Such a Good Mood; Your 30s are Great

Happy people can be obnoxious, but damn, I'm in such a good mood.
This month, and even moreso, this year, has been fantastic.
Anyone who tells you being 30 is no good is crankypants.

And while I have the super power of crankypants sometime (I won't lie), I'm choosing right here, right now, this post, you readers, as a internet virtual happy dance party. So share with me if you please: what are some Great Things about your 2013?

Great Things

Reaching Goals You've Set for Yourself
I made time to sit down and actually write out some goals for myself over the past year. I worked towards them, and achieved a few. There were plenty that I didn't get to, but I'm thinking that's what makes the world go round; you've got to have something to shoot for.

Spending Time with Family and Friends
I've found some of my happiest moments this year have been time with my peoples. Whether impromptu hang outs or planned parties, regular knit nights or one-off pub crawls, it's the conversation and relaxation time that I seem to remember the most and love the best.

Watching Funny Things on the Interwebs
(this list was getting way to serious).
My favourite from the last few months is the talking dog. Still gets me every time.

Motivation
In the very best of ways. I've been seeing so many friends getting serious about eating healthy and being active. Those are not my favourite things; I generally avoid strenuous activity. But seeing how happy they all are with their hard work is my motivation to do the same for myself.

Celebrating
If we don't mark the great events and even little accomplishments in our life, it all rushes by and seems less tangible. I used to think celebrating things was silly, but have come to recognize its worth and I try my best to "make a big deal" of even little things for myself and people I care about.

Being Comfortable with Yourself 
Getting back to that "being in your 30s is rad" thing: it's true. I'm feeling at a point in my life where what other people may think of me has lost much of its hold on my mind, and I'm feeling much more free. In part, I'm sure, that also has to do with my conscious effort to consume less media, and be much more actively critical of all of it that I'm exposed to.

Discovering New Things
Who knew I'd like board games so much?  Embracing suggestions by friends and trying not to say no to things will lead to adventure, whether mild, medium, or super incredible.
I also never thought I'd like a beach vacation, but, you know, we all learn and grow.
There's also that awesome little side street I randomly walked by on a route through my neighbourhood that I never have otherwise taken. Great as a photo shoot location, and it's already provoking design ideas. Adventure!

Recognizing Where you can Wield your Super Powers
We've all got super powers.  There's stuff I can do, and be fairly sure it'll be done well. I can organize and control certain things in my life and make my world a better, less stressful place.
But a huge stress generator in my life is trying to control things that I just can't. Getting angry with situations and people and their actions where my anger is really just useless crap hurting no one but me. This is a tricky one, and I'm working on it.

Travelling
I did an awful lot of that this year! Chicago, Alberta, Columbus, Rhinebeck, Cuba. I'm looking forward to visiting Indianapolis in 2014 for TNNA, and hopefully another Rhinebeck trip.

So bring it on 2014! I'm totally ready.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Lili Aghabeik
Blog: Lilirious knits
Rav ID: lilirious
Some Great Designs: lilirious' Rav Designer Page

This week's designer, the last of the indie profiles for this year, has three really great patterns.

One: Kahjiit Cowl (pictured). I don't think I have to tell you why this is cool. But I will: cables, texture, shape, functional, awesome. Really, can't you see yourself wearing this all the time? Because I could. It's a type of knit I very much enjoy anyhow, but she's done this one up to the extreme. Love it.

Two: Autocumulus. An uber-fluffy looking, scrumptious cowl. An accessory that's a simple, quick knit, and one that you can (yet again!) get so much wear out of in the colder seasons.

Three: Erasmus. A pair of pretty armwarmers, using attractive colour combinations and the key design element of snugness (ie: these guys aren't going to roll down your arms. Good for keeping warm while typing, which can be key for those of us in office-y jobs!)

I can't wait to see what beautiful designs lilirious brings us in 2014!

