Last Call - January Gift Knits Kit Club

The orders need to get packed and out, so if you wanted to start the club with the group, jump in now!  Otherwise, you can pick us up next month.  This will be true until the remaining spots are taken.  January closes on Friday.

Features:
New kit each month including original Liz Marino pattern and premium yarns to make the Gift Knit of the Month, shipped on or about the 15th of the month

Exclusive Liz Marino Club patterns will not be made available to non-club members until 3 months after Club release date

The first Kit makes these!

Kits will not be made available retroactively or to non-members

Jan = Straight needle gloves for her (s,m,l)
Feb = Snuggly Socks - adult (men, women)
Mar = Woven-look Purse
Apr = Eco-Friendly Washcloth Gift Pack
May = Holiday Knit-Ahead Hat
June = Yoga Stirrup Socks - one size

No substitutions are available. Color and size is determined by Liz Marino. Each month's kit is the only kit available for that month. Kits are not available retroactively.
Membership will not be automatically renewed for July-Dec. Membership will be opened to current members in April and non-members in May based on availability.

Membership is open to North American mailing addresses only. The price is $27 per month, for a total of $162 USD. Payment must be received in full; no month to month memberships are available.

Thanks for joining this adventure! I can hardly wait!Thanks for joining this adventure!  I can hardly wait!

After joining, email me at esliney@yahoo.com with your:

Name
Shipping address
Do this even if they are the same as the ones on your PayPal ID, please, just to confirm! I want to make sure I know how to reach you via email and USPS. If this info is not emailed, your membership will be rejected and your payment will be returned. Thanks!

Knitting Sins 1

This is a post from just over a year ago, listing some of my knitting sins.  Sadly, I have committed some of these sins again, and soon I will have to list the sins that didn't make the first list.  I am not worthy.

I have used my knitting needles as a tool for things they were not designed for. I've used the straights for backscratching, my DPNs as blocking pins, and short circs as stitch holders. Needles have been used as bookmarks, and been accidentally put away in the book. I have used needles to grab small things out of nooks and crannies. I have used a needle as a straight edge to draw a straight line. I have used them to hold together my gingerbread houses. (Short DPNs work really well.) Please give me another chance. Things will be different. I promise.

I have done BAD things to my yarn. I have used fine, hand-made fibers to tie bows on doll hair, make a leash for my daughter's cat, and yes, even donated them to diorama projects. I have split plies, and cut tangled skeins I should have carefully untied. I have machine-washed yarns that were not superwash. I have even used hand-made fibers to make pom poms. (I'm mortified!) I don't know what I was thinking.

I have decided I am smarter than the pattern. I have taken shortcuts, like using a different cast-on. I have changed stitch patterns. I have not corrected my mistakes, and ended up with the hideous garments I deserved. I have arrogantly changed needle size and yarn weight without doing the math because I thought I could handle it. (I couldn't.) I have ignored assembly instructions, turning a perfectly good garment into an Escher cartoon. I have started projects on aluminum needles and finished them on plastic. I have knotted and cut yarn ends instead of weaving them in. And after these sins, I have blamed the pattern, because it couldn't have been my fault.

I have entitled this post Knitting Sins 1 because I know there are more sins I have committed that I just don't remember right now. And of course, I know there will be more. I'll admit them as they come to me, and I hope you'll share some of yours with me, too. I'll feel less alone. :)

Gaffs of Christmas Past

Every year my family celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve. My dear friend Lisa (special ed kindergarten teacher) comes in from out of town, I make a huge meal, and we dine in candlelight in the evening. Part of the daytime tradition is to deliver trays of handmade holiday cookies to friends and family. It all starts with me getting up very early in the morning to bake bread, pie, etc. In '08 I had more to do than that.

I had knit a pair of fingerless gloves with mitten caps for my youngest, and somehow never got round to blocking the 2nd one. I blocked it 2 days before and it was still wet. I had made sterling silver earrings for my eldest, and they needed polishing. I hadn't finished decorating. My house guests were sick, and one a diabetic vegan which made for a complicated time playing Florence Nightingale. And of course there was the cooking.

I threw pie in the oven around 7am, and moved on to polishing the earrings. The first one went great. The second one disintegrated in my hand. 7:30am. I'd think of something. Oh! Mittens! Darn. Still wet. Gift exchange around 2pm. Dammit.

I checked on the pie. Fine. I washed up from the baking trying to figure out what to do. Apologize to eldest and make another one soon. Ok. 7:45. Take soggy mitten and put in toaster oven at 150 degrees for ten minutes. Maybe it will dry faster.

