friday knitting

back by special request.
friday knitting.
but lets be honest.
i  have not knit much lately.

it is cold, grey and blustery today.
so i pulled out this sweater
that i knit last winter
while pregnant
with bean.

it was knit in one piece.
the picture on the pattern
was pretty blah
but i liked the shape.
its great for layering.

i used jade sapphire cashmere.
its dreamy.
i wish i could  knit everything in cashmere.
this would be a great with long sleeves.
maybe i am onto something.

this cold weather is making me want to knit....

enjoy

guest post: athena p. "cooper's block"

introducing athena from the family pelton.

As you all know

Luc and I have been making ourselves

a friendship quilt

using Heather Ross's

Far Far Away II fabric collection.

This is my first quilting bee.

And, to be honest, every single block I made for our quilt

was a new endeavor for me.

I tried my hand at triangles

applique

dresden plates

log cabin

and I even gave block design a try.

Lucinda loves stars.

Friendship stars, wonky stars, 8-pointed stars.

You name it, she'll block it.

So I decided, 

if I am going to attempt to design my own block

you know, make one from scratch and all

a star would be most a propos.

And...since all of the blocks we've chosen for our friendship quilt

have a name

I decided to name her block

Cooper.

I guessing I need not explain why.

You'll have to forgive me

this is my first ever attempt at a tutorial.

You'll have to forgive me

this is my first ever attempt at a tutorial.

And I worry I didn't take enough photos along the way.

But as you'll see, this block is REALLY straightforward.

(This block measures 12" finished size. You'll need about 1/8 yard for the main part of the star, and the rest can be pieced using up your scrap collection!)

I started by cutting a 6.5" square piece of paper that I used to make the template for the star, and a 6.5" cardboard template for trimming/shaping. Here's a pdf version of the template I used. 

I then drew the center of the star on the sheet of paper, and added a 1/4" seam allowance on either side.  I cut this free from the paper and used it as a template for cutting my fabric.  

I used the same fabric in each of the four 6.5" blocks. You can do the same, OR get wild and crazy and use a different fabric in each quadrant

Once I had all the center pieces cut, I started adding strips of paper until I had a finished square.

I pressed ALL seams open and trimmed off the excess after each strip was added.

So as to make the most economical/efficient use of my fabric scraps.

I did this until I had all four quadrants made.  

Originally I was going to have the small end of each center piece meet in the middle

but after careful consideration

and some much needed input from my husband,

I went the other way.

And the end result is much more of a wonky star.

Which happens to be much more up Luc's alley!

Once all your quadrants are assembled, 

press all seams open

and trim the block to measure 12" square. 

Easy peasy!

Cheers!

aglaia's placemat 2.0

remember this post?

well, i received an order for 8 of aglaia's placemats not to long ago and it was my plan to have them in my etsy shop, but the problem is that they are TIME CONSUMING.

so my wheels started turning and today i created a fabric version. i like them; however, there are a few little wrinkles i need to work out. overall, not bad for the first attempt.

which do you like better, the knit or fabric version of aglaia's placemat? do tell.....

friday knitting

today i give you a work in progress...... a summer blanket knit in colors that resemble sherbert and stitches that remind me of ocean waves. a perfect combination for a lazy summer afternoon.

please enjoy....

friday knitting

dear knitting needles,

i want you to know that you are still my favorite, that there is nothing better than sitting on the couch with you in my hands, making something. i know you are probably feeling a little neglected and replaced because i am spending so much time with the sewing machine, looking at fabric and sewing patterns.

but dont worry, i have a big order of spud and chloe coming any day and have some big design ideas for that yarn, so you and i will be creating together very soon.

no sewing machine, or amount of fabric could ever replace you, dear knitting needles.

xo
luc

friday knitting

today i give you the botancial medallion cardi, made with blue sky alpaca skinny cotton in color zinc. this cardi is full of cables, texture and drape. the design is brilliant and i am very pleased with how it turned out. i have a sneaking suspicion that when my mom sees it, she is going to tell me she "must" have it.

please enjoy....

friday knitting

what happens when cotton yarn, printed fabric, colorful embroidery thread and summer meals outside come together? aglaia's placemat is created.

my family has a house on a small island about an hour ferry ride from athens. and from the months of may to october this wonderful island in the mediterranean is where you will find my parents. my precious husband and i are fortunate to go over every summer for two weeks and we look forward to that trip all year (more on that as our trip approaches). aglaia also lives on the island of kea. aglaia is part cookbook author, part chef, part writer, part restaurant consultant, my mom's best friend and the most wonderful person i have ever met. she and her husband run a cooking school ,unlike any other, during the summer months. we spend many a summer days gathered around her table under the grape vines eating her fabulous food. seriously, it is as romantic as it sounds. and because it is the greek way to always bring a gift when you arrive at someones' house, i am always knitting for her.