The Christmas Sweater

Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the house,
The lady was busy knitting, quiet as a mouse.
She was not knitting stockings, she was not knitting mitts,
Instead she was knitting a man's XXXL colourwork sweater, which was driving her out of her wits.

The birds were nestled all snug in their cages,
While the lady swore intensely, and was flung into rages.
And she in her armchair, and he on his couch,
wondered why the lady was so suddenly a grouch.

When deep from her soul there arose such a groan,
that bespoke of her knowledge that she had herself to blame alone.
Embracing the fury she knit like a flash,
hoping that colourwork would flatter and not clash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
went unnoticed by her uninterrupted knitting flow.
Oh, what to her wondering mind would Christmas bring?
Success or failure, gad this wretched thing!

She did really love to knit for this dude,
even though this poem implies thoughts so crude.
The sweater would be loved, of this she was sure,
So all that internal bitching, she would push through and endure.

"Now knit, now purl, now knit and purl and repeat!
This sweater will look so great when it is complete!
I know he'll love it, I can imagine his smile,
when he opens the box, and wears it a while.

"He'll be so happy with this sweater hand knit,
No matter my rages, my cursing, my fits.
He'll take handsome pictures all snug by the fire,
With a drinky in hand, and a lady no longer filled with ire.

The story continues, my friends, it's not done,
there's a week to go, and so on with the fun.
Will she finish the sweater? Will she succeed at her task?
Or will Christmas find her at the bottom of a whisky flask?

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Leila Caroline
Rav ID: LeilaCarolineDes
Some Great Designs: LeilaCarolineDes' Rav Designer Page

Here's some pretty, and some pretty quick knits:

Leila Caroline's Shiny Happy Birthday Scarf is a beautiful, beaded stole. It has a wonderful wee bit of flare at each end, which adds even more elegance to this lovely knit.

The Puss in Boots Skirt is a cute piece, with a simple A-line and pretty lace panel along each side. It's sized for kids to pre-teens, and if you're a quick knitter, you might get it done in time for Christmas, Kwanzaa or Solstice!

Need a quick, last minute gift? Here's a couple of cute hot-water-bottle covers: Autumn Nuts and Berries and Clare's Handspun Cozy.

I'm the Cookie Woman

I think I've voluntarily made enough cookies in my life that I can tack it on to my self-definition.
Indeed, I'm the Cookie Woman.

Not quite as fun (or blue) as the Cookie Monster, but certainly enthusiastic about the given foodstuff.

For evidence, I give you my Christmas baking.

  Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies
  Applesauce Cocoa Cookies
  Chewy Chocolate Ginger Cookies
  Chocolate Krinkles
  Chocolate Chip Cookies
  Chocolate Orange Fingers
  Cinnamon Buns
  Coconut Dreams
  Coffee Bean and Toffee
  Cranberry/White Chocolate
  Date Squares
  Double Chocolate Brownie Cups
  Empire Cookies
  Gingerbread
  Lemon Coconut Bars
  Maple Leaf Cookies
  Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
  Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
  Orange Date Nut
  Peanut Butter Cookies
  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip
  Shortbread
  Sugar Cookies
  White Chocolate/Orange Dreams

Personal baking tips
I underbake most of the cookies, though there's a few exceptions.
I keep my oven at about 325, rather than 350 (which is what the vast majority of recipes call for).
This year I was all about the parchment paper. Works so well, and less clean up!
A few years ago I invested in a cooling rack and it's my favourite cookies baking tool ever.

Do you do holiday baking? What are some of your favourite recipes?
I love asking this question, as I've received some great recipes in the past from you all. And hey, if there's any cookies up there that you're way keen on, just let me know and I'll get the recipe to you!

____________
¹ For further evidence, please see 2011 and 2009.

Thick Chill FAQ; Or, Short Rows! What do I do!?

Thick Chill is a quick knit, and a great little project to try out for your first foray into working short rows.

I've had a few knitters ask about this technique, so I thought it best to do up my own wee explan-a-post all about the short rows in Thick Chill!

