Month: January 2015

East Meets West

I recently discovered a free pattern offer by Noro called Reversible Scarf.  The pattern is also available in Noro’s Issue 4 Knitting Magazine.  The Reversible Scarf knit with two balls of Noro Obi on a US Size 10 circular needle in Garter Lace moves fast.  The Garter Lace pattern consists of a four round repeat.

Rnd 1 Knit

Rnd 2 Purl

Rnd 3 Knit

Rnd 4 *Yo, SKP, rep from* around

I decided to pair the Reversible Scarf with Stephen West’s Pogona from Book One.  Pogona is knit with Diakeito Dia Scene.  Diakeito is another yarn imported from Japan not easily found in Northern California.  I was first introduced to Diakeito at Stitches West by Andrea, the owner of Seaport Yarn  http://www.seaportyarn.com  located in New York’s financial district.

Much to my surprise on a recent visit to the East Bay (Berkeley, CA), I discovered a source for Diakeito.  The long color repeat of both yarns along with the textural qualities of Obi are visually interesting.

Diakeito Dia Scene CowlDiakeito and Noro Cowl

Geologic Survey

Every Thursday, my husband and I attend an exercise class with our trainer, Ella. Originally, my husband was meeting with Ella as a form of rehab after being hit by a car as a pedestrian.  As a result of a head injury, he needed to work on his memory, balance and muscle strength.  He enjoyed Ella’s class so much, I’ve been recruited  to attend with him.

Ella trained in Russia as a gymnast and is an artist.  Ella uses geology as her canvas and each rock has its own character.   I can imagine a garden dotted with Ella’s magical geologic artwork, or a single rock perched for viewing on a desk.

Ella’s work makes me smile, especially the pine cone tree.  In a world of instant gratification, I respect the time and effort Ella spends with her art.

IMG_1034IMG_1033IMG_1035

Home For My Double Pointed Needles

Curls and Q

DPN Holder DPN Holder

Although I prefer to use two circular needles when knitting hats or socks, there have been a few instances lately when double needles have been needed. I ordered Carbonized Patina 7″ Double Point Bamboo Knitting Needles 14 Sizes (70 Pieces) from Amazon. They are not an expensive set, but have proved to be perfect for my needs.  The problem was there were 70 pieces and I didn’t have anything to store them in. After searching the Internet, I found this tutorial on Crafty Avocado. I pulled out some of the fun knitting-themed fabrics I have and after making a few modifications, I made holders for both Curls and me.

Material Material

Materials and cuts:

  1. Main Body (Timeless Treasure Fabric; Fun-C9182) – Cut 2- 13.5″ x 10.5″
  2. Upper Pocket (Timeless Treasure Fabric; Knit-C7588) – Cut 1- 13.5″x 8″
  3. Upper Pocket lining – Cut 1- 13.5″ x 7.5″
  4. Lower Pocket – Cut…

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Around And Around

Tonight, I bound off GAP-tastic Cowl designed by Jen Geigley.  The free pattern download found on Ravelry is a favorite of many.  Two skeins of bulky weight yarn (approx. 300 yds.), US 13 needles and rounds of seed stitch builds an over sized neck adornment.

Gaptastic Cowl #2

Why not wrap GAP-tastic Cowl around your neck and brave the cold on a daily visit to your local coffee shop?

 

Happy New Year 2015

Recently, I received an email from WordPress detailing the stats this past year for my blog.  I originally decided to blog about my various creative endeavors with a pair of knitting needles and yarn in order to give the creative side of my life “purpose.”  Not to soon after I started blogging, I began teaching.  From teaching, I was asked to become a part of a design studio/yarn store in my local town.  So you see, stats were not on my radar.  I was hopeful that someone would find my posts interesting, but it did not matter.  I wanted a platform which would enable individuals to “see me” through my stitches.  I’ve tried to maintain a personal distance communicating only one stitch at a time because “words” are many times misinterpreted.

In retrospect, 2014 was a wonderful year.  My husband and I cruised up the Danube River for two weeks.  An experience I will forever hold close to my heart.  One morning, while cruising, I was awakened by a glow filtering through the drapes in our cabin.  I grabbed my camera and captured the sun coming up.  Perhaps we’ll see Istanbul or Paris this year.IMG_3076

I ended the year by making a new acquaintance at Eddies’s Quilting Bee in Sunnyvale, CA.  Sally-Ann Flak, a talented artist, taught a class at The Bee.  I plan on taking a pattern drafting class this month and a Moulage class in February.  Check out a picture of me wearing a scarf and holding another on Eddie’s Quilting Bee Facebook page.  I was able to finish both scarves in Sally-Ann’s class.

To all sticks-a-gogo’s friends, Facebook friends, and my friends in the real world, Happy New Year!

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