spillyjane knits

An explanation

2012-01-19T09:31:00.005-05:00

While in London I made many pictures and notes - probably more than I ever have while abroad. I'm not exactly sure why, but it is strangely difficult for me to show them here.Don't get me wrong - I had an amazing, magical holiday. I am sure that the posts about my time in London will reveal themselves to me sooner rather than later. I will let you know when that happens.

London, pt. 1

2012-01-12T09:00:00.007-05:00

For a week I am a Londoner. It is incredibly easy for me to be here.
I find the Jane-shaped gap in the street and slot myself in. The city begins to flow around me.Have I finally been accepted? Is the third visit the charm?

I've recently learned that my great-grandfather was born here. Can the City sense this? One hopes.Another chance to write a new chapter in the grand romance between London and I. Let's go.

A wee spot of catching up

2012-01-09T08:40:00.009-05:00

Well, I am back - to work, to life - for the first time in what feels like ages, but was actually less then two weeks. I've actually been back for a handful of days now, the majority of which were spent recovering from my recent sojourn in London, which (to my North American mind, at least,) is nothing so much as it is a Dickensian Fairyland full of museums and trains - or so it seems to me this morning.At any rate, while I spent the past little bit in a anglophilic state of perma-swoon, Life (and work) continued on without me - which is a roundabout way of saying that I have a wee spot of Catching Up to do. Here we go.

A week ago today I was touring Canterbury (more on that later.) I had just sat down for a cup of tea and a quick email-peek when I got word from Jared that Wool People 2 was going to be released the day after tomorrow (last Wednesday.) As that was my Travel Day Home, this gave me something to look forward to - I have a (mitten!) pattern in Wool People 2 - the lovely (if I may say so) Art Deco subway grating-inspired 34th & 8th mittens.For more info, and to pick up the yarn (Brookyn Tweed LOFT!) to make your own pair, allow me to direct you right over here. To see the other pairs of 34th & 8th in progress and to queue them up yourself, please proceed on to their page on Ravelry here - do not pass go; do not collect $200.

The other bit of news that went down while I was away - also on last Wednesday, if I am not mistaken - was that registration opened up for the 7th annual installement of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club. And yes, I am pleased to announce that I am one of the designers on this year's roster. I can hardly believe it myself.

What else - oh yes. All the Loose Ends that I tied up before I flew away are now allowing me to tie up even MORE naughty loose ends now that I am back - which means more new SJK patterns for you Nice People. The GandeyMitts are due to sneak out at some point in the very near future, as are the new and, more-importantly, FREE gentleman's Athleisure socks. You will be notified.

Finally, for those of you who enjoyed my triad of posts that resulted from my last trip overseas, you will be pleased to know that I have a swathe of writings to share with you from this most recent one. Soon.

No More Boring Knits!

2011-12-20T10:23:00.006-05:00

I finished the massive (and extremely cozy) Gandeymitts last night. They're for Tom, of course. Now I just have to line them so I can send them on their way.I'll be releasing the pattern shortly - you are only a scant three balls of Brooklyn Tweed SHELTER away from a pair of these. No more boring knits for men - so says I; so it shall be!

Sneaky peeks + free things

2011-12-14T11:09:00.012-05:00

I've got patterns coming out in all kinds of publications in the new year; as such I've been doing a lot of sample knitting lately. While it's nice to know that my work is going to be out there in some very fancy places very soon the short-term effect is that I can't show my new patterns (five, at last count) off online. Desperate to populate my Ravelry Projects page with something more than a bunch of blank squares, I made detail shots of (some of) my Super-Sekrit works in progress, and they look like this:...which I quite like, actually - both separately and as a grouping of four.

They act as a wee taster to the finished projects while not giving too much away (which, I must admit, I find as frustrating as the rest of you.) I find my (initially) unintentional inclusion of the tools of my trade a nice insight into the entire process of making (plus I just love the look and feel of my specially selected, beautiful tools.) They show a snippet of the pattern, project and object's life that is rarely seen by anyone but me - the "wrong" side, the inside, that unglamourous point in the proceedings when there are tangly bits of yarn exploding out in every which way. You know - all the messy stuff that I eliminate before I show you the thing and say "I made a thing! Here, look at the thing!"

So until I can show you the finished things, these will have to suffice. Again, my apologies - I am not very good at patience myself.

If you'd like some instant gratification, though, I think I may be able to help you out with that - I'm currently offering the pattern for my SpillyMitts for FREE.
I'm still undecided on how long this offer will stand, so grab them while you can!Back to it - there are lots of other things that I am supposed to be doing. More news as it becomes available, of course!

Two, erm, THREE New Mittens

2011-12-12T13:56:00.015-05:00

A little something to make the inevitable transition into Winter that much nicer: I've just released two new mitten patterns in as many days.

The first is Thamesis, inspired by the River Thames him/herself.Wavy, twisty and watery allusions abound - from the undulating patterns of the palm to the twisted stitch cabling on the cuff:Here we see the Seven Springs that are sometimes cited as the River's Source.

The greenish colours I've chosen for these ones add to the River-y feel of the mittens, but please don't feel limited by my choice. I would love to see these ones in hot pink and orange; turquoise and red; yellow and grey; etc.

The other ones are the Illuminine Mittens, the third of my mittens to be named after a Thurston Moore song. It happens. (For the curious, the other two are Benediction and Psychic Hearts.)

The Illuminine Mittens are the official mitten pattern of National Knit Mittens Month (NaKniMitMo) 2012, which is right around the corner - it kicks off on 1st January 2012.

Which reminds me, you haven't seen Benediction yet, either (or have you?) Here they are:They made their exclusive debut at KnitCulture's kiosk at Vogue Knitting Live this past September, but now they're up and out for everyone to enjoy.

So yes, you have a wealth of new mitten patterns to choose from! As for me, I'll be continuing to work through my pattern backlog - the socks - including a free sock pattern - are up next. Look out.

Because

2011-12-10T16:02:00.004-05:00

Because I love the colours. Because this one is going to be flying off before I know it - Chris' Chelsea Hat:Because Chris loves Chelsea. Because making and giving and making happy makes me happy.

A Sneaking Feeling

2011-12-07T11:39:00.007-05:00

Ever get that feeling that you're being watched?

You know - you're just going about your day, and everything seems fine......but there's this feeling that...something's lurking just out of view - possibly even...overhead?Yeah - me too.

__
The WereGandey/GandeyWolf has been Ravelled here. Learn more about his namesake - my friend Tom - here.

All Strung Up

2011-12-05T09:43:00.012-05:00

There have been some especially fine types hanging around (ha) the DIA lately - I say hello to them whenever I am in.

Like yesterday, for example. There they were, waiting for me, as cordial and jovial as always. I am trying to be strong about the fact that yes, they shall be retiring to their dressing rooms in a mere handful of weeks.

They are American Royal Mationettes, and they're from the grand old days of Vaudevillian Theatre. As for me, I am hard-pressed to choose a favourite.

I can't help but think that one, in particular, has influenced me - or my output, rather - in a very deep and subtle way.

Just look at who's flown and slithered off my needles lately:

The sense of colour, the sense of play, the wide, bright eyes - they're all there. I think it's safe to say that my Vaudevillian friends have gotten into my head. When the curtain finally falls, I shall miss them.

Bogged Down

2011-12-01T19:46:00.011-05:00

After years of searching - and then a several very intense months of coveting - I have finally acquired a Bog Oak spindle - and a very finely made one, too.Well ok, only the very top bit of the whorl - the dark bit - is the Bog Oak, but that is enough for me. To think that this specimen has been carbon dated to 3300 BC - and is therefore over 5000 years old - is simply amazing.

Prior to this acquisition I had only had the briefest encounters with bogs and the things that have ended up in them. Years ago, when I lived in London, ON the Byron Bog was a favourite destination to...attempt on the weekend. I say "attempt," since it was often so water-logged that merely entering was impossible, unless one was keen on getting seriously bogged (ha) down in the muck. I always wanted to go deeper in, hunting for rare orchids and carnivorous plants - I think I may finally attempt this next Spring/Summer.

I can't help but wonder what has sunken into that particular bog, and I'm sure that something has, sooner or later. Perhaps some lovely wooden bits such as my piece of Bog Oak lie in its depths? Or maybe something - or someone - else lurks within? I had the chance to meet Lindow Man this past March which was quite a thrill, to say the least. I am pleased to report that we have another date scheduled for the end of the month.

And of course one should not forget the objects dropped into bogs (either accidentally or on purpose) that have made their way down the ages to us. Though it was a decade ago, I recall standing in front of a couple of fine bronze Scythian cauldrons - a rare opportunity that would never had happened had they not made their way into the belly of a bog all those centuries ago. They were handsome pieces - very sturdy and fine in their simple lines - and bore a patina that was quite unusual for bronze. My two companions wondered out-loud (and loudly) as to what could have caused this - but turned a deaf ear when I suggested that perhaps it was a by-product of dwelling at the bottom of a very acidic bog for centuries. To this day I can't help believe that I was on to something there.

I myself am not entirely familiar with the finer points of the chemistry of peat bogs but it seems to me that nothing short of a kind of magic occurs within their depths. Pots, plants and people go in - and then come out in the far-flung future. They are all the truest of time-travellers and we are fortunate to be able to make their acquaintance.

And while I'm on the topic of Scythians, here is Andrew Bird's song about them. I can't help but wonder if he saw the same travelling exhibit that I had back way in 2001. I will even forgive his mispronounciation of their name, but only because he is so cute.

The Day before December

2011-11-30T11:24:00.008-05:00

Today I woke up to the lightest dusting of snow - so light, in fact, that the term "icing sugar" sprang to mind. It was quite pretty - and all the prettier since it is exactly the kind of snow that will be gone by mid-afternoon.

I took this chance to nip out to the back garden to rescue a couple of ladies-in-distress that I had been keeping an eye on for the past little while. Some thyme just had to come with, since it smelled incredible when I stepped on it to save the ladies in question.And here they are together, all happily snuggled up in their new home - one of my collection of old caper jars. I realize that I have probably violated several basic tenets of flower arranging, of which I am acutely aware. Luckily I belong to the "fill an old caper jar with water and insert the snippings" school of floral design, so I can't say that I care too much. I like my arrangements like I like my gardens and that is wild.

