a ChicKnits Gallery Presentation
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Ooh La La!!!
TrÀs chic Mademoiselle Meg modÀle son Seau-O-Chic fabuleux!
Ne semble-t-elle pas merveilleuse?"

Meg from Inch-by-Inch writes: "The hat turned out to be a really nice, comfortable beach hat. I added rows to the hat band, but I don't think I really needed to since it turned out a bit loose. Perhaps that comes from the cotton's lack of stitch memory. Oh, well - it won't smash my too-fine hair to my skull and it feels cool.

The pattern was fun, quick & very easy to follow. Love it! Next I'm planning on making my cousin a woolen felted version with Glampyre's skull & x-bones in the band. First felting foray!"

And just who is the lovely, brainy and talented lady from Glampyre.com? None other than Stefanie, soon-to-be from Germany, seen here in her trÀs chic BoatNeck Shell from the BNS Knitalong!

Yarn Used: Cheapie e-Bay 60/40 cotton blend (no ballband.)

Modifications: Addition of skull and crossbones motif on front center. Otherwise followed the pattern to a T.

Chart for skull and crossbones can be copied at will.

a ChicKnits Gallery Presentation
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Isn't this the most lovely scenareio? The adorable Steph
in the glorious early morning sun up in Canada!

Steph from And She Knits Too! writes: "The yarn (Sonata from Elann) was a steal of a deal and turned out trÀs chic (more than I expected).

Thanks for the great pattern. Think I'll be making another one in some Summer Tweed I have burning a hole in my stash."

Bonne: "What beautiful work! I love the space-dyed effect you get when the pattern decreases and increases - now I'm going to have to get going and make one myself!!!"

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Stripey Goodness Galore!!!

Karen writes: "Your ChicKami ROCKS. It's the best thing I've made all summer. I just finished my first one and I bought more yarn to make two more. I love it. It is seriously the best design I've seen for something so basic and versatile. Oh, I used Rowan's DK Cotton in cream and red and made up my own stripe sequence. It was fun."

Bonne: "No, Karen, YOUR ChicKami ROCKS!!! Just stunning! I like the variation in the width of the alternating colors. This is very inspiring...

I adore stripes! BUT, I am sort of stripe-impaired. I know there is some kind of formula out there for striping. Anybody know what I mean?

Here's a Kami I made last summer around this time - one of my favorites.

It also uses Rowan DK Cotton in a variety of leftovers - I tried to make the stripes an odd number of rows. I lined up all the yarn in a row to see what I thought went together best. It was like a little shell game - I kept moving the colors around until I got what you see here.

Knitting in the round allows you to use up small amounts of yarn without stressing over whether or not you will have enough for another *piece* yet to be knit.

I have a SCC waiting in the wings that I am going to knit in the round, then steek! I've been collecting orphaned balls of yarn for this for months..."

Comments (5)

Monday Morning Mirth

Daryl Hannah on the cover of Vogue Fall 2003?

OOps, after all, it IS Vogue *KNITTING*
not Vogue PURLING...

Comments (20)

this little Piggy went to Market

Did I ever mention what a sucker I am for patterns. I Love 'Em! This batch arrived from the UK last night.

The mail delivery in my East Village neighborhood is really laid back. Sometimes, it shows up around 3pm, which is a normal time. Sometimes, it arrives eightish. PM. Or anytime in between... I usually pick it up in the morning on my way out to work!

But last night, I heard a little commotion in the downstairs hallway that was not the neighbors and I KNEW it was my patterns. Oh Happy Day! They came all the way from Colourway (no affiliation, blah blah bhla) across the sea and were just for me!!!

I always feel that way about patterns. I don't even see the model in the picture - I just feast on the garments. WHICH in these issuses is GRRRReat...

Speaking of feasting on garments, I've been watching the Stephen King Made for TV movie "Storm of the Century" about some evil stranger who arrives on a remote island in Maine just in time for a HUGE Noreaster. Man, can they ever stretch the plotline out to infinity. This should be a one nighter, and instead it's Three Nights Long. Two nites too many. And, I love Stephen King.

Most of the people huddle together in their community center basement for the night. It is great fun looking at wardrobe in this movie - wonderful sweaters, especially on the women and children! Now I'll have to watch the credits and see if I can find out if they're a knitter too.

Suss Cousins, from the "Hollywood Knits" book, is a dresser on many movies and is best known for the sweaters she made for Bill Crosby in his heyday series. What a great job! Designer for the stars. Sky's the limit choice of yarn. Big Budget.

Hey, a girl can dream can't she?!

Comments (7)

Before the Summer Wings Away...

I'll finish this tank, I swear! Isn't she lovely? I'm finally up to the Vneck/straps and I've gotten a second wind.

My new *3attaTime* rule is good; I was looking at the WIP list and there are a variety of gauges being played. AHA, a balanced diet of movements for my challenged hands...

This tank is being made with size 5 bamboo circulars (I always knit back and forth with circulars; much less of a load to carry). The ribbon I'm making this out of is really slippery and won't behave on any other kind of needle. Ribbon is NotCool like THat...

I love the results you get with smaller gauge yarn; I always forget how long it takes to make something. An Oxymoron in the making for sure in Land-O-ChicKnits, but it obviously is not the first.

I had hoped to get a sweater done in some olive Rowan Glace cotton I got at the last of the season last year. It's another small gauge project and it just isn't going to happen. At least with my new resolution, I know better than to even THINK about starting it...

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Vanities before Storm

the only non-frizzy thing on the #66 Bus

Like most Midwest States, the joke is: "There are 2 seasons here, winter and construction." Add a third condition to this classic: random, endless, rain storms...

Hey, is this what Seattle is like? It's been overcast day after day after day with hair fuzzing humidity to the point where I've almost maxed out my CC going to the store to buy hair products that claim to tame the beast within. I leave the house looking all smooooth and cool and within minutes I feel the creepers start at the nape of my neck. Luckily, I have two good cowlicks (please, somebody explain the origin of that phrase) at the peak of my forehead so at least the hair doesn't fall in my face.

We're talking frizz here; not nice soft curls, with accompanying waves of grain.

FRIZZ. The enemy. Not-chic.

I love my curly hair. I hate my frizzy hair. I think it's stressed me to the point of SADD, which I thought was supposed to strike around mid-January. It does not help that 99% of the Route 66 busmates have frowns, frizz and SADD. It does not help that there are tourists everywhere wearing ponytails and headbands and barrettes and looking cute. Of course, their cuteness arises from the fact that they're not at work, not that they're not FrizzBots like me. The only difference is they're FrizzBots wearing fanny packs.

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Start Your Engines!

I'm not even in the *Candy Shop* yet but WARNING! I'm going to blubber like a baby...

Qu'est que c'est?

ROAD TRIP!

The Michigan Fiber Fest is going on this week up in Allegan, Michigan. I'm going with the Keyboard Biologist herself, Theresa, up to the North Woods and get what she calls *fibery goodness at the Festi-Do*. Many other Chicagoites are making the trip as well!

You betcha! Alpacas and Sheep and GOats, OH MY!!! The Fairgrounds are really nice too - I've spent many a Sunday out there with my sister wandering around in search of treasure. All I really want to do is pet a darling Alpaca and maybe name some goofy looking goats in honor of my co-workers...

AND, dontcha know, I'll be coming back to ChicKago with my share of loot. Check out the Vendors that are going to be there! I'm especially fond of the Farm/Yarn Growers! If you see any DO NOT MISS folks on this list, let me know. I'm only familiar with a couple.

of course, photos galore...

Comments (6)