What's in Your Wardrobe?

I'm not exactly a fashion maven.  I wouldn’t know the latest trend if it ran me over in a pair of Balenciaga heels, I rarely experiment with styles and brands, and I don’t have the eye for mixing purple polka dots and chartreuse stripes the way some do. 

                         

Of course, I like to pretend I’m stylish.  I was introduced to the fashion blog My Closet in Sketches a couple years ago.  Her eye, sense of whimsy, and bravery (not to mention her stunning sketches) have inspired me to mix, match, and push my comfort zone just the tiniest of an iota.  I've started experimenting with colors, getting bolder with my outfits.

One of the things I love about Two Grey Dogs Designs is the concept of pairing yarn and jewelry.  As new ideas emerge from the dyepots and the bead studio, I’ve been rummaging through my wardrobe to create outfits that feature our items. 

As the weather turns, leaves begin to fall and there’s a crisp in the air.  It’s almost time to put away the shorts and bring out the sweaters.  We’ve introduced the Fall colorway with all the classic hues… red, orange, brown and yellow. So, for the first in a yet-to-be-named series, I accentuated an outfit I wore to work this week with a few of our newest Fall items.*    

Pants:  the bottom half of an Elie Tahari suit from Macy’s… their petites are perfect!

Shirt:  one of about a million Merona shirts I own from Target, this one in chartreuse

Jacket:  I’ve had this for so long I can’t even remember where it’s from… but it’s Bongo

Shoes:  Dexters, these were a gift from my mom because they didn’t fit, they’re my go-to loafers

Necklace:  a birthday present from my mom last year, worn doubled… I think from Macy’s

Yarn:  hand dyed orange sock yarn with red, yellow and brown highlights

Earrings: glass and South Sea pearl

Ideas are already percolating for other outfits... and the more I think about outfits, I'm seeing palettes for yarn and jewelry too.  What would inspire you if you rummaged around in your closet?  

*NB:  I didn’t wear these earrings as part of the outfit.  Earrings in the shop are not worn prior to purchase.

Sometimes... it takes a while

Everyone's had that night when they're lying in bed, about to fall asleep, and the lightning bolt hits.  That brilliant idea that jolts open your eyes and sends your mind racing a million miles an hour.

... And then, sometimes, it takes a while for that idea to germinate and flower.  And then it takes even longer to write about it.

The rumblings of my lightning bolt started nearly two years ago, when my parents gave me a fantastic present- two skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock, each paired with a special piece of jewelry.  My mom, an extremely artistic and creative thinker, combined my love for knitting and jewelry with ribbons and bows on top.

... And then, time passed.  I knit with my yarn (still have one left), wore my jewelry, and in my spare moments, I'd putter around in a dye pot, playing with whatever I had on hand.  My mom was also busy, taking classes in sign language and jewelry-making.

Finally, the bolt struck.  The holidays were around the corner, and I was reminiscing about the gift from my parents.  1 and 1 finally became 2 when I realized that I had started dyeing yarn, and my mother had started making jewelry...

... And wouldn't it be fun to join forces and post the results up in a little shop to share with others?  After much hemming and hawing, designing and budgeting, dyeing and beading, Two Grey Dogs Designs launched on April 16, 2012!  (Although the site says December, which is when we grabbed the name.)

At 4 months in, it's been thrilling, nerve-wracking, educational, and exhilarating.  We were part of a Sneak Attack by the Handmade Movement, took part in a very successful BNR, and mailed yarn and earrings all over the country.  

There's so much more to say about the shop, our plans, and everything we've learned.  But for now, we're still electrified by this concept, creating totally unique yarn and jewelry, and leave you with a small montage of the results:

From Point A to Point B

I'm usually pretty one-track in my knitting. I rarely have more than one project going at a time (let's ignore the projects that languish miserably in permanent WIP status); I get too distracted.

But recently I've been taken in by one of the most appealing traits of knitting. Knitting is a process, where projects go through stages, as a headband, mitten, sock or sweater evolves from a ball of yarn into a stylish, wearable garment. You can knit exactly what the pattern says, or you can modify to your heart's content- change yarn weight, needle size, pattern, or even make it up as you go. Once a project has been bound off, I still don't consider it done. Once it's blocked, photographed, and posted to Ravelry, then it's truly finished.

