People Might Think You're Up To Something

So what is a knitter like myself doing inside on a nice warm day like this? I must be up to something. . .

A Little Peak

Wanted to give you a little sneak peak of what my fingers have
been working on. Be patient my pretties. Soon all will be revealed.

The Pleasure of the Process

I was looking through my sketch books this morning and was blown away at the amount of ideas I have sketched and collected in just a year. I find the very process of coming up with ideas to be just as exciting as seeing the final results knitted up.

This got me to thinking about the notebooks of other designers and after a search on Flickr, I was very pleased to find some designers willing to give us a peek into their sketch books and design process. May you be inspired to pick up your pen and pad and create something new.

[caption id="attachment_891" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="photo by litlnemophoto by: have you any wool?photo by jessfir"][/caption]

 

photo by MaryJaneM

 

[caption id="attachment_894" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="photo by The Bacanes"][/caption]

 

 

The Will To Traveling Well

Well, I'm on the plane again this week, traveling to sunny California. I am attempting to pack all my things into one giant duffle bag and bring with me only one carry on. (This is the attempt I make every time I travel. The reality is that I end up with two over stuffed suitcases, my laptop bag , purse, knitting bag, coat and a personal pizza from that Pizza Hut kiosk that seems to be in front of every gate.)

My hope this trip is to test a theory regarding airplane travel that I often hear about.  I've read many times in travel magazines that airport staff treat people differently based on how they are dressed. The more "rich" or "business" -like you look, the better service you receive.

I've always been a sweatpants and worn out t-shirt kind of traveler, which usually has resulted in me blending in with the airport walls. It's not that I've gotten bad service from my appearance, just usually not much service.

This time I want to see what would happen if I came to the airport in a bit more high-fashion style. My inspiration is Ivanka Trump, who, in the February 2011 issue of Travel + Leisure, showed how to travel in true style.

[caption id="attachment_698" align="aligncenter" width="298" caption="Ivanka Trump Dressed For Travel"][/caption]

Read full article here: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/ivanka-trumps-jet-set-travel-outfit#

With Ivanka as my muse, I have actually washed my clothes and made the effort to match up an outfit along with a necklace and ring. I'm even going to sacrifice comfort for style by wearing *gasp* high heels! I've been cleaning up the scuff marks on my purse as I plan for it and a light sweater to be the only items I go through security with. But fear not!No knitting will be sacrificed during this event. Hidden in my purse will be at least two socks on the needles ready for me to knit.

My cell phone will be at the ready, tweeting my travel experiment as it unfolds. And I plan on doing a post the next day to let you know how things went. Wish me luck!

My Cute Little Sock

Okay, I just couldn't wait to share my freshly made sock. Just clipped the last piece of thread before I snapped a picture of this lovely creature.

Yes, a pattern for the sock will be posted soon. But right now I feel like a proud mamma showing off my little baby. Isn't it just percious?

Liver Chick Knits Is Open For Business

Finally, after months of talking myself in and out of it, I got my store up and running on Etsy.

It is a place for me to sell my every growing collection of stitch markers that I keep making. (Well, it was either this or tell everyone they would be getting a set of stitch markers for Christmas.)

If the mood hits me, I may also add a few knitted items to the store around the winter holidays.

The store is still a work in progress and I will continue to add more of my stitch markers each week.

When you get a moment, head on over and take a lot. I hope you enjoy it: http://www.liverchick.etsy.com

Lace For One And All

I've been knitting for over 10 years now, yet the above piece is only my second attempt at knitting lace. It's not that I don't like lace- I actually LOVE it. However, the knitting community can be its own worse enemy when it comes to promoting lace knitting.

The message I received as a beginning knitter was that new knitters were fools if they tried to tackle lace without years of experience. I was told that lace knitting could only be done properly by more mature ladies from the 'old country'. I even read somewhere that if you did not have the proper respect or historical understanding of where a lace shawl came from and didn't knit it in traditional white wool then you are being disrespectful to the lace and are better off knitting a scarf in fun fur.

So, I figured that lace knitting was something you just looked at, but you didn't actually dare do yourself. Instead, I just did crochet lace which was apparently the only form of lace allowed to be made by the 'common' person. Yet, I still wanted to make knitted lace.

When the opportunity came to make a head covering for a swap on Ravelry, I looked for a crochet version but couldn't find one that moved me. Then I stumbled upon the lace veil that I posted about before. It was beautiful and reminded me of the lace coverings I would see women wear in Catholic church. But it was knitted. And I wasn't allowed to knit lace. "What's going to happen? Is the lace knitting mafia is going to bust down our door and kick your ass?", my hubby asked. No. But like telling a child they are dumb, it was hard to break through those negative thoughts that were placed in my head as a young knitter. I decided that I would use the head covering as my way to break through everything negative I ever heard or felt about knitting lace.

