Category Archives: About the Blog

Drawing Day

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It’s my favorite day of the month!  Drawing Day!

Last week (OK, last Monday and the Friday before that) I posted not one but two giveaways of KnitPick’s newest pattern collections, On the Go Knits and Knits for Everybody.  Quite a few of you entered the giveaway, and now it’s time for the drawing.

First off, On the Go Knits!330141Let’s head over to Random.org for a random drawing….hats-drawingAnd, number 9 wins it!  Amanda!  That’s you! Woo!

And now over to Knits for Everybody.  (This is too exciting- two drawings, in one day! Unheard of!)330131And the random number generator says:socks-drawingCommenter number 3!  You’re the big winner!  Audrey, that’s you!

I’ll be emailing you two today so we can arrange getting your books to you.  If you don’t see my email, let me know (sometimes they end up in the spam folder).

Congrats ladies!  And if you weren’t the lucky one this time, head on over to KnitPicks and pick up copies of the books for yourself (they’re really great- and on sale right now!).

New Library!

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This is very exciting (at least for me).

I’ve re-done my pattern library for the first time since I started the blog three years ago.  Instead of the terrible single column list of patterns, I now have multiple pages!  Three columns!  Standardized photo sizes!  I’m very pleased with myself.

Check it out!  If you hover over “Pattern Library” at the top of the page, you’ll see a drop-down list with all the pattern categories. (Fancy!)dropdownOr, if you click through, you can visit the Pattern Library Main Page.  So many patterns! (I guess I’ve been busy the last few years.)mainmenuSo, please, take a minute to check out the new-and-improved pattern library (and tell me if you see any problems-I’m sure I messed it up somewhere).   It was a shockingly large amount of work to get to look the way I wanted it.  And, a big ol’ thank you to my husband for helping me with formatting- I certainly wouldn’t have figured out how to do columns on my own.

And!  Don’t forget to sign up for both of my giveaways!  I’ll be doing the drawing on Monday, so you’ve just got through the weekend!

The End of Summer

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When I was a kid, growing up in a tiny town surrounded by cornfields in the middle of Illinois, I would have sworn that summer went on forever.  And I don’t mean in a “nostalgic movie about kids on bikes where they hope that this summer will go on forever” kind of way.  I mean it was hot, muggy and gross…forever.  Our junior high school was built with these teeny-tiny windows to keep the heat in during our epic winters.  But, that meant for the first month of school, the building was insanely hot, without a breeze to help.  We’d spend the first (and last) few weeks of school sweating, trying to stay awake in classrooms with the lights turned off to make us think it was cooler than it really was.  That’s what I mean by “summer lasted forever.”

I’m not sure if that sentiment is correct anymore.  Maybe it is still that way in Central Illinois, or maybe it was just the perception of a slightly dramatic (and easily overheated) kid.   But, this year, here in Seattle, the moment the calendar flipped to September the temperature dropped, the clouds rolled in and the rain started to fall.

And I love it- perfect knitting weather.

Unfortunately, though, it means that the summer camps I’ve been teaching at are all done for the year.  The kids are going back to school in this week, and I’ve got nothing to do until after-school programs start up again at the end of the month.

Which brings me to my point.  What on earth am I going to do for almost a month of unemployment?  IMG_3291I’ve got some designs I’ve been working on (stay tuned!), some Christmas presents to get started, and a few half-finished projects I’d like to get closer to being done.  But, since I’ve got a good chunk of free time, do you have any requests?  Anything you’d like to see?

What do you like to work on when you have a big chunk of free time?

Yellowstone!

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I just got back from a week in Yellowstone, and even though I missed all the Olympic Gymnastics coverage, I had a really fantastic time.

A big group of our friends (9 people!) rented a big ‘ol cabin outside of West Yellowstone.  We spent the days hiking,Beaver Ponds Hike (26)And boating, Boat day (8)And making friends with horses.Wilderness Edge (27)We spent the evenings playing ukeleles (because we’re dorks),Wilderness Edge (19)And playing board games (also because we’re dorks).Wilderness Edge (17)It couldn’t have been more delightful.

We even saw a bunch of sand hill cranes, and three badgers (but we didn’t get a good picture of them).Beaver Ponds Hike (24)And, since we stayed about 45 minutes from the edge of the park, I had a nice long drive every day to work on my knitting (I’m halfway through the collar/button band-just sleeves to go!).

If you haven’t been to Yellowstone, you have to go!  (Actually, if you have been, you should go again.) It’s one of my absolutely favorite places to visit, and I can’t wait to go back again.

Shutterbug

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Holy cow, you guys!  I’m so excited!

I finally got a new camera.  I’ve been thinking about it for literally years.  And, it’s magnificent.

It’s a Canon Rebel T5, which (according to the guy at the camera store) is a good starter DSLR.  It’s pricey, but not too crazy (I hate spending money, which is why I’ve been using my same little point-and-shoot for so long).

Isn’t it beautiful?rebel-t5-dslr-ef-s-18-55mm-is-ii-zoom-lens-3q-d[1]OK, it looks just like every other DSLR Camera, but I still like it.

And look at these pictures!  I took these yesterday afternoon with the basic lens, on auto mode (because I haven’t learned enough to do anything else). There’s no Photoshop or anything!IMG_0109So pretty right?IMG_0060So much detail, and those colors!IMG_0038Look at that definition!IMG_0026And those eyelashes! (OK, that’s more to do with Ollie, and less to do with the camera.)

