip, rock opera, jolie laide and bejeweled. please check the pattern for price, sizes and all pertinent info. no book patterns are offered in this deal. once you have made your purchase through paypal, email me with the subject line: 2nd pattern, and tell me which pattern (of equal price or less) you would like to receive for free. happy knitting!
check out liz's beautiful Bibi-in-progress. you know you want to knit this sweater!
bibi
bibi is a short sleeved, yoke sweater that is knit in the round.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Sizes: XS (to fit 32”), S (to fit 34”), M (to fit 36”), L (to fit 38”), XL (to fit 40”), 2XL (to fit 42”), 3XL (to fit 44”)
Yarn Requirements: 5 (5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7) skeins of Noro Matsuri, Color 7 or 700 (745, 795, 850, 900, 955, 1015) yards of dk weight yarn.
Gauge: 22 sts / 32 rows to 4 inches
pdf file will be delivered by email within 24 hours of receipt of payment.
$6.00
pattern will be available in late june.
lovely lisette is a fitted, 3/4 sleeve sweater knit with an aran weight wool.
specs:
skill level: intermediate
sizes: this sweater is sized for XS through XXXL with finished sizes ranging from 32.5" - 44.75".
materials: 750 - 1070 yds of an aran/worsted weight wool.
gauge: 18 sts and 26 rows over stockinette
price: $6.00
PDF file will be sent by email (to the address that your payment was sent from) within 24 hours of receipt of payment.
Greeley is knitting Marlo. i love both her choice of yarn, Noro Cash Iroha, and the color. i love the texture of Cash Iroha and i think it's even more interesting in reverse stockinette. this is going to look fantastic with jeans! since denim is pretty much all that i wear, it is the measure against which all sweaters are considered.
i've almost completed the back of Patti. stay tuned for photos.
Marlo is a cool, cable sweater that can be dressed up or dressed down. i love mine and i can't wait to wear it this coming autumn and winter!
WARNING: if you feel put off by the idea of cables traveling directly over your breasts, this may not be the sweater for you!
specs:
skill level: intermediate
sizes: this sweater is sized for XS through XXL with finished sizes ranging from 32" - 42".
materials: 795 - 1075 yds of a dk/light worsted weight yarn that gives a lot of drape.
gauge: 19 sts and 30 rows over reverse stockinette
price: $6.00
PDF file will be sent by email (to the address that your payment was sent from) within 24 hours of receipt of payment.
i had couple of requests to post my playlist every month. this is the playlist for november. for the most part it's pretty nostalgic, with a few new favorites added to break up that melancholic 'wish-i could-go-back-there-now' feeling. i've been really homesick lately. missing manhattan and the east coast, in general. not sure how much more of texas i can take. i have no life here. all my good shoes are gathering dust. speaking of good shoes, i treated myself to pair of Prada boots for Chrimbo. though they're likely to get little play here... anyway.
i've decided to stick with the cashmere sweater, as is. i haven't the time or the energy to rip it out and start again. i think it will be lovely. it's very lightweight and delicate and i'm starting to feel excited about it.
on tuesday, i'm off to burbank for my Knitty Gritty taping. after several deliveries from Saks (and several returns) i still only have one outfit. the biggest issue is sizing. having mostly been severely skinny for the past few years, i'm in the habit of ordering teeny tiny clothing. suddenly i've gone from a size 4 all over to a size 4 on the bottom and size 8 on the top! the idea that i can wear a size small skirt but need to be taped down to fit into a size medium top is just ridiculous. it's pretty bizarre, but it would be far worse if it were the other way around... so, if you see me on tv wearing a really tight sweater you'll know the backstory! my taping is on wednesday morning. i think i have plans wednesday evening, but i may be free wednesday afternoon. if anyone's in the neighborhood and wants to hang out, let me know.
in Bejeweled news, 47 patterns sold, 253 to go! thanks to everyone who has participated in this fundraising effort. please note that since i will be away from tuesday-thursday patterns purchased during that time may not be delivered until friday. this may be the last you read of me until i return from california. wish me luck and send me positive vibes on wednesday morning!!!
buying a Bejeweled pattern (which donates money to deliver Dulaan goodies to Mongolia), knitting it up, and spreading good will! here's Dana's lovely Bejeweled-in-progress.
