12.06.2006

We Interrupt This Post. . .

To bring you:



My brother, making his very first appearance on my blog, and sporting a handknit Gryffindor scarf. Unfortunately for his neck, this was made of the cheapy-cheap stuff (think: less than $10 for a six-foot long, double-sided scarf) because it was originally intended to go with a costume. Ah well, live and learn.

In other news, I have almost all my Christmas shopping done! Well, for my family, anyway. The hubby is still (mostly) present-less. Hey, I'm saving the best for last!

Till next time,
Sarah

12.04.2006

Breaking the Silence

Yes, I realize it has been almost two weeks since my last post.

Yes, I realize I have not posted any photos of anything on two sticks in a very long time.

Unfortunately, it seems that everything I'm knitting these days is either for a gift or for publication, so I've been feeling severely limited as to what I can show here. Maybe I could post some very tiny photos, so you can all get a peek!

At any rate, I will be posting photos of my recent trip to Texas in the very near future. (Meaning, as soon as I find time to download all 200+ of them off my camera! No, I will not be posting all 200. But be warned, I have the cutest nephew in the world.) So, thanks all for your patience and check back soon!

Till next time,
Sarah

PS - I realized this week that I now subscribe to five magazines! And I only have to pay for one of them! Suh-weeeeeet. (I <3 magazines! I <3 people who give me magazine subscriptions as gifts! Yay!)

11.22.2006

My First-Ever-For-Real Knit Gift!

Ah, the joy of being given a handknit! While I do have friends that are crafty, and have been known to receive the occasional handmade gift, I have never known any other knitters, and therefore have never been on the receiving end of the knitting spectrum.

UNTIL TODAY!

Just look at what my fabulous seester sent me in the mail!


What has to be the most adorable clutch of all time. . .

But wait! There's more. . .


What a pretty package!

Not only did I get this fabulous clutch, but it was filled with goodies! A trio of lip glosses, some yummy body butter, and a super-cool Mickey sticker dispenser! Did I win the mail lottery or what?


I <3 the mismatched buttons! *swoon*

The inside has what I can only assume is handsewn lining in a gorgeous plaid! The buttons were a clever departure from the pattern for the addition of an optional strap.


Ribbon straps! In two different colors, no less! I can't decide which one I like more. : )

Now for the real shocker: this was my seester's first knitting project ever! I love that she added her own design element with the straps. Any woman who can look at a knitting pattern and think, "I can improve on that" is definitely a girl after my own heart! One of the things I'm looking forward to with being published is seeing how different people interpret my pattern with their own unique ideas. (That is, assuming someone actually decides to use my pattern. It would kind of be a letdown if no one wanted to make one of my handbags!)

Anyway, I am completely in love with this gift! Hopefully it is the first of many more handmade gifts to come. : )

Till next time,
Sarah

PS - I converted another unsuspecting person into a knitter! *insert maniacal laughter here*

11.15.2006

A Soapbox and a Convertible

After spending an hour and a half last night trying NOT to throw the laptop out the window, I think we are finally virus free. I'll tell you what, folks: when you're running three virus scanning software programs and you still have 20+ extraneous applications running under your screenname, you know you have a problem. I finally decided to get crazy and manually delete the offending programs out of the computer's registry. This is, of course, extremely risky because if you get it wrong, well. . .let's just say that Best Buy has some great deals on new computers right now. However, apparently I didn't delete anything crucial, because after a complete restart, the thing is running lightning-fast, and none of the previous applications are present. Yay!

So that was my soapbox for the day, here's photos of the completed Convertible:


This is the longshot view.

This thing took forever! I have to say, lace is not my favorite. I'm not a huge fan of charting or counting stitches, unless it's for intarsia. At the very least, it doesn't make for mindless knitting. Give me stockinette, a simple two or three-row stitch pattern, or cabling any day over lace this complicated. Ugh.


Here's the closeup.

I was proud of the way this project turned out; I made the cufflinks out of mother-of-pearl buttons and pink crystals, but unfortunately, wrapped them before I remembered to take a photo. Ooops.

