DestiKNITions

Davis Street Shawl from CloseKnit -Day 2

2012-01-26T16:29:00.000-08:00

What's the point?

I’m not a big fan of edge-up shawls. The work goes more slowly with each row, and it’s always tough to gauge when to stop. I always end up measuring back from the yarn end to make sure I’ve got enough for the bind off row, and I never get it right. Being as tall as I am, I need all the length I can squeeze out of a ball of yarn, so I try never to stop until I absolutely have to. Which gets me into trouble.

Still, that’s not what unnerves me about this shawl. It’s those picots, those little bumps waiting for me at the end of every row. They look so cute in the photos--all sweet and scallop-y. Subtler than pom-poms but with more style than a selvedge edge. I want them to work, want them to look like clever trimming instead of ugly growths bulging off the end of each row.

Some rows I look at the funny bump and think it just looks like my shawl has warts. Other rows I hold it up and think, “eh, not so bad.” The fuzz and the color work against me here...they make it hard to judge.

I know there are at least three that I totally botched, but I’m hoping they won’t show. I’m choosing to soldier on, trusting that there will be strength in numbers. You know what they say, “never judge September apples in June.” I’m trying not to judge a triangle by only it’s point.

And maybe that’s the point (pun intended). Sometimes we only see the beauty of our experience in hindsight.

Davis Street Shawl from CloseKnit -Day 1

2012-01-22T13:50:00.000-08:00

Mostly I think of shawls as decorative, but this project looked so practical and cozy I opted for a bit of an experiment: function.

The pattern itself lends a bit of decoration with the picot trim (with which I confess I've not had much past success), so I chose the Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Brushed Alpaca in a very basic neutral color. Will the oatmeal shade--called "gray heather"--prove versatile or boring? It's too soon to tell, but I do find myself wishing I had more neutral knit pieces from time to time. My attraction to vibrant colors isn't always the smartest choice, but when faced with a shelf full of gorgeous hues at the yarn store, it's hard to think practically.

The fuzzy lofty nature of this yarn certainly feels like warmth is in store. There's a bit of scratchiness on the needles, but it may be the kind that disappears at the blocking stage. Most of my worries center around the picot edge--I don't have a good track record with this stitch at all. This shawl will either mark my victory over the picot--or it's victory over me.

Care to make a prediction?

The First-Ever Edition of Authors Who Knit: Tracy Barrett

2012-01-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

I've long wanted to introduce you to some of the fabulous knitting authors I meet in my travels. As a new feature for 2012, you'll meet one knitting author each month. Let's get started!

DestiKNITers, allow me to introduce you to Tracy Barrett.

What’s on your needles right now?

I'm working on a cardigan called "Eala Bhan" from the updated edition of Alice Starmore's Aran Knitting in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. I had to pause to make Christmas and Hanukkah presents but I'm back to it now. It's very complicated but so well designed that it's fun, and the yarn is a dream to work with.

What feels like your favorite/greatest knitting accomplishment?

I made a jacket for my slender six-foot tall daughter (in other words, not a standard size), and she had very precise requirements for fit. It involved math skills I hadn't used since high school (which is a lo-o-o-ong time ago now!) to make it all come out right, and it fits her like a glove!

What feels like the worst knitting mistake/foible/wrong choice you’ve ever made?

Using cheap yarn is always a mistake. I have a sweater that looks great right after it's been re-blocked and de-pilled, but in a short time it stretches out and pills again.

Straight or circular needles?

Anything but double-points. I'll keep knitting on a circular long after the work has gotten too tight on them just so I can avoid the DP's as long as possible.

Metal or wood needles?

Whatev.

White chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate?

Usually dark, but if I'm eating it for emotional reasons (which is the main reason to eat chocolate, right?) I'll go for the comfort-food aspect of milk chocolate.

Coffee or tea?

There are authors who drink tea???

Have you written a knitting character?

Not yet, but a lot of my heroines are accomplished at other needle arts. I mostly write historical fiction, and women (and some men) have always made crucial contributions in those areas to human survival and to the economy of their families, so I make sure that my heroines like and are skilled at spinning, weaving, sewing, and embroidery.

What’s the last thing anyone would suspect about your latest book, Dark of the Moon?

The huge amount of research I had to do! It's a retelling of the myth of the half-man, half-bull monster known as the Minotaur, but I set it in the real, not mythical, world (and my Minotaur isn't a monster), and I had to learn a lot about Bronze-Age Crete. I love research, though, so it wasn't painful.

Give a shout out to your favorite local yarn store:

Haus of Yarn

265 White Bridge Pike

Nashville, TN 37209

hausofyarn.com

Dark of the Moon is described as the tale of the half-man, half-bull Minotaur, as told in alternating points of view by his sister, Ariadne, and his killer, Theseus. School Library Journal called it "deft, dark, and enthralling." Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy!

Visit Tracy's website at www.tracybarrett.com or her blog at goodbyedayjob.blogspot.com

Happy 3rd Birthday Greatest Hits Click-Thru Tour!

2012-01-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

As I've done every anniversary since DestiKNITions launched, here's a sample of my favorite posts from the past year:

Knitting and Doctor Who

We can’t always get what we want

Highland Park, Illinois

Ever been hit with a virus?

Startitis and finishitis...

Downtown New York City

Knit or pay dearly

Jeffersonville, Indiana

Head and hands...

Galena, Illinois

How to have a lovely drive

The needles don't pin me down, they hold me up

Knit the Big Apple

Just deal with it...

Diagonal Rib Infinity Scarf from Stitch(es) - DONE!

2012-01-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

You know that shopping experience where you see a dress on the hanger and think, “Wow! That’s a stunner!” Then, when you get it on in the dressing room, it’s all wrong? That flowing top is just boxy and makes you look fat, or the waist is so unflattering you feel like a bowling ball wrapped in a curtain, or any number of unexpected flaws?

Or, it’s the opposite. You grab a plain looking frock just because the color intrigues you, only to discover that it fits with elegant style and gorgeous drape. If find this most often to be true of dresses and bathing suits, but I bet all of you have stories of a similar kind. Things aren't always what they seem.

It’s true of this scarf...only I can’t decide if it’s good or bad. It’s just totally different than what I’d imagined. In the pattern’s defense, I had no finished photo, so my brain concocted an image as construction went along. Still, I find the yarn behaves completely differently off the needles. What I thought was going to be a fluffy swath of ribbing--something for warmth, is in reality a sleek accessory. Off the circular needles, the thing stretched out to a long thin near-tube within seconds. The curl at each side of the scarf is gone, hidden by the piece’s tendency to curve in on itself.

Now that I think it over, how else would a diagonal ribbed scarf behave? It makes sense. And it’s not at all unattractive. It’s just so different. You can’t see many of the things I liked about it, but other things have emerged that are just as intriguing. I don’t not like it, I’m just stunned by the off-needle transformation. And I don't know where to file the surprise. Good? Bad? Just surprising?

After a few wears in its current state, I’m going to wash and block it to see if it changes again. That’s the marvelous mystery of knitting...you never know what you’re going to get!

Even when you think you’ve already gotten it!

Before we travel on to our final North Shore project, we get to fun detours next week:

1) The annual Click Thru Happy Birthday Tour of best posts from 2011, and

2) our first-ever Knitting Authors Profile, where you'll meet a published author who's also a knitter and hear about how she balances her keyboards and needles

Diagonal Rib Infinity Scarf from Stitch(es) - Day 5

2012-01-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

Before we begin, let's take a moment to recognize this is my 250th post. Wow. Who'd have thunk it??? I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have! We now return to the subject at hand:

Heading for the final curl...

I’m finally at the end of that l-o-n-g expanse of knit-5-purl-3. The diagonal ribbing truly ads something special to the piece. I can’t say until I’ve put it on, but I believe it will factor in how the scarf will drape around my neck. I certainly know will feel soft and warm. It’s been an eerily warm winter so far in Chicago...and I can’t help thinking payback is on the way.

Given my druthers, I’d suppose I’d opt to make it a bit wider. I only received one skein of the Shibui Baby Alpaca, but it doesn’t seem to be enough to make it the full 7+ inches called for in the pattern. I had to measure out the far end of the yarn. I felt I needed to mark a “stopping point” to make sure I'd reserved enough yardage to do the five rows of stockinette. I want that clever roll I need to match the beginning edge.

It’s fine the way it is, but some part of me would prefer another three inches or so of width. It feels like 10 inches to play with would be optimal. It’s just a hunch--I haven’t gotten it around my neck yet. And, let’s not forget that a wider scarf would mean three more inches of endless knit-5-purl-3 and I’m really done with that.

My original charm with this project still holds: it’s a cute basic taken up a notch with some thoughtful pattern design. Well worth a try--especially if the Chicago winter’s about to have its way.

Diagonal Rib Infinity Scarf from Stitch(es) - Day 4

2012-01-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

Um...yeah...about that...

So, here’s the thing about writing a knitting blog. It’s loads of fun, and you get access to the most delicioius cupcakes on the planet not to mention meeting great yarn folks from all over.

Then those great yarn folks give you stunning patterns. Which you knit. In front of lots of people--well, digitally in front of ‘cuz you’re not in my living room or anything (and aren’t you glad??).

And then there’s the bit where you mess up. Which, in blogosphere terms, means you mess up in front of everyone. Then you’re forced to fess up about your mess up. [cue violins]

Which explains today’s post.

You know all those pattern instructions for circular needles that say “make positively absolutely triple-dog-certain that you don’t twist the stitches when you join them together”? Twisting the first row is like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters: the world just might fall apart if you allow it to happen.

Um...yeah...about that “no twist” imperative: I sort of botched it. Worse, I was three inches into the knitting before I caught on. Halfway done--that’s downright embarrassing. So much for the myth of the observant nature of writers. My infinity scarf is twisted. Rats. [cue ominous music]

I spent a half-hour kicking various living room objects, cursing my inattention and the fact that I absolutely couldn’t manage ripping it out and redoing it in time to stage a cover-up.

Then it dawned on me: Infinity scarf + twisted loop = mobius strip = mobius scarf! [cue trumpet fanfare]

I have always wondered how these mobius things worked (although now having accomplished it and read the Wikipedia entry twice, I’m still not sure I know). The pattern has a clear front and back, so it’s not an ideal set-up, but I’m going to make the most of it. [cue earnest music]

You never know...it just might work...it may even turn out awesome! [cue 1950's announcer crooning..."until next time..."]

Diagonal Rib Infinity Scarf from Stitch(es) - Day 3

2011-12-31T13:50:00.000-08:00

Diagon-Allie

It’s a lovely color.

It’s a lovely texture.

It’s a lot of ribbing. A whole lot of ribbing.