I went to get the candle lanterns out of the basement and decorate with those so we would have light for our candlelit evening. 8:00. The pie beeped, so I grabbed that, and went back to the lanterns, one of which I promptly dropped and smashed. In my bare feet I put the dog out, and cleaned up the broken glass. I checked the mitten. Now it was a hot wet mitten. Damn again. I turned up the toaster oven. Just a little. Let the dog in. 8:45.

On to making breakfast for the sick house guest, and starting a vegan holiday meal as well as the turkey dinner. I was stuffing acorn squash for the vegans and turkey for the rest. I chopped, I sauteed, and then I smelled it. THE MITTEN! I ran over to the toaster oven. 9:40.

Wool doesn't burn in the traditional sense. It just smells awful and disintegrates. It still looked like a mitten (though a little brown) but when I went to pick it up it just crumbled. Damn, damn, DAMN!

Stuffing almost finished. Gravy started. Squash roasted for soup. 10:45. Vegan Lisa comes into kitchen and asks about the "Weird" smell. "Turkey's supposed to smell like that!" I snapped. She's a vegan - she'll buy that, right? 'Cause burned wool smells so "holiday".

I was frazzled, and decided to go drop off cookies to my LYS. "Lisa, I have to get out of here for about 20 minutes. Help me out; keep the husband out of the pie, the kids out of the presents, and the dog out of the stuffing. I'll be right back in a much calmer mood!" I grabbed a platter of cookies and left for the shop.

"This is all you brought?" MaryAnn (LYS owner) was teasing. I explained my crazy failure of a morning, and sat for a minute gulping coffee. She chuckled, wished me well, and I went home.

When I got to my back door Lisa and my dog were waiting and they both looked sorry. Aw,crap.

"What happened?"

"The dog ate the stuffing."

"All of it? Vegan and regular?"

Yup. This woman can handle 20 special ed 5 year olds for 6 hours per day, but not my family and dog. I called my mother in desperate futile hope of recovering my day.

"Haven't you started drinking yet?"

"It's 11:15 in the morning!"

"Not in Australia. Things will look much more festive after your second glass of wine. Go for it!"  A little weird for motherly advice.

I took my wine and retreated for the tub. And she was right. Things were looking up.

Freebie Friday - Legwarmers!

Created by Stephanie Japel, these are quick and easy legwarmers.  It seems like a good seasonal idea, no doubt in part because I'm wearing a skirt today, and it's darn cold out there.  These are extremely easy, and will look terrific in variegated, boucle, or even eyelash.  The simple patterns open you up to a world of stash-busting possibilities.  Click on the photo caption to be connected to the original patten on Knitty.com.

Postmodern Legwarmers

Crazy Holidays

Happy Winter Solstice!  It's the shortest day of the year.  What will you be doing in all that darkness?  I'll be knitting, or so I tell people. 

It's a bit crazy at my house, maybe more than a bit, and all the Zen in the world isn't buying me any more time.  Due to the craziness, I will be re posting some "classic" blog posts here until after the new year has come in and settled.  There will be occasional new posts, but not as many as usual.

In the holiday knitting department, I have finished everything that I've planned on, and shipped it all out yesterday.  Of course, now I have to finish samples for a couple of yarn manufacturers, one for an article in a print magazine, and one for my Gift Knits Club.  Either I'm over committed, or I'm a very slow knitter.  It feels like tackling these projects resembles an assault on Everest.  Where's my trusty Sherpa, you may ask?  Knitting for her own holidays.  Yep, the intrepid Colleen is not available to bail my butt out at the moment.  Even trusty sidekicks need time off, and I have to accept "no" for an answer occasionally.  Thank heavens it's only occasionally!  (I get her services back in about a week, thank heavens!)

Thank you, reader, for keeping me company on my crazy knitting journey.  Without you, there would be no reason for this blog, publishing all these patterns, and some of the fun would be gone from exploring the off-beat sides of knitting.  It's all so much more fun when I get to share it with you.

Thank you all for all of your support during my son's critical illness this summer.  Now that he's home and recovering, I still think of the support you sent every day.  From highs to lows, we've gone through quite a bit together this year.  It's been a great ride.

So, Classics coming up for a couple of weeks, with occasional new material.  I'll be back in the saddle soon.  Thanks.

Happy Hanukkah! and gift tips

Happy Hanukkah!  Best wishes to one and all!  In honor of the holiday, I thought I'd list a few holiday knits "don'ts" based on things recently seen and heard.  Givers and receivers alike, listen up.

No pom poms on menswear.  No matter what the TV "stylists" say, apparently this trend only exists in the minds of a very few.  As a receiver, well, it's very trendy.

Easy on the fringe on garments for pet owners.  Apparently cats can't get enough of the stuff, and once they start after the fringe, the rest of the garment is on borrowed time.  If you receive a fringed garment as a cat owner, do the right thing.  Frame it.

No one really wants a knitted toilet paper cover.  Honestly.

