in process

A few projects in process... and I'm feeling winter in my bones.

annikki

This little knit has been quite the adventure. It was originally intended to be a shorter version of Norah Gaughan's annikki sweater coat. While knitting up the swatch, however, I read this blog post and was so inspired I tossed out the pattern for annikki, checked as many Elizabeth Zimmerman books and Barbara Walker books I could out of my library, and got to work. It was SO liberating to be free of a pattern, and to make so many design choices. I feel as though I've been knitting with my head and my heart, instead of someone else's directions. Of course, it was a lot trickier than just following a pattern! I knit and ripped and calculated and sketched and knit and ripped some more. It's not perfect, but I gained a lot of confidence to continue designing. Here are a few of the things I learned from this sweater:

knitting from the top down
provisional cast on
knitting a set-in sleeve sweater in the round
short row shoulder shaping
faux side seams a la Elizabeth Zimmerman
knitting a set in sleeve from the top down
knitting a stockinette buttonband with facing
using short rows along the length of the button band to keep the band from sagging
designing my own shawl collar
designing roomy, short sleeves for easy layering

Knitting seems to have much of my attention lately...sometimes I feel one of my passions grabs me by the hair and doesn't let go until I've worn out my head and hands with it...though I've been sewing and drawing and making as well... more to show you soon!

I love pie

I truly do. I love the whole process of baking it, I love the smell as it cools on the counter, I love that first press of the side of the fork down on the shattering pastry. I love stopping in a cafe with a friend to share a slice that stains the plate with purple smears. I even like it more than cake.

This one is apple pie, the classic American dessert. I made it with freshly picked apples we got in Hood River this weekend at the Heirloom Apple Festival, put on by several orchards in the Hood River Valley. Yes, yes, I know fresh is better, local is better, but I was not prepared for the flavor of these apples in this pie. It sounds silly, but the first bite was a little shocking because the taste was so pure, so resoundingly apple. I used my favorite crust recipe, which I discovered last summer.

weekend treasures

a few treasures from the weekend:
(l to r)

• a honeycrisp apple from this farm in hood river, oregon. We got a few bags of other varieties that i plan on turning into another one of these.
• a beautiful, juicy bulb of garlic grown by our dear friend Andy. He also gifted us with potatoes and delicata squash. His squash is the best I've ever eaten.
• a tiny bundle of oregano from my tiny herb garden.
• a piece of homemade candy made by Andy's wife, Be.

What treasures did you collect this weekend?

Rosalie

A simple, cozy hat, made with this pattern. I can never resist this deep wine-y color, especially in the Fall. Made with a little over one skein of Rowan Calmer I bought ages ago, which had been languishing at the bottom of a random bag of half-forgotten knits. I like to think its much happier now, in hat form, out in the fresh air. Looking over my flickr favorites, I realize how I have been influenced by two very lovely ladies who know how to make (and wear) similar toppers: Aino, and Erica. Now if only their photography skills would rub off on me as well...

the golden ticket

Last week my local yarn store called, saying my ticket had been randomly chosen from the monthly customer raffle and did I want to come by and collect my prize? The prize being a $100 gift certificate, of course. What!?! The birthday gods must having been smiling on me! Knitters will understand that a $100 gift certificate for yarn is so much better than cash, because you have to spend it on yarn! A few days later I made my way to the shop and scooped up some lovely skeins. Because a sale was going on, I was able to get enough to keep me very busy all winter. It sits in a basket like a small fortune. Here's what I plan to make:

(clockwise from lower left)
peacock blue malabrigo = this hat
deep teal cascade 220 = these mittens
pale grey cascade 220 = a cabled cardigan of my own design
grey-green jo sharp infusion mohair = this sweater
fawn ggh savanna = this scarf

trying for tova

Hello and welcome to my blog!

This first creation is my humble attempt to recreate Jenny Gordy's Tova Shirt from her incredible clothing line Wiksten. I had barely been dabbling with sewing when I first discovered Jenny's beautiful work a few years ago, and she has been an inspiration to me ever since. I set out to try and recreate her Tova shirt (for personal use only, of course) not only because I adore the design, but also because I hoped the experience of copying a talented artist like Jenny would help make me a better sewer and designer. Many muslins (and many thoughts like "how did she DO it??") later, I've come up with something not half as lovely as the original, but nice enough that I'll proudly wear it to my dinner date tonight with A.... because it's my birthday today!

I have to say, as much as I've always admired Jenny for her impeccable work and sweet nature, having gone through the experience of trying to make a Tova shirt makes me appreciate how hard she works even more. More pictures here.