Where to Get the Patent Knitting Bag

I have received lots of e-mails asking me where I got my Franco Sarto patent "knitting" bag.  Since I got it at TJ Maxx, I wasn't able to provide an online shopping resource.  However, stumbling around the internet revealed my tote at Online Shoes for $49.99.

 It comes in black and a lovely nude color called carmel.  

If you get it, let me know how it works out for you!  Now I'm getting back to the Christmas shopping I was doing online.......

Flower Flop: I'm Charlotte Channeling Nothing

Every year I know the holiday season is starting when we attend the Vital Bridges holiday brunch.  Not only is it a chance to raise serious bucks for a wonderful organization, but it is an opportunity to gawk and be gawked at by nearly every high-end gay man in the city.  You know how it is....look good and bring your checkbook.  

My friend Karen, who writes the best anti-Slumpadinka blog out there (Of A Certain Age), responded immediately to my urgent request for fashion assistance.  She told me to "look like a snowflake" and created the idea for this fantastic outfit.  Vintage bag, off-white Ann Taylor pants, sparkly tank top from Nordstrom, amazing Claudia Cuti red platforms from Piperlime and a huge red mohair knit flower pin by moi.  I was set to dazzle.  

Like so many other things in life, my flower looked better lying down that it did standing up:

Don't worry.  The outfit itself, sans flower, looked great.  And I was upstaged by DH in a velvet jacket.  Everyone wanted to pet him.  

If you're a knitter, you are cringing right now and saying, "Why didn't she felt it?"  I was worried that I would lose the fluffy airiness of the Kidsilk Aura yarn. (Colorway: 760 Quarry Tile.)  I probably should have knit a million more petals and then felted it.  I think more petals would really add to the fluffy factor even if the flower were felted.  

If you're not a knitter,  felting is like putting your favorite sweater through a hot wash.  On purpose.  

The Funky Felter has solved the problem - needle felting!  If I had done my flower using this technique, I would have had a gorgeous big, non-floppy flower!  Imaging something like this...but red, more petals and rounded petals.  Perfect.  I think I just may try again.   

The Yoda Hat

Here it is in all it's glory, Thing 1's Yoda Hat.  He loves it!

It immediately inspired a little fake light saber action:

Here's the view from the top:

Knitterly Details:  Yarn:  Malabrigo worsted weight yarn.  Needles size:  9.  I modified the pattern by starting from the top down using this wonderful pattern from Small Knits.  I highly recommend this pattern for anyone knitting top-down hats, as it has many handy features.  These include:

• A detailed chart showing how many stitches you increase to for each size of hat based on your yarn gauge
• A chart with sizing directions for knit hats for heads from baby to adult large.  

I also made the ears a little bit smaller.  The size is right, but I think they should actually stand out like Yoda's ears do.  I'm sure I could have used a smaller size needle, doubled the yarn or used short rows to make them stand out from his head....but I got it done and that's what counts.  Right?

Want more Yoda hat goodness?  Check out Geeks with Pointy Sticks, Why Would You Knit That?,  or Fandomania for the Top 10 Cozy Star Wars Knit Hats.  

Silly, Warm and Smart Hats

As I write this, a foot of snow is coming down on Chicago, a menacing wind is blowing, and our governor has just been arrested.  Cold weather and corrupt politicians?  What a surprise for Chi-town. 

When it's this cold, I think the only thing you can do is pop on a ridiculous winter hat.  In fact, a collection of them is essential for winter weather.  

You can either go downtown chic with something like this one is from the Burberry Prorsum Fall 2008 collection.  It says, "I'm so cute I don't care if I have a potato sack on my head."

Or, you could go for something like this.....which very clearly states, "Hey, there really IS a personality under all these layers!"

If you're one of my non-knitting friends, contact this lovely Irish lass.  She makes silly hats for people. 

Do you have a silly hat you love?  Let me know!

Red Light Special for DH

Check out DH is his adorable new Red Light Special hat!  I just loved making this for him - it was my first Faire Isle project and I simply loved it once I got the hang of it.  Over the years, I've made him many hats, which he wears dutifully.  This is the first one he truly loves.  I know this because he came home from work and said, "I kept waiting for someone to ask me where I got my hat so I could tell them you made it for me!"   

Here's an action shot - he's helping get the kids in the car before school....

I changed the top of the design a bit because I ran out of the grey yarn.  I think it looks pretty great:

I learned an important lesson with this project.....let the recipient pick the pattern.  I gave him a selection of 3 patterns to choose from once he identified exactly what he was looking for in a hat.  

This pattern was well-written and the charts were clear.  Additionally, Brooklyntweed (the designer) added in a lovely little feature.....a knitted liner.  You can't see it here, but this hat has a red cashmere lining.  Super-yum.  The pattern has you knit a tube out of liner yarn with a provisional cast-on.  Next, you switch to your hat yarn with a garter stitch row, which turns the bottom row of the hat.  Then, you pick up the top edge stitches of the liner's provisional cast-on on the row in which the body of the hat reaches the same height as the liner.  I'm not sure that's the best description, but it yields an incredibly professional-looking liner with no finishing!

Now that I've learnt the lesson of letting the person pick the pattern....here's what Thing 1 picked for his winter hat:

Yup, a Yoda hat.   Enough said.  

This Ain't Your Grandma's Sweater

This new window greeted me as I walked up to  Knit 1, my local yarn shop, this week.  

Yup, this is a knitting shop.  Looks more like a boutique, doesn't it?  Karen, the owner and my dear friend, designs and knits three new pieces for the window each season.  She's so talented and brilliant it amazes me.  My pictures aren't the best, but I wanted you to see the pieces as they appear in the window.  I swear, everyone who enters this magical store is inspired to make similar creations.

They are, in order:

Kimono Sleeve Sweater in Misti Super Chunky Alpaca:

Nehru Collar Cardigan in Cascade Magnum:

This is the Cable Collar Sweater - made of Cascade's Eco Wool.  

If you live in Chicago, you have to check these out for real.  Karen is a dedicated top-down all-in-one piece knitter and these pieces were constructed in that manner.  

If you are a fashionista thinking about knitting - look what's possible!  You could do this, for real!

I'm Charlotte Channeling Carrie

Ever taken one of those Sex in the City tests to find out which woman you are most like?  I don't even have to do that, because all my friends tell me I'm Charlotte.  And I am.  Totally Charlotte right down to my pencil skirt and cashmere sweater set.  

But I have an important fundraising brunch - a fancy brunch with tons of fashion-forward folks in attendance.  I was stuck on an outfit idea and needed some advice.  So I asked my new blogger friend Karen from Of A Certain Age.  (A tip to the wise, go visit her ASAP!)  

The result is an idea I'm working on --  something big, something cool, something I think you might really like. But, I'm too chicken to really tell you what I'm up to quite yet.  Just think mohair yarn and take a look at my inspiration photos: