The Flitter Knitter

Sheer Bliss!

2012-01-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

Debbie Bliss Magazine

Spring/Summer 2012

My Emma Bridgewater mug says it all...

Happiness is a cup of tea

a new magazine!

I just picked up the new Debbie Bliss Magazine

and I've been enjoying it with a cup of tea.

Here are a few of my favorites from this issue:

Nell's Oat Cakes

One of my favorite features of Debbie's magazine

is called

The Blissful Life.

I always dash there to see what recipe

Debbie's daughter, Nell will have for us.

This issue she features a recipe for Canadian Oat Cakes

inspired by her and her "mum's" trip to Canada last year.

I'm thinking those biscuits
would be perfect with a cup of tea!

Rosa's Dress

Oh my gosh,
I love this adorable dress with its knit bodice

and Liberty of London print skirt!

Debbie says it is,

"Inspired by the beautiful dresses worn by Spanish children."

I'm so excited that the pattern is in the magazine.

I even have the same Liberty of London print

(as the model's)

that I purchased at Liberty of London

in London last year.

Fair Isle Cardigan

In her Editor's Letter,

Debbie tells us

"I love the seaside

so I didn't need much of an excuse

to introduce features with a nautical theme in this issue."

You can see her love for the seaside with her patterns in the sections named

Simply Stripes and Kids Ahoy.

I like her Fair Isle Cardigan (above) featured in Simply Stripes.

I think it has a bit of a "retro"
or "Cath Kidston look"
and is worked in six shades of Baby Cashmerino.

I also adore the cute seaside cottage

and all the vintage props they used for the photo shoot!

Chevron Stole

Who wouldn't want to snuggle up at the beach in this?

I have to say,

this Chevron Stole and its color combination

reminds me a bit of

Missoni's

collaboration with Target last year.

It's knit in a combination of Debbie's Bella and Angel yarns
which is a much nicer yarn range
than the Missoni for Target,
acrylic items.

Lace Shrug

This lacy shrug is probably my favorite pattern in the magazine.

It's knit in Debbie's new Party Angel yarn

that has a gold or silver lurex thread combined with the mohair.

It's knit in one piece and without any seams.

Love that!

Oh, Baby!

There are a few new additions in this issue.

In Nell's Diary,

Nell writes about her and her mum's experiences on their trip

to Canada last year.

There is also a new column called Focus on Fiber by

industry expert, David Watt.

And of course,

it wouldn't be Debbie Bliss

unless there were some adorable baby designs like the

little beret above!

It's another great issue

and it really does get you in the mood

for spring and summer knitting!

Knitted Lace of Estonia

2012-01-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

Estonian Lace

Knitting historian and designer, Nancy Bush
wrote the book Knitted Lace of Estonia

and

there's just a few weeks left to see her personal collection of

Estonian lace

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles

in Berkeley, CA.

I had the pleasure of seeing the exhibit recently and

even lucked out with a personal tour

by Lacis owner, Jules Kliot.

Here are a few photographs to give you a feel of the exhibit.

Please note,

my photographs do not do the lace work justice.

The lace work details are incredible to see up close and in-person.

I highly recommend visiting the exhibit before it ends!

The Shawl Wall

The lace shawls are so beautiful to see in person.

Many of the shawls are from Haapsalu,

a small seaside town in western Estonia.

The work on the Haapsalu lace shawls seemed flawless

and almost appeared to be machine made...

even though I know they are not.

Haapsalu Shawl

This was one of my favorite lace shawls.

Haapsalu Lace Shawl

Pasqueflower Pattern 4

It's a traditional rectangular wool shawl with a sewn on edge,

20" x 62".

Maker unknown.

The History of Estonian Lace

This is a lovely wall display featuring Estonian Lace shawls

along with the history of Estonian lace

told through photographs.

The Nupp

The nupp is a common motif in Haapsalu lace.

According to Nancy Bush,
the nupp is a stylized bobble of sorts.
It is used for adding texture and creating figures in openwork.

Jules told me on my tour,

that he had Nancy knit the large sample above of "the nupp"

so everyone could easily see it and it's details.

Lacis Owner,

Jules Kliot

For a knitter, like me,

the Estonian Lace exhibit is quite inspiring.

I know someday now,

I will knit an Estonian lace pattern

or take a class from Nancy Bush.

Thank you to Jules Kliot of Lacis Museum

and

Nancy Bush for this incredible exhibit

and the opportunity

to see such beautiful Estonian lace work in person.

Laku

2012-01-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Oh, Baby!

Hats off to Designer,

Yaeko Yamashita

and her delightful shop,

Laku.

Laku

I had the pleasure of visiting Laku

last Christmas Eve when I was in San Francisco.

The moment I walked in,

I knew I was in a magical place!

Laku is a whimsical boutique

where every nook and cranny is filled
with one delight after another!

Besides their magnificent hand-made hats, gloves, scarves, slippers and brooches,

they carry a wonderful array of vintage jewelry
and antique buttons.

I could have spent hours there,

meandering around...

just like a kid in a candy store!

Hats & Gloves

I grew up in the end of the era when wearing hats and gloves
to the city was a must.

I think it's high time we bring back that tradition and

Laku's luxurious cashmere gloves could do just that.

They are scrumptious and the reason I sought out the
Laku boutique.

A year or so ago, while shopping with my knitting friend Daniella in the California wine country we stumbled upon the prettiest hand-made cashmere gloves. Daniella purchased a pair for her daughter, and the nice clerk told us that they were hand-made by a designer in San Francisco.

Laku

(Seated left: Design Director, Yaeko Yamashita)

So, I did a bit of research and found the designer,

Yaeko Yamashita

and her lovely store, Laku.

I'm so glad I found Laku and can't wait to go back.

If you're visiting the city,
this is the place to treat yourself to a pair of gloves,
a hat, a brooch or

a delightful hand-made gift
for a friend or loved one.

Laku

1089 Valencia Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

(415) 695-1462

Laku is located in San Francisco's Mission District

and I highly recommend stopping at nearby Tartine

for lunch or a sweet treat!

Bonne Annee!

2012-01-01T15:15:00.000-08:00

Bonne Annee!

(That's Happy New Year in French!)

I snapped this happy photograph at a Paris Flea Market last year.

The French yarn dolls just made me smile!

Knitting and yarn fill my life with such creativity and joy!

As I reflect on the past year,

I am grateful for all the friendships I have made all over the world

thanks to yarn and knitting.

Happy Christmas!

2011-12-25T14:51:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

(Photo taken at my favorite knit shop, Knitique.)

Holiday Glitter

2011-12-23T14:44:00.000-08:00

Simonetta

The Holidays are all about glitter

so I was pretty excited when I saw

Louisa Harding's new winter collection

Simonetta.

I couldn't wait to try Louisa's Simonetta yarn

which has "glittery" metallic fibers
added to the kid mohair.

I was so excited about Louisa's new book and yarn Simonetta,
that I organized a Holiday Glitter Knit-Along
(in the Louisa Harding group on Ravelry)
as a tribute to Louisa Harding
and her new collection.

Madelena

I recently finished my Madelena scarf for the

Holiday Glitter Knit-Along.

If I do say so myself...
I think it's the prettiest scarf I've ever knit!

Today is the last day of the Holiday Glitter Knit-Along

and it has been so much fun!
Knitters have participated from

England, Scotland, Germany, Canada

and the USA.

I am normally a "flitter knitter" but knew I had to focus

and finish my KAL project by the deadline

since after all, I organized it.

Whew, I made it
(with a week or so to spare)
and even with doing my Christmas knitting.

Teresa's Madelena Scarf

My knitting pen pal Teresa in England

joined in on the fun and

knit the Madelena scarf as well,

only in the two-color version.

I loved how she styled hers

and wore it with a beautiful blue coat and,

of course, her wellies!

Holiday Glitter

I styled my Madelena scarf with a vintage rhinestone Weiss pin

that adds just the right amount of sparkle

to the Simonetta yarn!

Thanks to Louisa Harding...

I'm ready to sparkle for the holidays

and the New Year!

Happy Winter!

2011-12-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

Now, that's a wool coat!

Happy First Day of Winter!

Brixton Plaid Coat

Now this is a wool coat to love!

Today is also my birthday,
so I'm off to shop...
maybe even for a new wool coat!

(photo credit: Brixton Plaid Coat: Sundance Catalog)

Granny Square Cookies

2011-12-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

Granny Square Cookies

Oh my gosh...

if you're a knitter or a crocheter

you are sure to love these clever crochet-adorned cookies!

These adorable Granny Square Cookies
are the genius of an adorable

baker and blogger

Sugar and Meringue.

You can find her Granny Squre Cookie

tutorial and instructions here.

I can't wait to make these sometime and

bring them to my favorite knit shop, Knitique.

(Photo Credit: Sugar and Meringue)

I'm Cable Ready!

2011-12-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

Melissa Leapman

I'm cable ready now...

thanks to Melissa Leapman

and

her Cable Ready class that I took today.

Melissa flew all the way out from New York City

exclusively for two days of classes for my knitting guild,

the Camellia City Stockinettes.

I must say,

designer events and classes

are a wonderful perk of belonging to my local TKGA guild.

Cable Ready

I really liked Melissa's relaxed teaching style.

She has a simple and straightforward approach

to explaining things.

For her Cable Ready class,
she broke down the basics

and taught us to knit with charts.

She told us,

"Charts show the way the resulting fabric will look
and you can knit faster".

Heart Cable

In our class,

she taught us two simple cable maneuvers (with 4 stitches)

that resulted in mastering the

honeycomb, braid and rope cable motif.

Thanks to Melissa's instruction,

I did all my class cable exercises by chart

(a first for me).

I'm pretty excited to be able to knit cables now by charts.

Melissa also taught us how to knit heart cables,
two-colored cables

and gave us some color stranding tips, too.

The best part of taking a designer's class...

is all the tips and tricks you pick up from them!

Melissa's Books

During class,

I had a chance to ask Melissa a few questions.

She learned to crochet at the age of 4.

She is a "self taught" knitter

who taught herself to knit in high school.

She attributes that to her teaching style.

She is an east coast gal who ended up in New York in college

and stayed in New York City. Lucky her!

Her latest book Stashbuster Knits has just hit the shelves

and she has exciting things planned for the future.
(Sorry I can't tell you about them now.)

You can though keep up with Melissa and her latest news
on her Facebook page.

Melissa is a popular instructor at Stitches events around the US

and other venues.

Take her classes if you ever have a chance!

It was a pleasure to meet Melissa today

and learn more about cables.

I can truly say...

I'm cable ready now!

Ysolda

2011-12-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

Ysolda Teague

She is just as adorable in person!

Little Red in the City

I met Scottish designer Ysolda Teague last month

when she was in the Bay Area

for a weekend of classes for her new book

Little Red in the City.

Fiddler's Mitts

I attended Ysolda's book signing during her weekend classes.

I love her Fiddler's Mitts in the new book
My Grandmother's Knitting.

Ysolda not only signed my book

but also helped me select the colors of

Jameison's Shetland Spindrift

for my Fiddler's Mitts.

I'm going to knit a pair to coordinate with a

fabulous Fair Isle scarf

I purchased in Edinburgh, Scotland this year.

Cute!

I couldn't help but comment to Ysolda how cute

her fascinator headband was.