Non-knitters will never fully understand what it took to hand-knit a garment, and you cannot exact revenge of any kind when they throw it in the washer and dryer and then complain that it shrunk.  You can't kick their shins, make them pay for the yarn, or throw the damaged garment in their face.  They don't take it the right way.  (This goes for folks getting tea on and washing tea cozies as well.)

When receiving a "random act of yarn" as a gift (like one skein of acrylic and a pattern for a sweater from the 80's) you must act grateful and promise to use it, even when it's green and orange eyelash yarn.  From Big Lots.  With the clearance price tag still on it.  Yes, you do.  It's the thought that counts, no matter how little thought there was.

A fun fact from my own life - I have a niece whose husband is in the US Air Force.  While stationed in Japan, she gave birth to their first child.  In anticipation of this blessed event, I designed and then knit her a baby blanket with an (accurate) American flag in the middle, and a border of flags of countries where they had been or might be stationed.  It took 5 months of her pregnancy to get it designed and knit.  I then lovingly packed it up with a congratulatory card explaining that I had designed the blanket specifically for their family, and shipped it to Japan.  The first baby pictures she emailed to all of us in the US had the baby wrapped in the blanket.  But she never sent a thank you of any kind.  Oh well, busy new mother.

And then, when she was stateside about a year later, she saw me knitting at a picnic.  "Wow!  I didn't know you could knit!" she said.  Yes, really.  After the shock wore off, I realized two things.  One, I should never assume non-knitters will understand knitting, and I should make and give these gifts for the joy it brings me to do it, and not expect joy on the part of the recipient.  Two, I will not be knitting for her family any time soon.

Happy Hanukkah, my friends.

What To Give a Knitter - Notions

Random modern knitting tools

Lantern Moon Silk Needle Case

Knitter's Notebook

Still stuck for the knitter on your gift list?  Or maybe looking for a stocking stuffer?  Well, I'm still discouraging Random Acts of Yarn (giving them random yarn just because they knit).  There is a good solution:  Notions.

Stitch and needle gauge

Rosewood Cable Needles

Notions are all the things you need as a knitter that aren't yarn or needles.  Most knitters use tape measures, needle gauges, very small scissors, cable needles, stitch holders, and more.  There are stitch counters, gauge finders, stitch markers, and mini crochet hooks for fixing errors.  There are buttons and clips.  There are needle cases, project bags, tapestry needles, point protectors...  Go into any yarn shop in your area and ask the staff to direct you to the "must have" notions. 

The thing with knitters is because they spend so much time doing a handcraft, they tend to really appreciate hand-crafted versions of all of their tools.  Most of us start out with mass produced pieces from a craft store, and then slowly upgrade our tools over the years.  Beautifully made tools make every minute of knitting more satisfying. 

Hardwood Crochet Hooks in varying sizes

Gifts for Knitters - Books

At this point, with 11 days until Christmas, you may have decided it's just too late to knit something for a knitter in your life, but they're still on your list.  Now what?  You probably don't want to give a Random Act of Yarn (a skein of yarn you think is pretty and have no idea what your knitter will do with it.)  And needles?  With so many kinds in so many sizes , circs, dpns, short straights, long straights... well, it can be hard to feel good about that, too.

Here's the thing: you're thoughtful enough to want to get it right, and yet don't know what that particular knitter dreams of at night.  These books would be welcomed by most knitters I've every met.  Try them for your favorite knitter, or leave this list out for folks who are shopping for you!

BOOKS:  Generic knitting books are usually safe and welcome.  Try The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliff, a tote-able resource that covers basic to intermediate knitting conundrums.  Vogue Knitting Quick Reference: The Ultimate Portable Knitting Compendium is another great basic, and is spiral bound, making it lie flat when opened.  (This is very handy when your hands are full of knitting.)

Any of the Knitting on the Edge  (Over the edge, Beyond the edge, etc.) by Nikki Epstein books are a great inspiration and addition, even if your knitter is still diligently knitting their first scarf.  Specifically containing only edge treatments, each offers a plethora of "spice it up" ideas with complete pattern instructions.

Stitch dictionaries are also very handy and popular.  Try any of these: The Encyclopedia of Knitting by Stanfield and Griffiths has explanations of how and why certain techniques are used, as well as abundant photos and directions.  Knit and Purl by Erika Knight covers hundreds of beautiful designs you can make with just the two most basic knitting stitches - an excellent reminder for those of us who over complicate everything.  Knitting Stitches Visual Encyclopedia by Sharon Turner is just that - an easy to understand visual index of knitting stitches.

For the knitter who has everything, try the latest in the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary series, Stitchionary 6: Edgings.  As this series goes on, it becomes more addictive.  Have a big budget?  Collect several of the titles above for your favorite knitter.  They'll swoon in delight!