I've only got one "real" project on the needles right now, a Christmas surprise. I might show a tiny glimpse of it here later. You'll notice that the Queue has been shortened considerably, as I've recently decided to focus my energy more onto design work. If things go well there, I might add a few projects back to the list; otherwise, I'm trying to de-stress.

Till next time,
Sarah

11.14.2006

As Promised. . .

Some photos from the game!


Here's the hubby, grilling away and being oh, so manly!



Here's me, eating the yummy sausage-on-a-stick, and not being manly at all.

I'm considering our tailgating party a huge success, even though it was about a million degrees outside and the smoke from the grill kept blowing right in our faces. Jonathan proved to be a grillmeister extraordinaire, and got a huge kick out of being asked by some people a few cars down how to make everything work properly. Can we say, "Ego boost?"


Here we are inside the stadium. I think we were about 3 rows from the very back! Still fun, though. . .

I've decided I enjoy football a lot more live than on TV. The endless chatter and statistics of the announcers on TV always bugs the heck outta me; that and the cheesy theme music and pathetic overuse of sound effects. One thing I really liked was how they made use of the JumboTron while the game is being played. The whole game is shown live, just as you would see it on TV. (You can see it in the photo above.) They also show replays, which was great for me, because I must have missed at least three great plays completely, due to watching the wrong guy "carry the ball!" Those fakeouts got me every time. The replays are also loads of fun on the questionable calls; 70,000+ people booing at the refs!


And finally, here's the KC Chiefs getting beat. . .

I guess that's all I have to show for now. I finally downloaded my pics of Jenni's Convertible, so maybe I'll post those sometime in the next couple of days. (Perhaps she will be generous enough to send her seester a photo of herself wearing it?)

Till next time,
Sarah

11.13.2006

Gettin' Published, Bay-Bee!!!!

What's that? Has one of my patterns been chosen to be published in a magazine, you ask?

WHY, YES INDEEDY!

My partially-felted handbag will be appearing in the February or March issue of MagKnits. Thanks to my MIL for providing the fabulous yarn and needles, and my best friend Laury for modeling (and putting up with my artistic direction during the photography session)!

As this marks the first time one of my patterns has been chosen for publication, naturally I am extremely excited, even more so because this was only my second attempt at being published! I am still hoping that my first pattern submission (a kimono for Knitty) will be chosen for publication when I resubmit in January, as the editor suggested I do. So I guess things are looking bright for my design career!

Meanwhile, my husband and I enjoyed the Dophins/Chiefs game on Sunday, even though the Chiefs lost. Jonathan's trying to convince me that I would make a great cheerleader; I think "doofus of the football field" would be more appropriate. I guess the prep classes are for people like me. It would certainly be a great motivation to go to the gym, so I might just give it a shot. If for no other reason, it would be fun to say I had once auditioned to be an NFL cheerleader.

Tailgating pictures later!

Till next time,
Sarah

11.08.2006

It's the Most Wonderful Time. . .

Of My Year!

Yep, Christmas is just around the corner, and those of you who are also knitters know what that means: time to kick those needles into high gear! As you'll note on the sidebar, the Queue is getting longer and longer. I have several projects planned for friends and family; some of them will by necessity be "Mystery Projects," so as not to spoil the fun, but I think I'll safely be able to demonstrate progress on a few of them. I'm quite excited about making up a yoga bag, inspired by the one shown in Lion Brand's new catalog, Page 6. It will be in a variegated blue yarn with bits of sparkle throughout, stitched nice & tightly in this stitch pattern. (My new favey, I think! Pretty from both sides!) Also, I'll be doing a matching set of scarves, a hat for my nephew, and a few other odds and ends. Add to that list a need to finish reknitting my kimono by January 5 for submission to Knitty's Spring Issue, and obviously, I'm going to be keeping busy.

Here's the item of the day:


3-D Cookie Cutters from Williams Sonoma! I'm SO getting me some of these...

