Going Nuts

Well, I submitted a pattern to Knitty on March 30th for the "Early Fall" "Deep Fall" dates, and I still haven't heard a thing.  I've checked the forums, and lots of folks have received their rejections.  A couple have received acceptances.  I haven't gotten even a maybe.  Is it worse to receive your rejection late?  Yes, it is.  If I'm going to be disappointed, I'd like to do it before spending weeks ripping my hair out.  Just saying.  Bald isn't my best look.

A big chunk of the book went off to the publisher 10 days ago, and I'm waiting to hear what they think.  More stress!  This pattern writing gig is a strange job.  Lots of work.  Lots of meetings and negotiations, lots of math, lots of swatches.  And after all the work, I sit around waiting for news and approval from the publishers.

I like my work.  Creating patterns and sharing them with my students and readers is very fulfilling.  This sitting by the phone/email is not so fulfilling.  Until the day the phone rings, and they say they've accepted a submission.  Then it's like winning the lottery!  If I win, I'll let you know.  And it's addictive.  One acceptance leads to the desire to have two.  Habit forming.  I need a twelve step program.  Soon.

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have finished the design for the mittens to be knit on US 2 or 3 needles.  I haven't made a sample, but the design is drawn to the scale that I knit to with some Cascade Cash Vero DK on little needles.  It's surprisingly fun to design at that scale!  Colorwork in small stitch sizes allows for shapes that just won't work up on larger stitches.  Be patient!  When I've knit good chunk of sample, I'll let you know.

I'm also working on the charity project.  Thanks for all of you who have sent emails, posted on Ravelry, or sent PMs.  I'm in the process of selecting the second charity we will donate to.  The first charity mitten pattern sample is coming along nicely, but I'm making a few adjustments along the way to make it as easy as possible to make.  This pattern will contain a bonus pattern, too.  I'm doing a retro-styled tribute to the organization in a simple mitten pattern.  The bonus should be finished tonight or tomorrow.

My calendar is starting to fill in with teaching events and knitting conferences and festivals. Thanks for the updates and invitations.  I love being invited to teach or speak, and always look forward to meeting more knitters.  There are always such creative people with such wonderful ideas at these things!  We knitters are a pretty cool bunch, I must say.

Thank you again for all the support and ideas and updates.  You guys rock!

You Should Write a Book, St. Paddy's Mitts

A reader sent me an email: "You should write a book. I'd love a book of yours on my shelf for mittens and blankets.  Are you writing one?"  I get that a lot.  So first off, Thank You!  Because I design so much for customers at the shop, for myself, and for my friends and kids, I have designed and test-knit hundreds of things.  I love seeing other knitter's interpretations of my designs!  Customers come in with their RFO's (recently finished objects) and I can't stop grinning about them expressing themselves with their work. 

So why not?  Trust me, I'm all for it.  I have no idea how to go about it, but since I can't stop designing (I've tried, believe me, but to no avail) it just might happen.  If you're looking for me on the bookshelf now, however, I'm afraid you'll need to wait a while. Visit me here, and I'll visit you back.

St. Paddy's Mitts

The idea was something Irish-looking enough to be great for the parade, but not so cutesy that you can't wear them on all the other cold days.  If you start them now, they can easily be finished by St. Patrick's Day!

Materials: Size 5 needles
Cascade Yarns 220 Worsted Wool, one skein each green, and white

Makes women's size large mittens. For smaller or larger size, decrease or increase needle size respectively.  Finished size 4.25 inches across, 8.5 inches long.

Cast on 60 sts needed. There is no separate cuff on these!  The pattern above makes a whole mitten.  Please note - there is a white stripe up each edge of the mitten, so make sure to count those on the above chart.  I admit, they are not super clearly marked.

This pattern is designed in the round, with an afterthought thumb.  The front and back of each thumb are the same.  The light green lines on the palm of the mitten body represent where to knit with scrap yarn for thumb placement.

Happy knitting!

Musings on Bones

For two months I've been trying to design a mitten (shocking! I know) with a pattern of the skeleton of the human hand.  If you think that's morbid, stop reading now.  You won't understand. I think bones and most other body parts are really beautiful.  With few exceptions they are spare, efficient, and strong.  I wanted to explore celebrating it with our most complex bone structure, the human hand.

