SaunShine

The Blog Has Moved

2010-02-19T12:05:00.001-05:00

This is just an FYI that I've moved my blog to http://sauniellnicole.com/saunshine.

Joy of Sox (Never say never)

2009-09-01T17:57:00.002-05:00

I have learned to never say never.....

Now we know that I'm not big on making intricate socks but when I got an email last summer accepting submissions for this book I decided to give it a go. I was more intrigued by the concept of the book and it got my designer wheels turning. Rarely does the call go out for sexy themed knits. Of course socks keeps it from getting too risque but it pushes the mind to be creative. I came up with some "lace corset" socks.

I got my copy today but I don't think it will be in stores until October. If you're into socks, check it out.

I'm putting out a hit on top-down raglan sweaters

2009-08-21T19:45:00.003-05:00

There.....I've said it!

I've been holding out, trying to be nice but I've had ENOUGH! This Zimmerman thing has gotten out of hand. I've haven't had the time to follow hand-knits as much over the past 2 years but now that I've started paying attention again I'm thoroughly disappointed. Top-down raglan knitting, like a virus, has taken over the hand-knits and it's ridiculous.

Don't get me wrong. Every style has it's place but I'll be damned (excuse my potty mouth) if every sweater you make is suited to be a raglan. There are set-in, dolman, drop sleeves, etc. As a knitter if every sweater you make has raglan sleeves because you don't like making sleeves or sewing seams that is your preference because maybe you like every sweater you own to look the same or just like the act of knitting. As a designer I take real issue. If all you are doing is taking an Elizabeth Zimmerman recipe and throwing in a different stitch pattern.....well let me say it like this... it's like the difference between chefs and cooks. And now we have whole publications chock full of top-down raglan-sleeved sweaters that in no way cater to people, like me, that don't want increase holes in my raglan line or better yet think raglans make me look like I have shoulders like a football player. If it's really raglan sleeves that you like then try designing a sweater where the raglan sleeves need to be sewn in.

So from this day forward, tell your mothers, friends, sisters, brothers, and cousins.....I'm issuing a challenge and I'm putting out a hit out on top-down raglan sweaters. I want to kill this trend before it gets any worse.

Isabel Toledo & the Inauguration Dress

2009-08-12T13:02:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Tammi and I got a chance to go to the Isabel Toledo exhibit at the FIT museum.

The biggest draw to this exhibit is the chance to see the dress that Michelle Obama wore the day of the Inauguration along with many dresses from her collection over the years. When I saw Mrs.O in the dress I was very impressed with it. The simplistic and elegant style appealed to me along with the non-traditional color choice and the way it seemed to shine.

Getting the chance to see it up close and in museum lighting I must say that I wouldn't have thought it was the same dress. The museum lighting is meant to preserve and not fade the fabric but it doesn't show off what is one of the best aspects of the dress. It is made of a yellow couture lace which is very matte in color. The genius of the dress is in the lining. The white wool lining not only provides warmth but it also what gave the dress it's sense of "shine" in the January sunlight.

The rest of the exhibit was very interesting to see. You can view the online exhibition here. Mrs. Toledo is the essence of a couture designer. She is driven by the art and the structure which translates to creative and expensive garment construction. Much of her work is based on the concepts of origami in fabric. If you get a chance to stop by the exhibit (which is free and on display until Sept. 26th) you should try and see it.

What are you willing to spend?

2009-07-17T08:30:00.003-05:00

So I've been pondering something I figured I'd come to internets for the opinions of the people.

In these penny-pinching economic times, when it comes to fashion what are you willing to spend on clothing? How article of clothing are you willing to splurge on and what's your price limit?

I designed a dress that I wore to a 4th of July cookout and received many complements. I considered making a few and selling them online through etsy. After calculating my costs and labor I'd have to charge over $100 for what is essentially a simple cotton dress? I don't really shop the stores so are people still willing to spend that much for clothing these days?

New Pattern:: Castle Cardigan

2009-07-11T22:52:00.006-05:00

This has been a long time coming but it's finally here.......

Castle Cardigan

Sizes: XS [S, M, L, 1X, 2X]
Finished Bust : 32[34, 38,40, 46, 50]

Yarn: Louet Gems Worsted, 100% Merino Wool
10gr/175 yds, 7[8, 9, 9, 10, 10] skeins

Yarn Substitutions: Any worsted weight yarn with gauge 18sts/26rows per 4in in st-st

Needles:
US 7 (4.5 mm) circular needles, 24-32 in. long
US 6 (4.0 mm) circular needles, 16-24 in. long

Skill Level: Experienced

Shown: Size Medium in Sandalwood

Price: $6.00

You will receive an email from E-Junkie with a link to the PDF file.

My design for VK Fall

2009-07-08T09:17:00.001-05:00

You can check out my design for the upcoming VK issue shown in the TNNA fashion show.

Where to go from here

2009-06-30T15:56:00.004-05:00

Howdy doo everybody!

It's been ages since I've really blogged. I am happy to say that I am a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology with an Associates Degree in Fashion Design. It's a goal that I'm am happy to have accomplished (even if the economy isn't being so kind to the fashion & entertainment industries at the moment)

School was tough. A lot of time and hard work. After it was all over I took a 4-week fashion-free break. No fashion news or magazines. No sewing, no knitting. I slept, I ate, I read books and I did a little travel. It was time off that I needed to reflect and relax.

Now I'm back and I'm trying to decide where I am going to go from here with this blog. I don't want to pick up where I left off. I really want to try and incorporate the things I have learned and my life changes over the past two years. Everything is not decided yet but I know that I want to go forward with a more fashion-forward approach to this whole thing. I want to focus on the fashion world, the design process, the details, etc. I want to design a collection of knitwear as well as regular clothing. I want to explore different techniques. And I want to use this space to keep track as well as share with whoever chooses to read.

I know I promised some patterns way back in January and I'm going to work on getting those out. I've got some new ideas going and I have a free knitting pattern in the works too. I also plan to move this blog to a more permanent space in the internet world and redesign it.

As a way to try a new technique and get myself re-acquainted with the simple joys of making something because "I choose to" and not because "I have to", I decide to try my hand at a crochet pattern. I want to understand how this whole thing really works because I want to add crochet designs to my arsenal.

This is the "Walking After Midnight" skirt from the book "Amazing Crochet Lace" by Doris Chin

I used Sonata cotton from Elann and worked it up in about a week and a half.

I like the yarn and the pattern was pretty straight forward. I've wanted to do this skirt ever since Christie did it a few years ago. I'm glad I did. I think crochet doesn't always translate into truly fashionable items but this skirt makes the cut.

i'm still around

2009-06-25T19:14:00.000-05:00

new post coming soon. just thinking about what to write.

pics from the final project

2009-05-11T00:15:00.001-05:00

I'll be back soon.

2009-03-20T19:45:00.003-05:00

Blogging has taken a backseat to:

3 full days of classes :: were I am knitting a sweater for my term project
2 full days of interning
2 evenings at regular work
1 VK pattern for the Fall issue (Yeah!)
1 short film project doing wardrobe
1 very creative job search
and the need to do my taxes before April 15

(* you didn't see anything about eating, sleeping, or a social life did you ???)

I'll be back soon. New patterns will be up when I get a chance to proof them. I swear. I mean it. I really do.

And maybe I'll post pics for my machine knitting class.

Ta-Ta For Now!

Free pattern fix and other stuff

2009-02-01T11:50:00.003-05:00

Hey folks!

I'm finally getting my act together with the free patterns. I finally caved and paid for some server space. The free patterns are now available directly from this site. No more hassle (crosses finger, toes, and eyes after saying that.)

I'm still working getting the cabled sweater pattern published. I had every intention of doing it over my break but was sidetracked by work, interning, inauguration excitement, and fact that the school gave us a major project to do during out winter break. Not cool but it had to be done.

For fourth semester we have to design a collection of designs based on Gianni Versace's style. A critic from the industry comes in and picks the one design they like best from each student. We then make it for a juried show. My class' critic is going to be Daniel V from the second season of Project Runway.

I realized I don't post as much because I haven't been taking many pictures. What's a blog post without pics? I've been working on small projects lately. Handwarmers, neckwarmers, scarves, etc. Nothing to major.

Here is a sweater vest I started last night. On the side is some Cotton Bamboo from Lion Brand. I had a chance to go to the Lion Brand Studio in Manhattan. I was pleasantly surprised by the space and the selection. They have also developed their own 'higher' end line of "Collection" yarns. A first glance they look nice although I can't speak to their long term quality. I'lll keep you updated on how the Cotton Bamboo works up.

On The Move

2009-01-24T16:20:00.000-05:00

My blog now has a new home
www.sauniellnicole.com/saunshine

Come and visit me.

Temporary Free Pattern Download Fix

2009-01-12T19:50:00.002-05:00

Until such time as I can find a better way to host files the free pattern links have been updated to a "free" host site called FileFactory. There are a few steps to get to the file but right now it's all I can offer. If you have a hard time with the downloads just email me directly and I'll send them to you. saunshine AT gmail DOT com.

Free Patterns unavailable for a little while

2009-01-06T23:42:00.002-05:00

As it turns out, my web host decided to "upgrade" and it seems I can't store the Free Pattern pdf files like I used to. Until I can figure out an alternative, the patterns will be unavailable. I'll work it out within the week hopefully.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Happy New Year

2009-01-04T14:18:00.004-05:00

It's a brand new year and I'm sure everyone has new plans & resolutions. We all know I'm not big on resolutions but I do forsee myself making the most of this new year. How about you?

Now that I have the time I'll show you some of what I was working on last semester.

This is my term project from draping class. The original concept was "Sound". A classmate proposed that we design outfits based on listening to a song and interpreting how the sound...frequency, tone, resonance, etc...made you feel and put that into a design. The other part you would pick a color and design a monochromatic outfit with that color. I was really excited.......and then came the professors opinion. She imposed these rules...we had to use only 3 colors and only certain hues of that color. There were more "rules" which pretty much killed the joy of the project. I finished and I'm okay with it for the most part but it's not my original vision. It was based on an old Outkast song- Player's Ball Remix Instrumental. The bass drum and guitar in the song really spoke to me.

This is one of my projects from Fashion Art class. This one was based on Armani Prive's haute couture collection and flowers in winter. Volume and and icy color palette.

Now that I'm on break I'm going to get in some knitting and sewing time. I'm also going to play with my new toy. Mamacita lent me her knitting machine to play with. I'm not big on the machine knits but I think it's a good thing to learn in terms of the fashion industry. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

it's only been a month...

2008-12-03T23:42:00.003-05:00

do people still read blogs anymore? i wouldn't know... i never have the time and i wish i did.

i'm working on final projects for the semester. i'll put pictures up soon.

in the meantime, check out what i have done in the past month. i helped tammi make pom-poms for her wedding.

630+ pom-pom instead of rice. good times!

For ProjRun viewers: Have you heard of Christopher Kane?

2008-11-03T01:00:00.001-05:00

If you haven't you should check out his spring show here.

It looks an awful lot like Leanne's winning collection.

Ain't no sunshine...

2008-10-23T20:54:00.003-05:00

I'd like to dedicate Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" to my lost mojo. I'm burnt out and I'm not quite sure how to get back into the groove. I'm sure it has something to do with the turn in weather but there's no hope for that until Spring.

Everything I'm working on is lackluster so I'm going to do some major ripping and hopefully things will turn around soon.

Summer project finally finished

2008-09-28T17:00:00.002-05:00

This is probably my most major project from the summer. Working out the pattern took me about 2 weeks of swatching and writing. And then the knitting started. I'm contemplating selling the pattern. It would seem that people don't favor the complex patterns. Never the less, I wanted to challenge myself to make a more cable heavy sweater.

Now I'm moving onto some neckwarmer designs. Smaller projects are good when you want to feel that sense of accomplishment sooner rather than later.

Fashion Week

2008-09-14T08:45:00.003-05:00

This past week, I had a chance to attend my first Fashion Week show. I'm interning at Milly as the knitwear intern. Milly is a smaller company which is great for me because I get to see everything that goes on in a fashion house, not just the design side. Getting a line to show is a very involved process and I got to see everything from the sample making to fittings to the marketing, etc.

I was able to snap a few pics behind the scenes and during the show.

