mk carroll

Knitters Without Borders: Smocked Mug Jacket (revised)

I started a Mug Jacket sample in Peace Fleece and got annoyed with myself. If you check the Ravelry projects for this pattern, you'll find a lot of very smart revisions to modify the pattern for different purposes (like travel mug sleeves) or just to make it easier to knit. Sometimes I think my desire to get something knit-to-fit or easily resized overrides my desire to make something easier to actually physically knit, which is how I wound up wrestling with the smocking stitch for a couple of repeats before deciding to just rewrite the pattern already. And so there is now a revised version available for sale - knit from the top of the sides, down to the base. The hand-drawn graph paper chart for the smocking stitch has been replaced with a chart done in Knit Visualizer. Additional photos have been added - each section has a small photo of the section being worked (the base, for example, includes a photo of the finished base).

The previous version is still available for free in the original blog post and as a free PDF download. The fundraiser version price has been raised to $5.50, with $4.50 going to Medecins sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders. MSF/DWB is always in need of funds; sadly there is no shortage of people world-wide in need of medical care. If you are reading this, there is a very, very good chance that, compared to most of the world's population, you are wealthy. If you are planning to knit a warm jacket for a mug or French press coffeemaker, chances are you can spare a few dollars to help others in need.

Ravelry users, you may have noticed that the free Ravelry download for the PDF has been disabled; while I work on figuring out how best to offer different pattern versions for free and for sale, that link will remain disabled.

For those who purchased the earlier version of the pattern, as a thank-you I sent a new download link for a free download of the revised pattern. If you did not get an email from me with the download link, please let me know so I can send you the link.

Thinking About:

The Urban Aran Cardigan

After seeing the cardigan modification made to the Paton's Urban Aran pattern by Brooklyn Tweed, I've been thinking that this might be the cardigan pattern I'm looking for. The pattern is in the Paton's Street Smart book (#500989) and I purchased one online from Pollywogs. I'm also thinking that this is going to be a Peace Fleece sweater.

Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Cotton

I've been working on a pair of patterns - crocheted hats for warmer weather - and loving it. I wound up putting in another order at Kpixie, and then a couple of days later, another one. Soft, lovely colors, and no pilling!

Buttons

It's looking more likely that I'll be moving off-island next year*, so I'm taking a hard look at my belongings and making some decisions about what needs to get used up, what will be given away, and what will be sold. I have a tendency to save things 'for special' and this pear button was one of them. It's going on a sunhat which already has dibs on it.

The Detroit Cobras, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, and Beth Ditto.

Once upon a time, friends and sig. others were the biggest source of new music for me. Lately, it's been NPR. Told you I wasn't kidding about the Future Grandmothers of America bit.

Skeletal Biology, Criminal Law, and finding an internship for this summer or fall.

One of these days, I'll be finished with school. This week I started thinking about mtDNA, ancestral markers, and groups of characteristics used in skeletal identification, though, so it could be a while.

*exactly where, when, etc.: I dunno yet. Got any suggestions?

The Achewood Cookbook and other things I'm reading

The end of the semester is coming up fast but I'm still finding time to do some unrelated reading.

Yesterday, after reading a review of The Achewood Cookbook on the Redshirt Knitting Blog, I went over to the Achewood site and bought it. The Teen has been wanting to learn to cook more than scrambled eggs and chocolate chip cookies, but what I consider basic and what she considers basic doesn't mesh so well. Last night I made Chicken Piccata, which I think is easy and she thinks is whoa back up and do I really have to touch raw chicken with my hands?

I missed the memo about Achewood and so hadn't even read a single comic strip until I went over to buy the cookbook. Like Erika, I don't really "get" most of the humor, but I do get that this is a great way to explain how to cut potatoes for home fries:

The Right Cut

The home fry potato should be cut into uniform cubes about the size of computer keyboard keys. This makes them big enough to get a crispy surface while just turning creamy soft on the inside. It also makes them easier to pick up with a fork and stick some eggs with. Much smaller and they'd be trouble to a fork.

(A meditation on home fries, thoughts & recipe by Roast Beef)

That the cookbook was, in a sense, inspired by The French Laundry Cookbook, I appreciate deeply, and having been an owner of a copy of The Moosewood Cookbook, I look forward to comparing Chris Onstad's take on a basic cookbook with Mollie Katzen's.

The Achewood Cookbook

Chris Onstad's career as an online cartoonist is related some to an ongoing conversation on Ravelry about "copyleft" and other alternative business models, like "1,000 True Fans." John Scalzi's blog post, The Problem With 1,000 True Fans, Robert Rich's blog post 1000 True Fans (an answer), and the recent NY Times Magazine article "Sex, Drugs, and Updating Your Blog" by Clive Thompson (Jonathan Coulton and other internet-based musicians on how they make their living) have been giving me food for thought. Without the internet, I don't think I would have gotten into knit/crochet design work. I didn't know how things would develop - I started my own blog primarily because it's part of the business plan, such as it is. Mostly it was because Jodi Green said something to me along the lines of "dude, you are too hard to find" and she was right. Some of this business is very new territory, and so much of it I could not have anticipated. Right now I think I'm lucky that knit/crochet design is not my primary job, and I'm really glad that the potential for me to grow slowly is there. I'm still finding out what works for me and makes other people happy too.

