Shades Of Fog

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Jen

Knitting shades of fog, and of rain clouds, the colors reflecting this morning’s landscape, into a new project with the vernal influences taking hold for my nieces’ Spring Sweaters 2014. Delightedly I get to report showers mixed with rain and fog brings a fresh start for March !

We are on the tail end of winter friends, aren’t we?
Here on the mountain the misty clouds are speeding past us, hovering and temperamental.
In Northern California, we are finally having some much-missed moisture, and I’m just hoping for a continued rainy & foggy spring.

Double Cappuccino & Ruffles

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Jen

The lace leg-warmers are at last sweetly embracing my now fourteen-year-old niece . . . . . sans boots.

The ‘boot leg’ photo will have to be another time. In fact, these leg warmers are named “Double Cappuccino” because whenever we have our Equinox sweater photos, they always, without fail, begin at Calistoga Roastery. That, and they really do remind me of a whip-topped yummy drink. Until the next time at the roastery , I was lucky to squeeze in this little photo shoot before our visit was up and my nieces had to leave back home.

Double Cappuccino Leg Warmers have a frothed milk quality with an ever-so-slightly asymmetrical lace pattern in ribbing, and is such a speedy and uncomplicated knit. ((proof : I made these while hiking)) Knit with sport-weight natural undyed superwash sock yarn, achieving just the right light airy quality from knitting on US 4 – 3.50 mm needles. Tasty !

My niece in her infinite good taste, chose to adorn the upper rib with cute little buttons . . .

Which makes these warm to the eyes as well as to the touch !

Calistoga Coffee Roastery is the first stop with all of our modeling of Equinox Sweaters, so it will be the first design (and kick-off) of my ~~ Calistoga Collection !

Double Cappuccino pattern on Ravelry HERE

Pattern page for Double Cappuccino on Yarnings HERE

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Now, I can’t leave it at that , because *both* of my lovely nieces participated in our little impromptu knit-wear photo shoot of this morning. Here is my adorable eleven-year-old niece in the “Ruffles” scarf I made her for Christmas.

It is nice simply tied and cascading down the front,

or double wrapped and tied for a very pretty affect.

Is she not the most photogenic kid ever?

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Ruffles details on Ravelry HERE

Free How-To instructions for Ruffles Scarf HERE.

Wild Boot Socks

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Jen

Here’s some wild-caught boot socks (not the farmed variety. )

Edit In 10/15 : Now, the day after, I can tell the world these were made for my ten-year-old niece who just turned eleven yesterday ! I stuffed them with retro candy and she loved ’em!

I’ve been sketching with some DK yarn bits in my stash drawer. Total improvisation of color stranded motifs. Like fly-fishing for wild trout, one listens closely to their instincts .

Just a wild pair of boot socks, playing with color and also functional design. I talk about this process way back in this post

These would pair well with hiking boots or big ol’ clogs.

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Wild Boot Socks details on Ravelry HERE

Upcoming: I’m working on the last of the size-run test-knitting and then pattern for PrettyLittleThings socks should be making an appearance! I got sidetracked with some other knitting projects, but now there’s nothing standing between me and the pattern. 🙂

Sweater Success !

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Jen

Last Sunday we met in Calistoga to photograph the latest Autumn Cardigans ! It threatened to rain, but we got lucky and made it to our favorite sweater-modelling nooks in the town, with only a few drizzly drops to freshen things up. Above, on the corner of Lincoln & Washington Streets, outside of Bella Tootsie Shoes , this historical mint-green building is the back-drop for nearly every cover photo of Autumn & Spring Sweaters, for four years running.

This time, we added a tree to our usual spots . . .

Among several places, our favorite & final destination for photos is always the big mural across from Calistoga Coffee Roastery, so fun and theatrical, with two enormous walls lining both sides of a narrow alley, depicting Historical Calistoga. The mural has become our number one sweater photo shoot of all time.

There are a few other must-shoot spots , which you can see in the slideshow below, but it all starts outside of the Calistoga Coffee Roastery, where we meet for a coffee & chai, I give them their sweaters (always a surprise) , then we go out and start shooting photos. One can see my two nieces grow up over the years, on this very bench.

Compare with three years ago ~ Autumn Sweaters 2010 .

Demonstrated is the inside of the simple color stranding…

. . . showing the elasticity of stranding , which I achieved by weaving floats more often than what is considered ‘traditional’.