For the most part, my shots of the show are blurring but if you look at this pic on the
end of the first row (right) is Fern Mallis of IMG. She was a judge on Project Runway a few weeks ago. 2nd from the left is one of the supporting actresses from Gossip Girl.

Gavin DeGraw was also there although it took us about 10 mins to figure out who he was. He's not as distinct looking in person. One of the Olympic swimmers was there too. I can't remember his name but I know he was the blond one that was the only one to have a chance to beat Michael Phelps.

The show was good although in reality you only get to see about 30-40 pieces of a collection that is about 80 pieces.

Fashion week is always a great time to see what your favorite designers are creating next. Check out Style.com to see all the collections. Michael Kors, Donna Karan, and Doo.Ri were a few of my favs.

Who are your favorite designers?

I don't wear big logos

2008-09-02T18:28:00.004-05:00

Just a random thought.....

This is the reason I don't wear clothing with big logos......

Companies pay millions of dollars for a 30 sec advertisement during the Super Bowl.
Casinos pay boxers hundreds of thousands of dollars to write the casino's name on their bodies during a boxing match.

How much does Pink
or Christian Audigier pay you to wear their names on your body and be a walking billboard?

NOTHING!
In fact you pay them for the privilege.
Makes so much since doesn't it?

School's In

2008-08-26T20:13:00.001-05:00

Classes have started and I'm starting my internship this week too! Yippee. I'll be back soon with updates on the not-so-Olympic sweater and my other projects.

Olympic update & Invested pattern available

2008-08-14T22:22:00.002-05:00

Hi All!

The Invested pattern that was once posted on Magknits is now available in the sidebar -->

How are you enjoying the Olympics? That Michael Phelps is something isn't he?

I'm working on my knitting olympics sweater design. I'm a bit behind and not sure if I'll finish in time but I do plan to finish. How's everyone else doing?

Olympic training

2008-07-24T20:06:00.003-05:00

For those that don't know, Ravelry is putting on the Ravelympics to coincide with the Summer Olympics. You pick a personally challenging project and you can cast on during the Opening Ceremonies and you try to finish by the end of the Closing Ceremonies. There are teams and events.

I haven't joined a team but I have picked my event..... the Designer Discus.

In preparation working on some current and old designs....

The Habu Jacket I started last summer, a habu scarf, and a cabled cardigan.

For the event I'm going to attempt to design and knit the 2 sweaters using these fibers.....

some Habu soft wool and Koigu KPPPM.

The hope is that after the Olympics are over I will have my official Fall Collection done and ready for the public. It's a bit crazy and ambitious but wish me luck anyway.

And as a side note, the KPPPM is something I bought at my new job. Well, it's not so new because I've been there since the start of the summer. I'm doing some web design but if you're ever in during the week you may see me around. The owner is planning a massive in-store sale to coincide with the Olympics/Ravelympics. I'll keep you updated. Those that live in NYC won't want to miss out.

Trellis & Vine pattern available

2008-07-21T19:57:00.001-05:00

The Trellis and Vine Shawl pattern is now available in pdf form in the sidebar ---->

Concept to Creation: The Jumper Dress

2008-07-11T12:39:00.000-05:00

Step 1: The Inspiration

One of the first steps to any design is to find your inspiration. It can be a time period, a costume, an object, or just about anything.

I am starting the interview process for internships and I needed a business outfit but I didn't want to wear a suit. I wanted to have something business like but youthful and not so rigid. Most of my inspiration comes from old /50s/60s movies. I wanted to go for a 50's junior assistant/secretary/Nancy Drew-ish look.

The jumper has princess seams, single piped pockets (like back pockets on nicer pants), a big belt loops, a back invisible zipper, and box pleats on the front and back, with a slight flair to the skirt.

The shirt would be a vented front with a large starched collar and short sleeves with french cuffs.

Step 2: Make the Pattern/Layout and Cut

There are 2 ways to create something. You can drape or make a pattern. When draping, you can go straight from fabric to finished garment but if you want to duplicate something then you will always need to make a pattern from the draped garment. For me it's fastest to just start with a a pattern.

Making a pattern starts with a sloper. Slopers are a very basic pattern without seam allowance which you can manipulate to make other patterns.

From the slopers I make drafts of the pieces of my garment. From the drafts I make the final pattern with seam allowances. From there one should test the garment in muslin but given that I know my slopers pretty well and have made other things that are similar, I know how things will turn out.

When cutting out your material you should alway mark your notches and darts. Some suggest thread tracing and others do it with pins. The type of dart or marking determines what I use. You can also use white tracing paper, but never any other color, as it won't come off.

Step 3: Baste and fit
Technically, you are supposed to baste and then fit your garment. I machine baste and fit as I go along.

Step 4: Sewing
One important step about sewing is having a good iron and pressing supplies. The best items to have are a sleeve roll or sleeve board, a ham, a pressing cloth, a point turner, and a really good iron.

Step 5: The Finished product

Along the way I made some design changes. The biggest was adding puffier sleeves to the shirt. It also has a zipper in the side seam so that I could add darts to make it more fitted. I didn't want a bunchy shirt under the jumper.

So there you have it. A garment from concept to creation.

Being a designer: Finding your voice, your vision

2008-07-11T12:38:00.000-05:00

I was out with some friends last week when one said something truly profound. We were talking about a singer of this cover band we were watching and he said "It's easy to copy other people's things. Finding your own voice is the hard part".

---------------------------------------------------

Lately I have had quite a few conversations about other "designers", major and minor. I get asked "What do you think of so and so?" or "What do you think about this blog". I've been asked so many times that I feel I should share this here.

What I have discovered is that there are two types of people..... designers and people who just make stuff. The problem is that "people who just make stuff" are walking around calling themselves designers and really don't know what they are doing. It's like singers who think they can act without an acting lessons. Some do have the natural talent but that is rare and most of them really don't.

The same thing goes with designing. I call myself a designer, and although I had absolutely no formal training until this year, I made it a point to actually study the art of fashion design. I bought textbooks and magazines and practiced for both sewing and knitting. I don't use programs to do my knitting patterns. I do them all by hand and I do all the math with a calculator. I want precision and an actual crafted and well thought out design.

I guess I am saying all of this because I want people and people that claim to be designers to respect what real designers do. Being "famous" and/or "rich" doesn't make you a real designer. Respecting your craft, knowing what's right and wrong technique, and having your own vision is what makes you good.

This leads me into what I originally came into this post to do. I wanted to give a view into the design process. They do it on "Project Runway" but I wanted to show what I did for my last project. For my next post I'm going to show the steps I went through to make this outfit.

Sewing in NYC

2008-06-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

Note: Pictureless post!

Ola asked me what my favorite fabric and notion stores are in NYC. Here is my answer. Understand this is only my opinion and is in no way meant to disparage any store in any way.

NYC's fashion world is centered in the Garment District. This is the area of Manhattan from 5th Ave to 9th Ave (east to west) and 41st St to 35th st (north to south). There are other stores south of 35th all the way down to 26th St, near FIT, but the majority are concentrated in the above mentioned block.

Fabrics

There are a ton of fabric stores but it is vital to know which you can rely on for your different needs.

The Big 4
These are the majors. The ones that have everything but nothing comes cheap. Don't go here expecting JoAnns type prices because you will be very upset. Cottons start at $9/yd, wools $18, etc.

Paron Fabrics
260 W. 40th St., Ground fl. M-F 9-5:45, Th 9-7, Sat 9-5 212.768.3266

This place has charm. The place and staff have that "old-school" feel but they are still hip when it comes to their fabrics and fashion. The bolts are stacked but there is usually a swatch attached at the end of the bolts so you can see the fabric. They value quality and clearly mark the fabrics with content info and what designer used the fabric. The reason this store is probably my favorite is because of the people and because the back room is the 50% off room. Tons of great fabrics at great prices. 2 doors down they also have an "outlet". Even more fabrics at low prices.

Mood
225 W. 37th St., 2nd-4th fl. M-F 9-7, Sat 10-4 212.730.5003

3 floors of fabrics. The one notable difference is that they have home furnishing fabrics. Everything in this place is on the roll and stacked on top of each other. You have to have time to look and it may be hard to get a good sense of the fabrics because of the way things are stacked.
They have a great selection of every fabric imaginable.
The downside for me is that this place is a definite tourist attraction due to it's Project Runway fame.

B&J
525 7th Ave., 2nd fl. M-F 8-5:45, Sat 9-4:45 212.354.8150

Probably the best when it comes to organization. Fabric samples are hung by the windows so that you don't have to deal with the bolts to see the fabric. They don't have the widest variety of printed jersey/knits but other than that the fabric selection is stellar. The other thing is that if you like it then buy it because it may not be there when you come back.

Elegant Fabrics
222 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018 212.302.4980

This is located a few doors down from Paron. It's a large store with a great selection of everything. They also place swatches at the end of the bolt so it's easier to see and sample. I think they may have the better selection of cotton and cotton stretch prints. My only problem with this place is that it is always hot inside but I endure for a look at the good fabrics.

Price Conscious Fabric shopping (Honorable Mentions)

Don't get me wrong, my Big 4 are definitely tops all around but that does not mean you won't find good fabrics elsewhere. All along 39th, 38th, and 37th street, (between 7th & 8th aves) are a variety of shops. The key to these is to realize that they can be hit or miss and you need to understand fabric qualities in order to recognize a good buy.

G&R Fabrics 239 W. 39th St.
Fabrics For Less 239 W. 39th St.

Check out the Fashion Center's website for a full list of stores. There are many other specializing in stretch fabrics, lace, etc. I don't have much to say on them because I don't frequent them.

Notions

Pacific Trimmings
218 W. 38th St., Ground fl. M-F 8:30-6, Sat 10-6 212.279.9310 or 212.268.3333

This is my favorite place to buy buttons, zippers, and trims. The first trip to this store can be a little overwhelming because at first glance there appears to be no real system of how things work but there in lies the charm. The staff floats around. If you need a trim you can bring it to the front or have someone come cut it if it can't be removed from it's spot. You can get zippers cut to size and it's done within minutes (if it's not too busy). They have a vast variety of buttons, snaps, grommets, closures, etc. They lack on notions like thread, sewing needles, etc so it's not one stop shopping but nothing in NYC is.

Sil Thread
257 W. 38th St., Ground fl. M-F 8-6, Sat 9-3 212.997.8949

This is the place for a larger variety of the basic sewing notions. This is where I go for sewing machine needles and thread. They have the greatest variety of threads. They sell buttons, zippers, interfacing, etc. as well.

Steinlauf & Stoller
239 W. 39th St., Ground fl. M-F 8-5:30 212.869.0321

Similar to Sil Thread but they will do buttonhole and grommet installations on your garments.

Johnathan's Embroidery
256 W 38th St Frnt ,New York, NY 10018

They do custom embroidery and they are the only place in Manhattan to sell Vogue/McCall/Butterick patterns that I know of.

Garment Center Sewing Supplies
252 W. 37th St., Ground fl. M-F 8-6 212.279.8774

This is a good place to get sewing machine supplies i.e. machine feet, needles, serger knives, etc.

If you're ever in NYC and plan to do some shopping be sure to call and check the hours. Bring a large shopping bag and comfortable shoes and schedule your time accordingly. You can get lost in these stores and forget about time completely. I hope this was helpful. Happy shopping.

Calla Is Available in PDF

2008-06-18T21:00:00.002-05:00

The Calla pattern is now available in pdf form

Download Here

or on the sidebar ---->

Deliriously magically

2008-06-16T08:44:00.005-05:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks that was just kinda off...not bad...but off in a way that when the good things happen they seem sort of magical/mystical in nature? This was one of those weeks for me.

I was approached to help with costume design and wardrobe for a short film for an NYU film student. It was a good script so I decided to give it a go. Last week I spent time with the other wardrobe person figuring out last minute details, accessories, etc. Nothing bad there. The shoot started last Sunday....the same day the hell-ishly intense heatwave decided to visit NYC. And the one thing about movies is that for sound purposes you cannot have an A/C or fan going. 95 with a 105 degree heat index outside means 110+ degrees indoors with 20+ people and lights crammed into a tiny apartment. The odd thing is despite the heat it was fun. 2 of the actors had done parts on Law and Order so it was cool to talk to them about my favorite show. Then add all the other cool people on set and that made for Magical Moment #1

Magical Moment #2
Saturday was WWKIPD so I got a chance to go to Central Park for SitNKnit's meetup.

