Hats 2012 in motion

It's hats galore I take.  I love making hat and this year , there are two hats in the works and there are three hats on the back burner.  You see some green on the picture, is a hat for the fall.  The ideas are in my head.  There is a hat in black and white and the far right hat is another pattern in the works. I have a name for the black and white, the other two need names.  It is Saint Patrick's day and is almost time for the gym.  I am wearing my favorite green item on Saint Patty's 2012. Thanks for stopping by!

Tapestry Crochet WIP 2012

It is amazing how these hats all look the same on the inside, but turn them around and the view is different.  I am working on my next hat to be published, it is the most asked about Hat I have in my collection, The Philosopher's Hat.  I am almost done testing the crown and will be testing the Head Band  soon.  This hat came to life at the 1st Men Fall Knitting Retreat in 2008.  Sometimes the hats I make are like drawings are to a design.  Sometimes I make patterns while making the hat, but most times I make a Hat and then create the pattern.  It is gratifying both ways, just different.

I am still working on my First Knit Fair Isle Hat for sale, soon to be published.  Life is busy and I am enjoying my creative endeavors.  Once in a while I read a book, but then I have time to weave and spin. Thanks for stopping by!

Hiya Hiya 000-000 0.7 mm

This babies are small and very delicate. This is a pair of Hiya Hiya circular needles on size 000-000 (6) Zeroes, you got it right. I got them from http://eatsleepknit.com  They are joined by a very delicate thread which I will say is some kind of fishing nylon. It looks strong, the needles actually look like a good set of needles. My review at this moment is that I like them. I will make a swatch with different yarns and see how they come out. That is an American dime and an American quarter used for scale purposes. They say the are made out of steel. Well until I work with them during this weekend I can not tell you what they knit like. They feel very delicate, but nonetheless are strong and flexible. I did not know they made knitting needles this small. I know there are scientific and medical instruments even smaller. Until later with swatches, thanks for stopping by!

Testing 123 , Kauni Yarns

I have never made anything from this yarn, until I decided to design a hat with it.  I got it at Stitches West, and there was a lot of hovering around the skeins.   Kauni is one of the most excellent yarns I have seen. I just like the texture of it, how easy it fuses when you want to join. It is light. I just made a Fair Isle hat,(which will be published soon), with a mere 50 grams of the stuff. Yes you heard me right, you got 150 grams of Kauni in a variegated version and a Solid and you can make 5 wool hats. The hat is light like a feather.

So what else could I do, retest the pattern by knitting the opposites now and see what a wonderful combination is going to be.  I have to say I am in love with this yarn. In my opinion it is a good investment. Stay tuned to the pattern next week.  Thanks for stopping by!

The Design Bug

I enjoy designing patterns, but I work at my own pace.What does that really mean? It means I work as inspiration strikes me.  There are times when my  mind gets a designer's block and I need to work it mentally. I am not a designer for company deadlines as that cuts my inspiration like nothing.  Talking about inspiration, there is something coming out soon, it is my first published design by a by yarn company in Tapestry Crochet, but until it comes out it is a secret indeed. 

On another note I am hoping to have a new design for a hat for Malabrigo yarns, but that has to reveal itself to me .  I will have the idea and submit it to them, then we can chat a bit about it. In the meantime I will see what it is I want to do with the Arroyo Malabrigo yarns.  There is a local Yarn Store which I used to go often, It is the best store in the area, but I can tell you I am not visiting it for at least a year.  Yep they have upset me to the point that I don't care if they exist or not.  I will buy my yarn from other places, but you will not get my money until I get over my being upset with you.  More Over I believe I may buy back my patterns and get my samples back, but I rather go to another store which I think will appreciate my art more.  We shall see, at this time anger is talking and I don't really allow anger to color my actions. When I stop being upset I will really make a decision, but for now I am not stepping into that store.

Sometimes you get inspiration from the akashic records, believe it or not. It is said that the world of ideas is were all the ideas are and we grasp them as we tap into it.  I have been blessed with  two hat designs and a Teddy Bear to design in the next month or so.  Above is a hat that has charts and is a fun hat to make, to your surprise and mine is KNIT.  It is a  Fair Isle Hat with a folded brim, I am hoping to have the design within the month of March 2012.

Then you have the Teddy Bear which I am designing I have done the body and the legs , I am really liking the pattern a lot and it is what I wanted to do. 
 
Here above is the hat that I am working on Tapestry Crochet, it will be an amazing hat, but I will start on it next week, maybe Wednesday.  

Triad and Gloves for the IPAD, Tablets

These are cards that are for playing the game  from the series.  I have not opened them yet, but I got some extra ones for a gift.  I am in a swap and I hope my swapper is not reading this, but it is a BSG Ravelry Group and these are Triad Playing Cards. If you are in the group you need to keep complete silence or I will have  the Centurions go and pay a visit to you. I want to learn it myself. The cards and the gloves I got them from one of my favorite online shops http://www.Thinkgeek.com

The gloves are fantastic and you can use them to work on your phone or tablet while they are on.  Imagine when you are out in the cold and your phone rings.  Or you are home and is a bit cold and you want to use your tablet. This is fantastic, I got a pair for me and one for Michael.  I also got some stainless steel thread from another company to do something with my other gloves. Thanks for stopping by!

More Loot from Stitches West 2012

These were more of my loot from Stitches West 2012.  There were lots of beautiful yarns believe me, but I was not really inspired to get anything, because I have so much yarn in my opinion.  I do want to use my yarn to the point that I can say I need to buy yarn. I bought this fiber to make yarn to make Teddy bears, that will be handcrafted with my own pattern.  I am working on the pattern as we speak.

 
As in humans if the fiber has a perfect color, believe me is dyed or over dyed to give it that perfect coloration that some people like.  All these fibers were great buys in my opinion, and soon I will take a Saturday to do some spinning on my wheel.

Finally, I got so spend some time with some of my Fiber Friends.  I got to see my Favorite people, like Antonio Gonzalez Arnao, the Owner  and founder of Malabrigo, met his beautiful wife Clara and had a chit chat with him about their new beautiful DK weight yarn, Arroyo!  I got to spend some time with Karin Skacel,  this Lady is amazing and so full of energy.  I tell you if you don't get energized by her, you must be dead .  Michele is another lady that works in the Skacel booth, she is a very talented gal.  On my rounds at Stitches I got to visit with the Other Michele from "Toot's Leblanc".  Michele Camacho  and her brother have a special place in my heart, they taught me how to sell my patterns, They have  one of my patterns for sale, Capello Di Lana. I was very happy to meet Drew Emborski "The Crochet Dude" in person, and had a fun chat.

The trip to Stitches West from San Francisco is a bit long, but no driving. I take the Local Light Rail, MUNI to the Civic Center, then Transfer into BART until you get to Millbrae.  At Millbrae you go up and cross the tracks to the CalTrain area taking the train toward San Jose-Gilroy, until you arrive to Mountain View Station.  The trip is fun and not boring at all, unless you make it everyday.  In Mountain View you cross the tracks until you get to the VTA area and take the train toward Winchester. You  conclude your trip when you arrive at the Great America Stop.  Every year this is a great venue to and just see what kind of fun stuff is there. A Verb  for Keeping Warm always having a great booth and so many artists and  great local people.

My Fiber Friends Chuck W., Kyle, John S., WonderMike, Stephen H. Tom B., Morgan , Carson, Nathan, Tim, Catherine, Betsy, Maia, Kristine, Peter F., Penny, Cay, Kris, and many others that I can not recall at this moment, but that I was very glad to say hi and enjoy some time with them as well. Thanks for stopping by!