Luscious Gracious! Look What We Made Today!

Happy 4th! -the blog post formerly known as I LOVE LAMP

2008-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Holy Fireworks Batman! An actual blog post!

Look how proud the kids are to be Americans (old photo....they are twice as big and twice as proud now).

And just how do people living in 125degree weather (that's Fahrenheit, people) celebrate the birth of American Independence? By getting together to knit with wool, of course! Even more obvious is that the meeting place be highly air conditioned. Today, in the parking lot, during the two seconds it took Stephen to unlock the car, I could feel the heat of the pavement burning my feet......through shoes AND socks! It's hot, I'm telling you! No backyard pool parties or picnics at the park for us. It's so hot than we don't even step outside after dark, when it gets all the way down to 110degrees, to see the fireworks. Good thing we have big picture windows.....

So, without further ado, on to the Great 4th of July Mitten Knit-a-Long, brought to you by Steve. It was all his big idea.

And it began last month in a little knitting store in Cottonwood, AZ, where we had escaped the heat of the city for a long weekend. The store is called something like Alley Cat Knitting and Gifts, or Yarn and Gifts, or something. If you are ever in that part of Arizona, you should go. They have beads too, and boots. Anyway, the selection of summer knitting was just what we were looking for......lots of linen, hemp, and yes, even COTTON! But what we really liked, just couldn't help ourselves, was an entire wall of Harrisville "New England Shetland" from New Hampshire. The colors were gorgeous, the yarn itself magical. I'd never seen it out of a bag before (it's always in those kits, you know, for gorgeous coats and jackets....but did I mention we live in the desert?), yet here it was, hanging free for all to see. And fondle. Wool fumes. Air conditioning. We lost our heads.

But it was perfect! Just the thing for souvenirs...and two skeins is more than enough for....MITTENS! Stephanie is always saying how she needs mittens in this heat to deal with her steering wheel. And E wants to try colorwork, mittens are perfect for that! And there's poor Illanna, who froze to death during her first winter back in New York. She really needs mittens! I just wanted an excuse to buy the yarn.

We bought a little of it and headed out. Back at the hotel that night Steve decided he wished that he had bought enough for him to join in with the other hard-core KAL-ers in our International Knit Circle. And the next day, due to more hot weather, a disappointing movie, and a search for ice cream, we found ourselves right back at the knit shop. And Steve ran in to get his own two skeins of the wool. We selected two skeins for each person, but decided later to let everyone have his or her choice.

Good thing we did that, because NOT A SINGLE PERSON ended up with the yarn we thought they'd want. Just goes to show you, that with a small project like mittens, people come out of their color-comfort zones. So, grab your wool, any color, and mitten-along with us this summer. We officially start at Noon PDT 7/4/08. Should be fun, and relatively sweat-free. Mittens are a small commitment in time and wool, and they are appreciated by everyone, even desert dwellers.

Happy Independence Day. Celebrate in the way YOU see most fit. Knitting, of course.

And Now some other things we have made but never published to the blog. If anyone is reading this & would like more info, please leave us a comment.

Back in February when we originally started this post it was titled "I love lamp", because Steve got this cool new lamp at Costco to light photos, and we love it.

We made all that pottery at The Artist Within.

We didn't make this yarn, Stephanie did, we just bought most of it.

Spring Break Indiana!

We didn't make this either, Steve's sister did. Lily made the hat though.

And Steve made this picture.

This is a different baby cousin. Kiki made this hat.

These live in our carport, or at least they did until it got to be 110.

We didn't make the cupcake either, Melati did. Steve took this photo & the ones on her website. If you live in AZ, order some of these cupcakes now. They are the best ever!

Hope to see you all again, really soon! The summer knitting is just starting....
kikiandsteve

HLB 2008

2008-03-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Lily Grace!

We love you! Can't believe you are 11 already.
Love,
Mom, Dad & Lucy Jane

HSB!!!

2008-01-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

Look! Steve has finally come out of hiding, just in time for Happy Stephen's Birthday 2008!!! We won't tell you how old he is (older than me again; that's all that matters...), and we won't even begin to wonder what in the world he is doing in this photo, or why there is an outhouse, as well as an antique car, in the background. Steve has repressed a great deal of his childhood. Apparently it was too wholesome. And it encompassed multiple time-space continui. Isn't that the plural of continuum? Any Trekkies out there? Heck, the spell check is now telling me that "Trekkies" is also misspelled. Can't win.

Stephen also used to be a member of the Kennedy family. Back when he was blonde.

At any rate, Happy Birthday Steve!!! May all of your creatures continue to be creepy, and may you never run out of ping pong balls.

Geesh, we've been busy. We gave up trying to blog last year. Probably because it sucked. Last year, that is. Not necessarily blogging. But recently we've been harassed from across the ocean, in another language, by a poor village-stranded family who is dying to see what we're doing. And what the hell. It's a new year, and we are ready to put the past behind us. There's not a better way to start than by showing a giant pumpkin,

and a terrifying praying mantis.
Steve took both of these photos on a trip to Circleville, OH back in October. You can learn more about the giant pumpkin HERE. We'll just tell you that we know the guy who grew this thing, a record breaker at 1524.5 pounds. Cute David's dad, Dr. Bob (also Cute), is the master pumpkin grower behind Cream Puff. And David managed not to break the pumpkin while loading it onto the scales. It was nerve-wracking to watch, and more exciting than I care to admit. The Midwest....gotta love it. They even name their pumpkins. And the pumpkin doughnuts? Heavenly.