Photo updates coming...sometime. There's a lot going on this week: medical dinner tonight, Into The Woods on Friday (1st time in a theater in a year and a half....that's a record for me!), Wayfest all day Saturday, then the Big Game on Sunday! I'm really excited about attending my first-ever NFL game with the hubby! We're planning a simple tailgating "party" before the game...gotta do it right, people! Wish us luck with the portable grill/cooler thingy!

Till next time,
Sarah

Go Chiefs!

11.03.2006

I'm Still Alive!

Yep, still here! Just finished updating the sidebar, so check that out for current progress. I've got pictures of a new finished object and a WIP that I'm hoping to post sometime this weekend!

My brother's & seester's birthday box didn't get stolen out of the mail! Phew! (Always insure your packages, people! Especially the boxes that have gifts...that you marked "Happy Birthdays" on. Yes, especially those. Even if the postal worker forgets to offer it to you. Because otherwise, you will live in FEAR for 4-5 days. So, take heed.)

While you're waiting for the next fabulous post, here's something to entertain yourselves with in the meantime. Enjoy!

Till next time,
Sarah

10.23.2006

And the winner is. . .

Jeffrey!

Yep, Jeffrey took Bryant Park by storm with a well-thought out and creative collection. His risky fabric choices and inventive finishing methods appealed to the judges, who decided that he should, in fact, become the next great American fashion designer. (America's Next Top Model, anyone?) Now, overall I agree that Jeffrey's collection was fashion-forward; but Jeffrey, the next great American fashion designer? No, for two reasons. First, while Jeffrey possesses the innovation and go-for-it attitude that is so necessary for success in the fashion industry, his style of designing appeals only to a very limited crowd. Which leads us to the second reason, which is: Jeffrey has already found his niche in the design world with that crowd. He founded hugely popular Cosa Nostra in Los Angeles, catering to stars such as Gwen Stefani, Billy Bob Thornton and Red Hot Chili Peppers. In fact, he is already so well rooted in the industry that his line is currently being sold in exclusive stores around the world. So: Is Jeffrey talented? Yes! Is Jeffrey going to be showing at Bryant Park next year? Or ever again? Not likely. Jeffrey, like Chloe of Season 2, is going to go back to his business in his hometown, albeit with greater fame than previously, and continue the course already set. He will experience a spike in sales, along with greater interest in his work, that's true. But winning Project Runway will not change Jeffrey Sebelia's life. Not, at least, to the extent that it would have for Michael Knight, Uli Herzner, or even Laura Bennett! (However, from all appearances, Laura Bennett could pull $100,000.00 "out of her ass" and be up and running in no time flat...)

The final show began with a continuation of the drama begun the previous week: Bravo's Great Inquisition of Jeffrey. To make a long and virtually pointless story short, it is declared that Jeffrey has not cheated and the designers are told that they may all proceed to show at Bryant Park the following day. Jeffrey breaks down into tears of joy, and the rest of the designers sense their impending doom on the runway.

On to the show! Jeffrey showed first, then Laura, Uli, and finally, Michael. (I'm giving you the real-life order of the day, not the Bravo version.) My absolute favorite design of the day was Uli's swimsuit:

That gorgeous, flowing wrap actually detaches from the O-ring on the bikini top! I am SO doing this to one of my swimsuits. Great idea! This one got a round of applause from the audience.

For the sake of giving credit where credit is due, here's Jeffrey's line:
This show-starter was different, in a Jeffrey kind of way. I'm not a huge fan of the polka dots, but at least the design is interesting.


Oh, the swimsuit. I just...don't get it. Sorry. But, I do like the shape of the bottom! Very retro 50's, so the polka dots work here.


I'm not crazy about the nude gauze over the red & white polka dot shown here, but whatever. To me, this looks more like a nighty than a dress.


Polka dots again! How many looks did he need to do with this print? The show is already 1/3 over and we haven't seen anything other than red, white and nude sheers! I do like the multiple straps over the bare midriff though, and apparently, the white leather jeans were killer!


Loved this half & half halter, but really now. How much would he have to charge for this in a showroom? I'm guessing five hudred at least and likely more, and I just don't see paying that for this dress. Especially since it seems to be made of some kind of cotton.