Meeting more knitters is always magical. There was a great raffle but I didn't win anything. Tawana, however, won 3 prizes.
After our time in the park we migrated to a bar on the Upper West Side and then to Knitty City.

After that Shameka and I headed to the subway where I was saw this guy
leaving the station and then this guy.... who played in this...

getting on the same train. If you know nothing else about me, know that The Last Dragon is my favorite movie of all time. He's definitely not my favorite actor but he is definitely the lead actor in my most favorite film. Magically moment 3 & 4.

Magical moment #5
While going to housewarming party for one of the crew members of the movie, I took a train to Brooklyn and had the fortune of seeing a fireworks display as we crossed the bridge into Brooklyn.

Magical moment #6
Sunday, as I was meeting up with my student for her knitting lesson, she points out that Agyness Deyn is standing right there on the street.

I've never had a favorite model until her. This picture was the inspiration for my haircut back in March. I really dig Agyness.

And to complete the day with Magical Moment #7.... After leaving the The Renegade Craft Fair (which is really just a bunch of hand-sewn bags, skirts, and silk-screened t-shirts by the way) I saw a man walking a horse down the sidewalk just like it was his pet dog. Seeing that made it clear that this was definitely a surreal week for me.

p.s.
I got a request in my last post to do a review of some of the fabric/notion shops in NYC so that will be my next post.

Change

2008-06-06T10:04:00.003-05:00

Honestly, life has been an emotional roller coaster as of late. The world has presented a lot of change in such a short amount of time. The climate is devastatingly unpredictable**, the economy sucks, my personal economy sucks, and now there's not enough fish in the water because we humans are eating them into non-existence. ( I already don't eat beef/pork and hardly chicken...I guess I should just go vegetarian...)

As I contemplate how to cut back I am glad that I , like a woodland creature storing up for the winter, have a vast stash of yarn and fabrics. Thankfully this will get me through the lean times and keep me sane and happy in the process.

Thanks to my stash I was able to create Jasmine .

Pattern: Jasmine by Kim Hargreaves
Yarn: Jaeger Siena - 6 balls
Size: Medium
Needles: Addi Turbo US1 & US2
Start: May 15
Finish: June 4

One thing that will not change is Kim Hargreaves' impeccable taste and style. I can always rely on her for a good design.
This was an easy knit. I worked on it during my trip to Minneapolis for the Memorial Day weekend and then set it down while my sister came to visit me the following week. I finished the sleeves on Sunday/Monday and did the yoke and buttons on Monday.

Despite all the doom and gloom in the beginning of this post, I do believe it will be the creative, imaginative, inventive people that will make out the best in these changing times. You know how to do more with less and expand upon your talents to get what you need.

** Question: Shouldn't one be frightened when you hear tornado sirens?

While in North Minneapolis I heard what I thought were sirens. When I interrupted my friend who was watching tv and doing some work to ask, she didn't seem to care and went back to her work. Now I don't know about you but I don't do well in natural disaster situations. After I turned on another tv, saw the tornado warning, had my panic attack (literally), heard the weather man say something about wall clouds 5 miles from my current location, and have another panic attack while on the phone with my sister because the townhome has no good interior rooms or a basement, I proceed to grab a bag, hop in my rental car and drive south towards clear skies. Did I forget to mention I just left my friend in her house cause she didn't seem phased at all. I sought solace in a nice Jo-Ann's etc where I purchased the buttons for Jasmine. Oh...and a tornado did eventually touch down about 15 miles away from her house.

Meme time

2008-06-02T09:47:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by Shameka with a meme. I'll give this a go while I try to finish up Jasmine for my next post.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

Let's see 10 years ago around this time I was finishing up my last year of college at Ohio State. I was so ready to graduate that I was taking 18-21 credits against the advice of my advisor. It was probably some of the best grades I ever got in undergrad. I was so focused. I was a teaching assistant for the pre-freshman summer engineering program and my sister was one of my students. Other than that it was typical college stuff... friends & parties. Oh the parties....oh the memories.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

A nap (my sister was in town this weekend and I'm so worn out )
Finish and email a knit submission
Finish the sleeve on Jasmine
Wash my dishes
Buy pattern paper to make patterns for summer dresses and skirts

3) Snacks I enjoy
Ice cream
French fries
Marshmallows
Pastries,Cakes & Pie
Dan-dee Cheese twistees (an Ohio thing)
Barbeque potato chips

4)Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Drop out of sight to an undisclosed location
Pay off my bills
Send family and friends money
Set up trust funds for my younger family members and godson
Give money to my home church in Cleveland, The Boys & Girls Club, and Cancer Research
Start a non-profit arts program in underserved communities/schools
Buy houses in Miami, New York, California
Buy an island
Travel everywhere

5) Places I have lived.
Cleveland, OH
Columbus, OH
Rochester, NY
Atlanta, GA
Rochester, MN
Raleigh, NC
New York, NY

Mosaic

2008-06-02T00:07:00.004-05:00

1. Knitting at Helios 2, 2. day 63: french fries, 3. Cleveland Heights High School, 4. ♫ YO Yo yo, there's no place like a green penthouse... so i told the genie i wanted to be well hung. ^o^ ♫ nah... wildlife from singapore♫, 5. andre-3000, 6. Chill.NeSs, 7. Rio de Janiero Favela, 8. 7th Course: Tasting of Ice Creams, 9. No I do not work for the National Geographic., 10. Family Portrait, 11. Eclectic, 12. mirage

The concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name? - Sauniell
2. What is your favorite food? - French Fries
3. What high school did you go to? - Cleveland Heights High
4. What is your favorite color? - Green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? - Andre Benjamin
6. Favorite drink? - Iced Tea
7. Dream vacation? - Rio De Janiero
8. Favorite dessert? - Ice Cream
9. What you want to be when you grow up? - World Traveler
10. What do you love most in life? - My Family
11. One Word to describe you. - Eclectic
12. Your flickr name - Saunshine

thegame

Simple morning pleasures

2008-05-18T08:50:00.003-05:00

This past week has been the most hectic. There are never enough hours in the day. Saturday morning I finally got a chance to slow down. While piles of clothes need to be folded and my apartment looks like a disaster area, I took the time to sit and do nothing. Well....almost nothing.

I slept for a full 8 hours and then gave myself till noon to sit in my pajamas and veg. A cup of Mocha Java coffee (my fav) and a new project from Kim Hargreaves' latest.
I'm working on Jasmine using some Jaeger Siena from my stash. I have just enough. Just what I need. Some therapeutic knitting

Spring cleaning....summer reading

2008-05-04T08:28:00.003-05:00

As the semester draws to a close (insert big sigh of relief), I can now look forward to how I will fill my time this summer. In addition to working (where I have no idea yet) I look forward to getting some "me" time.

As part of my spring cleaning I'm looking over all the knit projects I've started and yet to finish.

There are two Habu projects I started last summer. Then the summer tank I'm currently working on and another tank/tunic I want to do. Since I've come too far to rip them out I must finish them. The jacket will probably take the longest. I'm carrying two strands on size 4's and I've only finished the back. The others will go faster so I can finish sooner. I have to finish something before my new book arrives and I get distracted by all it's loveliness.

And speaking of books...... I'm also looking forward to catching up on some reading. I spent most of my younger days reading mysteries/science fiction. In the past year I've become interested in reading more of the classics. For some time I avoided the classics because I always associated them with school. Being forced to read something always made them less appealing . Now I can read them on my own terms without having to dissect them.

After gathering up some old books and heading to Strands, I walked away with some new additions to my summer reading list. I'm hoping to read all of them.

What's on your summer reading list?

Knit Lust

2008-04-25T05:55:00.002-05:00

Have you seen this.....Kim Hargreaves' new book .

3 words ..... To. Die. For!

Magknit Patterns

2008-04-15T19:08:00.002-05:00

It's been brought to my attention that Magknits is no longer. All good things must come to an end eventually I guess.

I'm going to work on getting the patterns into pdf form but it may take a little bit of time. This was surely unexpected.

the week in review...

2008-04-06T22:15:00.004-05:00

This past week was definitely a busy one...in mostly good ways.

Of course there is always school but luckily Wednesday morning I got a text from Shameka asking if I was going to go see The Yarn Harlot. I hadn't even heard about it. Class ended at 6pm and the event started at 7 so I could make it.

That's a pic of the crowd trying to get free buttons. Knitters and their buttons......

The Harlot and her sock. I didn't stay for the book signing but I did get a chance to ask if she was going to do a Knitting Olympics this year. She promptly replied no but said she'd do it in 2010 for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

This is a pic of the top that I started while I was standing in the crowd. It's always good to travel with knitting. Even though I didn't plan on going, I was fortunately prepared for the occassion.

Thursday I had a final. Every time I say that people say "Isn't it a little early for finals?". Well, we have our finals then we work on our term garments. This one was for draping. Given a picture of a jacket, your muslin, and a dressform, you have 2.5 hrs to make half the jacket. Fun times I tell ya.

Wisely, I had a strategic plan for decompressing afterwords. I treated myself to dinner and a little Pinkberry. I guess they only have stores in LA and NYC so I apologize for those that don't have it when I say that the stuff is magical. Down right magical.

Then I head off to meet Shameka at a after-work party. I stayed there for a bit and then headed to another bar to see an old high school friend that dj's there. His friend happened to take some pictures of me as I was looking at some folks at the other end of the bar. Despite the somber look, I was actually enjoying myself.

Though it may not be clear, I'm wearing my Billie Jacket in the picture.

Friday, I met up with Shameka again to go to The Point for some knit time. I actually saw Carrie there eventhough she didn't see me. I was at a back table and I didn't see her until she was on her way out.

We wrapped up the night with some Thai and a little Pinkberry. I just couldn't resist.

Time flies

2008-03-26T23:09:00.004-05:00

It's been a few weeks since my last post. School is madness. Thankfully last week was Spring Break and I got to take some time off. I made it to Culpepper, VA to see my friends and god-son (the commute to DC is crazy...what people have to go through to buy a house....let me tell you!) and then came back to NYC to veg out.

I thought I'd share my pics from my trip to The Met. NYC has so many museums and I thought it'd be a shame not to take advantage of my proximity.

The place is ridiculously huge and there is so much too see. This go around I made it to the Costume Institute exhibit, the Modern Art, and the Africa/Americans exhibit.

This is an absolutely fabulous Rodarte dress!

I got chills when I saw this one! This is one of my favorite Degas drawings. I didn't realize that it was at this museum. I was so excited. (My life is dull....I get my thrills where I can.)

The Africa/Americas exhibit is mostly sculptures and artifacts.

The place is a fountain of inspiration. I'm hoping to get to the Guggenheim and the MoMA soon.

One of these days I'm going to post a pic of my lastest knit which is almost finished. I also want to post about what I'm working on in school. I figure...I don't have much knitting to show but I can show other fashion related stuff.

Other side of the fence

2008-03-05T19:53:00.004-05:00

Things are definitely greener at Chez Saun. It's amazing what a change in environment and a little more space will do for your outlook on life.

I wanted to show a few of my new additions. Ther are my new favoritest things. ( I know favoritest is not a word but I like it anyway.)

It's a Method Aroma Ring with the Vanilla Pomme scent. This is the best smelling air freshener I've ever smelt.

Then there is my new French Press. I never knew coffee could be soooooo good. I got it because I wanted to be able to clean my coffee maker better and get rid of the need for paper filters. Cleaning out the coffee grounds is not as easy as with a filter but it's definitely cleaner at the end of the day. And did I forget to add that the coffee tastes better.

Also......I got my mojo back. My knitting mojo that is. It was M.I.A. for a while now. With school under control and a slightly longer commute I've found a real urge to knit. I started by finishing my "Swing Girl" coat. I've been working on this same coat since August. That is a long time.

It has a high wide neck and overlaps slightly like a double breasted jacket. Hopefully I'll be able to get some better pictures this weekend. Sunlight is so limited but thankfully spring it right around the corner.

I also got some ideas for some new summer tees that I plan to work on during my spring break. A whole week of nothing but knitting. I can't wait.

Quick update

2008-02-16T08:49:00.004-05:00

Hola mis amigas y amigos!

Thanks for all of your condolences and complements on my sewing.