If you're more of a visual person, here's a few links to youtube vids on short rows.

Imagining the Short Rows' Function
When I was learning how short rows work, I found it helpful to imagine the short rows I was working as a wedge. This wedge has slanted sides. These slanted sides are created because each time you work the next row, you’re working one less stitch (hence the term short rows!)
To make this wedge, you're knitting a wrong side AND a right side. That is, you're knitting back and forth.

Remember, Short Rows are worked FLAT
Through the entire “Short Rows” section, you’re working the rows flat, even though the rest of the cowl is knit in the round.
These two lines in the “Short Rows” section can be confusing:
“Rep last 2 rows 16 more times.
There are now 18 wrapped sts on each side of the cowl.”
These two lines mean you’re working flat.
You shouldn’t be working the “Picking up Wraps” section until you’ve totally completed the “Short Rows” section.
 
Don't Get Tripped Up: w&t are different from Picking Up Stitches
Some knitters have been confused by the wrap and turn (w&t) and picking up stitches instructions. These are two different steps. 
An example from Thick Chill would be that you knit to 10 sts before the end of the round and do your w&t. You then work your WS short row.
On the next row, you work to 11 sts before the marker (so, that is, creating the slanted side of that wedge you imagined above), then w&t. You then work your WS short row.
Next row, you work to 12 sts before the marker, then w&t. You then work your WS short row.

And so on. This is how that imaginary wedge shape is created, and how Thick Chill gets that little bend in it so that it sits nicely around your shoulders and up on your head!

Troubleshooting
Make sure you're...

• not wrapping the same stitch over and over. See the "Don't Get Tripped Up" section above.
• completing the Short Rows section of the pattern BEFORE you move on to the Picking Up Stitches section.
• aware that generally in a pattern, "Row" means you're working flat. As in, right side row or wrong side row, and that "Round" means you're working in the round. Thick Chill is knit both in the round and flat.
• working only ONE picking-up-stitches round. Several people have been confused, and thought that they had to work 18 picking-up-stitches rounds. When you pick up the stitches, you’re asked to simply ”pick up wrap with st and K tog, rep 17 more times” (1 call out + 17 rep = 18). So if you’ll recall from the "Short Rows" section, you did 18 pairs of short rows. That’s why it asks you to pick up a total of 18 sts in the Picking Up Wraps section.
• not slipping the marker in the Short Rows section. You only slip the marker once you’re working the Picking Up the Wraps section. This may indicate that you're working in the round, rather than working flat.

It's important to me that knitters enjoy my patterns, and I hope what I’ve written above will help you. If it isn’t clear please email me and we can to work together to figuring the issue out.

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Cathy Rubin
Blog: The Barbarian Horde
Rav ID: cathyrubin
Some Great Designs: cathyrubin's Rav Designer Page

Looking for fun knits for kids? Here ya go!

Belle (pictured) is one of the prettiest kid's scarf I've ever seen. (well, it's really for any age, but it's nice to see it modeled on a child! Very stylin!) :)

Sweet Penny is sized for a variety of ages, and comes from a lovely pattern collection celebrating sisters. See more pieces from this collection here.

A little love, a hooded scarf is a wonderfully functional little piece (though this one can be for adults too! Just imagine how much warmer you'd be with a hood/scarf combo!

Finally, here's Snugglegs. So cute! Legwarmers for babies to toddlers to children. I mean, the pattern is adorable, but I'm equally taken by the cute name :)

Embroidery Winner!

Congratulations to Wanderingcatstudio! The random number generator has chosen you as the winner of the Red Letter Day Stitches embroidery giveaway for a Primary Subscription. Your prize should be on its way soon.

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Flowers in the Winter: Calavera Catrina Bonnet

I just love seeing people's FOs from patterns that I've designed.

In October 2012 I independently published Ghosts, an ebook inspired by those very phenomena and associated cultural ideas surrounding their creation, perception, and existence.