All in all, I was delighted to see how well the cardigans fit. This time I designed with a lower relaxed neck-line, but the blue one especially flirts with the shoulder a bit much and likes to fall off in a charmingly casual way, and because ( ahem ) the cuffs are too big, the result is that the sleeves are swallowing my niece’s hands! I did the whole photo shoot without even noticing my niece’s hands missing in many of the poses… LOL ! I was confident because the actual sweaters measured to specifications (yes, the sleeves too) and so I did not expect it. I am getting one of those blushing light-bulb moments where I understand better the relationship between neck-lines and sleeves.

Next visit, in a couple of weeks I will simply ‘take in’ the cuffs of blue cardigan with applied i-cord at the edge of the sleeves, and I think that will do the trick as there’ll still be some growing room in the length, but they’ll not slip over her hands. No problem with my younger niece’s fit, she’s growing like a weed right now anyway !

So folks, here’s the rest of the shots in a slideshow !

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In case you might be interested, you may have some fun looking through posts of past years nieces’ sweater shoots around the same spots in the town of Calistoga HERE

All posts of this project HERE

General details of this project on Ravelry HERE

Autumn Cardigans Arrive !

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Jen

Posted on the actual Autumnal Equinox, officially it occured locally at 1:44 a.m. today. I am a passionate yearner for Autumn, the cooling temperatures and moist air I waited for all summer long. Its here . . . Autumn has arrived ! And so have the cardigans !

In a celebration of the season, I gleefully post the Autumn cardigans I’ve knit for my nieces over the summer (all posts here). First, the one for eldest niece who is Thirteen, who’s eyes match exactly the colorway of her cardigan ~~ light turquoise & oyster shell . . .

And this time I embroidered little name labels for them, on bits of calico print I had about.

And next, for one who is Ten , a real live mermaid who likes to dress in coral & sea moss . . .

And her name label . . .

And I happen to have more than enough shell buttons saved up for both, and didn’t have to buy any!

However, in the case of the coral/moss cardigan, the camera definitely favored the red tones and would not ‘see’ the richness of the green, and so it looks much more muted than it really is ( as shown in this post HERE.) Odd thing about light and cameras, some color matches just won’t show up as with the human eye. You’ll just have to take my word, that the warm slightly terra cotta pink and moss green are lovely together.

In the weeks ahead we are planning the seasonal photo shoot in Calistoga ((crossing fingers it will cool significantly and not be an Indian Summer heat-wave to torture heavy tweed-wearing nieces)) so you’ll just have to sit tight until then. In the mean-time, here are the cheerful & colorful still-life photos, patiently awaiting the beautiful girls they will adorn.

Finishing

Posted on September 14, 2013 by Jen

Little piles of trimmed yarn from finish work makes as good of a place as any to put down a hot cup of coffee. (*) I happen to love saving all these little ends, and keep them in a place to use one day, like filling a pillow or something. I’m in the middle of steeking and knitting button bands on two cardigans. Two cardigans which will be given to my nieces around the Autumnal Equinox ~~ our little tradition.

These were my left-over yarn project gone ship-wrecked on the remote deserted island of Bad Planning (I try not to visit often, though I find myself stranded there without warning, still.) The blue one was inspired by about six balls of left-over yarn I had from a project of last Autumn , and I thought to use it up for a lovely turquoisey cardigan for Niece Who Is Thirteen, thinking only another couple of skeins would do the trick (I was thinking a vest at the time, two or three designs ago…). Plus the same yarn in another colorway for Ten Year Old Niece. Long story, and three colorways later (**) I had to re-order two more balls of each along the way, then just before binding off at the neck I was groaning as I realized I *still* wouldn’t have enough yarn to do the bands. So one more… just one wee skein more of each color, will surely do the trick. Yeah, got the yarn a couple of days ago, now I’m finishing these cardigans , and will surely be finished by the Autumn Equinox next weekend. Here’s to a fun week ahead of finishing !

(*) Yes Lizzi, that is the wee Queen’s Jubilee cup you sent, which I use every single day. Heartbroken I will be the day it cracks.

