A Call to Yarns

I'm going cruise-azy not having a knitting project to work on while I'm in Knoxville! I left in a hurry for the airport, leaving behind my project bag. I seriously considered taking the 7 mile cab ride to the nearest yarn store yesterday, but decided against it. I really don't do well not having something to knit during my down time.

It's beautiful in this part of Tennessee--green, lush and sprawling. Everyone has been so nice and I dig all of the other hosts that are here to shoot the same special. We all have different call times but at one time or another meet downstairs in the hotel restaurant to hang out together.

When I first arrived, I met the producer Michelle & her hubby as well as Jackie Taylor (Grounds for Improvement) and Andrew Totolos(Tricked Out). Later, Jennifer Perkins (Stylelicious & Craft Lab)walked in with Michelle Breschen (upcoming Be Creative). We all had this awesome goat cheese & tomato fondue appetizer and then some of us walked to Sunspot for dinner.

Yesterday I was picked up at 7:30am and taken to the promo shoot where my lines consisted of "This is MY DIY" and, "Let me just get my trusty..." While Jennifer & Michelle sat in the background pretending to be busy crafting away. Acting at its finest, I tell ya! ;-)


I pretty much had the rest of the day off during most of which I spent watching bad movies on USA until I met up again with several more hosts for drinks (Including Paul Ryan from Kitchen Renovations and Dean Hill from Grounds for Improvement).

Today I'm going to head out to the art museum before my 3:30 call time for a marketing photo shoot.

Gotta run. More later!

Christmas in July

Good morning, Sunshines! In a few hours I get on a plane to Knoxville to shoot a holiday special, along with 12 other DIY hosts (including Stylelicious co-host Jennifer Perkins). Together we'll be decorating a local house in preparation for a little on-camera, yuletide soiree. Other than the Tennessee heat, it should be a lot of fun! To combat inevitable holiday heat rash, I'm planning on using the "method acting" skills I learned in high school drama class to invoke feelings of chilly Colorado winters. In my mind's eye I will see my 7 year old self and 2 year old brother, proudly wearing our "I Survived the Blizzard of '82" t-shirts. Ahhh, there's nothing like ChriKwanYulakkah in July!

Before I leave though, just wanted to let you know that the Ask Crafty column has been updated into it's new and improved user-friendly format. This means a veritable cornucopia of crafty advice available (at the very least) weekly, so check back often!

I'll check in from my hotel when I can. "Talk" soon!

xo,
Vickie

Pantaloons are funny.

I actually watched Monday's Knitty Gritty, which I rarely do anymore because the experience is much like watching yourself talk in a mirror, except with commercial breaks. ;-)
The 16 year old guest Davis, was quiet in that I'd-rather-be-anywhere-but-here kind of way and therefore, not amused by my attempts at embarrassing him each time the camera would turn off. I however, was entertained. He pretended to be miserable when I'd try to get him to dance or tell a joke, but every once in a while I'd see a little unsuppressed smile come from him (Don't tell his friends, but I think he actually had fun being on our little knitting show.) Really though, I was just practicing for the inevitable embarrassment that I'm going to cause my own boys when they're teenagers. It's going to be awesome! I already have tons of pictures of them as babies dressed in ridiculous costumes to use if necessary, as bribery. Can't follow the rules, son? Well then, guess I'm going to have to release to your school yearbook editor, that shot of you at age 1 wearing nothing but red pantaloons and Cupid's wings. Heheheh. I'm kidding. Well, sort of. But I digress...

The project shown, the Camo Hat, was actually one of my favorites from Season 4 because it's not only easy to knit and cool-looking, it also makes a great gift for those tough-to-knit-for guys (I made one for our Production Manager, Steve who liked it so much it almost made him want to learn how to knit himself. Almost). It's wearble, while being a little more unique than the standard beanie. Snaps!


