The BEST Trip I Ever Had! 02/13/2010
Our wonderful friend Chuck turned 40 in January, 2010 - and to commemorate the event, he arranged for 21 of his friends and family to meet and spend a week in a 17,000 square foot villa in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! (I know, I know; we're LUCKY!) - the weather was AMAZING, views spectacular, and the experience will stay with me the rest of my life as one of the best trips EVER! Now, in this season of snow and cold across much of the United States, I know some of you will be envious of the 80 degree weather with clear skies... take a gander at some of the photos and just try to remember that winter doesn't last forever; soon it will be spring again and you too will have the sunshine and gorgeous days! While on the trip we also went on a forest canopy tour, using ziplines hundreds of feet above the forest floor to travel from one mountain to the next, we played with tiny cute monkeys, and even went on a day cruise to a remote beach where we were served a gourmet meal... we snorkled, frolicked in waves, shopped and had more fun than we deserved! It was a memorable birthday celebration and the best vacation EVER. During the visit the majority of our time was spent lounging at the pool or sitting on the gorgeous patio and visiting with friends. I, of course, was knitting... along with our friend Kenny from Houston and John from San Francisco. I brought my fair isle vest to work on and got a lot accomplished during the flight down, but while at the villa, it seemed difficult to concentrate... maybe it was the friends and fun conversation, or perhaps it was a result of the amazing hand made frozen strawberry margueritas that our bar staff (yes, we had STAFF!) made - The food was incredible - all made fresh from local fare brought to the villa by Vinny (the house manager) and the cook prepared everything to order - we had an incredible birthday cake on Chuck's birthday and I could have probably eaten the entire thing myself... In knitting news, I am working on the fair isle vest, and a few other goodies... including knitted boxer shorts which were designed by Brian Kohler of Skacel. I'm quite into the knitting groove as of late; just in time for school to start back up. Yes, school. This semester offers only two courses for me: Abnormal Psychology and Ceramics (which I guess would be considered an intermediate course this time; I'll be required to make a plate, a pedestal bowl, and 4 pieces of tableware (cups, bowls, butter dishes, whatever) - all themed around the inspiration of an artist which I must still come up with - any ideas? I decided not to take a 3rd course this semester and instead will dedicate THAT time to my circular sock knitting machine. I must make that thing work! I am hoping to get proficient at it so that I will be able to make socks for others quickly and beautifully... and the only reason I don't do it is because I "don't have time" -- so, I'll make time! - that way, I can spend a few hours a week dedicated to the machine and with any luck that'll get me on my way! Of course, I'm still running - last week, we ran 20 miles (yes, 20 miles!) - we were up and running at 6AM and I can not begin to tell you how amazing it feels to have accomplished this! Next week I'll be running the Pasadena Half-Marathon - and then on March 21st I'll be running the Los Angeles Marathon! I am hosting dinner at Marie Callender's on March 3, 2010 in Toluca Lake, CA - if you are in the area, please print out this flyer and present it to the cashier when paying your bill - 15% of the total will be donated to my efforts and in turn to AIDS Project Los Angeles! There will also be a WONDERFUL raffle held the same evening - raffle tickets are $1 each, and there's a coupon for 2 free tickets when you buy 20 on the flier. Winners need not be present to win, so if you want to buy tickets and place them on an item, feel free to email me and let me know - I will have you donate through my online donation page - once I see the donation there I can mark and place your raffle tickets. The only stipulation is that if you can not pick up your item, I will ask you to cover the cost of shipping. Please cross post and share this event with your Los Angeles family and friends - the more people who bring these flyers on March 3rd, the more money we can raise to help improve the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles! Preparing for the trip- 01/18/2010
