damn memory

i'm an idiot. i took all these great pictures for a post today and left the camera at k's in Philly. so of course i have nothing visual to offer. and i was so excited to put up more hat pictures. we'll have to wait a little while. my apologies.

well, thanks for all the comments on my hats! my site has had the highest traffic in its history because of some name dropping over at more hi-profile blogs like diana and caitlyn! thanks for the publicity!

my lace weight silk wool came from blackberry ridge on friday so i'm all set to start ene's scarf. it calls for a 36" circ US 6 and i only have a 29". i'm going to try improvising with what i have... but this may prove insanely frustrating. any ene veterans have advice? i already love this project: it only calls for two skeins, both of which are under $10 and have 650 yards each!! now THATS what i call value. my poor ass offers its appreciation.

again sorry for no pictures! we have model shots of a few of the hats on the way. and of course more after christmas when i will harrass my family members for photos of them wearing their new head adornments. may your bleeding fingers be minimal as you finish up all your holiday knits!

knitting for pleasure again!

well... its always pleasurable, but lets be honest, when you've made what seems like a hundred hats for christmas gifts... you're reeeeaally ready to get back into the world of "real projects" slash "things for yourself" (or at least that you really can't wait to work on, even if they are gifts. at least there's no holiday pressure). so yes, i'm finishing off the last two hat gifts for the fam and its on to bigger and better things.

The next big thing:

ene's scarf from scarf style

I'm excited to work on a big lace project. i really want to make this one. i already purchased the yarn - Blackberry Ridge Laceweight Silk Blend in the color shown ("willow"). Since it is my first "official" (major) foray into the lace world, i decided to stick with the materials called for by the pattern. Plus i think it looks just great as it is! didnt want to fuss with yarn substitution etc. etc.

I also plan on immediately finishing my 95% completed sweater that has been on hold since the holiday knitting began. its a shame that i didn't finish it before, because i could really use another sweater in the ASS COLD weather we've been having in nyc.

next sweater project will probably be a variation on this sweater:

i think i'm going to edit out the cabling and do a more simple, slim-fitting body. I'll probably play up the shawl collar a little more, which is the major draw to this pattern (not to mention that it was free). i'm thinking debbie bliss cashmerino aran. does anyone have any tips or comments (or WARNINGS?) about this yarn that i should know before taking the plunge and buying 10 balls?

exciting!

christmas hats on parade

well, its about time for a beefy huge photo-post to update you all on what i've been doing most evenings
this winter... the good news is, i think i'll be finished with all of my gifts for everyone just in time for christmas. i only have two more hats to finish (both of which are in progress and will not be included in this post, for obvious reasons.)


here it is, the winter line from brooklyn tweed ... THE HAT PARADE:

from top to bottom: shedir cables, lamb's pride pompom, bulky merino cozy cap, striped hat with earflaps, ganomey hat, merino ear flaps, prospect park stipes, merino ear flaps II, nautilus hat. read on for specs...

pattern: my own
materials: lamb's pride worsted [colors: heather, red]
needles: US 8 dpn's
thoughts: this was actually made a while back, but i am gifting it this christmas because its nice and lord knows i have too many hats for myself.

pattern:modified version of the Official Kitty Hat
materials: malabrigo pure worsted merino [color: sealing wax]
needles: US 7 36" circs using magic loop method
thoughts:well, this yarn is a marvel of the wool-world. and the color is absolutely insane. i enjoyed every minute of knitting it up and its such a beautiful FO. the color is so intense, it sort of sucks you in. it'll be hard to give it up, but i know it will be worn by a VERY appreciative head.

Pattern: Prospect Park Cap original pattern
Materials: karabella aurora 8 superwash merino [colors: burnt orange, brown]
Needles: US 6 16" circular

Thoughts: see previous post for more in depth details and photos

Pattern: moss stitch ear flaps my own pattern
Materials: malabrigo pure worsted merino [color: sunset]
Needles: US 7 36" circular using magic loop

Thoughts: i beefed up the earflaps on this one for more adequate coverage. so soft. so warm. great color. check.

Pattern:the Ganomey Hat Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac
Materials: Lamb's Pride Bulky [color: loden leaf]
Needles: US 9 29" circulars using magic loop

Thoughts: this hat is warm and fun to knit. so inventive, although i can't say i'm surprised. zimmarmann is a wonder! to get the full effect you really need to see it modeled. i may post more photos of these hats being worn later.

