These were finished back in September but I am just getting around to posting and talking about them!  They were part of my "self imposed sock club" where I was going to knit a pair of socks every 2 months while still working on other projects.... it didn't work out the way I thought it would; I did get some socks knit but even with this added pressure, I still couldn't convince myself to knit socks!  Oh well.. the "sock club" is still waiting for me.... for the next time I want to knit socks.  (I have paired my sock yarn and patterns together in a bin where they wait for me to cast on!) 

The pattern is the Waves and Piers Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott.  It's a fun and easy-to-do pattern that I would recommend (and would certainly knit again!)

I purchased the yarn on a trip to Webs in Northampton, MA and while I liked the yarn coloring, it sticks to itself and is felting as it's worn (it's 75% wool / 25% nylon).  The yarn has since been discontinued, but self-striping yarn is PERFECT for this pattern!  Waves and Piers was fun and easy to knit - To make sure my socks were the same size, I made notes for the number of rounds I knit on the first sock for each section, then as I knit the second sock I just cross off each round as it is completed.  Overall, I'm pleased about the finished object.

And of course... Willow wanted in on the photoshoot action!  Check the other details of this project HERE on my ravelry page.

This swatch had "ideas of its own" and became a holiday gift.  One of the projects (yet to be talked about on here) was for the Avast sweater by Jesse Loesberg from Knitty 2006.  While I was waiting for the yarn for that project to arrive, I wanted to test out the cable pattern to be sure I was clear on the instructions, and also swatched to get an idea of the gauge I was going to get once the "real" yarn arrived.  After swatching the cable, I realized it was the perfect length to be the base of a sweater for Dewey!

So... using that little cable swatch, I picked up the stitches along the long side and began to improvise this doggie sweater!  Dewey is an incredibly affectionate Boston Terrier and he loves to sleep in his bed in front of the heater or in a sunbeam on any given day.  He is very gentle, loves the kitties, and finds great excitement in bones or going downstairs to the laundry room or on adventures to the park! 

He does not, for the record, like to "sit" on hardwood floors for an extended period of time.  His hind-end slips and his little legs slide forward and it's just not a good position for a little dog to take.  On especially frigid nights or chilly mornings he likes to wear his sweater and, once he's warmed up enough, he finds joy in showing how good he is at escaping the confines of a sweater!  This project can be found HERE on Ravelry for those who might want to remember it for a later time. 

Today John, Chuck, Kenny, Dewey (the Boston Terrier) and I headed off to a fun day-long adventure with full intention of hitting as many yarn shops as possible.  Given our nature of being easily distracted by beautiful yarn, that number ended up being 3 different yarn shops and one farm.

The first shop we went to was Princeton Yarns.  We arrived shortly after they opened and were intrigued by not only the beautiful photographs and yarn but also by the vintage magazines, including Knitting Traditions (a periodic offering by Piece Work magazine).  This place is tucked away in an indoor mall in the Shops at Harbor Village in a cute little fishing community.

The place also offers some sort of large format photo printing and fills its "beyond yarn height" walls with gorgeous photographs framed and ready to be purchased.  Nowhere to sit and knit in this place... but it's a great spot to shop and find some unique treasures.

Princeton Yarns
270 Capistrano Road #20
Princeton by the Sea, CA 94018
Phone: (650) 712-1440
http://www.princetonyarns.com/

Our next stop was a hop, skip and a jump to Half Moon Bay and the home of Fengari Fiber Arts.  Chocked FULL (to the rafters), this shop was buzzing with activity.  The folks working here were busy answering questions and making suggestions to the customers about yarns, needle sizes, and project ideas.  It's a bit of a tight squeeze in this place, with an overflow of boxes full of yarn being stored on top of the shelves.  If you want it, they probably have it!  Where did the name come from?  The owner, Ann, says her husband (who is Greek) came up with the name, which translates to "Moon" in English. 

My only critique of this shop?  There was nowhere to sit and knit.  Not that I was intending to sit and knit today at a shop but it's still part of the ambiance I love to see when visiting a shop.  Perhaps their yarn inventory pushed the seating out of this shop.... there is a cute bench outside waiting for someone to sit, knit, and enjoy people watching in this little town.

