It may not look like much, but I knitted about this far (around row 23) of the pattern for the vest before realizing that I was on the wrong gauge... remember, I am working with 240 stitches and two yarns for this pattern - it's complicated for me (ok, not really complicated - but tedius, yes) and after a weekend of serious knitting I am pretty much back where I started!  I decided to keep the ribbing and just go up a needle size.  My gauge is still way off from what it is supposed to be (remember, this is TEST knitting) but it's looking good and if I can find someone to wear it (I think it'll take a 34-36" chest) I'll be happy. 

On Saturday, I went to the Hammer and hung out with Lisa Anne Auerbach (an exhibiting artist there) along with a bunch of neat fiber ladies, including my blog pal Ellen Bloom... we visited the exhibit and experienced the fervor of museum security when we were trying to do our group photo during our visit! - with the artist there, it was really OK, but since we hadn't made the official requests, etc. etc, all kinds of speakers and walkie talkies started going off... it was almost funny!

I am also working on my "theme" sweater that I'm designing in collaboration with Lisa Anne.  I plan to have the design ready in the next few months, completed and assembled in time for the Men's Knitting Retreat in New York -

That's about it for now... just an update about my grumpiness regarding gauge and my vest - but it's OK - I am thinking of this one as practice... and the next kauni I do I'll do in the right gauge (haha)

At the urging of my internet pal Holly (who blogs HERE) I have started a kauni effektgarn vest.  (Note the link for the yarn is not where it came from but will show those unfamiliar the color ranges and gives a definate "diving off" point for anyone willing to take the plunge!).

This vest started with a twisted rib - casting on 240 stitches and knitting in pattern for 3 inches on size 3 needles!  It took a while, but now I'm acclimated and a few rows into the fair isle part (which generously allows the increase of needle size albeit only to size 5 in my case!)  The vest is made in the round, with STEEKING (eek) for the armholes and neck opening!  I am ready and tackling this with fervor.  Last night I didn't want to sleep - I wanted to keep knitting on my vest... I can't wait to show you a pattern repeat of the trees!

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and spring break - it's back to school this week and time to focus on closing in on the last weeks of university! 

Yes, it's true... I really DO still knit.  Although this has been done for a while, I didn't show it to you..Yarn - Mondial Oggi

How much? @17 skeins = 1683.0 yards (1538.9m) Colorway blue 

Purchased at Hissy Knits in Los Angeles(now closed)

I finished this a while ago.... back in August, 2008 - but never got around to taking a photo.  I gave it to a friend in St. Louis but it doesn't fit him all that great either... the V-Neck is too big... it's a bit "revealing" if you know what I mean... I'm not sure how to repair that (ideas, anyone?) - I'd like to fix it up so that someone would wear it... the pattern was interesting...

The other news is that I put some pieces in my ETSY shop - a few ceramic pieces... hopefully they'll find good homes :)

I'm in the process of planning a lot of fun ceramic pieces, about to finish a secret project, and close to starting my fair isle sweater project (which I am planning [haha] on having completed before the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat - we'll see how that goes!

Paragraph.

I just received the first prototype for my metal yarn bowls - this one is aluminum - let me know your thoughts - what would you change?  Once we get the design part figured out they will be made in some artistic finishes and offered for sale - online (through my website) as well as through local yarn shops - and with any luck, if there is interest, we'll be selling them to yarn shops across the U.S.A. -  but that's later.  Right now, we have to find out if anyone is interested in a metal yarn bowl :)

Let me know!

Seriously - sad day in yarn land - Simply Knitting is shutting its doors - if you're in the area, it's 50% off EVERYTHING (she's selling her bookcases, furniture...everything) so get up there...