My lovely ladies are hardly themselves in these frigid temperatures. Heritage is normally a beautiful blush, but out in the cold she has deepened to something closer to a lipstick pink......and the usual creamy white petals of Evening Star have developed blush and greenish tones.Now the jury is still out on whether or not they will properly open, but I am hoping that the warmth of the house will help out a bit. Still, they are exceedingly pretty in their budded state and I will enjoy them regardless.

The Wolf Pack

2011-11-22T13:05:00.005-05:00

Yes, an entire week later and I am still very much in the clutches of my three handsome English werewolves. It seems that, while I thought that I might make my escape more swiftly, they had other plans in the meantime. Still, I managed to elude the first of them last night, and today? Both the wer and the wulf aspects of Number Two are both fully complete. Here he is, The Clerkenwell Kid in woollen form, alongside his woolly lupine alter ego.This, of course, was taken prior to their Joining - a messy undertaking much like any other surgical procedure - hence the lack of photographic documentation. Still, together or apart, I daresay that both halves turned out quite cute, and I am truly hard-pressed to decide which of the two I favour more. Perhaps the wulf? I always did have a thing for chest hair and he is sporting quite the pelt indeed!

Some of you have been asking if the pattern is one of mine and (unfortunately) it is not - though I wish it was as it is completely, utterly brilliant! It's by Annie Watts and you can find it on Ravelry here. Simple in its complexity and complex in its simplicity both at the same time - I can't say enough about this one. LOVE.

Me + Mr. Wolf

2011-11-15T13:14:00.014-05:00

I am in high production mode today - polishing off the first of three handsome knitted werewolves. At present he is still very much a work in progress, but I am, erm, over the moon about how he's coming along.Soon I'll be joining the two halves together - now that shall be a proper mad scientist moment!

No, the fact that I am producing (were)wolves out of sheep's clothing is not lost on me. Nor is the fact that the wool in question is Shetland wool - which will be returning to the UK shortly, but in wolf-form.

If you'd like another taster of the lupine persuasion, allow me to offer up this delicious morsel - it's the brilliant new animated film made to accompany The Real Tuesday Weld's equally brilliant song, "Me. + Mr. Wolf" - and it's even better than I thought it would be.Sexy, violent and violently sexy - call it Red Riding Hood Noire.

Get Persnickety!

2011-11-12T19:33:00.005-05:00

Hey, Nice People! Did you know that the pattern for my Persnickety mittens is currently FREE on Ravelry until tomorrow night? Yes, FREE - no tricks, treats or strings attached.Grab it while you can! Knit Persnickety and have Fun!There are more FREE surprises yet to come - please consider yourselves warned!

George the Toad + Wovember

2011-11-11T09:47:00.023-05:00

This is George. He's a toad.He likes slugs, long hops on dark rainy nights, and...hanging about in people's studios.

George turned up in my studio late last July, just in time to help me bang out a new pattern (using LOFT, no less!) for Brooklyn Tweed's forthcoming publication Wool People 2.

And yes, it is quite diffcult to work when someone won't get off the book that one is trying use...George.Luckily I knew of someone else who has a couple of lovely studios that I knew George would absolutely love. Besides, George shares Tom's predilection for flamboyant headgear.From what I understand they are now getting on quite well together, which makes me happy. I hope you're behaving yourself, George!

Another thing that makes me particularly happy (happy? More like ecstatic as a raving crazypants LOON,) is WOVEMBER - the month-long celebration of REAL SHEEP and REAL WOOL that has been organized and executed by Kate and Felicity. In a burst of utter JOY and LUST to celebrate WOVEMBER I promptly swooped down upon Felicity's Etsy Shop and picked up a couple of her limited edition WOVEMBER 2011 tweed-covered badges. They turned up in the post just the other day......accompanied by the sweetest note. Thank you, Felicity - I will now be properly decked out for the rest of this WONDERFUL, WOOLLY WOVEMBER. Baaa!

This is Happening

2011-11-08T09:45:00.012-05:00

This may be news to some of you, but to others not - in any event I will cut to the chase - yes, there is a book in the works. My own book, full of my own patterns, that you will be able to buy wherever it is that you like to buy books.I don't think I ever properly announced this impending bookdom, as it began humbly as a couple of idle tweets between Shannon and myself on a sultry morning this past July. Which is why I found myself speeding down to Cleveland on a similarly sultry morning this past August.Once I found my way into knitgrrl studios, Shannon and I sat down and started talking BOOK. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that this conversation was taking place almost ten years to the day that I had similarly sat across from a woman behind a desk and had...well, the exact opposite of this conversation. It's funny how history twists, turns, repeats itself...and provides. Had you told me ten years ago about where I'd be now I wouldn't believe you.And, you know, while I want to say "I wouldn't change a thing," that's not exactly true. What I do know is that I like where I'm at and I like Shannon A LOT better than that other lady - we share a comparably inappropriate sense of humour, for instance......and the sarcasm. Mustn't forget the sarcasm.

But yes, BOOK! My BOOK! Will keep you all posted as details become available that I am able to share.

The Bulb-bening, 2011

2011-11-07T10:01:00.004-05:00

Well, this year's batch of bulbs has been planted - I even have the sore back (from improper bending) to prove it.The usual suspects are out in full force; weirdo tulips abound - odd blends, some frilly, some splotchy, some ruffley - but we have some new offenders on the roster as well this year. Swathes of daffodils, drifts of crocus - some commonplace, others not. I look forward to meeting them all in the Spring.Black Passion Blend tulips? Yes, please!

And just in case anyone of the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed persuasion even considers helping him- or herself to a bulb-snack, I have added a little something extra to the mix:I hope you squirrels are in the mood for Indian tonight!

And though my bulbs are currently napping under their chili-seasoned soil duvet, I clearly still have tulips on the brain - just look at what I picked up from Meadowview Alpacas:There was no way that I could've said no to saturated colours like that! This palette will surely help tide me over under the tiny wee bulb-noses appear in the garden.

Full Circle

2011-10-17T10:37:00.006-04:00

Nice People, you may have noticed that I both love - and have - a lot of Things. Usually these Things call me from afar, tell me that they Need to come Live with me and then proceed to seduce me into taking them home (with me.) And sometimes - certain Things tell me that, while it has been Nice, and No Hard Feelings, But...it's time for them to leave me. It was fun while it lasted, but the spark is gone and...it's over.I have recently undergone one such parting this past weekend, when I said adieu to a decade's worth of meticulously hoarded - erm, collected - video games. Before you decide that this sounds silly, I must warn you that said collection consisted of only the most heart-warming (and -rending) bits of melodramatic escapism that money could buy. Longer than movies, more involving than books, for the past ten years - before knitting - these games were my substance of choice to abuse.

A chance exploratory tweet caught the attention of Rebecca, who had the made the most brilliant of suggestions - she would take them all off my hands in exchange for - you are sitting down, yes? - handspun. Piles and piles of her glorious, glorious handspun. Well; what would you have done?Which is why Saturday morning found me up and out before the sun was even up, bouncing around like a chipmunk on speed before that first drop of tea passed my lips. Up the 401 I sped under a brooding sky, completed the happiest, most-satisfying trade in the history of all trades and spent a lovely afternoon in Guelph and environs. The sun came out to greet me just as the Detroit skyline appeared on the horizon. Home. Having parted with Things that no longer suited me; having made someone happy by giving them to her. Having acquired a great deal of precious handspun yarn; having made a couple of new friends - the happiest of ends to one of the happiest of days.One can't really ask for more.

Earth + Sky

2011-09-29T09:49:00.003-04:00

Fresh from the back garden - this morning's pepper harvest.And now I shall return to a pursuit more celestial than earthly - for you, Nice People, I would knit the Moon.

The Enthusiastic Origamist

2011-09-20T09:15:00.007-04:00

In one of my past lives - before I took up knitting - I was an origami enthusiast. Origami was not only my habit and hobby of choice, it was something of a lifestyle. It kept my hands busy through the last days of my second post-graduate degree - a Master's in Library and Information Science. I would fold birds and butterflies all lecture long. The year was 2004.

I left a trail of origami wherever I went - at my seat in the classroom, on the table in the pub, around where I was sat outside. I grew used to the calls of "Wait - don't you want these?" from lecturers, friends and servers alike. Of course I didn't - they were a renewable resource. I could always make more.Sometimes I would save up a bunch of them and purposefully place them en masse in some poor, unsuspecting corner of the building or grounds. from what I understand, people loved it - it made them happy to turn a corner and find a railing or a shrub alive with paper birds and bugs - which in turn made me happy. If a few folds of a fancy piece of paper brought this much joy, how could I say no?

At night, when I'd return to my lair in London - Ontario, of course - I would sit down and work on the ultimate origamist's project - folding 1000 cranes. I had bought a special box of paper just for this purpose.It took me a while, but I eventually did it. At which point I started working on my second thousand cranes, which never completely panned out. I think I stopped somewhere around 1100 or so - I haven't counted them in a while.

My point, though is this - I've been living with my thousand cranes for quite some time now, and it's time for them to fly off to live with one of you. My offer is simple - pay only the shipping to get the 1000+ cranes from here to where you live and they are yours. If you are interested, please comment below - first come, first served.

Sated.

2011-09-18T20:25:00.009-04:00

Where did the day - erm, the weekend - go? I have no idea.I'll say this though - it was very, very full - as am I. And tomorrow - another day. Let's go.

Loose ends

2011-09-15T10:09:00.005-04:00

A few things that deserve a proper mention:

Firstly, I was the Vogue Knitting Live Designer of the Day on KnitCulture's blog yesterday. They'll be debuting my latest mitten pattern - Benediction - at Vogue Knitting Live in LA later this month. They'll also be selling kits to make the mittens, so if you are going, please drop by and say hello! I wouldn't want my mitts to get lonely so far away from home.

Click here to read the article.

Next, another pair of socks for Tom dropped off my needles the other day - this time made from my own handspun. I may have gotten a little carried away with these!