Gift Knits Kit Club Gloves Debut

I brought out the gloves I designed for the Gift Knit Kit Club yesterday, and passed them around at the knitting circle at the LYS.  They were a hit!  I was thrilled.  This is the first of the patterns in the exclusive club collection, to be followed by Snuggly Socks, etc. 

Features:
New kit each month including original Liz Marino pattern and premium yarns to make the Gift Knit of the Month, shipped on or about the 15th of the month

Exclusive Liz Marino Club patterns will not be made available to non-club members until 3 months after Club release date

Kits will not be made available retroactively or to non-members

Jan = Straight needle gloves for her (s,m,l)
Feb = Snuggly Socks - adult (men, women)
Mar = Woven-look Purse
Apr = Eco-Friendly Washcloth Gift Pack
May = Holiday Knit-Ahead Hat
June = Yoga Stirrup Socks - one size

No substitutions are available. Color and size is determined by Liz Marino. Each month's kit is the only kit available for that month. Kits are not available retroactively.

Membership will not be automatically renewed for July-Dec. Membership will be opened to current members in April and non-members in May based on availability.

Membership is open to North American mailing addresses only. The price is $27 per month, for a total of $162 USD. Payment must be received in full; no month to month memberships are available.

Thanks for joining this adventure! I can hardly wait!

 

After joining, email me at esliney@yahoo.com with your:

Name
Shipping address

Do this even if they are the same as the ones on your PayPal ID, please, just to confirm! I want to make sure I know how to reach you via email and USPS. If this info is not emailed, your membership will be rejected and your payment will be returned. Thanks!

Gift Knits Kit Gloves Are Finished!

I've finished the sample for the Gift Knits Kit Club January kit, the Gloves!  I love them.  I made the sample in a small/medium, which is what I always do, and now I wish I'd made a large (my size)!  I always end up wanting at least one of every pattern, and at this point I should know better.  They can be made on straights or circs, and they're really pretty, if I do say so myself. 

This minor miracle of finishing the gloves coincides with the first snowfall of the year that stuck to the ground.  For the first time this season it really looks like Christmas is coming to Buffalo.

Yesterday I replaced my 15 yr old winter jacket, and my 8 yr old boots.  Is it coincidence that they both happen to coordinate nicely with the gloves?  It's hard to say.  Sometimes the subconscious sends a message.  Sometimes you just buy the stuff that's available in your size, no matter what the color scheme.  Sometimes I really overthink things.  Ok, often I really overthink things.

I'm so excited about this club!  I'm happy about the socks for February, and the bag for March.  Looking through all the yarns for these projects, making the selections, working out patterns...  I hope you have as much fun with this as I do!  If you're not already a member, join us.  There are a few spots left. 

Gift Knits Kit Club

Life Without the Puppy

NatureSong Marino

Rosa puppy went back home to her family on Sunday, leaving the Marino household back in its usual mellow groove.  It was great and challenging to have her, and it's great that she left.  Rosa loved to eat my furniture and my yarn and my toes.  Knitting now without having to stop and manage the puppy every few minutes is refreshingly efficient.

My own dog, Max, doesn't seem to miss her at all.  He'll be 6 years old soon, and he is much more the elder statesman and much less the wrestling partner he was expected to be for the last two weeks.  He doesn't seem to miss his house guest at all, enjoying no sharing of his toys or his doggie bed.  He seems to think that all the time I used to spend managing Rosa should now be spent on rubbing his belly. 

Variety of Mountain Colors Sock Yarns

In other news, the yarn for the Gift Knits Kit Club's first piece has been custom-dyed, and is on its way to me.  I can't wait to see it!  Now I'm working on the yarn for the Snuggly Socks for the February kits.  It's a tough choice, and I'm really enjoying playing with large amounts of sock yarn.  All this test knitting makes me want to knit a whole pair with every single yarn!

Do you have a favorite heavier sock yarn?  Something I should be considering?  Let me know.  Thanks!

Straight Needle Gloves - Sneak Peek!

This is the swatch for the first pattern of the Gift Knits Kit Club!  The pattern is finished, and I'm knitting the sample today. (Yep, those are some little bitty cables on there!)  It's for GLOVES, and it is written and charted for BOTH straight needles AND for those who knit in the round.

There will be a contrasting, dark brick colored cuff.  The yarn for the body of the glove is called "Embers", 100% Superwash Merino DK Super Sheep, and it's from Holiday Yarns.  I love it!  It's knits up soft and warm and dreamy. The yarn alone retails for $22.00!  The whole kit, mailed to your door, is just $27. 

I'm making each of these items as a Holiday knit ahead for the 2012 holidays, so next year I'll be less frantic about finishing my gift knits list. 

I've just opened a few more spots in the club, so join us!