Kind of like the scenery. We tend to forget the simple joy of a cornfield framed by maples and a grey sky.

Steve is going to be an uncle, again. I knit this circular baby blanket (a la EZ) from some superwash merino from Spritely Goods. "Winter Lotus" is the color name, with stripes and a knit-on border from one of Stephanie's blue yarns.

I also finished the sweater that I was supposed to make a couple of years ago. A sweet friend from Chicago sent me the yarn (Noro "Kureyon" and Cascade "Pastaza") with very explicit instructions to make something for MYSELF with it. I finally cast on in October and quickly knit my very first steeked sweater. Notice the lack of close-up photos....

I wore it a couple of times. As you can see, Lucy wore it.

So did Lily. We all agreed that it was just too hot for our climate, even up in the mountains, so we sent it back to Chicago to dear Becca, who deserves it. She thinks I'm naughty, but we put all of our love and hugs into it to keep her extra warm, in case the llama isn't warm enough. She thinks it is a bit like the Sisterhood of the Travelling Sweater. I like that idea....Oh, also, in the background of these photos you can see our new house and garden. We are loving it! Especially this time of year, which really began with Halloween.....

Happy Holiday Post!!!!

Lily was a Borg (nerd). Lucy was a witch (as always). And we were all afraid, just absolutely terrified, of the infestation and out-of-control spawning of a horrible nemesis.....

No, not Lucy......................We mean UNKNIT YARN!!!!!

AHHHHH!!
These are photos of our wrangling process. We weeded out the bad and the tired, consolidated by fiber, and managed to get most of the yarn into a bit of order.

A very good thing about our new house? LOTS of closet and cabinet space, more than we've ever had. That means not only a cupboard just for yarn......(here all properly labelled and stacked according to frequency of usage),

but that the doors actually close and the whole "mess" is out of sight.

Ahhh.

And now onto the gift-giving season.

Lily made a "Bob" for her girlfriend Lucille's birthday. Bob is just Bob. This one happens to be made of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky.

Stephen used Malabrigo to make this jacket for our niece Ashley's birthday. He used a Barbara Walker Mosaic pattern and his own mad skills to create, and then felt, this masterpiece. Maybe he felted it a little too much. We think with some more blocking, it will be fine. Ash loves it, but we haven't heard the latest on the fit issue all the way from Indiana. If all else fails, it may become a bag.

I used DiVe's "Autunno" merino to make this little hat for our nephew. We'll just call him Jughead from now on. The points were fun to make....I made up my own pattern, but there is a cute one in the Domiknitrix book if you want your own Jughead hat. I used a little hint of orange to edge it. Wish I had one of my own.

Hat, I mean. My own hat. Not baby. We have lots of them in the family right now, though, including the Twins in California. Remember those Baby Surprise Jackets? I finally sent them out for Christmas. Fortunately, they are stretchy, and twins are smallish, so they still fit. I also sent along these little baby socks.

The striped ones are "Galway Paint" wool and the white ones are "Indiecita Alpaca" by Plymouth. Very soft, and both in the Little Coriolis pattern from my new favorite sock book by Cat Bordhi, New Pathways for Sock Knitting. I highly recommend it. Seriously. Genius. I didn't think I could get more excited about socks. I was wrong. Yes, I know those of you who do not knit (Muffy, I think I only mean you, and maybe Fabrice and Evelyne) cannot possibly understand, but that's ok. There are lots of you who do, and that's all that matters - having lots of enablers. I don't have photos here (we'll save that for another day), but I've made maybe a dozen pair using her techniques. Most are for me. Hey, if you bother to send me detailed measurements of your feet, maybe I'll knit you a pair too. Maybe.

Baby Twins have a Big Brother. He and Lily are very close in age and have a close understanding of each other. He's a great kid, and I sent him this pirate hat. He wore it in his school holiday program! I love that!!!! We had a little holiday entertainment here in Phoenix, too. Lily's class put on the Iliad. Cuz nothing says "Happy Holidays" like the Trojan War!!!! It was awesome. Not to ruin it for anyone, but everyone dies at the end.

Other Gifts.....

I "baked" a Christmas-y cupcake (inspired by Leigh Radford) for our favorite baker, Melati. She runs Sugar Blossom Cupcakes, which means that she bakes and delivers couture cupcakes to your door. And they are truly the best we have ever tasted. Our knitting group is addicted. And Melati is a blast. She should learn to knit, so she can join the International Knit Circle. Waiting for cupcakes to cool is just the right amount of time to knit a couple of rows on a pair of socks, right? If you live nearby, you should order some of these cupcakes by e-mailing Melati at orders@sugarblossomcupcakes.com. Tell her we sent you & maybe she'll give us some extras!

This is an Amoeba shawl of my own design. I used 2 skeins of "Inca Alpaca" by Classic Elite, color number 1105, a dusty red, for the center, which is knit in the Spider Stitch from page 268 of Barbara Walker's Second Treasury.