So, all of a sudden, I've discovered that I've reached various phases with a number of projects, with various levels of "involvement". Let's take a tour (Warning: lots of links for your perusing pleasure):

1.) (Front right): Just started: My umpteenth Whimsy headband, knit from String Theory Yarn Merino DK in color potluck. The original pattern is for a hat knit in two pieces; a headband and then an attached crown. I skip the crown and just knit the headband.

2.) (Large ball of yellow yarn and middle scarf): Chugging along: My Brioche scarf, which I already blogged about. I'm trying to maintain fealty to this project as my solely train-knitting project, but a couple rows seem to sneak in whenever I'm not looking... I took the pattern as it was- not messing with brioche!

3.) (Purple triangle): Finished forever: An Unwoven shawl that has been off the needles for months. I even took it to Sweden on vacation in May, but it's been hiding off-Rav all this time. Now that it's posted, it's finally, really done.

4.) (Purple wavy thing in the back): Almost there: Still unblocked and un-Raved, this was my second train knitting project that been off the needles since October. Knit from Fiber Optic in Grape Jelly; I'll admit to basically buying out her shop every time I see her at Rhinebeck :)

5.) (Mitt on the blocking mat): Heart and soul: My most involved project right now. The yarn my first hand-dye, so this is the second experiment with the yarn to see how it knits up. And the pattern is one I cobbled together from a couple stitch dictionaries and another wristlet pattern. It's involved lots of tweaking, obsessive trying on, and critiquing. But Mitt #1 is off and blocking to check for fit, and #2 is already on the needles.

... And then, just for fun, I also whipped out some more hand-dye this weekend! This isn't the greatest photo, since it's balanced precariously in the utility closet, drying. These are based off a Mark Rothko painting,

No. 12, 1951. I'm working on an artist series of yarns, inspired by an October trip to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

It's been a while since I've been inspired to dye, design, and knit, on lots of different projects, all at once. I'm trying to keep to a rhythm, so I don't get bored or overwhelmed. And there are always the projects that need to be picked back up, finished, blocked, photographed, and posted.

But the beauty of knitting as a hobby is that it's all about what I'd like to do, my pace, and my interests. So there's no harm in doing what I'd like to and enjoying the ride. It's not often that happens in life, even with hobbies, so I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Knittin' in the seat of a train...

Prior to my new job in Boston, I'd been braving rush hour to drive the half-hour (-ish... some days more -ish than others) to Lexington.

It became rapidly and readily apparent to me, however, that I could not, would not, would NEVER commute into Boston. My trip in for my first interview rendered me lost in Roxbury, driving around in circles, and then canceling my interview because I would be a multitude of hours late. Add to that normal rush hour traffic, Boston drivers, and paying to park in the city...

I resigned myself to my alternate fate- alternative transportation. Namely, that wretched hive

of scum and villainy: the MBTA.

Unlike poor ol' Charlie, however, my fate is learned, and I will often return. (I'm looking at you, Kingston Trio and Dropkick Murphys. Although I never understood why Charlie's wife didn't just give him a nickel instead of a sandwich.) Turns out, there are definitely worse things than riding the commuter rail into Boston. It's cheap, clean (enough), and quick.

Of course, one of the biggest perks of course is the free time I suddenly have NOT driving. It's the ultimate multi-tasking time, which I've used to do work, answer e-mails, play unholy amounts of Words With Friends, read, and knit.

Finding the perfect pattern for train knitting falls in a special category for me. It needs to be portable (no sweaters), memorizable or easily read off an iPhone (no charts, pages of instructions, or books), and able to be picked up and put down wherever you are (short stitch repeats, nothing too fussy).

The latest and greatest pattern to fit the bill has me completely smitten: the Reversible Cabled Brioche Stitch Scarf (Ravelry link). Once I got the hang of it, I don't even need directions (which

is both exhilarating and terrifying- I am absolutely a directions person), and I can throw it in my bag as the train pulls into North Station or I have to shove over to let another passenger into the seat.

The yarn is the lovely Bark from Maple Creek Farm. No website, unfortunately- I found them at Rhinebeck a couple years ago.

I cast this on two weeks ago and I'm flying. I've broken my own rule and have been knitting it off

the train too... But it's so catchy! In no time, I have this:

Despite the oddball times, much longer commute, and occasional oddity of my fellow passengers, knitting on the train has become an all-too-brief respite for me. I'm still often doing six other things, but I throw on NPR, pull out my needles, and manage to find the smallest iota of calm and tranquility amidst the chaos.

Where do you find two minute's peace? How? If you knit, what's your train-knitting pattern?

