sponsor giveaway ~ classic cable knits

welcome classic cable knits! christina, the lovely knit wear designer of classic cable knits, has generously offered a giveaway. creating knitting patterns is a very special talent (how do they do it?) so i asked christina if she would tell a little about her creative journey...

classic cable knit photo

how you came to knit and then design?
I have an intensely creative mom (for proof you can check out her lovelywatercolors – every time she paints sheep I swoon) and grew up surrounded by art and making things from nothing. When I was about 6 she taught me to crochet. That bug lasted until I was about 13. I rarely used a pattern but would crochet slippers, hats, lace collars for my sisters and mom for Christmas. When I was 14 I decided I wanted to learn to knit a sweater. I saved up my lawn mowing money and went to the local yarn shop where I was guided to a horrible drop-shoulder pattern in bulky yarn. Long story – but it was a horrible sweater to wear. The yarn shop had not been very friendly to a 14-year-old beginner so instead of going back there I went to the library. Guess who I should discover at the library? Yep! Elizabeth Zimmermann. Zimmermann exudes confidence and I soaked it up. I started to knit my own sweaters with my own measurements and my own designs. I still have a black, dk weight cable sweater I made myself. Oh, for teenage eyes! I don’t know if I will ever attempt a solid black sweater now, but I thought nothing of is as a teenager.

Speeding ahead ten + years, when I was married and transitioning from a full-time court reporting career to stay-at-home motherhood I worked at a yarn shop (not the one I went to when I was 14). Not only did I learn a lot at the shop but I found that customers wanted my designs! I was amazed! I never wrote anything down except my gauge and a few numbers so it was a bit transition for me. But the pattern sold well at the shop and I was launched into designing.

classic cable knit photo

your inspiration for patterns?

My inspiration comes from many places – books, stories, something I see in a shop window, the yarn or movies. Rose Petals was a shawl I designed in the summer of 2012 and I drew the inspiration for that from my “New Dawn” climbing rose out my kitchen window. Right now I am smitten by the book,“Call the Midwife” by Jenny Worth and the TV series that accompanies it. I really, really, really want to knit a maroon sweater like the one they wear on the TV series. Whether it will be just for myself or a pattern for others too, we shall see. 

classic cable knit photo

classic cable knit photo

how you go about the process...

Usually my designs start out with a sketch (where I wish I could draw), a photo clipping perhaps, and yarn swatching. Then I write out all my calculations for my size, begin to knit and adjust the calculations depending on if I like how things are coming out. Then I calculate each size on its own. I suppose there are faster ways of doing it but I really like the simplicity of a pen, paper and calculator. 

classic cable knit photo

and of course anything else you'd like to add.

I’m an avid tea drinker –Indian tea with milk, no sugar, please. I love bargain/vintage hunting at local second hand shops – especially when I can find a vintage sweater. And… I love gardening – especially when it comes to roses. Yep, I nurture a compost pile just for my roses.

thank you so much christina for sharing here, your talents are truly inspiring. christina has offered one pattern of choice to 5 readers. go here to see all designs (the above photos are a few of my favorites)  then leave a comment on this post and the winners will be chosen by random number generator saturday, january 19th. good luck to you!

thank you classic cable knits!

hakuna matata

meet pumba

i love this warthog pattern recently released by the incredibly talented south african designer linda dawkins.  and i've been in love with the comically personable ngiri, that is swahili for warthog, or as more commonly known, pumba, since first seeing it in east africa! linda has a pattern for a meercat as well, pumbas pal timon. oh though maybe you haven't heard of timon and pumba? they are characters from disney's movie, the lion king. knitting the little toy, while watching the movie, while singing hakuna matata, which means no worries, made for one lovely afternoon of day dreaming and remembering...

....it was twelve years ago, we were in kenya, having just gotten out of our vehicle to take a short walk to view hippos in a nearby river, my first time in africa and i must have had a little worried (terrified!) look on my face, when one of these gentlemen warriors escorting us said 'hakuna matata mma'. tee hee, and it worked! no more worries! 

here is my warthog tusk given by a zimbabwean friend, it measures over seven inches in length and is very heavy. even though warthogs are cute they are best admired at a distance. to make your own pumba, you can find the pattern here. thank you linda for all the good memories and fun! joining with ginny and the yarnalongers here.

p.s. oops, forgot to share the book part of yarnalong, i'm reading san miguel by t.c. boyle, it is a historical fiction written about the channel islands off our shores here in california. interesting. at the same time, reading the lord of the rings, beginning with the dear hobbit. :)

making pi

thank you. for each comment, every word on my last post. heaven only knows how grateful i am,

though i hope you do too. 

last summer i made a pi shawl, jared floods 'leaves of grass'. before it was even finished and off the needles there were dreams of another. although the knitting looks quite complicated, i assure you it is not. 