Pattern: seeded ear flap stripes original pattern
Materials: malabrigo pure worsted merino [colors: sunset and continental (blue)]
Needles: US 7 36" circular using magic loop

Thoughts: this is still obviously in progress (wasn't planning on giving someone a uni-flap hat for christmas.) still to do: add second earflap, add i-cords to flaps and pom-pom on top of hat. Finish off with a crochet chaing edging all around the bottom to pull everything together.

Pattern: bulky cozy cap my own pattern
Materials: malabrigo bulky merino [color: pearl]
Needles: US 9 29" circular using magic loop

Thoughts: this hat was a very quick knit and is very simple. but its veeery soft, bulky and warm. semi luxurious. cool color too.

* BONUS FEATURE BELOW *

Pattern: FAT stripes scarf my own (1x1 ribbing, extra thick and reversible)

Materials: Lion Brand Thick N' Quick

Needles: US 15 straight bamboo needles

Thoughts: this was a fun knit, despite the aversion to acrylic... my roommate will love it and it will keep anyone warm who borrows it (me, most of all)

Closing Comments :: Now I understand that these hats aren't nearly as fun when not modeled in the photos. Here is my defense. My head is freakishly large and in order to model most of these hats i would sacrifice their elasticity. I was short on "regular-sized head" people as well. But the provided photos will suffice for providing all the necessary information about materials, etc. I hope you enjoy! Comments are always welcome and if you have any questions, or want patterns, just ask!

Not Pictured above: the Nautilus Hat (modified version for smaller guage) made with Misti Alpaca Worsted (forgot to get a picture of it.) and Shedir from Knitty (see previous post for in-depth description and photos)

work is crazy right now and i'm getting frantic with knitted gifts. this combo has left little
time to post. hopefully i'll be back more frequently in the near future.


the new knitty is out with no inspiring or fashionable patterns for men ... i guess i'm never surprised but i'm always secretly hoping something great will pop up each time it comes out. i hate having to wait till the summer to get any substantial male patterns, and even then theres not many choices that i personally enjoy. it DOES give me more time to work on my own sweater designs, which is good i suppose.

despite the familiar absence of male-pattern-inspiration.... THIS is awesome! i'm excited to incorporate it into my next few projects!

hi! how was the holdiay for you all? did everyone get a bunch of knitting done like i did? holiday knitting is hard to beat.
i ended up teaching 3 people how to knit over thanksgiving and i think they all took to it really well! my brothers girlfriend caved after two days of my mom and i participating in knit-speak and parading around in our hand-knit garments. ha.

so here is a quick summary of what i'm up to:

* i finished an original earflap hat pattern that turned out really great.
* i pumped out a GREAT scarf for my good friend emily. big, chunky and thick
with a great splay of stripes
* started making some ornaments for the tree (mini-sweaters from weekend knitting)

i'm starting a few more projects in (what feels like a futile) attempt to finish everyone's christmas gifts. i think i have about 5 more projects... maybe more. i'm sort of ignoring that issue.

OH and here's something that really made my day:

FREE EARFLAPS FROM THE INTERWEAVERS!

knock yourself out! i know i will...

brooklyn tweed goes west

i finished the ganomy hat and its looks pretty great. i haven't had a chance for photos because of my frantic preparation for thanksgiving. i'm leaving for home this afternoon. since i'm flying all the way to seattle, i am hoping that they let me bring my needles on the plane, dammit! i always get crap for my needles at security because i'm a guy... which makes me a "suspicious candidate" for carrying knitting. grrr.... don't get me started.

anyway, i'll post pics when i get home next week. oh yes, and i'm finally closing in on my raglan. i've finished the sleeves (after frogging about 3 times each) - finally got the right width, shaping and length (i was making it up as i went so it took me a few tries.) i'm just finishing about 1.5 inches on the body and then it'll all be done and i'll be wearing it all over.

happy thanksgiving to all. brooklyn tweed is officially on holiday. see you all next monday.

some objects of the finished variety

thought i'd post a couple of photos. i finished these a while ago but haven't done the photo-documentation thing.