Gift Knit Kit Club Features: 
New kit each month including original Liz Marino pattern and premium yarns to make the Gift Knit of the Month, shipped on or about the 15th of the month

Exclusive Liz Marino Club patterns will not be made available to non-club members until 3 months after Club release date

Kits will not be made available retroactively or to non-members

Jan = Straight needle gloves for her (s,m,l)
Feb = Snuggly Socks - adult (men, women)
Mar = Woven-look Purse
Apr = Eco-Friendly Washcloth Gift Pack
May = Holiday Knit-Ahead Hat
June = Yoga Stirrup Socks - one size

No substitutions are available.  Color and size is determined by Liz Marino.  Each month's kit is the only kit available for that month.  Kits are not available retroactively. 

Membership will not be automatically renewed for July-Dec.  Membership will be opened to current members in April and non-members in May based on availability.

Membership is open to North American mailing addresses only.  The price is $27 per month, for a total of $162 USD.  Payment must be received in full; no month to month memberships are available.

Thanks for joining this adventure!  I can hardly wait!

After joining, email me at esliney@yahoo.com with your:

Name
Shipping address

Do this even if they are the same as the ones on your PayPal ID, please, just to confirm!  I want to make sure I know how to reach you via email and USPS.  If this info is not emailed, your membership will be rejected and your payment will be returned.  Thanks!

Freebie Friday - Christmas Pudding Tea Cosy

Pudding Cosy

This is the most adorable tea cosy I've ever seen.  Or maybe it's just the Christmas carols talking.  Either way, I wanted to share it with you.  It's from across the Pond in England, so the terminology is a little different, but it's a super easy pattern, and I know you'll do just fine!

By the way, when you knit up a Freebie from Friday posts, I'd love to see how they come out!  Email me!

Designing Around the Puppy

10 days ago, I picked up a puppy whose owner has become disabled and unable to train her.  She's 11 months old, and wasn't trained at all.  At all.  She is a beautiful English Setter from a top show line, with lots of fluffy soft fur and the elegance that goes with the breed.  Her name is Rosa.

She also bounces off everything - walls, floor, people, kids, adults, trees... She has boundless energy, and boundless curiosity about the world I've brought her into.  She's adorable and goofy, and constant work. 

Rosa also loves to eat my yarn.  Any yarn.  She picks up the skein, prances around the house for a few minutes playing keep-away-from-Elisabeth, and then tries to eat it.  I understand a love of yarn, but I don't think much of this eating it behavior.  I'm trying to design and test knit patterns for the Gift Knits Kit Club, and Rosa keeps trying to lick the project or make off with the yarn.  Talk about adverse working conditions!  I'm tempted to picket, but it is my house after all. 

There's an upside.  My dear friend Cecile has loaned me her swift and ball winder, so at least I'm not trying to ball yarn for projects on top of everything.  These tools are addictive!  It's amazing how quickly the balls get made.  I've always made my hanks into balls the old fashioned way - I hand-wound them.  This is so cool.

Did I mention?  Now Rosa wants to eat the swift, too.

New Mittens!

These mittens were sample knit for me by the intrepid and wonderful Colleen Croce.  The pattern was inspired by a trip back to my native Berkshire Hills (Massachusetts) last spring.  As anyone without a GPS will tell you, it's very hard to find your way around all of those loopy, winding roads.  There's hardly one straight one in the bunch.  Honestly, though, I love it!  And so, the Winding Roads Mittens were born.

They have a short cuff, like a driving glove would, but in the pattern there is a modification for a longer one.  Made from a blend of alpaca and merino, they are very warm, and oh-so-soft.  The yarn is Cascade Yarns Lana D'Oro, and it is delicious.  It comes in generously sized hanks (210 yds), and one hank easily makes both mittens.

Available on Ravelry as Winding Roads Mittens for $4 USD, or .  Enjoy them!

For the Love of Money

I don't know how things are at your house this season, but at my house they are tight.  My knitting budget is small, and my wishlist is as big as ever.  Whether shopping for me or shopping for another knitter, there is great stuff out there way below retail!

19th cent. Ball Trap

I know I've mentioned this before, but there ARE other options!  I'm a big fan of yard sales, both for yarn and for knitting needles and notions.  If knitting stuff isn't out, I ask.  People very often say yes, and sometimes even offer to give the stuff away.  Often the stuff is still in its packaging.  Beautiful vintage tools like darning eggs, needle boxes, and ivory crochet hooks have been in these sales, and now they're in my home for less than their modern plastic counterparts would be.  It's a great way to recycle and to save lots of money.  Your money stays at work locally.  You might even make a friend!

