Solar Circuit Racing

Guess what! Tyler started a game company - Moon Monster Games - and he just put his first game up for funding on Kickstarter.com (a crowdsourcing website) at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1614576398/solar-circuit-racing.

In order to get the game illustrated and manufactured, he needs to get the word out about the game and about the Kickstarter page. I would really appreciate it if you would help us spread the word. Tell your friends. Tell your mom. Tell your friend's mom. Anyone and everyone you tell would really help him out a lot.

Also, Moon Monster Games is on Facebook, so go Like it!













And now, a note from Tyler:

Thanks! I wouldn't have even gotten this far without the help and support of my friends and family.
Tyler

Oh my...

I've gone over a month again without blogging. Well, at least this time I've got knitting to show you, to the tune of three new patterns:

Bostonian






























Four skeins of Lion Brand Alpine Wool, which I picked up at Joann's, were begging to be made into an eye-popping colorwork something. I settled on chunky black and white houndstooth with a red interior, and the idea of knitting a muff amused me so greatly that I couldn't stop myself. It seemed a little impractical, but after a frigid photography session during which I stayed warm and toasty despite the elements I can see this item getting a lot of use this winter. My hands are always freezing (right now, for instance). Also, looking at these pictures, I'm declaring it reversible.

Blackstone Avenue
















Using a single ball of Berocco Blackstone Tweed, this beret is as frugal as it is stylish. It marks my first attempt at designing a lace pattern, and I must say I enjoyed the process more than I anticipated. This one is a sample for My Sister's Knits in Chicago, but I already have plans for another one in non-tweed yarn, just to see how it will look.

Indigo Dandy

















A single skein of Malabrigo Merino Worsted (I used Purple Mystery) makes this kerchief-point cowl. The pointed shape mimics the look of a triangular shawlette, but without the nuisance of having to wrap/tie any ends together to make it stay put. Published a few weeks ago, this is already getting a lot of wear.

All these patterns are available on Ravelry, as well as here in my sidebar. Enjoy!

Three Hats

There are two new hat patterns available from iknityouknot!

Gaussian is named for the bell curve shape it makes when laid flat. The yarn is Malabrigo Yarn Chunky in Frank Ochre (which makes me picture a dusty Steinbeck character) - a single skein will make the hat, and possibly a pom pom if you are so inclined. Pattern is available for $3 on Ravelry, or in my sidebar.































Blockhead is an extremely simple Fair Isle hat with a turned up lining to keep your ears warm in the colder months. I made mine in Reynolds Whiskey, using one ball each of Blood Orange and Ice Blue. The color possibilities boggle the mind - I think I'd like a black and white one. Pattern is available for $3 on Ravelry, or in my sidebar.

















Special thanks to Nancy for test knitting and to Nicole for modeling. (Don't you love how her necklace just happens to be the exact same colors as the hat? I do!)















I've also been test knitting! Bicycle Boy, the latest Weaverknits design, is a close-fitting cap ideal for wearing under a helmet. It features a Fair Isle bicycle chain motif and a chain ring cleverly delineated by the crown decreases. Mine is knit in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed, which is VERY SOFT (but in some cases plagued by vegetable matter), in colors Gypsy (aka blue) and Imagine (aka blue-green). Pattern is available on Ravelry for $2.50.














The very appropriate model is my dear friend Hannah, who, as a member of Join the Cycle, is on a cross-country bicycle trip with co-riders Casey and Melissa. The trio stayed with us for a few days this week, but are back on the road. You can read about their exploits here.

Knitting an Omelette?

No, it's my La La's Simple Shawl, made in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (color is Sunshine Stripe, a Purl Soho exclusive color - thanks Jenny!) It just happened to be Tyler's breakfast's twin on Sunday morning. For some reason, yellow and white together always make me think that things look like eggs (including Big Bird's forehead, which has reminded me of scrambled eggs since childhood). I don't even like cooked eggs, really: they're too squeaky.

And speaking of Tyler, I'm almost done with his new* sweater!













*According to Ravelry, this thing has been in progress since 2007. That is a long time to wait for a sweater, but this thing has given me problems. I started with an Elizabeth Zimmermann Seamless Raglan Sweater pattern, but the proportions didn't make sense with the measurements I'd taken, so I tweaked the numbers quite a bit. Then I tweaked them back towards the guidelines to avoid gorilla armpits (mostly successful, if he keeps his arms up).

Then I knit for ages and ages, and the knitting was finished. He tried it on, and it was about 4" too long. So I let it languish for a looong time, and he was very patient and good about not bringing it up. A few days ago I got a very innocent "So, do you think my sweater will be done in time for cold weather this year?" I had promised him it would be done for cold weather LAST year, so I immediately made him try it on again in case it had magically shortened itself. It hadn't, and he hadn't gotten any taller, so I set about to shorten the damn thing.

The sweater is worked in the round from the bottom up, with a knitted-in hem. This meant that I needed to either take the whole thing apart from the neckline down to below the armpits (not gonna happen, dear) or cut it near the bottom, remove length, and reknit the hem in the opposite direction, then sew it in place - not an attractive option, since I really like the finished edge on the original hem. I ended up snipping the yarn 4" into the Stockinette above the hem and picking up the live stitches above the snip (all five million of them), then unraveling down to the row above the hem and picking those stitches up as well. Then I kitchenered the two sets together, which took two days. It was worth it, since the length is now perfect.

Now I just have to teach myself duplicate stitch and apply the crest. Maybe by spring?

Trilobite in Knitty!

