Fashionknitsta Thursday: 2/4/10

Hello, everyone! Hope your week is going well, it's been pretty great here at the store and I have a bunch of wonderful treasures to share with you all today.

If you saw Sara's last post (love the Geodesic Cardigan!), you'll know that around here we are really starting to think about Spring time knitting. I'm blaming a lot of it Kirsten Johnston's pattern Thursday. We just got the shop sample of this knit up last week, and I can't help but daydream about it everytime I walk by.


The original is done in Habu Ramie A-166 and Habu Super Fine Merino A-177. I've always wanted to work with the Habu Ramie, so I think if I did this I'd have to make two because I also can't help thinking about it in Malabrigo Lace Baby (maybe held with Isager Alpaca 1?). This isn't up on our website yet, but it will be soon. Thanks in advance, Sara!

Switching seasons, the next thing I have to share today is a great winter piece from Coco Knits:

This wonderful accessory is the Fleeced Earflap Hat by Julie Weisenberger. It's done with a chunky yarn, they suggest Lamb's Pride Bulky, but I would love to see it in Malabrigo Chunky or Rowan Purelife British Sheep Breeds Bulky. It's never too early to start thinking about holiday gifts for next year and this would be a great one for anyone. It has sizing for men and women and comes with all the instructions to knit in the fleece.

For all the CocoKnits fans our there Julie will be visiting us next month for a Meet and Greet on March 5th and will be giving a Finishing and Design Workshop on March 6th.

The last pattern I have today is from a designer I have blogged about before and absolutely love, Jane Richmond.


Sedum is a free pattern on Ravelry, and for some reason (maybe the grey sky?) it's really jumping at me today. I would absolutely love to make this cardigan in the natural Blue-faced Leicester of Rowan British Sheep Breeds Chunky. It would be so cozy next winter!

While wandering the internet this week, I discovered artist Michelle Vitale Loughlin's work and really fell in love with it - and her. In her earlier work she experimented with mixing fibrous materials and painting, influenced by her seamstress grandmother who emigrated to the US and sewed American Flags to make a living.

In 2004 she received the Puffin Foundation Grant to purchase a knitting machine and has since been creating mostly large-scale, site specific architectural forms; such as this piece, Water Falls, which is currently on view at the Huterdon Art Museum in Clinton, New Jersey.



Knit on an industrial knitting machine with silver synthetic fibers, Water Falls is in response to the 200 foot waterfall adjacent to the Hunterdon Art Museum. With this piece Loughlin wanted to portray how man-made objects and nature are no longer separate by including debris in with the pristine image of the falls.

It was kind of tricky to find out more info about Michelle, as her website doesn't seem to be up right now. I did find a few of her other works online that I'd love to learn more about, including this piece from 2007, Arc:



I wish I had something to link to for her.  If you're interested, I would attempt a Google search; and, hopefully, her site will be back up soon. I actually happened upon Michelle's work via fiber artist Abigail Doan's blog, and was intrigued by her own interesting work as well.


The first of these images is her piece Crocheted Snow 01 from 2005 and the second is Primavera 02 from 2006. Doan describes herself as an "art-farmer living part of the year in an urban nest [New York City] and part of the year on a farm in Tuscany".

Most of her work is very focused on her interconnection and experience with nature and plant materials. The very ephemeral feeling and interventions with nature remind me very much of the work of Andy Goldsworthy. Really gorgeous pieces, she has a fantastic blog featuring her work and the work of others that I definitely recommend checking out.

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend and, as always, check back next week for another edition of Fashionknitsta. Until then, stay chic, blogfans!

- Lindsay

Fashionknitsta Thursday: 1/7/10

Happy New Year, everyone! I know I'm a few days late (sorry about that!), the early arrival of Haapsalu caught me completely by surprise. In any case, I'm very excited to be back and blogging again this week as I have been saving up quite a few things to share.

The first thing I have today some of you may have seen, as its made it into the most popular patterns on Ravelry, the Burberry Inspired Cowl Neck Scarf by Julianne Smith.