School is pushing along. This semester the focus is on designing jackets and pants. Now that I've got the hang of this school thing again, I'm not as stressed..... so far. I also got a little part-time job as a computer lab monitor. It will give me a chance to catch up on blog reading and I can even knit a little.

Right now I'm packing up my apartment for my move to a new apartment on Monday. Once this is done I think my opinion of NYC will be much better.

I'll be without internet for a week so I wanted to give a quick update on my latest finished project.

(The pic is sideways and a little blurry. Sorry about that.)

I finally finished the Morning Glory Shawl for Mamacita. She loves it. It was a well written pattern but this is one of those projects that require your attention to insure you don't mess up. As far as shawls go, if you willing to put in the time, this is a nice one to try. It's a nice lace that doesn't give you that homely look. I picked a lighter weight (sport/dk) yarn from Brooks Farm but if I were to make it again I'd choose a true dk weight to give it a little more weight.

And guess what I got in the mail.....

I think someone is trying to make sure I get some time to knit. I have to put it off until June since I'm in class but when I do go I'll be ready. I look forward to the uninterrupted knitting. I wouldn't even mind being on a jury. I just don't want to be on a super long case. This is NYC and they tend to have some of the longest strangest cases around.

I have to get back to packing. See ya on the flip side.

Laying low

2008-01-26T20:06:00.000-05:00

I had these great hopes for how I was going to spend my break. Lots of knitting, sewing, and blogging. But of course things never turn out as planned. Instead I've been laying low and dealing with my issues. My apartment issues continue to rear their ugly little head so I'm trying to find a new apartment without much luck. (Do you know anyone in NYC with a good apartment to rent?) Then my aunt's health took a turn for the worse and I had to go back to Detroit for her funeral. The little time I did have I spent trying to keep my mind off of things.

I didn't get much knitting in. I couldn't maintain the concentration levels for that. Instead I spent much of my time sewing. Strangely enough, sewing doesn't take as much concentration as knitting. I guess because I've been doing it longer.

The first thing I made was a jean jacket.Then I made 2 dresses.

Also made a 2 pairs of skinny jeans (yes, I've caved to the skinny jean phenomenon) and a pair of straight leg jeans. I came up with a signature star pattern for my skinny jeans. It's the same star I use in my blog header and wear on a pendant. It's actually the adinkra symbol Nsorama.
Lastly I made this jean dress. All the other dresses were from patterns but this one I altered. I added the detailing at the the neck line and made puff sleeves. The neckline and sleeve cuffs are made with a pleated detail.

After working with all the denim my fingers were constantly blue. It actually reminded me of my freshman year of college when I was obsessed with denim. I would even paint my nails a denim blue color to match. It was pretty much all I wore until I hit my khaki phase in my sophomore year.

Classes start back Monday and I'm looking forward to it and dreading it all at the same time. I'm going to spend my last few school free hours doing some knitting.

That reminds me. I forgot to mention the books that I'm in have finally hit the shelves. I'm sure most of you have seen them already but if you haven't, check them out.

I have 2 dress patterns in this one

and a cowl neck nursing sweater in the other.

A Whirlwind holiday

2008-01-02T12:53:00.000-05:00

Whew! It's been crazy but good crazy. I did my crazy whirlwind holiday travels again this year.... Chicago to Cleveland to Detroit to Cleveland to Chicago and back to NYC tomorrow. I got to see both sides of my family, do a heck of a lot of eating, and sneak in some sleep and craftyness.

Although I didn't finish it in time, I did present my mother with her half-finished Morning Glory Shawl. The pattern is from Knitspot which I first saw at Rhinebeck. I'm using Acero from Brooks Farm.

This year's Christmas/Kwanzaa craft were matchbook notepads. Large sheets of scrapbooking paper are glued to thicker paper, cut, scored, and folded. Then you glue in half of a Post-it pad.

I also worked on a punch needle ornament kit that Mamacita had and the annual family puzzle.

Fun times were had by all. I hope your holidays were festive. Happy New Year. I can wait to see what everyone gets into this year.

Finally it's over!!!

2007-12-21T16:48:00.001-05:00

The semester finally ended yesterday!!!! Yipee! I've never worked so hard for a degree in my life.

Here is a pic of my term project dress I made for draping class. For those that don't know what draping means, you start with muslin and you "drape" (Place, pin, cut, etc) it on the dress form to make the garment you want. You then take the muslin, make a pattern, and then make the real dress.

This is this my dress for flat pattern class. Flat pattern requires taking the measurements of your dressform and creating patterns from them. This dress will actually fit me since I picked a dressform that was my size (for the most part). It looks cuter on than on the dressform.

I'm officially on break until the end of January so you'll be hearing a lot more from me. I have a little time to knit and sew some clothes and most importantly.....SLEEP.

I'm still here

2007-12-02T16:16:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm still alive and I haven't forgotten about my blog. I'm just swimming in end-of-term projects and apartment issues right now. I'll be back soon!

Short bursts of creative energy

2007-11-09T09:32:00.000-05:00

The past two weeks have been busy, busy, busy. My sister came to visit me and that included quite a bit of walking through the streets of New York and a lot of window shopping. It rained most of the time so we didn't get to go ice skating at Rockerfeller Center like we wanted. None the less, it was nice having her here.

It's also been midterm time. That meant projects and tests for days on end. Here's my project for flat pattern class. A princess line top with a yoke and puff sleeves. A percentage of the grade is based on creativity so I decided to go with a quilted look on the insert and sleeves. It reminded me why I don't like making quilts. Lots of thread, straight lines, and piecing things together.

This week has been filled with more homework and some quick bursts of creative energy. Much of which has been driven by necessity. I needed some larger size bags to carry my supplies. At first I was going to buy some tote bags but I wasn't in the mood to walk the streets looking for some. Instead I opted to make some out of printed canvas from B&J fabrics .

And with the cold weather setting in, I really need to add to my hat collection.

I made another beret style hat using my leftover worsted weight yarns. I used the R&R beret pattern but used garter stitch and alternated yarns every row or two. It is a great way to use all that extra yarn. I still have enough for another hat but I'm thinking I'll make a regular hat with it using the same method.

The R&R beret

2007-10-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

Here it is... the R&R beret to commemorate my weekend of rest and relaxation with Rhinebeck and Ravelry. Made in a similar style to my Pumkinhead Hats, this hat is a beret style hat but with a simple texture pattern to highlight any cool variegated worsted weight yarn. It is knit flat and seamed.

The R&R Beret
by Sauniell N. Connally
copyright 2007
For non-commercial use only

Yarn: Manos del Uruguary (3.5oz/ 100grams, 138 yds/ 126 meters) - 1 skein
Color shown: #113 Wildflower

Needles: US 6 (4.00 mm) straights, US 8 (5mm) straights
Supplies: Stitch markers, tapestry needle

Gauge: 18 sts/24 rows per 4in/10cm in simple seed stitch pattern

Size: One size fits most
Skill Level: Beginner

Simple Seed Stitch Pattern
Row 1: *(k1, p1) , repeating from *
Row 3: *(p1, k1), repeating from *
Row 2 & 4: purl all sts

Pattern:

Using US 6 (4.00 mm) needles, cast on 78 sts.
Row 1: k1, *k2, p2, repeating from * to last st, k1.
Row 2: p1, *k2,p2, repeating from * to last st, p1.
Repeat the last 2 rows twice.

Next RS row: Switching to the US 8 needle, k1,*k2,m1, repeating from * to last st, k1. (116 sts)
Next row: purl all sts.

Next row: k1, and begin row 1 of the simple seed stitch pattern to the last st, k1.
Continue on, working the stitch pattern until the hat measures 4 inches from the ribbing.

Next RS row: work 2o sts, pm, *work 19, pm, repeating from * 3 times, work 20 sts. Work WS row in pattern.
Next RS row (right decreases): k1, skp, * work to next marker, slm, skp , repeating from * 4 times, then work to the end. Work one row in pattern. (110 sts)
Next RS row (left decreases): *work to 2 sts before marker, k2tog, repeating from * 4 times, then working to the last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. (104 sts)
Repeat the last 4 rows once. (92 sts)

Next RS row: work row making right and left decreases at row beg, end, and markers as done in the rows above. (80 sts)
Repeat in this manner on every RS row until there are 5 sts between each marker.
Next RS row: work row making right decreases. (26 sts)

Cut a long tail and using a tapestry needle, string tail through the loose stitches and tighten and secure. Block hat and seam side.

Glossary
m1 - make one k2tog - knit two together
pm - place marker skp - slip st, k1, pass slipped stitch over
slm - slip marker RS - right side

The R & R review

2007-10-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

My trip to Rhinebeck was a bittersweet one. There were only a few weaving looms but not enough to make a good, confident purchase so I left without the main thing I came for. On the upside I did get something that made up for it.

Since I've been so busy with school I haven't had time to spend on Ravelry or notice how much the site has really taken off and taken over so many people's lives. On the way to Rhinebeck, Shameka informed me of that there was a Ravelry meetup and a party on Saturday. I couldn't have imagined the crazy, fun, insanity of it all.

There were hundreds & hundreds of Ravelry folks.

And the party was even more fun. I meet so many people and saw so many great projects. The party was sponsored by Blue Moon Fibers, Berrocco, and the Loopy Ewe. There were some great prizes, which I didn't win, but I did get a few Soak samples.

I shall now leave you with some pics of the pretty (but stinky) sheep and goats. I'm going to post the pattern for the hat I made for the trip which I'm going to name the R&R hat (Rhinebeck & Ravelry). Some people asked me about it while I was there and I've decided to commemorate the weekend with a free hat pattern. It should be up tonight or tomorrow night at the latest.

Ready for the weekend

2007-10-17T18:42:00.000-05:00

The pace here at Chez Saun has become more manageable. I'm getting used to the pace of my classes and learning to manage the assignments better. It's still busy but I'm learning to schedule time to relax.

Last weekend I met up with a new friend that I made through my previous gig at that knit shop. She's a cool chick who is a knitting savant. She's only been knitting a few months and she's made hats, scarves, and even this really long hooded sweater coat. We met up to see the other shops in the area and find her some yarn for her next sweater. We started at Downtown yarns in the Lower East Side and then went to Purl in Soho. Both stores are really cool and have a nice vibe. Downtown Yarns has really reasonable prices for NYC given that everything in city is usually marked up 1000% to account for the high rents. Purl is a nice store, I just wish it was a bigger space. I tried not to buy anything but I couldn't resist a small purchase.

Some Dale of Norway Stork for project swatching, the latest Rebecca magazine, and a skein of Manos in the loveliest colorway. The Manos is going to be for a hat that will be my Rhinebeck car project. Just a nice and simple slouch hat that I've wanted to add to my wardrobe.

I'm excited to head to Rhinebeck this weekend for the Sheep and Wool Festival. I only want to buy a small weaving loom and some yarn for the loom. I really looking forward to just getting out of the city and being around a whole bunch of colorful fiber. Hopefully the weather will hold up and make it a wonderful weekend. If you are going and you see me there, be sure to say hi.

Why is it.....

2007-10-08T19:39:00.000-05:00

How is it that when I am sitting somewhere knitting with my face down and my Ipod on, someone always wants to talk to me? I thought head down and earphones on was the universal sign for leave me alone. And why do they always interrupt with that silly "Can you make me something?" line. Was it really worth interrupting me for that? I have to put down my knitting to take out my earphones just to hear them repeat an obviously dumb question, when the obvious answer is "no"(i do try to be more polite about it though). Then they look at me like I'm supposed to say something else. From now on I'm going to answer that question with the "Are you serious-I don't know you-why would I make you something- are you gonna pay me-why did you interrupt me for that- get a better opening line-you're stupid" face.

I'm trying to finish my last book project between classes and one of the security guards decides to interrupt me with that nonsense. Can you tell how much that irritated me?

My parents rock!

2007-09-23T15:06:00.000-05:00

While talking to my parents one day, I mentioned that it would be nice to get a care package since technically I am in college and college students should get care packages. My mother laughed and told me I had nerve and that I was too old to be expecting care packages.

Two weeks later this arrives.......

I'm a spoiled child and I know it. Pencils, highlighters, candy and gift cards for groceries. But the best thing of all was the little plastic strip that you see sitting on top of the yellow sponge brushes. That is the hospital band that my mother wore the day I was born. My parents rock!

And just for kicks, here's one of last week's projects. The assignment was for flat pattern design class. I had to make a pattern for a yoked skirt and then make the actual skirt and stylize it.