One of my favourite patterns from that collection is Calavera Catrina, a be-flowered bonnet that's perfect for keeping your head and ear warm during those chilly times of year.

Here's a few people's FOs.

©threadpanda

Threadpanda's Dead Man's Party

I LOVE the project name :)
On her blog post about this project, Threadpanda raises a very good point about bonnets: they cover your ears and still allow you to see! I have this same issue with hats. So bonnets all the way!

TooManyBooks' Calavera Catrina

I like the change in flowers! While this may have been a yarn-remnants-strategic move, it replicates the spirit of the pattern.

kangath's Elegant Skull

Again, awesome name! I really like the yarn colour she chose here. With yarn running short while she knit, a few flowers had to be sacrificed. But I like it! Three instead of five flowers is lovely.
She's also a great designer; check out her stuff!

Elbie is Famous!; Or, Embarrass the Bird in December

The year of lovebird shaming has come to an end. Well, almost.
The embarrassment wouldn't be complete without a Christmassy outfit, no?

Arrrr, Pirate Elbie in November.
BatBird costume for October.
Elbie goes all Heston in September.
Augustus, in August
July, Elbie always gets his man!
June, as a very dashing Red Coat.
May, as Indie!
April, as the WWI fighter pilot Billy Bishop.
March, as a sea captain.
February, as a debonair monsieur.
January, as a Bavarian.

Indie Designer Revisit

Designer: Atelier Alfa
Blog: Making Things
Rav ID: al-fa
Some Great Designs: alfa's Rav Designer Page
Original Indie Designer Post: October 7, 2011

In my original profile of this month's indie designer, I described her work as an exercise in fantastic manipulation of interesting shape.

That has continued, with a focus on publishing pullovers and cardigans. So I've decided to feature the very pretty Pebble Stone Cardigan. Texture galore! And, I'd argue, located in exactly the right places. It's top-down and seamless (my favourite construction!) and hello! Pockets! Everybody loves a good pocket.

A basic pullover with great texture and shape, ridgy
features great little ridges, dancing across the front of the knit and ultimately placed wherever your heart wishes. This is a technique that can be applied to any ready-made sweater or cardigan, and comes with detailed photos and step-by-step instructions for the ridges.

Finally, there's the OrganiX cowl or scarf. It has that great shape and texture that this designer plays so well with, and the added benefit of looking almost like wood grain! Check this one out, people. It's a lovely scarf or cowl. Something very suitable for gifting for men or women :)

Thanksgiving: Embroidery, Family, Friends

Some of you may be having something of deja vu: I did just ramble on about my love of Thanksgiving near the beginning of October, when us Canadians celebrate the holiday.

I love this day so much, I take every opportunity to celebrate it. For those who are unhappy about the commericalization of Christmas, I think some parts (well, the secular ones at least) of Christmas are now best found at Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving's always been a time for me to be joyful; spend time with family and friends, and simply revel in how lucky we are. Be thankful, it's right there in the name! And, I think, quite importantly, this celebration is free of any necessary gift-giving. (I love giving gifts, but there is something to be said for a holiday where the excitement and joy comes almost exclusively from time spent with loved ones).

Anyhow, I love Thanksgiving. Yes, established. It rules.

I also love learning new things. So, when my friends Allyson and Katie let me know they were starting the holiday-based embroidery pattern business Red Letter Day Stitches, I was excited and intrigued. Embroidery is a skill I've been wanting to get into for quite a while now, and the free pattern stich-a-longs they've been hosting to start the business have be a fantastic way to get in to it.

Have you ever thought of trying embroidery? Perhaps you already do; it's quite likely. We're a crafty bunch around here.

I've recently finished the ADORABLE Let's Talk Turkey.

So, to celebrate this lovely holiday, here's some images of my turkey (who I may have named George. Don't know why. It just fit). Aaaaaaand, a giveaway!

The Giveaway

I'd like to know if you've ever tried embroidery before: comment with your answer on this post between now and December 4th to be entered to win a Primary Subscription to Red Letter Day Stitches!