I think I could purl-three-knit-five in my sleep at this point. You can’t completely zone out on this because failing to line up those diagonal ribs would mess the whole thing up. Being even one stitch off would throw the whole pattern off. This makes our project a bit of an dilemma--too boring to entertain, too complicated to ignore.

Remember that first episode where I said what a good balance that was? That’s the thing about balance--it unbalances. An inch ago, I loved it. Today, well, let’s just say the honeymoon is over. Sure, I’ll press on because the color really is stunning and it’s going to be a great piece once it’s finished. And you know what they say: nothing worthwhile is easy.

The knitting has left me, however, with a good deal of time to ponder while I purl. I have come to an unsettling conclusion about myself during this project. An unrelated realization, if you will--something that has little to do with knitting. Or more precisely, perhaps it is exactly this truth from which knitting saves me. Confused yet?

Here it is: I am a nerd.

An artistic nerd, perhaps, but by every shade of the definition I used in college, I am a nerd. Last weekend I held a fluent and extensive conversation with a “socially challenged” man in a comic book store. About Doctor Who and Star Trek. I debated the merits of River Song’s sonic screwdrivers vs. The Doctor’s (10 and 11, mind you!). I took a ridiculous amount of delight in being part of the Doctor Who blog hop earlier this month.

My favorite Christmas gift? A wind-up Tardis. Favorite gift given? An Enterprise pizza cutter for my husband (hey, at least I married right). I own multiple translations of Beowulf. Harry Potter? Read 'em all...in hardcover. We go to the Renaissance Festival every summer. I watch Big Bang Theory and a frightening amount of BBC television. I’m never four feet from my Blackberry and I hyperventilate if removed from my laptop for too long. When not in my blessed contacts, my glasses are thick enough to qualify for Coke bottle bottoms. I haven't picked up a copy of People Magazine or Vogue in six months if not more.

Face it: I’ve just described a nerd. I’ve just described me.

And yet, I knit. And somehow, in some twisted corner of my artistic brain, that makes it all okay.

Thank God.

Diagonal Rib Infinity Scarf from Stitch(es) - Day 2

2011-12-27T05:50:00.000-08:00

Tell me how you really feel...

There are projects where texture really matters, and this is one of them. Nothing can ruin your day like a scratchy scarf irritating your neck--even if it is one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever knitted. I’m not at all above relegating even gorgeous projects to the limitations of a turtleneck (as in “not touching my bare neck again, sister!"), because beauty does have its costs. Yet, there is a special place in my heart for those projects that FEEL as good as they LOOK--and not just to my fingertips.

Sue has matched the soft loft of this baby alpaca with just the right needle size to give a plush feeling that still allows for warmth. That’s the sign of a quality designer in my book. Anyone can knit a rectangle and call it a scarf--it’s a great designer that knows just why diagonal rib will give a lovely drape and why a size larger needle would be too open but a size smaller would stiffen things up.

And then there’s the color. I’ve tried to help the camera catch the deep, botanic teal of this yarn, but I’m not having much luck. Take my word for it--it’s lovely. With just a hint of color variation to give a mysterious depth.

At first I thought I was going to need a marker to notate the beginning of each row, but when I realized I was just shifting each set of “purl 3”s over one stitch to form the diagonal line, It no longer mattered where I was in the loop. Just the right amount of thinking here--no zone-out miles of garter or stockinette, but no brain-bending lace charts, either.

A really lovely project that I'm enjoying!

Diagonal Rib Infinity Scarf from Stitch(es) - Day 1

2011-12-22T04:59:00.000-08:00

Infinitely refreshing!

After all that chart-peering lace, a nice gentle pattern like this one from Stitch(es) in Winnetka is a refreshing change. Sure it takes a bit of concentration--and a chunk of time--to cast on 296 stitches, but that doesn’t sap the brain cells the way a lace chart can.

My favorite trick for casting on a whopping load of stitches like this is to place a marker every twenty-five stitches (they've been removed in this photo, sorry). That way, after nine markers, I know I’ve only got 21 more to go. Much less stressful than counting (and recounting and recounting if I know me) to nearly three hundred.

I’m especially fond of patterns that make good use of yarn’s natural properties. Remember the pooling colors of our tie-die neck warmer? The one that came with the side order of amnesia?

It’s especially pleasing when patterns capitalize on things that normally bug me, like the curling nature of stockinette stitch. The first five rows of this infinity scarf--or cowl, as I often call it--are just that stitch. Placed where it is, I think the curl of those first five stockinette rows will add a nifty design element rather than an annoying tendency.

I admit, however, that it’s a bit early to tell. As such, it’s win-win: if it curls, that’ll be a neat edge. If it doesn’t, even better. Well done, designer Sue Peterson!

2011-12-17T17:11:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to

REBECCA VOLGER

You won the copy of

My So-Called Love Life

watch your email

for instructions on

how to claim your prize

Don't forget to continue with the blog hop

to enter in the grand prize drawing

Delightful Detour: Knitting and Doctor Who

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Banner by Studio D

Doctor Who and Knitting? Absolutely!

I've loved knitting for about ten years. I’ve loved Dr. Who since college, which would mean...ahem...about thirty years. I never really thought about any connection between the two until I was asked to combine these two favorite things for today’s post.

Then I did a little research...and found out I am far from alone.

The Scarf

The first connection--and for many the strongest--is obvious: the quintessential SCARF. Known universally (and in this case we really mean that word) as “the Dr. Who Scarf,” the uber-long strip of stripes was worn by the fourth Doctor in a host of seasons and manifestations. Knitters have been replicating it for decades, and it is as much an icon as the TARDIS blue box. It has a pretty decent pedigree, as the doctor claims it was knit by Madame Nostradamus, a “witty little knitter” who’d probably have her own blog were The Doctor to whisk her off to present times. And perhaps she has, for a lovely lady named Tara Wheeler has taken up the cause with admirable abandon.

The Actor Who’s Actually an Expert

On the more obscure side, the blog natknit reminded me that Lalla Ward who played Romana, a companion to the Fourth Doctor (played by Tom Baker, who rocked aforementioned scarf) actually has a line of knitting books out there. There are many famous actors who knit...surely our Whovian performers should be among them.

The Current Controversy

If your tastes run more to current events, we’ve got that covered, too. The Doctor has always stirred up controversy wherever he goes, so it should come as no surprise that he’s stirred it up in the knitting world as well. Knitter Whovians made the news recently when BBC got supremely cranky about someone posting knitting patterns to create characters from the series. When is knitting a TARDIS “fan crafting,” and when is it copyright infringement (or is that copyright intarsia)? Us crafty types, we always fuse our passions. Etsy is filled with Who goodies. I can’t say I wouldn’t adore a plush little Adipose if I had the time and inclination to make one. And yes, I did try and get a “TARDIS” vanity plate for my blue Honda pilot--it is a big blue box that travels, after all. Is that worthy of lawyers descending on me like a herd of Daleks?

The On-Screen Nod to Knitting

Most recently, we learned The Doctor takes an interest in yarn and needles. How many of us KnitWhovians gasped in joy during “The Wedding of River Song” to see Matt Smith with his Doctoral nose in a copy of “Knitting for Girls”? And why not? Real men knit. Creative, adventuresome, clever men knit. Men who know “bowties are cool” would know knitting has been cool for centuries. Maybe the Doctor knows knitting has been cool for millennia.

The Dare

Hey BBC, I publicly dare you to show our beloved Doctor knitting in a future episode. Knock yourself out--make it alien yarn with time-altering capabilities. We’ll accept anything crafty and clever from our beloved Doctor. But I’m warning you, he better not be wiggling needles with the ends pointed up in that fake knitting I detest (DestiKNITters, you know what I’m talking about). Should BBC need an on-set consultant, I just happen to be available.

The Prize

Had I a time machine, I’d ratchet it back to give me enough time to knit you the yards of stripes a decent Dr. Who scarf requires. But I don’t--I don’t even have a Honda Pilot with a “TARDIS” plate. But I do have a copy of my most clever book with knitting in it, “My So-Called Love Life.” Leave a comment with your email address (duly spelled out with [at] and [dot] for your protection) and I’ll draw a winner at 5pm CT Saturday.

But don’t stop there!

The Grand Prize: Season 6 on DVD!

To enter the grand prize giveaway, please leave a comment with your name and email address. You may enter once at every stop on the blog tour for a total of thirteen chances. The Grand Prize giveaway is limited to the US and Canada, due to regional restrictions on the DVD. Individual contest will close at the discretion of the author, but the Grand Prize contest will accept entries on any site until midnight CST on December 24th. We will post the winner on December 25th, and notify the winner via email.

The Next Stop

And don’t stop here...hop in your cyber-TARDIS and travel tomorrow to the 13 Days of Dr. Who’s next stop: Sarah Enni: The Doctor and How He Changes His Companions' Lives at www.sarahenni.com

Knit Along: Schmetterling Shawl from Mia Bella - DONE!

2011-12-12T18:28:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes, this is why we block. The bliss of transformation.

It’s the butterfly coming out of its cocoon--come on, with the name being German for butterfly, you knew that metaphor was coming at some point.

It’s light and lacy and wonderful. Seasonless--this could grace a tank top as easily as it will grace a cream turtleneck for Christmas (my current plan).

I did wish--for the hundredth time--that I had blocking wires. Pins give you just too many pointy marks no matter how you fuss with them. I need blocking wires. Hey, Christmas is coming right? Not that members of my family read my blog.

I have been known to go out, buy something, then call my husband and tell him to say “Merry Christmas.” I did that with my beloved Keurig coffee machine.

Me: “Say Merry Christmas, honey.”

He: “Merry Christmas. Why?”

Me: “You just bought me a coffee machine for Christmas.”

He: (unsurprised) “Oh.”

Me: “Yep. It’s awesome. Just what I wanted.”

He: “So you’re going to go home and put it under the tree?”

Me: “No way. I’m going to go home and plug it in.”

Not a big fan of delayed gratification, yours truly. But this shawlette? Absolutely worth waiting for. And I have a free hour or two tomorrow, so some blocking wires may just find their way home with me.

Next, we have two big treats. On Wednesday, I’ll be participating in the 13 Days of Doctor Who Blog Hop, talking about--what else--knitting in Dr. Who. Stop by and you can win some cool stuff.

After that, we start the lovely cowl from Stitches. Cuddly wonderfulness. Life is very good indeed.

Knit Along: Schmetterling Shawl from Mia BellaDay 5

2011-12-09T18:21:00.001-08:00

It’s not over till the tall lady blocks

Definitely not a knit-and-wear item. This is why we block. I’m delighted that the shawl is finished, but I couldn’t possibly don it in its current tiny, curly state. It’s not much larger than a bandana right now, and it looks more like something that belongs in a salad than something that belongs on my shoulders. It hasn’t gained all its lacy goodness.

Ah, but a nice bath and a good stretch will take care of that in a jiffy. Properly blocked, this will take on a delicate elegance that will allow the pattern design to really pop. This one will be lovely. That transformation on tomorrow’s to-do list, and I can hardly wait.

My week has been full of tending a grumpy, contagious teenage boy on quarantine, so the sense of accomplishment is desperately needed. Honestly, there are weeks when I’m easily convinced if I didn’t knit, I’d need sedatives. Or anti-depressants. Or both.

On a practical level, I do have two pattern notes:

I particularly liked the bind-off on this one. It has a good elasticity--something often lacking in my bind offs, so I was glad to add a new skill to my toolbox. It’s pretty and simple, like a backwards version of the knit-two-together bind-off I usually use. It gives the same sort of serge edge I often use on scarves, and I like that elasticity. I suspect it will be important as this piece stretches into its full elegance.

After a grumbling hour unknitting two very long rows, I found I needed to add a “K2” to the first instructions of the border’s first row. Either it’s a typo, or I messed up earlier repeats. I should have seen it coming. If I’d been a thinking knitter, I would have realized how elements in the border needed to line up with elements from the pattern. If I had seen past my blind obedience to see the the overall design concept, I wouldn’t have been an hour’s worth of stitching into the border before I realized my mistake. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve made the mistake of not listening to the small voice in my head saying “something’s not right here.” Call it “knitter’s intuition.” And when you hear it, heed it.

Knit Along: Schmetterling Shawl from Mia Bella - Day 4

2011-12-04T19:10:00.001-08:00

“I’m not going to bed until I finish the pattern repeats on this thing!”

One of those weeks. I could barely get to the “must get done"s by the weekend, much less the things that are supposed to be fun. That’s the trouble with craft blogs. I can’t exactly tell my publisher that my current assignment is going to be late because the knitting didn’t cooperate.

Actually, the knitting was downright obsequious. It was the rest of my life that excelled at making tasks impossible. Like mothers everywhere, I live my life at the mercy of my kids’ immune systems. My life can be brought down by a single phone call from the school nurse. And has. Repeatedly. I have the feeling a few of you know what I’m talking about.

Actually, that role isn’t just the bane of moms. Elderly parents can tank a week in a single phone call, too, can't they?

Ah, but the knitting is always patiently waiting for me. It never pouts that I’ve ignored it. The satisfaction of having completed four increasing repeats of a rather complicated pattern is the perfect antidote to an exploded week. Accomplishment is luscious indeed.

I made it to the end border. Sure it was almost two weeks behind when I wanted to reach it, and the Christmas party I planned to wear this shawlette to was two nights ago, but there’s still Christmas Eve. A knitting deadline is a flexible thing.

My publisher, well that’s another story.

Knit Along: Schmetterling Shawl from Mia BellaDay 3

2011-11-26T12:30:00.001-08:00

Yikes! It’s just getting bigger!

Did I not ponder the lack of wisdom in a project which just got larger the closer we got to the holiday? I need finishing motivation, people. I can barely remember to close kitchen cabinet doors or empty the dishwasher. That’s sorely lacking here. What I need are projects that start out with long (and thereby slow) rows and work toward short (and fast) rows.

Yes, well, we can’t always get what we want, can we?

So I’m building character here (right? right??). I’m glad there’s only one more repeat of this pattern because I think more than that would just about kill me. I don’t think there’s a full size lace shawl in my future. Well, not unless I break a leg while simultaneously loosing all my book contracts (No!). This shawlette seems to be the limits of my stick-to-it-iveness.

Have you done this? Looked at a week that’s supposed to be a holiday and envisioned all the knitting time you thought you’d have? Only to turn around six days later and see yourself only a row or two farther than before?

Part of the difficulty here is that this isn’t the kind of project you can do casually--it takes a fair amount of attention. I can’t knit it in meetings or anything more mentally taxing than television or driving.

What I need is a good long train trip. Is it lovely in Nebraska this time of year?

Knit Along: Schmetterling Shawl from Mia Bella--Day 2

2011-11-22T19:07:00.001-08:00

Embracing my marked limitations...

I’ve reached the first repeat of my pattern, and I have to say this takes a fair amount of concentration. I have to read the chart frontwards AND backwards--that’s asking a lot of my approaching-holiday brain cells. It took my a dozen rows to get used to how the pattern is a row essentially folded in half--I’ve never seen that before. And every repeat of the chart adds two repeats of an internal section. There’s only one way to handle such a cerebral task:

Stitch markers.

Call me middle-aged, but I can only handle about fifteen stitches worth of organization at a time. Okay, twenty if I’ve recently been to Starbucks. Which is smarter? Pretending I’m so skilled I don’t need stitch markers? Or botching rows on a regular basis out of pride?

Call me humble, but I’m reaching for the markers.

Lucky for me, I’ve got a nice collection. For big projects on mid-size needles, I like my pretty beaded ones. For lace work, I like the small plastic circles because they they’re right size for fine work and won’t snag the fiber. I have enough of different colors that I can use them to signify something, but in this case they don’t need to do anything but mark off the pattern repeats.

I embrace my limitations--and I like shiny accessories.

Knit Along: Schmetterling Shawl from Mia Bella - Day 1

2011-11-19T10:39:00.001-08:00

Shawl love...

It’s hard to go wrong when you start with a beautiful yarn. The camera is simply not doing the Ella rae Lace Merino’s colorway any justice--it’s a lovely turquoise with yellow, green and teals dancing through it. Add Adrienne Ku’s lovely lace pattern that shows it off, and things just go from good to great. Especially with lace, you know you are on to a good pattern when it looks good even before you block it.

This design has what I consider to be an optimum density balance--not so lacy that it’s only good for adornment (i.e. it won’t keep your bare shoulders warm in the air conditioning), but not so sturdy that you feel you ought to be walking beside a Conestoga wagon. The yarn is light enough to be delicate, but no so frail as to become a tangle-fest when you wind it into a ball or--heaven forbid--have to frog a couple of rows because you were too busy watching Castle to pay attention to what you were doing. Not that I’d know that or anything...

And it’s a shawl. And oh, you know I love shawls. I always have. It’s a good thing they’re “in” now, because I’m sure I’m stubborn enough to still wear them if ever they go out of style. Keep that eccentricity up long enough, and I’ll become that weird tall lady down the block. You know the kind--the one your Mom tells you to stay away from.

“Sure, I’ll buy her books but let’s not go so far as to invite that looney to dinner. She’s one of those creative types. An art-eest. Wears shawls.”

Why yes, I wear shawls. All the time. So watch what you say....

...or you’ll end up in one of my books.

CHICAGO'S NORTH SHORE: Evanston, IL

2011-11-15T14:34:00.001-08:00

Sure, I’m a sucker for adventure. I’m entertained by the shiny new thing (translation: iPad) and an exotic flavor of cupcake (bacon?), but my visit to Evanston reminded me I’ve been remiss in my praise of the basic.

Basic is good. Basic is dependable. Basic is very much a necessity in our topsy-turvy too-complicated world.

Evanston feels basic to me, mostly because I spent my college years there. No coed can afford to be much of a foodie--the fact that has built Ramen noodles’ success for most of my adult life. No, my Evanston gastric memories are of the good ol’ comfort kind: pasta from Dave’s Italian Kitchen and Buffalo Joe’s burgers--exquisite not in their novelty, but their flawless execution of life’s beloved staples.

This is true of today’s local yarn shop:

CloseKnit

531 Davis St.

Evanston, IL 60201

847-328-6760

www.closeknitevanston.com

You’d drive past it if it weren’t for the clever little piece of yarn-bombing on the tree out front. A sturdy little storefront moved over last May from its former location. While it has a depth of stock that would do any establishment proud--two walls of floor-to-ceiling yarn--it’s not a show-off of a store. “I want customers to see the yarn, and I want them to find a yarn to suit whatever project they have in mind” owner Lucie Sinkler says, declaring that she’s arranged everything with the practical needs of her customer in mind.

I was particularly impressed with her class philosophy. CloseKnit’s classes are essentially “group therapy”--arranged by schedule rather than skill or project. You sign up and get whatever help you need on whatever you want to be working on, period. No competition with the gal next to you working on the same mittens, no “who got to row 20 first or who did a better job on their cables”--just helpful camaraderie between a group of knitters who are each pursuing their own goals. I love that thoughtful, practical distinction.

You might find the newest trend here, but you’ll more likely find a good quality fiber at a good price. There’s a lot to be said for that kind of no-nonsense focus. Here are some projects to peek at:

Our Knit Along from CloseKnit is the Davis Street Shawl. It fits the store: a quality basic designed to get lots of use. Done up in two balls of any fuzzy worsted weight yarn, this smaller-sized shawl can go over the shoulders or double around as a cowl. Not a big fan of picot bind-offs, I was delighted to know this pattern works the border into each row rather than throw the full weight of a complicated finish at you once you’re done.

Another of Lucie’s patterns, the Doggie Button Baby Sweater, again takes a basic garter stitch and pairs two Regia wool blends (1 ball of the longer variegation color change and 2 balls of the short variegation color change) for a bit of snazzy style. Of course, nothing’s stopping you from adapting it to a Kitty Button Baby Sweater, or Chicky, or even Panda for that matter. I'll never tell.

My personal favorite of the basic-yet-versatile projects was the En Pointe Pullover from the Spring 2011 edition of Interweave Knits. Four balls of Cascade Kid Seta Noir lace-weight mohair knit up to a drapey, billowy dream of comfort.

Need something a bit smaller? Head straight for the Pippa Hat accented with Fluribunda Flower Accent from Sublime #656. It takes two balls of Sublime Lustrous Extra Fine Merino DK and sports a lot of style. Pair it with another two balls to make the Furla Scarf, and you’ll weather Chicago’s killer winter in warm and spiffy style.

Personally, I always like to follow a good yarn shopping experience with a good cupcake. And lucky for you, I know just the place:

Tiny Dog Cupcake

616 Davis Street

Evanston, IL 60201

847-563-8680

www.tinydogcupcake.com

I seriously regret that I was not here on a Saturday or Sunday morning to try out the “Famous Cupcake Brunch” with must-sample flavors like maple bacon and “cupttatas” (which is what happens when a cupcake and a frittata get together) in flavors like spinach and cheese. Throw in free coffee and wifi and I can’t imagine a better way to start a weekend day.

Cupcakes know no such bounds, however, and I sampled several on my weekday afternoon visit. I loved that the cupcakes came in regular, “big dog,” and “tiny” sizes perfect for tasting multiple flavors. The chocolate silk is as good as it sounds, but the lemon was outstanding (yes, really, I loved a non-chocolate flavor!). The salty caramel was good, too, but the first two were my favorites. Add some really fine coffee to round out the experience...and like most cupcake joints, this is a very fun place to people-watch.