 What have I been doing? I have been running... working on knitting projects... preparing for a vacation... getting ready for the Spring 2010 semester at school - How exciting it is to announce 12 more cast aluminum yarn bowls for sale - they're showcased on my etsy site - more yummy gold colored bowls, more delicious violet colored bowls... and introducing gorgeous blue bowls! Click on the link or visit my SHOP to take a gander! In other news - we are about to go on vacation - for a wonderful week in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with just under 20 amazing friends - I can't wait to share stories and photos from our trip - but that'll be in a few weeks. Now... what do we bring with us on vacations? KNITTING! - I have started a new project - the Latvian Vest from Knitty - size 4 circular needles - and alternating an oatmeal yarn with some fantastic Kauni Effektgarn which slowly changes colors from maroon to pumpkin to chocolate brown! - yes, 272 stitches, fair isle chart patterns... this is how I relax. (I promise not to drink and knit) - LOL - it's on its way - started... and the color is starting to change! I'm so excited about this project! Talk with you in a few weeks!!!  The To Do List... 10/04/2009
What have I been up to? Lots. Seriously. School 3 nights a week, working full time, preparing for the training for the LA Marathon... playing with all my animals, and oh yeah... knitting... ceramics... and even some painting. Here's a quick overview of some of the things I have been doing: Organized knitting I have been haunted by unfinished projects. Bits and pieces of sweaters sitting in part of my studio, and other pieces half completed were stuffed in my closet. There were unknown “WIP’s” in bags with other knitting, and some projects that were so lost that I forgot they even existed! After a few hours of organizing last Sunday, I was able to eliminate most of the mixed up projects and get them organized so that I know what is what – and where most of the pieces are. I took a deep breath and frogged a big part of a sweater that I started a few years ago (because I am unsure if I have enough of the yarn to complete it!) and ripped out a scarf that was coming out too wide – re-rolled the yarn and put it back in the stash. I feel good about these changes and it helped to take inventory of what projects were in progress. I’m a big fan of the plastic buckets holding my WIP’s – I wish I had bought all of them at the same time so that they weren’t so different in style, but they do the job… one plastic bin = one project… pattern, yarn, notions – it’s a good way to stay organized and to place projects in and out of hibernation. I have been busy knitting, but this will be a long post, so I'm giving the Reader's Digest Condensed Version - more about most of the other knitting I have been doing soon... (with any luck some of those pieces might even be finished objects by then!) but it woldn't be the kylewilliam.com blog without a little knitting, right?  Seahorse Cardigan After a year of experimenting and being frustrated, I finally was able to get close to gauge on the famed “Seahorse Cardigan”~ I was hoping for 6 stitches / inch and got 5.5 stitches / inch – it seems to be working so far, since one size was *almost* too small, the change in gauge should make it fit perfectly! The intarsia is a bit frustrating at times with so many repetitive color changes in one row… but I was able to get through the first part of the sleeve and now it’s smoothe sailing to the sleeve cap in one glorious (boring) color and stockinette all the way! - I am anxious to see how this one turns out; loving it more and more with each stitch!  Painted kitchen The kitchen needed a bit of a makeover. The biggest issue we had was the chairs around the breakfast table… to put it mildly, they were falling apart. The chairs were also digging into the wall, so something really needed to change. Since the walls were damaged, and since the kitchen hadn’t been painted for 8 years, we selected a new color and dove headfirst into a kitchen mini-renovation this past weekend! We patched and painted the walls, edited some of the accessories from the walls and counters, and replaced the old table with a new taller table and stools from Ikea – Stainless steel with a dark black/brown wood top which will soon be covered with glass. We are pleased with the results.  Ceramics Working diligently on ceramics, I am continuing my experiments with combining clay with the fiber arts, expanding these projects to the include crochet. I plan to have a few pieces up for sale in my etsy shop soon, and I am also working on pieces for a couple upcoming exhibits. No photos of this stuff yet... it's all "in the works!" Yarn Bowls The first series of cast metal yarn bowls are in finishing and should be available fairly soon. I decided to post these on etsy and will be notifying those who added the yarn bowls as a “favorite” on my ravelry page (my ID is kylewilliam) as soon as they’re posted. Be sure to purchase quickly if you’re interested in one – I’m unsure of how long it’ll take to get the next set ready! I'm expecting to get these photographed and up on the site next week!  