enter aglaia's placemats. i had this idea for a placemat that was knit, but then had fabric holders for silverware and was backed with the same fabric. you may remember the design concept was on my list of knitting projects not to long ago. i knew they would be a fabulous addition to aglaia's table. i think they turned out just perfect and were pretty easy to make. now, i need to make some for our backyard summer eating.

i am working on making the pattern available. so stay tuned for the launch of the lucends etsy shop.

please enjoy....

friday knitting

as a yarn shop owner, i had the opportunity to meet and work with alot of great people, but my all time favorite was linda, the owner of blue sky alpaca. from the moment we first met on the phone we had an instant connection, we both had great pyrenees as dogs and spent many a minutes talking about them, not yarn. over the years linda has been very good to me. as a leader in the industry she always had good advice when i needed it, supported rach and i when we launched modalura, and answered the call with a huge box of yarn for coopers flock. let me tell you, linda is one of the good ones and i am so blessed to have worked with her. not to mention that her yarn is one of my favorites.

so, i am so excited about her new line of yarn Spud and Chloe which is set to make its debut at the industry trade show in june. i am more than excited, i am over the moon with excitement. the concept behind spud and chloe is simple, 3 different weights of yarn that are all washable presented in 27 fabulous colors. let me tell you dear readers, no one in this industry is better at choosing colors than linda! i cant wait to get my hands on this yarn. in fact i wouldn't be surprised if i ordered it in all the colors. i have so much faith in this product, it is going to be the "IT" yarn for the fall season.

so how can you knit with spud and chloe before its launch date? susan b anderson and skeinsherway are both having spud and chloe giveaways, so pop on over and enter, who knows you could be knitting with spud and chloe before anyone else. and tell your local yarn shops to order it, they wont be disappointed.

friday knitting

today i give you my creative laundry list that is in my brain because i don't have any finished projects to share with you.

i am working on two projects right now that seem to be taking me forever to finish. one is a sweater for my dear mom. it is an easy rowan pattern, simple stockinette stitch but the knitting seems to be never ending. maybe because it is on small needles, but size 5 isn't that small, or maybe its because there are two pieces to the front and back, or maybe because i keep making simple mistakes and have to rip it back. once i finish the front and have moved on to the sleeves i will feel like i am in the home stretch. i have set a deadline for myself.

the second project is for me, its the cover sweater on the spring/summer issue of vogue knitting. i do love it, but the knitting is slow going. it is constructed in two pieces, the center medallion and the outer band. i flew through the center medallion, but the outer band is comprised of 4 different stitch patterns and i have to pay attention. for some reason i have yet to memorize the pattern repeat. maybe it will be finished with it by the end of summer.....

but i think that real reason i am having a hard time finishing these two projects is because my creative mind is in on speed, its in overdrive. i have so many things rattling around in my head that i cant seem to focus. i have made a list but i just want to start working on the list, but am making myself wait until i finish the above mentioned projects.

here is a sampling of the list:

1. design polka dot baby sweater

2.design knit placemat with fabric

3. rework dr seuss baby hat

4. knit the whisper cardigan in spring IK

5. design baby blanket

6. knit the pirate hat for my cousin's son and my little brother

7. knit che pillow

8. rework and finish knit cowboy boot covers

9. knit baggy bolero

10. and finish those two projects that are on my needles!

happy friday knitting!

friday knitting

today i give you black and silver metallic knit up in eight different fair isle patterns, with a hint vegas show girl and romance on the side. you see, when my precious husband and i decided to get married, las vegas was the location and new years eve was the date.

then came the question of what to wear, we both had been married before, and i didnt want a traditional wedding dress. i saw this dress in the 25th anniversary edition on vogue knitting and it screamed of las vegas on new years eve. i knew it was THE dress i would wear and i MUST knit it. so, i set about finding the yarn and started knitting. it took me about 2 months to knit. i just love it. i think i am going to have it framed, it is work of art!

please enjoy....

friday knitting

today i give a big helping of coziness for the couch. my precious husband had been asking for a new blanket for the couch, the one we had was more for show than warmth, for some time. once we knew the date of cooper's surgery, i knew i needed something to work on while we were in the hospital. so i ran to the yarn store the night before his surgery and came home with a bag full of lush alpaca yarn. it took me some time after cooper died to pick up my knitting needles again, but as soon as the creative urge kicked in, i knew i had to finish the blanket.