I decided to go with an assymetrical yoke made in multiple pieces with gold stitching and beading.

I have another skirt project due this week. I'll be sure to take pictures of it.

Some free time at last!

2007-09-23T14:50:00.000-05:00

I am happy to say that I finally have some free time on my hands. Why you ask? Well, it's because I quit my part-time job at the knit shop. There were a couple of reasons behind my decision. For one, I realized that after spending so much time on campus, any substantial amount of free time I had I was spending at work. That didn't leave much time for homework and definitely not a social life. It was a task just trying to find time to do laundry. While it was nice to have the extra money for groceries, etc, I realized that it wasn't worth it to forgo my sanity. It's one thing to sacrifice that time for a job that was going to advance my fashion career but in the long run, serving coffee and restocking yarn was not going to add any value to my fashion resume.

Don't get me wrong, it was fun interacting with all the different people and helping them with their projects. I actually enjoyed that part of it. But I could be using that time to work on my own school projects or schedule appointments. Then add the fact that they were starting to cut my hours at random, at the last minute (like 2 hours before my shift) and it made the decision much easier.

Now that my weekends are free, guess where I'll be October 20 & 21......RHINEBECK!!! Shemeka and Chante are graciously letting me tag along.

What I've been doing with my time

2007-09-13T08:26:00.000-05:00

Ah yes......I am still here. I'm sure you thought I was lost in the abyss and never coming back to this here blog. Despite their efforts, FIT will never keep me away from you.

This program is no joke. I've already had one of those moments where I asked myself, "What am I doing here ?" I leave the apartment at 7:30 in the morning and don't get home until 9:30pm. It's madness. Here's how I spend the hours....

I do a little knitting on the subway. This is a little scarf I'm working up in an arrowhead stitch pattern using some Savannah organic yarn from The Fibre Company.

I spend hours learning to drape muslin to make a dress and make a pattern. Hours and hours and hours.

I sneak into store dressing rooms to take pictures of expensive dresses....

so I can sketch them for class.

And then I look at the lights of Madison Square Garden as I walk to the subway to go home.

Luckily we don't have classes today and tomorrow due to the Jewish holiday. It will give me a chance to catch up on some sleep, do some homework, and knit. I am actually working on a knitted jacket using some Rowan Yorkshire Tweed. I don't have any pictures yet because it just looks like a blob of yarn. I'm hoping to get more done this weekend since I have the time.

Buens noches

2007-08-30T19:59:00.001-05:00

I'm just dropping a quick post to say hi. Today was my first Spanish Class. It was interesting. Rolling those R's are easy until you have to say it fast.

The first week of classes are quite busy. Classes are in 3-4 hour blocks so there is a lot of time to get right into the coursework. I think I'll have the classes under control. The most hectic part has been getting all of the supplies. I've been to the bookstore 7 times already and I'm waist deep in new school supplies.

I am getting some knitting time in during breaks and on the train. I've started my Zen knitting project and I'll show some pictures this weekend (hopefully). I'll be around in blogland to catch up on my reading this weekend too. I can't wait to see what everyone's been up to.

Until next time....hasta luego!

Zen Knitting

2007-08-21T21:05:00.000-05:00

"You won't have a social life".

These were the words that stuck out most at my orientation today. Going back to school is going to be a true test of my time management skills. But I am determined to not let that get in the way of my knitting time. Right now I'm trying to figure out my next project. I've started and stopped a few things. I've started my Habu jacket which is strictly an at-home project and I have a small lace scarf for my train project. But for some reasons they aren't hitting the spot. I think I just want a good old-fashioned (but not "old-fashioned) sweater. Some stockinette and maybe a cable or two but nothing complex.......I think I just figured it out...... I need some zen knitting. Something to calm the nerves and help me relax.

While I figure out my zen project, I'll do a little housekeeping.

Does anyone want a copy of the Winter 06/07 Vogue Knitting? I have 2 copies to give away. The first 2 people to leave a comment can have them. If you see that you are one of the first 2 to leave a comment, then go ahead and send me an email with your mailing address. If there are already 2 names, consider them gone. (please don't send a "just in case" email. I'll do another post if they don't get claimed. )

A lot of stuff going on....

2007-08-13T15:03:00.000-05:00

Let's catch up....... Last week was a crazy/busy one! Last Wednesday, us New Yorkers' (yup, I'm a NYer now cause I got my new driver's license), were stuck in the worst traffic nightmare. There was a huge rainstorm that flooded the subway stations and forced the morning commute above ground. What is typically as 25 min train ride turned into a 3.5 hr bus ride with folks crammed into the bus to the point of overflow. Then it took me 1.5 hrs to get home.

Later that evening I headed out to Stitch-n-Pitch. I was really tired but I went anyway. I forgot my camera but I did take a picture of the goodie bag everyone got. Each bag had different things but this is what mine had.

Saturday was the Annual SistahFriends Knittah-Que.

I only stayed for 30 mins because I had to go to work.

Yup....that's right. I have a job. I haven't been jobless since I was 15 and sitting around without an income was starting to bother me. I checked online and found a LYS that was hiring. Last Friday I started working. It's the perfect job that fits into my class schedule and allows me to work in an area I'm good at.

The store has a great selection of yarns and this past week or so there has been a sale. I was holding out pretty well. Given the size of my stash I don't need another ounce of yarn. Friday I talked myself out of buying any Noro Silk Garden Lite or Koigu. Then Saturday I walked in and saw a bin sitting next to the register with this in it. .....

Habu Paper Silk Shoulder Bag Kits . I got 4 of them. I want to make a jacket and if there is enough left, then I'll make the intended bag.

I'm off to do some knitting and maybe even swatch some Habu. Talk to ya later.

Realizations

2007-08-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning to some hard realizations

* My sweet tooth is way out of control and it shall be my downfall. This is an oh-so-delicious cupcake from Crumbs. I just had to get two of them this morning while I was out running errands. It's a good thing I have to do a lot of walking now.

* Now that I don't work in front of a computer, it's hard to keep up on all the blog reading.

Yup! That's 637 posts I need to read.
I'll try to keep up by reading them with my morning cup of coffee.

* I do believe that Ravelry will become like MySpace for Knitters/Crocheters. An additive little space that will further suck me in and make me lose track of time.

* "The Dress" is destined to be this perpetual project that I am never fully satisfied with and will never have the time to finish.

* It was pre-empted by my next project. It's for another book. I'll let you know more about it after the author gives the go ahead. I'm really excited about this one!

Now I have to find a small project to take with me to Stitch-n-Pitch this Wednesday. I think it might be a good time to start a scarf.

Stitch-n-Pitch is coming to town!

2007-08-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

Check out Stitch-n-Pitch for ticket info or to see if they are having an event in your city.

I'm going. How about you?

The Return

2007-07-24T11:32:00.000-05:00

I'm back in NYC and hopefully I can finally settle in without any problems.

The time at home was great. G-ma LOVED her new socks. She loved the brown and cream colors. I also finished painting the kitchen and the most important thing I learned is that you will exercise muscles you never knew you had. The muscles at the base of my neck hurt so much when I was done.

I was to claim some treasures my father unearthed while cleaning out closets. The first was an old handheld television I got when I was in my teens. It still works and will come in handy if the power goes out.

Another was this Vogue pattern from my mother. This was her first ever Vogue pattern which she never used. The cover is all beat up but the pattern is in great conditon. I love the dress but don't think I'd have occasion to wear it. I will make the coat though.

Here is a picture of the Karabella tank. I'm not sure what to call it but I'll come up with something.

Here's a close-up.

It may not be easy to see but each of the joins in the lattice pattern has a bead . The neckline and armholes are accented with beads as well. I was trying to challenge myself when I came up with this and it was a definite challenge in patience.

The train ride back was 12+ hours and I figured it be a good time to fix the Miss Saun from last year. I've never worn it because I was not really happy with the length. I want it to be floor-length. I have been putting off making the changes because I wasn't looking forward to taking it apart at the bottom. I am almost finished and then I'll have to weave in all the ends. When it's finished I'll take a pic of the new and improved dress.

So It Goes*

2007-07-18T07:58:00.000-05:00

Long time, no see.

I'm back in Cleveland. Why you ask? Well....My new building is having electrical issues. They rehabbed a bunch of pre-war apartments, adding 4-5 electrical outlets to rooms that may have only had 2. What they forgot to do was rehab the entire electrical system to handle the load. It's not a problem until everyone tries to run their ACs.

Here's mine. Isn't it pretty?Never the less, I came home for a week or so to give them time to fix the problem.

Here are some pics of my living room/kitchen/everything smashed into one room.

Thankfully, I have a bedroom too.

And the view from my window.

I took my first train ride to come back home. It was 12 hours, which wasn't so bad. It gave me a chance to read and knit. I finished "The Devil Wears Prada" which was better than the movie and I started my first Kurt Vonnegut book, "Slaughter House - Five".(*My post title comes from the book.) I'm trying to read some different things and I found these at a used book store. Books for $3-5 are a nice thing.

The trip home has been a hidden blessing. It has given me a chance to spend some time with my family which I'm enjoying. The last time I was home I was able to see my G-ma. She was wearing the socks that I made her from some Regia Tip & Top Cotton. She likes to walk around her apartment in socks instead of house shoes. She told me that the socks I made in Lorna's Laces had a hole in them. While pretty, the yarn is just too soft for her.

I started these on the train ride back. It's more Tip & Top Cotton that I got from Elann last year. The stash is coming in handy. I'm going to take them to her tomorrow. I have another skein in black & white to make but I probably won't get those done before I leave.

I finished my beaded top in the Karabella Cotton. If it's not raining, I'll try to take a picture today. In the meantime, I'm going to get back to my current project. I'm helping my parents by painting the kitchen. Nothing like the smell of latex paint to get ya going. I'll take pictures when I'm done.

Live from NYC

2007-07-06T22:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I come to you live from NYC courtesy of some "borrowed" internet.

This has been one crazy ride. Here's how it went.

June 20 - Last day at work & my sister flew into Raleigh to help me drive my truck
June 21 - (my birthday mind you) I hired people to pack the truck and drove up to Cleveland.
*Special Note 1: Let me just say that hiring people to pack/unpack the truck is the best idea ever!
*Special Note 2: West Virginia is the state that would never end. It may look small on a map but don't be fooled. The pics above are some my sister took from the truck.
June 22 - I moved some things into my parents storage unit and my sister took my favorite couches to Chicago.
June 23 - Mamacita and I drove to NYC, had the truck unpacked, did a little supply shopping, got something to eat and passed out.
June 24 - Mamacita flew back to Cleveland
June 27 - I flew back to Raleigh to clean up and see my friends on last time.
June 30 - I drove Jay-etta to Cleveland; her current chill spot
July 5 - I'm flew back to NYC.
*Special Note 3: US Airways is the worst airline ever!

This little adventure has taught me a few things, the best of which is that I have the greatest family in the world. I never would have made it through all of this without them.

NYC is okay but I'm really not used to all this walking. I've been walking and sleeping alot. Today's adventure was going to buy an air conditioner (how I miss central air) and getting a local bank account. Tomorrow I'm going to try and get my cable/internet set up and make curtains for the windows.

Right now I'm a little un-emotional about NYC. I think cause I'm so overwhelmed by it all. I'm sad because my apt is so small. Nothing matches because I had to cram a 1100 sq.ft apt into one that is probably only 450. I really miss by sofa and chair. I'm also trying to get used to the local concept of grocery stores and non-chain stores. I know I'll be more excited when my place is fully organized and acquainted with my local stores.

In knitting news....

I have had a chance to work on the top I'm making with the Red Karabella cotton. I should be finished this week. My place does get decent light so I should get some good pics when I get ready to take them.

I'm still looking for a free place to host my free patterns online. The links will be down until I get that all figured out.

Site on hiatus

2007-06-21T00:38:00.000-05:00

I'm off to move all my stuff. While I'm in route the blog may have some broken links and missing pictures. Things may not be fully functional until July.

See ya on the other side.

Purge your soul

2007-06-13T10:57:00.000-05:00

Mark my words people. You never realize how much crap you accumulate until you have to pack and move it all.

You only get one life. What ya gonna do with it?