Guess what knitters...

it's a future pattern!

Thank you Ysolda for being so adorable

and for visiting California!

Alice Starmore's Colorful Life!

2011-11-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome Alice Starmore

Alice Starmore
certainly needs no introduction.

She is a legend in the knitting world.

I feel so fortunate to have attended
Alice Starmore's talk
"My Colorful Life"

at
Interweave's Knitting Lab.

Alice captivated myself
and the capacity-filled ballroom of knitters

for over 2 hours

with her delightful Scottish accent,

humor and wonderful stories

about growing up
on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland.

My Colorful Life

"Color, texture and pattern

these are the elements I always work with."

Whether she's designing knitwear, artwork, tapestry, photography or environmental education

Alice always works those three elements.

And so began Alice's speech and slide show presentation

My Colorful Life.

Alice grew up on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland where she says,

"The coastline is pounded by the ocean."

According to Alice,

where she comes from and its physical landscape,

shaped her.

She lovingly called the Isle

"A place that fires the imagination."

Here's how growing up on the Isle of Lewis

its landscape and colors

shaped her as a designer and artist.

Growing Up on the Isle

Alice grew up in a traditional Lewis fishing family.

You could sense her "Scottish pride" the way

she spoke lovingly about her family

and life on the Isle of Lewis.

She told us,

"My Grandfather was a fisherman in the era

of wooden ships and iron men."

She learned how to knit as a little girl from her aunties.

Her aunties taught her to knit

Gansies (fishermen sweaters).

Alice said , "I was fascinated with Gansies."

Her father was also a fisherman

who eventually came to shore

(as they say on the Isle)

and became an engineer for Harris Tweed.

Her father's career at Harris Tweed

had an enormous influence on her.

As a child she loved the going to the plant with her father

to see the dye vats and bolts of Scottish tweed.

There was a lot of fabric at home, too.

Alice's mother was a skilled dressmaker, originally from

Glasgow, Scotland.

She continued dressmaking after marrying.

Alice fondly remembers rushing home from school

just to see what new bolts of cloth had arrived.

It was her mother who taught Alice Fair Isle knitting.

Alice's mother had learned Fair Isle knitting

as a young nurse in Glasgow from her best friend from Shetland.

Alice obviously took a liking to stranded color work.

In her teens, Alice told us she loved fashion magazines

and sewed all her own dresses for the

Friday night Disco dances.

And how about this...

Alice said she "Always loved knitting."

She called herself "A bit of a secret knitter" as a young girl,

because it wasn't thought of as cool.

Hearing her story,

it was easy to see,

that Alice was destined to be a designer.

Signing My Books

Alice also talked about her knitting books
and their inspiration.

.In 1992 she wrote her Fishermen's Sweaters book
with traditional Guernseys patterns.

She wanted to "carry on those wonderful garments"

that her aunties taught her.

Her book The Celtic Collection was influenced

by her Celtic past.

She grew up speaking both Gaelic and English.

She began the design process for this book

with Celtic doodles.

Alice told us she doodles all the time.

As for her patterns,

she hand draws all of her designs

so they have swing and movement.

The Celtic Collection has been her most popular book

and has never been out-of-print.

It's now in its 14th printing.

(My copy is now signed by her.)

As for Alice's beloved book, Tudor Roses.

The number one question she is always asked,

"Will it ever be reprinted?"

Alice's response in her fabulous Scottish accent...

"You never know!"

Her Colorful Life

"My soul is where the moorland is".

~ Alice Starmore

As a child, Alice grew up playing on the moors

during the summer months.

The moors had a profound effect

in her design work and love for color.

Alice says "Color is everywhere."

"Forget the color wheel and look at nature around you."

Today, Alice Starmore is so much more than just a

legendary knitter famous for color and pattern.

She is also a respected artist,

author, textile designer, photographer,

environmental educator and conservationist.

Alice said she was privileged that the

"fireside craft of knitting"

brought her to America back in 1985.

For the next 15 years she came to America every year.

This was her first time back in over a decade.

All I could think

during her entire talk,

was how privileged we were at Knitting Lab

and that Interweave brought her all the way back to America

so we could all learn about Alice's...

Colorful Life!

Interweave Knitting Lab

2011-11-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Knitting Lab

Hats off to Interweave

for their first annual Interweave Knitting Lab,

November 3-6, 2011.

I was thrilled to head back to my old college stomping grounds

in San Mateo, California on Saturday for their

special events with Alice Starmore.

The Knitting Lab event appeared to me to be a huge success.

Everyone on the Interweave team wore lab coats and were professional, friendly and helpful.

I met Beth, Interweave Sr. Marketing Manager and she told me that they wanted the Knitting Lab

to be "the magazine coming alive".

She summed it up best when she said

"the Knitting Lab is an educational conference with a marketplace".

I chatted with a few fellow knitters and they all raved about the classes and instructors.

Here is a recap of my day at Knitting Lab...

Knitter's Market

My first stop was the Knitter's Market.

The Knitter's Market was a small marketplace,

free of charge to Knitting Lab attendees and the general public.

I met a lot of nice vendors and retailers walking through it.

The Habu Ladies

I saw some familiar faces at the Market,

like the lovely Habu ladies.

Yummy Yarns

Yes, there were yummy yarns
at the Knitter's Market!

Designing Women

(Left to right: Ann Budd, Joan McGowan-Michael, Vivian Hoxbro & Annie Modesitt)

Of course, the best part of the Knitting Lab were all

the Designing Women!

Each day along with classes,

there were book signings with

favorite knitting authors and designers.

Eunny Jang

I also ran into Interweave Knits magazine Editor,

Knitwear Designer, Author and TV knitting celebrity...

Eunny Jang.

Eunny was so cute and nice.

I couldn't wait to tell her how much I enjoy Knitting Daily
every Tuesday morning at my house.

Alice Starmore

Naturally, I've saved the best for last...

the legendary Alice Starmore was at Knitting Lab

as a keynote speaker for "My Colorful Life"

as well as a book signing.

I was a bit curious how Interweave managed to get Alice Starmore to come out for Knitting Lab.

While chatting with Karin Strom, Editorial Director,

I found out that Alice is long time friends

with Interweave founder, Linda Ligon.

Last night when Karen Strom introduced Alice for her talk,

she told us that it took Alice 27 hours to travel from her home

on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland to San Francisco, California.

Alice said it had been 13 years since she has visited the

United States.

How grateful we knitters are that she made the extremely long journey.

At the book signing earlier in the afternoon,

I asked Alice what else she will be doing on her visit

to Northern California.

She told me that she loves the Pacific Coast and Pacific Ocean

and is looking forward to spending time north of San Francisco

at the coast again.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Alice Starmore

and another knitting dream come true for me.

Stay tuned for my upcoming post on meeting

this legendary knitter.

Lil' Pumpkin

2011-10-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

Itty Bitty Pumpkin

Isn't this the cutest Lil' Pumpkin you've ever seen?

My Little Pumpkin hat is from Itty Bitty Hats by

designer Susan B. Anderson.

It's my favorite book for baby
and toddler hats.

Susan's hats are so cute and such easy projects.

Her patterns are so well written, straightforward
and easy to follow.

My Lil' Pumpkin is a last minute gift for my little neighbor Mason

who turns one years old today.

I was able to knit it up last night, in just one evening.

(I won't tell you what time I went to bed!)

I love, love, love this hat...

and can't wait to knit more

Lil' Pumpkins!

I Love Yarn Day

2011-10-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Louisa Harding Yarns

It's I Love Yarn Day!

The Craft Yarn Council of America has declared today

I Love Yarn Day!

Today is the day to show your love for yarn.

The Craft Yarn Council is encouraging all knitters and crocheters

to knit in public, teach someone to knit, knit for charity,

wear a knitted item or

have a Yarn-a-bration Party!

Yes, I'll be celebrating and buying some new yarn today
(Louisa Harding, of course)

because I Love Yarn!

(Louisa Harding Yarn photo taken at Ramshambles...

an adorable wool shop in the Shambles, York, England.)

Jane Eyre Cuffs

2011-10-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

Jane's Cuffs

I recently enjoyed my very first KAL
(Knit A-Long)
on Ravelry.

Jane Eyre Knit-A-Long

Ravelry's Jane Eyre Group had a lovely KAL called

Tea Time on the Moors.

Knitting, tea and Yorkshire...

why of course,

I had to get my needles out and join the fun!

Lady Danio organized the KAL for a tea party on the Moors.

You could knit (or crochet) tea cosies or lacy mitts

that we imagined Jane Eyre would have used with her tea basket out on the Moors.

Plain Jane

For the KAL,
I wanted to knit something on the historical period side..
something that Jane may have actually worn.
I chose the pattern Elm Leaves and knit lacy cuffs which I named
Jane's Cuffs.

I broke away from my normal pretty blue colors
and knit something more dark and grey…
cuffs that perhaps Jane Eyre would have worn
wondering the Moors
or taking tea with Mr. Rochester.

I found the perfect yarn for my project
at the Point Reyes Farmers Market
from Mimi the owner of Windrush Farm.
The yarn is Mimi's Corriedale Cross
and is 80% wool and 20% silk.

Once completed, I thought my cuffs were a bit
"plain Jane" even for Jane Eyre.
So, I added some pretty French lace trim in a linen color.
I think it was a wise choice
and even gives them a more period-look.
I think Charlotte Bronte would approve,
don't you?

Teatime on the Moors

On September 24, 2011 the KAL projects were finished
and we had tea party on Ravelry in the Jane Eyre group.

We posted photographs of our completed project
along with having tea.
Since Jane is from Yorkshire,
I had Yorkshire tea and scones at my tea party.

The KAL was so enjoyable
and inspired me to pick up my needles in the summer when I don't knit much.

I can't wait to do another KAL sometime again.
Thank you Lady Danio for organizing such a fun event
and tea party.

Bring on Fall

2011-09-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

"Yes, my Mother...loves to knit!"

Happy First Day of Autumn!

How cute is this photograph?

I love this photograph of my father-in-law all "bundled up" in his little knit outfit.

Bring on fall. I'm ready for sweater weather only...

it will be awhile 'till it gets here in California.

More Missoni!

2011-09-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

Missoni Style Stitches

I'm obsessed with Missoni zigzags!

The Missoni For Target line has really inspired me knit

my own Missoni "style" scarves.

Missoni For Target

Yesterday I went to Target to return a few Missoni items

and look what I found...

the scarf I really wanted!

I couldn't find this Missoni scarf the day
Missoni premiered at Target.

Much to my surprise, there were six of these scarves on the rack.

I'm figuring this inventory may not have made the actual
Missoni launch date
or a shopper caught up in the "Missoni Madness" returned them.

So now I want to knit a Missoni style scarf like this one, too. I really like its design. I like how the chevron pattern in color is placed on the bottom of the scarf.

I'm not really sure when I will tackle this project. In the meantime, I'm going through stitch dictionaries, Ravelry and the Internet getting more inspired every day.

Here's why I love Missoni zigzags...

PS: There is also a Missoni Ravelry Fan Club group on Ravelry

for more Missoni inspired knitting.

Missoni Inspired!

2011-09-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Knit a Missoni Scarf

Now that the "Missoni Madness" at Target is over...