Sterling Art Deco Needle Case

No yard sales near you?  Try Craigslist.  Run the search in a variety of ways for the best luck.  Knitting, crafting, needles, yarn, patterns, needlework, etc will all yield slightly different groupings depending on how the ad was phrased.  I don't have frequent luck with this, but when there is something listed, it tends to be a very large lot, sold by folks who can't knit anymore due to eyesight or arthritis problems, or sometimes an estate.  Save the old stuff from becoming landfill fodder.  Again, money stays local, and you get the needle sizes or notions you need.

Not worried about buying local?  There's always eBay for needles, yarn, and notions.  Half.com will have most of the knitting books you're looking for at prices anywhere from 10% - 90% off.

Silver and Wood Darning Eggs

Then again, you can approach it from the other side.  Place a "want" ad in the newspaper or on Craigslist for knitting and crochet notions.  Even if you only do one or the other, people who have inherited someone's needlework materials don't always know the difference.  Ask  for what you need in your ad, including pattern books, patterns, stitch counters, etc.  You'll be contacted by folks who have what you need.

Gift Knits Club is Open!

It's here!   The Gift Knits Club is open for membership.  Knit the gifts you want to give (or keep - we won't tell!) at a manageable pace throughout the year.  Each pattern comes with the recommended yarn, so you'll never be searching for that last, elusive skein to finish a project.  Membership is limited, and will be closed without notice when the club maximum has been reached.

Features: 
New kit each month including original Liz Marino pattern and premium yarns to make the Gift Knit of the Month, shipped on or about the 15th of the month

Exclusive Liz Marino Club patterns will not be made available to non-club members until 3 months after Club release date

Kits will not be made available retroactively or to non-members

Jan = Straight needle gloves for her (s,m,l)
Feb = Snuggly Socks - adult (men, women)
Mar = Woven-look Purse
Apr = Eco-Friendly Washcloth Gift Pack
May = Holiday Knit-Ahead Hat
June = Yoga Stirrup Socks - one size

No substitutions are available.  Color and size is determined by Liz Marino.  Each month's kit is the only kit available for that month.  Kits are not available retroactively. 

Membership will not be automatically renewed for July-Dec.  Membership will be opened to current members in April and non-members in May based on availability.

Membership is open to North American mailing addresses only.  The price is $27 per month, for a total of $162 USD.  Payment must be received in full; no month to month memberships are available.

Thanks for joining this adventure!  I can hardly wait!

After joining, email me at esliney@yahoo.com with your:

Name
Shipping address

Do this even if they are the same as the ones on your PayPal ID, please, just to confirm!  I want to make sure I know how to reach you via email and USPS.  If this info is not emailed, your membership will be rejected and your payment will be returned.  Thanks!

Gift Knits Club details

We're getting close to the club going live.  (I'm hoping to post it Thanksgiving weekend.)  Each month, members will receive a kit with an original pattern, and premium yarns.  Membership will run Jan-June, and July - Dec.  Patterns will be appropriate for gift giving - i.e. home decor, hats, gloves, socks, mittens, scarves, purses, etc.   Each club pattern will be a club exclusive for 3 months after its publication to club members, and kits will not be availble to non-club members.  Club membership will be open for a limited time, until all slots are taken. 

Ruffles for Lisa

The most complicated part of all of this has been sourcing the yarn at good prices, and making sure it will be inspiring to club members.  I've got that pretty well nailed down, so I'm in the design phase now. The club membership price will be $27 per month, payable up front and covers yarn, original pattern, and shipping. For now, I plan to offer the club to North American shipping addresses only, due to huge pricing variations for shipping overseas.The first shipment will go out on January 15th. 

This is a club that some folks would give as a gift to other knitters, and that some would use themselves.  Which kind of member would you be?

This is the last forum on the subject that I plan to offer before making this club a reality.  Please express all preferences now to make sure I've got a good sense of what you want.  Don't wait for someone else to comment for you!  Do you want gender neutral or gender specific patterns?  Home decor?  Toys?  Children's stuff?  Do you have a type of yarn you really DON'T want to work with?  One that you DO?  Any feedback you can imagine is something I want to hear.  After all, this club is for you.  Thanks in advance. 

Freebie Friday - Angry Golf Club Cover

From the wonderful blog, knitterbees, comes the Angry Birds Golf Club Cover.  I love this as a goofy holiday gift idea for the Angry Birds crazed loved one on your list.  Please credit knitterbees if you share this pattern, and direct folks to her site.  Her patterns are terrific, and her stories are often hilarious.  Enjoy!

