Knitted Eames Chair

Two of my favorite things: Mid-century furniture and knitting. Combined in one awesome item:






















The details:

knitting work: plainliving
styling: Akira Ishikawa
photo: Osamu Koizumi [Q's planning&management]
info: TOKYO CULTUART by BEAMS

Originally posted on Flickr.

FO: Hospice Sweater, 1 Year Later

One year ago, while Mary was dying of cancer, I began knitting a sweater. Often, at the time, there wasn't much to do but sit and wait. Knitting helped fill the time. The project was Ginevra's Pullover [Ravelry], and since I already had the yarn in my stash, I just started knitting.

And then Mary died, and then it was Christmas, and then I was on the job market, and then I had a baby, and then our au pair Anna arrived, and so I had to make some room by packing up my knitting studio, and then, one day, I realized that I had just stopped knitting.

Then last week, I decided I wanted a new pair of handwarmers. And then, in just one day, I finished the Hospice Sweater.

“Hospice,” according to the OED, used to mean a welcoming home for travelers on their journey. It kind of still does.



So, more or less on the anniversary of Mary's death, I finished the sweater. Miraculously, it looks good on my post-baby bod, even the belly.



Here are the details:

Project: Ginevra's Pullover [Ravelry], by Amy Polcyn, in Intervweave Knits.

Materials: Cascade 220 and Jaggerspun Superfine Merino 2/18 Skein.

Size Made: 38 inch bust.

Modifications: I kept the sleeves the same length---which means short on me---because I like 3/4 or bracelet sleeves. But I definitely lengthened the torso. I also added more garter stitch detail to the bust area.

Peaceful Travels, Sweet Deco

Last week, our 8 year old cat was hit by a car on our quiet street and died almost instantly. It was horrible---this is the pet that Michael and I had before we were married, and she was, as I now know, central to our existence. (At our first rental house:)



My friend S. reassured me that my deep sadness was normal, saying, "Pets give context to our lives." Icouldn't agree more. (S. is one of those people who always says the right thing.) Those of you who are long-time readers know that I, as a rule, think that knit-bloggers post way too many posts about their cats.

In the leaf-pile:



Exposing the "white fur of death" to unwise passers-by:



Sleeping with Michael on a Mimi-Quilt:



I'm breaking my no-cat-posts rule today, in honor of my eternally traveling Deco-Kitty. Her final napping-spot:



--Katie Rose

Photoblogging with Instagram

My favorite app on my iPhone is Instagram.

Instagram a photoblogging software that allows you to share your photos on Facebook, Twitter, and by email. It also creates a feed of your photos and the photos of your friends---viewable on your phone. (A variety of support sites have popped up around the web, including Inkstagram.com. Here's my Instagram feed on Inkstagram.)

I've really taken to photoblogging recently. There are three main reasons for this:

(1) I used to be a photographer, and I miss it.

(2) I have two small children and like to post their pictures all over the place.

(3) I have two small children and therefore little time; posting a picture is a heckofalot easier than composing a text-heavy post like this one.

So--I'm going to try an experiment: I'm going to post my Instagram photoblog entries to my blog, here. They are heavy on two topics: nature (plants, etc.) and my kids. Perhaps I'll keep the "my kids" posts off of the blog. We'll see.

But really, this blog is about knitting and fiber arts, but also about Jordynn and Katie.

Here's a few shots from the past few weeks, as a preview of what's to come:

Morning sunlight in the UNC Arboretum---this is how I walk to work in the mornings:



A quilt my mother made that is now installed at the UNC School of Law---I'm so proud:



And Edward nestled in the trunk of a tree:



As you can see, Instagram allows you to apply fun filters and borders to photographs, giving them an old-fashioned feel.

Enjoy!

-Katie Rose

Knitting Again

With the two kids and the new job, I took a hiatus from knitting. The hiatus wasn't intentional; I just sort stopped knitting. I had a few things that were mid-project that sort of fizzled out, and I had no desire to make another shawl or pair of mitts or sweater. The love was gone.

But I had a feeling this mood was temporary---brought on by a mix of exhaustion and lack of creative juices. The mood is over.

Here's what I knit over the last three days, in what could honestly be called a "flurry":



This is another pair of my Chopin Handwarmers. I used sock yarn and a smaller gauge needle than the pattern calls for. I post more details in the coming days about the mods, which include a cute picot edge at the cuff:



I'm baaa-aack.

-Katie Rose

Guerrilla Momma Fashion Mods

This post just brushes the surface of a much larger topic: women, weight, postpartum body changes, and fashion.

Really, it seems that if you want to wear cool clothes after having a baby, you are SOL. Because cool clothes do not EVER take into account the subtle (or not-so-subtle) body changes that most of us go through after schlepping a watermelon around in our midsections for months/weeks on end. Let alone two of them.

So, this state of fashion affairs pissed me off.

Here are a few mods that I made to my own clothes so that I could wear them again. The clothes fit great everywhere EXCEPT in the waist area. This is a life-change consequence, not a diet-and-exercise consequence. My body--gasp--has changed since I had my 2 boys.

But too many clothes are still made for women who are built like 12 year olds. I can surrender to the mom jean, or I can attack.

Guerrilla Momma Mod #1
Add another jean button to my Citizens for Humanity jeans.

Supplies: Package of dungaree buttons from any craft store. Make sure the diameter matches the other button. Hammer it in place, gives you 1 extra inch.



Easy-peasy.


Guerrilla Momma Mod #2
Add another set of eye-closures to my Gap Real Skinny trousers.

Supplies: Package of hook-and-eye closures from any craft store. Try to match the color to your pants.



A little trickier, but makes all the difference.

What else have folks out there done?


Remember--you can have fashion, and this is as well:



(Yes, my Edward is dressed as a cow. Costco had 2 costume choices: gray rat (okay, mouse) or black and white cow. One for boys, one for girls. I liked the cow better. Because the other one looked like a rat. Why do people get all freaked out about a six month old dressed as a cow???)