In addition to my two fave eating establishments mentioned earlier, there are two other Evanston institutions not to be missed:

Blind Faith Cafe

525 Dempster St

Evanston, IL 60201

847-328-6875

blindfaithcafe.com

Even before healthy food was in style, Blind Faith Cafe was showing us how we ought to be eating. This is no place to choke down nutrition...everything I’ve ever had here was delicious. Vegetarians and those who favor gluten-free (no meat on this menu, kiddos) have been flocking to this place since I was...well, a lot younger than I am now, and there’s a reason for Blind Faith’s long, strong reputation. I saw many online raves for the French Toast Flambe (my remembered fave), and I don’t know why I’m always shocked at the outstanding deserts--maybe because I associate delicious with “bad for you.” Nope, everything about this place is good for you. Michael Pollan would eat here---and probably has. Hey, if even the carnivores are raving when they consent to eat here, you know it’s worth a visit.

When’s the last time you found yourself in a really good fabric store? If for you it’s been years (like it has been for me), you owe yourself a trip to:

Vogue Fabrics

718-732 Main Street
Evanston, Illinois 60202
847-864-9600

http://www.voguefabricsstore.com

Long the go-to haunt for costume construction from my theater-major days, Vogue is probably one of the last great brick-and-mortar fabric stores around. Evanston is their flagship store, and you could easily kill and entire day wandering their stock to touch and feel all the fabric-y goodness. I can’t shop for yarn and fabric on the internet--I’ve got to TOUCH the stuff, and this place is perfect for tactile shoppers like me. I love their slogan: “Enabling Fabraholics since 1945.” They even offer group tours! The remnant room was always my favorite hangout...some true bargains to be had in there.

There you have it...a fiber-filled frolic on Chicago’s North Shore. Old home week for me, new adventures for you!

Up next, we tackle the lovely, lacy shawl from Highland Park's Mia Bella.

CHICAGO'S NORTH SHORE: Winnetka Illinois

2011-11-10T07:15:00.001-08:00

Winnetka

I’ll admit it...I was operating on the stereotype. Here I was thinking I’d landed in the realm of the popped polo shirt collar (hey, I grew up in Connecticut, I can say that) and the luxury SUV. And I did--no doubt Winnetka is among the north shore’s prettiest communities especially on a sunny fall day. But I hadn’t counted on it being so wonderfully artistic.

Start your day with an outstanding breakfast at the universal local favorite:

Caffe Buon Giorno

566 Chestnut St

Winnetka, IL 60093

847-784-8899

Sure, it’s cash only. Yes, it can be crowded. It’s totally worth it. Breakfast all day places are my absolute favorite, and this one is wonderful. My genuinely friendly waiter made an outstanding recommendation for the crab cake eggs benedict--the place makes their own hollandaise sauce. Wow. Hands down the best meal of this trip. Chestnut street and the surrounding area are a wonderful little suburban downtown so feel free to wander off all those calories when you’re done.

Make sure you turn the corner and catch one of the great independent bookstores of our day:

The Book Stall at Chestnut Court

811 Elm Street

Winnetka Illinois 60093

847-446-888

http://www.thebookstall.com/

Jam packed with great stock and a loaded events schedule, this is one of the national A-list stops for book tours so your bound to catch someone truly interesting. Check out their selection of autographed books (cookbooks, too!) for yourself or someone on your gift list.

When you’re ready, travel up Green Bay Road to the little neighborhood known as Hubbard Woods and our fiber fix for the day:

Stitch(es)

1054 Gage Street

Winnetka,IL. 60093

847-441-0677

www.stitcheswinnetka.com

The neat thing about Stitch(es) is that it’s as much a boutique as it is a yarn shop. You feel stylish just for walking in the door. The little storefront establishment opened just last year, and it couldn’t be more charming tucked on a short side street alongside a park.

Run by knitwear designer Sue Peterson of Sue P. Knits, the store boasts wonderful samples of what we all wish our knitwear looked like. I had fun watching Sue engage her constant flow of customers from the calm, focused expert looking for a specific fiber to the near-hysterical novice who yelped “Help!” and thrust her ribbing into Sue’s helpful hands. Sue wants you to succeed, wants to introduce you to new techniques and projects, and you feel sure her artistic twist will somehow rub off on your boring old scarf.

Her very inventive stock is organized by weight with the likely needle size posted alongside (a nice helpful touch). The store offers loads of interesting kits and a selection of riotously colored Hadaki bags which I’d never seen before.

While a load of projects caught my eye, here’s a few to look for:

Churchmouse Baby Wrap Sweater

Done up in two skeins (1 striped, one solid) of Shibui Staccato or Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace, this pattern makes the perfect first time Grandma sweater--basic but with oodles of style.

Vintage Mohair Sweater

A quick Ravelry search will bring up several Sue P Knits patterns, but this fluffy, cozy cardigan was a favorite. Six skeins of Classic Elite La Gran will most definitely knit up to keep you warm this winter. People will probably come up and ask to pet your sleeve.

Mohair Bias Looop

If you need something a little more basic, these loop scarves are this year’s rage. Two skeins of Kidsilk Haze--one of my most favorite snuggle-worthy yarn choices--whip up into a versatile accessory that won’t tax your brain cells. Go with a angelic white, or pop for color in Kidsilk’s new striped version.

Shibui Baby Albaca Cowl

Chicago is cowl country, and this winter is supposed to be a killer, so I’m glad the Knit Along from Stitch(es) is a cozy cowl. No photo yet--I'm among the first to try out one of Sue's brand new patterns. Done up in super soft, super warm Shibui Baby Alpaca, it’ll be a blast of color to brighten up my dreary winter.

Now that we’ve gotten our daily dose of fiber, it’s time for a little shopping.

Turn the corner and you’ll see a sunny stretch of Green Bay Road dotted with lots of interesting shopping. There’s a fine selection, but my favorites were:

Creme de la Creme

901-903 Green Bay Road

Winnetka, IL 60093

847-446-2228

www.cremegifts.com

It was the exquisite linens in the window that caught my eye, but there’s so much more to this unique store. Owner Sandy Freeman says the store has “Nothing you need but everything you’d like,” including my favorite Sarah Oliver Handbags. Knit by “The Purlette’s”--an adorable gang of seniors hired from Mill Valley California by designer Sarah Oliver--each bag sports grand personality and the signature “O” brooch that marks it as a one-of-a-kind treasure. Who can resist?

Farther down I wandered into furniture heaven. Really, I would move in tomorrow and live in the sublime showroom of:

Sawbridge Studios

Handcrafted Furniture and Accessories

1051 Tower Court

Winnetka, IL 60093

847-441-2441

www.sawbridge.com

If, like me, you are a raging fan of prairie style furniture, this place will drop your jaw. Exquisite just about covers it. Clocks, beds, bureaus, tables, chairs, each of exceptional quality and full of artistic character. Were I confined to live out my last days in a rocking chair, it’d most definitely come from here.

Switch gears and indulge your inner child by wandering through:

Beat Street

930 Green Bay Road

Winnetka IL 60093

847-442-8580

It may look like a toy store from the outside--and it’s loaded with cool toys--but there’s a little of everything inside this delightfully stuffed-to-the-gills store. I love that her business card lists the store hours as “10:58am - 5:28pm.” This is one of those places where almost everything you see gets you thinking of a friend who would “just love one of those.” If you want to rock someone’s Christmas stocking this year, head here.

I had a marvelous afternoon indulging some of my very favorite whims--and I suspect you will, too. See? I told you there was more here than shiny Volvos...

CHICAGO'S NORTH SHORE: Northbrook, IL

2011-11-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Northbrook

We’re going to start off a little southeast of this town, launching our adventure from a small retail nook known as The Shops of Northfield Village Square. Tucked onto Happ Road just south of Willow Road you’ll find a little collection of shops and eateries that are the kind of places DestiKNITters love best...really good but just off the main path. Start your day at

Three Tarts Bakery and Cafe

301 South Happ Road

Northfield 60093

847.446.5444 phone

http://www.threetartsbakery.com

Their advertisements claim “everything’s good here,”--and I found it to be true--but their real claim to fame are their decorated sugar cookies. You can order these moist and tasty works of art in dozens of styles and shapes for a special occasion, or just munch on what’s out for the day (ghosts, in my case). Half the fun is watching the tutu-clad little girls from the nearby dance studio come in and get a post-class cookie. Partial to cake as I am, I was impressed by the display and the coconut cake I ordered lived up to its hype. Good coffee, some actual food should you want nutrition (but why?), and nice seating.

A stroll down the collection of stores will land you some very charming shopping in a nice variety of stores, but don’t forget to look to the north where you can explore a whole different kind of stitch-work:

The Canvasback

1747 Orchard Lane

Northfield, IL 60093

847-446-4244

http://www.canvasback-needlepoint.com/

I’ve come across many knitters who dabble in needlepoint, or want to. I found this friendly store a welcome place to consider the craft. A nice selection of classes and a truly helpful staff mean you get excellent service--this store hasn’t been in business for 37 years for nothing.

When asked for a good first-timer’s project, the staff pointed me toward this lovely small handbag with a removable/changable stitched flap.

When you’re done, keep with our “three” theme and make the 15 minute-or-so drive to today’s fiber stop:

Three Bags Full Knitting Studio

1927 Cherry

Northbrook, Il 60062

847-291-9933

www.threebagsfullknittingstudio.com

Don’t go looking for a big sign--there isn’t one. I had to call the store even though I discovered I was sitting in the parking lot right in front of it. Despite its huge size and deceiving retail-ish location, this store manages a homey feel, right down to the couch in front of the fireplace hearth.

Three Bags Full has grown in each of its three moves, achieving a wide selection for an adventurous clientele. “I’m out to create more knitters,” owner Lynette Swanson says, and her enormous schedule of classes and the loads of enticing project samples in her store are there to back up that claim. If you’re looking for what’s new, chances are she’s got it. Her long pre-store career as a knitting teacher is evident everywhere you look--there are incentives to enhance your skills in every nook and cranny of this store.

Oh, and did I mention there’s a Starbuck’s only yards away? Ah, the salted caramel hot chocolate is heavenly this time of year. Also heavenly are these projects that caught my eye:

Thrum Mitten

It’s hard to come up with a mitten I’d call original, but this one does it. The kit, which features a knit mitten stuffed with toasty roving that molds to your hand, is available in a riot of colors at the store.

It looks like it’d never be comfortable, but after poking my hands into one of these, I was hooked. Or is that needled...

Cool Hemp Ponchette

This asymmetrical garment pairs simple and complex stitch patterns to make a statement beyond the standard scarf. A versatile pattern, it can be done up in 4 skeins of any DK weight cotton-type yarn. Not every pattern like this translates as nicely with variegated yarn as with a solid, but this one will, so you can go luxe or casual. I loved the drape.

