This and that

So. While I was away at Stitches West, the new Twist Collective came out. It got pretty much lost to me in the whir of activity and subsequent exhaustion, but I've just had a chance to look over it more closely. I have an article on knitting with wire and a free pattern for a choker in there.

(ROTFL! I just noticed that they put in "tetanus shots optional")! I hope you will all check out the article, as it gives a bunch of little tips that I've found really helpful in my wire projects. And did you know that Scout photographed the Big Sky section? She rocks.

Overall, I think my favorite pattern is the sunflower toy. I love it!

I've been spinning more these days to relax a bit. Spinning is soooooo soothing; much more so than knitting, for some reason. I just finished a little plying and I am just so taken with the color!

I love it. It was mystery fiber to me (I got it at Knitterly and it was totally unlabelled), but Karen from the Royale Hare recognized it on my blog and claimed it as hers!

The colors in it are amazing.

My big treat when I spin is steaming the yarn over the kettle at the end. I love watching the yarn twist and writhe and then relax into shape. So cool.

And last but definitely not least, I'll leave you with the image of the birthday cupcakes I made for the littlest one to take to swim practice. Not as pretty as Jane's, but they were tasty, and they didn't last very long!

They are also vegan (the littlest one is allergic to dairy and eggs), and if you all want, I will share the recipe!

Blog Tour! and a little Musing

First I want to thank all of you who have been leaving comments and writing to me about Bijouterie. A lot of you have never tried knitting with wire before, and I am SO excited that you are making these earrings! I am really enjoying seeing them all!

This week my book and I are making the rounds!

We've got some great stops planned!

First up is my girl Scout on Monday, December 15th. She is a huge inspiration to me and I just think she is the best! And have you seen her photography? And her yarn? :swoon:

Tuesday I will be over at the Art Bead Scene blog. You must check out this blog. It is full of fascinating studio visits, tutorials, and great jewelry. I've been a reader for some time now!

Wednesday, I'm visiting Steph at ...and she knits, too! Steph, for those who don't already know, completely rocks! And one of these days, I will meet her in person (and probably have a nice long philosophical discussion). Mwah to you, Steph!

Thursday, I'm off to Sweater Surgery. This is a completely wild and crafty blog! Wait 'til you check out the recycled sweater turkey a few entries ago! Really. You must see. :)

And Friday, I'll be TurtleGirl's guest on her special pr0nny Fridays. Can I just say? TurtleGirl is teh awesome. She makes me smile every time I read her blog or correspond with her. :)

A big and giant thank you to all of my hosts! I hope you'll stop by, check out the projects and Q&A, and then stay awhile and look over the rest of these great blogs!

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And a little musing for Monday:

"If you don't try, you've already failed." - me, every day, to my kids :)

Have a great week, everyone!!!

Join Me!

I'll be at Knitterly in Petaluma CA this Saturday, December 13th, at 11 am to chat, share projects from my new book and sign books! My friend Susan Mall of Eastside Farm and Zin fame is providing munchies! I'll be there from 11 to 12:30 and then teaching a workshop in the afternoon from 2-5! We'll be swatching wire and experimenting, and then making the swatches into a necklace from my book! The workshop fee is $60, and materials (wire, rubber cord) are provided. BYO needles and hooks. :)

If you like Bijouterie, then my guess is you'll like my book, Elements of Style! I hope you can join me!

Knitty, she is up!

It's up, it's up! The winter issue of Knitty!

And with it, Bijouterie, a fun little pattern of mine for a trio of pearl and wire earrings.

Enjoy!

Nooz!

Whew. Where to start? I guess with the signing:

and then to the post office:

And...what I am trying to say is (in Sheri's style):

I'mdoingabookwithInterweavePressEeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Being terribly superstitious about such things, I didn't want to say anything until I had the signed contract in my hands! But I do now. And I am very very excited. My book (I have to get used to saying that - eeeeeeeeee!) is on knitted and crocheted jewelry using wire, beads and fiber, and it's due out in Fall 2008. Ulp. :)

Answers

Thank you so much for all the kind words! Venezia Redux is a really fun knit and one that I often wear! I hope you will give it a try. :)

So now, just a quick little post to answer a few of your questions!