2007-06-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

A few years ago I sat through a church sermon where the preacher spoke about living without fear. He said "Do you ever wonder why it's the craziest people that accomplish so much? It's because they live without a sense of fear. If there is something that you want to do, don't be afraid. No excuse is really good enough when it's something that is going to improve your life".
So I began the year of 2007 with a new mantra "Live without fear".

I also have this little saying , "You only have one life. What ya gonna do with it?". One of my biggest fears is not living the life I'm supposed to. When I lived in Minnesota, I had what seemed like a good life. Good job, good money. But I was very unhappy. Very! Life was routine and mundane. It got to the point that I didn't know what day of the week it was because they were all the same. And although this may sound slightly nuts, I felt as if I was just keeping time until I died. No next big thing to mark my life. No excitement. Just work, eat, sleep, repeat. So I decided that I would pursue my fashion career and apply to school. I started working on my portfolio and then I got the chance to relocate to Raleigh for work. A quick fix that I jumped at.

Now I've been in Raleigh for 3 years. Life is definitely better than before, yet I still felt as if I'm not living the life I am supposed to. I threw myself into knitwear design as a way of improving my overall design repetoire and keeping busy, and now I love it. With each day my passion for fashion (ha! that rhymes) grows and my love for the corporate technology world dwindles. The first things you think of when you awake in the morning should be your motivators through life, and my job definitely isn't something that motivates me. I'm busting my butt to make money for someone else. And at my funeral what will they say?..."She used to work for some company doing something, but she did it for 30 years so she must have been good at it. Blah. Blah. Blah" I want to be remembered for more than that and at some point I want to work for myself.

I've always had this dream of what my life should be and earlier this year I took the steps towards living that dream.

Sometimes you just have to step out on faith. I figured if I could get accepted to the Fashion Design program at FIT than I need to take the leap. I'm terrified and excited all at the same time. Yesterday I gave my 2 weeks notice at work and at the end of this month I'll be moving to NYC. (That's why I was in NYC last week. I was looking for an apt. Talk about stressful!)

Things will be a little quiet at Chez Saun while I make the transition. I'll try to check in when I can but I hope to be up to full speed by the first week in July. This is definitely going to be an adventure.

That's what friends are for

2007-06-03T15:21:00.000-05:00

It's funny how technology has come to define my friendships. With my longtime "real-life" friends, we rarely and almost never communicate through email or text messages. We talk on the phone and see each other in person. Our relationships were forged in the physical realm and we tend to keep to that. Then there are my "innanet" friends. People for whom the friendships were started online. All of our interactions are through email, blogs, or text messages.

I've come to expect different things from the different sets of friends. For my real friends, I expect more physical interaction. You know... the normal things friends do like a phone call to see how I'm doing,picking me up from the airport, and doing the small things without me having to ask. If they started sending me only emails or text, I'd be upset. For my innanet friends all I expect are emails and texts and the occasional phone conversation.

I say all this because this past week, I learned a whole lot about my innanet friends and they surprised me more than I could have expected. I went to NYC on a mission to find something (more on that later), and discussed it with a few select people. Without having to ask, the great Sahara opened her home to me. She and Mr.K were so gracious since the cost of a hotel room would have run me about $1000. Carrie and Gina offered to help me in anyway possible. When I couldn't find what I was looking for on Thursday, I stopped by my innanet brother Dex's house. He went above and beyond the call of duty and put a call out to his friends to try and help me. One of his friends who I never ever met before even offered me a solution to my search. On top of all that, Sahara, arranged a SistahFriends sit & knit at Native in Harlem. I had a chance to meet Sherri, Chante , Shameka and Njoya, and so many more.

All of this love was so overwhelming and unexpected. My innanet friends did things for me that I would have never expected and for that I am so greatful and want to say THANK YOU!
This technology thing has brought me friends from unexpected places. It makes me want to meet each and every one of you.

Now onto some knitting content.

I can't really tell you about my mission just yet. I have a few loose ends to tie up and then maybe I can tell you on Wednesday. I can show you the few things I was able to pick up when I went by Purl in Soho. I got some Alchemy Silken Straw and a skein of Organic Savannah from The Fibre Co.

I only stopped by Purl because Tanis from Vogue Knitting suggested it. Did I forget to mention that I got a chance to visit the offices of Vogue Knitting/KnitSimple/Knit.1/Adorn. She gave me a tour and even showed me the yarn closet. It's like the famous "Vogue" closet but it's just yarn instead. It's huge!

I'll be back soon!

2007-05-31T01:11:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Things are hectic, hectic, hectic!

I'm in NYC right now taking care of some business. I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

8 Random Things

2007-05-24T17:41:00.000-05:00

Right now I'm swimming in wool yarn. I'm working on a magazine submission (yeah! another one) and I need to get it finished by next week. Wool all day and all night, and my projects have been put on hold. In the meantime, I'll try to entertain you with the " 8 Random Things " meme. I was tagged days ago by Andrea . It may have taken me awhile but I didn't forget.

1. My ultimate goal in life is to be a stay-at-home mother and wife and run a business out of my home. Say what you will but I've done the corporate thing and it's overrated. Now if only I could find a husband....

2. I have recently found the joys of Almond Milk and I'm never going back. I'm lactose-intolerant and researched the many evils of the photoestrogens in soy milk. Almond milk is definitely the way to go.

3. Bad thunderstorms give me panic attacks. I once drove through a bad storm on I-75 and missed getting hit by a tornado by 10 mins. There's nothing like having pieces of trees and houses hit your car while the rain is going completely horizontal instead of vertical.

4. The very first thing I wanted to do when I went to college was to buy myself some General Foods International Coffee . My mother would not allow us to drink coffee and to me that was a sign of being an adult. She later told me that see knew I , of all her children, would be a coffee drinker because of how much I like chocolate. All 3 of her children are coffee drinkers. At least she tried.

5. I cut my hair again. The last haircut was inspired by a character in the "Transporter 2" movie and Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy. No one had the cut when I got it and I've had it since June 2006. In the past two weeks, I saw 4 women with my haircut. I knew it was time for a change.

6. In a few weeks I'm going to dye my hair bright red. My current color is going a little orangey.

7. I really would like to have a garden. My grandmother used to grow collard greens in her backyard in the middle of the city. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

8. Right now I have an obsession with all things British. I've watched Hustle, MI-5; listen to Floetry and Craig David and now I'm into Lily Allen. British accents are kind of cool.

I couldn't finish it.

2007-05-18T09:02:00.000-05:00

I'm going to attempt to give a quick review of the book The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. The reason it is going to be brief is because I couldn't finish the book.

As far as books go, it was a well-written book. It's about a woman named Mary who is grieving the loss of her child and how she uses knitting as a tool to cope with the loss. In many ways this is Ann Hood's story, as she lost a child in a similar way. Through her time knitting she is able to meet several woman, hear their stories, and use all of this to tell her story. The book is well-written and Ann Hood is a great storyteller. She is capable of making the stories of each woman interesting, as well as making the concept of knitting seem like an additional character in the book. I would suggest this book to other people.

Now I will say this and want it to be understood before I say it, that this is due to personal preference and not the author's writing. I didn't finish the book because I didn't want to. I knew I didn't want to finish it after the 2nd chapter but I pressed on through the 10th chapter before I stopped. I'm primarily a reader of mysteries and some general fiction. The deep look at a woman that is struggling with her grief is not what I personally consider a leisurely read. It was a continuous journey of sadness and depression. I understand it but I use books as a way to escape and this was not a place I wanted to escape to. I'm the same way with movies, television, and blogs. Like I said, Ann Hood is a great writer and I could probably read her other books, but this particular story just wasn't for me.

Just peeking in

2007-05-15T12:24:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody! How was your weekend? Did all you mothers have a great Mother's Day? I sure hope so.

It's been busy here at Chez Saun. Big things are happening here and I wish I could tell you everything but alas, it will have to wait a little while. It's going to keep me really busy for the next few weeks and my posts may be sporadic.

I hope to have a review up of "The Knitting Circle" by Thursday. I just have to finish the book by tomorrow so I can return it to the library. I only have 260 more pages to go. Guess what I'll be doing tonight?

Before I go, I'll give you a peek of what was waiting in my mailbox on Saturday.

It's mine and it's in the new Knit.1 Summer 2007 issue.

Distractions

2007-05-11T07:52:00.000-05:00

Thanks so much for all the complements on Corazon Azul. Nik was able to help me take some better photos yesterday which turned out great. I should have the pattern up in a week or so.

In the meantime, I'm going to focus on my latest distractions.

I had every intention of finishing the Habu tunic but the library called to tell me this book was available. It will be my first knitting related read. I was #60 on the waitlist but I guess I lucked up. Due to the popularity of knitting related books I only get 1 week to read it. I also got distracted by the Karabella Vintage Cotton that I purchased from Stitch DC a few months back. I've been itching to work with it. I just love the ruby color. I'm mixing in some beads for a little sparkle. I'll show you a little more once I've figured out the exact stitch pattern.

Well I'm off to enjoy the weekend. It may rain so it will be perfect reading weather.

It only took forever

2007-05-09T08:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not quite sure why, but these socks took me forever to finish. I started them in October.
It would only be fitting that I finish them in May when the temps are too high to wear socks.

I'm not sure how long my next set of socks will take but this is what I'm using. It's the Socks That Rock in Stonewash that I bought at last years MDSW. Since I couldn't go this year, I figured breaking into the yarn I bought last year would only be fitting. Would you know that I have not touched any of the yarn that I bought last year. Yes, it's sad, but that also tells you reason I didn't go this year. I don't need any new yarn.

I can tell you one thing that didn't take me that long to finish......" corazón azul".

I finished the body on Sunday and the sleeves Monday. I must say that I really do like the KnitPicks Shine yarn that I used for this project. It's a nice cotton/modal blend that is soft. Much better than a pure cotton. It looks like it will develop a slight halo after a few washings but I think that's typical of cotton/cotton blends.

Now I need to get back to my Habu tunic. I got a little frustrated with it. I was tired of the straight stockinette and tried to add a lace motif, but that turned into disaster. Ever time I saw it, it made me think of a dress for a 3-yr old. Even though it's boring, I'm going to stick to the stockinette. Sometimes, simplest is best. Hopefully I'll have it done by Friday so I can show you what it looks like.

The mind and body

2007-05-03T08:01:00.000-05:00

Knitting is many things. It is creative and stylish, but one thing it definitely is not is a a cardiovascular workout. The only thing that gets a workout is my wrists but no man I know goes around saying "Oooh girl, look at those sexy wrists". They're checking out everything else.

Truthfully, for me, it's not about the look so much as it is all-over health. I'm not in denial about my body shape. I will never again look like I did in high school. Age and metabolism have guaranteed that. What I want is general good health. Given my recent bouts of insect-induced sickness, I have decided to focus on my health and boosting my immune system. I want to make sure that I am eating right and getting a good amount of exercise.

Yesterday I went to the doctor for a general physical exam. I got all of my vaccinations and tests up to date. I also went out and bought some new multivitamins.

The other thing I have decided to do is better utilize this online tool.

This is a link to the SparkPeople.com website. It is an online health and wellness program that I was introduced to through my job. It is almost exactly the same as the Weight Watchers online program except it is absolutely FREE. They give you a diet plan in stages, help you track your calories and exercise, online motivators, goal-setting, send you emails/articles, and have an online community. It doesn't hurt to try it. Like I said, it's free.

Olga inquired as to what I was working on this weekend. This is one of the ideas that has been swimming in my head since February. It's a lacey top made from Knitpicks Shine Worsted that I'm making in the round. I became obsessed with finding this perfect shade of blue/azure during the beginning of Project Spectrum. Knitpicks was the only place I could find it. I came up with the main motif which right now I've nicknamed "The uterus". That's definitely not what plan to call it but right now the stupidity of calling it that makes me laugh.

I'm thinking I'll call it coração azul or corazón azul, which is "blue heart" in portuguese or spanish.

Weekend in pictures

2007-04-29T20:15:00.000-05:00

Saturday

Sunday

May not seem all that exciting but I had a blast!

Lil Miss Muffet

2007-04-26T08:38:00.000-05:00

Lil Miss Saun sat in her office chair, planning to eat her mid-morning snack.
She opened her lunch bag and out came a spider that made Miss Saun jump back.

That was my sad attempt at Lil Miss Muffet . Nevertheless that was my tale from work on Monday. I swear I must have done something to upset the balance of the insect world, because they are out to destroy me.