This one escapes me completely.


More white leather jeans, a quilted leather vest, and a shimmery tank top. Well, it's definitely different! I love the bag, though.


This is pretty, and an interesting combination of fabrics, but don't bend over, girl! I see London, I see France, but I really don't want to see the model's underpants!


I have no idea how this was supposed to fit into the collection as a whole. Who else would put a red and white polka-dotted bathing suit and a navy satin evening gown in the same collection? No one. Then again, maybe that's why the judges liked him so much. . .


Ugh. To quote Catherine Malandrino, "No. No. No. No. No."


Now this, I liked, especially the jacket. (Not, of course, that I would wear it unless I happened to be directing the circus one day...) And is that another pair of white leather jeans I see?


Jeffrey's final (and signature) model, Marilinda, wore a stunning green and silver striped dress. You can't tell from this photo, but Jeffrey decided to use half-zippers as trim for the bodice of this dress! Genius, I say! (But again, not something I personally would wear.)


So that's that. I might give my comments on the other designers' collections sometime in the near future; if you want to see them in the meantime, be sure to stop by Bravo's website.

Runners up were Uli in second place, Laura in third place, and Michael unfortunatley in last place.

Can I just say how thrilled I am that the top three out of the final four designers were self-taught? (Michael has a degree in Apparel Design and Merchandising.) This becomes an even bigger deal when you stop to consider that only five out of the original fifteen designers were self-taught. (The other two were Malan, who showed in New York during fashion week, and Keith, who undoubtedly would've been in the final four if he hadn't been booted early.) That gives me so much more confidence when considering whether to audition for a later season of the show! (Yes, friends, that will probably happen at some point, but likely not for Season 4 because of prior commitments. Well, maybe just for kicks...)

Knitting updates soon! I promise. Got some lovely cashemere to show ya...

Till next time,
Sarah

10.18.2006

Random Blogthing Day!

I Am Pretty Logical

You're a bit of a wizard when it comes to logic
While you don't have perfect logic, you logic is pretty darn good
Keep at it - you've got a lot of natural talent in this area!


Finale of PR tonight! I fully expect Michael to win tonight; then again, so does everyone, and when has the person we all expected to bring home the gold ever been proclaimed the winner? I know a lot of people are pulling for Jeffrey, but he doesn't deserve to win just because he got sober and had to put up with a little crap from Laura. So there. Oh. . .and I don't think they're really going to boot him tonight. Quote me as saying I think the whole ordeal is just a bunch of Laura-inspired Bravo drama. And speaking of Laura, I'd say she has a chance, except that the winner of last season presented an evening wear collection (if you can call what Chloe Dao sent down the runway evening wear), and I doubt Bravo would go for that twice in a row. So, go Uli!

If you haven't seen them yet, now's your last chance to view the designers' final collections before tonight's show!

Till next time,
Sarah

10.12.2006

The End

Lemony Snicket's 13th book in A Series of Unfortunate Events is due out tomorrow. Click here to read the first chapter.

Till next time,
Sarah

10.11.2006

A Flock of Frickin' Photos

Okay, so it's been awhile since I posted anything actually worth looking at. And I've been lazy about the PR updates, too. Sue me. Bravo has a website if you want updates, people! ; ) Actually, I got disinterested about posting on the weekly shows as soon as the Olympus Fashion Week photos came out.

But today! Today we have pictures. Crafty-related pictures, no less! But first, I bring you:


Excitement at the workplace!

Those are my coworkers huddled in the bottom righthand corner of the photo. Yes, last week there was a fire in one of the elevator shafts, prompting the evacuation of our entire, 14-story building. Good times, family fun.

And speaking of family fun. . .


Okay, that one's for my lady friends out there.

I was trying to take a photo of the firemen surrounded by a bevy of females, but this is what I got instead. To prove I am not making this up, here's a shot of said group of women walking away:


See? Not lying. There they go!