This wonderful (and free!) pattern is available via Julianne's Ravelry, and on her blog. It takes just about 200 yards exactly of a bulky weight yarn, and though I love the slight sheen of the merino silk blend she chose, I'm torn between wanting to try this with Malabrigo Chunky or the new Malabrigo Twist (coming to the website soon, promise). BUT if you read Sara's last post I will be beginning absolutely no new projects until I complete at least of few of the thousand I have going, so sadly this will have wait. Oh, but it could be so quick...

This next lovely little accessory I found on Ravelry is also going to be hard not to start (and leave half-finished for a month). Dapper, by Andrea Satterlund, is an adorable (and free, and quick!) pattern that I think is very now, and I love it; but, then I'm a bow person.

Can be worn as a headband or bow tie, done entirely in garter stitch, and adjustable this would be really fun to have for spring. Andrea has a really great crafty blog that I recommend checking out as well if you're interested.

If you, like me, have an Etsy browsing problem you may recognize the next lovely piece I have to share today. I first saw this beauty from Vart's shop when it was featured on Etsy's Holiday Gift Guides: Statement Gifts list and I have been thinking about it ever since.


This beautiful hand felted shawl is made of 100% merino and is embellished with silk and Swarovski crystals. Really one of the most gorgeous nuno felt pieces I have ever seen and truly inspirational. Vart's shop is full of other wonderful nuno felted accessories including bowls, bags, and jewelry. I really recommend checking it out. And, if you wanted to maybe try your own hand at nuno felting we have both a beginning and advanced class coming up with our fabulous felting teacher, LeBrie Rich of PenFelt.

Finally, the last thing I have to share today is the work of Miami-based artist Frances Trombly, someone I remember hearing about in school who has recently been brought back to my attention. Using embroidery, weaving, crochet, and cross-stitch, Frances creates by hand things that are normally mass-produced. Here are a couple of my favorite pieces:

Mop, 2008
Hand spun silver wool and cotton, wooden mop handle

52 X 14 X 13 inches

Box (Broward Paper and Packaging), 2008
Hand-woven fabric, embroidery, packaging tape

Dimensions variable


(being in shipping, I love this one especially)

Untitled (pile), 2005
Hand-Woven and crocheted cotton

Dimensions variable


These are amazing, and I have to stop or I'm going to post them all. You can see the rest of her work on her website.

Well, ok, just one more:

Garden Hose, 2007
Crocheted cotton and metal hook

32 linear ft
Site Specific installation at Casa Lin, Miami


I hope everyone had a great holiday season and is getting back into the swing of things easily. Have a wonderful weekend and check back next week for another edition of Fashionknista. Until then, stay chic blogfans!

-Lindsay

Fashionknitsta Thursday: 12/3/09

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Here at Knit Purl the holiday season is in full swing making me (and I hope all of you!) feel extra inspired. Thanks to a long weekend of pursuing the internet from bed, I have tons of things to share with all of you on this lovely Thursday.

The first thing I have to share is some wonderful photos of the "Fashion Collective" event that took place at the Armory on October 12th. Artist and costume designer for Portland Center Stage, Fuschia Lin, showed a retrospective of her work from 1999 to present. We first got word of this event when Fuschia commissioned one of our lovely customers, Laura, to knit a custom pair of toe socks for one of her designs. Knit with Koigu KPM Solid color 1150 and Shibui Silk Cloud in Blossom held together, these really turned out to be a wonderful addition to the collection.


Here is a link to a review of the show from the Portland Mercury by Marjorie Skinner. In addition to her work for Portland Center Stage, Fuschia has designed costumes for Bjork and Karen O., has sold her designs in Paris Boutiques, and has been featured in a number of magazines making her a real treasure for Portland. Thank you so much for sharing these with us, Fuschia!