I'm re-evaluating my Missoni For Target purchases.

Don't get me wrong, I'm still mad for Missoni style...

I'm just not that crazy about the Target quality and colors of the scarves.

So, what's a knitter to do but get her needles out and

knit her own Missoni style scarves!

Missoni For Target

I've wanted to knit a Missoni "inspired" scarf for about a year now.

With all the Missoni madness going on, now seems like the perfect time to get one started.

I've been planning on knitting Joelle Hoverson's Chevron Scarf

in her book Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I even have the Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino

yarn already in my stash that I purchased last year from ImagiKnit in San Francisco for my scarf.

Then I had to go look on Ravelry...

ZigZag Stripes Scarf

There are a lot of Missoni "inspired" patterns on Ravelry.

A few of my favorite chevron scarf designs are:

Sock-It-To-Me in One Skein Wonders

Chevron Scarf by Jo Sharp

Ripple Scarf in Luxury Yarn One Skein Wonders

Striped Scarf by Vogue Knitting

Zigzag Stripes by Debbie Bliss

Hmmm, now which one to knit? I'll probably stay with my first choice in my Koigu yarns

but can't wait to try a few other patterns for more Missoni style!

I hope I've inspired you to knit up your own
Missoni-style scarf

in your favorite colors and yarns...

because you know you...
won't find that at Target!

Mad for Missoni

2011-09-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Missoni for Target

Yes, I'm mad for Missoni!

Evidently everyone else is,too.

Today, marked the launch of Missoni for Target.

The madness and frenzi for Missoni today
caused Target.com to crash and the

Missoni merchandise to fly off the shelves within just a few hours.

Of course, I had to be there with all the excitement because

I love the designs of the

Italian Fashion House of Missoni.

As a knitter who loves fashion,

I love their mix-and-match patterns and famous knitwear that they are famous for. Did you know, there are even Missoni knitwear patterns in Vogue Knitting magazines from the 1980's and 1990's.

Zig Zags

I am normally one of the first shoppers to hit Target when they have a big name designer collaboration. Most of the time, the collections aren't even out yet so today I hit my local Target at 9:30AM instead of 8:00 AM when they opened. No big deal right?

Oh my gosh, what a mistake that was for me, a seasoned shopper. I should have known better and I paid the price. The Missoni merchandise was already pretty well picked over and I heard there was a line out front before they opened.

Missoni Accessories

By the time I got to Target this morning the accessory items were just about sold out.

I was most excited to see the Missoni scarves. There were only a few left at my local Target store. So I hit the road to other nearby Target stores and managed to find a few more scarves at each stop I made. I also lucked out and found a cute cardigan and silk scarf in Missoni's trademark zig-zag print.

I must report that I was most impressed that the Missoni scarves were made of 100% silk and not polyester. I know the Missoni family must have insisted on that.

As for the knits...my cardigan is a rayon and cotton blend. The fun knit scarves I picked up do have some acrylic content which I'm not that crazy about. At Target prices though...I better not complain!

The Missoni tags say:

Patterned After No One.

Priced For Everyone.

I feel pretty lucky today that I snagged some Missoni pieces!

Bound for Italy!

PS: Don't you just love this 21" Spinner Suitcase?

Wouldn't it be perfect for a trip to Italy?

I went ahead and passed on it today but I did tell my husband that it would be pretty cool

to wear my new Missoni outfit in Italy...someday????

Crafty Biscuit Anyone?

2011-09-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Mollie Makes Issue Four

There are plenty of tea time treats

in Mollie Makes Issue Four.

I just snagged Issue Four off the cart at Barnes & Noble

a few days ago before it even hit the shelves.

There is not much knitting or crochet in this issue

but I'm still enjoying this British magazine all the same.

Here's a little look inside:

A is for Apron

A is for apron and I adore this one!

Yes, it is made in Liberty of London fabric!

This is a sneak peak from Liberty's very first book on sewing called

The Liberty Book of Home Sewing Projects.
(This adorable apron is featured on it's cover.)

Do I dare tell my husband, I already want to go back to London
for more Liberty prints?

B is for Biscuit

B is for biscuit and this issue of Mollie Makes

is all about biscuits and tea time treats!

The cover's sweet biscuits are cute and crafty. They are designed by Ouissi Gresty.

They are crafted out of felt scraps. Just a few basic embroidery stitches and voila...

you've got adorable sweet biscuits (with no calories).

Ouissi has an adorable website (appropriately called)
British Cream Tea

and is also the author of the book Felt Biscuits.

T is for Tea

T is for tea and since Mollie Makes is British...

there are always tea time treats and inspiration

on Mollie's pages.

I really like staying in the know

with the British craft and shopping scene

by reading through the pages of Mollie Makes.

Being a loyal fan of Mollie Makes,
really makes you want to take a trip across the Pond!

Teeny Tiny Purse

I love these Teeny Tiny Purses. I think they would be fantastic made up in my favorite

Liberty of London prints to hold all my purse change.

I'm not much of a sewer but there are very clear instructions and detailed diagrams
on how to make these fabric purses.
I just may have to find the right purse clasp so I can give this sewing project a go!

The Great British Biscuit

In the spirit of Mollie Makes...

I love supporting artists, crafters and small business.

While having tea in an adorable tea room in London this year,

I fell in love with a tea towel by British illustrator,

Jill Tytherleigh.

I now have an adorable red The Great British Biscuit tea towel

in my American kitchen and used it for the photo styling in this post.

I hope one day Mollie Makes includes Jill in the magazine. I love her work.

In the meantime...

visit her website or her cute Etsy store Jilltydrawings
and treat yourself to a tea towel.

Mollie would approve!

Bliss!

2011-09-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine

Fall/Winter 2011

I'm ready for fall...

and Debbie Bliss' new fall magazine is enticing me
to pick up my knitting needles
and start some fall and winter projects!

Here are a few of my favorites from Debbie's new issue:

Fair Isle Cardigan

I'm a Fair Isle fan so I love Debbie's feature on Fair Isle knits called
The New Palette...The Bold Standard.

Debbie says it's time to "rev up your needles for a new approach to sweater weather."

I love how she changed up traditional Fair Isle color work to a new palette of black and white. Her Fair Isle designs are striking in this color palette and have a much more modern twist!

This snowflake crew-neck cardigan in varying shades of blacks, greys and silver is knit in Debbie's Baby Cashmerino. I love how it is styled in the magazine with a black skirt.

Wristwarmers

I love small Fair Isle projects so I love these diamond pattern wristwarmers.

I'm not really a sweater knitter so this Fair Isle pattern is perfect for me and fellow knitters who want to tackle small Fair Isle projects.

They are also knit in Debbie's Baby Cashmerino.

Fair Isle Sweater

I love classic fashion

and this Fair Isle Cardigan is bound to become a classic!

With its snowflake motif....

I think it's perfect for hitting the slopes

or some apres ski parties!

It's knit in Debbie's Rialto 4-ply extra-fine merino.

Basketweave Wrap

It's no secret that I love scarves.

I love to wear them and I love to knit them!

The cover Basketweave Wrap scarf is my favorite pattern in the magazine.

It's knit in Debbie's new bulky (color changing) yarn Riva.

Admirers are asking "what's that color way on the cover."

# 02 Heather. Now you know.

Debbie also has a new pattern book for fall called Riva
which was photographed in the British countryside.

I can't wait to get my copy!

Party Girls!

Of course, the magazine wouldn't be Debbie Bliss
without some knit designs for "little cuties"!

There is an adorable feature called Party Girls
filled with "girlie" lacey party knits.

This is another wonderful issue by Debbie and her team.

I hope you find your copy soon...
and it inspires you, like me,
to start up some fall knitting projects
and
make Debbie's daughter Nell's
Flapjacks recipe in the issue,too.

A Blissful Day!

2011-08-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Debbie Bliss Magazine

Fall/Winter 2011

It's a blissful day whenever I pick up the new
Debbie Bliss magazine.

The magazine's official delivery date isn't until September 6th. For those of us "in the know",

the magazine usually arrives at Local Yarn Stores before the "big-box" chain stores. I make it a habit to always dash out to my LYS the moment it arrives.

As for knitting, I don't knit much during the hot summer months here in California. Debbie's new issue though is already inspiring me to pick up the needles again.

Before I pick up the needles though...

I couldn't wait to bake Debbie's daughter Nell's Sweet Oat Bars (Flapjacks)

recipe in the magazine.

My favorite feature in every issue is The Blissful Life. I love that Debbie shares with us her favorite things and features a recipe by Nell in every issue.

Nell's Sweet Oat Bars

Nell's Flapjack recipe is a keeper!

They taste just like the yummy flapjacks my husband and I love having in England.

I'll be back soon with a sneak peek of my favorite designs from the issue.

I'm off now to enjoy a cup of tea,

a flapjack and my new Debbie Bliss magazine!

It's a Blissful Day!

(In the photos: Emma Bridgewater pottery.)

Hooked on Mollie Makes!

2011-08-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

Mollie Makes Issue 3

I'm hooked on Mollie Makes!

Mollie Makes Issue 3
has just arrived in the US this week.

Sunshine Flowers

I love Issue 3 and all its projects.

I'm picking the cute crochet flowers by Carmen Heffernan as my favorite project in this issue. Her Sunshine Flowers are featured on the cover and she gives a tutorial in the magazine on how to make them. Oooh, I can't wait to give them a try and start crocheting flowers!

Carmen works from her home in the lovely Irish countryside.

She has the most colorful and adorable flower shop on Etsy.

Go have a look...you'll be inspired!

Sunshine Bag

How cute is this Sunshine Bag?

I would love to make one in a Liberty of London floral print fabric..wouldn't you?

Mollie Makes says "its roomy enough to fit your whole life into (including your craft stash).

I haven't really sewn anything since junior high so I think I better sign up for sewing lessons. Although Mollie says...this is a cinch to make. So I guess, I just have to borrow my sister's sewing machine.

Flower Power

I've always loved making flowers.

As a young girl in the 1970's, I used to make dip film flowers all the time. Remember those?

Today, I'm obsessed with making flowers to adorn clothes and accessories. So naturally, I adore the article We Heart Flower Corsages. There are four flower corsage patterns all made out of cotton fabrics.

These flowers look pretty easy to make so I can't wait to get crafty and make a few.

Tea Time!

And, of course, since Mollie Makes is British...

you know there is bound to be a thing or two about tea in the magazine.

I love reading about all the craft cafes and shops in the UK where you can sit and knit

or craft and have tea and cake.

This issue features a beautiful English wedding with a vintage tea theme. There are lots of pretty photographs that are bound to inspire you to pull out your Grandma's tea cups

and have an afternoon tea party!

Yay, for Mollie Makes!

I absolutely love Mollie Makes.

I can't wait for Issue 4 and its adorable felt biscuits on the cover.
All the UK Mollie Makes fans are already saying...
"it's the best issue yet"!

(In the photos: vintage crochet motifs and my great-grandmother's crochet hook were used when I styled the photos.)

La vie en Rose

2011-07-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

My French Flower

My obsession with flowers continues to bloom!

I can now create beautiful silk flowers in the age-old technique of French flower making, thanks to my class yesterday with milliner artist Jan Wutkowski.

Jan flew all the way out from North Carolina to teach

French Flower Making at

Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles in Berkeley, California.