* VOO-DOO *

here are the old stand-by wrist warmers that most of us knitty fans have lying around somewhere. i wear them often, so they're already quite pilly... the look of love, right?



pattern: knitty.com
materials: tahki 'donegal tweed.' color: dijon
needles: US 6 dpn's
* Manos Scarf *

This is a scarf I made for my girlfriend last winter. i finally took some pics of it. its made with manos in a GREAT color. its very long for multiple neck wraps. one of my more favorite scarves i have done


pattern: my own. knit in 1x1 ribbing so it is reversible and nice and thick. the thick-and-thin quality of the wool adds a great subtle texture. i'm really into this scarf. i might make one for myself in a different color.
materials: manos del uruguay. 2 skeins needles: US 10.5

* Malabrigo BULKY cap *

this IS a finished object ... just not in the photo. just thought i'd toss it in for good measure. the bulky malabrigo takes softness to another level! i'm obsessed with this brand if you can't tell.

pattern: my own

materials: malabrigo bulky merino. color: pearl

needles: US9 29" circulars using the magic loop method

good ol' liz

i've been spending much of my commute/general subway time with elizabeth zimmerman. i've been researching her methods and practical but inventive patterns. her outlook on our craft is wonderful and she has some great insight. while i wouldn't wear many of her designs, i still enjoy reading about their construction and of course all of her words about the joys of PROCESS.

i've recently picked up knitter's almanac. i love her three hat patterns for the month of july. (maxine at stitch therapy in park slope (my LYS) has the maltese fisherman's hat knit up in her shop and it is AWESOME - i'm planning on making one for the winter at some point) zimmemann's sweater chapters are wonderful too. i'm knitting up the "ganomy hat" to break up the monotony of the standard hat pattern i've been working over and over for christmas gifts. its a simple and practical pattern with a very interesting design (and a wonderfully creative approach to earflaps.... a personal obsession). so we'll see how i like it when it becomes fully realized...

the only real problem with her books is that there aren't very many good photo references for the projects [this is especially true in 'almanac']. to get an idea of how something really looks, fits, and feels, you really have to just knit it yourself (this was probably her secret agenda!) either way, i have no problem doing that since really .... the reason most of us are doing this is because we enjoy the process more than the result.

Finished Objects!

two of my favorite hats that i've recently completed: my prospect park inspired striped hat and Shedir from knitty.com

Shedir Cap

• materials: rowan calmer in "coffee bean"
• knit using US 3 16" Circular Needle and dpn's
• pattern: knitty.com

Prospect Park Striped Hat

• materials :: karabella aurora 8 in "rust" (color 16) and "brown" (color 6)
• knit using US 6 16" Circular Needle and dpn's
• pattern: my own

laying dormant on the window sill.....

and IN ACTION!!!

and look how great the tops look (especially shedir... how great is that?!)

there is a whole host of hats in my living room waiting to be photographed, but these two were the pioneers. i wanted to show them off first. also... many of the others are gifts, so i may not post them all until after christmas. these two, however...... all mine.

SHEDIR IS COMPLETE!! i will take pictures of it this weekend to post. it looks GREAT and fits nice and snug. i'm so proud of the end product - lots of work and it really paid off. last night was an exciting race against the clock as my obsessive finishing compulsion kept me up into the wee hours, despite my knowledge of the alarm that was set for 7am this morning.... totally worth the loss of sleep.

i've been pumping out the hats like nobody's business - the christmas gift pile is growing. here's a little inventory:

* * *

COMPLETED HATS

shedir cable cap :: rowan calmer [coffee]

seed stitch earflap hat :: malabrigo worsted merino [sealing wax]

prospect park striped cap :: aurora 8 [brown and burnt orange]

lamb's pride stocking cap (2) :: lamb's pride [various colors]

IN PROGRESS HATS

bulky marino cozy cap :: malabrigo bulky merino [pearl]

fighead cabled cap :: malabrigo worsted merino [sunset]

multi-direcional hat with brim (from knit.1 magazine) :: cashmere blend

* * *

i'm hoping to have a grandiose photo shoot with all the hats on parade... my roommate has some fake heads which i may use to model the pieces. we'll see. until then, i'll be knitting away on these! happy knitting weekend to all!

i've been struck with a feverish resolve to comlpe shedir this week! i've spent a good few hours on it the last few nights and am closing in on the victory. i'm shaping the crown and should be finishing it tonight... i'm very happy with the progress. it looks great! when i finish i'll take some pictures and post. until then... probably knitting till my fingers bleed!

ooh - i also purchased the new men's issue of knit.1 magazine. its wonderful, a lot of great patterns, especially in the hat realm. you should all check it out at barnes and noble or borders. i've already ordered the yarn for a few new projects.

photos..... finally....

i finally got around to taking some photos of my stuff this week. i'll post them periodically throughout the next couple of days so as not to overwhelm you all.

here is the progress on the Shedir Cabled Cap from knitty.com. As you can imagine its a little slow-going and very mentally engaging.... not always my preference when i'm wanting a little zen time with my needles. but i have been working on and off and the finish line is in sight. i think i'll try to complete it this week. its made with Rowan Calmer and is soft and streeeetchy.

i also finally purchased some karaoke to experiment with. two skeins - so not enough for a scarf but i may purchase more. the color is Rust and it was my first purchase from knitpixie

i knitted up a test swatch trying out various stitches and guages to get a feel for the yarn and see what looked good. The photo is a bad representation of the subtle color shifts.... which is too bad for you! because they're great!

