Tag: Ravelry

Thoughts

On Posting Stash

Ravelry. Who doesn’t love Ravelry? Anyone who has visited or has joined Ravelry raves about this online community.

As defined, “Ravelry is a community site, an organizational tool, and a yarn & pattern database for knitters and crocheters”, a site I have been on for over ten years now. It has a growing number of functions, many more than I utilize and many more than I probably realize. From designers to browsers, this site can work for anyone. The site’s database is perfect for surfing whether for yarn or for patterns, the concept of community is forever growing and allows people to join groups, participate in forums, and make friendships around common interests/happenings etc. ‘Hearting’ favorites is a bookmarking system that pretty much is a part of all social media sites. This site is so popular for the people that belong, it is oftentimes discussed how difficult it is to find the balance between the actual time spent on knitting (or crocheting) and the time spent on Ravelry.

… On Posting Stash
Inspiration

Label Lovers, Anyone?

I love knitting from past issues of VK magazines. And, it appears I am not the only one as seen by the continuing invitation threads posted on Ravelry from the Vogue Knitting group. These invites are meant to inspire and motivate and they indeed do, not to mention they are just plain fun sharing enthusiasm with other knitters who have a similar passion.

… Label Lovers, Anyone?
Inspiration

Modern Argyle

Utilizing a quiet day during lockdown, I am catching up on writing about a project completed a few months, ago. When I received my Vogue Knitting Holiday, 2019 and excitedly turned the pages to see the new designs, which has been a total thrill for me for over 40 years, I turned to this, #07 called Parallelogram designed by Laura Zukaite.

… Modern Argyle
Inspiration

Borrowed from the Boys

Much like Facebook’s posts and ability for friends to comment and/or like a post, Ravelry, a knitter’s online paradise, has a function called forums.  Forums are generally written and like-interested people comment, share, like, or otherwise support the theme of the post.  Reading these threads is as interesting as posting on them.  Groups on Ravelry generally have many such forums going on at once and of course, there are people in all ranges of activity on them.  Some are so active, they have become moderators and those moderators are now posting what we affectionately call challenges.  This is true within the Vogue Knitting Group, at least. This is where the inspiration came, or maybe an excuse, to go all the way back to my complete VK magazine collection dating Fall/Winter 1982 (easy access here on shelving).

… Borrowed from the Boys

Inspiration

Relationship of fabric to design

Well, at this point, this project has been knitted twice.  Not by choice, of course, but to eliminate too much shelf time, aka, not be worn.  I knit to wear so if there is something about a garment that doesn’t feel right or comfortable, I know its future is doomed.   I must say, the fabric that was created by this stitch was the conundrum.

The honeycomb stitch is a type of cable that is dense, especially when using Lion Brand’s fisherman wool . .  held double.  Not so much dense in weight as the pulled stitches create a kind of air hole behind it.  Maybe, you can make this out here, but dense in body.

… Relationship of fabric to design

Inspiration

Leg-o-Mutton ‘THEN’

I think it is interesting to hear of what inspires each of us.  For my inspiration, I can’t think of a time when I reached for any Vogue Knitting publication that I didn’t end up wanting to make at least one item from it.  Oftentimes, more.  This has remained true for over 40 years.  Now, currently on Ravelry, such magazines, publications, designers of well-known fame as well as fledglings have ‘groups’ one can follow.  From there one can drill down and find things like KALs (knit alongs) and surprise KALs (just that, clues per week to lead to a surprise garment in the end).  These things are found in ‘forums’.  These niceties  are all meant to inspire or motivate the knitter in us.  Well, the Vogue Knitting Group is no exception.  It offers challenges, and I am right in line to accept them. … Leg-o-Mutton ‘THEN’

Inspiration

The Poncho Wrap

Is it a poncho?  Is it a wrap?  The designer, Vladimir Teriohkin names his design Helio Poncho, which means combining form.  Whatever you call it, it could not be easier to knit and exceedingly fun to wear.  Think, a few inches of ribbing, followed by a rectangle in straight stitch with a hole in it towards one end, and ending with the same number of inches in ribbing.  When complete,  pick up stitches around that hole for a nice 8 inch cowl.  It is as simple as that.  Knitted in Homespun from Lion Brand, a chunky, curly yarn, it knits up quickly and is impressively soft..  Wear it casual with moto joggers for Christmas tree shopping or fancy it up with more formal wear for an evening out,  The photographer snapped these photos while I was adjusting the multitude of ways of wearing.  We are at a Buffalo-famed ice cream shop, Anderson’s who rents out their lot to a Christmas tree farm every holiday season.  Paul Bunyan has stood proudly for years positioned along a main drag to announce the farm’s return to the local community.  So, here we are starting out where I’ve slipped this rectangle over my head, short length in front. … The Poncho Wrap

Inspiration

Me-ssoni for Tech Geeks

I am talking about a recently finished garment, my first of 2018.  First due to the nature of my newly single life (adjusting/managing/accepting) but also first due to the intricacies of what was on my needles.  In all fairness to the publisher of Vogue Knitting, the pattern was marked as ‘expert’ which means a high level of difficulty to knit, so I guess I was warned.

… Me-ssoni for Tech Geeks

Featured In

Full-on Indulgence including Runway Revisit, 2018

If you are a follower of VKL (Vogue Knitting Live), you may be aware that this event in NYC is historically held in January.  After travel debacle of December, I was fully aware January could prove the same.  JetBlue, however served its travelers well, weather cooperated, and I found myself at VKL NYC 2018 in good form.

Having attended the event before, I knew what to expect but wanting to make something new of the occasion, I chos … Full-on Indulgence including Runway Revisit, 2018

Inspiration

In the Pink (2 of 2)

It begins as a knitting project but somehow each garment ends up having a more involved back story.  This project was all about finding the right yarn or should I say, the right yarn combination.

Fur varsity jacket.  As quickly as I could say those words, fur varsity jacket, I was smitten.  Vladimir Teriokhin never disappoints and again here I was ready and willing to embark on another one of his designs.

… In the Pink (2 of 2)

Inspiration

In the Pink (1 of 2)

I love pink, especially pale pink.  Inspired by Rebecca Taylor‘s color palette as seen in some of her recent collections and the fact that I am making every attempt coordinating the pieces I knit with my existing wardrobe, I thought I would knit myself a kind of mini collection.  With my eye on a knitted modern baseball jacket pattern (foreshadowing), I wondered if the other pink yarn I had in my stash might make the perfect complement as a hoodie.

… In the Pink (1 of 2)

Inspiration

Copper

I have been very grateful for a little online thread on Ravelry set up by a fellow knitter and avid fan of Vogue Knitting, coilycurly.   This knitter, to honor Vogue Knitting’s 35th anniversary, has set up what she is calling the “Anniversary Challenge”.  According to the ‘rules’,  contestants are to knit one project from the VK magazines, from each decade since the publication’s start, from the years ending in 7.  That would be a total of four projects to fulfill the challenge and at the same time, honor the magazine for its longevity in bringing high fashion and current designers to the forefront.

… Copper

Thoughts

While on the topic of remnants

Since being home in retirement, I see, touch, and feel my yarn collection much more than when I was working.  In fact, I might even say I avoided looking at my yarn as it seemed to yearn for my attention.  Yearning yarn of yesterday has become quite the playmate for today.  Corny, but true.  Sorting, organizing, thinking, wondering  . . . this is what we knitters fill our minds with.  I am finding these scrap remnants a fun challenge in how to incorporate them into patterns I love.   Here are some recent attempts in three different ways:

… While on the topic of remnants