I always thought I would have to travel to London or Australia to learn the secrets of traditional French flower making. Thanks to Lacis and Jan's class, I now have the tools and secrets to create beautiful silk flowers in the French tradition.

French Flower Making

with Jan Wutkowski

Jan is an American milliner who trained at the Melbourne School of Millinery in 1995. She has been designing and making hats since 1996. Today she is not only is a milliner and teacher but also owns A Muse in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Over lunch with Jan, I had the chance to get to know Jan the designer. I was rather curious where her love for hats began and interestingly enough it began with her love for vintage jewelry. Well, that makes perfect sense...vintage jewelry, hats, gloves all from other glamorous eras. I loved hearing her stories about her brides and the one-of-a-kind hats she creates for the them.

Of course, I couldn't wait to ask Jan if hats and fascinators are more popular today due to the Royal Wedding. Jan quickly told me that fascinators can be many different things in millinery and they have been around a long time. Yes, the Royal Wedding has made millinery more popular here in America but Jan is always busy with her clientele. She not only designs beautiful bridal millinery but keeps very busy with her "Kentucky Derby ladies".

As a designer, Jan spends her calender year with the first half creating beautiful hats during the busy bridal, garden and Derby season. The second half of the year, she travels around the country (and the world) as a milliner teacher.

My Silk Fabrics

The French Flower Making class began with a nice introduction from Jan. Next Jan asked us to introduce ourselves and talk about our interest with flower making. It was so neat to hear every ones story. Most students were from the Bay Area. A few, like me, travelled a few hours for the class and one young lady came all way from Mexico! Most of the students were involved in millinery and fashion and some students just loved hats.

For me, I am not quite sure where this path will lead me. I am somewhat interested in trying to combine the flowers with my knitting. Then again, I love hats and vintage so I might just end up embellishing hats and making brooches.

French Flowers

To create our flowers, Jan taught us the process in the traditional French method using heat tools.

The first step was preparing our fabrics and then letting them dry during our lunch break. After lunch we cut flower petals for creating beautiful roses. Next we learned how to use our heat tools and shape our petals. By the end of the day, Jan showed us how to assemble our flowers and everyone finished the class with a beautiful rose!

Jan had told us early on in the day, that even though we all started out with the same pattern and instructions, each of our flowers would be unique. She was so right. I was so amazed at every ones fabric combinations and their beautiful results.

Lacis

I had so much fun taking this class.

Thank you to Jules Kliot, the owner of Lacis for bringing Jan out to the west coast and for all your amazing supplies and resources!

Lacis has wonderful supplies for knitters, too. I was so thrilled to find two handbag purse handles I've been searching for (even in England) and a hard to find Japanese crochet book. Of course, I also came home with flower making books and supplies, too!

Lastly, Merci to Jan for sharing her knowledge of

French Flower Making

and for helping keep the craft alive!

Sew Crafty!

2011-07-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Feeling Crafty!

I haven't been knitting much but...

I have been crafty!

Lately, I'm obsessed with flowers
and
Liberty of London prints!

Sew Crafty

I was pretty excited when Liberty of London and Target teamed up last year. Let's just say, with Liberty at Target prices, I stocked up on a lot of scarves. I'm so glad I did because now I'm getting "crafty" with them.

For my recent trip to London I put together a Liberty ensemble to wear to tea. I jazzed up my Liberty for Target basic scarf with a cute pom-pom trim and now it looks like it came from a London high-street shop!

I also upcycled another Liberty for Target scarf into a big ruffled flower that I can wear as a hair pin or brooch. I can even pin it on some ruffly tulle and it makes a darling fascinator!

Ta Da!

I can tell you now, that nothing beats wearing Liberty of London in London!

Of course, I had to wear my Liberty ensemble the day I went shopping at Liberty of London. The Liberty ladies on the Haberdashery Floor all recognized my accessories made from their famous Liberty prints.

I also wore my Liberty ensemble to the adorable tea room High Tea of Highgate in Highgate Village (outside of London) and the owner Georgina noticed my Liberty of London accessories, too. I loved that and loved the tea room, too!

And yes...

I wore my Liberty flower as a fascinator to tea!

Searching for Sophie!

2011-07-15T00:28:00.000-07:00

That Scarf!

On my recent trip to Paris, I went searching for French designer

Sophie Digard's exquisite crochet scarves.

I was seriously ready to splurge on one but never had the chance.

I did email the Sophie Digard website before my trip inquiring on Paris retailers but didn't receive a reply. So I was left on my own searching for Sophie's scarves in Paris and came up empty handed.

I did have a Sophie sighting in London though before arriving in Paris.

I spotted a lady with a beautiful and colorful crochet scarf at London's Portobello Road Antique Market.

I stopped her to compliment her and ask her if she made her scarf? She was so thrilled to have her scarf admired and proudly told me "I bought it an expensive boutique in Sweden".
I knew immediatley it just had to be a Sophie Digard scarf...

and, of course, it was!

I Can do That!

So now my latest idea is to crochet my own scarf inspired by a Sophie Digard scarf.

I've been searching on Ravelry for pattern ideas and now I'm obsessed with Japanese flower scarves.

My Ravelry friend Teresa in England is crocheting Japanese flower scarves and suggested I check out Lucy's Attic24 blog for inspiration. Thank you, Teresa! Lucy's blog is very inspiring...so inspiring, she has a fan club of over 4,000 members (including me now) on Ravelry in the We Love Lucy group.

I'm hoping to go to Japantown in San Francisco soon to buy some Japanese crochet books. In the mean time, I picked up this I Taught Myself Crochet kit to help get me started. It's been over 40 years since my Great Grandmother G.G. taught me how to crochet a granny square.

Wish me luck!

PS: I've just discovered that my favorite yarn store in London, Loop is carrying Sophie Digard scarves and accessories in their online shop..so you don't have to go all the way to Paris, afterall.

(Top photo credit Sophie Digard Creations)

Mollie Makes

2011-07-07T17:15:00.000-07:00

Mollie Makes Issue Two

There's nothing I love better than a cup of tea

and a new magazine!

Mollie Makes is my favorite new British magazine. This adorable magazine has taken the crafting and publishing world by storm.

Issue Two hasn't even hit the US stands yet but I already own it. I just couldn't wait...so I ordered Issue Two online from my favorite yarn store in London, Loop. It was worth every penny spent on shipping to be ensured I received it and its cute little Flower Felt Kit, too.

Inspired!

I like Issue Two even better than Issue One.

I love the sweet and vintage inspired cover project, Strawberry Pincushions by Eirlys Penn. The magazine not only gives you clear directions on how to make them but also a neat little history "The Story Behind The Strawberry". Love that and can't wait to make them!

You can read more about EirlysPenn at her website http://www.scrapiana.com/.

Issue Two is also filled with pages of inspiration for crafting, collecting and thrifting. I love staying "in the know" with the wonderful blogs and cute shops that Mollie Makes shares with us.

Feeling Crafty?

Everyone loves a "freebie" including me!

One of the neatest things about British magazines is that they often include a free gift! On my trips to England, I've snagged British magazines with free gifts including an Anya Hindmarch change purse and Cath Kidston pouches and bags.

Mollie Makes is including a free little-crafty kit with every issue. Demand has exceeded supply so some issues have not include the free-gift. I didn't want to miss out on the free-gift with Issue Two so that's why I ordered it from Loop. I can't wait to get crafty now and make some felt flowers!

Vintage Chic

The granny square is re-born!

Another reason I'm excited about Issue Two is Jane Brocket's Starburst Flower Crochet Blanket. Jane's pattern is from her new book The Gentle Art of Knitting and the pattern is included in the magazine.

I haven't made granny squares since my G.G. (great-grandmother) taught me how to make them when I was a little girl. I love how they've made a comeback and I can't wait to try my hand at crochet again.

Jane Brocket says "This blanket made from "starburst flower" squares was inspired by the many granny square blankets I have seen on blogs and in magazines, as well as the actual crocheted blankets I saw as I was growing up".

I couldn't wait to have my Mom pull out my G.G.'s Granny Square Blanket (vintage 1960's) so I could use it for this photo shoot!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I used to do a little embroidery work as young girl, too. My mom still has the flour-sack towel tucked away that my G.G. taught me my very first embroidery stitches.

I haven't embroidered in ages except maybe for a few French knots here and there. Seeing Charlotte Lyons beautiful embroidery work in this issue, just might change that.

You can find out more about Charlotte at her website http://www.charlottelyons.com/.

Bath

Lastly, I love the article Why You Should Visit Bath! Trust me...one does not need a reason to visit Bath. It is one of my favorite cities in all of England to visit!

On my recent trip to Bath in May, I visited Wool, the wonderful knitting emporium. Wool's owner Laura referred me to The Makery where I picked up the premier issue of Mollie Makes.

Here's a list of some of my other favorite places in Bath:

Jane Austen Center & The Regency Tea Room, The Pump Room, Sally Lunns, Cath Kidston, The Royal Crescent, Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, Pulteney Bridge, Brora, Rossiters of Bath, Jamie Oliver's Italian, Whittard of Chelsea, Tilleys Bistro and HRH Highgrove Shop.

Now that I've discovered Mollie Makes I bet I'll be adding even more places that I'll want to visit on my next trip across the pond!

Issue Three of Mollie Makes is now out in the UK. It typically gets to the US about a month later...
I'm not sure I can wait that long!

British Wool

2011-06-28T22:31:00.001-07:00

Cotswold Sheep

(I walked amongst the sheep on a Cotswold foot path!)

It's an American knitters dream "come true"
to spend any time in Great Britain.

I was fortunate to spend 10 days last month travelling through England and Edinburgh, Scotland. Besides having tea nearly everyday (my other passion) I also filled my time with British wool and shopping.

Many have asked about my trip. I will certainly be writing about my travels and sharing my shopping secrets with you through out the year.

For now, here are a few of my favorite photos...

I call British Wool.

Little Man

Adorable little man in his "little wool suit" spotted at Portobello Road antiques market in London.

Why, oh why, didn't I bring him home?

Wool

Adorable yarn shop Wool in Bath, England.

The gracious owner Laura even told me where to get my hands on
the Premier Issue of Mollie Makes .
Thank you, Laura!

Classic British Wool

Never tire of the British classics....

cardigans and cables were everywhere!

Shetland Wool

Shetland Wool spotted at the hip yarn shop K1 Yarns

in Edinburgh, Scotland. Loved this shop and will write about it soon.

Fabulous Fair Isle!

There's nothing better than shopping for fabulous Fair Isle

on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. Yes, I brought home a few scarves!

Yorkshire Wool

Since I have Pontefract, Yorkshire roots,

this local Yorkshire yarn came home with me.

Purchased at Ramshambles "in the Shambles", York, England.

It was so fun to "talk shop" with Katey, the owner. She had recently been to a trade show in Warwick and was seated next to Debbie Bliss at dinner! Talk about true-bliss!

Lambs-Wool

And lastly, there were even adorable lamb mugs spotted at the

Emma Bridgewater factory in Stoke-on-Trent, England.

I had the most delightful day at the Emma Bridgewater factory. I even met Matthew Rice (owner, designer, author, artist and husband of Emma Bridgewater).