The stitch is easy to memorize and the yarn is sooooo soft. I edged it with a mitered Feather and Fan design using "Kid Merino" by Crystal Palace (#9798 reds). I then bound off with a thicker wool.....same colorway, but no label. I think it may have been a leftover bit of Patons wool, the plain orangey-red heathered one, perhaps.

I knit this shawl for Stephen's mother, the most beautiful woman I know. Cathy is amazing, and always looks so wonderful in red. She brought three-year-old Cali with her to visit us over Christmas. That was a true treat.

We spent part of the trip in Sedona (cold!!!!). Steve's sister met us there, and brought along her son Connor. Here you can see that only some of the LusciousGracious cousins have mastered the art of smiling for multiple cameras!!

Lucy made a gorgeous hat for Grandma Cathy, out of the world's softest Malabrigo. And it was cold enough to need it!! We are wimpy now, even running our heat in the desert. That first winter we never thought it would happen. Maybe we're just old.

I whipped up this hat for Lucy's Secret Santa exchange at school. It is Malabrigo (greeny-blue) striped with Cascade 220 (orange heather) and I knit it from the top down in simple stripes. The recipient? The coolest boy in her class. He's awesome, and he actually liked the hat. I guess I've still got it!! Whatever that means. Have you seen what kids in middle school will wear on their heads? Yeah. I hope I don't really have "it". Although anything they have has to be better than what pre-schoolers "share" in their hats. You know what I mean. I won't say the word, knock on wood. Rhymes with "spice".

Back to Cousin Connor, who is almost 7. He and his mom are busy reading the Harry Potter series, so I thought he might like a few things from the book, like tiny "Weasley Sweaters" with family initials (and a stocking for the nanny!). Also, a stripey hat for him. In Gryffindor colors, of course. I was tempted to make it reversible, with Slytherin colors on the inside. But 4 layers of wool? HOT!!! The fair isle snitches are like the ones from the Dobby socks in the Charmed Knits, the Harry Potter knitting book by Alison Hansel.

What else???? ...... simple knit and beaded poinsettia pins for teachers, to go with other goodies.

Lucy knit this awesome headband and cuff set for Aunt Shannon. I want some of my own (do I have the "gimmies" or what?). I love the lace-up details.

Out of the leftover Malabrigo from Ashley's birthday sweater, Steve knit and felted this elf hat for Christmas. It fits her!!!! He did some cool increase-arranging from the top down to get the shaping at the top. It's really a wonderful thing. He made another one, unfelted, for our little niece Chloe. We're waiting on photos of her. She looks like Cindy Lu Who (sure that Grinch fans are making fun of my spelling, but hopefully you know who I mean).

Below is a gorgeous scarf that Lucy knit for Aunt Carrie out of a beautiful skein of Manos. It is knit length-wise, and is so warm and pretty. Lucy really knit her heart out this holiday. Way to go, and we know it wasn't just because of what Dad said to you!! Steve actually forced the girls to participate in our pre-holiday knit-a-thon by telling them that, "every time you don't knit this season, an angel loses its wings." Remember that....Every Single Time.

She also made this tiny kitty for Lily out of scraps from some of our other felted projects. This is from the Aranzi Aronzo books (The Cute Book, The Bad Book, etc.) that we are obsessed with currently.

Lily also picked up needle and thread to create the lizard from those books for Letoya. Oh, he's so cute!!! They are simplistic designs with so much character....you'll want them all.

And now for something completely different. As in "not simplistic". But you may want them all!

Steve is a genius. He continues to make cool creatures, and has been on a spree since the fall. This is EraserHead, my own baby. Brown Sheep Bulky and other wools, felted.

Yes, he has butt cheeks!

This guy is Froggy with Pants. He has pants. Painted Pastaza, other wools, felted. Ping pong balls. Tongue.

Cali didn't know about this guy. She asked Steve, "What is this? Some kind of spider?" Maybe. He has 9 legs with suction-cup ends. Fair isle with a cable (?), twisting, braiding, intarsia face, etc. Malabrigo, Cascade's Lana D'Oro..felted.

This is She She. She is out of a mystery yarn that he bought just for her and lost the label, all in one day. It's wool, though, cuz it felted. Also it is stripey. She has wings and a stinger at the end of her tail. Also fingers. And Ceramic Owl Eyes from the days of macrame. Crazy!!

Geesh, I'm getting tired. This cataloging is hard. We should update a little more often, ehhh?

This is a simple bag I made from some soft Rowan sparkley wool with a crocheted drawstring. I used some burgundy cotton tape and some glass beads to dress it up, before I filled it with chocolate for a knitting buddy.

This little purse is for my dear little Lily Pants. The Fair Isle argyle pattern is adapted from page 102 of Knitting Over the Edge by Nicky Epstein. I used Lana D'Oro by Cascade (alpaca and wool) to make the bag in the round. To hide all of those carries, I lined the purse with a bit of a pillowcase from Ikea (didn't want to risk losing the cool pattern detail by felting the yarn). Can you tell who loves the White Stripes???