Fengari Fiber Arts
415 Main St
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
Phone: (650) 726-2550
http://www.fengari.net/

From there we headed to Harley Farms Goat Dairy in Pescadero.  Restored in 1910, this functioning dairy farm has over 200 alpine goats on nine acres.  They offer a variety of dairy products, including framage blanc, feta and ricotta cheeses, as well as local honey and other indulgent items such as hand crafted soaps and lotions.  We got some cheese from this beautiful place after visitng with the goats and llamas. 

Dewey (the dog) was enamored with the llamas... or was it the other way around?  There's a cute photo in here of these two saying "howdy" to each other!

Harley Farms Goat Dairy
205 North Street, Pescadero, CA 94060
Phone: (650) 879-0480
http://www.harleyfarms.com/

Here's a photo of me with Kenny Chua during our visit to the farm.  He's with us for the holidays; from Christmas to New Years!  We are lucky to have him visitng us and it's fun to get to hang out and spend a few days knitting with my good friend.

Our last stop on this day-long crawl was at Nine Rubies in San Mateo, CA.  THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is an AMAZING shop.  Located on a cute street (not quite as quaint as Main Street in Half Moon Bay where Fengari is) and owned by some really fun ladies, this place is bright and has a gorgeous chandelier hanging in the center of the shop.  It was well organized, with what seemed to be "sweater's worth" yarn quantites on it shelves.  We were welcomed in (as we were at all the shops) but this time, something was different.  They asked if they could point out just one new item in their shop.... of course, we were happy to hear what was new... It was a nice way to learn what the folks working there are finding as their latest obsession.

I also noticed something I loved: - a box of "free" yarn - with some "rules" attached... one free ball of yarn to any child under 12... one ball of yarn to anyone else who wants to exchange a ball for one in their stash... the yarns can be from stash, purchased at Nine Rubies or elsewhere... and it's all on the honor system.  I found this idea of sharing yarn and stash refreshing - especially in a yarn shop like this.  One of the other things I liked about that little box was that it was not hidden in a back corner... it was given prime real estate right by the front door (next to some knittig magazines free for the taking).  Nine Rubies is the winner in today's crawl.  Bright, cheery, organized, welcoming, beautiful and inspiring, with lots of books, snacks, and smiling faces.

Nine Rubies Knitting
28 E. 3rd Ave #100
San Mateo, CA 94401
Phone: (650) 685-6205
http://www.ninerubies.com/

It was a beautiful day spent with people I adore.  We finished it off with some local Indian food and then I spent a few minutes looking at the photos from the day.  What a lucky person I am to have people in my world who are interested in going from yarn shop to yarn shop... indulging me in my need to talk with the owners... to find out a bit about them and to document bits of the visit for myself and those who read the blog.  Now it's time to get to knitting on some projects that are calling my name from the other room... asking me to give them some much needed attention.

Things get hectic this time of year and I feel as though I have been neglecting my duty to report on finished objects.  This post is an attempt at catching up on some of that reporting.  First, a one row scarf I started in 2010 using Rowan Felted Tweed DK - YUMMY yarn - in the best color ever: Pickle!  Ravelry Link HERE.

I don't know why it took me so long but this scarf was a battle to complete.  I *almost* ripped it out 5 or 6 times... thinking I didn't WANT to knit it.  However, this is leftover yarn from a Guernsey finished in 2008 and I only had a few balls of the yarn left... so what else would I do with it.  Fighting the urge, it's finally a respectable length and finished, blocked, and beautiful.  I'm happy with it although it was a bit boring to knit. 

Crafty Andy and I got together back in November to weave a fun project using a pattern from Schacht Spindle's newsletter (find the newlsetter HERE).  We had a great time making scarves together before he left on his trip out of the country for Thanksgiving.  Here's the second scarf I have to show you today (known as "Gratitude" on my Ravelry page).  Woven and lovely!

After this scarf, I wanted to make a looooong version so I pulled out my sock yarn stash and found some other goodies to play with.  A day later, I came up with this second version... (my 3rd scarf to share)... super lengthy, flowy, and really really soft!

In other news, of course I'm knitting like crazy.  Most knitters are knitting like crazy this time of year, as crocheters are crocheting, and crafters are crafting.  Lots of projects to complete before the holiday deadlines... and while I'd like to talk about those I can't (or shouldn't) so I will do my best to keep quiet.  [for now].  I guess that's it until I can find time to take photos of some of the other projects that are completed... I'll leave you with a sweet photo of Willow (my 3-legged kitty):

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December 1st is World AIDS Day.  It comes and goes each year and I remember how good it felt years ago to be involved in HIV/AIDS education and outreach.  Today, I am proud to be certified as an HIV test counselor and to be working with UCSF AIDS Health Project.  One of the reasons I moved to San Francisco in 2010 was to make a difference and work in HIV/AIDS outreach. 