I cast on and knitted away. I made mistakes, but didn't rip my work out. I knew that if I ripped out my work, then I would use it as an excuse to not restart. So, I knitted on. And before I knew it, a pattern was taking shape through my fingers. It was lumpy and messy and looked nothing like the picture, but I pressed on. When I finally did my bind off, I damped the lace with some cool water and then laid it out on a piece of felt. Gently, I pulled and pinned down the lace. It was like watching magic in slow motion but still not being able to see how the magician pulled the rabbit out of the hat. I stepped back and saw the most beautiful piece of knitting ever and then I looked down at my hands, not sure how I could have made it.

That is what they mean when they say, 'the magic of lace'. It is that moment of awe over yarn over's and ssk's that some how, without you knowing it, transformed into a work of art. I realized at that moment that I would never discourage anyone, no matter what their skill level, from trying to knit lace.

Lace knitting is not as hard as it seems. Sure, there are those wedding ring lace pieces that look as if they were knitted using yarn made from spider webs. And there are those patterns that knitters brag about that took them 12 hours and day for six months to complete. (You can file that one with the same people who talk about walking to school in eight feet of snow, uphill, both ways).

Lace knitting is not for some elite group of knitters who spend their summers in Ireland and their winters studying Scandinavian art. Lace knitting is for everyone! If you can read a chart and got your handy list of knitting abbreviations nearby, then with a little time and patience, you can knit lace. Never let anyone, knitter or otherwise, discourage you from enjoying the wonderful world of lace knitting!

The Treasure

Was at the local Goodwill thrift store with my mom yesterday. I usually don't buy anything when I'm there. It's not that I don't like what they offer, but this particular Goodwill is so popular that unless you camp out at the door and run in the very minute they open, chances are all the really good finds are gone.

As usual, the place was packed, and it was a Wednesday afternoon. My mom was searching for a skirt, so I just walked around looking at the stuff in other people's carts.

There is a small craft section on the far side wall of the store tucked into an odd corner between the kid's toys and purses. This area is usually filled with bags of tired looking zippers and old Butterwick patterns for flower skirts. An ocassional bag filled with shower curtain rings or plastic Christmas ribbon finds its way to this area as well.

I made my way over to the area on the off-chance I might find a package of straight pins. I have plans this year to finish my quilt tops and for the life of me I don't know where my straight needles have disappeared to.

Now in the craft section I found the usual suspects along with a bag filled with florist tape and another stuffed with scary look doll heads- the type one would use in cake decorating. I was thinking of how I could paint over the doll faces to make them look like shrunken heads for Halloween, when a long package hanging behind a bag of broken needlepoint hoops caught my eye.

I pulled the bag off the hook only to discover a similar one right behind it. With both bags in my hands, I stared down at my packages, unsure of what I was seeing. Through it's loosely bunched plastic coverings sat in my hands two bags filled with knitting needles!

There was no time to lose. I felt a sense of urgency to get this needles to the counter and claim them as mine with my cold hard cash. 'How could anyone have missed getting these', I thought to myself. I have seen far too many times in stores women and men come to near blows over an item that they both wanted. Although most people at the store seemed generally nice, I was not going to take a chance of anyone seeing my discovery. I could just see the news headline now: Young Woman Stabs Stranger In Eye With #4 over Knitting Needle Dispute. So, I tried to move through the store discreetly, being careful not to bring any attention to myself or the items I were carrying.

I manged to dodge an aisle filled with several gray-haired ladies. I was sure if any of them had spotted my treasure the news headline would be: Gray Hair Granny Mafia Takes Out Store Customer, Impaled With Knitting Needle.

Safely at the checkout out counter, the bubble gum popping cashier, overly made up in a sad attempt to look older than her 17 year old true self, didn't even look my way as I sat the needles on the counter. She was busy trying to flirt with the older bag boy in between the continuous line of customers.

The bag boy motioned to me letting the young girl know she had another customer. As the cashier began to ring up my order, I wondered if I should be kind enough to save the poor girl from her fruitless attempts at flirting by informing her that her lover boy was gay, seeing as he was wearing a gay pride necklace.  As the cashier handed my items to the bagger she said,"You buying these needles. Do you use them to crochet or something? I could never do that stuff. Maybe when I'm in my 30's or 40's, when old and don't have a life anymore I might learn. It's such an old people thing." I decided that having her heart-broken by a gay man would be good for her.

