Tag: vogue knitting

Monochrome With A Touch Of Grey

I’ve always been attracted to the pairing of black and white with geometric patterns, stripes and photographs.

One afternoon while browsing through my collection of knitting books,  I turned to a page marked with a post-it note and discovered a project on my  forgotten “this looks interesting” list.  Eureka! An opportunity to use Louisa Harding Yarns‘, Akiko (70% Wool and 30% Alpaca) in cols. 004, 005, 006.

Monochrome with Grey Sweater #7

I selected the pattern from, Vogue Knitting, Very Easy Knits, The Best of Very Easy Very Vogue, Split-Color Pullover, designed by Barbara Nudleman and Susan Prince for the Fall/Winter 1984 issue of Vogue Knitting.  I decided to color block the sleeves of the sweater, lacking symmetry.

Monochrome with Grey Sweater #2_1

The neckline has an “unfinished look” so I’ve added a crochet picot edge on the neckline.  I photographed the neckline unfinished for comparison.  Monochrome with Grey Sweater #3

Knitting with Akiko is amazing. There is a slight thickness variation between the colors which affects the drape of the yarn, but does not significantly alter the gauge.

Spring Is In The Air

Spring Is In The Air #3Blossoms are blooming, bees are buzzing and I need to plant my sunflower seeds.  A trekk to my my local nursery proved to be fruitful.  I found various varieties of sunflower seeds along with hollyhock and zinnia seeds.  I am excited to plant “Lemon Queen” (Helianthus annuus) a variety of sunflower grown for a multi-year bee count project to gather information about native bee populations.  More than 100,000 citizen-scientists across the U.S. and Canada participate in the research by counting the number of bees that visit their “Lemon Queen” plants.

During a bout of Spring cleaning and organizing my stash, I found a group of knitted ribbon roses. The directions for the knitted ribbon motifs can be found in the Holiday 2004 issue of Vogue Knitting.  “Nicky Epstein puts the metal to the petal with clusters of knit roses in Fonty/Russi Sales Serpentine.” The flowers are sewn together creating a piece of knitted jewelry.  For my bouquet, I knit with Anny Blatt Victoria ribbon.Spring Is In The Air #2

What should I do with my flora? Do you scrumble?

Vogue Knitting Destination

The Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon was the starting point for a weekend of knitting, moonshine and the beautiful landscape of Imperial Stock Ranch.  Arriving a day early, I decided to check-out the local flavor.  On my way to Josephine’s Dry Goods on SW 11th Avenue, I got lucky and  found Knit Purl located next door to Josephine’s.  I found the perfect color of malabrigo’s Rasta to knit the  Rasta Neckwarmer designed by Breean E. Miller.  It was so convenient to walk next door and purchase the perfect buttons at Josephine’s Dry Goods.

Our journey  began the next morning as we boarded a coach for our weekend with Doreen Connors of Vogue Knitting, designer Nicky Epstein, Dan and Jeanne Carver, owners of Imperial Stock Ranch.  “Sustainability” is not just a buzz word for the duo…They live a life of commitment, hard work and respect for the land.  I am proud to say, “I’m an Imperial Yarn Girl.”

After returning from “the ranch,” I had an extra day before flying back to Northern California.  At the knitting getaway, I overheard fellow knitters talking about Portland’s flagship yarn store, Yarn Garden.  With an extra day to spare, I hailed a taxi… destination Yarn Garden.  I was greeted at the door by the owner, who graciously explained the history of the store.  I was slowly drawn to her garden of temptation.  A garden of beautiful yarn in three different rooms organized by gauge.  By now, my suitcase and duffle bag were stuffed with yarn from Knit Purl and  Imperial Stock Ranch, so I had a few skeins mailed home.  Much to my surprise, the package arrived ahead of schedule.  This was an unforgettable trip, one I will remember forever.

Vogue Knitting Magazine

knitorious patiently awaits the arrival of Vogue Knitting Winter 2011/2012.  Nestled between the pages of the latest and greatest knitting patterns emerges a skirt with a Missoni-esque look. The chevron pattern speaks to the signature design of a Missoni knit. What a perfect opportunity to knit, replicate and wear a design reminiscent of a classical standard of quality.

(The images are from Vogue Knitting Winter 2011/2012 Magazine)

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