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TNNA!

Okay.

So I went to my very first Winter TNNA, in sunny (but not that warm but more than warm enough for me) Long Beach, California.

I don't usually do this, but this time I had to. Why? Because lucky me, I got to do a book signing for Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers! Unfortunately, the books didn't make it there, but we made do by offering to send the books to the people who came by the booth. I chatted up the book and sat on display for an hour, which was weird but kind of fun.

I also managed to catch up with a lot of people I've been wanting to catch up with, enjoyed being outside without a coat, and petted tons of yarn, some of which I managed to take home with me.

The weirdest thing about California (yes, I had never been there before!) was that the restaurants all had calories listed on the menus. While this got in the way of wanton eating orgies (couldn't claim ignorance, you know?), it did keep me in line diet-wise, which was good. I'm down 40 pounds since Labor Day and hoping to be down 75 altogether sometime this summer. Thankfully, Weight Watchers doesn't prohibit Taco Bell, or I'd never make it.

The plane ride was tedious, but my friend Jae and I found something very excellent in the Sky Mall catalog called "Bigfoot the Garden Yeti". Yes, that's exactly what it was. Also, apparently you can get dog crates that look like end tables so you can just stuff your dog in the furniture when you want to go out. Who knows, it was funny, but maybe it was just hunger-induced delirium since they don't even give you a lousy bag of peanuts anymore.

Exciting things? I saw the design I did for spring Classic Elite on the cover on the upcoming pattern book (!!) and lined up some good stuff for the months to come. Also, I ate my first piece of cake in 4 months (thank you delicious cake at the Soho Publishing booth cake and wine party-- I had to eat it, it was networking, right?)

So now, back to the snow, back to the cold, and back to a lot of work I need to finish since I spent the weekend not doing those things.

New designs!

Okay, so what's new? Lots!

The Winter issue of Interweave Knits comes out later this month. I did two designs for it, Ginevra's Pullover in Malabrigo Twist and Malabrigo Lace, and the Kinetic Cowl, in Zitron Opus 1. Both were a lot of fun to knit! The sweater is worked top down in one piece with waist shaping, and the cowl starts out as a bias strip, showing off the self-striping yarn in a different way.

Also, there's the new Holiday issue of Vogue Knitting! The yarns I used for this one, Kid Seta Luxe and Cashmere Fino from Skacel, were so yummy that even the sweaty summer weather I endured while knitting didn't take away from the fun. I love the hint of sparkle and the dramatic cowl neck knit in glorious cashmere!

That's not all (I was REALLY busy this summer, let's leave it at that!) I also did 2 designs for the Holiday Knit Simple, both for girls. The jumper is in Stitch Nation Full o' Sheep and the cardigan is Claudia Worsted. Both use different sized (but very similar) cables, so you could knit them both as a set if you like.




For the November issue of Creative Knitting, I did a neck gaiter and hat set in a cozy yarn from Cascade called Baby Alpaca Chunky. Simple stripes, quick and easy to knit. My mom made off with the samples, saying they'll be perfect for supervising recess this winter.



Not to be outdone, I also designed a pair of cowls for the Interweave Holiday Gifts issue in more yummy yarns from Skacel, including Mosco (one of my all time favorites!) The two versions use the same stitch pattern to different effect. The cowl in Mosco is larger, drapier, and more dramatic while the tweed version is smaller and more rustic.




And last, but not least, crocheted Christmas stockings for the November/December issue of Crochet Today! in Red Heart Spark a Doodle and Holiday. These are a quick project-- I crocheted both in a day or so. The pom poms on the Spark a Doodle made a perfect "furry" top for the stockings.



Right now I'm catching my breath a bit and getting ready for the next round! Spring and Summer things are (mostly) behind me at this point, and thinking about next Fall is what is mainly on my mind, design-wise.

Blog Tour Begins!

The blog tour for my book, Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers, begins tomorrow morning. The first stop (also a friend of mine who owns the best spinning shop ever) has kindly gotten started a little bit early. Check it out here.

Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers

My book, Knit a Dozen Plus Slippers is out! It features 13 slipper patterns, with a variety of heel/toe treatments and in sizes for the whole family. Here's a few:

What's new?

I've been getting a lot of new designs together lately-- all for winter. I'm so glad I have air conditioning, because I don't know how I could stand knitting mohair in the summer otherwise! :)

Previews for the Fall issues of Knit Simple and Knitscene are up, and I have 2 designs in each.

First, Knit Simple:

(photo by Paul Amato)
This one is in Blue Sky Alpacas Sport Weight, and sized to 3X!

(photo by Rose Callahan)
This one is in Classic Elite Montera and is knit top down in one piece.


And Knitscene:

In Mission Falls 1824 Wool.



In Stacy Charles Tivoli. The collar has some fancy short rows that create angles in the ribbing.

The sweater I'm working on now, for Interweave Knits, should be done in a matter of hours! I've got knitters working on some other projects, so the next few days are going to be filled with finishing (I always do that part myself-- actually I knit most of my samples too).

Retreating, retreating, and Interweave Knits

(Yes, it's true! I finally got something in Interweave Knits- the Marigold Sweater in the Summer issue).

As a rather sharp departure from my usual mode of self-employed solitude, I spent most of the past week and a half at two different (and very enjoyable) retreats. I neglected to bring my camera to either, so here's a couple of pictures borrowed from friends who did (thanks ladies!).


That's me in the back corner looking studious.

First I attended the Spinning Loft's retreat in Pennsylvania, held at a stunningly gorgeous B&B. The focus was breed studies, and I enjoyed it more than I can say. Suffice to say I am now in possession of two items I swore I'd never buy: wool combs and dirty fleece. Thanks to Beth for getting me over my fear of both.

What a view, right? (p.s. Great picture Sonya!)

I was home a grand total of 2 days, then I was off again, this time to a knitting retreat organized by my friend Tina on the shores of Lake Huron, just north of Port Huron. I spent the next few days knitting (yes, on work projects mostly) and spinning a bit too (since the previous weekend had gotten me in the mood). It was so relaxing.

So now I'm back, scrambling to get my ducks back in a row where they belong. Wish me luck!