Good bye Oliver

It is sad to right that today we had to say good bye to our Oliver.  We have known the time was coming for the past several months when he started to loose weight rapidly.  We took him to the vet hoping it was something simple, turns out it was a fist size growth in his abdomen that would have required many tests before a surgery that was not optimistic. This past week his condition worsened and had to say good bye.  He was a wonderful cat that is already missed.  

VOGUEknitting Crochet 2013

VOGUEknitting Crochet

For my birthday I received the new crochet issue of VOGUEknitting from my mom.  It has some great articles in it.  My favorite is about Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam and her play structures.  Truly amazing and inspiring.  The patterns I liked, but most I think I would not wear.  Most of the dresses in the Red Hot in Rio section look like swimsuit cover ups and had see through sections.

 

My favorite pattern comes from the Pretty Chic collection by Pat Olski.  I love the way that the cardigan is made from side to side, instead of the typical top down or bottom up you see with a wave/scallop pattern.  The delicateness of the stitches but still with structure is also a great balance.  A wearable piece that is also inspiring at the same time. 

The other sections of patterns were ok.  Nothing that caught my eye to make, and sometimes the model's hair, other outfit, color of the yarn, and backdrop was more distracting for me than paying attention to what was actually being shown. 

All in all, I found the articles to be much more inspiring than 2012, but just don't think the patterns were shown as great as they were last year.

Dream office

Looking at one of my favorite blogs, Herman Miller, I saw what I think my dream office would look like.  For some reason I am liking the updated version of the brown, blue, and orange combination.  It is a grown up sophisticated yet still youthful and relaxed.  Can't you just imagine some yarn on one of the shelves, neatly folded fabric on another, coordinating steel and orange cylinders that hold hooks, needles, cutting utensils, and pencils.  Now, to just get the time and money to take some of these ideas into my little work corner at home. 

Indianapolis Knit and Crochet Show

I have my classes scheduled, hotel reserved, and CGOA dinner tickets for the Knit and Crochet Show.  It is in Indianapolis from July 17th to 21st.  Is anyone else going?

A trip to NYC



This past weekend I went to New York City with work for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.  One of the first things I did when I found out I would be in NYC was to see how far the Lion Brand Yarn Studio was to our hotel.  Turns out it was just a little over a mile away!  So, I drug my coworker along with me to my one "tourist" request of the weekend.  The store surprised me a little in being smaller than I expected, but it was so welcoming and fun to be in.  The creativity it shows and inspires through its interior design and displays is something I think many of the lys around here lack.  I didn't buy any yarn, but I did check out first hand their LB Collection Wool Stainless Steel yarn.  I wouldn't make anything for apparel out of it, but I think it can make some amazing home decor items.  I did buy a crochet hook organizer, a retractable tape measure, and some gifts for family and friends.  

The other thing that shocked me is to find myself being star struck by some of the ladies working there.  They are the ones that are in their tutorials!  I think that just shows how much of a yarnie I am!

Definitely one of the highlights to my trip, and will visit again if I am ever back in the big apple. 

Spring Fiber Expo

I went to the Fiber Expo in Ann Arbor, Michigan with my mom and one of my best friends.  It was the first one they held in spring.  Last October we went to the fall expo and it was about three times bigger.  However, they still had wonderful yarn, roving, hand made items, and of course the great fair food cart  With about two thirds less of repetitive vendors competing against each other it was much easier to compare and find what you want.  My favorite that was there again were the live alpacas.  Unfortunately Clyde the camel was not.