Selbu Modern:

I have spent the last 45 minutes typing and deleting, trying to best put into words the last two years of my masters experience. Unless you are of the few who have had to deal with the day to day process (thank you), its near to impossible.

There have been many instances in my life where my stubbornness has done me well, but I am starting to wonder if my insistence on getting that little piece of paper in my hand has blinded me. I have been banging my head against a brick wall that won't budge, convinced just one more hard whack will give me a way through, ignoring the fact that I could very easily walk around to get to the other side. Or better yet, turn around and walk the other way!


The only think I can reasonably say at this point is that I am reducing my course load considerably (one academic class -- basically nothing) and focusing on Kelbourne Woolens, knitwear design and the store. I don't know what January will bring, and, honestly, I am totally okay with that.

This beret was conceived, knit and finished as I was making the final decision to withdraw from my last studio and thesis classes. I wanted it to incorporate traditional elements with modern colors and styling, and am very happy with the result. The process of finding inspiration, designing, working out the decreases and finishing this was exponentially more enjoyable than the few happy moments I have had in school. The experience and positive response -- although on a small project -- have reinforced my belief that focusing on knitwear, as I originally anticipated and intended when starting my education, is the right move for me.

I feel as if a slight weight has been lifted, but still carry phantom pressure from the load. I know, though, over a short time, it will all be far behind me. And, luckily, I will have a cute little hat to wear while traveling on my way!

Specs: Koigu KPM. 1 skein Mustard, 1 skein Royal Blue.
Pattern: Selbu Modern...coming soon.
Needles: Addi Turbo Size 0 and 2 circular.
Gauge: 28 sts/inch
Start Date: August ?, 2008
Finished: August 15, 2008
Raveled: Here

Classic Knightsbridge:

First of all, thanks so much for all of your sweet comments regarding our new project! I am super excited about it. Ironically, ever since eluding the potential leave of absence from this blog, I now have a bunch of things to share. Here's a few.....

(Scroll down a bit if gratuitous photos of the cutest dogs ever participating in wholesome outdoor activities don't warm your heart. Or if you want to see some knitting).

Bird, Rollie, Opus and I were away for a (much needed, if I do say so myself) vacation in Maine this past week. Bird and his family -- going back 4 or 5 generations -- have been traveling to this same spot in the summer and we have really tried to make getting up there a priority at the end of August for the last few years. There was a bunch of family up this past week and it was perfect: eating, knitting, sailing, eating, drinking, watching dogs swim, eating, knitting. (Rinse and repeat). Last year's chilly weather left something to be desired, but this year, especially considering the "summer" New England has experienced for the last few months, it was perfect.

I took a lot of pictures of the dogs. Only pictures of the dogs, actually.

Opus was terrified of the water on day one (He has recently taken the "German Shepherd=Skittish" thing to a whole new level recently. We're working on it). By the end of the week, though, if he was in sight of the ocean, he was in it.

I hiked a mountain. I only did it because I thought the dogs would like it.

It was Opus' first mountain. To think he didn't even know they (or water, or sailboats, or lobsters) existed. I think we blew his puppy mind.

This is Rollie and Opus watching Bird sail -- and win! -- a Regatta.
(No joke -- who can make something like that up?)

Tired.

One of the other benefits of Maine is the ridiculous amount of knitting time I squeeze in. Bird's family takes wholesome outdoor activities to a whole new level while up at the Farm, and while I participate as much as possible, I do knit quite a bit. Last year, I finished Orange Tweedy Goodness while in Maine, and this year I went 2 for 2 and completed the Classic Knightsbridge. I couldn't resist coercing Bird into a photo shoot on the Back Bay.

Click that last one for a full size close up shot of the yarn.
It is so flipping pretty.

Specs: The Fibre Company Knightsbridge (ravelry link) Holly & Ivy. I think 10 skeins.
Pattern: Women's Mock-Cable Cardigan, #8
Mods: I added waist shaping, did a set-in sleeve, knit the sleeves separately in the round with a sleeve cap. I actually didn't follow the pattern #s, either....
Needles: Addi Turbo Size 4 and 2 circular.
Gauge: 20 sts/inch.
Start Date: March 17, 2008
Finished: August 22, 2008 (A year to the date after finishing the OTG)
Raveled: Here

I started knitting this sweater over spring break in Vermont prior to even hearing about a potential distributorship opportunity and immediately fell deeply in love with the yarn. Unfortunately, for various reasons, we are temporarily putting the Heathers lines on hold this season and hope to bring them back next Fall. After finishing the sweater, I am even more determined to do so. Think of it as a "leave of absence", not a "discontinuation".