This is an extruded form I did last year - it was fired and ready to go when the raku option came around... so i tried it and love the way it looks!  I think it might end up being a planter (but I have to line it first)

on to fun news... I got to do RAKU on Saturday in ceramics... this white bowl is approx. 7" dia x 5" high and will be used as a planter.  Raku is not food safe, and is not watertight but with a liner, it'll make a cute little planter.  I apologize for the poor photos - but wanted to share.  What is raku, you ask?  Well, once a piece is made and dried, it is fired to ^6 (cone six) which is around 1830 degrees I think - after that firing, the piece is called bisqueware.  Then, special raku glazes are addes to the piece, using whatever techniques the artist wishes - and those are allowed to dry a minimum of 24 hours.  After that, the raku kiln is taken out (we did it outside) and the kiln is loaded and the pieces are heated back up to ^6 - THEN while the pieces are glowing red hot, the kiln is opened (deep breath; hope nothing explodes from the thermal shock of "normal" air temperature hitting the wares), the pieces are removed using tongs and put into metal trash cans filled with anything combustible - newspaper, straw, dried leaves, sawdust, even vegetable oil!  The material burns hard and fast, and a lid is put on the can - the flames go out, smoke billows out, and the oxidation process takes place.  After about 15 minutes, the can is opened, the piece removed, put on a fireproof tile, hosed gently down and allowed to cool slowly.  In the end, you get beautiful color... it's unpredictable - the colors react with the burning pieces... and chancy - the pieces can break or explode... but it's super fun and felt like Christmas all day long!

Knitting Needle Vase - knitted ceramics - approx. 4" dia x 5.5" high

"Knitted" ceramic platter (flat piece) approx. 7" x 10"

SOLD

starburst interior with fish scale exterior, hand painted wax resist and raku bowl, approx. 7.5" dia x 3" high

"More Yarn Please" raku yarn bowl (suitable for sock yarn or something small) - approx. 5" dia x 3.75" high

Link Bowl - wax resist and 2 color raku interior, black oxide exterior with raku rim, approx. 7.5" dia x 3" high

And the best for last... Raku Yarn Bowl, approx. 6" dia x 4" high (approx. 4" opening) - this is what the pieces look like... as far as the type of coloring.  I am considering putting ALL of them up for sale - so if you're interested in any of them, EMAIL me and let me know how much you are offering - of course, we'll have to ship these (in most cases) so there's that additional cost... as always, a portion of any sales I make from the website go to Living F

in progress.... waiting to get into the kiln!

The survey is wrapping up - final submissions MUST be made no later than Sunday, March 22, 2009!  THANK YOU for all the people who have participated - we're at just over 900 (can you believe it?!) responses - all of them valued and appreciated!

the link is HERE - click and take it if you haven't already - I'll be researching the data and developing the project further as time goes by -

and last but not least.... any of you guys who are interested in participating in the project - check out www.knittingmeninamerica.com and get in touch - we're st

The designer David Hayes closed his shop a few doors down from my work in Beverly Hills.  He is (according to rumor) one of the original costume designers for the famed TV show "Dallas" - although I have not been able to confirm that... anyway, as I was walking through the alley to move my car, I saw this dress form in the back!  I talked with the people there (it was their last day and they were hauling things to the trash) - a small transaction later, I am the proud owner of this oldish dress form!  It needs a little bit of work, and I have NO idea what I'm going to do with it (remember, I have a "new" one at home) but it's mine, in my garage and waiting patiently for its new role in my life.  I also got some of David's labels and intend to sew one to the back neck of this form to help remember where it came from...

I got a little rough and dirty on the cleaning up of this bowl - took a bit too much material off of the bottom part - but I think it still looks good... we're gonna fire it to see what happens - I may leave the bottom half raw (unglazed) to see what it looks like... maybe just glaze the inside and rim.... any thoughts?

This is probably the best bowl I have done so far - symmetrical and pretty even - and I had just learned the technique of using a chamois on the lip of the bowl to make it nice and smoothe and rounded...

here's the yarn bowl in progress - as greenware and ready to be fired - I am thinking of using the fun Raku glazes and firing techniques on this one since it's for decorative/non food use anyway!

and for those of you asking me about the kitties... here's Wink all snuggled in her bed - I put one of my knit blankets down for her to sleep with... she curls up in a ball on her back and sleeps like this all night long... nothing like a comfy kitty!