I'm infamously bad at framing photos. Once, I actually took a picture of one of my friends and her sister in front of a ride at Disney World...well, I tried to, anyway. What she actually wound up with is a nice photo of a 20-something guy in front of the ride at Disney...you could barely see part of my friend's arm at the edge of the photo. (Remember that, Courtney?) I am working on my photography skills, though:


See? Nice and artsy.

I did have an interesting shot of a couple dozen people standing around in the parking garage, waiting for the all clear, but it was too dark to post.

On to the craftyness! I've been productive in my absence:


Pillows for Laury's new house!

Allrighty, that's it for now. Really.

Till next time,
Sarah

10.03.2006

You saw them here first...

Unless, of course, you saw them somewhere else first.

For your viewing and commenting pleasure...

Who do you think is going to win?

Till next time,
Sarah

9.25.2006

It's a bird...It's a plane...

No, it's a doggy sweater for my nephew's third birthday!



Here's the original inspiration:



All things considered, I'm proud of my replication of this design without a pattern. I would've bought the pattern, but it only came in French, so I thought I'd save myself the trouble. Heh. Here's hoping my version fits over the kid's head. My husband made the comment that, because of the coloring, the sleeves looked like the dog's ears. I hadn't thought of it that way before, but I can see it now and I think it's totally cute!

And, because I'm so proud of my finishing work, here are a few more gratuitous shots:


Intarsia all the way, bay-bee! Wouldn't the Rabbit would be proud?


The no-sew hem using a provisional cast on is my new favorite. Wow, that looks good!

Heck, since I'm on a roll, I might as well show another finished object:


Gryffindor!

Yup, finally done with that one... Originally this was intended to go with my Hermione Granger costume, but I think I'll just sell it on eBay instead. Unless of course, my brother *actually* wants it...

Well, that's all the photos I have to show this time! More coming soon of my progress on Convertible! Check the sidebar for updates!

Till next time,
Sarah

9.21.2006

Curious...

When an unfashionable person tells you they like what you're wearing, should that be perceived as a fashion compliment, or red flag?

Till next time,
Sarah

PS - Go vote for my threadless slogans!

9.19.2006

Sock Swap Sock Box!

Say that out loud, and see how fun it is!

Oh yes, it's here! Look at what I got in the mail:

What could it be?


Goodies, of course!

WOW!

Turns out Krista is the best pal EVER! She totally overloaded me with goodies, including not only the softest, best fitting sock ever knitted...



...but numerous other things as well, including a fabulous beachy-tote bag, oatmeal cream pies (my FAVEY!), handmade saltwater taffy (yum!), not one but TWO awesome magazines (Vogue Knitting and Cooking Light), stitch markers, the sweetest smelling water-free soap in existence (Bath & Body Works' Pink Grapefruit), a journal (for "blogging when the power's off"), Laura Ashley notecards, a flashlight (I needed that!), and much, much more. A huge, heartfelt THANK YOU!!!!! to my awesome pal, Krista. Also, a shout out to Christy for putting the whole thing together! I'm already looking forward to next year! : )

Till next time,
Sarah

9.14.2006

The Show Must Go On

And it will go on, tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM, to be precise. Yes, that's right kids, our favorite four Project Runway designers (that's right, I said four; however, only three will be competing to win) are showing their brand-new collections tomorrow morning at Bryant Park in New York. So, while we're all tucked into our nice, warm beds sleeping soundly, these lucky troopers will likely be pinning, hemming, and having a last-minute freak out session at some ungodly hour in the morning. Good luck to Michael, Uli, Laura and Jeffrey!

Oh, and for the real die-hards, Jay McCarroll (winner of PR Season 1) is having his debut the same day at 5:00 PM, also in Bryant Park. Good luck, Jay!

Till next time,
Sarah

9.13.2006

More free patterns!

We all know the new Knitty is out, but have you visited Garnstudio lately? A seemingly little-known but fabulous design and yarn company based out of Norway, they have a lot to offer in the way of free patterns. Here, interesting design teams up with frequent new patterns to create a truly delightful spot to visit! Be sure to check out their newest patterns, as well as their extensive pattern archive when you visit.

