Vibes & Scribes restarts its Knitting and Crochet Group in Bridge Street location

Vibes & Scribes Knitting and Crochet Group is starting up again on Wednesday, 22nd of February, at 10.30am in their new craft & fabric store on Bridge Street. Seasoned pros and total beginners welcome.

Previous posts on this blog related to Vibes & Scribes (those in bold are updated regularly when information changes because they receive so many visitors):

Contemporary Irish Knits by Carol Feller

Address Book

The Pink Auction, Creative Textile Fundraiser for Action Breast Cancer

Where I’ve Bought Yarn Lately

Knitting in the City

Dyeing Wool with Kool-Aid

Vibes & Scribes Expanded Yarn Options

Where to Buy Yarn in Cork City

Vibes & Scribes Hosting Knitting Night

My First Pattern Book

New Yarn from Vibes & Scribes (Cork City)

Where to go and what to get

When I’m not knitting, I write…

The Times ran an article today written by Daisy Greenwell (if you haven’t read her articles, you’ll like them since she writes about food fairly often and in a cultural and lifestyle sense) hat discusses online reviewers and their approaches, roles, and perspectives on the process and websites themselves. Throughout this post are screenshots of portions of the actual article.

Now that the piece is published, I’ll tell you all about how it came about.

A few months ago when I was in the final days of my pregnancy, Ms. Greenwell contacted me to enquire about my role as a Top Contributor on TripAdvisor. With over 280 reviews, I guess that’s something to be proud about. It’s also something I don’t spend much time dwelling on. Trips happen and while I’m busy writing about it for my blogs, why not whip up a review too? It’s only fair since I use TripAdvisor information to help plan the adventures in the first place. So back to me being very pregnant and on the phone with Ms. Greenwell… She interviewed me and I answered her questions honestly. I think I gave birth within a week or two after that so talking on the phone was just my speed at that point in the pregnancy. I kept quiet about her article until today because it’s her scoop to share, not mine.

Photo by Don Moloney for The Times. Taken at Electric on South Mall in Cork City.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, she asked about sending a photographer out to take my picture. Me? Post-pregnancy me? With my son’s age still being counted in weeks, I am not feeling my fittest but professional photographers bring out the best in us, right? Hopefully. They even sent Don Moloney, a professional photographer, to photograph me in seven or so poses to choose to run with the piece. I waited and hoped a photo would look good. I guess it must have because one friend didn’t even recognize me. Provided, the ponytail makes a difference.

I was relieved when the interview was shared in a straight-forward manner, giving little chance for misquotes. Honestly, I was worried I would somehow come across as a ruthless reviewer who seeks out opportunities to ruin businesses with harsh ratings. Trust me, I’m not. I think anyone who knows me will laugh at that worry now that I’ve voiced it. Of course, I also worried about that photo. Should I have worn a necklace? Did the post-pregnancy weight show? Were my Tracy Anderson DVD workouts helping? Would I shine through as the person I am in spite of the fact I was faced with a photographer (usually I snap my own portraits with my camera’s self-timer feature, like I did for my Twitter profile pic).

Want to read my reviews on TripAdvisor? Go right ahead. I’ll warn you though, some a short and some are long with no consistent review format being followed. If I go to a place that doesn’t give much of an impression, I only mention the part of the experience that made an impression. The boring things that every restaurant or hotel offers/has/does are skipped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s it. And my boss is asking me to make him lunch now. He’s so good at encouraging me to keep my blog posts brief in favor of the all-important snuggles, floor playtime, and meals.

Do you write review on TripAdvisor? Do you wish there was a site to review patterns like that? Is your boss a new baby? I’d love to hear from you!