Marathon Update The date is getting closer to begin training for the 25th LA Marathon (which happens in March, 2010) – The kickoff party was yesterday, and I am pleased to report a friend from school has decided to join me in this adventure! I’m still a bit frightened that I decided to tackle this quest but it has been on my “list” for quite a while. I have never taken time to write an official “bucket list” – you know; the list of things you want to do before you die, but when/if I do ever write one, running a marathon will be on there. (and come this time next March, it’ll be crossed off!) Thank you to the people who have been able to donate! I am amazed at the level of generosity I have discovered through my online friends. If you have yet to donate or can spare a few more dollars (remember, it’s all tax deductible!) please visit my website and make a donation. The proceeds go to AIDS Project Los Angeles who desperately needs the money. Times are tough for all of us – but a few dollars can make all the difference. I made a commitment to run and love it every time I see someone donate – not only is it that you’re giving to a great cause, you’re also supporting me! Training (actual running!) starts October 11th – just under 2 weeks away. Standing here, today, I feel like running 26.2 miles would be impossible. I am confident that throught this program and with your support, I will be able to complete this task! Raising the funds to help support APLA means a lot to me, especially after listening to the message they shared at the kickoff party, stating that the recent CA state budget cuts slashed their funding by over 1 Million Dollars! I won't be able to fix the problem, but the few dollars I can offer will certainly help. I know that come March, crossing that finish line, I will be a different person (and I can’t wait to share the journey with you!) Hunting for Charities Please email me with any information regarding non profit organizations in the United States that might be interested in auctioning off a blanket made from the extra squares from Jason’s blanket {LINK TO POST} – I’m hoping our efforts will help raise much needed money – the squares are created, they just need to be joined and donated. I’m glad to make this additional effort but prefer to do this with charitie(s) in mind. If you know of a group that could benefit, let me know. With the squares that were donated, I believe we can make 4 throws. I would like to donate 2 of these throws to charities as listed above, and I’d like to gift 2 of these throws to knitters in need – if you know a knitter or person in your life who might appreciate a blanket crafted with squares from knitters around the world, please email me {EMAIL} with the story and your contact information – I’ll review these stories and select two individuals to receive the throws. It’s not always about raising money… sometimes; it’s also about giving back to our community. I believe these throws might mean more to fellow knitters but invite everyone who might be interested to submit their stories. One last note – if your person is selected, I hope I will be able to post their story on the blog along with the blanket that was made for them – People who made these squares sometimes read this blog, and I think it might be nice to hear the story behind the person receiving a blanket made with our squares. Sharing these stories gives us power and helps us all to heal. Happy October, everyone!! 35 years in the making... 08/30/2009
 I could not have had a better birthday weekend. Kenny came in from Houston, Chuck from St. Louis, John from San Francisco, and we spent the weekend together! on Saturday, we went to the fiber frolic hosted by Griffin Dyeworks - did natural dyeing, solar dyeing, ate and spent the day chatting and keeping an eye on the fires burning nearby - Charles came to the event as well - and my friend (family) I have known for 20 years, Debra as well!  The fires are horrible - for a while we weren't sure if we were going to get to dye yarn or not- but the winds changed and we go to do so... all day long we watched the smoke billow. the power of nature can be terrifying...  Here's Chuck and Charles preparing yarn for the dyepots - my fav dye was the indigo - when you pull the yarn out of the pot, it's light green, sort of like the color of antifreeze... then, suddenly it changes to beautiful dark blue! amazing. We learned a lot and can't wait to do more!  John did some quick dyeing - see? Indigo! (most of us were smart enough to wear globes) haha - We also knitted away... talked, laughed, cut up, and just enjoyed the best time ever - I can't wait to see more of each of my knitting pals! Of course, they are all going to the Men's Knitting Retreat - in Seattle... I stay home this time - sadly - I must work, and school starts tomorrow...  