And did I make hats? More hats? Yes I did!! This time in cotton, as they are for Arizona dudes. The one at the top is for Steve, and the one below is for Jeff. It looks like an Atari game, I think. I made up my own top-down pattern and used a fair isle design from EZ's Workshop book along with some ideas of my own. Awesome.

Not as awesome as Jeff's ability to wear hats, any hat, and look good. Or at least only slightly goofy. There was also spinning involved this holiday. This is supposed to look like a bunch of sunshine, or Indiana Sweet Corn, for my dear Stephen. The yarns on top are from a Spritely Goods batt called Daffodils. I love that stuff. Have I said that lately? Also included are some random yellow and cream merinos that I plyed together to round out the collection. I also spun some wool for Lucy, SG Sage superwash merino. Don't know where that photo is, though.

And I made socks. Lots of socks. These are for Lucy. From "Lifestyles" superwash merino by Zitron, color 1861. I used my own toe-up techniques and actually like the inside (purl) side better in this yarn because it looks woven. Both ways are shown below, with the purl side on the bottom of the photo. Yes, I have more. Three balls of the green (color 1860) for myself. Knee socks, or maybe a vest.

These little footies are also for Lucy. I used Cascade Fixation for toes, heels, and cuffs, and divided a single ball of Ornaghi's "Merino Kind 5" for the rest. Just the right amount of wool for a springy, quick knit.

Poor Lily. Her socks are still on the needles.

On New Year's Eve I made this little blue hat, with some help from Lucy. Wool? Yes. Which wool? Big fat wool. Can't remember. Maybe she knows. I'm getting delirious. (update: Lucy says this is Bulky Cascade - 128?) Top down, earflaps, crocheted white edging. I tried it on and looked like a demented baby in a bonnet. She looks gorgeous. Must be those blue eyes. Or her ability to "work" anything.

Lucy knit this pocket with a fair isle cow for her friend Kari. I made a Fixation bag to put the pocket on.

It says "moo". Of course.

I don't think that this hat and mitt set actually went to anyone.....I knit it a bit ago, and think it is still under the tree. Forgot to send a package, apparently. Any takers? Who is cold?

And now for more of Steve's Creatures.

This episode is sponsored by E2K. Or rather, by E2K's Organizer. For the last few months E2K has been amazing all of us at The International Knit Circle with stories of her time with the Organizer....a woman who is slowly but surely getting E2K's house and life "under control" (E's words, not mine). This is great for her, but our house has seen an influx of toys and other cute things for the girls that used to live at E's house. Hmmmmm. There was a very funny rubbery floppy disk holder thingy in one little box of key chains, playing cards, and other fun stuff. Remember floppy disks? Apparently neither does Steve. He decided that this holder needed to become the spiny protrusions of yet another creature.
This one is pink and purple Malabrigo and Manos, felted and over-stuffed, with those green points from the thingy on its head, back, mouth, and tail. The best part of this story? In the true spirit of recycling, he gave it back to E2K, which means that the Organizer gets to see that floppy disk holder again. Wonder if she'll recognize it?

We had a little International Knit Circle "New Year's Day Holiday Recovery Party" this year, and handed out a few goodies (like Spiney Guy, above). Lucy owed Letoya a wristband from LAST YEAR'S party, so she delivered this skull and crossbones one to dear L on the first.

Stephen used some of that beautiful neon green mohair that Illanna bought on a cone (and redistributed to the group) to make little gift bags. Each one held a hand-crocheted and beaded bracelet made by Lucy and/or Lily.

This photo doesn't do them justice, but you get the idea. And the bracelets are long gone, adorning wrists far away at this point!

I made and beaded these wrist warmers out of Koigu for someone who didn't bother to show up. Ahem. They are from the One Skein book, and are a classic. I made other pairs as well, including a pair I just now remembered are hiding under my bed!!! Bonus! That's what I get for starting my holiday knitting early! (update: J-Dub showed up tonight, and received this gift. She's out of the dog house now, but right into the cat house).

Steve knit this great hat out of super-chunky wool for Letoya. She looks great in it, and people at her job are JEALOUS!!!!

Back when I used to do other things that didn't exclusively involve yarn, I painted some silk. This orange and pink piece is a scarf from that period. I knit up a loose tube of Malabrigo laceweight (2 different colors held together) with different sizes of needles until it was "long enough". Then I gave it to Betsy, who can wear the two pieces separately or with one inside the other, peeking out through the lacey holes. Inspiration? Leigh Radford (again) in her Alterknits book.

These are just some cables that I made out of soft wool. I sewed bits of elastic to join them into headbands.

Aha!!! Another fabulous Stephen creation!! This is our idea of a Spritely Goods Mascot. He made it for Stephanie using only her yarns. The faery body is knit from her Aeval merino-silk blend and then felted (heaven - by the way, this is Steve's favorite yarn of all time....I bought him some more in blue for a gift...can't wait to see what he makes me out of it! Update: Stephanie gave Steve another skein for his birthday, this time in the militia colorway. So spoiled!) The clothing and hair are from some of her hand-painted sockweight yarns. Most are limited editions, so this little faery can serve as a bit of a time capsule for Stephanie. Her work really is amazing (as is Steve's), and these faeries are dear to us both.