Matthew was so kind to take time to chat with me. I seized the opportunity and told Matthew to please put in a word with Emma about "knitting theme" mugs. I know there is a Campaign for British Wool and I think it would be fabulous to see some Emma Bridgewater mug designs promoting British Wool and knitting.

And here's the best part....I asked Matthew if Emma knits. Matthew told me that Emma was in the knitting industry years ago and worked for the company that did Lady Diana Spencer's famous jumper (sweater) during her engagement to Prince Charles. Oh my gosh...love this story!

So, maybe there's a chance that Emma will design a mug for us knitters someday!

Parlez-vous francais?

2011-06-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

le magazine

(the magazine)

I brought home from Paris,

the Mai-Juin (May-June) issue of Marie Claire Idees.

I found out on my trip to Paris last month
that the French are very crafty!

Oui, I do have a French name but je ne parle pas francais
(I don't speak French) let alone read it. When it comes to this beautiful magazine though, you don't have to be able to read French to enjoy it.

Just like everything in Paris, this magazine is filled with beautiful images and inspiration.

Here's a look inside...

and please pardon my French!

Effet couture

Creation pour une table gourmande!

I love this pretty ribbon embellished table cloth project and loved seeing my favorite patisserie
Le Saint-Honore de Laduree in the photograph!

Throughout le magazine the photo stylists have used patisseries
and macaroons from Laduree. Love that!

les macaroons

Idee Broderie = Idea Embroidery

I discovered while shopping at the Paris department stores that the French love needlework. Along side the yarn departments were always embroidery and needlepoint departments.

You can purchase this as an apron kit at Maire Claire Idees online.

Terrain de jeux

Idee Tricot = Idea Knitting

Since I'm a knitter...I adore this bebe (baby) blanket!

I love how it's edged with de bias (bias trim).

The pattern is in the magazine and its supplies are available at
La Droguerie. I loved this store and will tell you more about it soon.

I can tell you that French crafters love
de bias Liberty (Liberty bias trim)
and I stocked up for some French inspired projects
that I saw at La Droguerie!

Atouts coeur

bebe= baby

coeur = heart

Trop chou, cette idee de layette!

Ooh, la, la, a bebe (baby) layette knit in
fils a tricoter de La Droguerie qualite Alpaga (Alpaca).

The pattern is also in the magazine and supplies available
at La Droguerie.

Mauve nacre

Devant la fantaisie d'un collier, le plus ouvert des decolletes peut redoubler de mystere.

I'm in love with French bijoux (jewelery)!

collier = necklace

Supplies: Rubans (Ribbons) from Mokuba (a Paris store on my list that I didn't get to) and perles, apprets, fleurs (flowers) broderie and appliques available at La Droguerie.

I picked up some pretty velvet butterflies (see top left of photo) at La Droguerie to embellish a craft project or beret, perhaps?

Choux a la creme

patissiere parfumee

choux a al creme = cream puffs

Le magazine also has recipes, beauty tips and more.
Everything a "wanna-be French girl" could want!

Le Gateau

d'Anne-Claire Petit

What an adorable gateau (cake) for
Marie Claire Idees 20th Birthday issue!

crochetee coton = crochet cotton

Oui, the pattern by la designer Anne-Claire Petit is in the magazine. I would love to whip one up....
guess I better sign up for French lessons after all!

Bon Anniversaire
(Happy Birthday # 20)
Marie Claire Idees!

Ooh, I Could Do That!

2011-06-03T08:05:00.000-07:00

Idees

(Ideas)

I am so inspired!

I just returned home from the most wonderful holiday (vacation) in

England, Edinburgh, Scotland and Paris, France.

Let me tell you...I saw so many cute shops and came home with so many crafty ideas!

I took lots of notes and photographs that I will be able to share with you.

For now, I must tell you about the most adorable new craft magazine in the UK...

Mollie Makes!

Feeling Crafty

Mollie Makes premiered in the U.K. on May 12th and is flying off the shelves. I know why.

This magazine has a modern "fresh-look" and "vintage-charm" to appeal to "hip" crafters all over the world.

Mollie's motto...

Living & Loving Handmade.

Mollie Makes is all about: making, thrifting, collecting and crafting. Right up my alley!

Here is a peak inside the magazine:

Apple Jackets

How d'you like them apples?

Aren't these crochet apple jackets adorable? I love their sweet vintage colors. They are crocheted in Cotton DK yarn.

Mollie says " this is a very simple pattern using the most basic of crochet stitches".

Being more of a knitter, I think even I could crochet these. How about you?

Dress Guard

I love to wear skirts

so how cute it this dress guard for riding your bike in your favorite summer skirt!

This is actually a crochet product featured in the magazine

by a Netherlands company, Simeli.

There is no country in the world which pays so much attention to dress guards as the Netherlands does.

I would love to see this trend take off in America...
I think my knitting friend Sheila could start it
since she rides her bike everywhere!

Knitted Bunting

I spotted buntings (banners) all over England.

With the Royal Wedding still a buzz, there were Union Jack buntings everywhere. I almost bought one until I read the label and saw that is was outsourced and made in China.

I would rather have a hand-made bunting...hey, there are plenty on Etsy. Or better yet, I can knit one like this adorable knitted bunting idea from Jane Brocket's new book The Gentle Art of Knitting.

Mollie Makes is set to arrive in the US on June 9th in limited supply. The first two issues appear to be sold out since new subscriptions begin now with Issue 3. I think I better go sign up for a subscription.

Thank you, Laura!

I must say "thank you" to Laura the owner of the adorable yarn shop Wool in Bath, England.

Thanks to Laura, I discovered Mollie Makes with a copy she had in her shop.

I went to the local book store in Bath and it was already sold out. I went back to Wool and Laura referred me to another adorable shop in Bath, The Makery which had a few copies left.

I wish I could have stayed longer in Bath, England...

both shops were delightful.

Simply Weddings

2011-05-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

Royal Wedding Celebration!

The Royal Wedding may be over

but the excitement for it marches on!

We are so excited here in California that the newlyweds,
The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge,

will be visiting California this July!

I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the UK's Simply Knitting magazine Spring 2011 issue. It comes with a special free gift Simply Weddings with 6 patterns to celebrate the Royal Wedding.

Here are a few of my favorites from the magazines:

Union Jack Fever

I'm crazy for Union Jacks!

British designer Emma King has an adorable Union Jack Flag cushion pattern in Simply Weddings. I love how she added "British Bling" by adding sparkly silver beads to the flag.

I'm already a fan of Emma's. I love her designs for Rowan and her 25 Bags to Knit book.

I'm also in love with another British designer named Emma...Emma Bridgewater, that is! I love her Union Jack pottery pattern and loved that the stylist for Simply Wedding's used Emma's Union Jack pieces in the photo shoot!

Royal-Tea

What a darling way to "top your teapot" with a fluffy crown for your next Royal tea party!

I love that designer Elizabeth Jarvis embellished this crown jewel with with actual sew-on jewels!

It's knit in Wendy Shimmer and Mode yarns and Twilleys Goldfingering yarn. Being an American, I have never heard of these brands before. Hmm...maybe I need to go yarn shopping next week while I'm in London!

PS: You can be "Queen for a Day"

and wear this adorable tea cosy as a crown hat, too.

Love that idea for birthdays and tea parties!

Special Occasion Fascinator

I'm fascinated with fascinators.

British ladies love to wear fascinators. Thanks to Kate Middleton's gorgeous fascinators, American's are now catching on to them.

I've been dabbling making a fascinator out of fabric flowers and now I'm excited to make a knit one using Miriam McDonald's pattern. Miriam's fascinator is knit in Sublime's new Tussah Silk DK.

I think it is also perfect for tea time since she includes a lovely pair of lacy gloves to match!

Simply Knitting

Spring 2011 Issue

The spring issue has just arrived in stores here on the West Coast so...

go snag one before it sells out!

That Sweater!

2011-05-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

Kate Middleton's

Angora Cropped Sweater

They say...

"Fashion Repeats Itself".

I have a feeling that Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen found some vintage inspiration in designing Kate Middleton's Angora Cropped Sweater!

If you're a knitter, you couldn't help but love that Kate wore a knit angora sweater with her second outfit for the Royal Wedding reception.

I love vintage fashion and collect vintage knitting patterns.

Here are a few vintage patterns that perhaps were inspiration for Kate's cropped angora sweater. They just might inspire you to knit your own "that sweater".

Vintage Angora Boleros

1930's or 1940's

Angora Cropped Sweater

1950's or 1960's
Angora Bolero

1970's or 1980's

Angora Cropped Bolero

If you prefer a modern-designed sweater bolero with vintage flair, two of my favorite British knit-wear designers Louisa Harding and Debbie Bliss have designed them:

Sabrina and Muse by Louisa Harding

and

Cropped Cardi by Debbie Bliss

Happy May Day!

2011-05-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's May Day...

Pretty flowers are everywhere!

Hand Knit Flowers

I love flowers and my favorite flowers to knit are Louisa Harding's fabulous Rosette pattern.

I learned how to make Louisa's Rosette from Louisa herself in a 2009 workshop. She has designed such a clever flower and Louisa herself says "it looks like crochet but it's all knit".

Louisa uses variations of her signature Rosette in many of her designs. The design always knits up beautifully and it's fun to watch it transform using Louisa's many different yarns.

I love how Louisa's Rosette pattern "pops up" in her books as an embellishment. My favorite Rosettes can be found in these Louisa Harding books:

Knitting Little Luxuries

Gathering Roses The Accessories Collection

Venezia Felice Mai Dopo

Knitting in the Details

I not only love these Rosettes to embellish my knits but now I'm attaching a brooch back with a pin and an alligator clip so I can wear them in my hair, too.

Thanks to Louisa Harding and Knitting Daily, you can find her Rosette and Juliet scarf pattern here and her Poppy Rosette pattern here.

So since it's May Day...

Knit a pretty Rosette

and wear it in your hair!

It's Earth Day

2011-04-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

You can make a difference!

It's Earth Day...

let's all do our part!

Reduce

Hand Knit Cosy Cuff

Hand knit cosy cuffs are so much better for the environment than cardboard cuffs.

They are a quick knit and wonderful to give with Starbucks gift cards!

Reuse

Vintage Embellishments

Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers
never threw a button away.

It's in-vogue to save buttons and vintage treasures
to re-use and embellish your knits

Upcycle

"Green Crafting"

I love upcycling and green crafting.

It's so fun to take something vintage or thrifted and upcycle it into a new project.

Upcycling is hotter than ever (just check out Etsy) and

saving so many items from going into the landfill.

Be Sweet to Mother Earth

Save the Bees

Be kind to Mother Earth and plant Lavender in your garden. Lavender shrubs attract bees which need our help to maintain our ecosystem.

An added bonus...harvest it and make lavender sachets to ward off harmful insects

from your precious hand-knits.

Every little bit makes a difference.
You can make a difference...
are you?

Royal-Tea Cosy

2011-04-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Royal Garden Party Tea Cosy

I'm ready for a Royal Wedding Tea Party...

How about you?

Every proper tea table should have a hand-knit cosy to keep the tea pot warm. In planning a Royal Wedding Tea, I fell in love with Debie Birkin's Royal Garden Party Tea Cosy.

I just adore this tea cosy pattern. I think it's perfect for a Royal Wedding Tea Party, Tea With the Queen or even an Alice in Wonderland themed Tea Party.

