handmade by stefanie

The spinning wheel breakdown of last week definitely hampered my spinning output, coupled with the swift arrival of...the wrong part to fix it! Luckily, it was just an honest mix-up and the correct part is on its way to me. At least, I hope it is - the error was on the end of the shipper, so here's hoping they don't make the same mistake twice! Thankfully, the point of the Tour de Fleece isn't to spin as much yardage as possible - if this had happened during Spinzilla, I would probably be having another in a series of meltdowns right about now. Instead, I'm just trying to enjoy the process of spinning each day and feeling thankful that I do have a second wheel which I enjoy using every bit as much as my Victoria. Over the weekend, I spun singles from 8 oz. of superwash merino/nylon from Cloudlover in a special colorway called Quick's Point : I have yet to ply them together because I got completely distracted by a huge box of fiber which arrived on Monday from...

Graphic Knits By Alexis Winslow Interweave/F+W; $24.99 http://bit.ly/1vYisdT When I was asked if I wanted to review Alexis Winslow's new book, Graphic Knits: 20 Designs in Bold, Beautiful Color , I leapt at the chance. I had already been admiring many of the patterns on Ravelry , and to be honest, I was planning on buying the book for myself if I didn't get it as a holiday gift this year. Then, of course, a copy shows up on my doorstep courtesy of the kind people at Interweave! The projects which first caught my eye were several of the designs featuring all-over bold geometric elements: the Rook Pullover , Orly Cardigan , and the cover project, the Trilogy Cardigan all have that "punch" you would expect from a book called Graphic Knits . However, there are many other interpretations of "Graphic Knits" explored throughout the book as the author plays with color and stitch patterns to create a graphic mood. The designs featuring smaller elemen...

This is my last WIP Wednesday for 2013, can you believe it? I sure can't! I'll still be blogging next week even though I'll be visiting family for the holiday, but my posts from now through the end of the year will be focusing on projects I've finished recently (and not-so-recently) which I am finally at liberty to share. Don't forget to follow my blog to keep up! I am thrilled to report that the yarn I ordered to finish the Marin shawl arrived on Monday afternoon: Oh, look at that - the yarn for my next  shawl arrived too! I'm planning to make the Velocity Shawl from Interweave Crochet with those lovely skeins of Seraphim yarn from Bijou Basin Ranch which I purchased during their December sale (free shipping + everything's on sale!). I have no idea how to do Tunisian crochet, but I guess I'll be learning in the new year because I've become obsessed with the pattern and won't rest until I've made one! At any rate, I promptly finish...

The final SOAR (Spin Off Autumn Retreat) took place in St. Charles, IL last week; though I didn't get to take any classes, my pal Lauren and I did shop the vendor marketplace on Saturday. It was a small, well-curated affair that had temptation at every turn. I really wish I had remembered to pack one of the "good" cameras, because all I was able to take was a few instagrams; luckily Lauren had packed her camera and could fill in some of the gaps. The Marketplace Floor Sara Natani spinning with a Navajo spindle I love small shows like this - for one, they aren't nearly so overwhelming (and I get easily overwhelmed since most of my days are spent in my home office with only the cats and my husband for company). Another bonus is that they often have a mixture of small and medium-sized companies with a few larger ones to balance out the mix, while larger (read: more expensive) shows are usually comprised of the bigger companies with a few medium-sized ones scatt...

Let me preface this blog post by stating that, on the whole, I am perturbed by the majority of reissues and updated editions of books and albums. They irritate my frugal sensibilities - whether it's intended or not, the consumer has to purchase a copy of something they already own if they want access to the shiny new bells and whistles. This can be a double-edged sword for completists like myself (and my husband, an incurable vinyl nerd - but that's another story entirely): while it's frustrating to buy something you already own, it can be quite edifying to watch the bonus DVD that is included with the reissue, or hear the two new tracks, or knit the new pattern....you get the idea. Reissues in the world of music definitely have more of a money-grubbiness feeling (at least to me), the likes of which I haven't seen here in the knitting world. However, there is one knitting book that has been plaguing me for quite some time: the updated edition of Nancy Bush's Fol...