He made a couple of other ones. Two tiny ones still need clothes (I think that's my department), but this one is for Lucy. Same details as the one above, but this one stays at our house!

And now, what has to be the coolest thing I have ever seen in my life. A knitted hermit crab. Made of bulky and very soft baby alpaca. And Steve didn't even felt this one, if you can imagine such a thing. He knew what he wanted, and just sat down with the yarn, some needles, and his little brain going a million miles an hour. Over a few days and nights he sculpted a perfect little creature (well, actually quite monstrous in size when you think of it). Crabbie has one claw bigger than the other, and actually looks like they really do when out of their shells, creepy tiny claws/legs and all. His name is Crazy Joe. We hired him, and his puppets, as our financial advisor. Look out, IRS!!!

He used a self-striping wool by Universal to make the shell, also just created out of his head and magic knitting needles. The man is so cool. Did I mention that he's my wonderful husband, father to my children, and best friend AS WELL as Best Knitter Ever? This week we celebrated being married for 14 years. I am so lucky.

So is Lily. Not only did she get Crazy Joe, but her dad helped her to design and make her very own earflap hat out of Burlyspun wool.

So, it's Stephen's birthday, and we just had another anniversary. I feel so fortunate....I cannot really express everything that's in my heart. I try with my needles, but they often fail. Even in cashmere, even as a warm hat. I made this one out of two skeins of charcoal grey Schulana Cashmere Fino by Skacel. I adapted Barbara Walker's X and O cables (p. 255, first Treasury) to fit the top-down hat...and it is the very first, out of many, many, many hats that I have made for him over the years...that suits him.

Honestly, the man is responsible for all that is good in my world. My girls, for instance. Steve is such a kick-ass father, and he taught me how to parent from the heart. And without him, I wouldn't understand beauty the way that I do now. His work, both in fiber and with film, continues to inspire me. I knew nothing about color, about really "seeing" anything at all, until I began to see through his eyes...through his lens. He is astounding, and I am so honored to be part of his life. You should spend some time, when you have time, looking at this photo

and many more HERE. He took these over the summer, when he took a trip with David to see more of the beautiful Southwest. And after you look at that, come back to see us. We promise you a present for being such loyal readers. Not only did you wait so long for a post, you made it through this HUGE one. You rock!!! Leave us some comments & Steve promises to upload some more free patterns.

AND TO WRAP IT UP.......

2007 was an impossibly hard year in our lives, but we made it. I know more about family thanks to the many people who helped us through the past months, and we have so many memories that mean the world to us. These things we make are tangible reminders of the time we spend making them. Each brings to mind people and places that are otherwise too fleeting to catch. Working together, making beautiful things....that's why we started this blog. That's how we live our lives, and that is what makes us a family....THIS family. Here's to 2008, and to all of you.

Thank you,

The LusciousGraciousClan (kiki, lily, lucy, and steve)

HKB-07

2007-09-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Kiki's Birthday!!!!

We hope you get lots of presents,

and that all your wishes come true!

(who let Lily blow out your candles?)

Happy Birthday!
We love you,
Steve, Lucy, & Lily

Summertime...

2007-08-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

...and the living is easy indeed. That is, if you spend all nine weeks of it in Indiana, enjoying the farm life. And cool breezes at night. Let's just pretend like 98% humidity and 98 degree days don't come before those nights. Look at how happy our little ones were to be there, basking in the love, and humor, that is Family. Here Lucy and Lily harass Grandpa Kellie, with some help from Cousin Cali.
See that horse? Her name is now Colt, or maybe Scarlett, we are not sure, but she used to be SmudgePot (Steve's family is REALLY into race horses, or race horsing, I am not sure of the term. I spent about five minutes at a track one time and felt like I needed to bathe in Lysol. Not that I am passing judgement. I just like yarn. And when I say "just", I mean pretty much "only"). SmudgePot was also known as "The Band-Aid Horse". Sounds like a work of fiction out of 1969 San Francisco, but it just means that Cali's mama, Carrie (Stephen's little sister) used to cover, and we do mean cover, this poor horse with every bandage in the house. You can still see the dirty goo of Band-Aid residue in a circle (what were those particular ones for, anyway?) under poor Colt's eyeball. Good to see just how family heirlooms are passed down through the generations. Awe.

In other traditional news, Lily follows in her dad's footsteps by showing pigs at the 4-H fair. A guy at Steve's work said, "Like a dog show? Only with pigs?" You've got it. Lily earned awards and money, including one 9th place, three 4th place showings, and one FIRST (yeah, Lily). We are most proud of the 9th place, as she was the only one representing the vast Stephen family clan not to get LAST place that night (the practice night, the one with the "bad" pigs). Yes, it's only because she beat out her cousin, but it still counts.

Lucy, finding a way to participate without getting "icky", entered the sewing category and won blue ribbons for the skirt and shirt shown here, and a Champion ribbon for her technique journal, which is highly detailed and way too informative for a newby. Ahem...."Nerd".
Ikea fabrics put to ingenious uses, Japanese and Amy Butler patterns. Great job Lucy, and thanks to all of the grandmothers who stepped in when JDub decided to stay in Arizona.

Have we hinted enough to our favorite grandparents that ALPACAS are needed in this farm family? Just look how cute, and they don't go to the slaughter house at the end. Just saying....