Debbie's a brilliant British designer. I love all her adorable tea cosy patterns available at Debi Birkin Designs. I also love her photo styling.

Her Royal Garden Party Tea Cosy photo looks like it could be out of Country Living, one of my favorite British magazines. I can tell, she is a fan of Cath Kidston ,too. I couldn't help but notice the Cath Kidston English Rose Tablecloth she used in styling her photograph. Love her styling!

A BIG thank you to Debi Birkin for permission to use her photograph.

And, if you're in need for a tea menu for a
Royal Wedding Tea Party,

check out my menu ideas on my other blog

Tete-a-Tete.

Fleurs

2011-04-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

Sophie Digard Fleurs

Spring has sprung

and there are flowers everywhere!

There are even flowers to wear. These beautiful blossoms are by Parisian textile artist and designer,
Sophie Digard.

Sophie Digard Colliers

I spotted these adorable Sophie Digard floral colliers (necklaces) recently at Piccolo,

one of my favorite boutiques in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Sophie's hand-made flowers are created out of soft merino wool, mohair, velvet and linen. Most of her designs appear to be crochet but these floral necklaces seem to be crafted in a variety of needlework techniques. Her necklace flowers are strung on a cord and are moveable so you can position them how you like. Pretty crafty!

I admire all of Sophie's clever designs. If you fell "head over heels" for her scarves...you'll probably love these,too.

I'm heading over to Paris next month and I can't wait to see how many Sophie Digard Creations, I can spot in Paris. I'll let you know!

Springtime Bliss!

2011-03-22T17:26:00.000-07:00

Spring & Summer Bliss!

Spring has sprung...

and my favorite new magazine of the season,

is the Debbie Bliss spring/summer 2011 knitting magazine.

Here's a look at some of my favorites from Debbie's magazine:

Nell's Banana Muffins

One of my favorite features of Debbie's magazine is,

The Blissfull Life.

Each season, The Blissfull Life is filled with Debbie's hand-picked selection of vintage collectibles, crafty treats and baked recipes. This issue features her daughter Nell's Banana Muffins. I love making Banana Muffins and can't wait to try Nell's which have chocolate chips and icing. Yummy!

I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Debbie and her daughter Nell last August on their Northwest tour. In chatting with Debbie she was so humble about her Blissful Life section. I told her how much we knitters love that glimpse into her Blissful Life!

The Rose Cardigan

The magazine says it best "Spring is in the air"!

I love flowers and pretty floral knits so I just love the issue's Fabulous Florals.

The Rose Cardigan above is knit in Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino with intarsia roses. Wouldn't this be perfect to wear to a tea or garden party?

Crew Neck Rose Cardigan

The intarsia rose motif and mother-of-pearl buttons give this classic crew neck cardigan such vintage-flair. It's knit in Debbie's Rialto yarn, an extra fine merino.

This is a cardigan I would like to knit someday!

Lace Stole

If you're in love with lace, you'll love the feature called, A Fine Romance. These pretty lace patterns feature Debbie's new kid mohair/silk blend yarn, Angel. I can't wait to knit one of the lace designs, like the leaf lace stole above and try her new Angel yarn.

Lace Capelet

The lace capelet (on the cover) is perhaps my favorite pattern in the magazine. I love knitting capelets. This design can be knit in 2 to 3 balls of Debbie's Angel yarn. It's in my knitting que!

There are so many wonderful features

and patterns in this magazine..

aww...Springtime Bliss!

Fade to Grey

2011-03-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

Fade To Grey

Spring is just around the corner and I'm still knitting as fast as I can from my favorite fall and winter books.

Fade to Grey by Louisa Harding has been my favorite book from this fall/winter season. Fade to Grey is filled with 14 pretty projects all knit in Louisa's luxurious Grace and Grace Hand Dyed yarns.

Wondering where Louisa's inspiration came for this book? I was curious myself so I asked Louisa. Louisa told me...

"The title is taken from a song called Fade to Grey by a UK pop band "Visage" which was released in 1980. The song conjures up memories of my teenage years."

"I wanted the book to be about that teenage spirit."

I certainly think Louisa captured that youthful spirit with Fade to Greys pretty "girly" projects. Louisa hopes this book appeals to knitters of all ages and all abilities.

Sophie Gloves

I adore all the projects in Fade to Grey. My favorite is the Sophie fingerless glove pattern. Mine are knit in Grace Hand Dyed, color 17. I receive rave compliments anytime I wear them. I am so proud to say that I knit them because they really look like they came from a fashionable boutique.

This is a pattern, I will be knitting over and over again. I just love them!

Rosette

I love Louisa's trademark rosette.

I actually learned how to make my first Louisa Harding rosette from Louisa herself! (How lucky am I?) That was back in January 2009 when I met Louisa and took her Juliet scarf class, here on the West Coast.

I love that the Sophie gloves and Millie beret feature a Louisa rosette adorned with buttons. I always have so much fun going button shopping for my Louisa projects. My Sophie glass buttons have a vintage patina but are actually new buttons.

Grace Hand Dyed

For a Louisa Harding fan like me, it is hard to select a favorite yarn of hers. I really love them all. Right now though my reigning favorite is her Grace and Grace Hand Dyed yarn. It's silk and wool fiber combination is a dream to knit with.

My next project to cast on is Louisa's Millie beret. I better get going on it because I know there will be so many more projects that I'll want to knit in her new upcoming spring/summer books!

I'm knitting as fast as I can and I just can't keep up with the fabulous Louisa Harding! How about you?

Be Sweet

2011-03-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Be Sweet Trunk Show

I love Trunk Shows!

Last month I attended a Be Sweet Trunk Show at Knitterly in Petaluma, California. It was a fun night complete with lots of sweet treats: Be Sweet yarns, Be Sweet patterns, Mielie bags, pink cupcakes and candies, too.

The best part of this sweet affair though was meeting Be Sweet's owner, Nadine Curtis!

Nadine Curtis

(Wearing the Au Natural Poncho )

Nadine was just as sweet as could be! I was awestruck at just how young she is as the founder of such a wonderful and amazing company, Be Sweet.

I love the Be Sweet story. Nadine founded Be Sweet in 2003 while living in South Africa, with the principal of being kind to others. Be Sweet works with job creation programs in South African communities and donates a portion of its profits to educational programs.

Attention knitters, this is written on the Be Sweet yarn label:

"Enjoy this beautiful product knowing that you have brought hope into a South African community and that a portion of your purchase is helping support the local school!"

After chatting with Nadine and knowing "the world of good" she is doing, I couldn't help but ask Nadine, "why haven't you been on Oprah?" The Be Sweet story would certainly touch Oprah's heart. Hmm, maybe there is a way to get Nadine and Be Sweet on Oprah's last season?

Try me, Try me!

I first discovered Be Sweet yarns in 2006 "across the pond" at Loop in London. I fell in love with Be Sweet's Magic Ball and beautiful mohair yarns. It was fun to discover later that Be Sweet is now based in my home state of California!

The Magic Ball is still Be Sweet's most popular yarn. It was such a fun night at the Trunk Show seeing all the new and exciting products that Be Sweet offers. Be sure to check out their web site and blog for inspiration and even free patterns.

Sonoma Scarves

My favorite pattern at the Trunk Show was the Sonoma Ruffle Scarves. I think they look quite Parisian! They're knit in Be Sweet's Extra Fine Mohair. I'll be knitting the smaller scarf in the color Sea Green.

Nadine & Shelli

What a treat to meet Nadine Curtis and discover more of the Be Sweet products in person. I even wore my Frilly Wrap that I knit with Be Sweet's Magic Ball and Nadine loved it!

Thank you Nadine and Shelli for another fun filled night at Knitterly!

Knitting in the Details!

2011-01-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

Knitting in the Details

First there was Knitting Little Luxuries...

now there's Knitting in the Details.

I'm a true-blue fan of knit-wear designer Louisa Harding's books!

Knitting in the Details has 24 projects presented in four sections (embellishing ideas) in the book:

Embroidery, Beading, Added Elements and In the Details.

This book features Louisa's trademark romantic style, pretty flowers and embellishments and is sure to inspire knitters of all ages and skill levels.

Lisette's Vintage Treasures

(I'm ready to knit in the details!)

Besides beautiful patterns and photographs (taken on the coast of France), I always enjoy Louisa's introduction in her books. Her introductions always give a glimpse of who she is and how special her family and knitting are to her.

This book's introduction shows us her personal studio filled with her vintage treasures. She says "In my studio, I have an evergrowing collection of boxes, tins and jars that contain my many treasures". How about that...I do, too!

This excerpt from the book really sets the stage for this book on embellishing:

"My desire to collect all things that sparkle or glisten is insatiable. I love anything that looks as if it has a hidden story, such as a vintage brooch at the thrift shop, a jar of old belt buckles in the dusty corner of my local haberdashery shop, and my mother's jewelry boxes filled with broken trinkets.

I'm not only a collector of vintage buttons and embellishments, I'm a huge collector of Louisa Harding yarns. I'm so glad I'm a stasher...I've already selected four projects to knit from the book with yarns from my stash.

Here's a look at my four favorites from the book:

Erin

My favorite hats to knit are Louisa's berets! As soon as I saw her Erin beret with its pretty embroidered flowers, I knew it would be my first project from the book. It's knit in her luxurious Grace Wool & Silk yarn with oddments of yarn for the embroidery.

I'm currently knitting Louisa's beautiful Cameo shawl in Grace and purchased all the Grace colorway my LYS had. Luckily for me, I have enough Grace to knit this beret and her Victoria gloves from her Knitting Little Luxuries book to wear with my shawl. What an ensemble it will be!

Nina

I adore pretty and lacy knits so I love Louisa's Nina scarf! This project is embellished with beads and pretty flower embellishments. Louisa says "Although it looks complicated, this scarf is very simple to knit-the excitement is in the beads".

It's knit with four balls of her sparkly Jasmine yarn and one ball of Jasmine for the flowers. Luckily for me, I just happen to have Jasmine in my stash, too!

April

April is my favorite garment in the book. This "tres chic" bolero features Louisa's trademark flowers and button embellishing. Louisa offers two versions, one knit in Hulda a discontinued yarn (I have enough in my stash) and one in Rosetti.

Louisa knit the flowers in her Grace yarn and adorned them with petal-shaped buttons from the Parisian store La Droguerie. Luckily for me, I'm going to Paris in May so you know where I'll be button shopping!

Ella

Louisa's Grace yarn range is my most favorite yarn to knit with. I love her Grace Wool & Silk and her Grace Hand-Dyed. Luckily for me, I have a huge stash of her Grace Hand-Dyed to knit her beautiful button embellished Ella scarf.

Her Ella scarf is knit in three hanks of Grace Hand-Dyed or there is a bulkier version knit in discontinued Hulda requiring three balls. I love that it is embellished with mother-of-pearl buttons.

Knit Details!

Can you tell, I love this book and love Louisa's idea of...

Knitting in the Details!

Pretty Knits

2011-01-13T23:41:00.000-08:00

Pretty Knits

I love Pretty Knits!

Pretty Knits is a knitting book by Susan Cropper, the American owner of the popular yarn store Loop in London.