Cotton Classic Jumper

How much cuter can you get than this little girl’s dress of Lynette’s own design? Think of the fun you could have with colors--all it takes is 3 balls of any cotton dk-weight yarn. Make the little girl in your life one of these, and you could win Grandma of the Year.

Our Knit Along from Three Bags Full:

Lovikka Swedish Thick Wool Mittens

Any dog-owner will tell you a good pair of mittens means the world when you’re out strolling Fido (or Fidette in my case) on a frigid morning. This pattern by Linda Lutz pairs a sturdy mitten--from Cascade’s “Ecological Wool” 100% Undyed Peruvian Highland Wool--with an artsy cuff by overstitching with Zitron’s Trekking. If color combining isn’t your strength, get help like I did from a member of the staff so you’re assured a spiffy result. Lynette advises checking out U-Tube for a video on gusset instructions if you’re new to that technique. I can’t wait to get started on these.

Lynette’s vote for favorite gadget? Clover’s Kacha-Kacha stitch counter. It’s so much fun to say, how you not want to own one?

Now that you’ve fed your fiber appetite, it’s time to meet your gastronomic cravings. You’ve got three meal choices just outside your door:

Marcello’s

1911 Cherry Lane, Northbrook, IL, 60062

847-498-1500

www.marcellos.com

You can see Marcello’s from Three Bags Full’s window, and the store staff claim their broasted chicken--which you can get six different ways--is “absolutely to die for.” I love family establishments, and this one’s been pleasing customers since 1947 so I suspect they know their stuff. If you’ve needing a gluten free pizza, head here.

A quick jump across the street (look for Sunset Foods) will land you at two other options:

Georgie V’s

1139 Church St

(between Cherry Ln & Keystone Ave)

Northbrook, IL 60062

847-753-9638

Good breakfast and lunch places are always worth finding. If you managed to miss the apple pancake in Highland Park, this spot boasts a pretty good one, too. The California Wrap was the Three Bags Full staff recommendation, although several on-line reviews cited outstanding omelettes as well. No frills and friendly, this is just a good honest neighborhood eatery.

just steps away you’ll find:

Francesca’s North

1145 Church St

(between Cherry Ln & Keystone Ave)

Northbrook, IL 60062

847-559-0260

More of a dinner spot to Georgie V’s breakfast vibe, we were told the fish of the day is the way to go here. The menu--mostly classic Italian--changes daily and keeps it’s regular customers coming back. I met people who said they’d been coming here every week for five and six years--you can’t create that kind of loyalty without hitting the right notes.

If you’re up here during the summer, I’d top of either your Highland Park or Northbrook adventures with an evening at Ravinia. In my humble opinion, it is quite simply one of the nation’s most outstanding outdoor concert venues. Hosting every kind of music, Ravinia takes the cultural picnic dinner to an art form you can barely imagine if you’ve never seen it. Click here to see photos from their most recent “ultimate picnic contest” to see what I mean http://backstage.ravinia.org/ravinia-gallery/rutherford-hill-ultimate-picnic-contest/ One of this area’s prime knitting in public spots...that is until the sun goes down.

Two down, two to go. Stay tuned, the North Shore treasures just keep on coming.

CHICAGO'S NORTH SHORE: Highland Park, IL

2011-11-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

Chicago’s North Shore might be the first place you’d wander if you were looking for fancy houses, but it also houses some lovely yarn shops. As a graduate of Northwestern University, I spent a lot of time on Lake Michigan’s spiffy suburban shores, but hadn’t yet had the chance to wander back in search of yarn.

Once a year I try to feature stores close to home, so this summer’s Chicago Yarn Crawl pointed out a quartet of North Shore stores that just begged further exploration. As such, we’ll start out way up top and work our way back toward the NU campus. Day one will feature Highland Park and the charming MiaBella, Day Two takes us a bit farther south to Northbrook’s Three Bags Full, Day three tucks us a bit east to Winnetka’s inventive Stitch(es), and our final day lands us in Evanston for CloseKnit. Each store offers a unique neighborhood and some exquisite non-fiber finds, so come along.

The neat thing about our Highland Park store is that can make this a rail excursion if you so choose (actually, that’s true of three of our stores--head to Metrarail.com for details).

There’s really only one way to start your day, and that’s at this iconic breakfast place:

Walker Bros. Pancake House

620 Central Ave.

Highland Park, IL

847-432-0660

www.walkerbros.net

Yes, there are those who will tell you the famous Apple Pancake is the only way to go here, and it would be good advice. This thing is as yummy as it is massive. Me, I’m rather fond of their omelets--I’ve never had fluffier ones--and their excellent coffee. Added to the beloved franchise in 1992, this place has breakfast down to an art form. Most locals consider this the “must eat” morning meal, so a mid-week visit is recommended as the weekend wait (albeit worth it) can be daunting. And yes, they’re open in the evenings, so you can eat breakfast for dinner here (hooray!).

Central Ave has some lovely shopping if you’re inclined to walk off your carbo-coma, otherwise, turn south onto a charming block of St. Johns Avenue that will comprise the rest of our adventure. If you still need some time to digest, pop into

Titles, Inc.

1821 St. Johns Avenue

Highland Park, IL 60035

847-432-3690

A real, honest to goodness independent bookstore is an endangered species, and this is one of the area’s finest. Owner Florence Shay has as much character as a shelf-full of adventure novels, but her stock is what sells the establishment. Thanks to her photographer husband (equally notable, it bears saying), the store boasts a strong collection of art and photo-related titles, but I had fun browsing through the impressive collection of signed and first-edition volumes. Yes, I know the likelihood of any of my romance novels ending up in here is infinitesimal, but it’s fun to dream anyway.

Just for now, skip over the yummy sights and smells from ArrivaDolce, we’re saving that for later. A few doors down you’ll find our featured yarn store:

MiaBella Yarn and Accessories

1815 St. Johns Avenue

Highland Park, IL 60035

847-748-8419

http://www.miabellayarn.com/

You’d think an “insanely organized” yarn shop would feel stark, but MiaBella achieves such a sense of quiet calm that you wish you lived here.

Owner Sarah Iosue, who left a corporate marketing career to meet the community’s need for a yarn shop, creates a soothing space with calming colors, cushy couches, and delicate music.

It has that community feel DestiKNITters crave, the “sit a spell” quality that lets you know the customer next to you is just as likely to help you find your dropped stitch as a member of the staff would come to your rescue. Highland Park hosts its share of doting grandmothers, so you’ll find loads of inventive and stylish baby gifts as well as the new discoveries Sarah loves to showcase.

Spinning has found a home here, too. When asked for her favorite gadget, Sarah crowed about her Louet Victoria Spinning Wheel. Sara is implementing a new shop section devoted to the much-loved close-cousin to knitting, and the store hosts a spinning night on Tuesdays.

Some featured projects include:

The holidays are coming, so prime season for this adorable Sock Candy Bag is on its way. Designer Adriene Ku’s creation takes two balls of Louisa Harding Aimee dk weight. I love the stitch texture and the squat base that gives it such a marvelous shape.

There’s nothing utilitarian about Sublime’s Vintage Utility Vest when you knit it up in KFI’s adorable Indulgence. You only need one ball to make the 6-12 month size. Anyone who’s tried to wrestle a baby into a sweater will appreciate the generous neck buttons on this sweet garment. If you’re looking to achieve Most Favored Grandma status, this one’s a shoe-in to keep you at the top of baby’s list.

Knitters love shawls. I love shawls. Our Knit-Along from MiaBella also comes from designer Adriene Ku. Her Schmetterling Shawl (“butterfly” in German) takes full advantage of Ella Rae’s lace merino’s stunning colors and drape. I’ve become very fond of mid-sized lace shawls for their sheer versatility, and this one promises to be enticing.

They’re saying it’ll be a killer of a winter here in Chicago, so this Afghan may be in dire need. Done up in five skeins of Thick and Quick Merino by Eruo, it won’t kill your fingers in yards of tiny stitches, either.

Blown your yarn budget but not your craft budget? No worries, this really is the block to get your craft fix. Right next door you’ll find:

Fired Works

1813 Saint Johns Avenue

Highland Park IL 60035

847-266-1255

www.hpfiredworks.com

No, you don’t need to make reservations, you really can just walk in and paint your way to pottery happiness (I asked). While they don’t yet stock yarn bowls, I bet we could convince them. I loved the tiled mirror. I had a dozen friends make me a set of mugs for my 40th that I still use daily. Since I’m turning 50 next year, this mirror seems like an ideal encore.

Still not satisfied? wander a little further down and say hello to Bob at

Chelsea’s Beads

1799 St. Johns Avenue

Highland Park IL 60035

847-433-3451

www.chelseasbeads.com

How can you not love a guy who’s card reads “Division of Smart Creations?” This super-friendly store has been in the family for three generations. The “chain room” alone is worth a look, but be brave and ask to “go down the dungeon (the basement)” for a really fun experience. Like most yarn shops, the crowd is as fun as the merchandise.

If you’re ready to consider the prospect of lunch now, wander just a bit farther down the block to:

City Park Grill

1783 St. Johns Avenue

Highland Park, IL 60035

847-432-9111

www.thecityparkgrill.com

I love places like this, where the front table features a bunch of grandfather-types hotly debating movies or politics. Ted the owner ushered me in like I was one of the family, as friendly as the spot’s welcoming messages on the bottom of the menu. This place is balances the dual atmospheres of post-shopping lunch and go-for-drinks with delightful ease. The Sesame Ahi Tuna seared salad, served on pad tai noodles, lived up to Sarah’s recommendation--outstanding. Enjoy the wonderful, attentive service, but don’t linger for desert. We’ve got plans.

Back up the block, walk your sweet tooth into:

Arriva Dolce Gelato and Coffee Bar

1823 St. Johns Avenue

Highland Park, IL 60035

847-433-3103

arrivadolce.com

Yes, you could eat food here, but why would you when there’s coffee and gelato?? Even before my server revealed she’s a relative of famed knitting author Sally Melville, I liked this place. I tasted five flavors and loved them all: Cappuccino with Chocolate Espresso Beans, PIstachio, Dulce de Luche, Tripple Dark Chocolate, and Mango Sorbet. Wow. I went to Rome & Florence’s best gelato spots this summer and this stuff is just as good. They make a wickedly good hot chocolate, too. The absolute perfect way to top off a great day.

Sugar, yarn, art, books, coffee--we hit all the buttons on this adventure. And guess what? Next episode there’s more....

Knit Along: Hand Spun Bouquet Scarf from Loopy Mango - Done!

2011-10-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

Charming, happy, fast...

Honestly, the speed of this project is its attraction. I ripped the whole thing out halfway through and still didn’t have time to get bored! And it’s garter stitch. Sure, its a happy, chunky, enormous garter stitch, but there’s something engaging about this yarn. Maybe it’s the springtime-y colors I chose contrasting with fall’s warm hues all around me, but this was so very enjoyable.