[click the photo to go to my flickr account. hit "all sizes" above the photo to view the full-size pic - the details of the stitches are better viewed that way]

life has been crazy lately. dont fret... i've still been knitting fiercely. can't remember a time when i wasn't... but nevertheless.

i haven't posted as much as i've planned recently, including pictures! (sorry - i know how annoying pictureless blogs are.)
i finished the malabrigo ear flap hat and have started another hat (cable cap) that i'm designing with my other hank of this blessed merino.

i hope everyone is knitting well... while i feel like i've been very productive over the last few weeks i still feel like i have a huge weight of holiday projects looming over my head. i hope i can get everything done before christmas!

i am too-anxiously awaiting the release of the new knit.1

if the sweater pattern on the cover is that good, its already worth buying.
not to mention, its the male issue - one of the few resources for male
patterns that i can actually justify investing my time and fibers in.

i guess i'll be twiddling my thumbs till nov. 15 for a new sweater project...

i've started knitting up my malabrigo worsted - the rumors are true. the experience is very amazing and i recommend trying it on your next worsted weight project. i'm knitting a seed stitch cap with earflaps, based on the 'kitty hat' but modified to a tolerable/non-cheesy piece.

below is the color of the hat - worsted pure merino "sealing wax."

the actual wool is a little deeper red with a hint of brown with very slight variegation.

spent a wonderful weekend in philly with k. finished my prospy park hat
on saturday just in time to wear it to the Fruit Bats/Son Volt concert, which
was unbelievably awesome. the hat is wearing well and oh so soft. i didn't
have a chance to take pictures, i will soon.

the other knitting hi-lite: finally got to check out loop in philly - i had been
wanting to check it out for some time. ever since i read the article in the philly
paper about the two local yarn suppliers that were run and owned by MEN.
loop and the knit with (in chestnut hill) - both of which have my hearty stamp
of approval. bought a fat hank of malabrigo, it has quickly asserted itself as
my temporary yarn of choice. can you tell? this hank is a deep, subtly
variegated red. the color title... get this ... "sealing wax." how great?!

can definitely get 2, if not 3 red hats for holiday gifts pumped out in no time
from my new acquisition.

OH. i also scored a great sweater from daffys for 19 dollars, its a warm brown
t w e e d wool that i am planning on tearing out and recycling. a LARGE sweater
with wonderful wool for less than 20 dollars. i can make a smaller size sweater for myself that will fit and still have some left over to make something small.
oh how i love yarn recycling.....

okay wow... so i have no willpower. already purchased this today. hey, i found a great deal on ebay! yes i'm defensive about my problem. [please see previous post]

malabrigo worsted pure merino
color: sunset

i have absoluetely no self control. seriously. none.

malabrigo :: worsted pure merino

y e s , p l e a s e

[check out that price/yardage ratio......]

well - i finished my prospect park cap last night... was planning on wearing it today because of the fall chill, but decided that i'm going to go back and rework the decreases. the hat is just a liiittle too short - definitely wearable but not so that i'll be completely happy with it every time i put it on. i guess its to be expected since i was altering a previous hat pattern that i had conceived but translating it to a significantly smaller gauge. think i'll go back into the body tonight, add an inch (a few more stripes) and re-decrease, shouldn't take me more than an hour. i'll feel much better about rocking the hat this fall after performing surgery on it

pumping out an original hat pattern for my aurora 8...
i can't stop knitting this stuff up! it looks and feels great.
i guess the hype is well-founded. hope to finish my hat
tonight and be wearing it in the morning

i'm on a bit of a stripe kick. photos to come soon.

i'm headed over to the yarn co. on 82nd and b'way
after work. i've stopped trying to convince myself that
i wont buy anything on my (all too frequent) excursions to nyc yarn
suppliers... i've realized it is more realistic to try and insure some
sort of spending limit. though, i'm worried because i know
the karabella and manos stashes there are crazy...not to mention
tahki. i've been scheming for some tahki 'soho' recently...
we'll see what happens

as those of you in new york understand... my love for School Products is
perpetually exploding out of my chest. one of my more favorite hide-a-ways
in manhattan.