Package paid for and hidden in the white plastic bag, I enjoyed the rest of my time shopping with my mom, knowing that this old lady with no life had scored a treasure far better than any 17 year old could imagine.

Knit On!

 

"Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises." 
 Elizabeth Zimmermann, 1910-1999

Pinky Goodness

Well, since you wanted to know what yarn I was winding, here it is. Such a yummy color and very soft. I plan to use it to knit the Toorie hat by Carina Spencer : http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/toorie

My (Shameless) Teaching Proposal

I figured that since I am not going to be teaching at this year's Sock Summit, that it would be safe to share with you some parts of the  actually teaching proposal that I had submitted. Please let me know what you think:

Teaching Proposal for Sock Summit 2011

　

Who are you? Do you have formal teaching experience? We'd love to know if you do.

 

 



But whooo-R-yooooouuuu? Sorry, Alice In Wonderland flashbacks. Hi, my name is Michelle. Online I am best known as Liver Chick. You can find me on Ravelry and chatting away on my blog http://liverchickknits.wordpress.com.

The following is my shameless proposal to teach at Sock Summit 2011.

College graduate with an Associates of Arts degree from Phoenix, Arizona, where I studied costume and makeup design for the Theatre. I worked for nine years as a professional makeup artist and taught Makeup and Costume Design on the college level.

I had a quick stint at California Institute for the Arts majoring in Costume Design. My claim to fame there was hand knitting fifteen openwork tribal inspired headdresses for the department’s 2001 production of Trojan Women.

A former craft teacher at Michael’s Craft store where I taught beginner knitting classes as well as loom knitting, among other things.

Here is where I stop sounding like a resume and share with you my journey into sock knitting that has evolved into this proposal that you are now reading. (You may want to refill that cup of coffee before you start.)

I was always reluctant to learn to knit a pair of socks. I had knitted enough scarves and hats to open my own store. I even knitted a sweater for my boyfriend. (Which obviously was a damn good sweater because a year later he became my husband. Or maybe the sweater was so bad that he was afraid that if he remained my boyfriend he would have to endure even more ghastly sweaters and knew that the only way to stop the madness was to marry me, thus ending the ‘boyfriend’ sweaters.) Either way, I had some pretty good knitting under my belt. Sock knitting just always seemed other-worldly to me.

In 2008, at the age of 30, my liver stopped working. (Doesn’t that always happen? The moment the warranty is up on something it freaking decides to die on you!) Well, there’s nothing like a coma and a liver transplant to boost your ego and make you say, “What the hell! If I could survive that, knitting a sock should be a piece of cake”. Of course it didn’t hurt that as part of my recovery I had joined Boba Knits and spent each week watching Cookie A. knitting away at her kick-ass socks.

So, with the new boost of confidence- and a new liver- I set out to knit me some socks. Well, trying to knit with double pointed needles scared the hell out of my cats and soon after I had to start asking people to sign waivers before entering my house so I wouldn’t be held liable for bodies being impaled by my needles every time I tried to knit a sock. Then, much to my family’s relief, I decided that maybe circular needles were more my style. I can tell you from personal experience that the magic loop and Long Island ice teas do not mix. And when the toe-up method had me reaching for the Johnny Walker, I knew it was time to stop.

“But there just had to be a way for me to knit socks that wouldn’t reduce me to drinking”, I thought. I wanted to find a way to knit socks the same way I like to knit most other things- with two straight needles. So I set out to find if such a thing was possible. Not only was two needle socks possible, it was also popular, for a short time. I ordered old knitting pamphlets on the subject and read any information I could find. The use of the two needle method had opened the doors to sock knitting for many frustrated knitters during its heyday. But that nasty uncomfortable seam down the center bottom of the foot seems to have been its downfall. “Hey, why does the seam have to be down the middle? Why can’t it be on the sides instead?” Even fewer patterns existed for socks with seams on the side and the few patterns that did, usually over complicated the process with wonky heels and odd configurations. After much trial and error, I figured out how to make socks on two needles that looked and felt just as nice as socks made in the more traditional methods. I know that I’m not the only one who ever became frustrated with learning to knit socks. And just like me, there has to be many other knitters out there who would love to learn a new way of knitting socks.

I remember those dark days of long ago. Those days before I became a sock knitter. I felt like an outcast, an incomplete knitter. The other knitters would talk about me behind my back. I was left out of parties because sock knitters feared being associated with a non-sock knitter like me. I don’t want another knitter to suffer what I’ve gone through. So I have made it my mission to help my sisters and brothers and free them from the chains that keep them from enjoying the world of sock knitting. And if we sock knitters are to be a great nation of knitters then this skill must be taught . So I will teach two needle sock knitting to knitters from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Knitters will knit two needle sock from the mighty mountains of New York. They will knit socks from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

They will knit socks from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

They will knit socks from the curvaceous peaks of California!