I wore it today and got stopped at least a dozen times--it’s an eye-catching accessory to be sure. Suddenly I’m craving a hat to match.

I do have one misgiving: I can’t help thinking I should have worked all the rosettes onto one side. I wrangled them so that they alternated sides, because I’m not especially fond of scarves with “wrong” sides, but this also means I have lumpy rosettes poking me in the neck (well, they’re soft so I suppose they’re just prodding me, but it’s irritating just the same). I think if I had it to do over--no, I am NOT frogging this a second time--I’d push all the rosettes to one side. The yarn is loose enough that I could probably just nudge them over to one side even now. It'd make for more color per square inch and something smoother against my neck. Then again, turtleneck season is upon us so it soon won’t matter.

All in all, a truly satisfying project with perfectly stunning results. Thanks, Loopy Mango!

Knit Along: Hand Spun Bouquet Scarf from Loopy Mango - Day 3

2011-10-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

Peer pressure

So here I am, happily knitting along on my zippy little scarf, when my friend Camy shoots me a link to the same project on her Ravelry page. She was with me when I visited Loopy Mango, and I knew she bought the same yarn in black with pink rosettes. “Cute,” I think as I look at the photos of her scarf in progress.

I keep reading. Camy starts talking about how she did her scarf. How she decided she wanted longer and narrower, so she used bigger needles and cast on six stitches instead of eight. Suddenly, my scarf looks fat and clunky. Then she goes on about how she decided a serge edge--slipping the first stitch of each row--to give it a smoother line. Now I look at the bumps on the edge of my scarf and convince myself they’d be itchy against my neck. Did I see any of this before? Of course not. Would I have were it not for Camy? I think we all know the answer to that.

When you can whip up the entire project in a single evening, it’s alarmingly easy to talk yourself into ripping the whole thing out and starting again. “It won’t take long,” I coo to myself as I once again wind this into a fiber rosette volleyball. “The thinner, longer scarf will give me more to play with,” I console my now empty needles (still size 35’s--I couldn’t totally copy Camy and switch to 50’s ‘cuz that’d be cheating).

You know what they say: steal one idea, and it’s plagiarism. Steal a couple of ideas, and it’s “research.” Either way, I'm back to square one. Or is that stitch one?

Knit Along: Hand Spun Bouquet Scarf from Loopy Mango - Day 2

2011-10-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

Legal cheating?

Long-time DestiKNITions readers will know I’m especially fond of projects where the yarn does all the work for you. These are pieces with simple stitches or patterns, allowing the drama of the fiber to take center stage. Sure, I’m all for showing off with high-skill projects (remember my FiberWild socks?), but there’s something wonderful about letting a yarn like this take over. Like I said before, it feels like legal cheating. Pulling the wool over your eyes--literally.

Would you tote a fiber volleyball?

Now, there are downsides to this lovely scarf. When you wind the yarn up in ball, you end up with something the size of a volleyball. It’s comical--I’d feel ridiculous pulling this out of a knitting bag in public. As such, it’s a bit unwieldy. And while I love fast progress as much as the next knitter, enormous needles like this have never really been my thing. More sledgehammer than craft tool. Still, you can’t argue with the one-foot-in-fifteen minutes progress of this thing.

Need an awesome gift idea?

There is one instance where I’d definitely take this out in public. As I said before, I think this would make the cleverest of birthday or housewarming gifts. Arrive with a hank of pure art in your hands, stay for dinner or coffee or anything that takes a pair of hours, and leave your host with a charming hand-knit scarf. Really, I think if you did it once your phone would suddenly be ringing off the hook with invitations.

Anyone out there want to test my theory?

Knit Along: Hand Spun Bouquet Scarf from Loopy Mango - Day 1

2011-10-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

"What can you recommend?"

One of the great pleasures of this blog is that I don’t pick my own projects. You may think that’s odd, but I think of it like walking into a restaurant and ordering the special, sight unseen--you come away with the most amazing experiences you’d probably never have picked for yourself.

When is it okay to cheat?

This scarf is the kind of high-drama accessory I love, but I don’t know that I’d have chosen it from all the other lovely offerings at Loopy Mango. Something as quick as Handspun Bouquet almost seems like cheating. You should see me as I started to knit this--I laughed as if I’d just found the secret shortcut. Like the lady who dumps canned stew into her own crockery and takes it to the church potluck--and gets away with it.

Not that this is cutting corners--no ma’am, this is one stunning bit of fiber. So cool and artsy that I shall be intolerable when I wear it for the first time. (Some might quip that I’m verging on intolerable now...yes, I hear you). I’ve spent time just oogling the yarn as I wound it into the massive (and in, my eyes, un-portable) ball, taking notice of each individual rosette. Each of those lovely flowers is more charming by the sheer fact that I didn’t have to make it.

Want to know the ugly truth?

I couldn’t make something even as simple as one of these rosettes. The ugly truth is that while I can knit up a storm, I am craft impaired. I may have written two parenting books, but I’ve botched more MOPS crafts than you can shake a glue-gun at.

This, however, I feel confident I can handle. The hardest part about this project? Keeping my 19-year-old daughter from stealing it when it’s done.

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - DONE

2011-10-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

It's complete!

And it's killing me that it is too warm in Chicago right now to wear this lovely scarf, even lacy as it is. Every knitter loves fall for just that reason--it's time to break out all the lush, fluffy stuff.

I'm very pleased. It's shorter than many of my other scarves, but I think it suits the airy nature of the piece. It's a smart little thing, an accent rather than a drape. Just itching for a lovely pin or a clever knot, don't you think?

Well done, Lion Brand. You've designed in impressive scarf that even a novice could attempt with confidence. And you already know how I feel about the yummy yarn. My photos just don't do the color justice.

I'm going to treat you to another goodie today, DestiKNITters.

If you've not encountered the lovely little accessory called a yarn bowl, allow me to introduce you. Pottery lovers, here's a chance to combine your passions. This piece was given to me by my brother, one of Virginia artisan Brian Lacy's works. I love that his business card says "functional, handmade pottery to enhance the culture of living." Thanks, Brian I really do feel enhanced. I feel artistic.

I feel like my yarn won't roll off the table next time. See that clever little slit? You drop your ball of yarn in the bowl (this one's a nice size to accommodate any number of yarn weights), feed the yarn through the slot, and knit away. Unlike some of the other yarn holders which feed the yarn through a closed hole, you can insert and remove the yarn from this holder at will. That's good, because you really don't want to tote pottery around. Still, while you're stitching in the comfort of your own home, this is an artful addition to your yarn gadget collection.

Speaking of artful, wait until you see the fabulously artistic nature of our next project from Loopy Mango. See you soon!

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 5

2011-10-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

What comes after the bind off?

Some patterns you can slip the project right on and go. Heaven knows I’ve done my share of finishing a piece hours (okay, sometimes even minutes) before I planned to wear it. Not so with lacework. It’s okay when it’s done, but it’s never really a work of art until you’ve blocked it.

Can’t you just press it with an iron?

Almost never. Blocking requires soaking--or as the famous opinionated knitter Elizabeth Zimmermann calls it “giving it a bath.” I love the tender touch that term implies. And it’s the perfect visual for the task. I let my babies soak for about ten minutes (as long as it takes me to set up the blocking board I use on my dining room table) in Dawn Blue dishwashing liquid and tepid water. After a careful rinse in similar temperature water, I pin them to the board. A striped beach towel is especially useful for pieces involving straight lines like this scarf, because you’ve got your guidelines ready to go.

What does blocking accomplish?

In even simple lacework like this scarf, blocking opens up the stitches, helps things lay flat, and gives the work an even feel. I think blocking makes any knitted piece feel “airier,” if I can manufacture a word. Scientifically, it allows the fibers to relax and line up nicely next to each other. After all, everyone--from small children to dogs to romance author knitters--behaves more nicely after a bath.

Give it a day or so to dry, and I’ll come back to show you the final product.

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 4

2011-10-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

What is it about periwinkle?

There’s something about this color. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I find it entrancing. This is a lovely pattern--elegant in its simplicity--but it’s the color that catches my heart. I just don’t think this scarf would be the same in a more ordinary color. It’s like I’m knitting sky, I suppose. Or a perfect pre-dust summer evening. I’d drool if a man with eyes this color stared at me. I just keep staring at it. Do you have a color that does that to you?

Um...a little help here?

I’ve made more than my share of goof-ups on this simple pattern. Most of them stem from letting my mind wander (not a new problem for yours truly, believe me) and loosing my place in the pattern. The good news is that I’ve managed to save myself each time. The scarf is divided into perfect vertical quarters, so you’re only a dozen stitches or so into a row before you realize something isn’t lining up the way it ought to. I like that in a pattern. It’s okay to be complicated, just build in a few ways to save myself from myself.

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 3

2011-10-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

Ever been hit with a virus?

Sometimes, low tech is the best antidote for high tech. That truth asserted itself over the weekend when viruses struck DestiKNITions headquarters. Humans and computers alike in our house have spent the week under the weather. This means “I.T. Mom” spent a lot of time:

1) on the couch watching Castle episodes accompanied by Dayquil and tissues and

2) on hold with tech support while her computer network card twitched and died.

My favorite companion during most of those long hours? My knitting. With the sorry exception of one afternoon where I felt just too plain sick to knit. Man, you know I’m sick if I’m too sick to knit.

Hi-tech or low-point?

Technology can be wonderful, but it can’t seem to comfort us like the creative process can. Sure, I love that my on-demand cable let me catch up on hours of Castle episodes thereby hooking me into a series I’ve managed to avoid until now. And heaven knows I’m never more than three feet from my Blackberry. In this set of battles, the humans fared a lot better than their cyber counterparts, and it became clear that while I would recover, the family computer would not. Has not. Might not ever. And as I babysat the multi-hour anti-cybervirus attempts, I loved having my knitting to bring me much needed calm.

Wouldn’t any distraction have worked?

I don’t think so. TV would have just been additional noise and distraction, music might have worked but I’d still be stuck staring at a dull screen. Chocolate? Let's not even go there. My knitting occupied my brain, my eyes, and my fingers. It gave me a feeling of both occupation and progress.

I spent three hours trying to restore the computer with valiant tech support folks on the phone but could not achieve my goal. I did, however, achieve progress on my scarf.

It doesn’t completely balance out, but it comes close enough to get me through the day. I’ll live to reboot another day. Really, what more can you ask of a craft?

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 2

2011-09-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Pretty, shiny, fuzzy, soft

So...would you ever knit wire?

I can’t ever envision myself knitting wire to make jewelry. I know it’s done, I can appreciate the craft of it, but knitting is all about the tactile sensation for me. I love the finished objects, but how I get there is as much of the satisfaction as anything else. The fiber and the needles must give me pleasure in holding them, manipulating them, twisting, touching. Wire wouldn’t do that. I suspect if I talked to a passionate baker, she’d tell me the same thing about kneading bread and call me a lunatic for out-sourceing to a bread-making machine. It’s personal.