The ADD Knitter asked "Do you think that my 12 yo daughter could do this, or would it be too hard for her?"
I definitely think a 12 year old could do this bracelet. She might need a little help with the tubing, but that is only a hand size and strength issue.

Sarah said "I'm allergic to most metal. I doubt string of any sort would hold up that. Any ideas for what else I could use?"
Try using sterling silver wire. It's available in 32 gauge. That shouldn't cause any allergic reaction. I'm not sure which metals you are allergic to, but there are also possibilities including coated copper wire, copper wire, gold filled wire and brass. If you email me with your allergies, I think I can help you find something. :)

Bea asked "I wonder if copper wire would work?"
Absolutely! Just make sure it's quite thin so that you will have an easy time with it. You can find copper wire in a hardware store or at many craft stores.

Jennifer asked "It's really knitting? I can do it?"
Yes! It's just garter stitch. It looks way more impressive and difficult than it really is. :)

Vivian said "Your pictures are always so incredibly delicate and beautiful. Can you share what kind of camera you use?"
Thank you, Vivian! I used a Kodak Easy Share digital camera. Nothing very interesting, I'm afraid! :)

And Kathy said "I'm afraid I'll kill my poor hands (yarn is hard enough on me). A bracelet, however, is a limited amount of work, so I may well give this a try."
Never fear! This wire is very soft and at 34 gauge, is flexible and very easy to work with. It's actually easier than wrapping wire with pliers for jewelry. Just don't hold it too tight, and your hands will be fine! I can knit with it for hours.

If you have any more questions, just let me know. :) Have fun with it!

Venezia Redux

VENEZIA REDUX

After my Venezia napkin rings came out in the fall 2006 issue of Knitty, several kind people sent me notes about the gate in Venice that inspired the design. Yes! It was the gate into the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, and your kind notes and photos allowed me to relive a wonderful trip, and remember my mother as she was so many years ago. Thank you all!

Others wrote wanting to make a bracelet, but I told them that the pattern would be too flimsy at the larger size and if they could wait just a little while, I was working on a solution. So here it is! And true to its sculptural heritage, it uses an armature to shape the wire and bead skin and provide stability. And this time, I used recycled glass that reminds me of the ocean on the other side of the Guggenheim Collection. You can use anything you want, though.

SIZE
One size

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Measurements are taken after pulling fabric into shape.

Measured flat before seaming:
Width: 2.25 inches
Length: 10.25 inches

Measurements after seaming:
inner circumference: 7.5 inches
outer circumference: 11.5 inches

MATERIALS
Beading wire, 32 gauge [30 yards per spool]; color: silver, one spool

1 set US #6/4mm needles: Bamboo is recommended, and you may find it easier to use two double-point needles rather than long straight needles.
Recycled glass beads, ranging in size from 2-4mm: 135
Clear plastic or acrylic bangle bracelet
OR 1/2 inch diameter clear acrylic flexible tubing with 5/16 inch thick wall: 1 foot

GAUGE
7 sts/69 rows = 2.25 inches by 10.25 inches (exact gauge is not critical for this project)

PATTERN NOTES
I used two double pointed bamboo needles because they are short and not very slick, and I found it very easy to manipulate the wire. I had no problems losing stitches. You can use any needles you like, though.

One of the seven stitches in each row functions as a selvage stitch. Do not put any beads between this stitch and the next stitch. The area without beads will be on the inside of the bracelet and enables the wearer to slide the bracelet on and off with greater ease, and with a minimum of wear and tear.

Beads are placed between stitches. To place a bead in your work, knit the stitch before the place you want your bead to go, slide the bead up the wire until it rests next to your right needle, then knit the next stitch. It's as easy as that!

To make working with the beads and wire easier, you can place the spool of wire into a small ziplock bag, approximately 2 x 3 inches and close the top around the wire. Do not use a larger bag, as this will encourage the wire to kink.


Clear tubing can be purchased in hardware stores, and has text printed on portions. Ensure you have enough area without text printed on it to reach around your hand - I used 10.25 inches. Bits of the lettering can be scratched off with a utility knife, if need be.