Reinspired and it feels so good…

Needless to say, it’s obvious that at least one of my resolutions from 2010 went down in a fiery ball of too much ambition and not enough follow-through, also known as oculintestinamaximasitis (a debilitating disease where your eyes are bigger than your stomach).

Yet as 2012 opens, out of the ashes, the keys start clackety-clacking and a long list of topics, photos, words, phrases, notions and ideas patch themselves together. It’s been an incredibly long couple of years, featuring: leaving one job and starting a new one that is challenging and rewarding and all-consuming, the loss of two grandparents, running my first half-marathon, rediscovering old hobbies, a trip to Sweden, starting to house-hunt, and more travel, hosting, cooking, running, visiting, weddings, hockey games, and parties than I can count (not that I haven’t tried).

Of all the things I’ve learned since January 24, 2010, two have drawn me back to a blog that has been perpetually kicking me in the back of the brain:

1. I’m still seeking that magic 42 in work, running, cooking, reading, and knitting.
2. I miss writing. Maybe that’s why I’m still working on #1. Writing makes me put words down one at a time and hope they come out in some semblance of order. It gives me inner peace and makes me accountable (even if it’s to the vast nothingness of the Internet). Plus it’s kinda fun.

So, here we go again. Ambition (and other delusions of grandeur) have taken hold again, so I may as well ride the waves until I see another shiny object.

I’m going to pretend each post is going to end with a picture that’s a preview of the next post… starting next time. Can’t set the bar too high now…

New Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year again- the beginning of it. Even though every day and week is new, the less-frequent (usually about annual) new-ness of a year causes some to pause, reflect, and revamp. I'm not always one of those people, but since this is my first whole year away from school, I thought it might be an appropriate time to resolve.

.... Of course, it's nearly the end of January, which gives you a good indication of how well my resolution not to procrastinate is going. But all hypocrisy aside...

Knitting: My knitting resolutions spiraled rapidly out of control, and have become more of a glorified "To Do in 2010" list, which looks something like:

I'd be more concerned, but I'm really excited by my list, and isn't that what makes your resolutions attainable? The nuts and bolts of my knitting resolutions for this year are:

Love the stash I have: My stash has grown considerably in the past year, partly from my own obsession and partly from the generosity of friends and family who love my Loopy Ewe wishlist and point and click without asking too many questions. My stash looks something like:


It's big and bright and beautiful and I love every yarn in it. It's also nearly 15 miles of yarn, not including the hundreds of yards of scrap yarn in the little red box. I don't want to preclude myself from buying some gorgeous new stuff, I just want to appropriately love and squeeze... and occasionally, you know, knit... with all the great stuff I've already accumulated.

Go big or go home: I have tons and tons of projects in mind for the year. Knitting sweaters, knitting in tons of group KALs, dyeing sock yarn, looking into buying a loom, designing Solstice gifts for my family... My resolution is to get as much of it done as I can. It's about as Miss-America-generic of a goal as I can have but... well, the list above takes care of the details.

....while retaining a semblance of balance: Occasionally, non-knitting things happen. Like husbands and puppies and work and having an apartment. Integrating my resolutions with the rest of life is what will really make them successful.

Check in occasionally: I promise, no more 6-month gaps in my blogging.

Non-knitting: It's my first whole year in the real world, so I have a lot of good eating, exercise, and reading to catch up on.

So, being the good government employee I am, I have my lists and my timeline and my evaluation criteria. Now, it's just time to put it into action. Ready, set, go!

Knittin' Sox

This is a short and easy post. And it is still more than a month overdue. I enjoyed much of the month of June off, between the end of school and the beginning of work. We did lots of fun and less-fun things, like moving into a new apartment, enduring the sewage-watered flood of said apartment, and exploring (read: consistently getting lost in) our new hometown.

I knit a lot as well and finished some pretty cool projects. But this is, without question, my most important summer knitting achievement.



That's my knitting at Fenway Park at my very first Red Sox game. It didn't get knit while at Fenway, but I brought it along just in case I had a chance. I was too busy screaming like a pre-teen at Jacoby Ellsbury and drinking ONE pint of $7.25 Bud Light (there are so many things wrong with that phrase). That knitting project did eventually become this:



I love this scarf-lette cravat thing. It used yarn from one of my favorite hometown shops (String Theory Yarn). It's a great accessory for my work wardrobe. But, most importantly, it went to Fenway.