What most definitely does not earn snaps is how many times I used the word "excellent" during the duration of that show. I promise you that my vocabulary does extend further than the one word I chose that day--it appears however, that I save all other adjectives for the privacy of my own home and not for television. If you are of legal age and can do so responsibly, please feel free to use the epsiode as a drinking game with bonus shots ingested upon the occasion(s) that I use the "excellent/fantastic" combo. ;-) Tune in when they re-run the episode this Saturday at 4:30pmET/3:30CT/1:30PT.

Speaking of drinking, I just got back from Texarkana where interestingly enough, one side of the main road (the Texas side) is dry by law, but the other (the Arkansas side)is not. So if I were to be standing as I am in this picture but with an adult beverage in my right hand, I could go to jail (or more likely, get a ticket). However, if said hypothetical cocktail were to be placed in my left hand, then I could live it up. Is that where the phrase "righty tighty, lefty loosey" comes from? ;-)

Now, being from California I realize that my knowledge about this type of ordinance is very limited so I'd love for someone to explain the logic to me. Is Texarkana, Texas merely standing on principal or does the city's government truely believe that its tempted residents wont dare to cross the street to Texarkana, Arkansas where the beer flows freely? Curious and curiouser.

I spent some of the 12 hours worth of car time on the trip knitting August's free project of the month. Check in next Tuesday the 1st, for the pattern!

xo,
Vickie

The Legend of Knitty Steeks

Happy Friday, everyone! This week I got the manuscript in the mail for the upcoming Knitty Gritty Book. In case I forgot to mention this book before, it's a collection of some of our favorite projects from the last 4 seasons of the show, along with "how-to" instruction and a ton o' tips. Contributing guests include Karen Baumer (socks & fairl isle steeked sweater), Kelley Deal (Swiss darned tote), Candi Jensen (shrug), John Brinegar (sculptured hats), Lily Chin (sampler baby blanket), and many, many more! Look for Knitty Gritty Knits on stands January '07.

I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that in an hour I'll be in the car headed to a town where not one, but TWO horror flicks based on actual events were set in: The Legend of Boggy Creek and The Town That Dreaded Sundown. That's right folks, I'll be spending the weekend in lovely Texarkana where I'll likely spend time obnoxiously jumping from one side of the street to the other exclaiming, "Hey, look I'm in Texas! But wait, now I'm in Arkansas!" Secretly though, I'll be keeping an eye out for swamp creatures and staying away from anyone wearing a hood.
If any of you live in the general area, come on down and meet us at The Oasis on Saturday night. The BF and I will be there to see his friend Curt's band, King Hat.

Hope to see you there! Seriously.

xo,
Vickie

So you wanna be in pictures, eh?

Morning! My boys are still asleep so I'm getting the rare opportunity to catch up on viewer mail. Several people have been kind enough to write to tell me that they've made projects from either New Knits on the Block, Not Another Teen Knitting Book, Knitty Gritty or from my patterns in Knit.1 Magazine. I would love, love, love to see your finished objects and include pictures of them in my site photo album (I'll start a new folder dedicated to them.) Will you submit them on the About page of this site?? Purty please? *batting eyelashes* Thanks!

Cashmere kisses,
Vickie

Sandwich Goodness

As a newly converted vegetarian I've been interested in finding quick, meatless, yet still yummy lunch options. My current obsession is the sandwich--after all, woman cannot live on salad alone! With the help of a few of my favorite Morningstar products, I have three goodness-filled options that I *heart* eating so much that I thought I'd share their contents with you. Here goes:

#1: The Rancher (I had this one for lunch today with some Veggie Chips)
1 Multi-grain hamburger bun
1 Morningstar Chik Patty Parmesan Ranch (Done in the microwave in only a minute!)
1 slice Muenster Cheese
Mixed baby greens
A drizzle of Aunt Annie's Goddess Dressing (OR garlic hummus)
A few chopped pecans (OR walnuts)