The free Honey of a Hurricane sock pattern has been updated. Someone complained bitterly about my using "her" diagram for the figure eight cast-on, so all reference to the pattern giving inspiration for this design has been pulled. Play nice, I give you a good review and a link back to your site; play nasty, you get axed. There is now a handy-dandy link to Knitty's tutorial, for those of you who don't know how to do a figure eight cast-on. I will still be happy to provide credit where credit is due, so if you'd like to know where I got the original toe-up idea from, please let me know. Otherwise, we'll call it good. : )

Till next time,
Sarah

Episode 9

Okay, okay. Enough free patterns and knitting posts. Back to Project Runway!

For this episode the designers, still in Paris, are challenged to design an evening gown using classic couture methods for detailing and finishing (Read: by hand). They are given only TWO DAYS to complete this project. One designer poorly opted for Malan-style ruching of the bodice of his gown, and yet another sadly resorted to not a needle and thread to finish his hem, but a bottle of GLUE. No, no, no, no, no!

Here's the winner:

By Jeffrey
Well, as Tim Gunn said, he certainly took more risk than the other designers. But...a yellow plaid cotton evening dress? With a slit up to there? It did seem very couture (certainly more so than the others), but I don't see this going anywhere except down a runway.


And the loser is:

VINCENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally! Need I really say more?


Here are the others:

By Kayne
I have to say that I loved this dress. The only possible explanation I can think of for the judges hatred of it is that the black boning must have looked really awful in person. When I first saw Kayne with a pile of stiff gold mesh on his worktable, I was concerned. However, I felt that this final result was beautiful, had great movement, and was very refined. At least, for Kayne. I say, gorgeous, dahling! Simply gorgeous! (Except for that weird assymetrical lacing up the back...that was just weird.)


By Laura
Ummmm....Laura? I think the pregnancy is getting to you. Now, when I'm designing something personally, I will generally first ask myself, "What would you NOT do in this situation?" and then proceed to do exactly that, but really now. A long-sleeved WOOLEN evening gown? Why don't you just put some fuzzy slippers on her and send her to bed? Yeeps.


By Michael
For those of you who watch the show, did you think the "bunny ears" looked quite as bad on the model in Paris as in the U.S.? I didn't. I thought they looked considerably worse in the States - possibly because the fit was way, way off.


What do you think? It would have helped had one of his models actually had breasts, yes? Overall, a huge misstep for Michael. But since it's his first one all season, we'll cut him some slack.


By Uli
Is it just me, or does this remind you of Santino's dress for Nicky Hilton last season? Here, decide for yourself:


Maybe it's just me, but other than the length and the distressed fabric, this is essentially the same gown. Even the color is close! Sorry, but that's all I could think of when I saw this dress.


Laura is definitely going to be showing at fashion week this year. People Magazine made an oopsy last week and stated that she is "currently at home on a break during taping," which means that she is working on her collection, otherwise she would just be off the show, not on a "break". As far as the other three go (remember the top four designers will most likely be showing, though only three will be eligible to win), at this point I'm still betting on Uli, Michael and Jeffrey. There seems to be a change of direction as the judge's favor goes, and I'm guessing that Jeffrey is going to be in the top three, and that either Uli or Laura will be the wildcard fourth designer. Unless of course, Laura just freaks out tonight designing for the mysterious "Olsen twins" and gets Auf'd instead of Kayne. Wouldn't that just be a surprise? ; )

Till next time,
Sarah

9.12.2006

Free Pattern Day - Hurricane Socks!

Here it is guys, my Hurricane Sock, free to all! Please leave a comment if you have questions! Enjoy!

Honey of a Hurricane Socks


Download the PDF for free, here. Add it to your Ravelry queue, here.

Enjoy, guys! Remember to leave a comment if you have a question!

Till next time,
Sarah

Mission accomplished!

Well, for lack of any posts of my own with knitting content, go check out Laura's site today! She got her Hurricane Sock Swap box, and she likes it! And the sock even fits, and everything!


See?

Can I steal this as my own knitting post today? It does have something to do with me, after all...hehehe...

Till next time,
Sarah