And finally, the mittens with squirrels on - tentatively titled "Brown-eyed Squirrel" - are finished. More info on these, soon!

Love you to bits

2011-09-14T09:45:00.003-04:00

Today I am sewing up small bits and pieces of two very handsome werewolves. Here are the arms of the first one:They should both be finished long before the next full moon. Then I shall cast on for their brother in lycanthropy, as soon as the yarn for his golden fur turns up in the mail.

All aflutter

2011-09-13T11:15:00.012-04:00

My back garden, while a good size, is relatively wee. This is why I can't have every historic rose bush or collect every variety of daylily just because they are orange and pretty. It's a fact - sad, but true.If Nature has one lesson to teach me (in truth, she has many,) it's that size doesn't matter. My modest urban back garden attracts an inordinate amount of wildlife, which I absolutely love. It just goes to show - if you plant it, they will come - especially if they are hungry.That said, the sunflowers are proving to be a big hit with the local fauna, and not just with members of the squirrel population. I popped outside just now in time to see a darling little yellow warbler flitting among their branches. And just look who came to visit the other day - monarchs!Gorgeous, orange Monarch Butterflies in search of nectar to fuel them on their incredible journey to Mexico. I just happen to live on the way to one of their favourite pre-migration staging grounds - Point Pelee, the southernmost point of mainland Canada.And just when I thought my sunflowers couldn't get any prettier! I had no idea that the Monarchs love them, too.

The Angel in the Toilets

2011-09-09T09:30:00.008-04:00

While lunching at a pub in Niagara-on-the-Lake the other week I met an Angel - in the toilets, of all places. Vaguely reminiscent of Michelangelo's David, he was quite the beefy specimen.

Apparently, though, he had something to hide.
What's this, then? Hm.Never one to pass up the chance to be deliciously naughty, I couldn't resist.

And his secret?Golden berries, erm, grapes. Indeed!

It seems to me that some sort of bell or chime sounded when one either lifted or lowered his grape-leaf - I suppose to incriminate or embarrass the one who violated his chastity - as I was alone at the time I can not entirely confirm this. Though I was only too happy to indulge him I did not want to look like a tourist. I will save some further indiscretion for my next visit.

Autumn on the wing

2011-09-07T09:00:00.012-04:00

September hit and it's as if someone immediately set the switch to "Autumn." It's grey outside. The air smells cool and damp and good. I am decked out in cozy shades of navy + grey. I have a tawny tousled mane just like a lion.The garden is starting to wind down, but you'd never know it from the way the sunflowers and marigolds are carrying on.Heritage (Hetty, I call her,) refuses to stop the show. She is even prettier now than she was in the Spring.
Up in the studio, Things are Happening. Here is the first of a pair of socks for Tom, knit from my own handspun, as it lounges after a lavender-scented bath......and this is the beginnings of a hat fit for a Southwark-wandering Wackadoo......namely me.

Squirrels!

2011-08-25T19:11:00.006-04:00

This is what happens when two squirrel-ophiles - namely myself and Tina, of Blue Moon Fiber Arts - put their heads together.

Mittens with squirrels on - squirrels who are mad for each other's nuts. They are nearly finished.I can't look at these ones without giggling.

Now, of course, the big question remains: will the Yarn Harlot ever speak to either of us again?

Jane v. the Petoskey stone

2011-08-21T08:24:00.005-04:00

It only took a day for my incipient Petoskey stone-love to grow into an all out Petoskey stone-OBSESSION. Shocking, I know - totally out of character for me, yes?

Petoskey stone-acquisition occurred a mere day later, at an odd little rock shop fittingly located in Ypsilanti, MI. After all, the Petoskey stone is Michigan's official state stone.I am quite taken with my little piece of the Devonian period. I can only hope that I look as good on my 350 millionth birthday.

It is on

2011-08-15T08:46:00.003-04:00

Fresh this morning - three fine sunflowers (Helianthus annuus 'Golden Hedge') from the back garden, saved from the forces of Squirrelery.I was not going to let these beauties meet the same end that befell the first two unfortunate blooms.Normally Jane-squirrel relations are amicable - loving, even. I don't even have a problem with sharing what I grow with the local fauna - just ask the juvenile robins who have been enjoying the complimentary grape-buffet out back.But messing with my golden lovelies before they go to seed? Leaving the be-nibbled flowerheads under the maple for me to find them? THINK TWICE, YOU BUSHY-TAILED RATS.

Workitty workWORKwork

2011-08-05T09:50:00.004-04:00

Am currently up in my studio, hard at work. As you can see, my taskmasters are merciless - their unblinking, collective gaze bears no pity for shirkers. I fear I am outnumbered and must comply.Back to it - more, soon.

Black + blue

2011-07-29T11:42:00.005-04:00

I'm not quite sure when I turned into a Bowerbird,but I like it.

Oak + Acorn Socks - in Sockupied

2011-07-27T13:17:00.008-04:00

I've been sitting on these ones for a long time, but finally I can show you - the Fall 2011 issue of Sockupied has been released, and my Oak + Acorn Socks are in it!For those of you not familiar with Sockupied, it's Interweave's interactive e-magazine exclusively devoted to handknit socks. If you'd like to learn more about how it works, right this way, please! If you'd like to pick up a copy, you can get yours right over here - it's available both for PC and for Mac.

But back to the socks, for a moment. These might be the only socks that have been dedicated to a single tree - a tree that is especially dear to my heart. Allow me to explain.For a child like me, growing up in a house that was not that much older than I was – a house that held no secrets – was nearly unbearable. The house's one saving grace was the massive oak tree that anchored it out back. I was told that it was planted long ago to mark the boundary of a long-lost farmer's field. Throughout my entire childhood that oak tree always provided me with an immediate and necessary connection to the past in a place where the past seemed nearly non-existent. I loved that tree dearly then and continue to do so today. These socks are my ode to my tree.Complete with branch, leaf and acorn motif, the Oak + Acorn socks are ideal for the nature enthusiast in your life. The colourwork on the leg will keep you engaged and the plain heel and foot ensure a peaceful, calm journey all the way to the toe-tips.

All of which makes the Oak + Acorn Socks the perfect project for this time of year as we prepare to turn that inevitable corner into Autumn. Enjoy.

Not the heat

2011-07-20T08:37:00.008-04:00

I've lived up and down SW Ontario's peninsula my entire life, so I'm no stranger to humidity. In these parts hot, soupy days at the end of July are the norm; if they don't happen each year people start grumbling things about us not having had a "proper Summer," myself included. Do not, however, mistake me for a fan of this sort of thing. Sun and heat are one thing - air one can swim in? That's another matter entirely.My friend Matt recently returned from a trip to the Southwestern United States - somewhere I've never been. He described the dry heat of the desert as being almost sneaky - perspiration wicks away from one's body so quickly that one doesn't even realize that they've been sweating - until it's too late. Dangerous if one's not used to it or ill-prepared for it, or both. "I almost missed the humidity," he said.Well, that makes one of us - though I don't hear the garden complaining. Humidity means happy plants and happy plants mean lots of happy bugs. And I know all too well that lots of happy bugs means lots of plump feathery birds which means lots of sleek happy raptors - all of which makes me happy, so I suppose I should, in the words of Joy Turner, just "quit my bitchin'."

In the garden, this morning

2011-07-17T09:50:00.004-04:00

The first of the tomatoes are finally starting to ripen,
the pimpernel puts in an appearance,
and the cupid's dart pierces my heart.

Blooms + sprouts

2011-07-16T09:28:00.006-04:00

I was out late last night but was up early again, as usual. Visiting the poppies first thing in the morning has turned into something of a daily ritual for me.

And what a delightful one it is - it is always a surprise to see who opened during the course of the previous night.

These days, though, the garden isn't the only place where things are sprouting.

Pookie currently has no less than three new tailfeathers coming in all at the same time. I can't ever recall this happening before, and it is terribly exciting - well, to me at least. It takes a good couple of weeks for a Pookie-tailfeather to finish growing so I'll be able to admire his "sprouts" for quite some time. They really are very cute.

I'm sure Pookie would be horrified by the knowledge that I've just posted a detail shot of his feathery behind - oh! the indignity! - so please - don't tell him.

Naughty Green Socks Abroad

2011-07-15T13:32:00.016-04:00

Freshly finished, the Naughty Green Socks soak up the sun amid the poppies in my William Blake garden.Not that there will be any lack of sun (or Papaver rhoeas) where they are headed - which is France - to live (and travel) with Tom. I expect that they'll feel perfectly at home there in no time.

As it stands, these socks are no strangers to travel - they actually joined me on my recent sojourn to Chicago.
They were with me when I met Gauguin's chickens,...and the Leader of the Monkey Band.
We breakfasted together at Elly's (which looks a little different than it did last time,)...and later boarded a boat to admire architectural genius from the River.The first sock was finished, long before I made it back home.
Home, in this case, being where the poppies are - and shall continue to be, if I have anything to say about it.

After my own heart

2011-07-12T07:14:00.014-04:00

My Manor is in the process of getting a New Roof, which has been a long time coming. This is Good, since it means one less Housey-thing to worry about and it is Even Better because I've managed to acquire the most garden-friendly roofing team in the enitre county.If you know anything about me (and I trust that at this point - for good or for ill - you do,) you realize the importance of that last statement. Before I met these Roofers, I had always believed that "getting a new roof" was code for "rampant garden destruction." To say that I was a touch concerned about this was something of an understatement.Today is Day Three of the Roofstravaganza, not because my Roofers are slow or lazy but because they are taking an extra long time on this job in order to protect my garden. These Roofers are clearly after my own heart.The past few days have found me somewhat cooped-up (but working) in the Studio, Roofers happily banging away mere feet above my head. I waft towards a window and look down on the back garden - and there are tarps draped over my back deck, with my borage and parsley and lavender tucked beneath. There is plywood cunningly angled to guard the juvenile Weirdo Herbs in my Strewing Garden. Roofers tiptoe down the flagstone pathways, shovels heaped with discarded shingles, deftly avoiding my sunflowers.I am awestruck. I look on in horror as a piece of the old roof drifts down and lands directly atop my patch of Lady's Bedstraw. I barely have time to gasp before a Roofer appears - as if by magic - and rescues her. It's like there's some kind of mindlink - or perhaps my Roofers moonlight as botanists.I wonder if they know how to make a proper cup of tea.