Up next: I continue hoping beret's never go out of style while beating the uber delicious color combination of Mustard Yellow and Royal Blue to death.

It's a little like those synchronized high divers...

...except for the cute swim shorts and lack of body hair. Oh, and athletic prowess.

First off, thanks so much for all of the nice comments on the Silk Kerchief. I am glad you guys liked it! It really is a fun, quick knit, so you should totally make one!

So. Where then to really start? Possibly an explanation of sorts? Over the last few months, I have been pretty inactive in the "blog scene" due to what both myself and Courtney have eluded to as a few things we were 1) really flipping excited about and 2) couldn't talk about. It all started with a phone call in April and ended (or, officially began?) with a little ad in Interweave Knits:

That is Stacy modeling. She is the manager at Rosie's. She's flipping adorable. She is also really nice. (We paid her in one cupcake. It was over 90 degrees out).

So...What's the deal? Courtney and I are now the official distributors of the Fibre Company yarns! We are a newly incorporated company, Kelbourne Woolens and will also be in charge of the graphics, marketing, pattern support and work in conjunction with the company's founders on product and color development. Both websites are in the process of either being made or re-vamped a bit and, while "live", will not be completely finished until the first of September. The Kelbourne Woolens site will also have a Free Patterns subset (currently there is only a version of my Springtime in Philadelphia beret in the Canopy Fingering that reflects a slightly different working up now, but there will also be sweaters -- the one in the ad featuring Terra for example -- baby items, other accessories, etc. in the upcoming months).

We will also have a blog that announces press, patterns and all of the other exciting happenings with us and the company. I plan on announcing the start of the new Kelbourne Woolens blog here when we get it up and running and at that time I will also have decided the future of Zeitgeist Yarns (admittedly, unfortunately, uncertain).

I am really excited to be starting this venture with Courtney, really excited to work with the yarns (it isn't really work, really) and really excited to move forward with this phase of my career. I remember commenting a while back on how I thought Philadelphia has a bigger role for me than grad school. For as long as I can remember, I have been trying to figure out a way to find a career that is both intellectually and creatively satisfying and I really believe this is it. It is amazing to me that a 5 hour a week job a Rosie's turned into this and I definitely believe the support from the lovely people I have met there, but also from my readers here and on Ravelry who have liked what I do, have really motivated me to jump headfirst into this project.

Wish us luck!

Silk Kerchief:

We have been getting in a ton of new yarn at the shop over the last few weeks. It has been hard not to grab every new skein as it comes out of the box and cast on for something new. When the Silk Garden Sock arrived at the store, I had an especially hard time saying no and immediately cast on for -- what I was determined would be -- a Fair Isle beret. In my haste I didn't give the yarn enough time to really figure out what it did best and ended up with a mess of pretty, rock hard, unstretchy, tight (and painful to knit) corrugated rib. It became clear to me after a few days of fighting with the ribbing and subsequent Fair Isle stockinette that the yarn 1) just doesn't work at 8 sts/in and 2) has no stretch whatsoever and thus corrugated rib is not the best choice.

I was recently given a mess of square vintage scarves from my Nana and wear them a lot as little kerchiefs tied around my neck. I am pretty sure they are the best accessory ever, even without the sentimental attachment. Of course I have to transfer this love into knitting (fitting, as my Nana originally was the one who taught me how many years ago) and have been casting on and playing with the idea of a simple triangular scarf incorporating garter stitch since. I have a few going, but none of them are really exciting to knit or look at. After the beret was a bust (the more I write about it, though, I am determined to make it work) I grabbed a larger needle and cast on for yet another garter triangle.


And it worked.


I will be the first to admit that in lieu of a completely original design, the Kerchief is more of an interpretation and pairing of a few ideas into one. I did, though, compile a little pattern for those who are interested to see exactly what I did (and hopefully run with it an do some interpreting themselves).


Enjoy!