But not only that; they will knit their socks on two needles from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Socks will be knit from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Socks will be knit from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let sock knitters knit! .

When we let two needle sock knitters knit , when we spread the news of this alternative way of sock knitting from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's sock knitters, old sock knitters and young sock knitters, toe up and cuff down, two at a time and single sock syndrome, will be able to join needles and sing in the words of the old knitter’s spiritual, "Turn the heel! Turn the heel! Does anyone remember how to turn the heel?!"　

 

Anything else you think we need to know about working with you. Like that you charge $33,000 a day and need to be paid in gold, or that you can't teach unless your cat can come, or (more seriously) do you need an accessible classroom? Special teaching aids? Help?

 

 



Since you asked, yes, I would like to be paid $33,000 a day for my time and I would like payment in one dollar bills only. No, seriously, I like money, so getting paid would be great. But I also realize that you like money too, so I’m sure we can work out a way for us to both have money. Whatever ended up being the average payment for most instructors during the last Summit is fine with me. (It may sound like I’m being too easy, but really my nose is short, so its hard for me to look down it and scoff at some imaginary price that’s not worth my time and talent. Heck, I’m even willing to barter with you. Four days of room and food for four days of my enslavement to the Sock Summit- sounds like a deal to me!)

As far as my class needs, I think I’ll be able to handle the class without too many extras. A long table for me to display different stages of the sock knitting process would be nice. The students will mainly be following their handouts.

As for what you need to know about working with me, I will let you know that I am shy when I first meet people, but warm up rather quickly. I’m always willing to help, (that’s the girl scout in me), and have a tendency to show up when an extra body is needed for something. Remember back in the day with those college parties where everyone got wasted, but when you woke up the next morning everything was clean and breakfast was made? Yup, I’m that girl that stayed up all night picking up all those empty bottles, cleaning the vomit out the carpet and unclogging the toilet. And because I knew you would all have the munchies when you sobered up, I baked a quiche and put out bottles of water along with a bottle of aspirin on the kitchen table before I left. Why would I do all this? Well, because I do enjoying helping people and also because the guilt is going to eat away at you until you do something nice for me in return. Can we say, new yarn?  

We'd also like to know where you live, how you would get to Oregon (we cover reasonable transportation) and if you're free all four days of the Summit—Thursday, July 28th - Sunday, July 31st, 2011.

 

 



Okay, now you’re getting personal. Ask me anything more and I’ll make you take me out to dinner first!

Well, I live in XXXX, Arizona, which is a small town that is like a pigeon dropping away from Phoenix.

I would really like to fly to Oregon. I don’t need to fly first class or have any special seating. You can fly me on the cheapest flight available. Seriously, I’ll take the one that leaves Phoenix at 3 o’clock in the morning with five connections and the only available seats being the ones right next to the toilet.

Now, where am I going to stay is a different issue, but I’ll be able to figure that one out. Hopefully, hotel rooms are still available. Based on the forums on Ravelry it seems some of the hotels were completely booked a week after you announced the dates. If nothing is available, I’m more then happy sleeping on the floor in someone’s hotel room if that option is open. In worst case, I’ll be claiming stall number five in the ladies restroom at the convention center as my room for the duration of the Summit. (Remember, girl scout here. I know how to ‘rough it’.)

To answer the other part of your question, yes, I am available for all four days of the Summit. Feel free to use me in whichever way turns you on, I’m all yours.

So, you’ve come to the end of my proposal. Did I sound crazy and desperate? If so, then I have achieved what I set out to do. Really, I’m not this way in person. At least not all the time. Well, even if you don’t select me to teach at the Summit, I do hope you got a few good laughs from reading this. Feel free to save this and read anytime you need a little laughter.

Wishing you well,

Liver Chick 

　

 

 

Period Knitting

I love watching women in period costumes knit. I would love the chance to do some historical reenactment. However, there doesn't seem to be any big demand for black period actors living in the southwest. I don't know why. *sigh*

Well, at least I can still admire and dream.

Happy Valentine's Day

[caption id="attachment_344" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="Free pattern from juju & lolo"][/caption]

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!!!

Now go out and knit something for the one you love!