Best Baby Cardigans EVER: Part 1

The arrival of my son was a blessing and a joy and the beginning of nights that melt into days with spit up on my shirts. He is amazing and I have a newfound appreciation for a solid night’s sleep, three meals eaten off of real dishes, and time to pursue my crafts. But each morning when he and I start the day together, I slip his little arms into a handmade cardigan one of my friends made for him and we curl up in my big crab armchair for our breakfasts. The cardigan is that perfect layer whether we’re home or out and about to offer a warm layer of love between him and the world – or at least the weather. Here are three (of several) of them in photos…

Part 2 of this post will include the other cardigans (and sweaters). Keep an eye out for it!

“One Size Fits Most” Tea Cosy

I’m sharing a pattern I made up for a tea cosy that fits most teapots. When I was recently looking for a gift for a friend who desired a tea cosy, I only encountered sized patterns for specific-shaped teapots. This was to be a surprise present though so I couldn’t ask her, “Could you please measure the circumference, height, and handle length of your teapot?” without raising suspicion. So I looked at my three teapots and asked for their help. Measurements, gage, and many attempts later I created a tea cosy resembling a cupcake that sweetly fits most teapot sizes! To be fair, it doesn’t fit perfectly but it keeps the teapot warm and that’s what counts. It’s also a relatively quick knit (in the round). And for beginners, don’t be intimidated – if you can knit a hat, you can knit a tea cosy.

After it’s knitted up and warming a pot of your favorite leaves, be sure to treat yourself to some cookies too! Here are a few yummy recipes: Iced Oatmeal Cookies; Gladys Lum Bowers’s Pecan Crunch Cookies; Lemon & Honey Oat Cookies

“One Size Fits Most” Cupcake Tea Cosy

• CO 82 in the round with DK, Aran, or Worsted (I used a strand of DK paired with a strand of sock-weight using 5.5mm US9 needles)
• Row 1-7: K2 P2
• Row 8: Separate stitches in half and put 41 on stitch holder then continue ribbing on active stitches
• Rows 9-26: Continue ribbing as before.
• When done with one side, put the 41 active stitches on a holder and do the same to the “on hold” stitches on the other side.
• Row 27: Join in the round then do K2 P2
• Rows 28-29: Moss Stitch
• Connect end of color a to color b
• Rows 30-31: Moss Stitch
• Row 32: Knit 7 st then K2tog and place stitch marker to make decreases easier in remaining rows. Continue with K7 K2tog for rest of row.
• Rows 33-45: Knit then K2tog the last two stitches before stitch marker.
• Row 46: Thread yarn through remaining stitches and attached pom-pom top.
• Garnish with ‘sprinkle’ beads on top half.
• Add pom-pom ‘marshmallow’ or cherry on top.

And if you’re not into cupcakes or would like a less girly tea cosy, I’ve adapted the pattern for it to be done entirely in K2 P2 (the brown ribbed part as shown above) with no color switch, beading, or pom-pom.

“One Size Fits Most” Plain Tea Cosy

• CO 82 in the round with DK, Aran, or Worsted (I used a strand of DK paired with a strand of sock-weight using 5.5mm US9 needles)
• Row 1-7: K2 P2
• Row 8: Separate stitches in half and put 41 on stitch holder then continue ribbing on active stitches
• Rows 9-26: Continue ribbing as before.
• When done with one side, put the 41 active stitches on a holder and do the same to the “on hold” stitches on the other side.
• Row 27: Join in the round then do K2 P2
• Rows 28-31: K2 P2
• Row 32: Knit 7 st then K2tog (or P2tog, depending on how it works out with your ribbing) and place stitch marker to make decreases easier in remaining rows. Continue with K7 K2tog for rest of row.
• Rows 33-45: Knit then K2tog the last two stitches before stitch marker.
• Row 46: Thread yarn through remaining stitches.

Contemporary Irish Knits by Carol Feller

This past October, I had the pleasure of talking with Carol Feller while she was at Vibes & Scribes in Cork City to show knitted work from her book, Contemporary Irish Knits. We discussed her designs as well as the importance of appreciating Irish yarn dyers, such as those she featured in her book. Here are some of the photos I snapped while there. You can read all about Carol’s day, her take on contemporary Irish knitwear, and more in her blog post about the trunk show event.