Let's see now..... I don't have any pictures today. Everything I'm working on looks like a big blob of yarn so there isn't anything good to take pictures of. I will tell you about my latest yarn purchase from Jannette's Rare Yarns. If you get on her email list, she occasionally sends out special sales. The latest deal a bag (10 skeins) of Chunky Yorkshire Tweed for $40 with shipping included. I couldn't pass that up.

The end of April is fast approaching (this year is just flying by) and I hope to have my two projects done by the end of April. I want to use May as my "clean-up" month. There are projects I need to finish or fix and I never seem to get to them.

I hoping for good weather this weekend. I want to just sit on my deck, listen to some music, knit, and relax. What are you plans for the weekend?

Are you having trouble reading my blog?

2007-04-24T07:02:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if this is the best way to ask because if you are having trouble then you probably can't read this but I'm gonna ask it anyway. Is anyone having trouble reading my blog, leaving comments, or buying patterns?

I've had one person tell about an issue and I want to know if it's a consistent problem.

I'll be back tomorrow with updates. We had such nice weather over then weekend that I didn't get much done indoors. Not even any knitting or tv/netflix watching. And since you know those 2 things rank high on my list, it must have been great outdoor weather.

Focus on the good things

2007-04-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

While the news media likes to dwell on tragedy, I try not to. You should definitely be mindful/respectful of the loss and learn from it. I just don't think people should focus on trying to understand it. Here is my rationale: Only crazy people understand crazy and unless you are crazy you will NEVER understand it, so don't even try.

So with that, I'm going to focus on the good things....

.. like the fact that an old college friend found my blog and left me a smart a$$ message. He wanted me to remove it but I'm not going to. It made me laugh. It reminded me of the good times we all used to have. We were a sarcastic bunch with lots of jokes. Awwww.....the good old days.

... like the nice african violet plant that Liz gave me at knit night Thursday. It's in a special orchid pot, which I would have never known to get. Hopefully I can keep this plant alive. My last plant "Daisy" lasted 6 months. I'm hoping this one will last for years.

... like the nice time I had at the Temples and Tombs Egyptian Art exhibit I saw Friday. A friend invited me to attend the festival the NC Art Museum was having for the opening of the exhibit. There were vendors, music, and dancing. The greatest part was that everyone was able to see the exhibit for free. As a souvenir, I got my name in printed in heiroglyphics.

... like the fact that I got these two fortunes with my Chinese food Friday night.

... like the fact that my Habu tunic is coming along nicely.

So focus on the good things going on in your life, because you are lucky enough to have one to live.

Introducing Billie

2007-04-15T13:30:00.001-05:00

BILLIE

MATERIALS

Yarn: Karabella Aurora 8 , 100% Merino Wool
98 yds (90 m)
Cropped: 9[10, 10, 12, 15, 16 ] skeins
Regular: 12[15, 15, 18, 22, 25 ] skeins

Yarn Substitutions: Any worsted weight yarn with 18st/26 row st-st gauge

Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) straight needles
US 6 (4.0 mm) straight needles

Supplies:
1 yd horsehair braid -1 inch wide (for collar),
14 in or 20 in separating zipper

Gauge: 25sts-26 rows per 4 inch(10cm) in honeycomb cable pattern

Sizes: XS [S, M, L, 1X, 2X]
Finished Bust: 30[34, 38, 42, 46,50]

Skill Level: Experienced

Shown: Cropped jacket, size M, color 885

Price: $6.00 US

You will receive an email from E-Junkie with a link to the PDF file.

Bugs

2007-04-12T19:02:00.000-05:00

So as it turns out that nasty bit of food poisoning I thought I had a few weeks ago wasn't food poisoning after all. After 3 weeks and 2 trips to the doctor's office (I really hate giving them my money), it seems that my illness was due to a bug bite. After a week my symptoms had not gone away which I thought was weird for food poisoning. Plus I had this weird all-over itch that is similar to an allergic reaction. Doctor #1 couldn't piece that symptom together with my other symptoms and told me that things should just resolve themselves. (Did I really need to pay for this useless opinion?)

After another week, the nausea was gone but the weird itch persisted. Then I noticed this painful bump on my ankle that hurt when I walk or touched it. I was literally limping. Doctor #2 looked at the bump and my previous blood work and deduced it was all the result of some vicious bug. I'm not sure what bug it was since it happened 3 weeks ago but this reaffirms my notion that I don't like nature.

This is the scene of the vicious attack on my life. I was attempting to get a little more exercise in my life and go walking on a local trail. I'm not too sure I'll be going back.

Now onto a different "bug". This is the current state of the Butterfly cami. Not much has been done. Earlier today I had the idea to frog it and give up, but here is the thing. I want the cami, I just don't really want to make it. I want it to appear out of nowhere all finished and ready to wear.

Since I don't have magical powers I guess I should get knittin'.

check,check,check.....check it out.

2007-04-08T21:34:00.000-05:00

Hey Folks! Did everyone have a good weekend? Mine was good.

On Friday I found out that my article for Black Purl Magazine was officially published. I wrote about my volunteer experience at the Raleigh Girls Club and included a pattern that I made for the girls. I enjoyed writing it, eventhough I'm not really a writer. I promised the girls that whatever money was made from the article would be used to give them a party. They've already decided that they want a pizza party, except for one girl, who is determined to have a sleepover at my house. Crazy girl....12 little girls at my house...overnight. I like my sanity.

I also got these in the mail.

I've been putting off getting real labels for awhile. There is a 4 week delivery date and for some odd reason I was too impatient to wait. Not the most brillant rational so I went ahead and ordered some from NameMaker. They were 50 for $22. Not a bad investment. It's good to have your own labels, especially if you are a gifter.

A look at Billie

2007-04-04T21:09:00.000-05:00

Here's a glimpse at where it all began back in October......
I was working from home and an idea popped into my head. I took a break and began to sketch before it left my head. I didn't really think about it for a few weeks. I had to let the idea marinate. Later I saw the stitch pattern on a sweater in a Vogue magazine and knew I wanted to use it for this jacket.

Working this design was a little tricky. I started with a swatch (Sahara's wise voice rings true) but there was something my small swatch could not predict. This particular stitch pattern draws the fabric inward the more repeats you do. After some tinkering, I was able to get my measurements together.

It took a bit more yarn than I thought - 10 balls of Aurora 8. It's partially due to the fact that the wraps take up more. The collar, cuffs, and lower band are also done like a folded hem which uses more yarn.

I'm contemplating what to do about the pattern. I'm thinking that I'll add an option to make the jacket longer. This will probably make the jacket more wearable for the bustier, curvier girls. It'll be ready in a week or two.

Let's catch up...

2007-04-01T17:42:00.000-05:00

I took a little time away from the blog. It seems that my blog voice was gone and I didn't have much to say. In any event, I'll give you an update.

First thing.....I'm a red-head now or a partial red-head to be specific.

My new motto is "It's only hair. It will grow back". I wasn't sure how it would turn out but I took the chance and had the front of my hair dyed red. I figured if I didn't like it, I would just cut it off. The good thing is that I like it. I've gotten quite a few complements so I think I made a good choice.

This is the sock that I am calling the "everlasting gobstopper". Willy Wonka would be so proud. This pair of socks is neverending. I've been working on them since last October. I just finished the first sock. I plan to finish the second in the next week or two. I want to start a new pair with my "Socks That Rock".

These are my new find. If you ever have a problem with your toes hurting in high heels, there is a chance that your feet are slipping down into your shoe. This happens to me alot but especially in the summer when I wear sandals with bare feet. I found these in the shoe section at Target.

I've started working on my first official project for Project Spectrum. I didn't get in on the first two but I definitely have a pink project for the next two months. One is Butterfly, the other is a top I want to make out of my Habu cotton.

I worked up a small swatch on US 6s. It gets about 5 sts/1 inch.

I finished to Billie Jacket. The bottom band gave me fits and I had to rework it twice but it's done now. I'll post some pics in the next day or so.

FTEL: Tunafish is the devil's handiwork

2007-03-26T22:43:00.000-05:00

Friendly Tip For Everyday Living #25

Do not eat any tunafish salad that you did not make yourself. Premade tunafish is the devil's handiwork and you are taking your life into your own hands. The odds are stacked against and the outcome will not be good.

This FTEL moment was brought to you by the letters F, P, and G.
F & P stand for "food poisioning" and the G stands for Gatorade (my new best friend).

I wasn't able to accomplish much knitting this weekend. I did get one sock finished which is now being dubbed "The Everlasting Gobstopper". I'll fill you in on that tomorrow.

And despite my futile efforts, I have been sucked into the world that is Facebook. ( I have to thank Ms. Complexity for introducing me to the darkside .) If you have a Facebook account, let me know, and I'll add you as a friend.

mid-week report

2007-03-21T11:36:00.000-05:00

You ladies and your pirates! Thanks for making me feel less like a weirdo. Movie magic is really a wonder.

I've been working away on the Billie Jacket.

I was fearful that I didn't have enough yarn. The cables and wraps really eat up the yardage. My LYS was out of the color (What should I expect when I bought the yarn in October). I ordered another ball for kpixie . Eventhough I had no hopes of getting the same dyelot I was in luck. Now I can finish. I have one sleeve let and then the collar and cuffs.

And since I couldn't see paying shipping for one ball of yarn, I added some Habu to the order.

I hope to finish the Billie Jacket so I can dig into this stuff.

F is for facial hair

2007-03-18T22:51:00.000-05:00

I'm gonna start this thing off with a little confession. I'm not sure why I feel compelled to share this but I do, so I am. I'm not sure if it's because I need a man in my life, or if it was the 3 beers I had to celebrate my bit of Irish heritage for St. Patrick's Day, but Saturday I came to a strange realization while watching The Departed on Saturday. For the first time in life I found this man attractive....

But here is the really odd part. I only found him appealing because of the hair cut and facial hair. Titanic...absolutely nothing. Saw him on the Oscars w/long hair...nothing. In the beginning he was clean cut... nothing. He got a little facial hair and it was a total different ballgame. I just feel like a weirdo for realizing I can be swayed by facial hair.

Before I started my evening of beers, college basketball games, and Mr. DiCaprio, I did get out of the house to run some errands. My major purchase were these two ladies...

Meet "Meedee" and "Smay-all". I like simple names. Remember "Jay-etta the Jetta" and My man Serta. (That's my car and bed for those that don't know.)

Nik was telling me about the dress form that she bought, so I set out to get some of my own. They aren't really made for sewing purposes but they will do well for displaying and checking size fit. The are used but looked practically new for half the price.

This is what Liz made me at Knit Nite Thursday.

It's a pretty stitch marker. She had a pair of earring similar to this made with pearls and Swarovski crystals. I'll be sure to show you my pair after I convince her to make me some. I even offered to pay.

I wanted to thank everyone for the contest ideas. I think I might go with a scavengar hunt. It was what I was originally thinking and you all seem to have the same idea. I like Carrie's idea of having a "design for the people, by the people" project. I don't think I'll do that for the contest but it is something I might do in May.

Looking for ideas.

2007-03-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

Here's the thing.....My 3rd blogiversary is coming up next month and I want to do something fun for the occasion. Last year I did a give away but now I want to do something more than that. I want to do something interactive. Something that gets everyone more involved than just drawing a name from a hat. A real contest or something. So I need your help. Do you have any ideas for a fun contest? I have a few ideas but I want to see what you all think since you'll be the ones playing.

Smore to love

2007-03-14T08:01:00.000-05:00

I finished the Smores pattern last week.

(You'll have to excuse quality of the pic. This isn't the shirt I plan to wear it with but I didn't feel like ironing it just to take the pic.)

Pattern: Smores
Designer: Nikki at knitensity
Yarn: Malabrigo worsted - color: Amoroso - 3 skeins
Size: Bust 35"

Something about this pattern grabbed me when I saw it. I didn't buy it at first glance but for some reason it plagued my thoughts for a few days, so I went back and bought it. It's something in the lace panel, cables, and Malabrigo that did it for me.

I only made a few minor changes to the pattern. I made the waistband ribbing instead of seed stitch. I just wanted ribbing since the armholes would be ribbing. I also went with a standard neckline instead of the turtleneck. I think I'll get more wear if I can pair it with a collared shirt as well as the collar-less shirt like the one in the pic above. I can wear it to work with the collared blouse but I can forsee wearing this with a long-sleeve black shirt and dark jeans too.

