Such Lovely Things

The Twist Collective Trunk Show last Friday was great fun. Julia brought so many beautiful things. I'm always struck by how much more gorgeous pieces are in person. Photos just don't do them justice. For example, I passed by Broderie and Primrose Path more than once. They are so spectacular in living color that I've already bought the patterns and picked out my yarn! Just as soon as Dad's vest is done, Broderie will be on the needles. Thank you for a wonderful evening, Julia!

The new Fall lines are arriving! New yarns and books are here from Cascade, Classic Elite and more. Jared Flood's new book is here and it is amazing. It's already in its second printing! Namaste bags have arrived too and they're beautiful. I have several pieces on display from Classic Elite and you should stop by and see them. I have a baby blanket that would make even the fussiest baby squeal!

In other knitting news...

Here's the Saturday Night Purse. This has been such a popular class that I've scheduled another for October. Click here for all the details. Isn't it adorable?

We're on our way with the Great North American Afghan. Two squares down, only 22 to go!


Wow, we're awfully busy, aren't we?

Just a little inspiration should do it

When the first issue of Twist Collective came out in the Fall of 2008, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I've been a huge fan of Kate Gilbert forever and have made the Fireside Stocking, the Pearl Buck Swing Jacket, the Clapotis, etc.

But, here in the premiere issue were designs by Kate, Ysolda Teague, Pam Allen, Adrian Bizilia, just to name a few. Wow! What company to keep!

When the Winter issue came out, I thought Miss Cory was going to jump out of her skin. She called me at the Shop,

"Mom, did you see it?"
"See what?"
"The new issue of Twist Collective!"
"Not yet."
"Oh, my God, it has a pattern for the most beautiful coat I've ever seen in my life, ever! I mean ever!"
"Really! What's it called?"
"Sylvi...by Mari Muinonen. I have to make it."

And so it was. She bought the pattern, we got the yarn - a beautiful red chunky; and, she even went out and bought fabric for the lining and a very special fabric from the "Lightening bugs and other mysteries" collection by Heather Ross. It's covered in gnomes of all things. She talked about it constantly to anyone who would listen, ensuring everyone it would be done by the Fall.

She cast on and brought the pattern and yarn to Thanksgiving.

"Good God, Mom, look at the charts!"
"You can get through it - you're a far better knitter than you give yourself credit for. Take it one row at a time."

We got her going and she was off to the races, or so I thought...I only asked about it a few times (a few times more than she wanted). She made mittens to match. And then, nothing. No word of Sylvi from about February on. She'd sort of growl at people if they mentioned it so I stopped talking.

In July, she made this pronouncement:

"I am no longer a knitter."

At first I chalked this up to Post Massachusetts Traumatic Indifference Syndrome (PMTIS) which she suffers from every year after she and the kids spend 3 weeks with my family in Massachusetts. Then she said it again,

"I am no longer a knitter."

Imagine my glee when Julia Farwell-Clay agreed to bring her very own Sylvi as part of the Trunk Show! Julia knit Sylvi and is bringing it the Shop on Friday!

I was going to surprise Miss Cory with this news, but as everyone knows, I can't keep a secret.

"Whaddya think about that, Miss I am no longer a knitter! Julia is bringing Sylvi to inspire you, to get your mojo going."

"WOW!" she said, "Thank goodness it's not Fall yet."

Be sure to join us tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. It will be a rare opportunity to see Cory swoon AND it will be your only Chicago opportunity to meet Julia and see all of the beautiful pieces from the amazing Twist Collective magazine.

Twist Collective Trunk Show - August 21

Be sure to join me for the Twist Collective Trunk Show on Friday, August 21 at 6:00 p.m. You will have an exclusive opportunity to see the beautiful pieces from this rocking online magazine!

The Fall issue will be published on Sunday, August 16, I'm told, and some of the pieces from this brand new issue will be here!

In knitting news, I finished the Saturday Night Purse and it is on display. It's really cute. Speaking of cute, the Baby Surprise Jacket is also on display!

If you're not on my mailing list, you didn't receive the 20% off yarn coupon I recently sent. Sign up now and I'll make sure you receive it! To sign up, go to Nana's Knitting Shop and fill out the sign up information at the top of the page.

See you at the Trunk Show!

TIVO Brain

Do you have TIVO? TIVO is that great little device you connect to your TV that allows you to record shows, record whole seasons of shows in fact that you can play, rewind, fast forward or stop. This wonderous little device also allows you to rewind live shows as you watch them and then slow or fast forward them again. Each night, through the miracle of technology, the schedules for all shows are downloaded so you get the most up to the minute calendar of what's upcoming on the Boob Tube.

I knit at home laying on my couch while watching TV. Propping charts and directions on my knees gets a little precarious, but I manage. And, thanks to the ingenuity of TIVO, I can rewind what I'm watching when my chart falls off my knees or when I have to unexpectedly rip. It's especially useful when I have to count as I can stop the action, count away and resume at the press of a button without missing a scene!

As great as this is, it's done unexpected things to my usually alert little brain. I now find that throughout the day, I try to rewind my life.

I try to rewind the radio on the drive in when I'm lost in thought and something the newscaster says catches my attention.

My brain thinks I can rewind conversations that I realize I wasn't paying attention to - like when my dear husband is talking about the icing point of a motor and unexpectedly asks for an opinion.

"Focus!" my left brain screams to my right, "Focus!" I've always been a great multitasker and TIVO brain is undermining me, or maybe, just maybe, I'm getting old. Ouch.

Speaking of focus...

the Origata pillow for class tonight is finished! Okay, so there's a couple of ends to weave in. Steeking it was very fun - cut right up the back. The construction of this little number is ingenious, but holy finishing work!



The band on Dad's vest is 4 rows from being done and it's magnificent. I'm sad to say that it won't be complete for Dad's birthday on the 15th, but it's definitely, definitely going to fit! That Ann Feitelson is a color genius. If you look really closely you may be able to see that the band is made up of all 10 of the colors! These colors are so close that on the advise of a dear friend, I made up that little color card you see in the photo. What a Godsend that was for my poor addled TIVO brain.