Naughty Green Socks

2011-07-09T11:30:00.007-04:00

From the cast on edge and all the way down the leg to the beginning of the heel flap, the Naughty Green Socks have 3,864 stitches*. Each.Maybe I didn't need to know that.

______
*I had the numbers wrong - they actually have 4,416 stitches. EACH.

The thick of it

2011-07-02T13:39:00.004-04:00

I stuck my head outside the door this morning to check on Daisy + the Tea Tin Team and I was shocked by how humid it was out there.Just standing there on the porch, taking in the spectacle of my cottage garden was trying - I felt like I should have been treading water.So today is a day for staying in and working inside. My dislike of the artificiality of air conditioning is tempered by the fact that I despise humidity even more; I am thankful that my Manor's former residents took the time to install a powerful and efficient unit. It's reaching Savannah-like levels of hot and humid out there - though minus the hauntingly lovely Spanish Moss.

At present I am up in my Studio, attempting to wrangle this mass of yarn and the creative process into some semblance of order (which is not as easy as it sounds, as I am vastly outnumbered.) I shall continue to enjoy the woozy swoon of Summer from in here until this heatwave passes. In fact, I've been promised a proper thunderstorm today, so that might do the trick - or make things worse. I'll just have to wait and see.

Until then, I'll be thinking cooler, greener thoughts - and working.

Al fresco

2011-07-01T11:54:00.008-04:00

Today is Canada Day - and a gorgeously torrid one at that.We hastened outside to take it all in......which is how the morning found me enjoying its bounty al fresco. I am always happiest when in the presence of white pines - this one was kind enough to shade me while I worked.I am making remarkable progress on the current pair of socks for Tom, which are a couple of glorious, random, fraternally-twinned beauties. I laid them in the grass to soak up as much good Canadian energy as possible. They're going to need it - they'll be off to live in France before too long.

Sock number one, nearly complete...
...and sock number two, just begun - basking next to my beloved citrine, sodalite and moss agate. We are inseparable......as I am with these socks. It's going to be difficult to part with these ones - but they will be loved, so maybe it won't be that hard after all. Oh yes, and there will be a pattern on the way, should you like to make your own.

I leave you with a fine slice of summery sound by a fellow Canadian - Caribou.

Happy Canada Day - go hug a goose or a beaver, but watch out - those things bite.

The Doubtless Guest

2011-06-30T13:10:00.012-04:00

When my gorgeous gerbera asked for water this morning I noticed that her stem had become irreparably bent. I did what was only natural - I invited her in to live with me.I had originally wanted to set her up in my Studio, but it is so steamy up there these days I fear she would positively wilt at the prospect. She's now resting quite comfortably on the buffet (a stylish Danish Minimalist affair,) lounging in an elegant jar that once held capers.

Here at Pittsworth, caper jars (along with borage and fine pieces of twine,) are sacrosanct. Never underestimate the beauty - and duty - that a fine decorative - or plain - little jar can afford in a pinch. Just look at today, for example. My unexpected houseguest has a new unexpected home. Welcome, Daisy!

Dear Stupid Neighbour

2011-06-29T13:09:00.008-04:00

Dear S.N.,

Thanks so much for picking up that broken decorative clay pot that was sitting out behind your back fence - it's not like I hadn't composed an ENTIRE BLOG POST in my mind about adolescence + genre fiction + my experience of both as I weeded my William Blake garden - but I needed a picture of that pot to make it all make sense. In the five minutes it took me to pop inside and grab my camera you had pulled up with a trailer and hauled off the offending pot (which was actually quite pretty in its ruined state.) You have impeccable timing, S.N. - simply ace. It's just as well - I probably would've upset people with my views on genre fiction anyway.

I remain your neighbour,

SJ

ps--> I leave you with a picture of the first onion from my back garden.pps--> I shall not be discussing my views on genre fiction, which are probably not as controversial as I think they are - I quite like the stuff, actually. ~j

Lion on the beach

2011-06-28T20:32:00.007-04:00

While we're on the subject of Antique Things Spied in Shop Windows (that Jane Covets but Can Not Afford,) here's another one:This fine fellow is one of a pair of bronze recumbent garden lions that I met last month at the auction house in downtown Detroit. They are expected to fetch between $5000-$7000 USD at auction - this (regrettably,) far exceeds my budgetary constraints where garden statuary is concerned. At least I got a picture - I do love lions and these are particularly handsome specimens.

Perhaps this lust for lions will have a happy ending akin to that of The Great Foo Dog Hunt of 2009 - I will have to tell that story sometime soon.

New Mittens + a few other things

2011-06-25T15:21:00.009-04:00

Just got back from the antique shop on the corner where I finally priced the Scary Vase - he's a bit more than I wanted to spend. Hm.People who are planning return trips to London probably shouldn't drop that much money on a Victorian reproduction of a Pre-Colombian(?) vase just because he's pleasingly creepy. Being priced that prohibitively means that I can go get creeped out whenever I like - for free.

In other news, I am happy to announce that the Persnickety Mittens are now available!Get your copy by clicking the wee button nestled up there between the pictures or stop by Ravelry or my Etsy shop, if you like.

Inspired by tilework, these mitts are a lot of fun to work - I buzzed right through them. Of course, that may have been because I am in love with Sunday Knits' Angelic and Eden 3-ply, respectively. That Red is the most perfect, perfect shade of red I've ever laid eyes on - and I know red. Of course, I am more into yellow these days - but still. It is gorgeous.

And lastly (but by no means leastly,) I would like to congratulate Kate Davies of needled fame for publishing the inaugural edition of her new digital magazine Textisles. I'd also like to thank her for her kind words about my Bacon Mittens in the first issue. If only I could be so pleasantly blindsided every Friday morning! I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to the next issue.

There are other delights on the way - stay tuned.

Sooner than you think

2011-06-23T16:40:00.002-04:00

New mitts, soon.
And you need to hear this - It's The Real Tuesday Weld's Tear Us Apart from the forthcoming record The Last Werewolf. It's soaring and gorgeous and absolutely lovely. You will love it - trust me.

Tear Us Apart by MuseBox

Bacon Mittens, right this way

2011-06-21T07:59:00.004-04:00

Maybe you have heard about these or maybe you haven't - regardless, things are about to get...bacon-ier. The (in)famous Bacon Mittens have arrived.Yes, they may be incorrigibly silly and a wee bit garish, but c'mon - it's bacon - it's the very essence of over-the-topness in protein form.

But yes, the mitten pattern - which comes complete with a fingerless option - is available here on Ravelry and will be up in my Etsy shop very, very soon. Of course you could always click that little green button to get your bacon right now. It's up to you.

Happy Summer

2011-06-20T09:37:00.009-04:00

A proper sun-baked SW Ontario weekend - I met a baby barn owl, a beautiful barn cat and spent some quality time with our resident Great Lake - Erie.
I finally mananged to make a picture of the Scary Vase that Lives in the window of the antique shop on the corner:He gives me the creeps...and every time I walk by he's in a different spot. But after two years, we've acheived a certain rapport.

Later I enjoyed supreme commensality and perogies under tent lights. Oh, and paczki, too.
In the back garden, Heritage - possibly the heart-meltingest of my English Roses - puckers up for a kiss.
All of which signifies the advent of Summer. Welcome.I leave you with the perfect musical accompanient for days like these, which also happens to be by a fellow Southern Ontarian - Dan Snaith, aka. Caribou. I can't help but be reminded of the...individual I met out on the front drive this past Friday - right before he/she lumbered under my porch.

Any guesses?

Planted.

2011-06-12T14:01:00.003-04:00

With the final marigolds and heirloom tomatoes popped into the front cottage garden, 2011's planting is officially Finished. Whew.And now we wait - and tend and weed and water, when needed. Ultimately we will profit by fruit and flowers but there is still work to be done. As always.

Saturday night's alright...

2011-06-11T19:16:00.003-04:00

Somebody just had a bird-bath:As for me, I'm knitting bacon.

You can learn a lot of things from the flowers...

2011-06-09T13:02:00.010-04:00

...for especially in the month of June.

A thank you goes out to Eleni for pointing out that in yesterday's picture Golden Celebration (aka. Goldie) resembles the singing flowers' conductor in Alice in Wonderland - she does, but for the colour, of course.

Not convinced? Have a look for yourself:

I went out to have a peek at Goldie this morning - she had had a rough day yesterday, what with the 42 degree heat and all - and this is what I found:She had not only opened fully but had miraculously recovered as well. Sometimes a good drink is really all that one needs.

And then, not an hour later a chance glance out my window revealed another great surprise - my Winchester Cathedral's (Winnie's) buds had burst.She reminds me of the lovely soloist rose from the aforementioned Alice sequence. Winnie is loaded with buds, so I fully expect that the show will go on (and on) for quite some time. I will keep you abreast of her various performances.

Hot stuff

2011-06-08T12:51:00.005-04:00

The past couple of days have been almost ridiculously hot and humid - even for SW Ontario - and though I'd be at my happiest outside my Manor I've been spending the better part of my days on the inside. While I do love being out in the sun I am no fan of the extreme heat.Fortunately (unfortunately?) for me, my roses do fancy a spot of the warm stuff. Inevitably they manage to draw me out of my air-conditioned cocoon long enough to revel in their beauty, take note of exactly just how ridiculously hot it is outside, make a few pictures and then pop back in before I start to wilt.

Unsurprisingly there's been lots of action in the rose bed these days. Just have a look.

Evening Star's first long, slender bud opened the other day to reveal this beauty:
Parade has been blooming her little hot pink heart out. She is, of course, at her prettiest when her buds are first starting to open, but her blown blooms aren't too bad either:
Honey - perhaps my favourite plant impulse-buy of the season - has been giving us quite a show with her apricot blossoms that fade to bright pink:
And - today's crowning glory, by far - Golden Celebration. Her first flower is nearly all the way open and I am over the moon about it.
As for me, I'm trying the make the best of this entire self-imposed "stuck inside" situation by diving headlong into my own work. Lots of loose ends are in serious danger of getting tied up. Today's Loose End is the long-awaited Bacon Mittens. They will be out before this week is, I promise. You will be notified.

