Merry Christmas Eve!

by Kelly

I'll let someone else post on the big day, if they want to. In the meantime, though, if anyone wants  to track Santa's flight, click here any time after midnight on December 23rd, EST. Find out why these guys track Santa here

And if you have a smart phone, make sure to download the free santa tracking app.. Yes Virginia, there's an app for that.


So, Merry Christmas Eve! Have a safe and happy holiday and try not to go overboard.

Noro Scarf - Northern Lights

by Kelly

Well, what I think of as 'long coat' weather has finally arrived here, so it was time to dig out the winter garments - gloves, boots and scarves.

I have too many scarves these days. Ever since I learned to knit and crochet, I seem to have a surplus. Here's one I don't think I showed off before...

That's Noro wool combined with some vintage Navy wool that I found in a great big bag of random yarn Donna scored for me. The pattern is knitted cartridge belt rib and the tasselled edging is crocheted.

Noro wool is really colorful and makes neat striped patterns, but the yarn itself is pretty irregular - thick and fluffy in some places, but thin and straggly in others. I thought at first it was just my skeins, since I bought them on sale, but Dawn had the same experience. Noro also seems a bit scratchy, but then, they don't advertise it as a supersoft Merino.

I like this scarf because it's long and colorful and warm. Also, that poisonous green color reminds me of the Northern Lights. And while I was looking for an image of that eerie green glow to share here, I stumbled upon a beautiful bit of weaving on the blog  Rurification. Check it out if you have a second.

Christmas Crochet and Knitting Books

by Kelly

Handknit Holidays - Knitting Year-Round for Christmas, Hanukah, and the Winter Solstice.

Amazon.com

 
 The Thread Crochet Christmas Village

Amazon.com

Our best Christmas Thread Crochet by Leisure Arts

Amazon.com

Twas the Knits before Christmas

Embroidery Contests 2012

by Kelly

Hand and Lock embroidery contest for 2012. Open to students worldwide, including graduate and part-time. Submission must be an original work based on their list of three fashion trends  predicted for 2012.

First prize is $5,000 USD plus some extras, including publicity on their site. There is an entry fee required to register.

I thought their predicted fashion trends were interesting. Here is a brief rundown:

Faded summers -
Use faded colors and fabrics reminiscent of old postcards. Some of the suggested inspirations include 'Vintage street parties, bunting and national flags.' When I read this I couldn't help but think of the tomato hurtling celebration held in Spain every year. Hey, that's a street party, isn't it?


Association D'ermites - 
(hermit inspired) This category sounds a bit rambling, which I suppose is appropriate for a hermit lost in a hot, waterless desert, but basically you're supposed to use metallic blues and silvery colors to imitate a desert sky, or the reds and sandy colors of a desert sunset.




open mind -
basically a hodgepodge of fabrics and colors that 'refuses all dictates', so if you wanted to empty your scrap bag, this would be the category to use. Just so long as you maintain a 'restrained liveliness'.


As usual, I came up with a ton of ideas that would be quite neat to try, including a waterfall of stars over a desert landscape, which would fit the second category very well. Unfortunately, I have about five thousand other ideas that I'm working on at the moment, and don't meet the qualifications to enter this contest anyway, so if anyone would like to steal that idea for their submission, feel free. It could be truly beautiful, and people do say that the starry sky over a desert is breathtaking.

If you have a little free time, check out the description of categories here. (scroll down towards the bottom of the page). It's sort of amusing, and goes a long way towards explaining the odd designs I've seen on fashion show runways, if these are the kind of guidelines that designers are expected to follow.