my precious husband loves it. its the perfect size and has just the right amount of coziness for snuggling on the couch.

please enjoy.....

baby love

it seems like i have been loving all things baby for the past year. first, while i was pregnant with cooper, spending hours online trying to find the perfect onesie or the best crib design, organizing his room and putting every small little wonder in its place. once he was born, i had so much fun putting all those treasures to use and i was in constant awe of how those tiny clothes were big on his perfect little body. now that cooper is gone, i imagine what it would be like to read books to him and watch him play. i often find myself in his nursery staring at his little clothes and toys, longing for what might have been. but i also find myself reading blogs written by mothers, researching the hottest must haves for baby, looking at maternity clothes, and bookmarking the things i wont be able to live without. a sign that i am still in baby mode and hoping we will have another baby in the not so distant future.

in my quest of all things baby, i stumbled upon a hat on etsy that i loved. i contacted the woman who made it and asked if she would sell me the pattern, she said that "the pattern would not be ready for sometime." so, i do what designers do, i came up with my own version, similar but uniquely my own. i need to tweak the pattern a little, but who knows maybe i will sell it to others who love all things baby. but overall i was pleased with the hat, but i needed a newborn model. luckily, my friend michelle just had baby kate. and she is the most perfect model.

this creative endeavor dear readers is the first bit of designing i have done since cooper died, which is a sign that my heart is mending and that gives me hope. hope that i will love all things baby for some time to come.

friday knitting

today i give you my precious husband, to look at, i am not giving him away, and his hats. when we were dating he would ask when i was going to knit him a sweater, i told him not until we were married. i still have not knit him a sweater, not because i don't want to, but because he wouldn't wear it. he is a hot box and wears short sleeves year round. so at the end of my pregnancy i decided to make him some hats, cooper had way too many baby sweaters and it was hard to knit for myself due to my very pregnant belly. i think i knit both of these hats in two days time and both are free patterns. the first hat is we call them pirates.

and this one is lillehammer and can be found here.

please enjoy my precious husband and his hats. isnt he is the cutest?

friday knitting

today i give you hats. hats knit with soft, chunky, lofty alpaca. hats knit with retro inspired colors. and hats knit with organic cotton perfect for coopers newborn head. hats are a great project when you need a bit of instant gratification. i knit quite a few hats at the end of my pregnancy both for cooper and my precious husband. note to self, get pictures of precious husband wearing hats, they deserve a post of their own.

please enjoy.....

friday knitting

today i give you incredibly soft organic cotton in an amazing array of colors that are sure to delight the senses. this yarn is a dream and i knew it would be just perfect for my cooper. the fish were based on this pattern . i wanted cooper's room to be fresh and modern, but still have a little bit of "boy" in it.

i used the same yarn for his blanket. it was knit holding two strands of the yarn together to create the loftiest baby blanket i have ever seen.

please enjoy.....

there are 19 in the flock

i have knit 19 birds for my cooper and with each stitch that i knit, my heart mends just a little.

i just LOVE the colors, makes me feel like spring has sprung.

i just love these birdies, dont you?

friday knitting

today i give you a smart, warm, tweedy cardi, perfect for those winter months or first days of spring that include snow. i reworked the child's placket sweater in this book, to make it a cardi. i loved it so much that i made cooper three, a little overboard maybe, but they were so darn cute is couldn't stop myself.

please enjoy..

friday knitting

on the menu today is a delicious blend of wool and color that will keep your new bundle of joy nice and warm in the winter months. The snuggle sack was so much fun to knit up and i know my cooper would have been so dang cute in it. i love the colors. they remind me of the 1970's ski sweaters. so retro.

please enjoy.....

friday knitting

when i was pregnant with cooper, i started having contractions at 25 weeks. there was never any real risk of me going into pre-term labor, but my doctor wanted me to limit my activity and stop working. so, what did i do? i knit like a mad woman, i am talking serious knitting projects. i knit for cooper, i knit for my precious husband and i knit for myself.

i have decided that fridays are going to be knitting days here at lucends. now that doesnt mean that i wont talk about knitting on others days of the week, but i will ALWAYS talk about knitting on fridays. since i closed wild wools, my beloved yarn shop, i have not had a place to show off what is on my needles. but alas, i now have lucends and you, dear readers.

i recently photographed all the pieces i knit for my cooper. so i am going to start by showing you my favorite thing that i knit for him.

please enjoy...