(if you knit, would you like to make one too?)

 this week a knit along is beginning, for 'leaves of grass' (i'm hoping you'll join)

here is the one i made a few months ago (you can do it!)

wool chosen, waiting to be knit up. sitting upon my christmas present, a new electric stove! temperatures have dropped to the thirties through the night, and snow even made an appearance on the mountains behind us a few days ago, this little fireplace warms things up!

the knit along began on january first. melissa, of girls in sheeps clothing, hosting this kal says that everyone is welcome, there is still time to join. if you have had a desire to make a pi shawl...wouldn't it be fun to knit one together? ( i would love it if you did) and please believe me this one is very simple. there is something about a knit along to offer friendship, help and support if you need it. this shawl calls for approximately 1375 yards of fingering weight wool. although the last one i made was blanket size and made out of worsted. it took closer to 2000 yards. would you like to see where the leaves of grass shawl blanket i made ended up?

it's been adopted and is happily living in brooklyn nyc. the above photo came with this email...
subject: blanket being put to good use.
message: we're cold and we're all wrapped up in momma girl's love
my feelings: indescribable

here is all the info you need to join in:
the knit along : girls in sheeps clothing
the pattern : jared floods 'leaves of grass'
me, if you have any questions: lorix5@hotmail.com
it would be wonderful to see you there!

there's no place like home

hello dear friends. how are you? i am fine, feeling a bit out of practice here, unable to find my voice for a time. i've been home. spending many hours in my favorite place, my room pictured above. it could be said i was alone, but that is far from true. you see, evidence of friendship surrounds me here. friendships made where i live and in the not so virtual blog world.

even though i wish it came natural for me to talk about what's inside my heart, and how it's been hurt, it is easy telling you that your kindness and concern towards me is like a warm hug that makes all the difference. thank you for checking in, my mom always did say i had the very best friends.

moving into light...did you have a good christmas? would you like to hear my favorite christmas story this year? first, four of my children came home for the holidays, always the best gift of all (but look what my baby girl, who turned twenty two this month, gave to me: a day we spent together here. heaven.) my middle son didn't come, staying instead at his home in brooklyn. so i prepared a box for him, christmas in a box. inside went a string of lights, packaged cocoa and marshmallows, a new mug. his stocking stuffed and gifts wrapped. i filled the box to the brim, if he couldn't be home for christmas, i would send it to him (and a little of me as well). off it went the beginning of december, feeling pretty pleased i had finally been so organized. i let him know to be on the lookout, and he was happy too   :)
days went by and the box had not arrived. i tried not to worry, but did anyway. on saturday december twenty second, the message came, still no box, and my heart sank. we weren't sure if there would be delivery's on the twenty fourth, i tried not to cry, he would be okay i reasoned, it would be okay.

christmas eve. still no box. erik went off to his job that evening. i couldn't sleep thinking about it. after everyone went to bed i sat up with all the lights dimmed, sitting alone with the twinkling tree, when i saw my phone light up too. it was exactly midnight, what? who?

it was my son. he had just gotten home from work, it was three a.m., christmas morning. and he was calling to tell me that there on his doorstep, was the box. christmas had arrived! (santa clause!) maybe i am just turning into a silly old woman? but i truly had the feeling that nothing else mattered. the thing i wished for most of all came true. and that is what i wish for you in the coming year, along with much health and happiness and astonishment and love, that you have the complete and total feeling of nothing else mattering every once in a while.
wishing you the happiest of new years, welcome twenty thirteen.  :)

wanted

the suspect

the crime

the look.
oh owen!

: :

thanksgiving 2011

in a giveaway, i won a skein of lovely vivid wool from luna grey fiber arts. after being discovered almost immediately by my nine year old granddaughter sadie, who squealed with delight at seeing the colorful yarn, 'make me something out of this grammy?! socks? please?' 

 i made a wrap bracelet to match her new socks, a tiny crochet loop and button closes it. since these will be part of her christmas present, as well as a few other knits to gift this year, i found some labels to sew on, made by soak. i love these fabric care tags with fun sayings! i bought a few individual packs of soak to include with each knit. a bit of added insurance for sending these precious handmades out into the world.  :)   since this is a yarnalong post, and that means sharing knitting and reading, with the snow child still on my mind i haven't begun any new books yet, but have just bought this yesterday and ordered this, more alaska goodness.

tomorrow will be our first thanksgiving with just one child coming home. my other four are all around the country (and world), one is in tokyo, two are in brooklyn ny, one is in arizona, and the grandchildren up near yosemite. i cried last month just thinking about it! but as my thoughtful kids said to me, we will have other together years ahead!

happy thanksgiving american friends, from our family to yours
peace and love to everyone

: : 

child's sock pattern found here :: spud & chloë

beautiful wool here :: luna grey fiber arts     

icord bracelet ::  cast on three stitches and work an icord for 21" or the length needed to wrap around the wrist three times. k 2 tog, then k 2 tog again, ending with one stitch. using this last stitch, single crochet about a half inch or long enough to go around your chosen button. attach button. done!