Last week while visiting my parents I found the cutest Fair Isle Cowl that I am still kicking myself for not taking a photo of. It's from H&M which unfortunately does not have an online store, so I'm still working on tracking down a picture of one. Anyway, I have blogged about several cowls in the past, but it had really never occured to me to mix that trend with the comeback Fair Isle patterns are making right now. I took my search to Etsy and, of course, found some wonderful things. My favorite are the designs from Elf518's shop including the pattern for this absolutely adorable owl cowl:

She doesn't have a pattern for this one, but I really love it and couldn't not share it:

Ok, so I know those really aren't very traditional, so if you are looking for a more classic I also found a great pattern on Ravelry for only $3. Alicia's Fair Isle Cowl by Sheila Joynes:

This one is much more along the lines of the one I saw, I think it would be really nice (and quick!) out of the Malabrigo Worsted Merino in Tuareg with Sunset as the accent, oohhh or the Madelinetosh Tosh Merino...there really are a lot of options with this one. I shall have to ponder.

Next on the agenda today is a really fantastic Etsy store, Spinthread, that our fabulous felting teacher, LeBrie Rich, showed me. The piece she was calling to my attention were these super funky Pom Pom Neck Huggers:

Really fun (and really easy to make!) these accessories would be a great conversation piece as well as keep you nice and toasty. Now, these are really neat, but the embroidered jewelry she has really caught my eye:


Hand embroidered and backed with lace, these geometric necklaces are such a beautiful and unique take on the floral and gem bib necklaces we have been seeing so much of lately. In addition to the necklaces she also has brooches and earrings in the same style, definitely a shop worth checking out.

There is so much more I want to share with you all today (for example, knit plankton!), but shipping calls and I shall have to save them til next week. Hope everyone has a lovely (and warm!) weekend ahead of them, stay tuned for next Thursday's edition of Fashionknitsta and until then, stay chic, blogfans!

-Lindsay

Losing track

Two weeks since the last post. Too much has been going on around here to keep track of. So, I'm just going to cover what I have photos of. Unfortunately, I can't find the notes I took to correspond with certain photos. In particular, I've given up on finding the information I had written down on this little cutie:

Too adorable for words, eh?

A couple weeks ago a very nice young lady came in to show off her recently finished sheep. I believe she had made it for a theatrical production. Dear knitter, if you read this blog, I'm really really sorry I lost your info! Please feel free to send it to me again and I'll post a correction ASAP.

Next on the list of worthwhile blogginess (I think I just made that word up), we received a gianormous shipment of Malabrigo this week:

NINE boxes in total, all crammed full of yarn in colors we haven't seen in months. Drop by the store or website to grab some for yourself before it's gone. But, before you do that, check your inbox tomorrow for a special offer!

Madrona wrap-up and a whole lotta yarn

The gang are finally back from Madrona (along with much of our inventory that we know several customers missed), and I have one last Madrona-y photo... the conference of Sandies

From left to right: Tacoma Sandy (who has requested that I not link to her blog or ravelry profile because she hasn't updated either in awhile, so you'll just have to trust us when we say she's a Knitter), Sandy Kay and Sandy B. That's a lot of Sandy-ness, isn't it?

Yesterday (as we unpacked the Madrona collection), Cindy came in with her very first hat:

Made with Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted and Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed. The pattern is Anne Berk's Road to China Hat, though Cindy admitted that she shortened the brim so it wouldn't fold over. It was very cute and I wish that the photographer involved had gotten a modeled photograph. Oh, well.

Next we have Karen's Clara. Knit with Isager Alpaca 2 in color #19, this is quite possibly the cutest little baby dress I have ever seen:

I wish I'd known about it a couple years ago. Though, maybe Kandyce might wear one... hmm. Now, while on the subject of adorable little girls in fabulous handknits, we've had requests to share photos of Ayanna in the Children's Bolero (you may have received our e-card?). Well, here are some almost painfully cute outtakes:

Aaaawww. Plotz.

Doesn't Ayanna have the biggest eyes you've ever seen? Sooo cute. Now, because I know we'll get questions - the sample Ayanna is wearing was made with 2 skeins of ShibuiKnits Merino Worsted, in "Mulberry".

