Tulips for trying

Working on a PhD sometimes makes you feel like a mole person huddled in the dark hunched over your computer.  So I was really looking forward to going on a field trip with my lab class this week.  I was hoping for sunny weather so I could get some springtime outside time.  Unfortunately, we had a rain storm that was bad enough to cause me to have to cancel the fieldtrip. 

But New York was nice and rewarded me with tulips and hyacinths for at least trying to go outside for a little while.

Even though I did have to get rained on to see them,
Joyce

Helen's Grace

My mother, Helen, passed away in December 2008.  When I was a teenager we had something of a difficult relationship, but I hear that that’s not unusual. 

Over the years, as I grew older and less hormonal and she grew older and more mellow, we managed to forge a strong and loving relationship.  One of the things I admired most about my mother was her ability to face adversity with grace and dignity. 

The life she lived was not an easy one, but she always made the people around her feel loved. 

Helen’s Grace is my memorial to her.  To the values, love of beauty, and joy of people that she taught me. 

I love you Maman,
Haci

P.S. The shawl is worked in KnitPicks Aloft in Fairy Tale.  It's a lovely, soft yarn that's equivalent to Kid Silk Haze in feel, but tremendously better in price.

Omelet errata

Oh no! Not errata! Yes, I'm sad to say, there was a small mistake in Chart D for Omelet.  If you downloaded the chart before April 21st, be aware that on chart D, row 13: the first ssk in the pattern repeat should be a k1.

However, a new version of the chart has been uploaded to Knitty and is now available to one and all. 

Plus it gives me an excuse to put up the pictures of the shawl that were taken while it was blocking.

Oooo, Ahhhh,
Joyce

P.S. Thanks for your understanding and to the person who found the error!

Ginkgo Leaf Shawlette

One day I was in Knitty City (the most awesome yarn store ever, aka TMAYSE) and discovered that Pearl, the lovely lady that owns Knitty City (TMAYSE), sews.  She makes quilts and scarves.  I’ve seen examples of her quilts around the shop for a couple of years now and didn’t realize that she was the one who made them.  The scarves that she makes are constructed out of vintage kimono silk.  They are really beautiful.  I became particularly enamored of one that had falling red and green gingko leaves on cream background. 

It was so beautiful I bought it and became inspired to design a shawl with a similar motif.  The result is the Gingko Leaf Shawlette. 

The first version is knit in Malabrigo Rios in Archangel.

The second version is knit in KnitPicks Andean Silk in Woodland Sage.



Ah, the joys of scarves and shawls,

Joyce

Attack of the killer tomato!

I love my new MadTosh Tomato hat!  It's Crooked Paths by Melissa LaBarre.

Too bad winter is nearly over,
Joyce

Gentle Rain

The Gentle Rain shawl will forever be Snowman’s Blush to me.  Ok, maybe I should start at the beginning. 

Once upon a time there was a shawl with no name that was going to be knit in pink yarn... 

One day TK and I were sitting on the train on our way home from somewhere, and I requested that she help me name my latest shawl design (‘cause she’s good like that).  

For those of you who’ve never been to New York, subway train cars have a lot of advertisements, not just on the walls, but along the ceiling and sometimes even on the outside of the cars.  They advertise everything from tv shows to beer to universities to bunion doctors.  The subway car that we were sitting in that day just happened to be advertising peanuts.  I know, crazy huh?  

Anyway, as we sat there and discussed the shawl, TK suddenly said to me, “You should name it snowman’s blush!” I responded with, “Huh?”   (FYI, my witty repartee makes me a hit at all the parties.)  She then pointed to one the peanut ads on the wall.  It was of a couple of guys running naked through the snow and the tag line read, “Gives you the energy to make a snowman blush.” And my brain said, “Eureka!” We’d been tossing around names like first blush, blush of spring, and such, but why not Snowman’s Blush? It’s weird and funny and I loved it.  But… cue ominous music…

It became Gentle Rain instead.  When I realized that I was going to submit it to KnitPicks, I decided I wanted to knit it in Alpaca Cloud.  But… seriously, where is that music coming from?... they didn’t have any pink Alpaca Cloud.  Plus Stacey, the IDP designer liaison at KnitPicks looked at me funny via email (hey! It’s possible.) when I told her the name.  So we decided on light blue (Waltz colorway) and a name change.  And that’s how a snowman’s blush became a gentle rain.  But we’ll always know it’s true identity.

I hope it doesn’t lose its CIA job over this,

Joyce

P.S. The second version in in Zephyr laceweight.

Omelet Shawl

Woohoo! I'm in Knitty again.  It's been pretty hard to keep it to myself, but finally I can say, "Yay, I have a pattern in the Spring/Summer 2011 Knitty!"

I've named it Omelet.  I know the name is a bit weird, but what else could I call a bright yellow half circle? 

My model this time is Hubbie's lovely niece, Annie.  She was kind enough to step in when my first model fell through.  Thanks Annie!

I have to thank TK for helping me come up with ideas for the photoshoot.  I took the pictures in my mother-in-law's kitchen/dining room which is located 1300 miles from New York, but TK was with me in spirit.

I found Omelet to be pretty a tasty knit although I really had to pay attention to the pattern while knitting it.  It is definitely not movie knitting.

Man, all of those fruits and veggies are making me hungry,

Joyce

P.S. This is still my favorite picture from the photoshoot.  Maybe I should have told her that she's Annie, not Alice, and therefore, can't go through the looking glass but can content herself in the fact that the sun'll come out tomorrow.

Park Ave version of spring

Hubbie and I were wandering around the City last week and came across these.

There are huge metal roses all along Park Avenue in Midtown.  They're amazing.  (I've only seen them at night, thus the bad photo.) The bug person in my loves that they have bugs on them. If you look closely at the middle rose, you can see a lady bug!  She's keep away those giant metal aphids! Wait, what do you mean not everyone is having problems with those?  Only me?  Again?

They're an art installation by Will Ryman.  They went up in January (get the feeling that I'm not on the upper east side much?) and will be there until May 31st. 

Which means that maybe I'll get to see them in the daylight,

Joyce

NYC Vegetarian Food Festival

The first annual NYC vegetarian food festival is being held this Sunday, April 6th. It's being held at The Altman Building, 135 West 18th Street (Between 6th and 7th Avenues) and is free to everyone!  TK, her sweetie (the Ninja), Lana, and I are going.  I can't wait! 

Yay food!
Joyce