In with the new...

2011-06-06T09:35:00.016-04:00

...or, at the very least - new to me. There have been lots of new acquisitions around here of late.

This, for instance, appeared on my doorstep late last week (blessedly before Canada Post decided to strike):These lovely skeins of fingering-weight were generously sent to me by Stephanie of Dirty Water DyeWorks. Thank you so much Stephanie! I knew I was in love as soon as I saw colourways named "Pumice" and "Pompeii Red." Something Roman is bound to come out of those two.

A quick jaunt to my mum's house found me leaving (quite unexpectedly, too) with several antique and vintage objects. First off, these delightful RCA Nipper dog salt and pepper shakers:Next up is a vintage glass lemon reamer (with holes to let the juice through but catch the seeds):Rounding out the trio is this lovely Depression glass sugar and creamer set. The pattern is Madrid and whether or not they are reproductions - I checked and I'd like to think that they aren't - they are still golden and pretty.
Of all these New (to me) Things, this one is by far the most delicious. I know that one can not - and should never - judge a cheese by its wrapper, but I could not resist when I saw the packaging on this domestic Saint-Paulin:
Luckily the cheese on the inside was just as charming as the mid-century monk on the outside. A creamy, semi-soft affair, we offered it up as a snackrifice this past Saturday night on Anna's patio. That same evening I enjoyed my Annual Glass of Wine. It should feel odd to say that, but it doesn't - now that's odd.

And finally, a treat for all of you Flamingo enthusiasts:It may not look like much now, but this is the cuff of the Flamingo Socks - the sock-equivalent of my Flamingo Mittens. Yes, it is on the way - it should be here shortly, in fact.

Three days

2011-06-02T10:53:00.009-04:00

The past three days that I spent in Toronto (in the sun) offered me the chance to do some work al fresco. I wish I could say "lots of" instead of "some," but I can't (unfortunately.) When confronted with that kind of sunshine I can not help but bask.

And so, the work (in progress, still):
And select pictures. Life, on the move.
It's good to be back home.

Something else

2011-05-29T17:35:00.008-04:00

There are so many things happening around here that I'd love to show you -- but can't -- yet. I really don't mean to be a tease, but there it is.

Please rest assured that all will be revealed in due time. For now, please enjoy this first glimpse of Valentine Rose, a new sock pattern informed by the spirit and aesthetic of The Real Tuesday Weld:Some of you might like to know that this is my fourth TRTW-inspired sock pattern -- some of you may have lost track. I'm not even sure why I'm still keeping track any more, myself. Old habits die hard.

Oh, and if you're looking for Cupie, you'll find him here.

First sock; Last Werewolf

2011-05-26T12:58:00.010-04:00

As far as I'm concerned any day when something drops off my needles is a good day. Today's objet du jour is the first of a pair of socks I'm making for Thomas; working title: Tomsox 2.0.Once again assorted bits of fingering-weight yarn come together to create a riotous -- but still masculine -- sock. In fact, these are probably the most (only?) masculine socks you'll ever see with hot pink angora/merino in.

It was while working this sock that I accidentally sacrificed one of my very dear (in both senses of the word) rosewood needles. I allayed the mourning process by promptly buying another set. That's retail therapy in action.

And speaking of action, at present I am thoroughly engrossed in Glen Duncan's new novel The Last Werewolf. To say that it has me by the throat is an understatement. Mr. Duncan has outdone himself this time.

I know it's over

2011-05-25T08:44:00.008-04:00

My tulips are finally finishing. They look almost as lovely on their way to the compost bin as they did in full bloom.In the hopes of hastening them on their journey into the afterlife and eventual rebirth - I have marigolds waiting to occupy the very same real estate - I snipped their fading blossoms off. While doing so I caught myself singing some of the mopier bits from The Smiths' classic The Queen is Dead. How's that for a memento mori -- or should that be a memento Morrissey?

I hope you Nice People will forgive me for that one.

"Yes sir, yes sir..."

2011-05-24T14:32:00.006-04:00

"...Three bags...""...FULL..."...of Malabrigo.
This turned up on my doorstep mere minutes ago. Once again, neither Schnecke nor Bubo can believe how much complimentary yarn nice people will send me to play with. Perhaps "play with" isn't the best choice of phrase -- more like work with. As I have no less than two new patterns coming out in Malabrigo Book Four I will most definitely have my work cut out for me.

Now if you'll excuse me -- I have a pile of yarn to play with.

Out now: William, It Was Really Nothing aka. the Hippo socks

2011-05-23T13:50:00.006-04:00

I'm a wee bit behind schedule here, but out -- as they say -- is out. And the William It Was Really Nothing socks are most definitely out. Click the button or head on over to Ravelry to procure your copy. The pattern should also be turning up in my Etsy shop in a little bit.

Now blue faience hippos may be your thing, or they may not -- but on the off chance that they are, but socks are not, please keep in mind that we offer the coordinating William It Was Really Nothing mitten pattern as well. It may be Summer now, but the Cold will always come again. Don't let it find you under-dressed.

There will be hippos

2011-05-19T11:50:00.004-04:00

If I ever stop playing on Twitter, that is.The blue faience hippo (aka. William) socks will be out very, very soon. You will be notified.

Buddha Machine Mitts + Socks

2011-05-18T09:07:00.008-04:00

Happy news for those who are fans of both ambient music and knitting -- surely, I can't be the only one -- the patterns for the Buddha Machine Mittens and the Buddha Machine Socks are now available. If you're not familiar with the Buddha machine -- the wonderful little fetishistic device that it is -- right this way, please.

And here they are now, the mittens:...and the socks.Pick up the patterns themselves by clicking the wee buttons beneath their respective images, or get them on Ravelry -- clear here for the mitts and here for the socks. With any luck they should be popping up in my Etsy shop shortly.

And, of course, the mitts and socks shown above will soon be flying away to Hong Kong to live with Christiaan and Zhang -- the dudes behind FM3 (and the Buddha Machine) themselves. All in all this was a great project that I'm honoured to have been a part of.

Next, please -- it never stops. Why should it?

At first sight

2011-05-15T11:02:00.010-04:00

As those close to me can attest, it's good to know a knitter, especially (but not necessarily,) around the giftier times of the year.

Just ask Anna whom, among other things, has had mittens named for (and gifted to) her, received a sparkly silver Birch for her birthday last year and now gets to live with these two critters:These delightful slippers are none other than the Hopsalots by Stephanie Dosen (aka. tiny owl knits.) They are adorable -- both as bunnies and as footwear. Clearly, she's outdone herself this time!

Sometimes the perfect touches are lurking right under one's nose. This was the case with both their eyes (vintage mother-of-pearl buttons) and their tufty tails (half-felted bits of natural grey roving.) Once again, my everything stash came to the rescue. An ample stash isn't just nice -- it's vital.After chasing the bunnies around the back garden for some time, I bundled them into a shoebox (with air holes poked in) and gave them a carrot to share while they made the five-minute trip chez Anna.I think I frightened her a little when I handed her the box, told her that I found "them" out back and to open it -- slowly and carefully.

Luckily it was Love at first sight -- how could it not be?

This is happening

2011-05-13T20:18:00.005-04:00

Fresh from the studio -- blue faience hippo socks.You do remember William, yes? And his eponymous mittens? Well they're about to be joined by coordinating footwear -- convenient for those of you who live in places where one doesn't need mittens -- or for those who just love hippos.

As I have officially switched over into High-Production Mode, expect to see this pattern out by early next week.

Now I'm off to knit.

In the Pink

2011-05-08T10:14:00.004-04:00

My new favourite colour (this week) is Lipstick Pink. This is closely followed by Shell Pink, Blush Pink and Bubblegum Pink. Yes.At present I'm scratching that itch by spending time with the denizens of my newly-planted Rose Garden.Will this current infatuation come out in my work? That remains to be seen. You will forgive me if it does, yes?I do hope so.

The Earth Moved

2011-05-04T13:15:00.015-04:00

I have mud on my knees and dirt in my hair, but I also have a rose bed-in-progress in the back garden. Oddly enough, those three things are related.Perhaps you have heard me speak of how cold and long this past winter was in my neck of the woods. Yes, my jaunt to London/Brussels/Reims offered a delightful taste of Spring in March but upon returning home I was thrust back into veritable Hibernation. It was in these days that I developed the fiercest of loves for roses. It was not long thereafter that I Promised Me A Rose Garden.Fast forward a month-and-a-half to the present and you will find me with no less than five of the rosy little darlings (three Floribundas and two precious David Austins) snuggled up in the sunroom but longing to stretch their roots out in a proper garden -- that doesn't exist yet. Oh, it exists in potentia, it's just that at present it's covered by sod. This is where the digging comes in.This is the part of the show that finds me on my hands and knees hacking cathartically (read: viciously) at the turf with my beloved Ho-Mi -- a smallish handplow of Bronze Age Korean origin that can move mountains (eventually, I suppose.) "No, thank you," I say to the nice lady from the building out back who stops by to offer me a better shovel, "I'm fine." And I am. Back to it -- Hack, hack, hack.With each stroke the Ho-Mi bites into the turf. Slowly -- and with effort -- the top layer of sod rolls up like a carpet and peels away from the yellow-grey clay beneath. Right now I could kick whoever decided to put SW Ontario on top of this clumpy, clammy, unforgiving stuff. I silently curse both geology and the settlers of New France. Living on the bottom of an ancient ocean is nowhere near as cool as it sounds.The work grows easier with time. In the process I forget myself and lapse into all those (I like to think charming, but I could be wrong) habits that I have -- talking to insects, apologizing to plants, chatting up the kitties that wander down the walk. I half-wonder what the neighbours must think, and then quickly forget all about it.I always lose track of time when working out here. When I pop back in the house for a glass of water I am always shocked at how much time has gone by. I don't mind too much -- it feels wonderful to get my hands dirty.Back outside, back to work. I begin to sing. I can't help this as much as I can't help telling the worms I meet how much they're going to like living in my vegetable bed. Over time I've noticed that two songs in particular float to the surface while I'm gardening: Snowbird's Where Foxes Hide and The Real Tuesday Weld's Daisies. I'm sure the neighbours are terribly impressed now.It doesn't matter, really -- they don't have to be madly in love with me. I just hope that they enjoy the garden as much as I do.