And while I know that nothing will seem impressive after the Ayanna photos, I feel it is my duty to inform our devoted readers on the InterWebs of the new sock yarns we just got it:

5 new colors of happiest girl! dyeworks sock and two entirely brand new sock yarn lines by Abstract Fiber that aren't even on the website yet: Super Sock and Mighty Sock. Super Sock is 100% Merino Superwash, whereas Mighty Sock is a 50/50 Superwash/ Tencel blend. They are both awesome and should prove wonderful to knit with and wear. All will be in the next Newsletter (it goes out this Friday, so look for it online then!).

Next time we have... 3 boxes of Malabrigo, new Oleana and the Lucy Neatby Trunkshow. It'll be a knitting extravaganza. Sort of. Check back on Thursday...

The results of the Name That Gizmo! Contest are officially in, aaand KnitPod is the winner. The knitter who submitted the name has asked to remain nameless, but will probably claim her two skeins of ShibuiKnits Sock next week.

And we here at the store want thank everyone who submitted a name or voted in the poll:

Thank you for participating!

Next, we have Susan, dyer of Abstract Fiber, and her first finished November sock (from the Sock Club, y'know):

Looking beautful. Maybe a bit sock-puppet-like, at the moment, but that was unavoidable.

Followed closely behind by my Malabrigo sock in progress:

(Can you totally tell 3M took this photo?)

In "Indiecita" on size 1 (2.25mm) DPNs. Yes, I know I tempt Fate by carrying my Lantern Moon needles in my bag. I guess I just like to live on the edge. The lace pattern on the instep is, for those of you who are not Shetland lace fans, the traditional Print O' The Wave pattern.

My take on the Malabrigo? So far I am loving it. My one slight complaint is that it can be splitty when doing a centered decrease (but only then). Otherwise? Major love. Huge. I am so glad I bought a ton of this when it came in. In fact, I might have to stash up some more...

Moving past my unhealthy stashing habits, I have been asked to remind all y'all about our Last-minute Gifts Knit-a-thon tomorrow (Saturday, December 13) from 6 pm - 12 am. Spend six hours at your (hopefully) favorite LYS with all your favorite knitterly friends, catching up on all those holiday projects that are slowly leading you towards a nervous breakdown.

And that is everything we (I and everyone I asked) can think of to blog about at the moment. If you've been in the store proper during the past week, you'll understand the slightly featherheaded (and belated) quality of this post. Until next time, have a great weekend!

time to play

We're sending out a large newsletter tomorrow, so "distracted" doesn't begin to describe us downstairs folk.

But, for your amusement (and ours), please check out the poll on the right-hand sidebar and vote. I'm very curious to see which entry wins. Maybe we'll even have a finished version of That Gizmo by the end of the poll - anything's possible, right?

Other news? Not much, other than...


We just received a GIANT box of Malabrigo Sock yarn!!

Yummm. I'll admit it now, I just grabbed four skeins. Drop by this evening (Sip'n'Stitch tonight!) or tomorrow to snag some for yourself.

Now I've got to get back to the Newsletter.

slightly stunned, but pleasantly surprised

You remember the devastating news Malabrigo announced at the TNNA Summer Conference? We blogged about it and mentioned it in the July 15th Newsletter, so no one would be shocked that Malabrigo would be out of stock for a loooong time. Well, ha, Malabrigo decided to surprise and amaze us this week. We received not 1, but 5, boxes full of yarn from them:

(I only managed to get 4 in the shot)

Now, we had been told that we might be expecting some yarn from them at some point, but not to get too hopeful. Especially not when it came to the Lace Baby, because that was the line that was damaged most in the fire. Well, imagine our shock when we opened a box and saw these:

Bags upon bags of Lace Baby. Remarkably unscorched, too. And rather earlier than April 2009, the original send-by date we were given. How happy is that?

So, if you've been longing for Malabrigo yarns, for whatever reason, drop by the store (in person or online) and grab some before it's gone. I know I am.

