kitty: recap 2010

		See the full Flickr Collection of Photos from 2010!
So there we have it, the recap for 2010. Doesn't feel like I have really accomplished that much this past year. So hopefully the year to come will be a more productive year. Hope the year to come will be a good one for you!

kitty: Japanese Craft Books - Amazon Jp - 4277430686

Japanese Craft Books - Amazon Jp - 4277430686

Hand-knitted scarf fun back [Paperback] by Shimada Toshiyuki (Author) 103pages - 2010/10/8 ISBN-10: 4277430686

I haven't bought many books this year from Japan. Some how most of the titles and covers just haven't excited me that much. This was one of the books though I had to have right away. I was so excited when I saw the cover of this book and looked at the view inside on Amazon.jp. The elongated knit scarf never took on such beautiful shapes. And to be honest I am really surprise that ravelry isn't just full of scarfs knitted from the pages within. So here are just a few more photos from inside the book.

kitty: Loop yarn shop Islington, London, UK

(Sorry the light was really bad in the photos there was a snow storm going on outside and it was already dark outside)

Loop yarn shop Islington, London, UK 15 Camden Passage, Islington, London, N1 8EA.

While I was in london last week I made my way to the Loop Yarn Shop in Islington. It turned out there new location was only about 1.3 miles from my favorite hotel. Which ended up being a god send since while I was there a snow storm hit, cabs basically stopped running, public transportation was not to be found. So I ended up having to walk back to my hotel. Thank goodness I stored the map on my cell phone so I could just follow my way home. The yarn shop is just as cute as I had imagined and the staff was probably even nicer than imagined. The shop is in a walking strip behind the main road. So there is this darling little walking path and they are in the corner. The only negative I saw with the shop is the absolute smallest door I have ever tried to squeeze through. I was just glad I had lost some weight. I did buy some treasures, but will have to post latter since some of them are omiyage that have yet to be given. All I can say if you get a chance to visit the shop run don't walk. And remember they are in the corner on the right if you get lost and if you hit Penhaligon's you have gone to far.

kitty: Mia's socks are all boxed up.... finally

Name: Concentric Preppy Socks for Mia Designer: Carissa Browning Pattern : Concentric Socks Fiber: Unknown Needle: 2.25mm

If I think back it really has been a long time since I have actually knit a pair of socks. I think I just got really burned out when I was trying to knit a pair of socks a week for the 52 pair sock pack. That was a totally insane goal and I can not believe that I actually got as far as I did. The reality of a project like that is that you don't end up enjoying anything you are working on. It becomes a part time job. When I asked Mia what she wanted for Christmas though, she asked for a new pair of socks. So I wanted to find an unusual pattern, something that would hopefully break the burnout. I think this one may be pushing the edge of unusual though. I really love the concept and they are a super fast knit. But I ended up with a lot of odd gathers along the bias. I am really hoping that with wear it will work itself out. They have been done for awhile, but I just finally boxed them up to send them out to her. Best laid plans of mice and men.

kity: my mind was plotting in the wee hours of Boxing Day

Hope everyone had an amazing boxing day. Mine started out rather oddly. You know that dream state where your mind is wide awake but technically you are still sounds asleep? Well my mind had an idea to get up instantly to sew a skirt. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't turn my mind off or even get it to stop running through fabric combinations, skirt shapes, and designs. So this was essentially what my mind wanted me to do on Boxing day.
Skirt Shape	Fabric that would need to be created
Base Skirt Colour (Though probably a little bit darker, but in a lightweight linen wool)	Fabrics used for the geometric patterns. Though I would need a lot more yellow and red and solids. (Quarters were bought from a friend's amazing fabric destash)
As you can imagine my mind did not win, since I doubt there was a fabric store open on sunday locally that would have come close to being able to match the treasures from Australia. Nor does anyone sell real linen locally even in the summer. My mind hadn't done that in a long time, that was how my creative processes use to work when it came to design. But I guess my mind hasn't been so relaxed in awhile or maybe it was the Nyquil/fever haze since I have been really sick.
I did get a little spinning in yesterday and a little plying since all my bobbins are full. Happy Belated Boxing Day!

kitty: mittens for MG

Name: Mittens for MG Designer: Ysolda Teague Pattern : Snapdragon flip-tops Fiber: Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted Needle: 3.25mm & 3.0

Sorry for such a bad photos, but as we all know red is just about impossible to photograph and have it come across correctly. Though in my defense the photo up above was taken as MG was walking into the house minutes before she received her mittens. So it wasn't ideal lighting either. MG has been ridding her bike to her classes and I have been really worried about her little fingers getting to cold. So I thought she needed a new pair of mittens for Christmas. I fear they are to big for her even though I used her brother as a model (M's hands are smaller than mine). But it is the thought that counts right... (cry... I really did want them to be perfect) Snapdragon Flip Tops is an adorable pattern. I lengthened the cabeling since I knew she wanted longer cuffs and I changed how the points of the mittens were done. While I was in London last week, I searched for two cool buttons at Liberty and Loop, but none were to bad had. So to finish it off , I went through my vintage button collection and found 2 sets of buttons to use on the cuffs.

(iphone photos taken in the middle of the night)

kitty: happy holidays

Happy Holidays to you and yours!!!

kitty: online resource for Norwegian Folk Stitch Patterns

Digitalt Museum - The Norwegian Folk Museum Mitten Motive: Mittens , gloves Selbu Motivklassifikasjon Suit (OD 291) Motivemneord Suit Alternative number OV09135 Identification: NF.12118-008

Wow... that is all I can say. If you are looking for a good online resource for Norwegian Folk Stitch Patterns, look no further. When I was doing research on Historical textiles it was my dream of being able to put the OSU textile collection on the computer. While I was there the department actually wrote several grants in hopes to get the equipment to make this type of site possible. Sadly they never received the grant. I was so excited to see that the Norwegian Folk Museum was making there collection available to the public. Lets hope more museums will get the funding to make this happen.

kitty: summer tee.... finally completed

How about this... Two knitting post pretty much back to back. I know that this blog has suffered much this year from lack of post and lack of knitting. Thank you for all the people who keep coming back to visit the blog. I really appreciate your friendship. Thanks....

Name: Summer Tee Designer: Priscilla Meredith Pattern : Personal Fiber: Habu Textiles A-1 2/17 Tsumugi Silk

In many ways I really couldn't be happier on how the sweater ended up. I am so proud of how my first colour work garment ended up. Yes there are tons of wonky stitches but I really didn't think that I could do colour work that wasn't twinned. The A-1 was pretty forgiving and I was able to use up a lot of stash yarn so it is helping my out of control stash.

The two sleeves are composed of multiple patterns that appear in the Spring 2011 Missoni Men's wear collection.

kitty: concentric "Preppy" socks

Name: Concentric Socks "Concentric Preppy Socks" Designer: Carissa Browning Pattern: Concentric Sock Ravelry Yarn: From the Stash

MG and I were on a hunt for socks to start over the holiday. So I started a little holiday knitting for Mia, she had requested a new pair of socks for Christmas. I searched through my sock yarn stash to look for a self stripping yarn and found very few that looked like her. So this was the closest in the stash. Not sure what the yarn is, the label has vanished. Concentric Sock Pattern is interesting. I like the concept of allowing stripes on a bias to wrap around the foot. Though the the fit seems a little odd. There are odd loose spots at times around the foot. Bottom line I really thought the pattern was fun and it is my first toe up sock.