Knit Fit is coming to town!

Us Seattlelites just got a new Knitting retreat!  So it's a ways off.....4 months away to be exact - but this gives you plenty of time to save the date!

November 3rd - 4th at the Ballard Community Center

I will be teaching at this event along with a boat load of other great instructors.

Here's a quick blurb on Moi.  If you go to Facebook, you can like them.  Knitfit will be slowly releasing tid bits of information on each teacher - so it will be fun to see the questionaire and any fun photos of them.

http://knitfitseattle.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/lisa-ellis/

Petting fibers

 Went to the Spring Fair over break on the hottest day of the year thus far.  First place we went to was the Sheeps Extravaganza!  There were spinners and roving all over the place.  In the back were the baby sheep and a few Angora rabbits to pet.  If you have the luxury of knitting with Angora - I highly reccommend it.  It feels just as soft as the bunny itself!  And let me re-iterate that no animals are killed for their fiber (I'm a vegetarian and worry about this stuff!)

I am seriously thinking that I need to learn how to spin......

Love of Knitting summer preview

Love of Knitting, Summer 2012 issue is about to hit the newsstands and I have 2 designs that I just love in this issue!

 

 Too cute for two is a twin set of cardigans using Tosh sock by Madelinetosh.  If you haven't had the chance to play with this yarn yet - YOU NEED TO!  And the colors are scrumptious! I used Rose and Demin colors. The twin cardigans are identical top down cardigans only the trim is different - a little more masculine for the boy and a little more dainty for the girl.  Sizes go up to 2T.  Visit www.Madelinetosh.com for the full line of yarns.  Many of the LYS's also carry this yarn.

Another new yarn for me to dabble with is the Regal Silk by Artyarns.  Once again, it's a MUST TRY yarn and it is 100% silk!  Colors are Peacock variegated with Purple.  It's dreamy to wear too (duhhhh, it's silk!).  This top has inverted pleats for great movement and drape.  Visit www.Artyarns.com for a viewing of their entire luxury line of fibers.

This magazine can be found at several grocery stores (I found it at Fred Meyers and Winco) and should be available through June.  Or visit www.LoveofKnitting.com

for a subscription.  I have been fortuneate enough to have several other designs in this magazine.

Working on my TNNA travel plans

I missed TNNA, Columbus last year and there is no way that I am missing it again!  Now that I have said that....TNNA couldn't have come at a worse time!  Every year the show hit around the 2nd weekend in June, which works for me.  This year, they changed it up a bit and delayed it until June 23 - 25th.
Drats - last day of school is the 21st (Education begins on the 21st and goes  through the 23rd) and then
Sunsplash (Younglife camp) is from June 25th - 28th.  That wouldn't be so bad if I weren't a leader!  It has also been a tradition that on the last night of school, my oldest girl has all of her friends over for a sleepover.  They get maybe 3 hours of sleep then get all dressed up for the last half day of school and between my husband and I, we haul all the girls to school in 2 cars.  It has been such a fun tradition and the girls look forward to this every year.  This year, however, it can't happen!  Then I will have to leave Sunday for home - giving me just one day at the exhibition so that I can be home by midnight - so I can depart the next morning for a camping trip with 75 kids!  Really????
The kicker of this entire trip is that the tickets have gone up a ton - a ton being about $125 from last year.  Damn - this recession is kicking my butt and so are the new dates!

Sometimes life just topples over itself.....

From sketch to publication

I always love seeing "behind" the scenes of a photoshoot or a cooking show to see what happens behind the camera and out of view to get the project from its inception to its final cut.  So here is a quick time line of what a magazine design may look like from start to finish.

1 of 3 submission pages

Last March (2011), I submitted this design sketch along with a detailed page description which includes everything from the inspiration, the construction details to the suggested yarns and colors.  I actually sent 2 sketches of 2 designs, the other one being a sleeveless pullover with the star stitch pattern being on the bust and a St st on the bodice.  The sleeveless pullover was yellow and the sleeveless vest was in blue.  I suggested either yellow or blue for the garment.

I swatch out the stitch pattern and attached a jpeg of the swatch to the publication company.  In the olden days, this swatch would have been mailed in to the company - but nowadays, a good picture is all that you need.

Upon acceptance (I think this was accepted within a month of submission), I had 2 months to complete it from start to finish including all schematics and 5 sizes written using the magazines style sheet.  I take a picture of the sweater and send the sweater, the yarn label with a piece of yarn attached and the pattern itself to the editor - and then pray that the sweater safely arrives to its destination!  My biggest fear is that it gets lost or damaged in transit!  This garment was sent to Creative Knitting in June - maybe July (can't remember now).

Normally I don't get to see this part of it - but Creative Knitting has been posting pictures onto Facebook of the Photoshoots (love seeing this part!).   This is just part of the photoshoot and these pictures were just posted a few weeks ago.

Here is the final picture of the sweater and the cover of the magazine which just hit newsstands this past month.  The sweater was returned to me along with a copy of the magazine.

Yarn used was Frog Tree Meriboo (MW).

So from submission to final publication - you are looking at almost a year! 

Awesome 15 minute photo shoot

I just had an amazing 15 minute photo shoot with a not quite yet 2 year old.  She is unbelievably cute for starters but she also doesn't move, flinch or make funny faces --- a good thing!  I can't wait to show off my new pics but they are for a magazine due out sometime in Fall - or late Fall - which just kills me!  I can't wait that long!

I'm so happy with the bundle of designs for this magazine and the numerous pictures I shot as well.

I also hate posting without a photo-----

Day 3 was another fab day at Madrona

The day began at 1:30, Madrona time.  I had a mini class with Nancy Merchant, author of Knitting Brioche.  Another awesome class!  Learned a new cast on and Brioche which I have played around with before but never got past the first few stitches without scrapping. 

Here is a swatch of my work.  I was just starting to work the Brioche in purl form - hence the reason for it all of a sudden looking wonky.

 Day gets even better when I find out that my knitting BFF is coming to meet with me for one last go round in the marketplace.  But before I can even respond to her text - I notice that my name has been drawn for a door prize!  I never, NEVER I tell you ever win anything!  I had quite a few to pick from but after help and guidance from my BFF, I chose the years subscription to Knitters Magazine.  Gotta love getting something in the mail every month!

We head back to the marketplace hoping to find some last minute treasure and low and behold, I found one!  The yarn is from Habu Textiles (NY) (www.habutextiles.com) and it comes on a cone.  It is 100% silk and it vaguely reminds me of thin twine.

Color is a mix of brown and grey with off white flecks.

My intention is to knit this tunic dress (Scarpetta by Kirsten Johnstone).  I wish I had taken a picture of the one in the booth, it showed better than the images below.

So - I spent more money, gained more knowledge and truly had a great afternoon with a friend.