For me, the trick to a mitten is that it has to be functional as well as interesting to look at.  If I were to design this mitten in sock weight yarns, I could probably do it.  The pixelization at worsted and DK is just too large for the bones to look like anything but a cartoon.  But living in Buffalo, I've got to say, I don't think I've ever met a sock yarn up to the challenge of keeping me warm, dry, and shoveling on a ten degree day. 

Is there a significant call for sock weight mittens elsewhere?  Should I keep going down in yarn weight?  No human bones are straight.  Every surface and every length is curved to one degree or another.  The only way to exhibit convincing curves is to spread them out over a LOT of stitches, and the idea was the bones on the mitten would correlate directly to the bones of the hand below.  Let me know what you think.  I just might keep trying.

Punk Knits

I've discovered that I prefer to knit in proximity to chocolate, coffee, and wine, depending on the time of day and the mood I'm in.  I'm sure I could be convinced that all of them should be nearby if I tried.  Today it's an odd combination...

Knitting calms me, concentrating on the work and the pattern.  The rhythm of the needles, the softness of the yarn, they become entrancing.  Sometimes it's just a way to keep my hands busy so I won't throttle anyone. 

I've cranked the TV while watching the Matrix (killer soundtrack, lots of explosions), chowed dark chocolate peanut M&M's and red wine, and wouldn't talk to anyone.  I don't want to be angry.  I'm a Buddhist, for heaven's sake.  But sometimes I am.  I just need to let it wash over me like a storm cloud.  Sometimes I need a little thunder and lightning with my storm cloud. Hence, blasting the Matrix.  The M&M's and wine are just recreational.

This puts me in a great mindset to design for my kids.  They don't want my Country Club chic stuff, and they don't want anything Normann Rockwell. Revolutionary leather-clad rebels and loud music set a different tone.  The designs came easily today, but it makes me curious where I'll find the kinds of color palate I want.  I'd like a blend of traditional and acid colors.  Any ideas?  It would be great if I could find all the colors in one yarn that's either superwash or not wool, as I have an allergy.  Tell me what you think!

Christmas Karma

Christmas at the Marino home was a delight. The kids received electronics, concert tickets, magazines, and pajamas.  Cookies were eaten, champagne was toasted, and then it was over...  As an avid knitter, of course I hoped for knitting gifts this year.  And the kids came through!  No coffee mugs, no candles, no DVDs - knitting books! And the Mr. came through with a Kindle!  So cool.

The first book is 60 Quick Knits, published by the makers of Cascade Yarns. Every pattern features Cascade 220 worsted wool.  There are hats, scarves and mittens in snazzy color combos and updated versions of traditional designs.  Since 220 is a worsted weight yarn, everything knits up quickly.  I've made mittens from this book, and know a couple of people who own and love the book already.  I'll have to wait a little, though, as it's still on order. :(

Second is Punk Knits by Sharon Ross.  The author is a punk music artist herself, and views creating her own garments as a way to side step the establishment and make her own statement.  That's fine with me!  There are 26 projects in the book with edgy details and a ton of attitude. I always tell the kids to tell me what they'd like me to make and I'll be happy to make it.  I'm sure it won't be long until the kids are placing requests for these punk knits.

Alli, my youngest, has recently taken a serious interest in what I knit.  She doesn't knit herself, but this morning she was poring over pattern books and suggesting color combinations and traditional motifs for an ear flap hat she wants.  She does this kind of designing in her head, leaving me to find the right yarns and generate the patterns.  Who knows?  Maybe we have another great knitwear designer in the making.  I'll be happy to be her sample maker!

The Little Red Car

This is a guest piece from my childhood friend Christina Anderson Barnhill.  She's creative, able, and more than a little feisty (as I recall), and not one to take "no" for an answer.  It sounds like her son is following in her footsteps!  (On this car, I LOVE the little wipers!)

"I was looking for something to make for Matthew (girls are so much easier to crochet for) because he saw me making stuff for his sister and was feeling left out. His brother, Ed, has a red Camaro and Matthew wanted a red car too. I made up the pattern as I went along. The wheels sort of match the wheels of the Camaro. After I finished it I realized it has no roof. Oh well, Ed's car has T-tops and so does Matthew's.

Matthew is very specific when he asks for something. I offered to make him a hat and he told me he wanted it orange with a red stripe, with red fish swimming around it and a sea anemone on the front. We ended up designing a coral reef pillow. I haven't done it yet but I have the notes for it. I made him a scarf to his specs once. I didn't think it would look right but it came out cute. He is my little designer, next month he will be 7."