Something in the air

2011-04-28T11:14:00.004-04:00

Today the wool fumes in my studio are especially strong.The yarns whisper to me, tell me what they'd like to be when they grow up -- all of them, all at once. It's a bit disconcerting.

I hope you Nice People like mittens.

Next, please

2011-04-25T06:57:00.003-04:00

With this Strangest of Weekends now properly behind me, I can not help but look ahead to what's next.There are myriad good things on the way -- socks that are long past due, the (veggie) bacon mittens and numerous other delights that I'm not quite sure that I'm allowed to talk about (yet.) Be assured that as soon as I can, I will.

I implore you all to stick around; I hope that you will like what you see.

Onwards.

Diversionary Tactics

2011-04-19T13:49:00.008-04:00

Direct from my Things-I'm-Not-Supposed-to-be-Working-On File, allow me to present Subject A:Cozy sportweight socks worked in my own handspun (the grey/pink/white/blue/brown bits) and a comparable weight of Zwool from Zeilinger's in Frankenmuth, MI. Subject A has been known to answer to the name of "Walkerville."

Basic socks with a hearty cuff-- rustic and comfy and warm. Yes, there will be a pattern.

At Greenfield Village

2011-04-18T10:07:00.021-04:00

We visited Greenfield Village over the weekend. At lunch (mulligatawny + spinach egg pie + mint tea) the "proprietor" of the Eagle Tavern c. 1830 knew that we were from Sandwich (Windsor didn't exist yet.) I nearly corrected him and said that we were actually from Walkerville but quickly remembered that the town wasn't founded until 1856. I'm glad I kept my mouth shut.

I always feel vaguely out of place when approached by people in character/period dress -- like I'm letting them down somehow with my 21st century attire and devices. It's more likely that I'm just feeling left out of the fun. I had a friend once who had spent her summers working at a museum out East. She assured me (repeatedly) that wearing 18th century period dress and giving demonstrations of handspinning grew very old very quickly especially in the heat. I never really believed her -- I could never grow weary of that. The heat, now, that's a different story.

I remembered that there were a couple of graves tucked away somewhere on the grounds of the 17th century Cotswold cottage. I hadn't been there (or even really thought about it) since I was 16 years old but it suddenly all came back. It was both heartening and saddening, but I was glad to pay my respects once again.
RIP Champ and Rover -- very good and faithful pals, both.

It is quite a difficult thing to remain melancholy in the presence of a friendly (read: hungry) squirrel. This fine fellow (lady?) preened and posed for me in the most charming fashion. All I had on my person was candied ginger, so I kept it to myself. I doubt that squirrels fancy ginger.

The visit drew to a close, but not before a bit of wisdom was imparted courtesy of Henry Ford himself:
I can think of worse words to live by.

Free Pattern: Handsome Scarf

2011-04-14T09:57:00.007-04:00

Yesterday I received word that the Handsome Scarf had arrived at his final destination and is now happily living in London. To commemorate this event (and because some of you requested it,) I have decided to release his pattern so that you can make a Handsome Scarf of your own. The best part is that he's absolutely free. Grab hold of him here, on my blog or here on Ravelry.

Now, I'm only calling it a "pattern" because that's just what I'm used to. In all honesty, the Handsome Scarf's pattern is really no pattern at all -- it's just basic striped scarf knit in a farrow rib -- but here it is, regardless. You can't really argue with the price.

Who knows, perhaps this is just the scarf that you (or someone you love) may have been searching for all your life. He is quite handsome.

Enjoy.

Red + Green

2011-04-12T11:54:00.006-04:00

Everything's coming up red...
...and green.
Red......and green.

The Third Floor

2011-04-11T08:12:00.007-04:00

When I tour museums I always start at the top and work my way down. These days, at the DIA I'm having a hard time making it past the third floor -- that's where the European Decorative Arts collection resides.

There will be knitting content, soon. I promise.

Nearly; Noisy

2011-04-08T10:11:00.011-04:00

Look what is in serious danger of getting finished:It's the first part of my collaboration with avant electronic Chinese duo FM3 -- a pair of socks for bandmember Zhang, with Buddha Machines on.

I hear some of you asking "What's this Buddha Machine thing, then?" The quick answer is that it's the most lo-fi mp3 player in the world and it is gorgeous in its simplicity and infinity. A better answer is that it's a wee soundbox that plays loops until you turn it off (or the batteries die.) There's a speaker and a couple of switches that allow you to turn it on, cycle through the loops and mess with the volume and pitch. If you'd like to learn more about FM3 and their wonderful device, right this way, please.

Of course, the real magic happens when you get more than one Buddha Machine in the same place at the same time, and it increases exponentially from there. Me? I have five.
Infinite loops combining in infinite ways to create any number of spontaneously constructed soundscapes -- each one unique, each one never to be repeated exactly again. It reminds me of nothing so much as when I lived in London, ON and went to see the Nihilist Spasm Band play every Monday night, but without the necessity of earplugs.
Not that I often (if the truth be known, ever,) remembered to bring mine -- I was too busy ensuring I was properly stocked with origami paper. The better to feel the music, my dears.

After all -- one has priorites.

Socks for Declan now available

2011-04-07T09:22:00.006-04:00

Last night saw the release of my newest sock pattern, the devilish Socks for Declan. The pattern has assumed the flesh (so to speak) is now happily among us.Should you wish to allow him to introduce himself, forget about seeking out a suitable deserted crossroads -- just click the wee button above, head over here to Ravelry or take a sharp left and make your way to my Etsy shop.

Of course, if you'd like to meet the works that inspired this flamboyant footwear, allow me to introduce you to both Glen Duncan's wonderful novel I, Lucifer and its equally delightful soundtrack by The Real Tuesday Weld. The Fall has never been so charmingly witty.

So lay aside those good intentions -- as they say, half the fun of going to hell is getting there.

Blue hippo love

2011-04-06T09:34:00.007-04:00

I love Egyptian blue faience hippos. Some of you are already aware of this.There were blue hippo mittens last year and now there are blue hippo socks in the works. Just give me a chance to tie up a couple more loose ends, first.

In other news, my latest sock pattern, Socks For Declan, will be released this evening.

And just because I haven't done this in a while...

Just finished: Glen Duncan's A Day and a Night and a Day

Currently consuming: Nicolas Jaar's Space is Only Noise

Dead person that I'm enamoured with: Nathan Hale

Stapler that I can not live without: right over here

Socks, sooner than you think

2011-04-05T12:04:00.006-04:00

I'm nearly finished knitting the Socks for Declan (remember them?) Here is the current sock being modelled by Lord Serpentine. Clearly, he approves.This means that the pattern will be out before the week is.

Stay tuned.

No good

2011-04-04T08:10:00.011-04:00

This morning I woke to find that I have a Belgium-shaped hole in my belly. I've put cream and sugar in my tea.When I left that last morning, Brussels was a beautiful shade of grey. I trust it still is.I'm no good at endings.

You Handsome Scarf

2011-03-30T14:38:00.010-04:00

The yarn is from Japan and was acquired in Toronto. The resulting Handsome Scarf was knit at home, here in Windsor. At present he is winging his way across the Atlantic to his future home in London (or at the very least is currently at YYZ, awaiting departure.)

Though Spring is officially underway in London, the scarf Knows -- as every scarf Knows -- that the cold will come again. He has been practising patience since he was four mere balls of yarn languishing in the Stash; what's another double handful of months to a scarf? He can wait.He's six feet long and eight inches wide. He's good looking and he knows it.

Happy trails, you Handsome Scarf.

Out of the oven

2011-03-29T19:40:00.005-04:00

Today, for the first time in a very long time, I baked bread.

After a bit of mixing and waiting and then some more mixing and some more waiting and then some braiding and brushing and waiting and more brushing and even more waiting......a handsome golden brown challah emerged from the oven's ponderous depths.

He is...delicious. I've been enjoying him slathered with marmalade.

This may have to become my new springtime tradition.

Socks ahoy!

2011-03-28T07:48:00.009-04:00

Sometimes I wonder what becomes of my socks and mitts once I release them into the wild. While I do wonder about the socks and mitts that other people produce from my patterns, in this case I'm speaking specifically about that small group of finished objects that I've knit with my own hands and sent abroad. I am not in the regular habit of knitting and selling finished goods -- when I do, they are only specially designed for and sold at one special shop -- but from time to time I have knit for select others. But what becomes of those things once they reach their final destination? Sometimes I never find out...and then sometimes...I do.

You recall the socks I knit for Thomas, yes? Well, they've long since gone to live with him and recently they joined him on his tour of Southeast Asia. Here are the socks behaving recklessly (but clearly enjoying themselves immensely,) aboard a boat with Thomas in sunny Thailand:Lucky socks! Look at the colour of that water!

Hang on socks! Don't let go!

Something tells me that these might be the only handknit wool and silk socks in all of Thailand...or, failing that, the only handknit wool and silk socks in all of Thailand being brandished by a DJ/musician/producer and all-around very charming dude aboard a boat...in March. Many qualifiers; one very happy pair of socks. One very happy sock recipient. One very happy sock designer/knitter, happy to see that her socks are making people who make her happy happy.

Spread the love.

Patience is a virtue

2011-03-27T10:49:00.016-04:00

Up early this morning and pruning the rosemary. Now that sounds a tad euphemistic!

Seriously though, I am in the process of tending my indoor Mediterranean garden (another euphemism?) which at present consists of two trees and a bush -- a Meyer lemon, a Bay Laurel and Rosemary, respectively.

Once again I am reminded that gardening is nothing so much as it is a form of warfare and that all too soon I'll be (happily) flinging myself headlong into the fray. I am already mapping out the battlefield and deciding which companies to deploy; I can hardly wait.