Contemporary Irish Knits by Carol Feller is available from amazon.com and .amazon.co.uk as well as locally from Vibes & Scribes and other discerning booksellers.

Posting this was delayed because at the time I was entering my eighth month of pregnancy and life has kept me quite busy since that day. 

 

Admiring Free Quilt Patterns

Ro Gregg’s Rose Garden Tea Quilt and Lisa Christensen’s Make Mine Pink, Please! Quilt.

I’ll post more lovely free patterns in the future (aiming for Fridays to inspire weekend projects!). So please come back often to see what new free pattern I’ve found to drool over!

This feature is carried over from my other blog which was focused on the one-off Pink Auction fundraiser for Action Breast Cancer.

Best Baby Projects to Knit or Sew

As a new mother, I have a new perspective on knitting and sewing projects. With that in mind, I am writing up a quick post with links to the best projects for a new baby. I wish I had known this before because I would have just made these for my friends who were expecting instead of buying pairs of cashmere booties or silver cups. Sure, those are nice gifts, but if you have a friend who is willing to knit or sew something for you, forget store-bought because handmade trumps all! Here are my top picks for most practical handmade baby gifts linking to the related blog post or pattern (photos included!):

Burp Cloths

Classic Baby Hats or a Fair Isle one like the whale watch or the R2D2 one I made for my nephew

Kanoko Pants – the smallest size of these fit my baby from birth through nine weeks (11 lbs)

Baby blanket – I’ve made a few, like one for Kate, one for Daniel, and the very well-loved one I made for Miller. I also sewed a quilt for Sophie but haven’t written a post about it yet.

Cardigan – So many patterns but for something classic, go with the Iceling by Carol Feller for something classic and gender neutral. Of course, if you want a challenge, opt for Carol Feller’s Rossbeg Cardigan (Shown below in orange. It has cabling!) or Baby Surprise by Elizabeth Zimmerman for a challenge (shown below on my son, knitted by @WrapNTurn). The Rossbeg Pattern is from Carol Feller’s book, Contemporary Irish Knits, which is available from: www.amazon.com and www.amazon.co.uk.

Appliquéd bib and/or onesie, like this fishy-themed set or separate fish bibs I made for Charley and Coy.

Of course, here are posts I wrote about baby gifts you may also find helpful or interesting (instead of copying and pasting them here, I’m just including the links):

Handmade Baby Gifts (January 2011)

Gift Ideas to Give Baby & New Parents (October 2011)

Art Exhibition by Martha Cashman, Miranda Daly & Angie Shanahan

You may remember Martha Cashman’s name from her donation to last year’s successful Pink Cork auction for Action Breast Cancer. Well, if you like her ceramics, you’ll be thrilled to know that she and two other Irish artists are having an exhibit in Skib!

West Cork Arts Centre is pleased to invite you to the opening of an exhibition by Martha Cashman, Miranda Daly & Angie Shanahan. The exhibit is titled A Different Dimension and will be opened on Saturday 26 November at 3.00pm by John Minihan, photographer.

Martha Cashman, ceramic artist; Miranda Daly, film-maker and Angie Shanahan, painter present an exhibition exploring a narrative of the former Wolfe’s Bakery in Skibbereen, West Cork. The artists are interested in the transition from one state of being to another and in conveying a sense of past human activity and industrial output associated with this building. Wolfe’s Bakery is the site for the planned new building for West Cork Arts Centre.

The artists will present a Talk in the Gallery on Thursday 12 January 2012 at 1.30pm.

Inma Pavon, dancer, will present a performance in response to the work in the gallery on Saturday 14 January at 3.00pm

The exhibition continues to 5.00pm Saturday 14 January 2012.