Knitting At the Airport

Despite the past knitting needle banning, knitting seems to be alive and well as a great way to pass the time at the airport. Although there are some who still fear the over-exaggerated scenario of Aunt Helen impaling the entire flight crew and passengers with her double-pointed needles, research has now shown that this would never happen on account of the fact that every knitter knows how hard it is to get blood stains out of wool.

Even though knitting needles are no longer on the FDA list of  items that must stay in your checked baggage, I strongly recommend you check with both your leaving and arriving airports - especially for overseas flights- before trying to go through security with your needles. Besides, I wouldn't want any of you to end up on the 'No Fly' list for trying to smuggle in your purse some 16 inch circulars, aka, potential weapons of mass destruction!

A Call To Sock Knitters!

Hi all you sock knitters and aspiring sock knitters. I'm looking for some people to interview for my blog. I know there are a lot of you sock addicts out there and it's about time the rest of the world gets to know you too.

Why? Well, because you knit socks, I love socks, and other sock knitters love reading about socks and the sock knitters who sock them...wait...I mean, knit them. It doesn't matter if you are a published professional or just turned your first heel yesterday. Me and my readers want to hear about your experience and love of sock knitting.

So, drop me a line and let me know if you are interested. Feel free to pass the word on to other knitters as well.

Covered In Cozies!!!!

Just think how much more colorful the world would be if everything was covered in cozies!

Shameless Knitting Plug

Months ago  I started a group on Ravelry for those of us who love Jamie Cullum. Since the start of this group there has only been three other people who have joined. I know we can't be the only knitters in the world that are addicted to Jamie.

So, I'm asking all you knitters out there with a fetish for Jamie to join my group. Share your favorite photos of Jamie. Talk about the songs that you love and even any knitting/crochet designs inspired by his music. Come on, I know you're out there. I can hear you breathing!

The group can be found at http://www.ravelry.com/groups/jamie-cullum-love

Knitting Gets Inked!

I love knitting tattoos! If I could, I would totally get one. But the tribal scar that my liver transplant left across my belly is about as close as I'll ever get to marking myself. So, instead, I live my tatoo fantasies through these hardcore knitters:

[caption id="attachment_184" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tammy aka PuNkrAwKpUrL"][/caption]



[caption id="attachment_186" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pamela Wynne of Flint Knits"][/caption]

EZ, We've Come a Long Way Baby!

For years I have knitted with no knowledge of who Elizabeth Zimmermann was or even her importance to knitting. ( Yes, I know. I can hear your gasps of horror even from here.)

So, to not feel left out of knitting group conversations I set out to learn about her. I read everything I could find about her- books, magazine articles, blog postings, etc. The one thing that remained out of reach for me was her famous and well-loved book, "Knitting Without Tears". Countless of knitters learned and even re-learned to knit from the pages of this knitting holy grail. I was determined to find it and read it myself.

To my surprise, after almost a year of being constantly checked out at the library, I was able to take it home and have my own knitting 'awakening'.

From some of the previous work I've read I was already use to Elizabeth's straightforward and trademark opinionated style. Even though I can't wear wool myself, I respected her views on wool verses synthetics. The book was full of helpful advice. But I hit a snag when it came to her topic of knitting techniques.

I loved when she stated, "there is no wrong way to knit...", but the next few lines were like a dagger through my little knitted heart. "...although there is one way that is nearly wrong. I mean Backwards, or Looking-Glass Knitting. It is not wrong in effect, as its proponents or shall we say victims?- turn out perfectly creditable garments. But they work in a void of noncommunication, cut off from all run-or-the-mill knitters and nearly all knitting instructions."

I was speechless after reading her words. Even though she admits to trying to learn the skill herself to avoid purling for an easier 'stocking-stitch', she concluded that it wasn't worth the effort. The grandmother of knitting just made me feel like someone undeserving of the title, 'knitter'.

So I closed the book and walked to my yarn stash. There laid four newly finished hats, a pair of socks needing the final stitches to complete and a pattern for a sweater that I was in the process of converting to fit my style of knitting.

There, surrounded by my projects, a little voice inside my head said, "you are not a victim. You are a rebel. A marvel to behold. The envy of all knitters who must knit and purl their way through a stockinette stitch sweater".

Then a thought hit me. I walked back to the book, open the first page and read the copyright date. Copyright 1971! Well, no wonder why she said what she did. I wasn't even born yet. She had never seen anything like me yet. I laughed at myself, reopened the book and enjoyed the rest of my reading.  I realize, Mrs. Zimmermann is the grandmother of knitting, but she is not the final say on the subject. If she could see knitting today she would truly be impressed at its many forms and faces. She may even reconsider learning to knit backwards, and I would be more than honored to teach her.