Shawl Pin

Normally I sort of turn my nose up to kitschy add ons to knitting. I mean, I don't know how much accessorizing knitting needs. Ribbons and extraneous buttons are often a turn-off in designs to me. The errant right ribbon and button can totally work. These are rare occasions.

However, I did stumble across this shawl pin (a heretofore previously eye rolling accessory in my book) made especially for the MS3 shawl. Recall that the shawl is in the theme of Swan Lake.




You can find it at the Rosemary Go Round blog. $45 for the sterling silver is a bit steep but it truly does make the perfect accessory for the Mystery Stole. I am showing it here in copper because it sets off a bit better in the photo. It is stunning.

Also, the ball of yarn earrings (scroll down in her post) are ultra cute, too. I think I need to print out her blog and leave it around my house for my muggles to find it.

Mytery Stole 4 Word on the Street

Check out how beautiful this stole is. It was designed by the mother of Pink Lemon Twist (Melanie, who is totally not a satan worshipper despite rumors to the contrary) who is going to be the guest designer of Mystery Stole 4.

I am totally digging how gorgeous that sample stole is (again, this isn't the design for MS4, obviously, but is her most recent creation). It even has little beaded trees. Definitely not something I would knit to wear, I would knit it for the back of a couch or to frame above something, but I do admit to having a small crush on it.

Vogue Knitting and Trellis Scarf

last one skeining: Review Monday


(I am experimenting with trackbacks)

I was intrigued by LOS's post about the Vogue Knitting Anniversary Edition. So intrigued that I sent her a sketchy text message asking her to bring it with her to Knitting that night. I foolishly believed she had my phone number in her phone so it was way creepier than I intended my text message to be, by the way. Imagine receiving a vague text message telling you your blog post was "intriguing".

Anyway, she brought it with her and I flipped through and really fell in love with Nicky Epstein's cover project, the floral scarf. She is my favorite designer, and in the last three years I truly do believe the best published pattern in VK has been her floral trellis bag. Even though mine is sitting at home needing to be reblocked, it still pleases me. Though the editors' "update" of that pattern in the anniversary edition was foolish. All they did was change the colors.

So I bought the Vogue Knitting Anniversary Edition, with a special dark silver shadow cast over everything they have ever published. Apparently Target is now selling knitting magazines in Jersey City.

I set to work adding new Nicky Epstein flowers to my Floral Trellis scarf from Scarf Style. I really liked the idea of that pattern (a crochet trellis with roses climbing it) but I hate chenille, and that is the original design, and the cabbage ruffle roses in the pattern were a little too plain for me. Thus, I will create a sort of garden trellis scarf with many different kinds of flowers, mostly by Nicky Epstein as I also have her Knitted Flowers book.

This is my work in progress, modeled by Bear, my surly Himalayan cat.




So surly he won't even look at the camera for me.

I plan to go to the magic trimmings stores on 6th ave in NYC for some interesting stamens and beads.

Mystery Stole

I know you are all curious about where I am with the Mystery Stole. Well, I am still just where I was three weeks ago, which is tinking row 99 so that I can redo it correctly. I feel slightly better about it since the Yarn Harlot recently confessed her lifestyle doesn't agree with MS3 knitting either.

Since they released the last clue on Friday, I am feeling a bit like a fat girl running the Boston Marathon. Everyone is crossing the finish line and I am at mile marker 4.

Never fear, Stephanie, you are not "desperately behind". There's still a knitter (or 16 according to Ravelry) who are still trying to catch up to Clue 1.

Last One Skeining is really First One Doing Everything Else

This is my friend Last One Skeining. We met through our knitting group 2.5 years ago.

The photo above features us shopping at our LYS, Patricia's Yarns. I believe that bag was expensive.

LOS has her fingers on the pulse of the knitting community and is, perhaps, the coolest knitter I know.

Example the first:

I am all "Hey, I really wanted that pattern booklet about knitting robots that came out 2 years ago."

LOS: "Oh, I totally have that!"

I still don't understand how LOS managed to get it since practically the day the designer was published on Knitty I got on her wait list and then she never published again.

Example the second:

She has been on Ravelry since May 31, 2007, mere days after the launch of the site and 2 months to the day prior to when I got on. I joined the wait list once she joined and testified at the coolness.

Example the third:

She is knitting her way to a knitting masters degree. Okay, not quite, but she is doing the Knitter's Guild Master Knitter Level One which I think is perhaps the coolest knitting thing ever. Okay, maybe that is because I am one of those people who loves learning/craves advanced degrees and the combination with knitting is just a geek knitter's paradise.

I have also decided to adopt her accomplishment as my own. For example, I am already practicing the phrase "Well, my friend is a Knitting Guild Master Knitter Level One and so..." to gain knitting cred. Dude. It will work.

Example the fourth:

Tonight at Knitting I say: "I was stalking around Ravelry last night looking for a men's sweater pattern for Dan and I found Brenda Dayne had knit a really amazing sweater for her son called and Urban Aran sweater..."

LOS: "I totally have that pattern booklet."

Now, COME ON. How is it that everything cool in the knitting world, LOS knows about already and has beat virtually everyone to it? I am thinking that she's keeping a hidden source from me. Like an editor at Vogue Knitting she lunches with or something. Seriously, who knew about Ravelry in May?

Regardless of her secrets, she is totally MY pipeline into the newest and geekiest stuff in the knitting world and I am grateful for it. I believe tonight she was telling me about a knitting podcast about a woman with seven kids. I also cannot wait until she reveals to the world her secret intarsia project. Stay tuned.

Mystery Stole 3

Recent discoveries:

I am stuck on row 99 of the Mystery Stole (halfway through tinking that row because I ended up with too few stitches because I screwed up on the beginning of that row).

I am also discovering I have little time to knit lace in solitude with my current lifestyle.

For the same reason it takes me awhile to get through books, since HP7 has taken me over a week to read and I am on page 500.

Thusfar I have been really forgiving of myself about the slow progress on the Mystery Stole. Yes, I am on the last row of Clue 1. It has taken me a month to get through Clue 1. Four other clues have been released while I finish Clue 1. I attribute this both to my slow knitting ways and the lack of solitude and focus neccessary to master this art. The knitting itself goes quickly, it is the screwing up that eats up most of my time.

Anyway, Clue 5 and the theme of the stole were announced today and even though I am totally forgiving myself for the whole Clue 1 slowness, I am SO ANNOYED I am not on Clue 5 already! The theme of the Stole is Swan Lake and she is having us knit a freaking wing into our stoles! How cool is that?

I love short row shaping. WHY AM I NOT ON CLUE 5 YET?

Oh well. I am going away on Sunday and probably won't pick up MS3 for 2 weeks. The whole pattern will be released by the time I even get to the wing.

I did decide what I am going to probably knit in the dirt. The answer is robots.