(**) So what if I will have even more yarn left over from this project than I had before !!!

~~~~And now,

I wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH

to ELIZABETH over at Island Time for nominating me for this . . .

Autumn Ahead

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Jen

A welcome sign to me is the first Big Leaf Maple leaves just beginning to fall, and I believe I saw a few on the road-side today, while driving up the mountain ! And it appears as though Autumn Cardigans are well on their way too ! I thought I’d be really thrifty and frugal (and prudent) to use up a pile of about six skeins of light turquoisey tweed left over from a project last October, and well, it only got me this far ! Blast.. that’s the last ball of that, right there on top, with only the body and one sleeve finished (minus yoke & second sleeve and button bands). So no problem, I’ve ordered more, 3 more skeins for Niece Of Thirteen’s cardigan.

Here is the yarn for Niece Of Ten’s cardigan will be this deep coral pink with mossy green peeries… won’t that be fun?

Prudence

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Jen

Third time is a charm as they say ! Well, as to be expected, my early start on my nieces’ Autumnal Sweaters has now become a late start. First I thought I’d use up a huge pile of yarn left over from a project last year, as it happens to be the perfect color for Niece Who Is Thirteen, who’s eyes are the very same milky aqua. Elation! I set to work knitting very deep wide ribs for a vest, and I knitted it for two days. Somewhere along the way I fell into throes of indecision and … blast ! … it was suddenly horribly wrong.

I ripped it all out.

Okay, so changing gears again, and with a very bad clutch, I had ordered some more of the same tweed yarn but in different colors, for Niece Who Is Ten , and in a completely different knitting mood I set to stranding two colors in stockinette stitch, sketching in an improvisational way I always have liked to do in the past. Seeming to be fun and colorful, I knitted for two days. It was fine outside of the fact that the combination of colors eventually started to melt into each other, be very muted and soft, which is very *moi* , but so completely mismatched for the spirit of Kid Of Ten.

Ripped it out.

Back to the Blue Tweed. A new vision came to me of a full cardigan but with just two stripes on cuffs and bottom, knit in plain stockinette stitch. As I knit on I just couldn’t stomach the second stripe, and then the voice of a simple 4-stitch repeat peerie just spoke to me from the ethers (I have a fondness for this particular peerie ) … so here , now, two days into knitting a third time. Prudently, I’ve established a simple stripe & peerie border to be the total decorative feature of the Cardigans To Be , outside of the very flecked tweed texture, which is in itself rather busy and well stands alone.

It seems that so often, with almost everything, I have learned that to temper my impulses with *prudence* gives me the most personal satisfaction. Played-down & modest is my new aesthetic. So I am naming this cardigan “Prudence” , to well mark the lesson I have learned.

Prudence : Caution with regard to practical matters; discretion; economy; frugality.

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So it’s a muggy and slightly less than a glaringly bright sunny day, and I’ve just given Emma a bath ! She was only minimally tortured ~ it was over before long ~ and she is now surrendering to the task of drying into a fluff. Here is a photo of her in her post-bath ambivolence…

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As I drafted the above about prudent knitting, two days ago, I am now almost ready to start sleeves and so I’m making a fresh pot of tea . Irish Breakfast Tea. In the static quiet vacuum of the afternoon, I feel compelled to ask, hoping I will make contact with All Who Read Yarnings ~~~ What are you all up to?

Sweater Success !

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Jen

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This Spring’s sweater tees are once again a success and my nieces made them into a photo sensation !!! Chasing the bright morning light around the town of Calistoga, we sought out our favorite spots. The corner of Lincoln and Washington streets, with the intriguing minty blue-green building which is Bella Tootsie Shoe Shop, and our ‘cover photo’ signature most every time.

A close-up of one of the sweater tee detail, lighting just right so that you can see the single-row pin-striping of two colors alternating, and the raglan decreases through the ribbed neck band, with cord bind-off …

Such fine pin-stripes of light green & light blue, and light purple & smokey grey aren’t even visible unless one is up-close. Even just a couple of feet away, the colors melt into one another, creating a perfect blend , as these two sisters do . . .

The mural off of Lincoln Street is our essential destination in every photo shoot !

We enjoyed just hanging about in town too, always bustling with folk from the whole Napa Valley and beyond . . .

There was the mandatory ice-cream ~ raspberry sorbet & strawberry cheesecake ~ which is always the last shot I get before the camera protests with no memory left !

A few more photos tucked away into a little slide show of the best shots.

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More, still-life photos of these tees HERE
