Friday, December 30, 2011

Free Pattern Friday! - New Year's Edition

Happy New Year's Eve's Eve!!!!


 This will be perfect for your New Year's Party!


Wine Glass Holder pattern by Claudia Olson

What are you doing New Year's Eve?


:)

Thursday, December 29, 2011

LACMA - California Design, 1930–1965: "Living in a Modern Way"


Ran up to LACMA to see the Monet/Lichtenstein Rouen Cathedrals exhibit before its closing and popped in on the California Design exhibit.

Came across this fabulous knitted cherry red dress.


"Sculpted the female body into an idealized hourglass silhouette..."

Yes, this is my idealized silhouette.  I certainly don't have this silhouette, that's for sure!

It is neat that he's able to do this without the boning or padding. 

That must be some tight knit!


:)

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Friday, December 23, 2011

Free Pattern Friday! - Christmas Edition!

I know Christmas Eve is tomorrow but here are some cute patterns for this Christmas Season!

Purl Bee Mary Lou's Holiday Stocking

We have some old stockings to hang on the fireplace but I have NO idea where they are!

I'll have to make us some.  :)


Whit's Knits: Candy Cane Bedroom Socks
I've never made socks before but I understand they're fairly easy!

I am already thinking ahead to next Christmas and making socks as gifts!

Maybe I'll start next month and do a set a month!

(Maybe... Hopefully... I'll try, anyway!)

:)

Merry Christmas guys!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Pong Sweater Vest (Berroco Peter Easy Pattern)

And, this is done...

I have to admit, this one kinda put me off knitting (and blogging!) for awhile! 

Well, for about a week anyway.

El Hub has been asking me to make him a sweater vest since FOREVER and when I finally agreed to make him one, he upped the stakes and decided he wanted a sweater vest with a retro video game image on it.

So of course I said Yes...

I'll do anything for that man.

:)


He wanted to wear this to his company holiday party and even though I started this a month and a half in advanced, I still found myself doing a power knitting session at the last minute and was literally sewing it together as we were driving to the party!
My hands & arms were killing me!

But 2 advils and a glass of red wine, and I was good!

:)

I found a free sweater vest pattern on the Berroco site and decided to go with this Peter Easy men's sweater vest pattern.

Since I settled on a Berroco pattern, I thought I'd check out the Berroco yarn and even though this pattern calls for Berroco Pure Merino, I decided to use the Berroco Vintage.


It's a Medium Weight yarn (4) and even though the pattern calls for size 8 needles, I ended up using size 7 needles instead, after doing my swatch. (Yes!  I am FINALLY swatching!  I'm lazy no more!)

:)


Putting the Pong design on the sweater was fairly easy.
I used graph paper to draw out my design and then hoped for the best in terms of getting it right in the middle (between the ribbing and the V-neck).

I used a Berroco white and grey and it didn't take much at all!


Wound my skeins using the winding a center pull ball video!

I'd already done this once before a couple of years ago when I made that Relay for Life scarf with space invaders, pong, & Pac Man images!

El Hub found this image for me to go off of.

I've never even played this game!


This is El Hub's "Data Center".


This is where he controls EVERYTHING.

Do Not touch his cables and wires. 

He has them all strategically placed exactly where he wants them.

:)

Friday, December 16, 2011

Free Pattern Friday! - Christmas Edition!

I know I haven't been very consistent with my Free Pattern Fridays and I'm sorry!


I know we're also about a week out on Christmas but here's a free pattern for Felted Bell Ornaments from the Purl Bee!


It's so funny how much design plays into things. 

If I'd just seen these felted bells sitting randomly on a table, I wouldn't even give them two thoughts.

But seeing them hanging on these branches against a white background, I think they are just beautiful!

The winter white really conveys Holidays and Snow.

So Pretty!

I could see these felted bells on a Christmas Tree with Silver balls and white lights.

Gorgeous!

:)

Monday, December 12, 2011

Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year: Tangerine Tango!

Pantone has announced their 2012 Color of The Year and it's

Tangerine Tango!!!



According to the Pantone site:

 Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the
energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Reminiscent of the radiant shadings of a sunset, Tangerine Tango marries the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, to form a high-visibility, magnetic hue that emanates heat and energy.”

I think it's just beautiful!

You know I love my bright colors and especially love ANYTHING orange!


Here are some yarns that come close to this gorgeous color!
Spud and Chloe Sweater in Firecracker (# 7509)

Berroco Weekend in Blood Orange




Cascade 220 Superwash in 907 Tangerine Heather


Debbie Bliss Andes in 22 Burnt Orange
I think I'd like to make myself a triangle shawl in one of these gorgeous shades!

Here's a nice article from Time about how Tangerine Tango is the encouraging color of 2012.

And here's a cute blurb from Bella Sugar on how this shade popped up all over Spring 2012 New York Fashion Week in makeup as well as clothes color!

Love that lippie!


:)

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Crochet in San Francisco...

I saw this woman working on her crochet while sitting in the sun at
Yerba Buena Gardens yesterday, in San Francisco.


El Hub had to go up north for work and you know I just HAD to go too...

:)

So that explains the lack of posts & I'm sorry!

We were in Silicone Valley during the week & then Friday night we went into the city for his team's Holiday Party at the very swanky Mark Hopkins Fancy Dancy Hotel in Nob Hill.



We were able to spend the night there and it was a lovely hotel.

We had a corner room with 2 views of the city.


If you know me at all, you know that I:

Love Chunky Cables!
Love the color Orange!
and LOVE LOVE LOVE San Francisco (and the Bay Area in general).

When I'm in the city, it feels like I'm home.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it to any knit shops in SF or in Silicone Valley...

But I have my SF Yarn Crawl from the past and I'm sure there are some great new yarn shops to explore as well!