This morning I met with my coworkers in downtown San Francisco.  We gave away around 500 little red ribbons with our cards outlining the hours for our free HIV testing.  It felt really good to do this outreach - and one stranger actually came up and gave each of us a hug; telling us he was on his way to the Grove to spend some time remembering those he had lost to AIDS. 

Years ago I did outreach like this; participating in AIDS walks, passing out condoms and participating in performances focused on HIV education.  Today connected that past with the present and it feels really good.  I found this newspaper clipping from 1991 from when I participated in the 4th annual Walk For Life in downtown Phoenix.  If you look at the clipping date (1991) and follow the building in the photo down to the participants, you'll see a young Kyle (with a head full of dark hair!) carrying the end of a banner!

During my high school years, I was involved in the Positive Force Players; a teen peer education theater troupe sponsored by Planned Parenthood of Central and Northern Arizona.  We spent the summer learning about around 20 different issues affecting teens: drinking and driving, suicide, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, date rape and prejudice to name a few.  After we learned from experts in each field as well as from those who had first-hand experience of whatever topic we were studying, we got in groups and, using our own stories, began to develop skits. 

Those skits were revised and developed into scenes that we performed for schools, youth groups, community organizations and conferences.  We performed all over Arizona and, in my senior year, I believe I was in over 100 different shows.  We worked to make a difference as kids; doing our best to share education and be available to those who might have questions. 

We created a longer show called "It's About Time" focusing on HIV/AIDS - and featuring the stories of three different characters.  The photo above is from one of the performances of that show, and shows our version of the NAMES Project quilt.  The performances allowed us to work as a group to make a difference, and many of the friendships we cultivated during those years are going strong all these years later.

Back then, I knew that helping to raise awareness about social issues was important to me.  I did my best to learn what I could and took advantage of each opportunity that came my way, including the chance to receive a panel into the Names Project AIDS Quilt when it was on display in Phoenix, AZ.  These memories are what led me to the work I do today and are what seeded my love of HIV/AIDS outreach and education.

I ran the 2010 Los Angeles Marathon with the National AIDS Marathon Training Program and, with the help of my friends and family (and YOU), raised over $4,500.00 for AIDS Project Los Angeles.  That took about 6 months of training and a lot of mental effort to accomplish but once I crossed that finish line I realized we really CAN do anything we want if we want it bad enough!  OK - time to talk a little about knitting...

In preparation for World AIDS Day, I knit my CAUSE hat in red and dark gray to wear during our outreach.  People asked to have/purchase/comission one of these hats so I decided to raffle this hat to raise money for AIDS Health Project.  Those who work there have the opportunity to make a donation and from those donations we will draw a name.  That person will win the hat while we gather some money for a worthy cause.

As you probably know, I have 2 knitting patterns that are connected to HIV/AIDS awareness.  CURE is a hat featuring a "virus" on it and one red ribbon - and the proceeds from that hat go to Project Open Hand.  They are an amazing group that helps to feed folks living with HIV/AIDS, Breast Cancer and the elderly.  CAUSE is a hat encirled with ribbons and was designed to raise awareness about Breast Cancer.  Changing the color of the ribbons changes the focus of the project.  Proceeds from this pattern benefit Living Beyond Breast Cancer; a nonprofit based out of Pennsylvania.  The pattern is featured on their Shop to Support page. 

Want to make a difference?  Even something as simple as purchasing one of these patterns and knitting a hat could have an incredible impact on someone.  It's just a hat... just a knitting pattern... but sometimes the smallest actions have the greatest rewards. 

Interested in purchasing the CURE or CAUSE pattern?  Visit the SHOP.  For all you do to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and the other issues that are important to you, today is a day to reflect on how much impact even one person can have.  YOU have the ability to make a difference in this world; one tiny step at a time.

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November is here which means in the United States it's the month of our Thanksgiving holiday that, for me, evokes memories of big dinners (complete with pumpkin & pecan pie, banana salad, turkey, ham, oyster dressing for dad (and plain dressing for the rest of us), and usually sweet tea depending where we were celebrating.  It also reminds me of dressing like early Americans (complete with construction paper pilgrim hat or paper feather headdress for the Native Americans) and of course, that this holiday marks the "real" start of our traditional holiday season. 