Building the Gift Knits Club

I've been talking with yarn companies, fans, customers, and students, and the Gift Knits Club idea has really started to gel.  I'm looking at having subscriptions for either 6 or 12 months at a time.  The club member would pay up front, and kits would be mailed on the 15th of each month.  Any month's project that doesn't appeal to you can be substituted, but only for the mitten pattern and kit of my choice based on availability.  The calendar would look something like this (example only! Not real calendar!):

January: Easy Straight-needle Gloves for HER
February:  Easy Straight-needle Gloves for HIM
March: Sprightly Spring Socks
April: Woven-look Spring Handbag
May: Set of 4 spa washcloths in organic cotton
June: Lacy Ribbon Scarf

...and so on throughout the year.  No really long patterns, and no really high prices.  It depends on the deals I'm able to make with yarn manufacturers what the exact price will be.  I'm aiming for about $25 - $35 per month.  This appears to be on par with most other knitting project clubs, and considering the pattern design, yarn, coordination and shipping, seems to be a good bargain.  After much consideration, I've decided to work with multiple manufacturers to keep the patterns and variety really interesting.  (An all Cascade club might not be interesting to you if that's all your LYS carries!)

Skill level of the patterns will vary from easy to moderate.  Knitting in the round, simple cables, simple open work, and grafting will all be part of patterns at one time or another.  If these are newer skills for you, get help from your LYS, YouTube, or your knitting circle friends, and expand your skills! 

I cannot accommodate fiber allergies (there are too many possibilities), so if you have multiple fiber allergies, this might be a problem, or you may wish to give the kit as a gift on the months you are allergic to kit contents.

Each pattern will be a club exclusive for at least three months after it is released to the club.  At the end of the year, all 2012 patterns will be available as a collection in an e-book. 

We're down to crunch time, folks, so please, tell me everything on your minds!  I would love to make this club meet your needs as gifters, crafters, and knitters!  Thanks.

Toe Up Socks

I get the appeal of socks knit from the toe up.  No grafting of the toe, easy placement of full pattern repeats, they're a designer's dream.  Or so I thought. 

I'm going to need to knit several more of these before it becomes second nature.  Now that I'm well ensconced in making them from the cuff down, turning heels from the toe up feels very strange.  The available cast-ons for them are alien to me, too. 

One of the reason I started designing my own patterns is because I'm not very trusting of other people's patterns.  I chicken out when I can't picture it in my head.  (Like doing these upside-down heels. You wouldn't believe the mess I made trying to learn to knit cables!) So why make the change?

Well, first off, it's not permanent.  I'll be bouncing back and forth as I see fit while I design.  It's a bit like going from DPNs to double circs - it's just another available option.  I want to have this skill available to me.  Many people prefer working their socks this way.  (Or at least, there is a very persistent rumor to this affect.)  It definitely makes me look at the anatomy of a sock differently, and therefore offers new design insight.  In particular, shaping the gusset as you turn the heel offers a design window I had previously overlooked. 

I've Been Thinking...

Everybody in my life gets a gift from me at one time or another.  As you might imagine, many of these gifts are knitted by me.  And designed by me.

I knit gifts all year, not just at the holidays.  Birthdays, graduations, weddings, retirements, people fall ill, baby showers - these thing just keep happening long after December.  It makes me think that perhaps I should share my gift knit patterns, maybe as a club.  This would make the patterns exclusive to club members. They would be emailed as PDF files or snail mailed, if you prefer.  The patterns would include spa-style washcloths, mittens, socks, baby blankets, hats for kids and adults, scarves, shawls, toys, etc.  Right now I'm thinking one per month.  I'd start in January. 

What do you think?  Let me know.

Arthritis

Plenty of time at my mother's this weekend has me thinking.  I worked cleaning and hauling and carrying and repairing among all of my mother's things, and most of those things are things I grew up with.  Yet, the mother around those things is not the mother I knew. 

This mother has aged.  This mother is tired.  This mother is now frail and needy, and not the resource I used to rely on.  The roles have reversed, and now I'm the resource.  I saw it coming, but it seems like it happened in just the one visit. 

My mother taught me to knit.  Now, her fingers are so gnarled by arthritis that she's unable to write legibly, let alone knit anything.  It's hard to see her in such pain. I'm designing her a pair of fingerless mitts like the ones I wear when my hands ache.  I don't know if they'll help any, but I want to try.  I don't know why I didn't picture making lap blankets and mitts for my own mother, and now I wish I had made them sooner.  Better late than never. 

Doing the Right Thing, Under Duress

I am about to whine and carry on in a very petty way.

The frost on the grass is beautiful, and the woodsmoke in the air is sublime.  The houses across the street wear labels of their building dates - 1762, 1795... It's a charming place, Western Massachusetts is.  And I'm bathing dogs, scrubbing floors, and otherwise being a lackey to my mother's wishes.  I've been at it for three days now, and my muscles are starting to complain at the most moderate requests. (You know, like pick up the coffee and bring it to your mouth.)  There is no Internet service at her home on the top of a mountain, so I took an excuse to drive down to town and plug in at the coffee shop for a few minutes before returning to hard labor.

