Hot off the presses...

I've released a new pattern. It's the Jay Street Slouch.



This hat is knit in worsted weight yarn. It's photographed in Malabrigo Merino Worsted (colorwary: Rhodesian).

The pattern can be downloaded from ravelry (click link above) or from the sidebar of this blog (both ravelry and non-ravelry users can use that link).

Snowpocalype - The Sequel

It seems that winter is in no mood to let go. There were a few sunny days, then very rainy and then snowpocalype. My brother's school was closed today which I think made him very happy as he would have had to take a test otherwise.

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Life lately had been up and down - almost manic depressive I'd say. I had a decent job interview and was told there would be a second one. I waited, checked in with my agency, waited and waited, checked in with my agency again and they told me, oops, the Company had called to say they'd found someone else. Sorry for not letting me know. Sucky, eh?

Then I had a dream job, working one day a week at a yarn shop. This led to meeting a lovely woman who provided me with some freelance work. Just as I started the freelance, the yarn shop said that she didn't really need me. So now no yarn shop job. I can still teach classes at the shop but I feel like I'm moving backwards.

It's kind of the same with my Etsy shop. A couple of days will go by with decent sales and then nothing for weeks. It's really hard trying to run an online business.

I sound really down, don't I? I'm a bit upset at the moment and kicking myself for accidentally repeating a mistake. I guess I'm on the depressive spectrum of this manic depressive life that's going on right now.

I did manage to go outside for a little while to take some snow pics.

And the medal goes to...

Me!!!!

I completed my first Ravelympics event, the Designer Original Dance, and so won a medal for the following design.

Jay Street Slouch


I named it the Jay Street Slouch as the inspiration for this hat came as I was standing on the Jay St-Borough Hall platform waiting for the F train.

When I write up this pattern it will be sized for the S/M head and the M/L head. It uses approx. 80 grams of Malabrigo Worsted yarn (colorway Rhodesian in photo) or any other worsted weight yarn.

Back view

Other views

Twist and Shout

Yesterday, I had day 2 of work at Gotham Fine Yarn. It was a busy day. We're looking to change the yarns carried by the shop so I spent a lot of the day on the phone talking to yarn suppliers to find out their policies and buy-ins. I suggested String Theory yarns to Rebecca. I saw their stuff at Stitches East and it's beautiful stuff. Rebecca loves it to so we're going to order a bit of the Caper sock and some of the silk laceweight. I can't wait!

I also managed to leave work at a deficit. The box of Malabrigo Twist arrived and I was like a kid in a candy store. OMG! The colors were so beautiful. I totally ended up leaving the store with a few new Malabrigo buddies in my Argyle Land's End tote. I love that tote so had to give it a bit of a big up (pic stolen from Land's End site). A skein of MadTosh also desperately needed a new home and I couldn't say no.


I arrived home and a new camera I ordered had arrived. I'm really excited about this. It's a Canon Rebel XS. My first DSLR.


It's pretty much a DSLR for beginners which is me to the T. I got mine from PrimoCameras which I must say is a disappointing online shop. The prices are a bit cheaper but the service is pretty horrible. I was a bit annoyed when they called to upsell me and tried to convince me I needed stuff which I didn't. Then I assumed the item had been shipped once I saw it was charged to my card. A week passed with no delivery so the next week I called and asked about it. They told me it had shipped from their warehouse the Monday before. They sent no email with shipping confirmation. I gave it another week. Then this past Monday I got a it's been shipped email. That's nearly 3 weeks after I placed the order. I recognize the camera isn't a life and death situation but the lack of communication etc was totally uncool. Also, their website states that when you buy a camera you receive free: tripod, camera case, lens cleaning kit, etc. Guess whose order arrived with none of that stuff. I just called them and it will be sent to me via USPS.

Well I'm a bit inspired to knit this hat so going to work on it now. I also want to work on my Ravelympics project.

Arsenal is playing Porto in the Champions League.

Go Arsenal!!! And its Arsenal,Arsenal FC !
We're by far the greatest team the world has ever seen!"

Paluk Mitts Pattern

Yesterday I released another pattern. These are my Paluk Mitts. These lace mitts are knit using the Lingonberry pattern (pohlamarjakiri) from Haapsalu Ratik, New York 1972 (republished in Nancy Bush’s Knitted Lace of Estonia). Paluk is a common name for Lingonberry in Estonia. These mitts are inspired by the Regency period in England; I’m a great Jane Austen fan and I could see Elizabeth Bennett or many other Jane Austen characters wearing these feminine mitts.


The mitts pattern can be downloaded from Ravelry or from the sidebar (raverly and non-ravelry users).

Skill Level: Intermediate or adventurous beginner

Yarn: approx. 110-140 yards fingering weight yarn for main color (MC) and 35-40 yards fingering weight yarn for contrast color.
Used in photo: Louet Gems Fingering Yarn (MC: Aqua, CC: Paisley)

These mitts provide both written and charted instructions of the lace repeat.

Snowpocalype Now

It's snowing outside and they're expecting a snowpocalype overnight (some are saying snowmageddon). Many companies have told workers to stay home and most skills have closed so my brother will be home all tomorrow. I have no outside obligations tomorrow so it will be hot chocolate, movies/TV and knitting. I have a crap load of knitting I need to get done. I'll be teaching a lace class at Gotham Fine Yarn from Feb 23 and I want to knit up some samples of the Swallowtail Shawl for my students to look at. If you're in NYC and want to do some lace knitting, please do sign up. Should be good fun.


In addition to my lace class, I've also managed to snag some part-time work at Gotham Fine Yarn. Today was my first day and it was good fun. I love knitting, I love yarn so it's a dream job really. The only downside is that I can't see myself making much money. I'm pretty much going to spend my pay immediately on the fine yarns :-).

Tomorrow I'll head out to take some fun pics in the snow. I do like a good snowstorm. :-)

Easy Money

I’ve just made the easiest money I’ve ever made (or potentially will make). Being unemployed, I’ve signed up to do focus groups and the like and finally got invited to do one. It was for L’Oreal (though handled by a focus group company) and I was going to be paid $150 for 2 hours of focus grouping. I thought that was super easy money. I did have to do homework however. As a non-regular L’Oreal user (I tend to be buy whatever is on sale kind of girl), I had to buy something L’Oreal, use it for a few days, write a diary of how I felt using it and fill out a questionnaire. Nothing too too painful. Anyhow, I arrive 15 min early to the center as requested and sign in and wait. They then call all our names and ask if we did our homework. Then they started calling people’s names to enter the focus group room. At the end they called my name and another woman, Jennifer, and asked us to wait in the lobby. We were then informed that they always overbook these sessions just in case people don’t show up. We were asked to wait another 15 min in case someone was asked to leave from the group. Then we were called to the front desk, asked to initial the sign in sheet, and handed our checks for $150. I’m thinking that’s pretty easy money… :-)