I am up to my ears in brown yarn, and therefore brown knitted items. For several months prior to November, I did the same thing with olive and lime green. I formerly had dark brown hair but these days it is decidedly un-brown. I own one brown garment (and zero green togs) so I can’t [...]

Most knitters strive for a balance within our works-in-progress (“WIPs”). This may reflect degree of difficulty or ease of transport, an important gift deadline… things like that. A large blanket which exceeds its project bag’s capacity, for example, has to stay at home. A pair of socks or a scarf, in particular those whose stitch [...]

Finally, baseball begins tomorrow for the Angels, and I’ll be there rain or shine. After a delightful winter spent doing repair projects and painting with hubby at a property we have listed for sale, I’ve mostly worn the same paint-encrusted duds five days a week. I look forward to scrubbing the primer off my hands and [...]

Spring was the air, I was cleaning out the old yarn stash in preparation for a friend’s upcoming “Destashing Party,” and inspiration struck. Granddaughter was coming over after school, and I didn’t feel like working in the office, so grabbed 5 skeins of yarn that I LOVE but whose color has never been right for [...]

Fall is in the air and that was the inspiration for a weekend of “what was old is new again” projects in the LooseKnit workshop. Perfect for some quick knits for gifts and then overhauling some rather forlorn items. Project 1: Steeking a sweater that was never right for me to begin with. As a [...]

Between WordPress projects for clients and getting my new e-book on web development finished, I’ve enjoyed meeting with some new-to-me people who are launching some interesting projects this Spring. Among them are Craig Dombey, publisher of Prescott-Good-Eats.com;  Shanti Rade, who’s developing a blog of recipes featuring produce she and her husband grow at Whipstone Farm, [...]

Mending clothes, making basic automotive repairs, fixing plumbing leaks, and the ability to “McGyver” amazing contraptions all may seem like they are too challenging for people raised in this techno era. Tapping into your inner grandpa and grandma may inspire you to look around at what you can fix or repurpose in your closets and [...]

Every girl needs a pair of bell-bottomed yoga pants. Here is a little outfit for Avery Elizabeth Pogue, newborn daughter of Eric and Sierra. Yarn details: The main color is a very soft, machine-washable lavender which I found waiting for this project, buried deep in my yarn stash. Originally used for my granddaughter Tessa’s first [...]

Frenetic. That describes my recent approach to handcrafts. Started two new sewing projects and three knitted items within the past two weeks. Usually I knit for pure kinesthetic pleasure of fiber in my hands and the miracle of seeing the project take form. When I go into overdrive, however, my toil acquires a manic quality [...]

About six inches into the design, I felt I had chosen the wrong yarn for this project. As a summer tank, it needs to be UNbulky, and for an under layer in the winter, it needed sleekness. Plus, once I found the right needles to achieve the gauge, the thick/thin nature of Cascade pearls (I [...]