Tamara bought the pattern and wrote:
Thank you for making it so easy and enjoyable to do a little bit of good. I may make the scarf and donate it to another cause, to continue the efforts.
even if you're not going to knit this scarf right now, you should buy the pattern because your $2.25 is a $3.50 donation to the Mongolia Project at F.I.R.E. what's $2.25? i'm pretty sure it won't even buy you a double tall skinny mocha latte!
if you have a blog, please post about this and help to raise money to keep sending all the Dulaan goodies to Mongolia! thus far 33 sold, 267 to go!!
as you know, through December 31st, i'm donating $1.75 (pretty much all the profits - the patterns sells for $2.25, paypal charges between .37 to .39 cents per pattern) from the Bejeweled Scarf patterns, to F.I.R.E so that they can deliver all your yummy handknits to children in Mongolia. i've got great news! Anichini, the world's foremost luxury linens and textiles company, has offered to match the donations raised from the sale of my Bejeweled Scarf pattern. what that means is that for every pattern you purchase at $2.25, The Mongolia Project at F.I.R.E. will receive $3.50!!! please, post it to your blogs and tell all your knitting friends! my goal is to sell at least 300 patterns. with Anichini's matching donation that would be $1050 raised to keep kids warm. we can do this! only 280 more to go!
this has been an amazing year for me, including the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. the absolute low point was this past spring when i had to have a very expensive surgery. as i was recovering and completely drowning in medical bills my dog, ashby, had to have emergency knee surgery. it was a disaster. i was completely broke. my mom was helping me with my medical bills, but i had no idea how i would pay for ashby's $1200 surgery. i had absolutely no place else to turn to, so i asked the knitting community to buy patterns and to donate money to ashby's surgery fund. thanks to the amazingly generous donations and sales that we received ashby was able to have his surgery and he has had a full recovery! i cannot thank you enough for supporting us through a really difficult time.
since then, i've been wanting to do something to say thanks. i can think of no better time than Thanksgiving to begin to pay it forward. i'm sure that by now every knitter reading this post knows about The Dulaan Project or has knitted lovely and warm scarves, hats, sweaters, and mittens to be sent to Mongolia to keep kids warm. i've been wanting to knit for Dulaan too, but with all the book knitting i just haven't had time. so, in lieu of knitting, i present the Bejeweled Scarf pattern. this is a pattern for the scarf that i am wearing in my Yarnplay author photo. through December 31st i will donate a major chunk of the profits ($1.75 per pattern) to the Mongolia Project at F.I.R.E., the non-profit organization that delivers all of the Dulaan goodies to Mongolia. it costs them $40,000 a year to ship to Mongolia, so they need lots of help! this super easy scarf is a fun project. buy it and knit it for yourself or gift it to a friend or relative. buy the pattern and send it to a secret pal or stash it away for later.
** update ** Anichini, the world's foremost luxury linens and textiles company, will match my donation to F.I.R.E. that means that for each pattern sold The Mongolia Project gets $3.50! **
Specs:
Finished Measurements: Approximately 6.75” x 72”
Materials
270 yds of aran or worsted weight yarn
Size 8-9 needles
Gauge: 19 sts / 4 inches over pattern.
Price: $2.75
PDF file will be sent by email within 24 hours of receipt of payment.
ashby sez, 'buy a pattern and help keep some mongolian kids warm and cozy like me!'
you purchased the pattern for Tulip this morning, but mail to the email address you gave is bouncing. please email me.
hey kids,
there was a slight error in how the finishing instructions were worded in the pattern. the first paragraph should read:
Finishing
With size 3 needle and RS facing, pick up and 44 (46, 46, 49, 49, 49, 50) sts along side of armhole, then pick up knit the 12 (12, 12, 14, 14, 14, 16) bound off sts at armhole, then 44 (46, 46, 49, 49, 49, 50) sts along other side of armhole. Work in k2, p2 rib for 3 rounds. BO all sts using size 4 needle.
if you purchased this pattern and would like to receive an updated copy please email me a copy of either your paypal or payloadz receipt and i will send it to you. this is the ONLY change made to the pattern.
(for photos of gloves in progess, click on the gloves & mittens category beneath this post.)
get a head start on your fall / winter accessories! the Rock Opera Fingerless Gloves pattern is now available for purchase!
specs:
pattern has instructions for 2 sizes - S/M and M/L
yarn: 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport
gauge: 6.5 sts / inch
finished length 16.5" (17/5")
price: $4.50, PDF file will be sent by email within 24 hours of receipt of payment.
there are some lovely Tulips popping up! i'm not sure what her name is or which scandinavian language she's writing in, but she chose a lovely colorway for her Tulip.