In other news, I finally finally finally got this skein off of my spinning wheel:

4 oz, 320 +/- yards, Chameleon Colorworks Optim singles plied with Habu Textiles Tsumugi Silk. Yummy. The Optim was in the colorway "Briar Rose" and the Tsumugi #34 "Curry". I loves it muchly. Here's a close-up:

Now all I have to do is find a project for it. It's a shame we're out of the Tsumugi in "Curry" (ignore the inventory, it lies), because this would be fun to have 8 oz of. That would be enough for a shawl. Still, 4 oz might be enough for a stole...

Hmmm. Time to use the ravelry advanced pattern browser, methinks.

And, because I managed to clear out 3 bobbins by finishing the lovely above, that means I can get back to the lovelies that Sandy B. and Fearless Leader brought me back from TKGA. 80/20 Alpaca/ Silk dyed by local dyer Abstract Fiber, whose products we're hoping to carry soon. Gorgeous stuff.

Maybe one of the skeins will be done in time for the next post. Along with a bunch of new yarns, books, and kits we've just received. Oh! So much to do, so little time.

A Rock Star and the News

Where to begin... there is just so much news on the yarnfront... Mind you it's not good news. Tragic news is the best word to describe it actually. The best way to take the sting out a bit is to sandwich the news between some happy news.

Happy news: we have a rockstar in our midst and her name is Esther Hynes. Since Esther lives in California we do not have a current photo of her. I imagine she looks like this. Here is a picture of her with her sister.

As you know, rockin' is a tough job. You're traveling to the next gig, eating food on the road, and you need to make sure you look hot for the next show. You just wore the black lacy outfit at the last show and you'd like to bring out something colorful for that very special groupie you've had your eye on. Something like this:









The "Butterfly Poncho" from Knits from a Painter's Palette. It can be worn in two different ways making the costume changes between sets easy.

















You would really like to wear the "Kimono Jacket" that Maie Landra designed in the Vogue Anniverary issue, but you've been knitting for one year and you are only 25% done:


It uses a crazy amount of Koigu, but the color change keeps you entertained and the blues and greens really makes the color of your eyes pop. Perhaps you can finish on the way to your next gig in Portland. Yeah, 'cuz you're a Barracuda.

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Now for somber news: in May the Malabrigo factory had a fire.

(Told you the news was tragic.) We will take the sharp inhalation of breath as a response similar to our own. We are sick. Pit-of-the-stomach-stabbing-pain sick.

The good news is the mill is still running, but because they are in Uruguay and have to deal with Uruguian bureaucracy, they haven't even been given the okay (as yet) to return to rebuild the warehouse, or start dyeing again.



The delay means any Malibrigo yarn available in the store right now is all we can get. All of it. I want Lace Baby in "Amoroso" for my next SKIF project, but it's not gonna happen. We would love to get more to you but we can't. Because they can't. Because of Uraguian beaurocracy, the space-time continuum, and the Ides of March. No more.

At least, no more for awhile. The rumor mill has the first Lace Baby being available sometime in April 2009. So there you go.

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Now even more somber news (anyone need a therapist yet?): In keeping with the theme of rumors, or fires, or Pit-of-the-stomach-stabbing-pain we are loathe to announce...

You might need to sit down for this...

Our good buddy Lars (good ol' Lars), of Unicorn Book Publishing, told us the news...

We are loathe to announce: the warehouse fire that destroyed the master copies of Poetry in Stitches.

Yeah that's gonna sting for a bit. Try some aloe or some antibiotic ointment.


Can you even believe it? It seems getting a copy of this book is like trying to kill a windmill. So, the first editions that those smart knitters have (The Blogger is not one of them) is like gold, wrapped in platinum and coated in diamonds.


Eventually there will be more. For everyone who signed up on our list (all those names we painstakingly recorded) do not worry. We plan on making big announcements when we hear more about the return of the book. Just keep us updated on your shipping address if we are to mail your copy to you.

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After all that gut-wrenching pain, I leave you with a bit-o-pretty:

Zena.
Isn't she just divine?












I sprinkled some Catherine Lowe Alpaca in the mix and now I must have more. See the pretty plum color (as opposed to the chocolate or blueberry color)?


Knitting it in was akin to heaven.


My yarn diet is collapsing in a big way.