Good times, good times!

2007-03-12T16:55:00.000-05:00

I had great fun this weekend!

First stop was to see my friend and god-son.

He's bionic and he even does his own stunts. He has mastered the art of beating you with his fists, grabbing your clothes, mouth, or hair with his amazing death-grip, and sliding out of his car seat. He's almost crawling and I suspect the next time I see him, he'll be walking. He already gets frustrated that he can't crawl like he wants. I assume he'll just bypass crawling and start walking. It was also good to see my friend who I suspect hasn't had much social adult interaction since the baby was born.

Saturday morning, I met up with Olga and Ava.
First we went to my favorite shop in DC, Stitch DC ,for their Daylight Savings Sale.

I bought some Karabella Vintage Cotton for a camisole, Habu tsumugi silk (My 1st Habu purchase), and some of the new Addi Turbo Lace needles. Hopefully these will improve my attitude towards lace knitting.

Next it was off to Knit Happens.

Unfortunately I don't have a picture of Ava because she refuses to be in pictures (Boooooo Ava Booooooo!) Hopefully next time she's soften up and take a pic.

We sat and mingled around the store for awhile. Nothing really jumped out at me at first. I wanted to get the latest Rebecca pattern book but they stopped carrying them. Instead I opted for the Rowan Studio 2 book, some Rowan Cotton Rope for a summer tank, and some Ella Rae wool and Harrisville Orchid Yarns for swatching.

We then had a late lunch and had the chance to chat about knitting and fashion. It was definitely a good time and I'm glad I got a chance to meet them.

Mailbag

2007-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

I have been really lax about replying to comments and for that I apologize. I read them at work for a pick-me-up but don't have the time to reply and by the time I get home I'm not up for digging through my mail. I'll try to read them only when I have time to reply.

Thanks for all the nice complements on my coat. I've had the chance to wear it every day this week since the weather has been colder. I didn't think I would get any winter air to wear it in. Gotta love that global warming. It will come through every time.

Gray La Gran asked if I would model the jacket in a pic. I tried doing the old tripod self portrait but black is really horrible to photograph. I'll see what I can do this weekend when I'm out and about in the daylight.

And now for another installment of ......

Dear Saun,
I have umpteen projets on the needles and still suffer heavily from startitis despite this. Can you fix me?
Sincerely,
-Nikki

Dear Nikki,

(Bet you didn't think I would use your comment for this segment but I am. Ha ha! No comment is safe in the land of Chez Saun. *insert sinister laughter here* Bwwaaahaaaa!)

I am sad to say that I may not be the best person to give you advice on this subject.
Exhibit A.....The walk of WIP shame

Rowan Butterfly
Smores
Koigu socks
Billie Jacket

All but one have been on the needles since last November.

If you suffer from ADCD (Attention Deficit Crafting Disorder) such as I do, I regret to inform you that there is no cure for you. (Well at least not until they figure out a way to grow 2-3 more pairs of hands or give humans bionic powers.) You will forever be plagued with the ability to be easily inticed by pretty new fibers, lovely colors, and fashionable patterns. I can say however, that there are ways to keep this disorder under control (and even without the use of pesky medications.)

Here are the ways I keep my ADCD under control.

1. Stay away from stores that have the word "craft, yarn, knit,art,fabric, wool,or fiber", in the name. You will see many pretty things as you read blogs but the key is not to buy. Make a list of the things you see and when you FINISH a project then you can treat yourself to the next thing on your list. This brings me to ....

2. Make a list of things you want to make. If you keep a list instead of buying things first, this will give you time to see if you really want to make the item. If after some time you still want the item, then it's meant for you to make the investment. I revise my list monthly and this has stopped me from buying a whole bunch of yarn that would now be sitting in a pile in my office.

3. Take a look at you WIP list. Do you really still want everything on it? If not, it's okay to rip it out. You can reuse the yarn for a more exciting project.

4. Destash. If you have fallen out of love with a project then set it free. You can post the item on your blog or on the destash blog. The key is to ask for a reasonable price.

I hope these tips help you.
--------------------------------------------------------

I try to keep my WIP list under 4. That is the most manageable for me. Each WIP serves it's purpose.
-The sock is my on-the-go project. Easy to carry.
-Smores is my "other people's pattern" project. I'm not in design mode all the time.
-The Billie Jacket is my own design project.
-Butterfly is my "only at home" project. It's that one pattern that takes complete focus and can't be done in the company of others.

I'm actually doing the Butterfly pattern with Christie. She started and stopped last year and I told her when she was ready to pick it back up, I would work it with her. I knew I wanted to do it and I figured the support would be good for both of us. She's already given my a tip about the hem frill that I'm going to do.

That's it for me this week. I'm off to the VA/DC area to see my God-son, Super Bionic Baby Boy, and do a little yarn shopping with Ava and Olga. Hopefully I'll remember to take pictures while I'm there.

New threads

2007-03-05T22:15:00.000-05:00

I took a break from all electronics this weekend. I didn't check email/bloglines all weekend. Instead I spent some much needed time with friends. I went to dinner,bowling, and then spent time with one of my best friends....my sewing machine. It's been sooooooo long.

I made the Michael Kors Vogue V2873 pattern using the black wool I bought from Mary Jo's. The pattern was pretty straight forward. The biggest problem I had was finding buttons that I liked. I don't know of a lot of places that sell nice buttons in the size that I want. I went to JoAnn's and eventually found some that would do but I'm not overjoyed about. I'll be in Alexandria this weekend, so maybe I'll find a place with a better selection.

I definitely see more sewing in my future.

Dear Saun,

2007-02-28T00:44:00.000-05:00

Welcome to "Dear Saun". It's a little segment where people ask me to fix things and I act like I know what I'm doing.

Dear Saun,

Can you please help me? I took my favorite sweater to the dry cleaners and when I got it back there was a big hole. I'm so upset. Is there any way you can fix it?

Sincerly,
A Hole Lot of Tears

Dear Tears,

We will give it our best shot.

Let's examine our subject.

For such a small hole, that is a lot of yarn hanging. How did it happen?
Was it cut? It seems unlikely that the cut would be so precise.

What else could it be? Lets see what it is made out of

Acrylic. I think the culprit may be a wayward yarn join that has come undone. This means that our fix will have to involve a knot.

With the use of my trusty needle, I will draw the yarn back into the stitch pattern and knot the ends on the back side.

Voila!

Final note:
While a knitter should avoid using a knot, this is acrylic and there is no other way to rejoin the yarn that I know of. "Tears" drycleans this sweater so the cleaning process will unlikely pull apart the knot anytime soon.

Late night report

2007-02-26T01:15:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Oscars running over time, I'm still up late. I don't think I've ever watched the entire show but this year I did. Ellen was hilarious and I think this year's show was more entertaining than it's ever been. I was hoping Little Miss Sunshine would have won more but I'll survive since Jennifer Hudson and Forrest Whittaker both won. YEAH!

Another exciting part of the evening is that I finished these while watching the show. This is the first thing that I've made for myself since September or October. Noro yarn is nice but I don't understand why it cost as much as it does. I think this weekend I'll finally get around to making the Michael Kors coat I've wanted since late last year.

This is off-topic but I have a question for everyone that lives outside of the US. Do you have to file taxes every year? We have to file federal and state tax returns to make sure we paid the proper taxes during the year. Do you have to do that? I'm not up on how each country works but I need to find a country without this tedious process. Perferrably a country with a consistently warm climate.

The yarn was not enough

2007-02-23T08:43:00.000-05:00

This week I've been a weird kind of funk. Not quite depressed, just feeling a little off. I think it has something to do with all the cold weather and being trapped indoors working on knitting with very little social contact. I was determined to break the funk.

The first thing I did was go to SnB on Wednesday. It's something that I haven't done since last November. I really did miss it. I saw some old friends and met some new ones. People underestimate the curing effects of stimulating conversation.

But that wasn't enough. I needed to make another purchase. Last weekend's one ball of Noro was not enough. Shopping is my therapy. Sad but true. Yesterday, I was going to the store to buy buttons for a project when I heard a voice. It said "Turn left at this light". I followed the voice. It lead me to the SRI Shoe Warehouse and these lovely shoes.

Awwww....yes! I feel much better now.

This just doesn't add up.

2007-02-19T22:47:00.000-05:00

I feel like something is wrong with this equation.....

Saturday night + No life = Making a baby quilt

While I was more than happy to do it, somehow I feel like making quilts to celebrate other people's happy times highlights my lackluster social life. But I digress....

A friend is expecting a baby and since he is such a good person I decided to make something for his future son. I opted for the quilt since I could finish this faster than knitting up something. I chose primary colors and used a solid blue for the backing. I placed the "odd" blue block in the corner just to be odd. A little mental stimulation for the child as he learns his colors. The daddy-to-be loved it. (Mommy-to-be wasn't feeling well enough to come to the shower so I don't know what she thinks yet.)

Earlier Saturday afternoon I was looking for a little retail therapy. I just felt the need to buy something. The choices were shoe shopping or yarn. Since I know the damage I could do buying shoes, I opted for the yarn shop 5 minutes from my house. I knew exactly what I wanted.

One skein of Noro to make some handwarmers and some Addi US 8s. I've wanted to make these for awhile but didn't have the time. I think I'll start them later this week.

Hope your weekend was more exciting than mine.

Show and Tell

2007-02-14T02:35:00.000-05:00

Look what I made!

[Pics courtesy of Knit.1 and KnitSimple]

I'm destashing

2007-02-12T19:56:00.000-05:00

Check out the Cash For Your Stash blog. I'm unloading a few things.

I'm getting out of my denial. Now I just have to convince myself to destash some of my Cotton-Ease.

Movies to knit by

2007-02-06T17:30:00.000-05:00

I'm spent much of the weekend locked in my apartment with some knitting and a bunch of movies. If you are looking for some movies to add to you Netflix list, here are a couple. Many of them are older movies from the 50's and 60's but you'll still like them. They are classic.

Walk, Don't Run
This one features Cary Grant. A cute little love story.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
This one will freak you out. If you thought Misery was something, then you should see this.

Queen Bee
This one is on the level of All About Eve (which I loved). You have to see this, if for no other reason than to see Joan Crawford's eyebrows.

They are legendary!

The Anatomy of A Murder
I'm not a big Jimmy Stewart fan but this was a good one. The director, Otto Preminger, also directed Carmen Jones and Porgy and Bess.

Designing Women
A great view of some classic fashion

That Touch of Mink
Another Cary Grant picture.

If you have any good movie suggestions, please let me know.

Knittin Friends Flickr Group

2007-02-06T17:25:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to creating a Flickr group for those that have knit any of my patterns and want to show them off. It's called Saunshine's Knittin Friends Showcase

I took the liberty of adding the first person. It's Silvia's Vex Cardigan. She sent me the pictures and I had to admit that I was quite jealous of her adaptation. I really like it and now I want one.

Check It Out

2007-02-03T17:09:00.000-05:00

If you haven't seen it already,check out my latest pattern at Magknits

The greatest moments of your life

2007-01-30T07:55:00.000-05:00

There is a moral to this story so I'll start with that:

Live Without Fear Moral #1:
If there is something that you want to do or try, never be afraid to do it on your own. You may miss out on one of the greatest moments of your life because you were to scared to go somewhere by yourself.

This weekend I experienced one of the greatest moments of my life.

It's no big secret that Mint Condition is my favorite group and that their song "So Fine" is my all time favorite song. So it should also be no surprise that when I found out they were coming to Raleigh that I dropped everything and bought a ticket. Of course I asked friends if they wanted to go but no one was interested. Would that stop me? Of course not! I love them more than cooked food. If you asked me to make a choice between Mint Condition and eating I would say, "I guess I needed to lose some weight anyway." Nothing could stop me from seeing them.

Let me also add that seeing MC play my favorite song live was at the top of my "Things to Do in this Lifetime" list. They don't tour very often so I didn't think it was a possibility of seeing them, let alone having them play my favorite song. On Saturday night I was able to cross that thing off my list. The very first song they sang was my song! Words could not explain my joy.

Yes my friends, if I had been too scared to go to a concert by myself I would have never experienced one of my all time greatest moments.

So now I'll ask you.....What is at the top of your "Things to Do" list and would you be willing to do it alone?