Ramona is knitting her solid colored Tulip in Berrocco Denim Silk. i'm excited to see the final results! i really like this yarn a lot.
it looks like Carie chose the same colorway that i used for my Tulip. or, at least, i think she did.
if i've missed your Tulip, email me and let me know! same goes for Back in Black!
i hate it when television makes me cry... you may be surprised that i will decline from making snarky comments about S*bastian Bach's antics on this week's episode of S*pergroup. one thing i know for sure is that grief can totally fuck you up. i felt his pain and no, i don't think he was acting. at least, not in the scene when he was talking about his father's death. somehow, it makes everything else about his behavior make sense. hopefully, next week he will be back to his regularly scheduled rock star ridiculousness minus the painful reality. if i have to break out the kleenex again i may have to change the channel. i just want to watch rock stars act like the pompous idiots we all know they can be.
pretty!
don't you just love wendy's Tulip? this is such a fantastic colorway.
please let me know if you have any trouble purchasing patterns. these idiots at payloadz don't seem to want to help me to upgrade my account and if the problem isn't resolved shortly they may suspend my account. in which case, i'll change the payment buttons, getting rid of payloadz and emailing the patterns out to purchasers directly. payloadz is terrible! their customer service is non-existent. i've never had so much trouble giving someone my money!
not so pretty!
ashby's surgery went well. thank you so much for all your prayers, and mantras, and reiki! we had a rough night last night. i wasn't really prepared for all of the blood and piss and constant changing of towels and bedding. he did pee outside this morning! we're still having a bit of trouble getting him to stand on this leg well enough to take care of other business. very trying for both him and i! this is going to be a long day!
Sizes: to fit bust 32” (34”, 36”, 38”, 40”, 42”, 44")
Please note that this is a fitted garment!
Yarn Requirements: 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 7) skeins Ornaghi Filati Bamboo, color 21
Pattern $5.50, PDF file will be sent by email within 24 hours of receipt of payment
i hate, hate, hate to run out of yarn. hence, i was very generous with the yarn requirements for Tulip. too generous, in fact. here's the latest:
the yarn requirements for the Tulip pattern have been updated.
Sizes XS (to fit 32” bust), S (to fit 34” bust), M (to fit 36” bust), L (to fit 38” bust), XL (to fit 40” bust)
Actual Finished Measurements: XS - 33", S - 35", M - 37", L - 39", XL - 41"
Yarn Requirements: 3 (3, 3, 4, 4) skeins Katia Jamaica, color 4004.
the yarn requirements for the Tulip pattern have been updated.
Sizes XS (to fit 32” bust), S (to fit 34” bust), M (to fit 36” bust), L (to fit 38” bust), XL (to fit 40” bust)
Actual Finished Measurements: XS - 33", S - 35", M - 37", L - 39", XL - 41"
Yarn Requirements: 3 (3, 4, 4, 5) skeins Katia Jamaica, color 4004.
isn't it funny how everything in your life is okay until suddenly it isn't? i survived my very stressful and super expensive surgery. i survived the biggest birthday of my life. i had relatively made peace with a lot of stuff and was feeling like my life was back on track and that i could sit back, relax, even treat myself to a fancy chair for my birthday and then BOOM! disaster strikes. yesterday, i had to rush my dog to the vet. he tried to jump up on the sofa (usually an effortless task for him) and he slipped. later, i noticed he was limping and yelping a bit. rushed him to the vet. he has to have surgery for a luxating patella. he has to have surgery soon, like within the next couple of weeks or he may no longer be a candidate for surgery. he is limping pretty severely. he is in a lot of pain. i have to carry him outside to go the bathroom. it is heartbreaking to see him suffer. the surgery will cost as much as $1600 when all is said and done. i'm still paying off the $4500 out-of-pocket for my own surgery. it is all just really unbelievable. **update** - he is having surgery this thursday.
if you love dogs, please support Ashby and buy a Tulip pattern. buy it for yourself or buy it for your mom or buy it for your secret pal. all profits will go toward Ashby's knee surgery.
Pattern $5.00 (immediate download through Payloadz)
or, make a donation through paypal. every dollar helps! everyone who donates will be entered into a drawing for some lovely yarn from my stash. and i promise not to send you any premium acrylic!
(donation button snafu fixed! if paypal is charging a shipping fee, this is wrong. i believe i corrected this. if it is still showing up try reloading my blog and try again. if it's still a problem, please let me know.)
(grr. fixed on my end, but it may still be a problem on yours. if this is the case, simply subtract the s+h fee from your donation. it all goes to me and ashby, anyway.)
Ashby and i thank you!
** yarn requirements have been updated! 5/25/06**
Sizes XS (to fit 32” bust), S (to fit 34” bust), M (to fit 36” bust), L (to fit 38” bust), XL (to fit 40” bust)
Actual Finished Measurements: XS - 33", S - 35", M - 37", L - 39", XL - 41"
Yarn Requirements: 3 (3, 3, 4, 4) skeins Katia Jamaica, color 4004.
Needles: 24-32”, Size 7 Circular Needle (or size needed to obtain gauge)
(Tulip is knit in the round until the armholes, then divided for front and back.)
Gauge: 20 sts / 28 rows to 4 inches
Pattern $5.50, PDF file will be sent by email within 24 hours of receipt of payment.