The Primary Subscription includes six holiday patterns and a 2014 calendar. So cute! An embroidered calendar!

Good luck everyone!

The winner will be announced on December 5th.

And here is my completed George. Not sure how I'll be using him... Pillow? Turkey dinner napkin? (hehe, I'm mean!)

Paridae: What Two Samples Can Tell You

You may have noticed that I model a lot (almost all!) of my patterns.  This is mostly because when it comes to taking photos and needing a body to try-on-as-you-go, I'm the easiest person to get a hold of!

That said, it is always valuable to see a particular garment on a variety of bodies. So I'm very pleased that a good friend of mine has agreed to model Paridae!


Seeing Paridae in a couple different sizes (and yarns!) gives great information, and visually describes things like:

• the way the grouped increases for bust and hips lay on different bodies
• what different yarn fibres and colours can do for a pattern
• where the length of the sleeves extend for different arm lengths
• the interaction between standard sizing on two people of the same height, but different sizes

This last point is particularly useful, and my friend and I are the same height, but are each modeling different sizes.

Me, in a size S; Zen Yarn Garden yarn

My friend J, in a size L; Knit Picks yarn

 

The yarn used for the size L is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted Tweed, in Rabbit Heather.

I think height/length is an often over-looked aspect of sizing. Certainly, getting your horizontal measurements (bust, waist, hips) correct is very important, but here you see what standard sizing dictates for the vertical, as well.

If you're anything but the standard size (which most of us likely are!), you may be interested in modifying your knit garments. The CYC standards are what knitwear designers generally follow; knowing where you line up within that chart is a useful tool.

Interested in purchasing Paridae? You have a few options:

You can buy it on Ravelry in my shop
You can get it in a kit from Knit Picks (the modeled version above, on the left)
You can get it in a kit from Zen Yarn Garden (for 20% off from now until December 31!!) (the modeled version above, on the right)

Yarn: Zen Yarn Garden Serenity Worsted

Yarn: Wool of the Andes Worsted Tweed

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Sarah Jane
Blog: Sarahsstuff
Rav ID: SarahJaneDesigns
Some Great Designs: SarahJaneDesigns' Rav Designer Page

Mind blowing crochet ahead!
This week's designer has a great selection of designs. First I'll show you the Frostberry Hat. So cute! I love that texture. Perfect knit for this time of year.

There's also the pretty Geminio Neckwarmer. I love the frill, the lovely curving lines, and especially that this is a neckwarmer that comes in five sizes! Very cool.

Finally, I'd like to point out her great collection of wrist warmers/cuffs. Collected in one publication, Cuffed, you can get yourself nine different designs including the delicate and girly Clotted Cream and the wonderfully structural Woodland Realm Cuffs.

How We Keep Away the Cold: Thick Chill

I love to see people's FOs!

Thick Chill is a great pattern for this time of year. Quick and easy to knit (two strands of bulky yarn held together makes the going fast!). Perfect for yourself, or for last-minute gifting too!

Here's a few of the great Thick Chills hanging around on Ravelry!

© aesniego

aesniego's Thick Chill Hood
"Easy to knit even with the bulky yarn. Looks amazing and feels like it will be extremely warm for the early morning Northern Michigan Winters!"

lalaithbr's Lilly's Thick Chill Hood
I like how she's wearing it in this pic. The hood has just the right amount of extra room and give to be equally warming around your neck, your head, or your shoulders.

 

lomeraniel's Thick Chill
I really love how people wear this simple piece differently. Whenever I wear mine (which is often, now that it's getting chilly out) I always keep it up around my neck. I'm going to try wearing it down on my shoulders, as that seems to be a pretty popular way to style it!

judi1212's Thick Chill hooded cowl
I love her thoughts on the cowl, which I happen to agree with!
"Winter weather has come to the Northeast and I gotta tell you this is WARM. I knew needed something for the cold dog walks and this hooded cowl is great."