Steve spent a fantastic week in the Hoosier state learning to be SASsy, just like the magazine. Computer nerds will get this, but it really doesn't matter. What he did learn is that cheap vodka and Sunny D "tastes like high school". Now, the guy who said this OBVIOUSLY did not go to high school with us. There was only Tang when we were kids. That's what she said!!!!

The only other thing he managed to do was to take this picture at Charley's house when he was waiting for Charley to show up. Is it a transplant from our Indy garden? Steve says no, but that gigantic hosta in the back (not pictured) sure was. Thanks to Charisse for that one. I'm not one to usually go on and on about hostas (I've heard that they bore some people), but MAN, that was some hosta. Too bad there's no picture. I'm sure we've got some. We LOVED that hosta. We neglected our toddlers to nurture that thing.

Hey, bored yet? Well, here's the darn knitting content. Another splendid felted bag courtesy of Steve. For JDub's big First Time 29. Complete with dog chain.

And yes, it's Lopi. Lopi Lite, you know. And no, no pattern. Just some short rows and Steve's short attention span.

About a week before Lucy's birthday she casually mentioned her "dream birthday sweater" in a phone call to me (Mom). She even had the color names memorized (Fixation, #4545 Coral and #6185 Fuchsia), and was very detailed in the requested shaping. And all I had to do was go into full Martha Mode and shop for the yarn, whip it out, get it mailed, and have it in Indiana in time for the big "Wild West" birthday party (also, no photos). Did I do it? Do you even need to ask?

She looks much cooler in Steve's gift, a preppy and perfect silk belt, one of his crazy "knit into itself" designs out of Adrienne Vittadini yarn. Pearls and a tie. Can we say "80's"?

Lucky you, pattern coming soon. Really!

Oh, I missed those girls. Every night as I ate a pint of ice cream and watched cartoons I wished they were there to beg me to share, or at least to bring me a clean spoon sometimes. Jeez. I worried about them, being so far away, in the land of crazed relatives,

cold and alone, reading Harry Potter without me. To solve one problem, that of "perceived cold", I made them each a cotton hat. Lucy's is actually cotton, silk, and rayon, but don't get me started. The label says "Zaffiro Madil, made in Italy", and I don't know what that means at all. I just like the yarn, here in the color Orange Sorbet, #211. It may be a new summer staple. Wool just seemed too hot for the summer. If you can imagine. Yes, I said "Cotton!"

To accommodate Lily's gigantic, ever-growing feet, I made a short pair of socks with the leftover yarn from Lucy's hat and a ball of Crystal Palace's Panda Cotton (with bamboo). She has worn them twice, they have been laundered, and look as good as new. I like me that yarn.

For my own feet, I made a little pair out of Misti alpaca. I had this grand idea that using cotton again (Fixation, surprise, surprise) for the toes, heels, and cuffs would make them "summer socks". Bad idea. My feet have never been hotter. Except, maybe, when I decided to use that red possum yarn for socks. I think that day my feet caught on fire.

The little button detail was inspired by something Illanna thought of doing, but didn't. I think it still counts as stealing, so I'm giving her credit for it right here and now.

And I also gave her mittens. Special, two-of-a-kind mittens. I used most of a chart from Terri Shea's new "Selbuvotter" book (buy it now), and some of my own nonsense added to the cuffs and my own strange way of making mittens. Schoolhouse Press strikes again. Thank you, Terri. You have made me love wool again. Really. Suddenly, I hate socks. And I can at least find a reason to wear socks in Arizona (our floors are so dirty that we are moving this week. Really). What will I ever do with all of these mittens?

These are made from my own yarn. The darker green is a mixture of merino and tencel that I spun a month ago (or it could be six months ago, I am horrible at this record keeping thing. Steve says I should say "this calendar thing". But that is just plain mean, no matter how true. Not to get too far off subject, and stop me if you've heard this one, but I am always trying to write "1987" on checks. Did I have my first checkbook then or something?). Anyway, the other, lighter, yarn is two shades of merino that I plied together; one was light blue, the other, light green. Fascinating. Oh, and I felted them for warmth.

I added the red wing for a good journey (my own personal bird omen), and wrote a little about the history of bird omens for Illanna. Did we say that they were a going-away present? They were. The first thing that I wrote down when Illanna broke the news that she was moving to New York, in seven days, was that "her bright presence can't leave a hole". And I still feel that way. Almost a full week later. And if she says what I think she's gonna say in response to that, all the better.

Love you, dear.

kiki

Coming Soon - Episode 3 - Revenge of the Stitched (really!)

Hosta la vista, Baby.

Steve

Craft Gossip

2007-08-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

There is an article about our website and the Strap pattern over at the felting section of craftgossip.com. Check it out here. It is interesting that they chose that pattern, as I plan to have a variation on it in the next LGStitched episode.

Steve

Coming Soon - Knited gifts, Episode 3 - Revenge of the Stitched.