Retail brings Christmas to us earlier and earlier every year; it's now happening a few weeks before Halloween in mid-October, but November 1st seems to be the indicator for me... With the start of this season, I am taking the opportunity to say thank you to those who make my world so amazing.  This year, in addition to my personal reflecting time, I decided to put pen to paper and write notes to some of those who have really made a difference in my life. 

I spent some time searching for an appropriate image (which, of course, I found at the Graphics Fairy) and created thank you cards.  Cut, folded, and ready to go, I spent an afternoon writing a few of those who have greatly impacted my life.  It makes sense to me; "thank you" cards for "Thanks"giving... right?

If you'd like to make the same card, I have attached the file for you to download.  Print it on heavy card stock, purchase some A1 sized envelopes and you'll be ready to be "Thankful" with this card featuring a vintage sheep graphic.

Simply print the cards on 8.5" x 11" white cardstock.  Carefully cut them out, fold, then fill them up with words of gratitude for those that deserve it.  The cards fit in A1 size envelopes.  (Envelopes and cardstock can be found at most office supply stores.  To cut the cards out (if you're not good with a sharp pair of scissors,) a paper cutter will do or rotary paper cutters can be used at copy/print places like FedEx/Kinkos.

No time to make these cards?  No printer?  A purchased "thank you" card would be a lovely subsitute, and of course, a simple, hand written note is always welcome in the mail or taped to a co-worker's keyboard or monitor!  This doesn't have to be fancy; take the time to tell those around you how they impact your life.  A few sentences can make such a difference.

Who could get a thank you note?  The list could go on and on for years.  Pick one (or a dozen, or two) and write.  It feels good to send love (especially when it's unexpected!)

Your LYS (local yarn shop)
Fiber company
Family (distant or not, biological or not)
Neighbors
Co-worker
Favorite place to eat
Mail carrier
Nurse/Doctor/Pharmacist
Those who volunteer in your area (food banks, homeless shelters, etc.) - wherever someone is working to make your community a better place
Police or Firemen - address the card to the entire crew
The person who taught you to knit
Childhood friends
Teachers
(and many, many more...)

It feels good to put on paper a gesture of gratitude... an unexpected note of kindness can brighten a day and possibly change a life.  Do some good.  Be thankful.  Print, write & share.

There's more knitting, weaving and creating going on here than I can talk about... but in time, I PROMISE to share all of it with you... every last stitch.  OH - one more thing.  Thank YOU for reading.  I know that there are lots of blogs out there to read and I appreciate your reading this one... and while not everyone comments on the posts, I know you're looking and that fuels m.  Having an online presence is a really fun thing - it affords me a place to sort out and organize my projects and thoughts and it has the added benefit of helping me stay connected to many of my online friends.  For that, I'm thankful.  Consider this post my "thank you" to you - for reading, being supportive of me (and other designers, knitters, artists), and for being the amazing person you are!!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I am pleased to announce the release of Angkor - a hat I designed for Blue Moon Fiber Arts.  Offered in two sizes, this project takes full advantage of the saturated color in the yarns offered by Tina and her team.  Many people already know the yarns that Blue Moon Fiber Arts offer are AMAZING - and getting to design using her fibers and colors was truly a treat!  I hope you'll purchase the pattern (by clicking HERE) and make one for yourself.  Be sure to share your project on Ravelry so that I can see your version!

Along with the pattern, I created a tutorial video that shows how to do stranded or Fair Isle knitting.  The technique is simple and this pattern is the perfect opportunity to try it out!  The video (below) is also in the tutorial library accessed through the VIDEO tab at the top of the screen.

The project is now posted on my ravelry page - HERE - and I'm really happy that I can (finally) share the good news with everyone!  It was a great experience to work with Tina and I look forward to doing more work for Blue Moon Fiber Arts!

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I'm happy to announce another fun finished project!  As you may have guessed by the music playing (feel free to hit "pause" if it bothers you), I finished the "Buffalo" cardigan [#434] from Mary Maxim, circa 1955.  A few modifications were needed; the recipient was sized differently than the standard pattern... So, after doing a gauge swatch, I added stitches to the pattern, removed rows to shorten it, and knitted, ripped, re-knitted, re-ripped, and knitted again.