Incidentally, it looks like grey(ish) is THE colour to knit your Thick Chill in. I need some grey bulky yarn STAT!

Thanks to all the lovely ravellers who agreed to be featured in this post!

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Sandra Jäger
Rav ID: stoperror
Some Great Designs: stoperror's Rav Designer Page

Looking for incredibly cute, thematic, colourwork hats? You have totally come to the right place this week, my friends.
I've included a photo here for you of Sea Breeze beanie. I think it's a great example of the kind of work stoperror does.
So much so, that I'm not going to yammer at you with superfluous superfluity, I'm going to stick to giving you a bunch of cool links:

Like piranhas? There's a beanie for that.
Looking for a bunny-based hat? There's a beanie for that.
You like horse racing? There's a beanie for that.
Cats hunting mice? Beanie for it.
Enjoy golfing? Beanie for that too.
Sunshiny sunflowers? Beanie!

She has close to 450 (yes, four hundred and fifty!) designs, many of which are hats, but plenty of which are other accessories. My total favourites are the Unicorn beanie and the Raccoon beanie. Anyone want to knit them for me? :) Gift-giving season is coming!

And just one more, seasonally-appropriate pic: the Deer Family beanie.

Hinterland: Autumn

The air is crisp and your needles are out. It's the time of year knitters revel in, with your hand knits coming out of storage and the pleasant task of picking your favourite to wear each day is upon you.

Hinterland: Autumn is a celebration of this most wonderful time of year. Each of the three patterns is designed to complement your autumnal outdoor experience. Included is Paridae, Soft Rime, and Rustling Ruffles.

all three patterns for $9.99.

Paridae
XS - XXXXL

There’s nothing better than a hooded sweater in the autumn!  Paridae is a comfortable, cozy sweater that wraps you in warmth, with sleeves long enough to pull over your fingers when sipping that hot apple cider, and a hood generous enough to keep your head and shoulders warm without the dreaded hat-hair. 
Knit from the bottom up, the sleeves are attached at the yoke, with decreases leading up to the hood making this a practically seamless sweater!

Yarn
Zen Yarn Garden, Serenity Worsted, 75% superwash merino 15% cashmere, 15% nylon,  175 y / 160 m per hank, Terracotta, 7 (8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16) hanks
Needles
4.5 mm (US 7) circulars (approx 16” / 40 cm length) and dpns
Gauge
18 sts and 24 rows = 4” / 10 cm in stockinette
Sizes
XS (S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL, XXXXL) / Bust 30 (34.5, 38, 42.5, 46, 51.5, 54, 58)” / 76 (87.5, 96.5, 108, 117, 131, 137, 147) cm
Notions
4 1.5” / 4 cm toggles, scrap yarn, stitch markers
Skills
increasing, decreasing, Kitchener stitch, I cord

Soft Rime
Bonnets are cute, quick, comfy, and universally flattering. Wearing Soft Rime will keep your head and ears warm on your autumn walks. Tie up the laces for an extra bit of warmth when the winds start to blow! 
Knit in one piece from the ties up, Soft Rime uses short rows, simple texture, and grafting to finish off this seamless knit.

Yarn
Malabrigo, Worsted, 100% merino, 210 y / 192 m per hank, Natural, 1 hank
Needles
4.5 mm (US 7)
Gauge
20 sts and 24 rows = 4” / 10 cm in stockinette
Sizes
One Size; see Garment Schematic for details
Skills
short rows, decreasing, Kitchener stitch

Rustling Ruffles
Rustling Ruffles will accompany you on all your beautiful walks this autumn! The chill in the air won’t nip at your fingertips as you stroll, the last bits of sun filtering through the last leaves on the trees, and the rest crunching pleasantly underfoot.
Simple increases and decreases create rows of ruffles, and a flip-top to the mitts mean that you can have your fingers free at a moment’s notice! The cuff extends several inches up your arm, ensuring that there won’t be any chill getting between your jacket and mitts.

