A sheep.dog Hat on the Sartorialist?

Okay- it's not necessarily a sheep.dog hat, but it does resemble my most recent project pretty closely...don't you think?

 

xo  j

Do it for Yourself

This hat is very special to me. Not just because it's made from some of the SOFTEST yarn you'll ever run between your fingers (100% baby alpaca, softer than a baby's bottom).  Not because it's a nice, natural, neutral tone that matches with every outfit you can think of.  And not because it makes my head feel cozier than an evening curled up with hot chocolate and a blanket while watching countless documentaries via netflix.

No.  This hat is very special to me, because it is made for me!



I usually don't knit things for myself.  The only knit items I tend to keep are the lone sock that is still waiting for its mate to arrive (and that ain't happenin' any time soon, because I'm currently socked-out), and the pieces that I just can't bring myself to give to any decent human being.



However, I don't deny the fact that it is a good idea knit items for yourself every so often.  This isn't something you should feel guilty about in the least bit. Your work is art, whether you are willing to admit it or not.  Therefore, it should be cherished.  It is easy to knit one-too-many things and lose sight of the fact that your endless hours of stockinette stitching and knitting in the round is valued by another person.  However, when you give yourself that freebie every once and while, it brings back a little bit of pride to your being.  When you walk down the street with that carefully, hand-made hat on your head, it gives you a sense of accomplishment that you can secretly show off to world on your own accord.

"Where did you get that hat? I love it!"

"Oh!  I made this hat, actually.  And no.  You can't have it...but I'd love to make one especially for you, if you'd like."

Oh, and if you're interested, here's the blog where I found the FREE pattern.  I'm particularly enamored with this blog, so I'm extending a fair warning to you all- it's addicting.  Enter with caution.

xo  j

Socks with a side of Cake

Of course, I chose to go home to Pennsylvania during one of the coldest weekends on record. Oregon and I drove up on a Thursday night, and Friday morning we woke up to a winter wonderland. Thus, knitting and baking experimentation were in order!

Knitting and baking are the perfect couple. They are food and warmth together- the bare necessities of life. Sometimes, they even like to make it a threesome and include reading...

I recently finished the book My Life From Scratch. It was delicious, to say the least.  Along with memories of a sweet-laden childhood (something I can identify with possibly), Gesine Bullock-Prado gives new meaning to putting your heart and soul into the art of baking.  Armed with my parents' roomy kitchen and a warm fire crackling in the fireplace, I baked the best carrot-cake (wo)man has ever laid eyes on.  It was Gesine's recipe, the same recipe she used for her sister's wedding cake ("sister" being Sandra Bullock.  yes. her.)

With a slice of spongy perfection in orange-stained hands, and my toes thawing from another frigid dog walk, I sat down on my parents' couch and started knitting my first pair of socks.









Where did I get this pattern, you ask?  I bought it at a quaint little store in Doylestown, Twist Knitting and Spinning. When I got to the front counter with my purchases (birthday gifts from Mommy-dearest), we struck up a conversation with the sweet lady manning the store.  I was tempted to ask her if she had knit the sweater she was wearing (she was so nice, so I'm assuming she did).  While she was putting my yarn skeins into convenient little spools, she was telling us how she believed that at least 99% of knitters are good people- how they are always so patient in the store, and there's never a negative iota of energy in that space.  She didn't have to say a word, though, because as soon as I walked in, it was like walking into a place where time stops.  Hours go by as you browse through pattern books and try to lay your hands on every plush, soft skein of yarn. Women would saunter through the door, projects in hand, along with some goodies to share with the rest of the gang, and sit down on the plush sofas to talk about their children, grandchildren, and life in general.  Not a negative iota in the room.

Dear Lady at the Counter with adorable sweater that you probably knit yourself, I agree.

xo  j

To-Do List: Duck Booties

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Adorable?  Yes.  Impossible?  I hope not, because I cannot get over how crazy-cute these duck-style booties are.  They are $40.00 on Etsy, but I'm going to make them instead, because a).  that is not $40.00 worth of yarn and labor, and b).  I'd much rather make a million of them and give them away to just about every woman who has a bun in the oven.

xo

j

Baby Hats on the Fly

These little guys were whipped up in a jiffy before our client had to leave town this past weekend. Suffice to say, we did a pretty stellar job creating two identical hats (for twins!) with matching patterns and colors, while knitting in two different locations and unable to see what the other was doing.  

To create a soft, cozy feel for our hats, we used Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller brand yarn in Bamboo Ewe (55% bamboo viscose, 45% wool) in Beach Glass and Mermaid.

xo

j

ice cream necktie! (neapolitan style)

This is an all-garter-stitch tie knit with more Sugar n' Cream yarn. I began at the skinny end. For the gradual increases in the front of the tie, I used the 'make one left' mode, which I learned from knittinghelp. [Basically, it involves slipping the connecting loop between right and left needles onto the left needle, and then knitting into the back of it]. Towards the bottom of the tie, choosing a way to decrease became a bit tricky; all modes of decreasing make some type of mark by slanting either to the right or the left. To try and even everything out, I used the slip-slip-knit method in the first half of every row (which slants to the left, or into the center of the tie), and the knit two together method in the second half (slants to the right). The result? A Neapolitan flavored ice cream necktie. Mmmm.

A very special thanks to our handsome model! :)

<3 N

Yarn Highlight: Sugar N' Cream

I am loving Sugar N' Cream yarn by Lily. Yarn that is 100% anything (cotton, wool, alpaca, etc) can get kind of pricey. However, I try my hardest to steer away from synthetic yarns, since there are all sorts of things in them that probably aren't the best to drape on a baby's heads or teeny feet. I love this Sugar N' Cream yarn because it's 100% cotton, and it only costs a little more than a dollar per skein. Right now, I'm using it to make some tester socks. Although its smaller than your average skein, you're still getting a decent bang for your buck, while going au naturale at the same time.  N used it to make an adorable Moleskin protective envelope for me as a Christmas present.