Are tools or outcomes more important?

The combination of a mildly intricate pattern, sumptuous angora merino yarn, and high-quality Signature needles is perfection in this project. I’ll love this scarf not because it’s especially stunning--although the color and texture are quite nice--but because it was such a pleasure to make. Swap out for plastic needles and rough hemp, and I’d drop this so fast it would make your head spin. Same pattern, same basic outcome, completely different experience. The best part about it is that YOU can combine YOUR favorite elements to create an experience most lovable for you.

Does it always work this way?

Not always. The dynamic changes for me when the project is a gift. I’m about to knit some hats and scarves for my nieces. The needles and fibers are secondary, and I won’t pay much attention to how much I love the process because the payoff for me is those two girls in warm goodies from Aunt Allie. So you’ve probably already figured out that no one is getting their hands on this charming little scarf but me. True!

Knit Along: Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio - Day 1

2011-09-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Love at first row...

Some patterns you know you’ll love after the first four rows. This Angora Lace Scarf from Lion Brand Studio is one of them. Granted, some of that affection may have to do with the totally pet-worthy texture of this yarn. Just touching it makes me happy, and the periwinkle color makes me smile. I’m at the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference this weekend, and if you see some six foot woman grinning foolishly from the back of any of the educational sessions, it’s probably me.

Like my experience in hospitals, some of these conference scenarios can make you jumpy, and knitting something as soothing as this LB Collection Angora Merino is just the antidote. Soft and fuzzy in a lush color. I sigh just thinking about it. Simply put: I learn better if I’m knitting. Most of my colleagues already know this about me, and they ignore my knitting as just “that thing Allie does.” It’s wonderful to be known and loved.

The five-row repeat is a perfect balance between interesting and taxing--just right for conference knitting. After 25 inches of leg-warmer stockinette, I’m happy for the diversion. Knitting’s diversity is one of its greatest gifts, and why it will continue to be a life-long passion for me. Will this pattern get tiresome after a foot or two? Only time will tell, but a professional conference is the perfect place to keep at it. I’m done all my teaching for the event, and now I get to sit back, listen, and learn, so I should make a good dent in the scarf before the weekend is through. Add a good cup of coffee, the fellowship of friends and colleagues, and life looks just about perfect.

The fact that I got to re-visit all the stores from my past St. Louis episode? Well that was just icing on the cake.

Knit Along: Noro Legwarmers from Yarn Company - Day 6

2011-09-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

Startitis and finishitis...

I’ve never been much for willpower. It is a standing joke in our house that if there is a sweet I like nearby, I’ll eat it. Period. It won’t matter that I’ve promised not to, or that it’s supposed to be for someone else, or that I’m already up a few pounds.

So it’s a problem that willpower--or determination or discipline or any of those nasty words I rarely subscribe to--is what’s required to finish this leg-warmer.

Writers will tell you that in the final chapters of the book in progress, suddenly all sorts of new projects will take on a fantastic lure. All at once you can think of twelve new stories itching to be told, projects clamoring to draw your attention from the tough job of finishing the current work. This is no different. I have "startitis"--or is it "finishitis"? My eye has been drawn to loads of next projects and I can’t think of anything interesting to say about the final ten inches if tiny size 5 stockinette stitch other than “oh, goody, an increase row!”

And that is not interesting. I’m not even sure its dignified. These pieces are beautiful, and deserve better than such prattle.

So where does that leave you, intrepid DestiKNITter? Well, I’d consider it a true failing to bore you, so here’s where we’ll leave off. I have kept you alongside for the biggest challenge of this project--getting solidly into the second piece. I promise I’ll finish these lovely pieces from The Yarn Company, even if they do end up as something other than leg-warmers (sleeves on a shrug perhaps?), but I won’t make you watch when I have other lovely projects from my New York visit we can explore together.

Anymore than I’d make you witness my scarfing down the last chocolate Donette in the bag even though they were supposed to be a treat for my son.

Some ugly shortcomings are best kept private.

Knit Along: Noro Legwarmers from Yarn Company - Day 5

2011-09-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

Victories and future lessons...

You know, it has been a victory getting over my second sock/leg-warmer syndrome. I feel really quite smug about having successfully launched myself over that hurdle. Stay tuned though, for a smug Allie has almost always resulted in highly entertaining complications.

This project was another of those nail-biter endings, where the ball of yarn kept getting waaaay to small for my comfort. I really should learn my lesson and buy a second ball/skein/sheep so that I never run out of wool. Not that dye-lots would matter a great deal with the multi-colored Noro, but you never really want to take that chance. Add that to the fact that I was finishing these on an out-of-town trip where I couldn’t just haul off to my favorite local yarn shop, and you can see why I might have gotten a bit nervous.

I didn’t, though, and I should have been a good blogger and told you why. I kept calm because of a little trick I learned back during the Traveling Vines Scarf from my visit to Lexington KY’s Magpie Yarns. In short, it operates on the truth that the amount of yarn it takes to create a stitch is approximately the same amount of yarn it takes to wrap around a needle once. Back then I used it to see if I had enough yarn to finish a row. This, because I was using it to see if I had enough yarn to finish six rows, got a little more complicated. Essentially, you wrap an easily-multipliable number of stitches around your needle (in my case 25), and then stretch that back out. Let’s say 25 stitches requires 20 inches. Now, I just measure 24 (or six times the four sets of 25 I need to get across my 100-stitch row) 20-inch lengths, and I’ll reach the point of my yarn where I know I need to start my four-row ending pattern. Clear as mud?

Like lots of things in life, this works MUCH better if you do it in advance, when you first start winding your ball. Your finishing yarn is on the inside of your ball, remember? Otherwise, you’ll have to do what I did--unwind the last part of your ball, do the measuring trick, and rewind it. And oh-my-goodness that twists up the yarn.

Live and learn.

Knit Along: Leg Warmers from The Yarn Company - Day 4

2011-09-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Triumph over limitations...

I have come up with a handy coping mechanism for my wicked case of “second sock syndrome”--or in this case, “second leg-warmer syndrome.”

When I bound off the top of the first leg-warmer, I was NOT ALLOWED TO GET UP OUT OF THE CHAIR until I had cast on and accomplished an inch of the second leg-warmer. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t allow myself to seam up the first piece until I’d done an inch of the second. Sort of the knitting version of Mary Poppins’ adage “well begun is half done.” Now that I’m started, it doesn’t seem like such a monumental challenge to keep going.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This did make for a rather miserable 90 minutes as I cast off, cast on, drug myself through the first inch, and then did my least favorite task of all: seaming. I hate seaming. And this twisty yarn kept tangling on every stitch, so that even a couple of decent TV shows and half of a good movie didn’t redeem the time. This was sheer I’m gonna get it done willpower--something I don’t often possess in great quantities.

Will they end up on legs? Or adapted to be sleeves? I don’t know yet. I do know, however, that there’s now a halfway decent chance that there will be TWO of them.

And that’s a victory.

Knit Along: Noro Legwarmers from Yarn Company - Day 3

2011-09-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

Stitch literacy...

Especially with a simple pattern, it’s fun to get to the point in your craft where you don’t have to keep staring at a paper. It’s rather like that magical moment where you can cook without a recipe...it somehow feels more like art, less like science when you’re not continually peering at written instructions.

Memorizing a simple repeating pattern is only half the battle. You’ve got to be able to look at your knitting and see where you are. My friend calls this “stitch literacy.”

These leg warmers are a perfect example. “Increase one on each side every 10 rows” (or in the case of my chunky calves, every six rows) doesn’t tax many brain cells. You can either employ a stitch counter--and there are scads of adorable or practical ones--or you can learn to count your rows visually.

Here my needle is pointing to the knit-one-in-front-and-in-back increase. It’s that purl-looking loop snuggled in between the two columns of knit stitches below it. Now, if you go by my favorite adage that “knit stitches wear v-necks and purl stitches wear turtlenecks,” you can count the v-necks up from that loop to know you’ve done your six rows.

Remember, however, to count the stitch on your needle. This means five v’s in your knitting with the sixth around your needle. Here I’ve simulated that so you can count up yourself. See? It’s not that hard. And you’ll feel oh-so-skilled when you can pick up your knitting and know exactly where you left off--even if your toddler has made off with your stitch counter because it’s shaped like a sheep and he was playing farm.

Knit Along: Noro Legwarmers from Yarn Company - Day 2

2011-09-03T16:08:00.000-07:00

Deliriously simple...

I’d forgotten how different Noro feels before you wash and block it. I end up so transfixed by the colors that I forget it has always struck me as scratchy at first--even though this is the first time I’ve worked with Noro Taiyo, which is sock weight. Finer fibers don’t make it softer, it still has that scratchy, natural feel. It never stays that way, but I somehow expect the texture to live up to the spectacular color. And it does, just not while you’re knitting it. That’s a bit of a letdown for someone as tactile as me, because I’m so affected by the feel of a yarn. I need that “oooo” factor as I work it between my fingers.

It’s why I’m so picky about my needles, too, and why I happily plunked down good money for a set of KnitPick’s Options Interchangable Harmony Wood needles--but NOT until I’d touched them. They don't show up in this photo, but you'll see them soon. That "gotta touch" impulse is why I hardly ever buy stuff online...I need to touch it. Even technology like laptops and cellphones--I must know what it feels like in my hands before I buy it. What about you?

This pattern from The Yarn Company is deliriously simple. A bit of ribbing, two feet of regular increases, a bit more ribbing, and you’re done. I think that’s why Noro works so well in this project--I’d go bonkers with a tweed or a solid color yarn. All that stockinette could numb your brain. This is an excellent project for sitting in a lecture, watching TV, that sort of thing. I'd never classify it as entertaining enough for travel, although it's certainly portable enough. You don't even need a stitch counter if you can read your rows correctly (more on that useful skill in the next installment).

I suspect the challenge will come for me where it always does in these sorts of projects: making myself stay focused long enough to do the second one. I’ve got a single sock and a lonely mitten ready to stand witness to my “second sock syndrome.”

Anyone got good ideas for cures? Effective bribes--I mean incentives? I’m all ears...

Knit Along: Noro Legwarmers from Yarn Company - Day 1

2011-08-31T13:56:00.000-07:00

Visionary knitting...

A knitter can dream. Really, there’s a whole world of creative possibility at her fingertips when she casts on. We all envision ourselves to be artsy, crafty, intriguing people when we knit. We picture loving hands encased in our mittens, think of our booties cuddling around itty-bitty perfect baby toes. We knit to bring our affections into manifest fiber, to make a hand-made and comforting world out of the sharp-edged technology that surrounds us. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology, but who wants to snuggle up in a Blackberry when they’ve got the flu?