#2 Pesto V.B.L.T.
2 Pieces whole grain bread, lightly toasted
Layer of Cilantro Pecan Pesto (Availble at Central Market in Austin)
Sliced Roma Tomatoes
Mixed baby greens
3 Morningstar Veggie Bacon Strips (Cooked in a pan until it's extra crispy)

#3 MexiCali
1 Multi-grain hamburger bun
1 Morningstar Tex-Mex Veggie Burger
1 slice of Pepper Jack Cheese
Thin layer of guacamole
Pico de gallo

While munching on your sammy, surf on over to the Knit.1 blog to check in on the Not Another Teen Knitting Book wristband knit-a-long progress. I love Tanis' beaded option! Oh, and for those of you who missed this week's new episode of Knitty Gritty, it's re-airing tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at 4:30ET/3:30CT/1:30PT.

Also, don't forget to set your VCRs/Tivos for Monday morning's new episode featuring the beautiful and talented Allison Whitlock, host of DIY's new show Uncommon Threads.

On it, she'll show us how to make some freakin' fantastic looking throw pillows! Her stuff is seriously awesome.

Speaking of awesome, I just noticed that the Kelley Deal (from The Breeders) show already aired.

I haven't seen the episode (did any of you?) but Kelley's the coolest! Her Swiss Darned purse was adorable! I'm really excited that she contributed two different bag patterns to Catwalk Crochet. Hooray!
(Heheh, as I'm typing this a Pixies song just came on my iPod. Weird!)

Alright, I'm off. Have a fabu weekend!

xo,
Vic

Oh, Scrap! Wrap. (from Knitty Gritty)

Morning! In response to a few e-mails and comments I've gotten about the wrap I was wearing on this week's charity episode of Knitty Gritty, I thought I'd post the info. Last year I did a crazy amount of traveling and wanted some kind of quick-to-make wrap to keep me warm on the plane (this was pre-travel wrap design for Knit.1). I have tons of single sample balls of yarn that I'm always looking for a use for, so I decided to go through my stash and find several in the same color palette. This finished project was this funky but simple, feather & fan stole. I can't find an actual picture from the set but for those of you who missed Knitty Gritty, here's an old picture of me wearing the wrap so you know what I'm talking about.


Here's the scoop on how to make one yourself!

OH, SCRAP! WRAP

Materials
Several balls of different varieties of bulky weight yarns (or lighter-weight yarns double stranded)in desired color scheme.

Size US 17 Needles
Tapestry Needle

Stitch Pattern (Source: 365 Knitting Stitches A Year: Perpetual Calendar)
Row 1 (RS): Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K1, *K2tog 3 times, (YO, K1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times; rep from * to last st, K1.
Row 4: Knit
Repeat these 4 rows.

Directions
Using 1st color, CO 56 sts. *Work 4 row pattern. Switch to next yarn choice, repeat 4 row pattern. Continue in this manner, switching yarns for each pattern repeat, until pieces measures 72" (or desired length). BO. Weave in ends.

Dig this project? Get more great knit & crochet patterns and kits like it, here!

That's all there is to it! As always, I'd love to see your finished versions so please post 'em or submit them through my About Page. As soon as I get enough photos (of your FOs from any of my patterns) I'm going to start a gallery album on my site to showcase them! :-)

Crafty Kisses,
Vickie

Knitty News

Hey there! This'll be short and sweet but in case you hadn't heard, new Knitty Grittys have begun airing! Tune in to Season 4 on Mondays (8:30amPT/10:30amCT/11:30amPT) and re-running on Saturday afternoons. As always, re-runs from Seasons 1-3 are on every day of the week--check your local listings for times.

My friend Suss Cousins (she wrote Hollywood Knits) e-mailed to let me know that she'll be closing down her SoHo Boutique, Suss Designs. All of their beautiful yarns in stock are 50%-70% off. If you're in the NYC area, stop on by to stock up your stash!