Yarn
Lorna’s Laces, 100% Superwash Merino, 215 y / 197 m per hank, Monkey Shines, 2 hanks
Needles
2 mm (US 0) dpns
Gauge
30 sts and 44 rows = 4” / 10 cm in stockinette
Sizes
one size
Notions
scrap yarn, stitch markers, stitch holder
Skills
increasing, decreasing, Kitchener stitch


What's in the ebook?
The ebook contains Pariade, Soft Rime, and Rustling Ruffles. It also has complementary information about the collection's inspiration, information about the Carolinian forest zone, and an extensive annotated bibliography.

Prices
The ebook is $9.99 CAD. Paridae is $6.50 CAD. Soft Rime is $5.50 CAD. Rustling Ruffles is $5.50 CAD.

Where to Purchase
You can buy the patterns individually or all together in the ebook on ravelry.

Thanks to my great tech editor, Holly Priestley, and my kind and talented photographer, Mark!  

The Riveting Life of a Museums Professional

I don't talk a whole lot about my day job; here, I'd like to connect my Batman to my Bruce Wayne for ya'll.

Why I Work in Museums
I'm part of the Education staff for an art museum.
I have an Honours Degree in Art History and History, and I like to say (without lie, I tell you) that art was about as far away as I could run from math.¹ Working on this sort of degree you get a lot of "what are you going to do with that?" and the rather annoying assumption that you're obviously going to be a school teacher.  Ever since I was a wee girl, and I paid my first visit to a history museum (that is, they were all dressed up in old timey-stuff), I knew that was the future for me.

What I Do in Museums
My knee-jerk reaction to the "school teacher" label isn't to say I don't teach art/history. I do that all the time, but the difference between the classroom and the gallery is incredible. In the museum, you're a novelty; you aren't the regular teacher, and you're likely not teaching in the regular way. You get to interact with people for a very short period of time, and only hope that you've added some value and planted some seeds that will eventually produce a positive connection with the arts on a spectrum from grudging acceptance to what happened to me as a kid, one of those who knows that's the job for them.

I'm going to do a quick bit of mythbusting here: not all people who work in museums are called curators. Here's a list of different roles within the museums field. I fall under Education. It's fun over here. Us Educators get to interpret those exhibitions the curators put together, ie: elucidate the value of what can sometimes be convoluted and hard to access concepts, making meaning from and connections to objects, or (in the case of an art museum) works of art.

I also get to blog for my museum! Want a looky-loo?

What Makes Museum People Laugh

Stuff Museum People Say


My favourite is "bleed away from the artifact!"

And the hilarious tumblr When You Work at a Museum. I'm in STITCHES here, people!
____________
¹ And to think, I do stupid, stinky-face math all the time now. (But shhh, don't tell my dad.)

Indie Designer Day

Designer: Sara Gresbach
Blog: Front Porch Knitting
Rav ID: addiesma
Some Great Designs: addiesma's Rav Designer Page

I can't  believe that I haven't known of this week's designer for years. A quick scroll through her rav designer page shows a talented, professional, technically-tight knitter. Someone who creates solid, reliable, classic pieces that you'll love and wear forever.

Case(s) in point:

Sugar Snow (pictured) is a beautifully simple vest. Something a woman of any age could wear, and very helpfully pictured throughout its pattern page with a variety of stylings. Belted, open, with a shawl pin at the neck or the waist, this is a great looking garment.

Gift knitting ahoy! Check out the Atwater Mitts, something you can quick(ish)ly knit for those lucky enough to be on your seasonal-giving-season list. Also, there's a pretty wide size range for a pair of mitts, from x-small to large.

One of my favourites are Boot Candy Boot Cuffs. Quick, functional, and totally cute, these cabled boot toppers would fit perfectly in a stocking and/or small gift box. Just sayin.

Looking to knit for a teen? I'm thinking Hoodsie would likely please. Again, it's a pattern with a good solid bit of knitting, stuff that won't go out of style any time soon. Something to throw on over top your outfit when going out for your adventures, to keep you just that bit warmer.