Saturday was an all day Ceramics day for me... I'm starting to work on forms for YARN BOWLS! - I am hoping to be able to offer a number of these for sale by the early summer.  If you have particular wishes regarding sizing, color, etc. be sure to email me and let me know and I'll try to make one to fit your needs :)

I also started work on an organically shaped "knitted" vase - this piece stands about 14" tall and is highly textured on one side, less on the other (but the same pattern) - I like the feeling this is conveying; marriage of clay and knit.... we'll see where it goes from here.  Any suggestions as to what color you might like to see this vase?

Here's my first attempt at a truely knitted "vase" - there are holes in this one where the stitches gap apart... but it should be a great holder for knitting needles!  it's drying and waiting to be bisque fired...

And this... ladies and gentleman is a porcelain knitted swatch - it's about to be bisque fired as well - and may end up as a framed piece... it's a test for future projects... but I'm having a great time experimenting...

I have 3 bowls being bisqued right now, and in addition to these pieces 6 more bowls waiting to be trimmed and to go to bisque firing... it was a fun Saturday class this time - quite productive!

I also knitted on a secret project that I can't reveal quite yet... it's about 30% done... and I'm truckin' along on it!

Lastly, the Knitting: Men in America survey is coming along nicely - lots of amazing bloggers and websites have linked to it and we're getting a great cross section of contemporary knitters contributing to the data.  I am learning all kinds of neat things about the way we think of each other and can't wait to share it with all of you!

I think the wheel is becoming my new friend - I made 3 bowls last night - 2 of them turned out pretty well (this is one of those) and the third one is OK enough to keep going forward with, but it was a little more wonky... I learned that the base of the bowl should be about 1/2" thick and the sides about 1/4" - I have a tendency to make the bottom too thin - but that makes it almost impossible to trim when it's leather hard...

This is the "first" pot I threw on day 1 of the class this semester... it's not perfect that's for sure - and too small for a "real" yarn bowl (it'd work good for sock yarn I guess) and the walls were too thin for me to cut the notch to the yarn feed hole... but it's still worth working on... someone may want it :) - I plan on making bigger yarn bowls once I know what I'm doing..

I like how this one turned out - you can't see the foot of the bowl but it's there - tucked nice and deep beneath the bowl... we learned the basics of trimming and what makes a good bowl - following the interior and exterior curves so they match each other is important... and it takes practice.  I'm happy at this point getting what I set out to do... that's not happening yet but the series of "happy accidents" has been fun!

I got a little brave with the trimmer on this one... the foot turned out good but as I was carving the lines up the bowl's sides, I got VERY close to cutting the piece in half!  You can see the mark pushing through on the inside of the pot... I don't know if it'll look good after it's first firing, but it's on the shelf, waiting to be loaded and fired! 

I want to mention once more - for those of you who may not have taken the survey, go to www.knittingmeninamerica.com and click on the "survey" link - for knitters - men and women - help me gather good information about who the knitters are in contemporary America - and if you're a guy and interested in participating, read about the project and send me an email.   Thanks!

Please take a moment to take this survey that will help us all understand the perceptions of other knitters towards guys who knit in the United States!  Thanks! 
here's the link:

http://www.knittingmeninamerica.com/survey.html

also feel free to pass the info on to any of your friends - this survey is intended for anyone (male or female) who knits and is in (or from) the United States

Thank You!!!

email me at knittingmen@yahoo.com with any questions or comments about this survey.

IF you happen to have a blog or website or know of somewhere that I should email to get more participants, please let me know - feel free to link to this post or to the survey page itself and ask others to participate - the more information we have the better of our knitting society and the way male knitters are viewed

For those of you who signed up for the "states" part of the project, you'll be getting a separate questionnaire - but feel free to participate in this survey as well.  Thanks!!