Summer Knitty is up, and my Trilobite hat pattern is a Holiday Head Start item! It's a quick knit, especially if you cable without a cable needle.
Knit it in Berroco Pure Merino Nuance for a stratographic color fade:













Or go with good ol' Malabrigo Merino Worsted, for that smooshy semi-solid effect we all know and love:













More details on Ravelry.

Nicole - thanks for being the best test knitter and model a girl could ever want!

33 (or 30 or 36) Dots

Introducing 33 Dots, a new hat pattern from iknityouknot:

















It's a simple fair-isle hat, knit in Rowan Wool Cotton and Rowan Felted Tweed - two great tastes that taste great together. Mmm, textural polka dots. Plus, I'm pretty sure this hat is unisex.

Available for purchase in the sidebar or on Ravelry - $3

And here it is, as knit and modeled by Nicole:
(note how well it goes with her necklace)

















Thanks Nicole!

Caroline Cloche in Popknits

The summer issue of Popknits is live, and I've got a pattern in it! It's Caroline, a lightweight summer (or spring or fall (or winter, if you don't live in Chicago)) cloche with classic pleats and a grosgrain hatband.


















The yarn is Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, which I had never used before making this hat, and which is now one of my favorites.













In summary: go check it out!

(Many thanks to Nancy for test knitting and Leslie for modeling!)

Tuesday Evening

Introducing Tuesday Evening, a new free pattern from iknityouknot:

What have we here? It's a chunky lacy cowl knit in Mirasol Yarns Cotanani, in color Denim (aka dusty purple).

The yarn is held double throughout, making this a super-fast project, and the 60/40 cotton/wool blend makes it a substantial yet wearable accessory.

I knit this one in about three hours.

Enjoy!

Rabbits!

Simple Fair Isle, Manos Silk Blend, and a feisty band of hat bunnies - what else does a girl need?
Introducing Rabbits in the Grass, a new design from iknityouknot. Perfect for Easter, perfect for a still-cold Chicago spring, perfect for standing near a brick wall.Or for musing in front of a map.Pattern includes three sizes - Child, Adult Small, and Adult Large - available now for $3 through Ravelry or in my sidebar.

Thanks to Kate for test knitting and to Nicole for modeling!

Bobbles and Sprouts

Introducing Effervescence, a new pattern from iknityouknot:
Effervescence is a bubbly, bobbly beret, which works up quickly as a last-minute gift or an ideal late-winter pick-me-up. Worked in two shades of Berroco Ultra Alpaca, the possibilities for color variation are endless. (I'm thinking black and white, I'm thinking shades of green, I'm thinking I'm going to end up with dozens of berets.)

Of course, for a more subdued look, you can work the pattern in a solid color:Enjoy!

(Many thanks to Ann for test knitting!)

On the farming front, garlic is going strong:

As is spinach:
But radishes are still clearly in the lead:

H-Post Eleventy Billion

Good Things:

• publishing new patterns
• days getting longer
• lots of time to knit, and a new knitalong
  
• spring planting

Not-So-Good Things:

• job hunting (blech)
• still freakin' cold out
• and icy
• blogging every four months? (what??)
  

Just a Quickie

Last night I got bored with everything I was knitting, so I cast on for Thorpe. I finished it early this afternoon, and I love everything about it. I especially love the yarn, which is Blue Sky Worsted Hand Dyes in Chocolate. Normally I don't use many chunky yarns (the label says "worsted," but I'd say "chunky," since I was getting a nice fabric on size 10 1/2 needles) but this was calling to me. Now that I've used my one skein, I'm wishing I had enough for a sweater. Not that I need another sweater project. The contrast edging is doubled Blue Face Leicester DK, left over from my Shetland Triangle. I only had a few inches of yarn left after the braids and the weaving-in of ends. Also, I keep forgetting to mention that I published my Ilene Bag pattern as a free Ravelry download last week.
Help yourselves!

Step Right Up

First of all, can anybody guess what this is?

Here's a close-up:If anyone can tell me exactly what these photos are, I will send her (or him) some yarn. Or maybe I'll send it to whoever gets closest, since I'm not sure anyone will guess exactly. It's a new project I'm quite excited about.

What else have I been up to? Well...

I blocked my Shetland Triangle:
I have been wearing this thing almost every day. Chicago = not very warm yet.


I cast on for Tempest:Is it me, or does involving stripes make knitting stockinette seem a lot faster?

AND I designed and knit a (rather simple) market bag.
Presenting Ilene:I've written down the pattern and once I figure out how to put it on the internet neatly, I will do so. There are more photos on Ravelry.

Boston!

This weekend Tyler and I went to Boston.

We flew out of Chicago Friday evening, at that perfect time of night:
And speaking of perfect:
This is Tyler's first and only knitting project keeping a beer warm at Penguin, where I saw all my favorite Bostonians and threw back a few UFOs, and I don't mean the one in my knitting bag:
This is a little something I'm working on, a stripey cowl made of PeachyKnits MDK in Sea of Grass and Bloody Morning, purchased on Etsy. So nice, so fresh, so easy to knit on the plane!

My knitting bag was actually populated by something else that day:

New tops and a skirt from Savers - Yay cheap work clothes! Yay hot pink! Yay lemon shirt!


Cheap books from Savers and a silly sponge from Joann's
Has anyone else ever read The House with a Clock in its Walls?


Blue and white is love.


Ann, my adventure partner for the shopping extravaganza, noticed something interesting at Joann's:
Self-striping Sugar and Cream? What?? Oh hell yes.
We each bought two balls, and are planning an immediate two-person mitered square dishcloth knitalong. This is way more exciting than it probably should be. Details to come!