HLB 12

2007-07-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again.....Happy Lucy's Birthday!!! This is what Lucy did for her sixth birthday, trying to cool down after a long romp in the park with her friends.
Now, Dear Readers, try to think back.....way back to what you were doing 12 years ago?
Kiki was attempting to beat the heat at the pool. The pop-up turkey tester says that Lucy is done. It was VERY difficult to keep smiling that week. It may be 112 degrees here in Scottsdale right now, but back then a week of 104 degrees and 98 percent humidity was enough to make anyone try to induce labor, especially those of us over two weeks overdue.

Lucy finally did make her appearance, all 9 pounds of her. Happy from the first, this is a shot of her smiling in her new home, which was warmer than her previous one (pictured above.....98.6 degrees all the time).

Here she is helping Dad get ready for work. Who has the better comb-over?

And at almost-12, here is our baby, still thrilled with hot weather on her birthday.

Lucy, we hope the weather is good for you today, and that you have plenty of air conditioning for your party.

Look how happy you were at your first one.

Oh, time goes too fast.

We love you, Lucy Jane. HLB.

mom and dad

Yarn Candy

2007-07-01T23:52:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick little post of some recent fiber projects.

Kiki made this 17" square lace out of some leftover sock yarn that J-Dub left on our coffee table. You know, because there is no other yarn in the house. This was a back-to-wool healing project. She was sore after knitting linen and bamboo sweaters. Ahh, the comfort of wool. Of course, the healing could be due to her use of the fantastic bamboo double-points from Spritely Goods. The orange edging is from a never-ending box of Lacy Lamb purchased several years ago in Indianapolis at the Mass Avenue Knit Shop (one of our first high-end yarn purchases). Maybe the secret of its never-ending-ness is that the yarn reproduces in that dark little romantic box.

Steve made this purple checker-board scarf from Needful Yarn's Ceramic (95% Rayon, 5% Ceramic). This yarn feels cool to the touch ("...makes you feel like it's 72 degrees inside your head, all the time"). Steve found it weird to knit with, but he'll try anything once. It does feel cool to wear, but it is more of a "chemically" cool than a natural one. Of course in the AZ summer, even a scarf that cools is still something extra around your neck in 110 degree weather. Maybe better as a tank top?

The girls did some spinning before they left for Indiana. Lucy made this pretty merino & tencel skein.

Lily spun this red merino. Isn't it nice?

Kiki knit some Elizabeth Zimmermann Baby Surprise Jackets for our new twin cousins out of Filati's "Luna Park" washable merino. Each jacket took less than two skeins of this sockweight yarn (210 yards each skein) on size 2 US needles. The pinkish one (color number 202) with a "C" button is for Claire.

This one (color number 203) with the "S" button is for Sam. Probably a good thing they chose Sam & Claire for names, instead of Kiki's suggestion of Sam & Ella.

Kiki also made these almost-thigh-high knee socks. She calls them the "Lasagna socks." The yarn isn't really lasagna, it is one 460 yard skein of Steinbach Wollle "Aktiv Effekt" in color number 50883. Just a simple toe-up stockinette (who would think?) with a twisted-rib top, knit on 00 US dpns.

Steve

coming soon - HLB - Happy Lucy's Birthday; Episode 3 - Revenge of the Stitched.

Hanillannakwanzamas

2007-06-14T23:55:00.000-07:00

What is it? Could it be?

Yes, Illanna, there is a FoxBot.
This one was made by LilyPants for Ms. Illanna for our "Holiday Celebration" that didn't happen over the holiday. But that's ok, we're fine with a two-term FoxBot Queen/King. If it's not broke, don't fix it.
We have used and reused and even abused those Jess Hutchison books. Good thing that we have two. We need 'em. Lily decided to leave off the arms of the robot (so cute), and to add a foxy tail. Of course we had all of the right yarns on hand. We don't remember what some are (including the tail, which is some odd novelty yarn), but the body is felted Malabrigo, mostly.
Speaking of yarn, here's some.

Apparently Illanna likes yellow. Because we say so, and a good girl always listens to her parents. I spun merino into gold. Nine skeins, approx. 175 yards per skein, three colors handblended while spinning. I really, really wanted to get aboard the yellow train, and am soooooo glad that several people that I know look good in it (my own yellow period? Jr. High. I wore yellow socks ONLY for at least 3 years. I even had yellow shoes- they were leather Keds and the color of butter...I miss those, but I wouldn't dream of wearing yellow now). And the day after I bought this fiber for her, Illanna confessed to me that she "HAD" to have a yellow sweater. A golden vest. A blouse of buttercups. A shawl of sunshine. Or something. I just remember being happy I'd just bought it, and cackled to myself about how surprised she'd be. You know, back in November. That's ok, yarn doesn't spoil. And no matter what she makes, Illanna will be gorgeous.

Stephen went all out and knit a lace shawl. The main yarn is Lang's "Thalja", which is rayon, superkid mohair, and nylon. This yarn just glows. Really. It has other colors inside of it that try to come out, like lime green and citrus orange. Honestly, it has a iridescent effect and changes with the light. After MONTHS of decision making, Steve went with a plain black border (Garnstudio's "Cotton Viscose"). And the stitch is indeed the Seafoam Lace (thanks, Barbara). Illanna tried it on, she looks lovely, and we all applauded. Even the waiter.