Finally I'll point out the Kaleidoscope Cowl. Mostly because it's so pretty. Check it out!

ETA: Now really, finally! I wanted to show you her latest pattern, Flambeau. Check this one out!  A fantastic colourwork cowl - with wee herringbone happening. I love it!

VKLive: Chicago!

This weekend I had a whirlwind trip to Chicago for Vogue Knitting Live.

It was a fantastic weekend, filled with runway shows (the BEST reason to go to VKLive, I'm thinking), classes, lectures, museums, friends, and pints! (good lord, you can't forget about the pints!)

This was my first time at any VKLive event, and my first impressions were: glam! It was in the Palmer House Hilton, which is an amazingly beautiful space.

I was most excited to see the runway shows. There were six throughout the day on Saturday, and I was able to make it to most of them.

They were handing out little bags of mini skeins at the Malabrigo show. Very exciting!
It was an interesting experience to see the samples, some of which I was familiar with from photographs, in motion. Details in motion, drape, and dynamism made this my favourite part of the event.

There were classes and lectures galore. The package I purchased came with one class and one lecture; both of which I found educational and enjoyable.

The class I took was "Reading Between the Lines: What the Pattern Doesn't Tell You!" with Patty Lyons. She is a fantastic teacher! With a subject that might otherwise be tedious (there was math involved, people!) she kept it interesting, and answered questions very well.
The way she summed certain things up really struck me, and I had to jot down a few quotes:

"A pattern is instructions on how to make that thing. It's not a knitting how-to book."

"Patterns are written with an assumption of knowledge."

"We have to think of our knitting as a fabric, not just yarn."

And to top it off, she made a very good case for ALWAYS doing a swatch. It gives you ver important information on at least three points:
1) gauge (of course!)
2) colour (do you really like this colour of yarn for this project? Or does the varigation fight with the pattern?)
3) texture/content (same as point #2: Don't let your yarn fight your pattern!)


There was also a Marketplace. You may be shocked, but I didn't really do all that much shopping while there. I did promise a gift for a friend, so picked up this cute project bag from Yarn Pop by Top Shelf Totes.

To be honest, the Marketplace was much smaller than I had envisioned, and I'm pretty sure that's mainly because I'm coming off of a Rhinebeck high. The two events are quite different experiences.

I was impressed by a number of the yarn dyers that were there; in particular, I drooled over the colourful hanks of Neighborhood Fiber Co. Oh boy, did I ever. I can't believe I walked out of there without any.

There were a few art installations in the Marketplace as well. The only one I got a snap of was the sweet little minis you see below.

So far I've covered the runway shows, classes, and lectures. On to the friends and pints!

The effervescent Allyson Dykhuizen was the reason I came to VKLive Chicago int he first place. It was great to see her again, and meet lot of other designers from Holla Knits!

Katie, Me, Laura, and Lily

Laura, Allyson, Lily, and me!

You can read Allyson's post for a bit of a VKLive review as well. The bloggy people were Allyson, Katie, Laura, and Lily. We headed out to High Dive!, a bar with AMAZING Greek fries (holy crap, they were so good), and hung with (the un-blogged) Kirstin and Sarah.

Ghost and the Darkness at the Field Museum.

And while this may be turning into a monster post, I don't want to leave out the funtimes I had with my dude! We were able to visit the huuuuge Field Museum on Sunday. It was awesome. Taxidermy galore. (I tried to find a taxidermied lovebird. Because I'm great that way).


The city is just so damn handsome downtown that a walk around made me wish I lived closer so I could visit often. It also doesn't hurt that the beautiful autumn colours are still out, with loads of trees dancing around in golds and scarlets.

We also got to see the Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor. It makes me like him even more.

Have you ever been to VKLive? Any other knitting event, like Rhinebeck or Stitches? What did you think of it? How do they compare to each other?