I won't go into all the gifts I got - probably more than I deserved... yarn, running shorts, gift certificates, not to mention the gift of my pals flying across the country to see me... but one of my FAVORITE gifts was this little bag bought for me at the frolic - it's a knitting bag that's reversible - the inside (as shown) is little skull and crossbones, but the crossbones are knitting needles... and the outside of it is a fabric called "Knitmare" - it shows a person dying trying to knit... a dog eating knitting... a cat tangling up the yarn - and a little boy wearing a sweater that just doesn't fit.... I LOVE it! go buy yours here: www.readyorknit.etsy.com -  I *almost* finished my top down raglan - I still have to do the collar... weave in the ends... but it'll be done really soon. I am pretending it's done...and cast on for another one - it'll probably be the last one for a while - I'm really proud of this raglan - the random striping worked the way I wanted it to - and lots of people like this - once it's REALLY done, I'll do some photos and try to go in depth on how I did the striping. School starts tomorrow - beginning the classes for a drug and alcohol certificate and the continuance of my fun times in ceramics! Sadly, that means no more knitting at the farmer's market on Thursdays... Thank you again to everyone who helped to make this birthday so amazing - I appreciate every kind word, thoughtful gift and big hug I got... here's to making 35 a year to remember! Scrappy Doo Raglan Sweater in Progress 08/09/2009
 After finishing my pinwheel blanket, I had (have) so much yarn left over in this "fall" color family that was already hacked and used that I can't do much else with it but freeform or random striped knitting. Also, because I only had to finish up the blanket to get the rush of a FO I still have some random striping steam left in me... that's what caused me to dig up my handy dandy top down raglan pattern (#991 by Diane Soucy) and started knitting. I began on Friday night after work, and knitted all weekend - I knit in the morning early.... then we went with some friends out for errands - I knit at the car dealership in the waiting room (free cookies, pastries, water, juice, soda!) ... then we went to Farrell's ice cream parlor, and watched our friend's kids play video games... while they played, I knit... carrying around my sweater in a messenger bag... they did bumper boats... I watched and knit.... they did go karts, I knit some more... it worked out perfectly because I was able to keep another friend company so she wasn't the only spectator! We ate amazing food... I knit... we came home for a while and while everyone did their thing... playing with animals, playing on the computer, etc., I knit... and when we went out for dinner that night, I knit again. I asked everyone if they were OK with my knitting and they all said it was OK - that it was almost expected of me... After dinner, we went to Target for a few last minute things, and I even knit walking through Target... this was all excessive even in my opinion, but after a day of knitting Saturday, and most of Sunday, I'm about 1/2 way done with the body of my raglan sweater! What I haven't decided yet is this - should the sleeves match each other? I was first thinking of making them both totally random - then I thought maybe they should be different from the body of the sweater (same general yarns, etc.) but not the same color order/yarn type, etc. OR should I just knit sleeve #1 and use those same yarns (and striping but maybe a different order) for sleeve #2? I need input! The photo shows what it looked like as of Sunday afternoon - I have done even more than this already as I type... but I need to know what to do for sleeves - please let me know your thoughts either in comments or email :) Have a great week! Pinwheel Blanket Finished! 08/07/2009
 A friend showed me a baby blanket she made for her new daughter - I instantly fell in love with this pattern and after her convincing me how easy it was (it IS easy!) I decided to take a collection of yarns I had and make an adult sized blanket. I grouped the yarns in order of how I wanted to stripe them, bagged them (together if I intend to strand more than one at a time) and numbered the bags in this case, 1-36. I just followed the pattern, and changed the color of yarn every 2 or 4 rounds. This piece started and ended with some amazing yarn from Manos del Uruguay - in one of my favorite colors. I am happy to have found a use for all these novelty yarns, single balls, etc. I’m using some beautiful handspun, vintage yarn, and even the yarn I had made through VIP Fibers of my cat Winky's fur! The final blanket is just over 4' across. I'm really happy that this is finished - it lingered in my "works in progress" for a LONG time! - I started it a year ago last March! Forest Canopy Freeform Wrap COMPLETED! 07/12/2009