Detailed on Ravelry HERE

Springing into Spring Sweaters !

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Jen

It is almost the end of February, and these weeks transitioning into March are the heralds of spring. The fruit trees cover themselves in snowy white, and the daffodils pop up out of the ground everywhere (wild irises soon). In the valley, fields explode in yellow mustard flowers ~~ the signature of Napa Valley Spring. But for me , what is the mark of the season is on my knitting needles . . .

my nieces’ Spring Sweater Tees !

I am well on my way through thirteen-year-old nieces’ smokey grey & purple sweater tee, made from the left over yarn of two sock projects of last year, and the light blue & green yarn at the top of the post will be for my ten-year-old niece. This year I’m going to be trying a lacy kind of edging ! I hope that it all works out, as I have never done any kind of lace, what-so-ever. I’ve even done a provisional cast-on for this project so that I could think about it while I knit. By the way, this project so far has been a knit-walking only project, but I am going to have to do some serious hunkering under my bright lamp while reading lace patterning instructions. I’m figuring, again, raglan decreases like last year’s Spring Sweater Tees 2012

Well, anyway, my nieces were just visiting last weekend and we went for a hike on my trail in the woods. I just love, love, love them. They are My Nieces I Love To Pieces !

jenjoycedesignc2a9niecesme

Stormy’s Little Sister

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Jen

When my little niece saw what her big sister got from me for her birthday, which was a lovely cabled beanie all in grey, called Stormy . . . she asked for one too.

So I knit up Little Sister mostly while walking, (as I did Stormy), counting the stitches as I walked… just a simple K6,P2,K2,P2 rib , finished it last night and delivered today.

She’ll love its poofy superwash merino squishy-ness, and kid-like funkiness too.

Little Sister of Stormy,

in the same yarns I over-dyed for her Autumn Sweater . . .

(I was so done with that yarn, but I managed to Knit On with it ! )

Just a little gesture of love for my adorable 10-yr old niece who asked

” Will you pleeeease knit me a beanie too? “

How can I resist !

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(( project details on Ravelry here ))

Weather Report : Stormy With Chance of Smiles

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Jen

A week ago, I finished this cabled beanie I knit for my niece’s xmas-day birthday, named it “Stormy” and posted about it over on this post here .

During her birthday party (we celebrated the day after Christmas, her 13th ) my adorable and lovely niece for whom it was knitted, modelled it for the photo (which I took with her brand new i-phone). She just now emailed it to me and I wanted to post it immediately !

Berry Smoothie & Woodsy

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Jen

After the finishing touches ,

and sewing on the label . . .

I am done with the Nieces’ Autumn Sweaters !

I always like to give a sneak preview before lifting of the veil so to speak,

which is scheduled in Calistoga this Sunday morning , photographing my nieces modelling them.

( I can’t wait ! )

Let me introduce to you

“Berry Smoothie” and “Woodsy”.

Knit with c r a z y hand-dyed yarns by me !

( here and here )

Woods Knitting

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Jen

I took my knitting outside, one of the sleeves. I walked about, holding it up to the woods, against Madrone trees, against Bays, against the woods, to see if it is indeed a woodsy colorway. I think that it most definitely is! So it is decided, this sweater will be named ‘Woodsy’. The camera’s eye isn’t detecting the third color very well, there are three distinct colors here.

Woodsy on the bench…

Woodsy with Emma…

Woodsy down the road…

Catching up today with things In The Woods. I think I will be doing a knit-and-walk a little later (down that very road). I am thinking it’s highly possible, that if I don’t put my knitting down for any significant time, I could finish the nieces Autumn sweaters easily by the Autumnal Equinox. Easy peasy.

A blurry glimpse of my Emma & me (in the woods)… DSCN7209

Woodsy

Posted on August 26, 2012 by Jen

Over-dye madness. Insanely intriguing varigations.

Here I have heaped the over-dyed green yarns for my Nine Year Old Niece’s sweater on top of the finished and waiting sweater for my Twelve Year Old Niece.

The ‘bug-guts’ yellowy green has over-dyed

ever-so-nicely into a color

which reminds me of golden green tips of bright moss !

All the colors of the foliage in the forest are running through these four yarns in a very earthy woodsy colorway.

I have roughly 200 grams each of four different greens, each with many varigations in their various journeys from dye bath to dye bath.

I’m not exactly sure what I am going to do with all of the crazy varigation. Yesterday was all about dominating the yarn, now that I’ve had my way with the colors, not exactly sure. I think I’ll let them dominate me for a while. At least until I get the sweater cast-on. I actually love the challenge of listening to my instincts , and the yarn. Sometimes this whole business of dying, knitting, and improvising is just downright delicious & fabulously exciting !