This project wasn't difficult - but it had the same blocking issues as the seahorse cardigan.  When blocking pieces knit out of 100% wool, it's possible to "shrink" the pieces into shape.  (Actually, it's almost easier than stretching them to shape!) - once completed, the sweater fit like a glove, and the recipient was pleased, and so am I!  The horns on the buffalo were done using swiss darning or "duplicate stitch" - a video on this technique has been added to the video page.  I also added it to this post for convenience.

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino (100% Wool)
Colors: Natural (main), Paprika (stripes), Cognac Heather (buffalo heads)
Needles: US5 (3.75mm)
Size: Small (38) with modifications.

All the effort in sizing the cardigan paid off; it fits the recipient PERFECTLY!  And the buttons... You ask, where did I get the buttons?  Why from ETSY, of course!  When I first started to consider what buttons I wanted to use on this cardigan, I thought first that I should go to one of the amazing button shops in San Francisco then, realized that it's an opportunity to take advantage of the wide offerings on ETSY.... so, I did a search and scored wonderful buttons from Wicked Wool Gathering.  Visit their shop by clicking their banner:

The buttons arrived QUICK and are perfect for this project!  I would recommend checking out this Etsy seller the next time you're in the need for cool buttons - she's speedy, friendly, and her shipping costs are down-right reasonable!  I ended up having one extra button so, while making the shawl collar, I added a button hole in the back center to make use of that last lonely button.  I didn't want it to be all alone without its brothers and sisters...  This touch helps hold the collar down, keeps things nice and tidy, and if the wearer wants to pop the collar up it's as simple as unbuttoning the button.  If you'd like to see more about this project or "favorite" it on ravelry, you may do so by clicking HERE.

Hints for making sweaters such as this: 

1. Use 100% wool.  (as mentioned before, it makes blocking easier!)
2. Swatch! (seriously).  Now swatch again.
3. Rip (if it's not the right size).  It's only knitting.  You did it once, you can do it again.
4. Block before seaming. 

Of course, these suggestions are valid for lots of projects... paying attention to what we're doing... recognizing when something seems to be going awry, and taking action are some of the best rules to live by as we create!

Here's the video showing how to do Swiss Darning (also known as Duplicate Stitch):

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I got a BEAUTIFUL hank of Shimmering from A Verb for Keeping Warm about a year ago (even before I moved to San Francisco!) and was planning on knitting some lace with it as a knit-a-long with my buddies.  It's 100% silk lace weight (3.5oz) in a generous 1093 yards, hand dyed in a color they call Azure.  We all attempted the lace but, for one reason or another, decided that knitting lace wasn't for us at that time.  The yarn taunted me though.  It bugged me that this really gorgeous hand dyed yarn was sitting all wound up in a yarn cake, nestled in a handmade project bag (also from AVFKW) and stored away with the intended lace pattern... and that's where it sat and hibernated - for a year!

I just finished a project (a pair of socks that have been on the needles for a while; more about those as soon as they're blocked and photographed) and I needed a new project.  Although I feel ready to tackle more socks (and soon) I just felt like a change of pace would do me some good.  After remembering this lonely skein of yarn and the Mystic Star Shawl by Anna Dalvi, I decided to cast on and make the semi-circular version.  This, people, is my very first piece of lace.  The first time (ok, times) I attempted this pattern last year, I was trying the circular version and getting frustrated in the fiddle beginnings of knitting 1.) lace, 2.) in the round, 3.) on DPNs 4.) for the first time.  My decision to do the semi-circular shawl seems to be working; after a number of false starts, I am able to concentrate on the pattern row, count carefully between my markers, and do the "rest" row back.  Yes, it's lots of purling but maybe I'm strange; I don't mind purling.  Actually, when I'm in the "knitting zone" I have to examine my work to even realize what stitch I'm making!  My semi-circular shawl can be seen on Ravelry HERE.  So far, I have learned that lace isn't difficult as long as you don't mess up!  I'm well on the way through chart C now and feeling optimistic about this project.

In other news, Willow spent the earlier hours of the morning struggling to get into the sunbeam.  She struggled and struggled, at times even laying half off the edge of the chair arm to get her little head and ears in the warm light.  (Don't worry; I moved the chair so she could sunbathe right after I took this photo).

Wink asked that she not have her photo taken; she hasn't had her hair done in weeks and said she feels a wreck!