Lucy was (surprise, surprise) the only Luscious Gracious member to finish her exchange during the winter. She finally got tired of waiting on the rest of us and gave Illanna this gorgeous bag several weeks ago. She held two VERY thick wools together (we forget the name....) and made the bag up in her little knitting head, with just a few hints from Mom and Dad. Lucy is pretty self-sufficient, but when it comes to felting and color choice, you better at least pretend to ask Dad's opinion! One yarn is a dusky pink and the other a bright green. Somehow they melted together into this beautiful creation. And those happen to be the Illanna Official Colors.

Thanks so much to Illanna (and our other two girls) for such a fun time, and for all of the great presents (more here in the weeks to come, I am sure....such yarn, such fiber, such Japanese sewing books).

Speaking of holidays, and yarn, we celebrated Father's Day early. Dad took a day off work, thinking it was to take Lily to the orthodontist. Surprise Early Father's Day!! And he actually was, well, surprised. The girls made computer cards AND Power Point presentations (nerds) and they humored him by going to see "Surf's Up" with him. Steve didn't even know that The Dude was in that movie, which made it even better. Pretty high praise from the guy who knew this was the "Best Penguin Movie" yet before it came out.

Because he is the "Best Dad" yet, he totally and truly deserved the "Best Yarn" ever. Do you know that this is??????

No fair guessing if you already know. It's not like he's been shy about toting it around everywhere, and he even had me go ahead and wind it into cakes today. He can't wait to get started. And maybe, just maybe, it will be something for me. Unless, of course, Illanna usurps me again.

Lace, a sweater, AND a shawl?!?!?!

Come On!!

kiki

Lucy is Sew Awesome!

2007-06-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

Lucy learned to sew this past week. Thanks to J-Dub for the lesson and loaner machine. Dad, in a fit of inspiration, removed Mom from the house during the duration of Lucy's instructions. Lucy is Sew Awesome. Kiki is Sew Nervous.

Her first projects were these corduroy bags.

They are made from leftovers from the hemming of one of her pairs of pants.

Lucy made this apron & dress for part of her 4-H project this summer. Letoya gave us a denim skirt a couple of years ago. Steve wasn't wearing it, so Lucy cut it up into a dress. The pattern was from a Japanese pattern book, "Camisoles and One Piece", a gift from Illanna. No English instructions, but great pictures. The apron fabric came from Ikea. Pattern from Mom's head.

Mom showed Lucy how to make a little sundress like the ones she used to make for Lucy & Lily. 1 part Target shirt, 1 part cool fabric (Ikea sheet set used here), and 1 part sewing. Lucy made this dress for her little cousin.

She also made this awesome bag to go with it. It's amazing what you can get from one pillow case. We still have the double-sided duvet cover (two reversible all-cotton fabrics) left over. Check out the sales, and buy some sheets, even if they don't fit a bed in your house. Five dollars, people.

She also made a pillow from some other pants leftovers (ahh, the benefits of being short). Hey, now that we think of it, these pants were also a Letoya find.

Lucy's last project of the week (yes, these were all made within a week - the same week that included the last 2.5 days of the school year and packing for nine weeks in Indiana) is this super-cute shirt. It is also from that great Japanese book from Illanna.

We are so proud of Lucy. She did a fantastic job learning to sew. Good luck at The Fair.

Kiki made a couple of early birthday presents for Lulu to take with her to Indiana. This shawl is the "Ogee Lace Skirt" by Gryphon Perkins from the Spring 2007 Interweave Knits. It was such a fun, fast, easy knit (everything else Kiki makes lately is on size 2US or smaller needles....this one was on 10's....ahhhhh, big needles). Can't wait to do another one.

Here is a detail shot of the lace pattern. Kiki used SWTC Bamboo yarn. Don't know if this rainbow colorway was ever sold. Living in the neighborhood of South West Trading Company means coming across samples, prototypes, and other oddities from various sources, and we can't keep unlabeled yarns straight. You should see our house. Good thing we keep good notes on everything else....

Here is Lucy modeling it the way the magazine shows it. This picture also gives a better view of the lovely dress that Lucy made. How many adults can turn a blind hem?

Kiki also made these socks for Lucy. The lace pattern is an adaptation of the "Lacy Summer Socks" (perfect for summer, ehhh?) from the Knitting Lingerie Style book by Joan McGowan-Michael. The yarn is Crystal Palace's "Panda Wool", 46% bamboo, 43 % wool, and 11% nylon. We recommend the yarn (and this blue-green colorway, number 9573 "Ultramarine", is especially nice). The bamboo makes the yarn a little less stretchy than the usual sock wool. That's just a little tip and in no way a condemnation of the yarn. Only two days ago, Kiki was happy to see that it was "only" 100 degrees outside. We almost had to wear sweaters.

The girls have arrived safely in Indiana, and already forgot to call us once. But they called again tonight, happy, tired, ready for bed, and a little chilly with the 70 degree nights. We miss them so much already. Nine weeks seems like an eternity, but they are in the best hands possible, and farm living agrees with them, at least for two months out of the year.

Our love to them, and to you all.

Goodnight,
kiki and steve

Coming soon - Hanillannakwanzamas Knitting, other recent (or ancient) creations, and Episode 3 - Revenge of the Stitched