OKF, I'm taking a wee bit of a break on knitting for work and have been working on some stuff for fun. I'm on the 5th mitred sqare of the Rambling Rows afghan and just cast-on for the Scotland argyle scarf from the Travel Issue of Knit.1. It's a gift so I splurged and am making it in eggplant, light blue and black Cashmerino.

I saw a really interesting movie over the weekend, Inconvenient Truth. Since a good portion of it is just Al Gore lecturing, I was surprised at how impactful it was and how emotional I got. I think it's in theaters for another week--I highly recommend seeing it if you can.

I just got the gallies of the Isaac M. article fed-exed to me so I'm going to go over them before heading out to the gym with Jennifer P. There's nothing like seeing pictures of yourself in print to motivate you to hit the treadmill! ;-)

Have a good night!

xo,
Vickie

Purls in the Plaza

The dust is settling after last month's craziness and I've been feeling a little reclusive. I've been spending a lot of time with my boys--the long weekend was an extravaganza of movie-going and play dates! I spent 4th of July at Jennifer's house with the rest of the craft mafia, some other friends, and two of the producers from Stylelicious who were in town visiting. We celebrated with BBQ, bevies and Texas's version of fireworks; a wicked lightening storm. It was a blast.

Last week's New York trip took a total of 26 hours. I arrived at JFK at around noon and was stuck in traffic for about an hour on the way to the hotel. I almost never stay in a hotel when I'm in NY--it's really expensive and I'd rather spend time with my friends Lori or Adina, anyway. I guess however, knowing my serious lack of an internal compass as well as my knack for being late, my publisher decided to put me up a few blocks from NBC Plaza...just to be safe. I stayed at this placed called Flatotel which was actually pretty swank. The only other times I've stayed in hotels in Manhattan there literally wasn't enough space in the rooms to accommodate both the bed and an open suitcase so when I walked in to this suite to find a couch, a view and a jacuzzi bath tub, I almost fell off my platforms (again).
(This has nothing to do with anything but as I'm typing this I'm watching VH1 Classics and in a row they've played Bonnie Tyler's "I Need a Hero", Modern English's "I Melt With You" and Berlin's "Take My Breath Away". Oh 80's music, how you make me smile!)
I dumped my bag and grabbed all of the t-shirts, projects and samples I brought with me for the show and jumped on the subway to meet the publicists at Sterling. We had a minor debacle to deal with when a local yarn company owner whose three teenagers were originally suppose to appear with me had her employee call the network and cancel them all at the last minute. After a bit of scrambling, the situation was handled and actually ended up turning out for the better. Thanks to friends and the peeps over at Vogue Knitting, we got six great girls to join me. Disaster averted, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed over to the Saturday Night Live set which Today is currently using as a practice space while their studio is under construction. We met up with the producer and art department to figure out what we'd need for the next day. I had only gotten a couple of hours of sleep the night before so by then I was feeling it. After our meeting was over, I walked the 4 blocks back to the hotel and made plans for a quick dinner with a friend. I must've dozed off for a few minutes so when I woke up and it was 7:28 I leaped out of bed in a panic, thinking that I only had 15 minutes to get ready before the car picked me up to take me to NBC. It took me until I was all the way across the room to realize that it was actually 7:30pm on Wednesday not 7:30am on Thursday. Sweet Mary. I was nauseous for the next hour until my friend who's a D.A. got me a glass of wine and gave me a pep talk comparing how I was feeling to how he feels when he goes to court for a big case. His work is obviously much more noble than mine but nevertheless, his advice about what was really important applied to me too and was much appreciated. What he said was apparently exactly what I needed to hear, because I felt fine after that. I went back to my room, called my sweetie and then crashed by 9:45pm.
The next morning Kelly came to pick me up and we were off. Because there were so many of us (me, two publicists, 7 girls and their parents), they gave us the big, rock star green room. We all chilled while we got regular updates from producers. I got dressed and went down to make-up. I suck at remembering names, but the artist was super sweet and did a great job in minimal time. I really liked her. After that an assistant came running in saying that they wanted to use us in a tease so the entire room of people jumped in the elevator and ran through Rockefeller Plaza, making it just in time The set they created for us was so friggin' adorable, that I almost got misty!
A few minutes later the host, Natalie, jumped into the chair next to me and almost simultaneously, camera's rolled.
All in all, it was a lot of fun and I hope I get to do it again. I actually really like live TV because there's no time to scrutinize over what you're going to say.
After the shoot I walked back to the hotel, changed and left for the airport. That's it. In and out in a little over a day's time.
Anyway, Jenny put a few pictures from the trip in my album if you're interested.
Extra gushy-mushy love and thanks to Suss Cousins for making me the gorgeous burgundy & turquoise tunic I wore and to Jennifer Perkins for the killer matching jewelry. You ladies rule!