ravelry notes :: here

joining with ginny :: here

juneau ~ ice and wool

thank you so very much for the kind comments on my reindeer shawl!(previous post)  i'm happy to report the weather has turned cold here on the coast of california and i've been able to wear it! i want to apologize for going on about alaska, but there is just a bit more to share. 

we left skagway sailing south to juneau, encountering the stormiest seas i've ever been in! since most of the cruising is done through the night, we slept through it, waking though to a salt splashed balcony and sliding doors! welcome to juneau...

a charming picturesque frontier town

commercial fishing

looking around early morning, before our super exciting excursion today...

we are taking a guided hike on the mendenhall glacier, by helicopter!

here we go! it's so loud in here we have to wear headphones and communicate with the pilot and each other through a special mouthpiece

what you don't see right beside me is my sister and our two friends. one person was sobbing (terrified), one was laughing and one was videoing the whole thing, i don't want anyone to feel bad so i won't show those photos (i was consoling, laughing and photographing!)

up we go

in the distance is the juneau icefield we're headed for. when first we arrived at the airport and northstar trekking, we were taken into a gear room where we found bags with our names attached. having previously filled out a form giving our age, height and weight (and signing our lives away) we put on the thick snow pants, wind jacket, gloves, heavy snow boots and a small waist pack provided. you are only allowed to bring what will fit in the pack

we then had to meet for a safety briefing (and to sign more waivers). here is our pilot paul, he was pointing out mountains and glaciers that i immediately forgot the names of

except this, this is the tongass national forest

approaching the snow now

since i was only allowed one lens on the helicopter, i brought a 20-35mm, so you can see...

we flew very close

pilot paul pointed out giant fissures and huge crevasses

he showed us canada in the far distance

we have flown in a very large circle, coming down now towards the mendenhall glacier

eeps. in a helicopter, sitting beside the door as i was, the window goes all the way down to the floor, so it kind of feels like you are going to fall out. it's thrilling and unnerving

mostly thrilling

here is the person videoing, sitting next to the person weeping (feeling much better as soon as we landed)

the mendenhall glacier

looking back

you can just see the helicopter blade in this photo

those are HUGE deep cracks in the ice

we're here!

there is another helicopter just like the one we're in

there it is! the helicopter we just arrived on! a guide ran up to us and with the rotor blades still spinning, she flung open the door and said walk over there, okay!

we were introduced to our guides, liz, claire and grace, they began attaching the crampons to our boots, and we were given hiking poles

see the tiny people in the foreground? this photo gives an idea of the size of the glacier and those cracks we  saw from the sky

after another brief safety talk we began to hike

it's a bit tricky, every sense was engaged. we were shown how to step, feet shoulder width apart and from heel to toe

we came to a fissure that had rushing water and a deep drop off. our guide showed us how to fill our water bottles with glacier water

good job sis!

we were hesitant to walk on the water. you could see it rushing under the layer of ice

it was stunning, incredible, amazing. the sun was shining, sparkling on the ice and snow, i was trying to take it all in

as we were heading back, one of the guides asked if i'd made my hat. :)
it just so happened that she was a new knitter and loving it, spending her free time here on the mountain (between tours) in this yellow tent, knitting away. my sister laughed that of course i would find a knitter on the top of a glacier, in alaska. we had a fun chat and i promised to send her the pattern for my hat (wishing i had time to sit in that tent and knit awhile with her...)

time to leave, here comes our helicopter, you can just see it in the sky

i've never seen a blue like this glacier blue

on the return we flew straight down the glacier, towards mendenhall lake

whew. thank you paul, what a brilliant experience

on the way back to juneau our group chattered nonstop. we had only an hour or so to see the town (in the morning when we arrived everything was closed). everyone deciding what they would like to do, my sister told everyone what i wanted, so the whole bus was looking for it. hee hee

i was looking for seaside yarns!  running most of the way, we found this wonderful knitting shop...

with only moments to decide, i asked about locally spun and or hand dyed wool. owner melissa showed me to this display, her yarn...hand dyed in juneau, alaska! 

it is the quickest i've ever chosen yarn. this skein looked like the glacier ice and water we'd just experienced!

the most beautiful blue. the skein is a woolly silk lace, 875 yds of 80% merino 20% silk  by 'a tree hugger's wife yarns'. later, i read on the label she also has an etsy shop! you can find melissa and her beautiful yarn here and here

back on board the ship, giddy over the day, so wonderful. it felt like a dream, till we emptied out our packs, and found our mendenhall glacier water! next and last alaska post, we go to ketchikan and then vancouver. thank you so much for coming along!
xxx lori

* for those that have asked, our trip was booked through here
and we took this tour