Yesterday was spent in the fine city of Ann Arbor, MI, which is always closer than I think. I visited University of Michigan Museum of Art, which has quite a respectable collection indeed. The decorative items culled from the Henry O. Havemeyer House in New York City were a particular delight -- the Tiffany glass pieces are especially fine.

Of course, there is always Beauty to be found in less obvious places. One only needs to open one's eyes.

And it was with open eyes that I spied and fell in Love with this fine pair:I may have to go back and pick them up.

Knitting content will resume as soon as I have something that I can show you. Oh fine, have a wee taste:But that's it, for now. I've never been very good at patience myself so believe me when I say that I know what you're going through. Soon.

Did you see..?

2011-03-25T12:51:00.007-04:00

I've just come in from my first attempt at Taming the Beast that is the gardens of Pittsworth Manor. The morning is bright but chill and though my nose is cold the rest of me is made warm by the sight of sprouts and buds. This winter has been especially long.

And so I give you, my dear readers, signs of Spring fresh from SW Ontario.

The lilac has budded:
Some of the 100+ tulips I planted are poking their noses up to greet the sun:
The Complementary Tulips -- which is what I call the ones that were "free" with the house -- are up a good six inches. You can actually see them now since the Offending Cedar met its maker last Fall:
And look! The Imperial Crown Lilies have survived the Great Purge and Planting of 2010. This is a welcome sight, indeed. I was a bit worried about that one.
But yes, the chill and the fact that my hand rake is playing hide-and-go-seek with me this morning has forced me back indoors. Which, of course, offers me ample opportunity to bring you up to speed on what I'm up to these days.

At present I am working fervently on a sock design for the Summer 2011 issue of Sockupied. While this is keeping me quite busy I am really enjoying the socks themselves, and I hope you will, too. More details will follow as they become available.

I'm also pleased to report that Pick Up Sticks is now carrying both my mitten patterns and the Sunday Knits kits to go along with them. This is good news for those among you who prefer to get all your shopping done in one go. Check them out here.

And look what I got a copy of the other night -- it's the Spring/Summer 2011 issue of Vogue Knitting International:
...notable, of course, for this feature:
It's a little surreal, opening a magazine and seeing yourself looking back out at you. Maybe more than a little.

I bought a new rose bush to celebrate. I think she's lovely.
Now I've got to get back to those socks -- they're not going to knit themselves.

In London.

2011-03-24T10:04:00.038-04:00

St. Pancras means Home. If I can see the steeple, I know we're close. The sounds of its bells waft in through my window. I greet the slightly slouchy ladies there each morning.
I carry my tea past plaques commemorating Keats, Dickens and the victims of the 2005 bombings. There are many lovely squares nearby -- Tavistock, Russell, Bloomsbury. It is here that I see my first proper blackbird -- exactly the kind that one would bake into a pie.

We inch our way through crowded Borough Market, past mammoth meringues and gigantic wheels of cheese. There are stalls selling Cumberland sausages and duck confit sandwiches. I buy a bottle of San Pellegrino from an ice cream van and drink it next to the Thames. I can see the dome of St. Paul's off in the distance. Being here is at once totally natural and slightly odd. It feels good.

Before I even realize it I'm in Clerkenwell. You really can sense the Fleet beneath your feet -- submerged, but ever-flowing. I peek in on the eponymous well, which was not rediscovered until 1924. We arrive at Dr. Johnson's house and pay our respects to Hodge, that "very fine cat indeed." I imagine him slinking around Gough Square in spectral form, twining about my ankles. I should've brought him an oyster.
We take the train to Greenwich. Yes, the pigtail grease stains on Nelson's coat are still there. I walk down to the foreshore and borrow three fine rocks from the Thames. I hope He doesn't mind.
Strolling along the embankment under a blue sky, I watch the sunlight dance on the murk of the Thames. Black-headed gulls swoop and dive at the water. I'm vaguely reminded of my own River, far away. My provenance is showing.

We stop for lunch at Covent Garden. My squash and goat cheese pie is especially tasty. I take a picture of my other trusty travelling companion, Mr. Difalot.I'm pleased that I can show him where he came from.

Now we're off to Bunhill Fields. I imagine that this is a serene, meditative place. Today I am quickly disabused of this notion.

A group of uniformed schoolchildren have colonized the main path and are running about, making up noisy games on the spot. Their matching hats adorn the nearby fence. I hope I'll get to have a quiet moment with William and at the very least be able to take a decent picture.I feel like I should be annoyed by the noisy kids, but I'm not. Suddenly, strangely, my heart fills with joy and I burst out laughing. It's a magical moment.

I try opening up to William, asking him to tell me which stone is his. I sense a vague insistence (over there, to my right, a few rows back, a few stones over...) Is it him? Is it me? The both of us? Neither? I wish I would've had the time to knit him socks; I bet his feet are cold.
On the walk to St. Paul's I just can't help it -- The Real Tuesday Weld's music and Glen Duncan's words spring to mind, unbidden. This is really not all that surprising. Both are perfect complements to the bustle and Spirit of the City they were created in; how fitting that they chose this moment to float to the surface. When one Loves one's city as much as they do, it can be quite catching.I think it's safe to say that I've contracted that condition myself. I love London; it is wonderful to be here....and I'll be coming back.

In Brussels.

2011-03-23T10:36:00.008-04:00

A la Mort Subite is our Local. We don't even have to cross the street to get there. Down the hill, around the corner, there you are. One could do worse.The beer selection is beyond impressive. Since I no longer partake, I smile and nod and take wee sips just to taste the heady Belgian brews. They are wonderful.
The tea service here is going to ruin me for all others, I just know it. Even though I have to dip my teabag into the already-poured hot water, I am not allowed to have a cup without a cookie or a piece of chocolate or sometimes both. I'm not complaining.

We end up at Le Cirio. La Belle Epoque is even more belle than I expected.
I suspect that places like this would grow if one were to plant a bottle of Perrier. I may have to give this a try.Blind Love, his eyes bound, presides over the room. I finish my Croque Bruxelloise and my tea and head off in search of further delights.

In the light drizzle we work our way to A la Becasse. It is rustic and warm and cozy inside.
I take a seat next to a laughing family and their small, friendly dog. I order another cup of tea.
The barkeep's apron reminds me of nothing so much as monastic vestements. He serves beer in gorgeous clay jugs. I sample the lambic doux because it's Tony's favourite. It's really nice; I can't wait to tell him that I tried it.

Back out into the misty grey afternoon. I'm told that there is one place that I simply must see -- Café Métropole.
They were right. I've never seen anything like this. I'm reminded of the Fisher Building at home, but this place is just a little bit older. Oh look, another cup of tea. Another piece of the darkest chocolate.
If you tapped a vein right now I promise I'd bleed tea -- heavily sweetened tea with cream and sugar in. Mm.
Now, it could just be the sugar talking, or the caffeine, or a potent combination of the two but I am in my element. The room is bathed in a warm golden glow; it looks like something out of an Impressionist painting. I can almost see the brushstrokes.

When I'm in charge, places like these will be the baseline. For an Aesthete such as myself, this is Heaven.

In Reims.

2011-03-22T08:55:00.017-04:00

Notre-Dame de Reims turns 800 this year. It is cold inside; you can see your breath. Outside the almond trees are in bloom. I touch the massive stone pillars and they are so cold.This is where Joan of Arc brought the Dauphin Charles to be crowned in 1429. I've always felt a certain closeness to Joan of Arc, but I can't exactly say why. I find this vaguely worrying. Still, I am glad that I am here. It feels right.
I buy a tin of biscuits roses de Reims. They seem to be a thing here. I had bought Flavigny Pastilles (violet- and rose-flavoured) at a gas station just over the Belgian border. My favourite.

We go to Vimy to see the memorial to the Canadian soldiers lost there in World War I. Before I even realize it, I am crying.We find Heather's great-uncle's name inscribed on the wall.We are approached by a Canadian serviceman who tells us that they had just buried Thomas Lawless (whose remains were found when a house was being built) three days ago. I'm still crying.There are signs warning not to go out past the ridge as there are still unexploded munitions lying in the forest, under the trees. I think about rabbits and hedgehogs and badgers and voles.
We walk the Canadian tunnels at Vimy, chipped out of the chalk. Our guide is from Prince Edward Island. He is a law student and his name is Ryan.

There is grafitti scratched in the chalk walls. Ryan points out a maple leaf carved by one of the soldiers. He turns off the light to show us what it would have been like to have been here in wartime. He asks us to imagine the sounds of shells falling; to imagine how it felt to know that you and/or the people sitting next to you might not return to the cramped, damp "comfort" of the tunnels.

Ryan takes us back outside. We look across to the German trenches. Here, the trenches are so close to each other -- literally a stone's throw away. He tells us that there was an unspoken truce between the two sides -- after all, who wants to worry about being shot at day after day? Life in the trenches is hard enough as it is.

We tour Taittinger. We walk the Saint Nicaise chalk mines where they cellar the champagne. The Romans dug these mines. You can see how they used to cut the blocks away. I run my thumbnail on the wall and the chalk comes away easily. I have chalk under my nails. I think about Tiffany Aching. There is grafitti everywhere here, too.

Our effortlessly beautiful French guide tells us they have no idea when the grafitti is from. She points out the underground remains of the abbey that once stood here before the Revolution tore it down. She tells us that people took shelter here during both World Wars. She makes tired, lame tour-guide jokes. I am disarmed by the marks left here by those who have gone before. I wonder who they were; who they loved; who loved them back.
We drive back to Brussels, eating the waffles we bought at the gas station. They are the kind with the sugar pearls in. It's getting dark here in France. The chalk by the side of the road is so white. The villages clustered around their churches are so lovely. Their lights come on. It starts to rain. We speed home in the cold, dark wet.

I like it here.

...jiggety jig.

2011-03-21T16:24:00.004-04:00

I am happy to report that I have returned from my jaunt to London and the Continent. It's funny to think of it, but most of my trip was spent underground. Yes, I shall elaborate.On my journey home I was accompanied by three lovely rocks from the Thames, a scarf from Brussels and a fierce love of the quotidian (and delightful) woodpigeon. Oh, and a tin of biscuits roses de Reims.