Pretty Knits was published back in October, 2007. Once I saw the cover...I knew I had to have it! The book's cover features Louisa Harding's pretty and romantic Cameo Shawl.

The Cameo Shawl is by far my favorite project in the book. I am happy to report that I am finally going to cast on for my Cameo Shawl. My version is in beautiful blue Louisa Harding yarns that I stashed quite a while back. I'm so glad I bought my blue yarns when I spotted them because now they are discontinued colors or yarns.

My advice: If you fall in love with a project like I did for the Cameo Shawl, I highly recommend buying the yarns and stashing them. (Yes, I have a huge Louisa Harding yarn stash and my husband doesn't mind!)

How I found the shop Loop

Loop in London

I love magazines.

I have discovered so many wonderful places in the world, travel tips, decorating ideas, fabulous products, incredible restaurants and favorite recipes from magazines.

Some of my favorite magazines are from Britain. I love English decorating magazines the most. I found out about Loop in London in an article in the November, 2005 issue of Homes & Antiques. I tore the article out and put it in my London file. That write-up led to a great day out of London to visit Loop and the Camden Passage Antique Market.

Loop

(The Original Shop)

I love Loop!

I'm a lucky American knitter to have visited Loop. It was in May, 2006. Back then, Loop was in it's original tiny shop tucked back on a quaint curvy street in Camden Passage in London's Islington. I remember the day so well. I was like a kid in a candy store that day at Loop. It was the first real yarn shop I had ever been in. Back then I was still shopping for yarn at the big box craft stores...I hadn't discovered the wonderful world of local yarn stores yet!

Shopping at Loop in London was the real start of my true love for yarn and knitting. Loop set me on my quest to find fabulous yarn shops in the States. And it was while visiting my local yarn shops back home that I discovered designer Louisa Harding. Louisa's beautiful books drew me back into knitting and inspired me to take knitting lessons so I could knit her lovely designs.

I am so thrilled where my knitting journey has taken me since that day I visited Loop...

and I'm pretty excited to finally cast on for my Cameo Shawl!

Last Minute Slouchy Hat

2010-12-21T11:42:00.000-08:00

Holiday Knitting

Four days to go 'till Christmas and I am knitting as fast as I can. How about you?

One of my favorite last minute gift ideas this year is Bernat's Slouchy Hat. I love knitting this hat for girls in college but I think this hat is great for ladies of all ages. I even want to knit this

hat for me!

Quick Knit

The Slouchy Hat can be knit in a night or two. It's knit flat and then seamed up. You only need basic skills and should know how to do cables. If you don't know how to do cables this is a pretty good pattern to learn how to do front and back cables. It's just may take you a little longer to knit.

I've knit several of these hats in Debbie Bliss SoHo bulky yarn. It's discontinued now but you can check your favorite yarn shop for a similar bulky yarn or use the Alpaca yarn that Bernat recommends.

Slouchy Hat

I love this Slouchy Hat.

Hand knits are so much nicer than all the acrylic machine knits out in the stores for Christmas. This hat really looks cute on and looks like it came from a fashionable boutique. Love that!

Merry Christmas

and

Happy Last Minute Knitting!

Sparkle!

2010-12-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

Snowflake Sparkle

It's not just the Christmas tree that needs a little "sparkle" during the holidays...scarves need some "sparkle", too!

I love my Fair Isle scarf that I bought at Nordstrom a few months ago. It reminds me of the fabulous Fair Isle scarf currently on the cover of Rowan magazine #48. It's just about cold enough in California now that I can start wearing it. I thought a snowflake pin would be the perfect "sparkle" for it!

Monet Snowflake Pin

My secret source for my snowflake pin is Macy's. I found it this week while Christmas shopping. It's a very nice piece of costume jewelry by Monet. It retails for $25.00 but if you're a savvy shopper like me...you won't pay near that!

Will you be dashing off to Macy's or Monet to get one?

Holiday Bling

2010-12-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

Holiday Bling!

I think all scarves deserve a little holiday "bling"!

I had so much fun visiting little vintage boutique shops yesterday "on the hunt" for some holiday "bling" for my hand-knit scarves. Look what I found!

You can read all about some of my favorite boutiques on my other blog Tete-a-Tete. These pins were found yesterday in Old Fair Oaks Village. The top pin is a vintage Albert Weiss rhinestone pin that I snagged at Wink and the wire flower pins are from Bungalow.

I love the unique wire and beaded floral pins. Kim the owner of Bungalow doesn't think the artist is making them anymore. I can see why...the wire crochet work is so delicate it must be quite hard on one's hand to create them. Sorry ladies...I snagged Bungalow's last two pins so there are no more of these to be found.

Now I'm off to peak at my Mom's and Grandma's jewelry boxes for more holiday "bling" for my knits. I bet if you look inside your family's jewelry boxes you can find some holiday "bling", too!

Holiday Cheer

2010-11-30T19:24:00.000-08:00

Cards for Knitters

If you're a knitter you've got to snag some of these adorable Knit note cards!

I think they're perfect for stamping and sending some holiday cheer.

The cards are even color printed on both sides. With that in mind, I was thinking you could even cut up the cards into tag shapes and make adorable gift tags for your holiday knit gifts.

Knittin' Note Cards

It pays to be a shopper...that's how I often find cute stuff. I found these cards at Michaels.

If you want some knittin' note cards you better hurry down to your nearest Michaels. You can find these cards in the Michaels bargain bins. A pack of 8 cards is only $1.00. Yes, you read that right!

At that price, I'm sure they'll be gone in no time!

All I Want for Christmas...is a Sophie Digard Scarf!

2010-11-21T23:31:00.000-08:00

Piccolo

A Collection of Curiosities & Indulgences

Dear Santa Baby,

All I want for Christmas is a Sophie Digard scarf.

(Preferably a blue one...hint hint!)

Sophie Digard Scarf

I am in love with Parisian designer Sophie Digard's needle work.

On a recent visit to charming Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, I stumbled upon an adorable boutique called Piccolo. Piccolo is filled with all sorts of curiosities and indulgences. (That's even printed on their business card!)

Being a knitter, I was immediately drawn to the beautiful crochet and knit accessories on display in Piccolo. The moment I saw the beautiful crochet scarf, I knew it had to be a Sophie Digard. I was right.

I had admired Sophie's stunning scarves on the Internet. I must report that they are even more lovely in person. They are also very pricey...but if you're a needle worker you can certainly appreciate the amount of time and workmanship that goes into a scarf like Sophie's. Her designs are beautiful floral crochet motifs crocheted in wispy and delicate yarns.

Sophie Digard Purse

Sophie even has stunning purses!

Sophie's Work

I'm in awe of Sophie's work.

If Santa doesn't bring me a Sophie scarf, I guess I will have to become a more proficient crocheter!

Habu Textiles

2010-10-16T14:09:00.000-07:00

Habu Textiles

I had the unexpected pleasure in August of dropping in on a Habu Textiles Trunk Show at Websters in Ashland, Oregon.

On my way back home from meeting Debbie Bliss in Portland, I stopped in at Websters. Websters is always a must stop for me anytime we are travelling Interstate 5 between California and Oregon. I generally stop in for a Louisa Harding fix but this time it was all about Habu!

Habu Trunk Show

It was definitely a Habu weekend at Websters.

Too bad I missed the party the night before my visit. There was a sushi party and book signing for

Ori Ami Knits.

Takako Ueki

The best part of the Habu Trunk Show was meeting Habu Textiles owner, Takako Ueki. I had the pleasure of chatting with her and her friend Darlene Hayes of Nature's Palette for quite a while.

Takako was born in Japan. She originally opened her Habu Textiles Showroom in New York City in 2000 for showcasing her beautiful hand woven textiles. Today she imports very unique yarns, like fine silk stainless steel yarns, from Japan.

Curious me, I asked Takako what Habu translated to. She told me that it can be translated like this: ""ha" means the number 8 for lucky and the word "bu" means fabric.

Lucky me for meeting her!

Knitting with Stainless Steel?

Kusha Kusha Scarf

As a knitter, I had heard about Habu yarns for quite some time and "that" scarf you knit with stainless steel! It wasn't until I saw the Kusha Kusha scarf in person that I instantly became a Habu convert. That's the beauty of going to Trunk Shows. You get to see and touch the garments and yarns.

Since I am not a big garment knitter I decided to start with the popular Kusha Kusha scarf designed by Setsuko Torii. I chose a tea leaf colored green merino to knit with the silk stainless in black. I named my scarf Sencha because it looks just like the color of my favorite Japaneses green tea.

I started my scarf and it's an easy project. You combine and knit the two yarns together. The yarns are very fine and slippery so it takes a while to get in the "zen" to knit this scarf. I am on my way now and can't wait to finish the knitting so I can felt it.

Once it is completed you gently felt in a sink of warm water and then it transforms into a beautiful work of Japanese art. I can't wait!

Felted Shawl Kit -73

I was so enamored with Habu Textiles that I ordered Kit -73 to knit a Habu Felted Shawl. My kit finally arrived yesterday.

Takako helped me select the colors for my shawl. Of course, it is a blue merino combined with black silk stainless steel. This pattern is the same process as Setsuko's Kusha Kusha scarf only on a larger scale.

My Habu Felted Shawl is going to be a stunner...so I better get to knitting!

PS: I'm not the only fan of Habu Textiles, Martha Stewart is,too. You can read more about the Habu Textiles Showroom on Martha Stewart.com.

Falling for Fair Isle!

2010-09-18T21:27:00.001-07:00

Fair Isle Scarves

I fell for Fair Isle a long time ago. In fact it was back in the 1970's when I was just a teenager. I still even have my vintage Esprit Fair Isle vest to prove it!

I'm still falling for Fair Isle today and love it even more. Now that I'm a knitter, I love the history and the tradition of Fair Isle knitting.

Did you know that it was Edward, The Prince of Wales back in 1921 that made Fair Isle fashionable? He wore a Shetlands hand knit Fair Isle sweater on the links at St. Andrews, Scotland for just one hour and started a fashion revolution.

Thanks to fashion designers like, Ralph Lauren Fair, Isle continues to be a classic.

Knitting designers are keeping the Fair Isle craft alive,too. Just check out the fall Debbie Bliss Magazine to see Fair Isle updated with her Scottish Eccentrics collection.

Book of Fair Isle Knitting

by Alice Starmore

I've wanted a Fair Isle scarf for a few years now. Every fall I start shopping online to see if I can find a Fair Isle scarf that is wool and well made. There are a few Scottish fashion houses that have them but I have never really fallen in love with one online yet.

I've even thought about knitting a Fair Isle scarf. This could be quite a task since I'm a newer Fair Isle knitter, an English thrower and knit Fair Isle with only my right hand. I think it would take me a long time to knit a traditional Fair Isle Scarf.

When Alice Starmore's The Book of Fair Isle Knitting was reprinted, I purchased it immediately for the day when I really want to master Fair Isle and maybe attempt that scarf. Serious knitters know, it is the reference book for Fair Isle.

Fiona Ellis Fair Isle Workshop

To help my Fair Isle scarf quest, I not only bought the right books I also started taking classes. Earlier this year, I took a fabulous workshop Experiment With Color & Fair Isle from Designer Fiona Ellis at Stitches West.

After the workshop, I had more confidence and did start dabbling a bit at Fair Isle knitting with my Katie beret. As much as I love Fair Isle though, I often wonder if I have the patience and desire to knit a traditional Fair Isle scarf?