PATTERN
Make armature: bend tubing around hand and cut a length sufficient to pass over hand when joined. Cut another piece of tubing approximately an inch long. Cut smaller piece in half lengthwise. Roll smaller piece to fit inside larger piece snugly. If need be, wet the tubing to make insertion easier. Insert other end of smaller piece of tubing into the other end of the large piece to complete circle. If need be, heat tubing by dipping into boiling water or applying hair dryer, form into circle, and then hold under cold water to set shape. Any small gaps in the tubing will be covered by the beads and wire.

Pre-string beads on wire.

Using the Backward Loop technique, CO 7 sts, placing at least 1 bead in the CO row.
Knit approximately 69 rows garter stitch, using 2 to 3 beads per row, and scattering them evenly across piece. Place the beads in different places in the rows; you want to achieve fairly even coverage, with a seemingly random appearance. Remember to leave a bead free zone between the selvage stitch and the next stitch (only on one side). As you knit, pull the rows you have knitted into shape after each row. Having exactly 69 rows is not crucial. The most important thing is that the knitted fabric fit snugly around the armature. When you have achieved the proper length, cut the wire, leaving a 20 inch tail. Ensure that all the beads are on one side of the fabric, so that they will face out when the rectangle is seamed. It is easy to push the beads through and close the wire so they do not slip back through.

FINISHING
Stretch rectangle to proper dimensions if you have not already done so. Remove needle from live stitches, inserting a piece of waste yarn to keep them from unraveling. Wrap rectangle lengthwise around armature, making sure the beads are on the outside of the fabric. Graft together live stitches with cast-on edge. Remove waste yarn. Wrap knitted fabric around armature so that the area without beads is on the inside. Without cutting wire, sew together lengthwise edges of knitted rectangle around armature.

Wrap wire around itself several times and clip, being careful not to leave ends sticking out. Tuck wire in.

The fine print: Copyright 2007 Rosemary Hill. This pattern is for personal use only and may not be sold or knit for profit. Thank you and enjoy!

Sweet Nothing

I feel terrible that it has taken me so long to get this pattern up, but here it is finally, just in time to celebrate spring and summer! If you have any questions about it or corrections, please let me know. If you would like tech help, come on over and join my baublesnbeads group at Yahoo, and ask away! Enjoy! :)

SWEET NOTHING
a knitted wire and bead choker by Rosemary Hill


FINISHED MEASUREMENTS/GAUGE
Measurements are taken after pulling fabric into shape; exact gauge is not critical for this project as the finished fabric will be stretched to measurements given. Measurements below are for a piece three stitches in width and 56 rows in length.

Width: 2 cm/almost 1 inch
Length: 30 cm/approx. 11.75 inches

MATERIALS
Beading wire, 34 gauge [24 yards/22m per spool]; silver: one spool

1 set 4mm/US #6 needles Bamboo or birch are recommended, and you may find it easier to use two double-point needles rather than long straight needles.
6mm glass beads: 56 (buy a few extras in case you drop some)
size 11 seed beads: 280 (buy extra!)
12mm by 6mm glass teardrop beads: 2
organza ribbon - 12 mm/0.5 in. wide: 1.22 meters/1 yd + 1 ft (provides for a little extra)
super glue (for ribbon ends)

PATTERN NOTES
I used two double pointed bamboo needles because they are short and not very slick, and I found it very easy to manipulate the wire. I had no problems losing stitches. You can use any needles you like, though.

Beads are placed at the end of each row. To place the beads, knit the last stitch of the row, turn the work and then slide beads up the wire until they rest against the last stitch worked. Start the next row.

To make working with the beads and wire easier, you can place the spool of wire into a small ziplock bag, approximately 2 x 3 inches and close the top around the wire. Do not use a larger bag, as this will encourage the wire to kink.

Beads will slip around on wire when piece is finished. If you want to prevent this (I didn't), grasp the beaded loop and give the wire a twist.

PATTERN
Pre-string beads on wire in this pattern: *5 seed beads, 1 6mm bead* repeat between *s until all beads are strung.