I expect that bits of the trip will trickle out here, perhaps in order, perhaps not. It will be a surprise for all of us, myself included.

Distractions

2011-03-10T11:18:00.008-05:00

There are so many things that I'm supposed to be doing. I keep getting distracted.

Lovely things keep turning up in the mail, such as my custom Florine Stettheimer (you remember her, yes?) Love Flight of a Pink Candy Heart Gelaskin for my iPod:(made from photos taken entirely by me, most likely in violation of many of the DIA's copyright laws -- shhh...)

...and gorgeous tufts of fluffy roving ready to be spun into something equally (but differently) beautiful.
Of course there's also always something wonderful to read,(I can not recommend this one enough.)

But fret not, as my Assistant is ever On Guard, ready to ensure that I don't stray too far from my Work.
Well, most of the time, anyway.

Socks for Declan

2011-03-03T12:25:00.004-05:00

Among other things, I'm currently working on another pair of gentlemen's socks. These ones are inspired in equal parts by Glen Duncan's brilliant novel I, Lucifer and its equally brilliant companion soundtrack by The Real Tuesday Weld. This will be my third design inspired by TRTW, for those of you who are keeping track.

Oh look, here they are now, all posed together:
Knit in a black and scarlet wool/silk blend and featuring stylized, Art Deco-inspired motifs these are the ideal socks for any gentleman of wealth and taste. They're called "Socks for Declan," after (one of the incarnations of) the protagonist of the book, the writer Declan Gunn. With any luck these finished socks will be turning up in the Antique Beat Boutique in the future. I will keep you posted.

Rest assured that no one made me do this -- it's all me.

Spinning again

2011-03-01T11:48:00.002-05:00

I've been spinning again -- off and on, in stolen moments. Here is my newest Avi Wasserman spindle (it's pearwood, but not sapient, unfortunately,) full of a splendid silk/merino blend:There are few colours as joyous and radiant as bright pink. When used judiciously, it's one of my favourites.

Spilly v. FM3

2011-02-24T08:10:00.007-05:00

Of all the collaborations that I currently have on my plate, this is one of my favourites: I was asked by Christiaan of FM3 to design and knit Buddha Machine socks and mittens for both him and his bandmate Zhang.

It's not every day that a very cool Chinese avant-electronic duo turns up commissioning handknits. As a Buddha Machine enthusiast myself, how could I refuse?Here's the first of the socks-in-progress posed with my Buddha Machine (it's a Chan Fang.) The mitts will follow shortly.

If you'd like to experience the lo-fi joy of the Buddha Machine for yourself, as they say, there's an app for that. It's well-worth the dollar price tag to have an infinite amount of music at one's fingertips.

New toys

2011-02-22T09:51:00.003-05:00

Look what turned up in the mail not too long ago:That's a new Avi Wasserman spindle and one of his highly amusing (and attractive) tops. I had to have one -- I just couldn't resist. There really is something captivating about things that spin around and around.

(Happy) Endings

2011-02-15T10:27:00.007-05:00

There's something incredibly satisfying about using things up.

Today I'll be polishing off my packet of Strawberry Ginger Peppercorn tea.
This coming from someone who hates endings of books, visits, movies. This from someone who cries every time she leaves New York City and Chicago.

In the case of fibre, using-up means working with what's left. This forces one to work within the parameters of what's left; to make the bits and pieces and remainders work. To make something beautiful from the little that's on hand.And the (strange?) thing is that Something Beautiful never fails to emerge. There's a life-lesson in here, somewhere.

So yes, I do believe in (happy) endings. Things need to end before things can start.

That sweet time of year

2011-02-14T08:18:00.010-05:00

Today is Valentine's Day. Here's hoping that you have the chance to spend it either doing or with (or doing it with,) whoever or whatever you love, either actual or imaginary. Wow, that's a lot of variables. Still, Cupid shall provide. He has his ways.

I will be spending the day with my own sweet passer (whom I do love more than my eyes,)
...working on things that I love for some very lovely people indeed.

And should you find that you're feeling a bit under the weather, perhaps this may cure what ails you:

New Sock pattern -- Marmalade

2011-02-09T09:00:00.005-05:00

If you've been admiring the striped socks that I've been writing about recently, you might be happy to learn that the pattern snuck out last night.They're called Marmalade and they are written to fit the large, male feet in your life. Bright, fun, interesting -- but still masculine -- socks for men. Yes.

Grab them for your own by clicking that wee button up there, or get them here on Ravelry, or over here in my Etsy shop.

As written, the pattern gives directions to produce socks to fit any foot that is 9-10" in circumference (or a US men's' size 12 foot,) but by adjusting the gauge they can be easily sized down to fit an foot you like.

As an added bonus, these socks provide you with the perfect opportunity to out those odd bits of sock yarn you've been harbouring to wearable (and fashionable) use. You only need about 25g (or roughly 110 yards) of the Main Colour yarn (in my case, Red,) to turn out an entire pair of seemingly randomly-striped (but colour wise, properly anchored,) socks. This is odd-ball-of-sock-yarn heaven, folks!

If you want to talk exact yardage, please drop me a line. I'm off to get my work in order so I can show you What's Next.

The end(s) of a pair of socks

2011-02-07T09:53:00.007-05:00

Thomas' socks took flight this morning. I managed to get a nice picture of them before their departure.That's one pair of men's size US 12 striped socks, perfect for the gentleman who desires a certain panache in his accessories. Like Thomas, for instance.

Do you know such a gentleman? Would you like to produce a pair of your very own? Well, Nice People, fret not -- the pattern is in the works.

Of course, if you do opt to make them be prepared to deal with these:It's worth it, I think.

On the sewing-in of ends

2011-02-05T17:37:00.014-05:00

I finished knitting Thomas' socks long before my deadline of Friday at 10 am (aka "in the mail",) but they're still here with me. I'm sure you'll understand the reason why once you take a look at them (here, inside out,) and see what yet remains to be done:An inevitable result of bold and colourful (size Men's large) socks is their many, many bold and colourful ends. This should have been obvious -- I designed and made the things, after all -- and I knew full well what I getting myself into. As the finished product is a truly stunning pair of socks, I really don't mind. Besides, Thomas is worth the added effort.

It seems that my relationship with ends has been a topic of some discussion as of late. Well, consider this my Offical Position on the subject: I love ends. Maybe the rumours are true?!

Yes, I love ends. I find the act of sewing them in, one after the other, incredibly meditative and soothing. It's the finishing process that I don't always like, but I have a sturdy relationship with it nonetheless. Proper finishing is another chance to imbue the knitted garment with another level of handmadeness. It's like signing your name, in a way.

This is the way I see it: I finish those things that need to be finished, right up to the very end, with a cherry on top. If it's a prototype mitten (or sock) and only one is required, it's never going to be worn, and will only ever really see action at events like trunk shows I don't sew in the ends. If it's a pair of socks or mittens or whatever that is going to be worn (like Thomas' socks, for instance,) I sew them in.

Which is what I'm in the process of doing at present. And if the truth be known...I'm enjoying it.

And now you know. I always did suspect that I was a little odd.

Bacon. You heard me!

2011-02-02T11:58:00.004-05:00

And now for something completely silly:Mittens...with BACON on.

Is it veggie bacon or bacon-bacon? It's up to you to decide.

I'll be inflicting the pattern upon all you Nice People very, very soon...

Post-birthday bliss

2011-01-31T11:00:00.004-05:00

It was my birthday yesterday. Since Friday evening I was sung at and implored to eat cake on no less than three separate occasions. Somehow I persevered.

Seriously, though -- thank you all for the kind birthday wishes! I feel thoroughly spoiled and loved.

Through it all I was accompanied by the first of a pair of socks...

...that I am making for Thomas (aka Thomas Gandey, aka Cagedbaby.)

You might recall that I am quite fond of his work, especially his sublime release Will See You Now. If you are a fan of synthpop I can not recommend this one enough.

I'm aiming to finish these by my self-imposed deadline of socks-in-the-mail-by-Friday-morning. At the rate that I'm working, these should be finished long before. As Thomas has been waiting patiently for socks since early October he deserves no less than proper diligence on my part.

There are so many good things on the way...I'd best get moving.

A contest for the diligent

2011-01-27T09:17:00.007-05:00

Lovely parcels have been wafting my way all this week, which is no great surprise as my birthday's this Sunday. I could get used to this.

And I have a little something for you as well: everyone who sends a picture of their finished pair of Camilla mittens to spillyjaneknits{at}gmail{dot}com between now and February 28 2011 will receive one free SpillyJane Knits pattern of their choice. I am not making this up.

There are myraid other delights in the works, including a couple of very cool collaborations. One of these is with Chinese avant-electronic duo FM3, creators of the Buddha Machine. I am not making this up, either.

When I think of the places that I've taken knitting (or should that be where knitting has taken me?) It's remarkable, really.

Free Pattern: Camilla Mittens

2011-01-26T12:17:00.006-05:00

As I said the other day, your patience is appreciated. Now it's all about to pay off. My newest free mitten pattern, Camilla has been released.Sporting a fine stylized floral motif, she's a classic beauty. Interested? Pick her up on Ravelry here. If you'd prefer a direct link to her .pdf then please, right this way. She's free, so you don't need to mess around with my Etsy shop (unless you'd really like to.) Your choice.

Yes, instructions are included for producing fingerless mittens. Yes, this is the perfect first-colourwork pattern for those of you new to the field. And yes, I used Sunday Knits' Eden and Nirvana 3 ply yarns to knit her -- the colourways are Beet and Sand, respectively. Believe me when I say that there are few things more lovely than colourwork mittens knit in a cashmere/merino blend.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have socks to knit.

I swear

2011-01-23T12:43:00.004-05:00

Distractions abound, but I would like you all to know that I am diligently working on Camilla, this season's free mitten pattern.I know that some of you have been waiting as patiently as possible and for that I thank you. Be assured that I have you and your interests in mind.

And now, back to work.