Am back in states at parents house. Desperate to get sewing room set up. I miss sewing.
Mixology, finally
May I present Mixology, the first pattern in my 2013 design challenge, Texture and Color Together. You can queue, favorite, or buy the e-book on Ravelry. Buy: $8.00 The pattern began as a simple pair of mitts for my husband. He wanted them very fitted, to be out of his way while typing. He wanted them warm since our home office was very cold and damp this winter. I had some Berroco Ultra Alpaca left over in a color we both liked, so I started swatching. The first design I came up with featured a really lovely cable I had created. I dived into...
read moreMoss: Colors to Knit In
Mossy Roof via Flickr tntimo (via Flickr, CCL) My parents are here visiting, so I’ve been hiking the Tuscan hills more than knitting…going past a lot of old tumbling down stone houses in terraced olive groves. But of course I always have my eye out for things that could become sweaters. Because 2013 is the year of Texture & Color (together), I was looking out for things that fit that description in particular. Yesterday, it was moss. I was intrigued by moss patches combine different colors and textures by having several...
read moreLunch Time Inspiration
Today I was messing around with my camera, and realized how many vegetables have elements that I use a lot in design. This cavolo romano, (also called romanesco in Rome), one of my favorite variaties of cauliflower, has spirals and diagonal lines, which I’ve used constantly in my designs. It also has a gradually increasing motifs, which I have in a lot of my sketches but have yet to realize. And then this blood orange, tarrocco, in Italian. Every time I eat one I look at the color shifts and think of yoked sweaters moving from orange,...
read moreItalian Cast On
I like this cast on any time I need a really stretchy 1 x 1 ribbed edge. It is also stretchy enough to use when casting on lace and brioche stitches. Click the thumbnails to view as a slideshow, or scroll down for extended directions. Step 1: Make a loop on the needle – identify thumb and finger strands. The finger strand lies on top of the thumb strand to start the row with a knit stitch. Step 2: Needle goes under thumb strand, over finger strand. This is tricky because it’s hard to see how the needle went under the thumb strand...
read moreSpring Snowflake
I must hasten to add, not wet, cold, snow. Warm snow. Actually just one warm snowflake. And it’s a snowflake that’s been a long time in the making. Four skeins of Cascade EcoWool, several circular needles, a lot of new chart symbols in my chart library (nothing complicated – I’ve just never designed with ribbed cables before) Last week I finished the pattern rows and wanted to see how big it was, especially to prove to my husband that it was big enough – it looked about half size all scrunched up on the needles....
read morePhotoshoot Outtake Comic Strip
This is the week that I publish my new hat and mitt set, named Mixology by Francesca…who will receive a copy gratis in thanks for her contribution. I like the name because I mixed up some ribs to create the stitch pattern, and mixed up some stripes (just a little) to mix up the rib a little more. Sadly, I can not actually release the pattern today, due to complications with the photoshoot. Mostly, I had my first ever sinus infection which apparently made me look so awful my loving husband told me NO ONE would buy the pattern is we took...
read moreOcean Beret and Mittens
Click thumbnails to enlarge This faux-isle beret and mitten set is perfect for gifting, and for using small amounts of special yarn, such as handspun, to full effect. The yarn is knit tightly to make a dense, thin fabric that gives an elegant fit, perfect for warmer climates or spring/fall. A range of water or fire effects can be produced by changing the colors. Buy: $8.00 Here: Ravelry: Sizes: S(M, L) for both the beret and the mittens. I include tips on how to make the beret slouchy, and on how to make fingerless mitts. Finished Dimensions...
read moreWhat to Expect in Italian Yarn Stores
I’ve decided to do a little series on yarn-y things in Italy, to answer the frequent comments and emails I get about it.* For the first post, I’ve made a list of some tips for finding and shopping in Italian yarn stores. Many of these are true of all small businesses run by Italians for Italians. 1. How to find yarn stores in Italy Surprisingly most tourists don’t visit yarn stores whenever they can, so yarn stores are not in the major tourist areas. If you hunt them down you will find yourself in an off-the-beaten path...
read moreHomemade Butterfly Costumes
The past few weeks have been carnival time here in Italy – which means people walking around in face paint and costumes, parties on the piazza, and of course, school parties. I have always been a dedicated costume maker. Growing up, my favorite part about Halloween was making (or helping to make) our costumes. Naturally, this is a family thing I enjoy with my daughters as well. When I heard about the school party, we immediately started making plans. Some of you may remember the tree costumes I made for Halloween last year. My girls...
read moreThis is what 2 rows a day looks like
I’ve draped it over my working husband, during a patch of sunshine. I have six pattern rows left, then a few rows of even ribbing, then the bind off. Slow and steady reaches the goal. I already have one lovely knitter doing a Beta run, the charts just need some smoothing and reverse-shaping. Now that I’m knitting a bit every day (around 30-45 minutes), I’m amazed at how fast it has grown. It doesn’t seem nearly as large of a project as it did ten days ago. I’m enjoying the process and I know I will love the...
read more