#418 Crochet Market Bag

Just in time for spring farmers markets! This is a pattern I worked up for the Hemp for Knitting yarn company. It's a crochet mesh string bag with a base that doubles as a pouch, so you can tuck the sides and straps in and toss the bag into a backpack, glove box, etc. until you need it. The yarn is Hemp for Knitting allhemp3, a fingering-weight mercerized 100% hemp yarn that is lightweight, strong, and machine washable.

Hemp for Knitting is offering the pattern on their site as the #418 Crochet Market Bag, $5.50 USD; their photos show the sample they did in Foggy and Raspberry allhemp3. You can find HFK allhemp3 in 21 different colors at Kpixie.com.

I did my pattern sample in Sprout Green and Sapphire Blue:

I'm sharing the distribution rights with Hemp for Knitting and retaining the copyright, so I plan to work up another sample for photos and format my version of the pattern for sale as a PDF later this year.

Ravelry:
#418 Crochet Market Bag
Allhemp3 yarn
Hemp for Knitting

Skeletal Bio Sketchbook

I've been using a stylized, comic-book-ish approach to my bone studies in the interest of time and highlighting what I need to know. My former drawing instructors would most likely not be pleased.

In some cases, that's not good for study. Here, for example, I indicated where the malleolar fossa is - but I didn't include it in the sketch.

I work with both photos and artifacts for the study sketches - on the left, you can see a bit of the photo of the talus that I worked from.

...and here, the artifacts. There are two talus bones in this photo; one of them is the bone on the upper left.

In a move I may regret later, I chose to use a very cheap composition notebook with flimsy paper instead of a notebook with heavier, acid-free, tooth-ier paper. I have to haul a lot of stuff around with me, since I'm usually going to school from work, and in the interests of space and weight I opted for the cheap composition notebook and a handful of Mirado Black Warrior HB2 pencils that I chose mostly because they were on sale. I used to draw for hours at a time when I was a child; later on drawing became a skill I developed but did not particularly enjoy. Now it's a skill that I am working to regain and improve, as well as something I enjoy more than I used to. It's become soothing, a quiet place in my head that I can move to. Still working on the self-criticism part. Other students in the class think my drawings are great; I am coming from a different perspective and have all kinds of quibbles about them that I'm working on dropping in favor of focusing on how doing the drawings works as a study method for me. I regard drawing and drafting as a learnable, teachable skill set, much like knitting, crocheting, and making a good cup of tea. For myself, the challenge is in drawing what is in front of me and not what is just in my head. I'm going to skip going off on a tangent involving philosophical and neurological topics on perception, fine motor skills, etc. and recommend a couple of books instead.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is a good start for the beginner; I say you can skip the parts about brain function/activity and just get on with it. For learning basic skills for drawing what is actually in front of your eyes, it's a good, inexpensive, widely available resource. The Natural Way to Draw involves more of the imagination and is another widely available, low-priced book. I'd be surprised if you could not find both of them in your local public library. Additionally, many art schools, universities, and community colleges offer drawing classes. Classes will cost more, but I think of it as being like getting a workout book vs. signing up for classes at the local gym - the first is cheaper, the latter is a good way to stay on track and doing the exercises regularly. Drawing is not something most people learn in a day; again, it's a skill, and skills need to be practiced. Some people may have more of an aptitude for it, but it's no reason for anyone who would like to develop drawing skills to give up because they feel they "don't have that talent." If you really want it and are willing to make the commitment, it can be done!

Hey There Brother

Top left, Affliction news page.

 

Tillie (Peace Fleece Ukrainian Red)

Pattern: Matilda & Tillie
Yarn: Peace Fleece Ukrainian Red

This is the "plain" brim version of Tillie (instead of the rolled stockinette hem, this has a slip-stitch hem), and I've made the crown about an inch shallower. After watching Gosford Park again earlier this week, I wanted to make a version more like Mary Maceachrans.

It's a badly lit photo of a color notoriously difficult to photograph, but I didn't want to forget to do an in-progress shot; I know that some knitters have felt really dubious about the pattern at this point. I intend to take more in-progress photos to show how it goes from this weird frisbee with warped strip to a lovely little cloche.

You can see the way the brim fabric biases away from the slip-stitch hem in this shot.

My Etsy shop is currently offering a Matilda & Tillie DIY Knit Kit with PDF download, professionally printed hardcopy, and skein of Peace Fleece Ukrainian Red for sale.

...and how was your weekend?

I did some light reading, snacked on fresh fruits, and enjoyed some charming conversation. I know that it seems a cheat this week, first with the dogs (if I ever feel like nobody is reading, I should just post a dog photo and see the comments pop up) and now with a nephew. The semester is ending soon so I've been trying to focus more on getting ready for finals - I may post some of the sketches I've been doing for skeletal biology. How's that for variety?

The blanket he's sitting on is an Etsy purchase - Lulu's Woobies. It's holding up well and is still very soft and cozy.

Why Thank You.

Just because I am working in the yard does not mean that I should go without good grooming...but I think Ferret disapproves of any of Z's grooming work that takes time away from her getting groomed. I say fair enough - I'm the one who grooms Zeke, with an orange rubber pet brush I bought at a dollar store in West Seattle a couple of years ago. Easily one of the best $1 purchases I've ever made - Z gets very excited when he sees the brush.

Puppy Update

The pups are now over a year old. It's been hard to get photos of them; they don't like holding still much.

Trip + mango = happy

Zeke thinks that good grooming is important. Trip, what with having youth on his side, does not seem to think it's as important.

Jr., next on the list for grooming.

Don't remember what they looked like a year ago?