I can even make my blog photos bigger, since my pictures are already so much better!  And it takes video!  Maybe I can try my hand at making how-to videos! So get ready for me to be super awkward.

I’m excited!

Big Winner!

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It’s drawing day!

A bunch of you guys responded to the Creative Color Giveaway, and the consensus is… you like all the patterns.33010I couldn’t agree more .

This is an absolutely gorgeous collection, and I want to work up every single pattern.   (Unfortunately, I have unreasonable constraints on my time like “work” and “sleep.”)

I’m so happy to have a pattern included among these beautiful projects.  It’s not as flashy as some, but I really do love how the Bitterlake Cardigan turned out.52092220_2 copy
Anyway, you’re all waiting with baited breath to see who’s the big winner this time!

And, drumroll please!

After a highly technical selection process that involved asking my husband for a number between 1 and 12 , the winner is:

Cherish!

So, congratulations, Cherish!  I’ll be sending you an email to get your mailing address so I can get this package sent out right away. (Keep an eye out on your spam folder, just in case.)

If you weren’t the lucky one today, you should still get your hands on a copy of this collection- it’s really magnificent.  And, it’s available here!

Taking pictures

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I think I’m approaching the end of an era.  It’s been a good long run- probably about 5 years.  But, I think my camera is on its last legs.  It’s a sad day.

My camera’s nothing fancy- just a little silver point-and-shoot.  A refurbished Olympus that I got for cheap, off of a deal-of-the-day website.  It’s worked well for years.

91eCSgUhEcS._SL1500_It even takes pretty good pictures, under certain conditions.  With good lighting (ie, a sunny day), I can take decent close-ups.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, if I’m patient enough, I can even take slightly less close-up shots, if it’s not windy out and I’m willing to take 20 or 30 pictures before I get a good one.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMy camera has worked well enough; and frankly it still works.  Except the battery doesn’t keep a charge for more than 15 minutes.  And I’d like to have some more control of focus and color and exposure.

The problem is, I know nothing about cameras (I got really excited when I found out what the “macro” button was for).  So I was hoping someone out there in internet land could have some advice for me.

Do you know anything about cameras? I know DSLR’s are fancy, but are they worth it?  Would it be worthwhile to take a photography class?  Where would you even find a photography class?  Are there any websites that would be good for a novice like me?  I don’t even know where to start!

Aura Giveaway Day

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Woo!  It’s Giveaway day!

This seriously might be my favorite collection ever.  My fingers are itching to start knitting some of these lovely, summery sweaters.  (And, I think the Seattle weather agrees with me- it’s been beautiful, sunny and warm (ish) since the collection came out!)75230DAnyhoo, enough about my infatuation with this collection!  It’s time for the drawing.

With dozens of entries, I headed over to Random.org for the drawing.

RandomorgAnd the winner is (drum roll, please!):

Victoria!

Congrats, Victoria! I’ll be sending you an email later today to arrange the logistics of getting this fabulous book to you!

If you’re not Lucky Victoria, remember you can get your own copy of the collection here.

And, if you just want a copy of my pattern (the Magnolia Pullover), look here!

On the Nettles

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You know what I love more than knitting?  Weeding.  Weeding is the best!  There’s nothing better than spending hours bending over, ripping up weeds by their roots and getting all sore and muddy (because it never stops raining in Seattle).

In fact, I love weeding so much, I think I might stop writing about knitting, and turn On the Needles into On the Nettles, a blog about weeds and weeding.

I can talk about dandelions!  They’ve taken over my entire yard- and all different varieties: short ones, tall ones, fat ones and spindly ones.  They’ve all got stupid yellow flowers and make me sneeze.  There’s nothing more satisfying than ripping up a dandelion, and getting a big ‘ol taproot with it.  Kill all dandelions!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, I live in Seattle, so my yard is has more moss in it than grass.  It makes for a lovely, springy lawn, perfect for walking on with bare feet- provided you don’t mind getting your toes wet and muddy.  The only problem with moss is that it goes dormant when it doesn’t rain, so my lovely, lush lawn turns into a crispy brown wasteland the moment summer hits.  Dumb moss.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAClover is supposed to be lucky.  Well then, I must be the luckiest girl on the west coast!  The clover usually keeps to my flower beds, but recently it has been sneaking out into the yard.  This one is a pain to pull up, and I can never get the roots out.  Not my favorite.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd, I can’t forget the purple beauty of my lawn’s weed collection!  (Especially on this, the first installment of On the Nettles.)  It’s Lamium purpureum, or the purple dead-nettle.  It’s got a super-cool punk-rock name, but it’s just a dumb little purple flower.  It has suddenly appeared all over my yard in the last three weeks.  It’s a pain.

(April fools!  I’m not actually going to change On the Needles into a weeding blog, because that is a crazy person idea.  But did I get you?  Haha!)

(Also! Don’t forget to sign up for the Aura Giveaway!  The drawing will be held on Monday Morning!)

What do you want to see?

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Hi knitters!  It’s been a while since I’ve checked in with you, so I think it’s about time!5717416916_2d555e0368_z[1]I want to know what you guys are into!  What are you interested in?  What do you want to see?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADo you want tutorials?  Knitalongs? Pattern and yarn reviews?  Do you want more ramblings about how bad I am at technology?  (Too bad- you’re getting those regardless!)OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADo you want recommendations for media to entertain you while knitting?  Do you want to see more of the projects on my needles?  Do you want to share your projects?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe sky’s the limit!  Just let me know what you’re interested in, and I’m happy to provide!