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by Knit Picks Staff on April 6, 2011
I love to volunteer and I love to be outside, and those two things coincide a lot in Oregon. Every year we pick a volunteer activity for Earth Day, and we also did the SOLV Spring Beach Cleanup this year! I wasn't ever really a big fan of the beach, growing up along the Jersey Shore. There was sand and water, and that was kind of boring I guess.(not to mention me + sun = OW) But then I moved to Oregon and was entranced by the treacherous, rocky, geologically amazing coastline. I also loved the fact that, for the most part, there wasn't anybody out there. It was so peaceful, or as much as a violent ocean against a volcanic coast can be! I felt like I needed to give something back, so this March I volunteered for my first Beach Cleanup. Each year, thousands of volunteers comb the Oregon coast for industrial and household waste that washes up on shore. We chose a fairly small stretch of beach at Ona Beach State Park and went to work. |
Category Archives: Inspiration
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by Knit Picks Podcast on April 6, 2011
Kelley chats with designer Kerin about tips and tricks for reading knitting patterns. 3 easy ways to listen… |
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by Kelley on April 4, 2011
How do our furry friends always claim our projects? I laid out my first crochet throw to check my progress. Went into the kitchen to make an espresso shot. Walked back into the family room and there was Xena! Sound asleep on her new blanket! I suspect that she thinks it is perfect as is! I want to finish the outer ring and then there will be enough throw for me and Xena. That’s assuming that she will choose to share it with me. |
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by Knit Picks Podcast on March 17, 2011
Kelley interviews Hunter Hammersen, author of Silk Road Socks – a beautiful book that takes a look at the history of Oriental rugs, design elements unique to each style of rug and translates them into 14 stunning sock patterns. 3 easy ways to listen… |
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by Kelley on March 15, 2011
Yarn – Aloft PLUS Design – Belinda Shawl in Mason Dixon Knitting: Outside the Lines EQUALS (had to refer to a thesaurus because I knew just one word wouldn’t be enough) Diaphanus, gossamer, luminous, radiant, resplendent, shimmering, exquisite, elegant, ethereal – you get the idea. This layer is done in Tarragon. I can’t wait to see what happens when I start the Eggplant layer. P.S. Kay and Ann recommend using straight needles but I am using Zephyr circulars and I’m a happy camper. But, don’t forget that we do have straight Harmony needles. |
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by Kelley on March 9, 2011
Warm and happy. Nice new slippers to celebrate all of the snow we had at our home the last couple of weeks. And, in my enthusiasm for Chroma in fingering weight, I had completely forgot that we also had it available in worsted weight. Alison pointed this out to me as I blocked my Gentle Reversible Shawl and was trying to figure out my next Chroma project. This is my free Seed Stitch Hot Water Bottle Cover pattern. I used the twisted stitch version to give the fabric even more texture. It only took a few hours to knit the cover so I was able to use it to keep warm during the worst part of our winter storm. I used one ball of Chroma Worsted in the Mesa colorway plus a little bit more. The good news is there was plenty of yarn left in the second ball to make a hat. |
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by Kelley on February 24, 2011
Well, my poor Gull Wings Pi Shawl has been languishing in a project drawer. A victim of the hectic holidays and my slow recovery from said holiday season. It's not as if it is a particularly complicated pi shawl. Look at those lovely, regular repeats. The instructions are easy to carry around. There are no excuses. You know what I need? A good audio book and a weekend dedicated to recommiting to my shawl. |
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by Kelley on February 23, 2011
I love the Belinda Shawl from Kay Gardiner & Ann Shayne's second book, Mason-Dixon Knitting Ourtside the Lines. It is incredibly simple in design but the result will be so elegant. When we received our samples of Aloft, we all started thinking about what we would like to knit with the gossamer soft strands of super kid mohair and silk. Watching the two open-work layers of the Belinda shawl move past each other would be mesmorizing but add in the glint of silk and the warm softness of the mohair and I think this will be a delight to knit and wear. Look at the colors I've chosen. Tarragon was a no brainer since it is the sort of warm green I enjoy wearing. I put several second color options next to it but it wasn't until I held up the Eggplant that I knew I had found my combination. All I need to do is grab a pair of Harmony needle tips and a 32" cable. The sharp point will make it easy to work with the fine yarn. |
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by Kelley on February 21, 2011
With a second ball of Chroma in my stash, I went exploring for a nice pattern that could take advantage of the generous yardage of Chroma Fingering weight. This Gentle Reversible Shawl by Diana Troldahl has a lovely surprise in the instructions. Diana explains how to determine the equal division of whatever yarn you want to use. Then she also tells you how to adapt that knowledge to knitting her shawl. Absolutely brilliant! |
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by Alison on February 10, 2011
Just a little shout-out to Ravelry user halesje (Ravelry link) who had a clever idea for organizing DPNs. She found a makeup brush organizer in clear acrylic that looks great with our Knit Picks interchangeable needle stand and filled it with her DPN collection. I liked the look of it so much I went ahead and ordered the same brush organizer for my own craft room. It’s now sitting on a shelf next to my three prototype needle stands, a coffee mug filled with crochet hooks, and a small bamboo steamer that organizes my cables into short, medium, and long. |