Piece is knit in garter stitch (knit every row).

Using the Backward Loop technique, cast on 3 sts. Turn and knit one row. *Turn work. Slide 5 seed beads and 1 6mm bead into place against last stitch worked. Knit row.* Repeat between *s until you have knitted 56 rows. At this point, the fabric will probably be shorter and wider than specified. Stretch it to given measurements and check that it is the proper length. If you are happy with the results, bind off and cut the wire. Weave in wire ends, being careful to wrap the ends around themselves and trim close.

FINISHING
Stretch rectangle to proper dimensions, if you have not already done so. Weave ribbon through center stitch of piece down entire length of choker. Try choker on, tying the ribbon to secure. Cut ribbon to desired length, plus 3 inches on each end (used to work easily when tying knots below teardrop beads). Remove choker and string one teardrop shaped bead on each end. Secure each bead with a knot in the end of ribbon. Trim ribbon close to knot and saturate with super glue or other fray check.

The fine print: Copyright 2007 Rosemary Hill. This pattern is for personal use only and may not be sold or knit for profit. Thank you and enjoy!

Finished!

Julie sent a picture of her newly finished Venezia napkin rings, taken with her camera phone before she wrapped them up to give away! Aren't they pretty? I love them! :)


In other news...guess what this is!


Yes! I blocked the poor, neglected Estonian Garden Shawl! It's not the most perfect blocking job, but it will do very nicely I think. :)

Breaking News!

The spring Knitty is up, and with it, my beaded bracelet pattern, Bauble! Here's the original, in greens and blues:



and here's what it looks like in blacks and grays:


I've set up a knit-along group for anyone who wants to knit Bauble or Venezia (my pattern for knitted wire napkin rings from the last Knitty), and get a bit of technical help or just talk about it! You can join here. Hope to see you there!

Actual Knitting Content

Yes. It's true. Today you will see a real finished knitted object. I can't show the last two things I worked on (not yet anyway), but here's one that I finished knitting a couple of months ago. I finally put the last few touches on it and photographed it. It's a choker made of wire and beads, with a ribbon woven through the middle:


And a couple more beauty shots:



I'm writing up the pattern almost as we speak! And when it is finished, I will post it here. :)

In other news, things are ok. Yes, they are. And getting better. Many thanks to my wonderful wonderful friends. Now I have to go before I get all gushy. ;)

Da Winnaaaaa!

Thank you all so much for the great entries! I got some much needed laughs. :)

It was difficult to decide, so in the end, I had to break the tie and put in a vote for the one I felt most captured Remy's (aka Dr. Destructo's) personality.

*drumroll*...


"I wonder if Mom knows what a cool swirly design the yarn makes when you flush it?"

---

So congratulations Denise! Please email me with color choice and your address - my email address is in my profile - and I'll get your Venezia kit together and out the door to you!

In other news, I've been tagged by Ann and Vanessa, but I'm only going to come up with 6 weird things about myself, not 12! More tomorrow. I'm taking a little time off tonight. :)

It's a contest! (or "ask and ye shall receive")

Lolly suggested a caption contest for the cute kid pic. Doh! Of course! So here he is again:


What is Remy thinking?

Let me know in a comment by midnight PST, Wednesday December 13th. The winner (decided by a secret panel of judges with bizarre senses of humor) will get a kit to make 6 Venezia napkin rings:



from the current issue of Knitty! You choose: green, blue or red! Kit includes silver wire, beads and dowel to shape them!

Bring on the captions! :)

Venezia!

The new Knitty is up and with it, my first ever published pattern, the Venezia napkin rings!


There's a story behind the name, and you can read it here. These are really easy to knit. In fact, this is my first time knitting with wire and beads. I am hooked. :)

Someone was asking about making this into a bracelet. I had originally thought to do a bracelet as well, but I don't think the wire would withstand the wear it might get on your arm without crushing and losing its shape. Okay, I'm actually thinking of myself. I tend to...er...be hard on jewelry, so I always try to make my stuff Rosemary-proof. But stand by! I am working on another solution. :)