Martha Cashman is on Twitter: @marthacashman
To refresh your memory, here is Martha Cashman’s donation to Pink Auction:

Hand Knit Baby Pants from the Kanoko Pattern

On Friday night, I finished knitting a pair of baby pants for my child-to-be. Yes, I knit a pair of pants. Insane! Well, not really. The yarn (Lion Brand Cotton Ease) is durable and washable, plus warmer than the thin knit pants available in stores. The pattern was one shown to me by  my friend Gina when I was in DC this Spring.

To Gina’s credit, she followed the pattern and I diverted from the seed stitch rows (knit stockinette instead) a bit to save time. The big difference is that she was knitting her pair as a gift, which we all know is taken more seriously than something we knit for ourselves. And as much as I know my baby will be wonderful, I can’t fathom the wee one caring how many rows of seed stitch I knitted on something so much as how well it repels stains and absorbs diaper overflow. Yeah, I went there. It’s a baby, I’m realistic.

I intend to knit this pattern in the two larger sizes as well – in different colors, of course. I found the Lion Brand Cotton Ease a dream to knit with. There is a sturdiness and consistency I found ideal for baby projects, plus I’ve heard good things about how well it washes and wears.

To look at the project on Ravelry, click here (I created a special link so anyone clicking through this link can see it, even non-members). This is one of many baby-focused sewing and knitting projects I’ll be profiling in an upcoming nice big happy blog post on my new blog, EvinOK.net.

Of course, the project details are not enthralling so if you just want to see more photos of the pants in all their hand-knit glory, here you go:

Oh, did I mention, I crocheted the drawstring? Yeah, considering I don’t know how to properly crochet, I’m thrilled with the outcome. As I’m sure my child will be too. Comfy, cosy, washable, and versatile!

 

 

Enjoying Hedgehog Fibres Sock Yarn Club – with Photos

This summer, I wanted a little decadence, indulgence and a splash of color with a three-month membership in the Hedgehog Fibres Sock Yarn Club.

The sock club truly is the gift that keeps on giving. For three months in a row, members receive two skeins of lovingly dyed Hedgehog Fibres sock yarn, each in an exclusive sock club color way. Six skeins total.

Now, you’ve heard me mention Hedgehog Fibres before and it’s no secret I know the creative powerhouse behind one of Ireland’s favorite craft dyers, but that’s not why I buy, love, and knit with the yarn (plus give it as gifts). It’s GREAT fibre with unique and vibrant colorways.

Nothing sickeningly sweet, generic, or wall flowery about Hedgehog Fibres colorways. And they don’t pool or stripe so, the sock and lace weights in particular, are ideal for shawls and a broad range of projects. The colorways have depth and the names do too. You won’t find names like kisses or sunshine, but honest hues from reality like Lobster, Mozambique, Opalite, Petals, Petrol, Pollen, Sour Cherry, and Spell.

Here are the sock club selections from this summer that I’ve received so far. Try not to drool on your computer screen.

June brought Oileán (Irish for Island) and Potion

July brought Phoenix and Ondine

This is one of those wonderful things that is a thoughtful gift for a knitter or crocheter. Pair with a few shawl or fingering weight patterns and you have an amazing gift that will be remembered for a long time. Oh, be sure you or your recipient has access to a ball winder (or the patience to ball by hand) because the yarn comes in delicious hanks. If you need a ball winder, KnitPicks sells them for $20 each or they’re available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Previous mentions of Hedgehog Fibres by me:

Admiring Hand-Dyed Yarn
Putting Together the Perfect Care Package for a Crafty Friend
Delicious Hand-Dyed Yarn Treats
Mmm, New Yarn
Where To Buy Yarn in Cork City
Virtual Yarn Stash
Cork-based Spinning & Dyeing

DISCLOSURE: Hedgehog Fibres is a Cork-based craft dyer and I know her personally. She has given my two skeins as a gift over the course of our three-year friendship. And just to be clear, two (or even 20) skeins of yarn is not enough to make me write nice things without meaning them. All my thoughts and feelings are my own and completely sincere. Read about the FTC Regulation that sparked this disclosure.