When I grew up here, I had no idea what an active knitting and fiber community it was/is.  Like so many young people, I didn't appreciate what I had.  I moved to Buffalo, and came back this weekend to help my aging mom with her heavy chores.  And now, the New England Fiber Festival is 30 minutes away, and I can't go! Half a dozen fibery friends are there, and I'm elbow deep in Pine Sol. I can hear the festival calling me over the mountains - "You have friends here.  The yarn needs you.  Ditch your chores and come and play!!"  I wish it would just shut up.

I know what my dad would have said - "Do a good job on your chores, and if you have time to play later, go enjoy yourself."  Well, I started at 5:30am yesterday, and 4:30am today, and I won't make it.  It's like being in the Principal's office during recess.  Everyone gets to play except...  I'll plan better next time.  I'll come 4 days early instead of 2, and get everything finished in time.  Nothing will sooth next year's aching muscles like wandering through the Fiber Festival.  Yarn is good for the soul.

What to Knit - Holiday 2011 vol 8 - Sweaters



Toboggan Sweater

Anniversary

I've put it off as long as was reasonable - I've finally chosen the sweaters to recommend knitting for this holiday season.  As you can see, like all holidays, cables are popular.  This year they're everywhere - big and chunky, tiny and mixed with ribs, just one or two for interest - whatever you like.

Humphrey Vest

Not feeling cabley?  Maybe replace them with ribs.  It's a very textured season, but I did find one timeless, simple and smooth sweater in Eve.  Make it in any color, and any yarn you love as long as there's a bit of stretch to it.  Otherwise the neck might be too small!  Enjoy these, and let me know what you make.  I can't wait to see what's under my tree!

Glam Cable Tunic

Parseval Sweater

Eve

Dad Cardigan

Snowbank Mittens Pattern

Snowbank Mittens

These mittens are made in a wool/linen blend, which allows them to be light, dry quickly, and still be very warm - just what you want in a shoveling mitten.  Here in Buffalo, we rarely get to shovel just once.  The snow comes, we shovel, we go to work, and we shovel again when we get home.  We go to bed, and we shovel again when we get up.  There is a men's pattern, and a women's pattern in the main pattern.  If you need, there is a separate children's pattern available on Ravelry under LizMarino.  This link will take you to the adult page.  Thanks!  Buy it Now

What to Knit - Holiday 2011 vol 7 - Xmas Stockings



Family Portrait Stockings

Everyone wants something different in a holiday stocking for looks, but we all want the same thing for function - hold those precious little gifts in a delightful package.  The decor of the recipient's home, their personal style, and of course, your personal style will all go into choosing what stocking is a perfect fit. 

Icicle Stocking

Many years ago we instituted a tradition that any guest in our home during the holidays will receive their own stocking, filled and hung by my fireplace.  Some choose to take them home, but frequent house guests leave them here to be a part of our family display each year. 

Krisitin's Creative Stockings

Mix It Up Stocking

Daydream Stocking

Spindleknitter's Stocking

For a long time, colors that were not part of Normann Rockwell's palette were not considered "holiday" colors.  I'm so glad those days are behind us!  Any of these stockings can be knit in any colors that suit you or your recipient.  Have fun with it, and make each style your own.  Consider some of these for you and your loved ones this season.

Bret's West Coast Stocking

Another One Bites the Dust

Sadly, Kitchen Sink Dyeworks is closing it's doors.  Click here to read the whole story, and to link to the closeout yarn sale. 

Happy Halloween from Buffalo Wool Co!

If you've never knit with Bison yarn, you're missing out.  This is the perfect way to introduce yourself!  I got mine.  Did you get yours?  https://store-f3c65.mybigcommerce.com/

What to Knit - Holiday 2011 vol 6 - Mittens

Vespergyle Mittens

Pearls on a Chain

I know I've kept it a big secret all this time, but I love mittens.  Like crazy.  Like I'm some sort of addict.  There isn't a time of year that I'm not making them.  So it is with GREAT pleasure that I recommend that mittens to add to your Holiday knitting list.

Celtic Flower

I've tried to include something for everyone here, young, old, male or female.  I hope you like them.  All of these mittens are ideal for holiday giving, and if you're anything like me, you'll make an extra pair for yourself.  I'll never tell!

Snowman Mittens

Day of the Dead Mittens

Deep in the Forest

William Morris Mittens

I designed these in the spring for the Knitty Deep Fall edition, but alas, was not among those chosen.  That's okay, I still love them!  Thanks to Colleen Croce for the magnificent sample knit.  You ROCK!

Made with Cascade Yarns Heritage Sock, they are elegantly thin, and surprisingly very warm.  Plus, there's plenty of time to make them before the holidays!  $5.00 USD  Buy it Now