 What a wonderful day! I am pleased to share a lesson I learned. When working on freeform pieces, it's important (as in painting, ceramics and probably most other arts) to pay careful attention to the piece and when it's time to stop that you stop... the piece will usually hint to you when it's time... the wrap told me today that it was done... and it is!  I haven't sewn in my label (yet) but it's complete - here's a recap - a year ago this month I started this wrap after a class with Janice Rosema, a freeform knit/crochet artist living here in southern California. Her class was inspirational and empowering - there are no mistakes in freeform work - but some things work together better than others... I bought a felted fleece from Ozark Handspun and began knitting and crocheting pieces to be joined to the fleece. Most of the year that it took to finish the piece sat on my dress form - waiting for me to revisit the project. It has become the latest obsession, and now that it's complete, I have mixed emotions. I'm glad, but wish that a second (different) piece had already been started so that I could continue the process with another piece... but it's not started... and I can't decide if I want to do one in browns/neutrals OR greens/blues/yellows... thoughts/opinions?  One of my favorite parts of this piece is the button - it's a cabinet knob from Edgar Berebi - a spider cabinet knob with swarovski crystals in it - I had the back part of the knob cut off so that it's flat, then we tapped the back and put a eyelet screw in the hole... wrapped that bit with yarn and attached it. It's a bit heavy, but heck; the entire piece is heavy... it's colorful, warm, and will take a person with a lot of presence, personality, fashion sense (and courage) to pull it off! I'm not sure what's next, but today's a great day - because this project is complete! ...and now a word from our sponsors! 05/26/2009
Most of the attendees of the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat are still reeling with emotion from the amazing event we were lucky enough to attend. It must be said, though, that without the generous support of the sponsors who helped make it possible it wouldn't have been the same. I invite you to download the attached file and take a moment to visit each of these vendors - they all offer amazing and unique products - and when you buy from them, please mention that you do so because of their support of the Men's Knitting Retreat! 
 Attendees of the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat, 2009 - Easton Mountain, NY As far as knitting goes, I have been working like a madman on my Men's Knitting Retreat Sock! (yes, we have our own sock pattern!) - beautifully designed from one of our supporters Marlowe Crawford (Marlowec on Ravlery) - the pattern should be available for purchase after the fall retreat. I'm almost done with the first sock... see?? I really like the way the pattern moves across the foot... and this yarn? you love this yarn? well, it's from one of our sponsors....and the yarn is called Fibernatura Yummy! - the needles were a gift from Joe (one of the organizers) and the main stitch marker was a gift from another attendee.... and believe it or not, I am enjoying the proces  Comfort Blanket for Jason - call for squares 04/29/2009
Jason1978 from www.menwhoknit.com has shared with his knitting community his struggles with cancer (testicular, now apparantly other forms) and we are all feeling like we need to do something - so I created a .pdf file that explains the details of how we will go about creating a comfort blanket. Note that we need 72 squares - I hope everyone will save the file to their computers, and print/post as needed - on your blogs, websites, distribute to local yarn shops or stitch and bitches.. have everyone write notes of support for Jason and include them with the squares. We must move swiftly on this - time is of the essence... so let's make it happen! I look forward to spending time assembling the blanket and getting it sent to Jason and his family. I have posted it on www.menwhoknit.com - I hope others (whether you know Jason or not) will take time to make a square or two and write a note of support. This is a difficult time and hopefully our notes of support will be helpful. 
 I finished and put a new yarn bowl up on my ETSY site - (click HERE to see that page) - which sold today and is now on its way to NY... I also put the cards on the etsy site and added a few other ceramic pieces and one knitting book. I plan on putting more knitting books on there as well as collections of yarn by color (for freeform knitting/crochet) to see if people are interested in buying it... but that'll have to wait for now - so many things are going on it's difficult to schedule much more into my day!  I was also able to get more large knitted pieces into the kiln last night - along with some glazed pieces I should be able to show in a week or two. The class is off to Davis next week for a ceramics conference... I am not going - saving my time away from work for my trip to NY for the Men's Knitting Retreat - and looking forward to it. |     ArchivesFebruary 2010  CategoriesAll  | ||||||||||||
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