That's it for me. Time to go back to painting the kids' room Superman blue. Nighty night!

xo,
Vic

Meredith Pillow--July's Free Pattern!

MEREDITH
CROCHETED PILLOW COVER
When I needed a quick housewarming gift for my boyfriend's sister, I looked to my yarn stash for inspiration. Choosing from scraps and single balls that I thought would work with her home's color pallet, I decided to make something open and bohemic looking. I'm a big fan of the throw pillow, so I headed to Target and found this great, bronze, silky number that would look beautiful peeking through the cover I planned on making. The result was a project that was quick, easy, affordable and unique.

Materials
1 ball each of any random worsted (Color B) & ribbon yarn (Color C)
Scraps of 6 other miscellaneous yarns in chosen color pallet (Colors A, D, E, F, G & H)

Size US Q Crochet Hook
Tapestry Needle

20x20 Throw Pillow

Abbreviations
st= stitch
ch= chain
sc= single crochet
hdc= half double crochet
dc= double crochet
tr= triple crochet
quad= quadruple crochet

Directions

FRONT
With Color A, ch 34. Turn.
Note: For a different sized cover, simply make a chain that's the width of your pillow and then add two more ch sts.
Row 1: hdc into 2nd ch from hook. Hdc to end. Turn.
Row 2: Ch 2, hdc in next hdc. Hdc to end. Turn.
Row 3: Join Color B. Ch 4 (counts as 1st tr), tr in next st. Tr to end. Turn.
Row 4: Repeat last row.
Row 5: Join Color C. Ch 2 (counts as 1st hdc), hdc in next st. Hdc to end. Turn.
Row 6: Join Color D and repeat last row.
Row 7: Switch back to Color C. Ch 4 (counts as 1st tr), tr in next st. Tr to end.
Turn.
Row 8: Join Color E. Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in next st. DC to end. Turn.
Row 9: Join Color F. Ch 5 (counts as 1st quad), quad in next st. Quad to end.
Turn.
Row 10: Join Color G. Ch 2 (counts as 1st hdc), hdc in next st. Hdc to end. Turn.
Row 11: Join Color H. Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), sc in next st. Dc to end. Turn.
Row 12: Join Color A. Ch 2 (counts as 1st hdc), hdc in next st. Hdc to end. Turn.
Row 13: Repeat last row. Tie off.

BACK
With Color B, ch 34. Turn.
Row 1: Hdc in 2nd ch from hook. Hdc to end. Turn.
Row 2: Ch 4 (counts as 1st tr), tr in next st. Tr to end. Turn.
Row 3: CH 2 (counts as 1st hdc), hdc in next st. Hdc to end. Turn.
Repeat Rows 2-3 until piece measures 20". Tie off.


Finishing

With wrong sides facing, pin 3 sides of the pillow together. Using Color C, sc the two pieces together. Place pillow into case and sc closed. Voila, you're finished!

If you need a crochet refresher, check out my "How To" section!
xoxo, Vickie

Dig this project? Get more great knit & crochet patterns and kits like it, here!