Hand-knitting (except that you can have exactly the color and style you want) isn’t ever about pure functionality. If we wanted fast practicality, we’d go out and buy scarves at Wal-mart, right?

Which explains--sort of--why I swallowed the concept of knitting leg-warmers without so much as a gulp of realism. Leg-warmers. Really? On a 50-year old woman who looks NOTHING like Jane Fonda did at 50? Or 60? Or probably even 70?

The whole idea just sorta has 80s Flashdance written all over it. That may be the root of its attraction, for I was skinny and carefree (and 18!) in the 80s. I was a theater major, so I did own legwarmers. (No, you may not see a photo of that.)

Legwarmers, Frye boots, and prairie skirts...remember? Rats, I bet most of you don’t, young fools, but I shall ignore that and press on.

The truth is I have no business knitting dancewear. None, zip, nada. But I’m gonna do it anyway, because I love the idea that I can knit dancewear. Sure, I’ve secretly entertained the notion of transforming them into shrug sleeves when I’m done, but until these babies prove themselves unable to wrap around my clumsy chunky thighs, they’re leg-warmers.

And if the pretended grace somehow seeps into my limbs to get me through Shaun T’s Hip Hop Abs long enough to drop a few pounds, well then I’ll claim victory. Because a knitter can dream.

NEW YORK CITY, ROUND 2 Day 3 - SoHo and the West Village

2011-08-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

Quirky wonderful...

One of my favorite things about New York is that things combine in a way they just don’t anywhere else. Honestly, where else can you find an Asian man singing mariachi music to you on the subway (an experience from my last trip)? Eclectic reigns, and I love it. New York is the kind of place where a yarn store isn’t just a yarn store, it’s a “lifestyle boutique.”

And that’s how our next fiber fix describes itself:

Loopy Mango

78 Grand Street

New York, NY 10013

212-343-7425

www.loopymango.com

A new SoHo establishment, Loopy Mango opened in May 2010 as the brainstorm of jewelry designer Waejong Kim and artist Anna Pulvermakher. The store describes itself as a “treasure hunt,” and I agree. You feel cooler just for having walked in. Like you ought to be impressed with yourself for being in the know about such a hip spot with so many unique finds. It may be my suburban-mom-SUV-driving-self talking, but I love places like this not just for what I can buy, but for how they make me feel. And yes, I asked about the name. Evidently they wanted to name it “Mango Mango,” but a friend said they’re “too loopy.” Well, if this is “loopy,” the world needs more loop.

The pair offer clever designs and are considering their own knitwear line. Unique doesn’t really cover it. And not only do they have imaginative patterns and fibers, but they manage to make you feel as if you could pull off that level of cool creativity yourself. Many of the projects let the stunning yarns do the work for you--I saw things done here with simple garter stitch that were nothing short of stunning. This is NOT your grandmother’s knitting, and here are a few projects to prove it:

Need a scarf in a flash? Want to launch your youngster on their life-long fiber fix? I can’t think of a better project that this. Loopy Mango works Filatura di Crosa’s aptly named “Solo 1 minuto” from fiber to fashion in less time that it takes to get a pizza delivered. Braid up the thumb-thick microfiber and you’re done. Instant accessory--and in some eye-catching colors, too.

This one caught my eye instantly. Pagewood Farm's “Handspun Boquet” pairs up with a set of #35 needles (the kind my son refers to as “Mom’s nunchaks") to make another fast-paced project. The directions: “Cast on 8 stitches and stop when you’re done.” Period. The charming pre-afixed rosebuds make all the drama for you. Here’s my thought: take this to dinner as a hostess gift, and you could have the scarf knitted for your hostess right in front of her eyes and finished before you left. This one’s our Knit ALong from Loopy Mango, and I may bring along a stopwatch.

Want something truly artsy? Look no further than this scarf--another high-drama-but-low-skill project done with Lana Grossa’s Vintage cotton. The trick is to “unwind” three skeins--let them show you how. In ball form, the yarn is interesting enough, but when you unwind it, it becomes this curly, soft, delicate thing you can’t help but fondle. Again, simple stitching is needed because the fiber adds all the style for you.

Since we’ve done so much sugar-sourcing on this trip (and much of it close by to this store), our two side adventures from Loopy Mango are dinner choices. First, we poked our head into:

Lure Fishbar

142 Mercer St (at Prince)

New York, NY 10012

212-431-7676

lurefishbar.com

How can you not like a restaurant that looks like a boat inside? Well, a boat filled with people more beautiful than you, but also with food worth the intimidation factor. As if you crashed someone’s A-list yacht party but haven’t been discovered yet. I was entertained that a place called “Fishbar” had a reputation for great burgers. I’m not a raw-food afficionado, but the place has a reputation for such fare as well as lots of other well-executed dishes. Several folks recommended this happy hour here, but our timing was off. Still, a very cool experience provided you don’t mind prices a bit on the steep side for your theatrics (and I don’t mind).

Not as close but worth the trip you’ll find:

Cafe Henri

27 Bedford Street (Near Downing)

New York, NY 10014

212-243-2846

The west village is an entertaining neighborhood to walk around--loads of character and streets that will challenge your navigational skills. It took a bit of doing to locate, but Cafe Henri was worth the effort. The TARDIS-blue storefront (an in-joke for fellow Dr. Who fans) has a wonderful, neighborhoody feel to it, as if you’ve stumbled upon a local gem. Just the kind of place DestiKNITions adores. Excellent French bistro food--we had the crepes, of course--in a lovely casual and intimate atmosphere--what’s not to love? On a hot day, the Chantaco Cocktail combines orange, grapefruit and cranberry juice to refreshing satisfaction, although you can get any number of very good coffees here, too. Up on the wall you’ll see pictures of the restaurant’s namesake, an adorable white dog. Aww, no wonder I liked the place so much. Well, the yummy desert may have had something to do with it, too.

Well, there you have it. Three great NYC experiences at three very distinct stores with a load of diverse adventures to match. DestiKNITions perfection! Up next, I get my Flashdance on with Noro leg warmers from Yarn Company. I promise, no spandex will be harmed in the making of that episode....

NEW YORK CITY, ROUND 2 Day 2 - Downtown

2011-08-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

Treats galore...

That’s the beauty of New York City--in seven subway stops you can be in a whole new world. Uptown has got class, downtown’s got style, it’s all good.

Being an author, I’m partial to great bookstores. Lucky for us, today’s wanderings bring us to one of the all-time greats:

Strand Book Store

828 Broadway (at 12th Street)

New York, NY 10003

212-473-1452

strandbooks.com

Run by the Bass family since 1927, this literary monument is the only surviving establishment from New York’s legendary 19th century Book Row. The sign says the three jam-packed floors house eighteen miles of books, and I believe them. It’s nothing less than a book-geek’s dream. Wander as long as you like, but don’t miss the astounding 3rd floor rare book collection. I spent my time there with my mouth hanging open, both in awe of a rare volume of 15th century French poetry and inhaling the soul-feeding scent of real, honest-to-goodness unKindle-ized literature.

Just up the block on 13th Street waits our caffeine for the day:

Joe The Art of Coffee

9 East 13th Street

New York, NY 10011

212-924-7400

joetheartofcoffee.com

With more of a clean industrial look than the standard funky java joint, this place prides itself rightly on straight-up good coffee. Urban, clean, functional, this shop feels like it tailors to the serious coffee fiend. It takes a lot to impress me with a chai--it’s tea, after all--but the chai latte I had here ranks up in one of the best of my travels.

Up and over a bit on 15th street, our fiber fix awaits:

Lion Brand Yarn Studio

34W 15th Street

New York, NY 10011

212-243-9070

lionbrandyarnstudio.com

As we crossed the street toward this yarn icon, my friend gasped, “I feel like I’m going to Mecca.” Indeed, you can’t have been knitting for more than two weeks and not know Lion Brand. Their logo reminds you the company has been the passion of the Blumenthal family since 1878, but this new studio opened in 2008 as the hands-on retail embodiment of one of fiber’s most recognized brands.

Manager Patty Lyons says “It’s a ‘studio,’ not a ‘store’ because of the entire experience goes so much farther than a single purchase.” She’s right. How can you not love a store with a “sampling wall”--spools of yarn and needles just begging you to come play? Nearly five thousand students think she’s right, too--the studio’s three classrooms host over 90 specialty workshops, from beginning courses to university-level teaching. If you can’t find something that appeals to you in the nearly 4,000 patterns available through the Lion’s carefully tended on-line offerings, you need more help that I can give.

It’s an artful mix of the e- and catalogue presence we all love from Lion with the hands on touch-the-stuff experience we crave. The uber-friendly staff know their fiber arts. I loved that they double-checked the dye lot of my purchase before they rang me up--it’s always nice to have someone looking out for me like that.

If you’re like me, you’ll drool over the South Bay Shawlette (pattern #90489AD) even if you don’t crochet. Done up in LB Collection Silk Mohair, this piece was almost enough to make me consider taking up crochet. It’s hard to find a summer-friendly shawl, and this fits the bill, especially in such a striking color.

Another summer find is the hip Tiger Lilly Tank (pattern #L0191), a gem to whip up for just over $20 worth of yarn! Knit up in LB Cotton Bamboo, the tailored look, artful details, and crossed back straps pack a lot of style into a simple piece.

You can never have enough good scarves, and our Knit Along from Lion Brand is a delightful Angora Lace Scarf (#L0306) done up in the exclusive LB Collection Angora Merino. Like all the LBCollection yarns, the store is the only place you can get your mitts on this truly luscious fiber (you could have heard my sighs clear to New Jersey!). A nearly seasonless scarf that hugs your neck with that level of lushness is a treasure indeed.

Each of these projects is taken from Lion’s free on-line pattern collection, by the way, so you owe it to yourself to click on over and opt-in to their pattern registry.

As you leave, don’t forget to enjoy their often-stunning front window display, and give a salute to the Lion in the second floor window. That cat’s a legend.

Take a breath and loosen your waistband, now, I’m about to introduce you to the most amazing treat I’ve had so far this year:

City Bakery

3 W. 18th Street #1

New York, NY 10011

212-366-1414

thecitybakery.com

To quote Monopoly, “Do not stop, do not pass Go, do not collect $200” until you head straight into this place and order the hot chocolate and pretzel croissant. Seriously. It looks magical even before you sip--they ladle it out of a crock that looks like something from Harry Potter. And then, well, beverage bliss on a higher plane of consciousness comes close to describing the experience. My friends and I sighed so loud people stared. Ah, but then we did the ultimate. Pop the top off of that paper cup, dunk the odd-looking pretzel croissant into the hot chocolate, bring it to your mouth...and just about die of happiness. Hands down the best goodie of the year.

And a perfect way to end an afternoon of adventure.