so i went last night after work, caught the 1 train down from lincoln center and
was swimming in a sea of yarn by 5:15.

i walked in audibly chanting to myself "i will not spend money on yarn... etc."
has that ever worked? i walked out 38 dollars cheaper than i was when i went
in but about 38 times happier!

finally bought some aurora 8 because i've been wanting to use it ever since
my mom got on the karabella kick when she visited maxine this summer
with me at Stitch Therapy. also splurged on some karabella Puffy... a bulky
semi-boucle merino that will be softer than anything i currently put around my neck

shade cards for my new purchases below:

aurora 8 (what a pallette!)

puffy (not all colors pictured... at least not the color i bought)

the cold weather gets me excited! how long have the knitters of new york been waiting to wear warm hand-knits that have been in the works for the last few months? i myself... am a scarf whore. i'm rockin the gloves now and oh so soon... the sweater!

i'm setting my (sweater) completion goal for next week. just checked the weather forecast for the weekend and it looks like i'll be rocking the long sessions of couch knitting. grey and rainy... just how us washington (state) natives know it to be. lets hope for some major progress.

i feel guilty having a knitting blog with no pictures. i know i personally need the visual stimulation. just know that when i get my camera back, you will be so overwhelmed with photos of my projects that you will forget all about this imageless vortex of text. (... vorTEXT???)

oh elsebeth how i love you

just when i thought it would be a while before i found something i loved more than elsebeth lavolds silky wool.... i have to go and order two hanks of... yeah, you guessed it.... SILKY TWEED (also by Lavold). Oh god ... So good. Its gonna make the perfect finishing touch for the sweater. and of course i'm already trying to find a way to make another sweater using silky wool/tweed... or really anything that will let me keep working with this one.

obsessive?

oh what a weekend

spent most of the weekend knitting through the grey brooklyn
rain spell we had. it was great!

saturday morning i hiked over to Knit-A-Way Brooklyn on Atlantic Ave.
If you live in NYC, especially Brooklyn, you must check this place
out. She has a great selection of yarns for every project. I never
leave the place without an unexpected surprise in my bag. A
great oasis of tweeds to boot....

I picked up some Misti Alpaca Worsted [color: marigold melange] and
Classic Elite '03 Tweed [color: 5927] (this stuff is great! think i have a new favorite...)
Randomly picked up a new project and whipped out a pair of fingerless gloves
with the alpaca (poor man's cashmere) by sunday night.

After spending most of the weekend finishing up small projects (i finished Voodoo)
I resolved to hit the sweater with new tenacity this week. Its finally time to wear
it and i'm so close to finishing anyway. so i'll be sweatering hardcore these next
couple of nights... hopefully finishing soon.

a shocking discovery!!!

check out this yarn

STCY's Karaoke looks like something i could really get on board with.
my twitching finger is hovering over my mouse/purchase-machine.

trying to ward off impulse. if anyone has personal experience they'd
like to scribble... i'd love to hear it.



oh, ps :: softer than kureyon and much more subtle color transitions.
tweed-esque solids also available!

Current Projects

Raglan Sweater :: Knitting Pure and Simple
Using: Elsabeth Lavold Silky Wool :: Color: Moss


Voodoo Wrist Warmers :: Knitty Pattern
Using: Tahki Donegal Tweed :: Color: Mustard


Shedir Cabled Cap :: Knitty Breast Cancer Special Issue
Using: Rowan Calmer :: Color: Coffee Bean


Felted Market Bag :: Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick
Using: Lamb's Pride Worsted :: Colors: Sandy Heather, Grey Heather, Brown Heather

Felted Needle Roll [includes sewing] :: Fabulous Felted Hand-Knits by Jane Davis
Using: Lamb's Pride Bulky :: Colors: Loden Leaf, Sandy Heather

Fingerless Gloves :: Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick
Using: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed :: Color: Rust


unfortunately.... my computer is in transit from old apartment to new apartment. so photo posts will have to wait. until then its work blogging only. not nearly as exciting... i realize. we all need visuals.

first things first... i dont love blogs.

i'm really starting this because i want to join the ny knit-ring.

i'm not completely anti-blog, but this is a stretch. its for motivational purposes. i guess i owe it to many of you whose knitting blogs i secretly stalk ... lurking in the cybershadows, always seeking free patterns that a male knitter can somehow adapt or springboard from ... deserve some reciprocity.

okay so there we have it. a little swatch of text just floating around insignificantly. i guess i'll put up some pictures of my work. sometime.