Jane by Louisa Harding

Now Louisa Harding's Jane scarf is a Fair Isle scarf that I do plan on knitting one day. Louisa designed just enough Fair Isle in the border to challenge a knitter like me. I know this is a scarf that I will enjoy knitting because it won't take me forever to knit.

I still do want that classic Fair Isle scarf though. I always thought I'd have to go back to Scotland to get one. Well, that was until yesterday.

Fair Isle Scarves by Tarnish

Yesterday I stumbled upon some fantastic Fair Isle scarves at Nordstrom.

For all you knitters, yes, the scarves are machine made, 90% wool and Made in Italy. I think their quality is very good. Good enough for Nordstrom and good enough for me.

So, now I am asking myself when is it okay not to knit? I think in the case of this type of Fair Isle design it is perfectly okay to buy a ready made scarf. So I succumbed yesterday and bought Fair Isle scarves at Nordstrom. Lucky for me, they had just arrived so I had my choice of colors. There are at least seven color choices ranging from classic to fab and bright.

I love Fair Isle!

So if you're like me and have fallen for Fair Isle, check out these scarves at Nordstrom. They are currently only in stores and not online.

In case you're wondering...they're only $48.00.

Pure Bliss!

2010-08-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

Debbie Bliss Fall/Winter 2010 Magazine

I've been counting the days for the new Debbie Bliss magazine to arrive. Lucky for me and other knitters the magazine has arrived early at many local yarn stores.

The moment I arrived home today to enjoy my new magazine, I put the kettle on for some PG Tips tea...Debbie's favorite "cuppa"!

As my British Emma Bridgewater mug says above:

"Happiness Is A Cup of Tea & A New Magazine!

Scottish Eccentrics

I've been eagerly anticipating this issue ever since I saw it's preview on the Debbie Bliss Face Book fan page. I couldn't wait to see the Scottish Eccentrics collection that was photographed in Scotland.

For the record, I'm not Scottish (perhaps a "wee" bit) but I love Scotland. My husband and I were married in the Scottish Borders at Duns Castle in Duns, Scotland. I love Fair Isle, Tartan, Argyle, Shortbread and Scottie Dogs so I just knew I would adore this issue!

Mad for Plaid
Debbie's Editor's letter says it all:

"What better way to greet the new season than with a burst of color!This issue is certainly filled with color along with a modern spin on traditional Fair Isle. The colorful Fair Isle designs are refreshing and, to me, look like they just came off the catwalk.

I was so fortunate to meet Debbie Bliss in person earlier this month at a Trunk Show in Portland, Oregon. Debbie brought quite a few of the Scottish Eccentric garments with her. One of my favorites was the Tweed Jacket above. I just love it's Tartan pockets and elbow patches along with it's eclectic mix of buttons. It's moss stitch body is knit in Luxury Tweed and it's plaid pieces are knit in Rialto DK.

Tartan WrapI love this Tartan Wrap. It has such a British look to it. It reminds me of London High Street fashion brands like Burberry!

The Tartan Wrap is knit in three colors of Luxury Tweed Aran.

According to the magazine:

"Lovely lasses of any age can pull off these looks...
so cast on and join the clan!"

Fair Isle BeretThis adorable Tam-O- Shanter (or Beret) is going to be my first project from the magazine. I was brave today and selected six shades of Rialto 4-ply in playful bright colors like the Fair Isle sweater on the magazine cover. That colorful cover sweater really grabbed me. Since I'm not a big sweater knitter, I thought I could get that look in my wardrobe by taking a cue from it's colors. I think Debbie would approve!

Glen
Debbie's magazine is filled with so many fantastic patterns (34 in all). Besides the Scottish Eccentrics collection there are other pattern themes too: Casbah Chic, Nursery Knits, Nordic Christmas and Rural Retreat.

The photo above features a Snood and a Cabled Scarf both in Debbie's new yarn Glen. I am currently knitting with the Glen yarn and can tell you, it's a dream to knit with.

Not only do I love all 34 patterns in the magazine, I really enjoy the section in the magazine called "the blissful life". "The blissful life" gives us a glimpse into Debbie's personal interests and favorite things.

Lastly, it's always a treat to find a "tried & true" British recipe in the magazine, too. This issue features her daughter Nell's boyfriend's Granny's Fruitcake. Love that!

Looking Ahead....

Since I had the pleasure of meeting Debbie this month, I couldn't help but tell her how much I enjoy her magazine. ( Yes, I have every issue.)

I also asked Debbie, what can we look forward to with the next issue for Spring/Summer 2011? Debbie said it's theme will be "about lace and flowers". Ooh lovely, I love lace and flowers! She also said "the baby and home section of the magazine will have lots of color"!

Now I'm counting the days until it comes out!

I Met Debbie Bliss!

2010-08-11T10:54:00.001-07:00

Designer Debbie Bliss

Debbie Bliss is one of the biggest names and brands in the knitting industry. Last week I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely lady and British designer behind the brand...Debbie Bliss!

I met Debbie at a Trunk Show & Talk August 4, 2010 at the Yarn Garden in Portland, Oregon. Debbie and her adorable daughter Nell flew out from London for several Northwest events. Debbie went on to Seattle the next day and threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Seattle Mariners Stitch N Pitch. Since I live on the west coast in California...I knew I couldn't miss this opportunity to meet Debbie in person.

My timing couldn't have been better entering the Yarn Garden for the event. Debbie and her daughter Nell were nearby when I arrived. I told Debbie that my husband drove me all the way from California to meet her. To help her understand the distance I told her that would be like driving from London to Edinburgh. Debbie in her lovely British accent said " Oh, I better be good, then!" I said "I know you will!"

And so began my evening with Debbie Bliss. The moment I met her I knew it was going to be a special night!

Presentation & Talk

First off, I just have to say that Debbie looked just like a top fashion designer. She looked so smart in her "little black dress", Ralph Lauren glasses, silver cuff and animal print "pointy" flats. Hard to believe she had just arrived from London with no signs of jet lag!

She began the evening with a slide show presentation and talk. She immediately told us the Debbie Bliss Brand is "incredibly still a hands on operation". She still does all the creative work and designs 90% of the brand.

Knit Flower for Liberty

She told us about how she started in the knitting industry back in the 1970's. I had no idea that her first work was knitting flowers and soft sculpture knits for Liberty of London. I am a huge fan of Liberty of London so I loved this story!

She next walked us through her design process. She visits the Pitti Filati show in Florence twice a year to select her yarns. 80% of her Debbie Bliss yarn line is from Italy. Her preference being smooth and classic yarns.

She says "the yarn has to speak to me". She doesn't follow fashion trends however when she adds new colors to an existing yarn line, she does follow fashion trend colors. One of her favorite colors is Burnt Orange which really makes other colors "pop".

One of the highlights for me was hearing how her Designer vision comes to life. After she selects her yarns, she swatches the yarns into knitted fabrics. This is where she sees the drape and nature of the knit fabric. Next are the garment sketches, yarn selections and then off to the test knitters.

Next her design vision comes to life in her pattern books. She herself determines the theme and photo shoot locations for her pattern books. She is involved in every detail including the photo styling to see her patterns and vision come to life!

Now Let's Meet Her Daughter Nell!

Nell Bliss
Scottish Eccentrics Sweater
Featured on the cover of the Fall/Winter 2011 Magazine

The moment I saw Nell, I couldn't wait to ask her about Fairy Cakes. In her Mum's Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine Fall/Winter 2009 there is an adorable photo of Nell with her Fairy Cake recipe. Being an American I had to know...are Fairy Cakes the same thing as Cup Cakes? Nell cleared it up for me...yes, Fairy Cakes are what the British call Cup Cakes.

Nell was a delight to meet. (You'll probably recognize her since she's been a model in her Mum's books since she was a young girl.) She is currently on a break from her University in London. Nell and I chatted for quite a bit. We chatted about London, vintage shopping, Anthropologie (yep, they're in London now) and, of course, her Mum.

Thanks to my chat with Nell, I now know Debbie's favorite cuppa... PG Tips. I could have guessed that though...it's a favorite with most Brits.

Nell was such a trooper when I asked for a photo with her Mum's sweater from the Scottish Eccentrics collection. Yep, it's the fabulous Fair Isle sweater on the cover of the upcoming Fall/Winter 2010 Debbie Bliss Magazine. Wow... I got to see it in person! According to Debbie she just finished editing this issue two weeks ago. It will hit the stands in America on September 5th.

Now for the Trunk Show

Annie from the
Yarn Garden

Next came the fun of the Trunk Show because who wouldn't love trying on a Debbie Bliss garment? Debbie brought two very large suitcases filled to the brim with garments from her new Fall/Winter 2010 Collections.

It's no secret that I love everything British. Since I was also married in Scotland, I have a love for Tartan! I absolutely adore the cardigan that Annie from the Yarn Garden modeled (photo above).

I just love this tweedy cardigan with it's Tartan pockets and the cool mix of buttons. Sorry though...due to all the excitement of the evening, I do not know the name of this cardigan. Perhaps it is also from the Scottish Eccentrics collection in the Fall/Winter magazine?

Yes, I Met Debbie Bliss!

Lisette & Debbie

Debbie was so gracious and so personable. I told Debbie that I have never knit a sweater before. Before I knew it, she was personally assisting me trying on sweaters from her new collections. We both liked the Long Line Gilet sweater the best (photo above). It is from her new yarn and book Glen.

Debbie said the A-line shape is figure flattering for all shapes. Her fashion advice "feature the waist...skim over the hips"! So I purchased the Glen book and yarn to knit my first sweater. I plan on casting on this week..hey I can't let Debbie down now, can I?

By the end of the night I felt as though I was chatting with a school girl chum! I told Debbie how much I love her magazine. I mentioned how much I enjoy seeing the personal side of her (the designer) when she shares with us (the reader) her hobbies, interests and recipes. She said she struggles with that part of the magazine, being ever so humble.

I told her how much fun my knitting pen pal Ruth and I have comparing notes when each issue comes out. Oh, and how we both loved her Scone recipe in her Premier Issue. I told her that we, the readers, love those special bits in the magazine. Please keep doing them for us Debbie!

Several times throughout the evening Debbie said "what a privilege it is to be doing what I love".

All I can say is.... what a privilege for me to meet her, Debbie Bliss!

Art in Progress...

2010-07-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

Let's Make Art

They say there’s an artist hidden in all of us and this scarf certainly proves it!

I've been wanting to dabble at this scarf technique for over a year now. Well, I finally had my chance to get "artsy" with silk and fiber tonight at Knitique's Needle Felted Scarf class. I've never had so much fun on a Friday night with fiber!

Needle Felted Silk Scarf

Danielle the owner of Knitique (and my knitting teacher) taught the class. She gave us fabulous tips and ideas on how to bring out our creativity from the artist within. Sorry but I can't give these tips away...you'll just have to take the class!

This scarf is one of those projects that is really more fun done in a class environment or with a group of fiber friends. It was so neat to see each person's creativity and how unique everyone’s scarves turned out. All the scarves looked like they came from “high end” boutique stores!

The inspiration for my scarf came from all the scarves I love at Anthropologie.

For now, my scarf is art in progress....