Happy Holidays from Arkansas

I've been lucky enough to get to spend 10 days with my family in Arkansas. Wanted to share this hilarious and awesome family photo we took on Monday. Wishing you a lovely New Year with lots of knitting!!

12 Dates of Christmas

I have to say this is the cutest idea. Of course it comes from Elsie at A Beautiful Mess :) She is so wonderfully creative...thanks for sharing this adorable idea!!

Do you have any fun, unique Christmas/holiday traditions? I will share one that my brothers created. I wrote up a little bit about it for a Christmas swap I am doing through Ravelry...

In a galaxy, far far away, called Arkansas...there is a family. The mother of the family puts up a very fancy tree every year. It is adorned with golden grapes, angels, trumpets, and soft velvet ribbon cascades down every side. This tree is lovely to behold, but the brothers always felt like something was missing...until about 8 years ago when it dawned on them what it was...Darth Vader!

So each year they sneak up and carefully place this follower of the Dark Side on the mother's fancy tree. For many years, she didn't even know he was there, watching us open gifts, eyeing our delicious holiday feast...but now, she knows, and I think she sure would be sad if they ever forgot to add Darth to our Christmas.

Merry Holidays to everyone! I hope Santa brings you lots of lovely wool for Christmas! Enjoy your family and friends and cozy time knitting by the fire. That's what I plan to do! Thanks for stopping by...

New matching fingerless gloves pattern - for gal and guy!

New Northwest Red Matching Mitts pattern available now on Ravelry and Etsy. Yay! This is a very easy, quick pattern. You can make BOTH pairs in one day, easily! What a great way to knock out a couple of gifts on your list at once. They are so fun and fast...I hope you'll check them out :) Happy Knitting!

would love your input

I am going to design some new crochet patterns in the near future, to balance it out a bit. What type of items do you like to crochet? What would you like to see? I have some ideas, but would love to get some input. In the meantime, check out this cool tutorial!! Thanks for your help :)

What Would Jane Knit?

If you haven't seen this yet, please check it out! SUCH a lovely magazine for anyone who loves Jane Austen or the clothing from that era. The latest version of Pride & Prejudice has become my very favorite movie to watch when I'm feeling a little under the weather or just want to have a lazy day. Next time I'll choose one of these gorgeous patterns to work on while I watch. I'm currently reading Northanger Abbey, too. I'm just a bit obsessed. The Jane Austen Book Club is also a delightful movie to check out, if you haven't seen it yet.

Here are a few of my favorite patterns from the issue:

The printed magazine is on backorder for a bit, but you can still buy the digital version on Zinio.com.

Featured on Become.co.uk

So excited to be a part of blogger interviews posted on shopaholic.become.co.uk. More blogger interviews will be added in the coming weeks. Please check it out here to learn more about my addiction to knitting and how it started :)

http://shopaholic.become.co.uk/2011/11/editors-pick-unforgettable-blogs-6/

Glad to be a part of this! So fun...

The Sienna Cowl

Here's the newest Red Ribbon Fox Knits design: The Sienna Cowl. It is knit from less than 1 skein of Malabrigo Worsted yarn (color shown is Ronoake). 

It's available for purchase on Etsy and Ravelry: 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/86298592/sienna-cowl-knitting-pattern-pdf

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sienna-cowl

This pattern is a quick, interesting knit that results in a cute cowl that can be worn pinned, as shown above, unpinned, or as a cute head scarf to keep your ears warm, as seen below.

ALSO, if you are new to knitting charts and want to learn to read them, this is a great pattern for you! The chevron seed stitch border is presented in a simple, easy-to-follow chart. Trust me, you can do it! It will expand your knitting horizons to be able to knit from charts. Seriously!

I hope you'll try this pattern. Isn't Malabrigo just the best??!!

Lately...

Here is what I've been up to lately:

Clockwise from top left: lovely fall in our front yard, GORGEOUS cowl sent as a gift from lovely Ravelers, Mattie shows off her winter raincoat, my handmade fox ring I created in my metals class.

I have been quite busy. And because I forgot to post this when I finished it, here is a sweater I have completed recently. I've been wearing it all of the time! The yarn is amazing, Berroco Voyage. Squishy and soft and lovely. The pattern is from this book, also by Berroco. You'll notice my cowl neck is a bit different. It looked funny when I just left it like the pattern says, so I folded it a bit and tacked it down. I love it this way! Proof that all is not lost when a knit doesn't turn out exactly like you expected. I am much happier with this style of cowl neck than that in the original design. I love happy accidents like this.

I'm currently working on a sweater for Pinky, finally! He always thought he would never wear one, but I think the chill here in the Pacific NW is getting to him, too. We went to Close Knit a few weeks ago and he showed me yarns he liked. He picked out a purple! SO proud of him for choosing a more unique man color. I'm making this pattern, Cambridge Jacket, by Ann Budd. Here is a crappy photo, because I can't find a larger one.

Pinky's will be out of this purple heather from Cascade 220, Rainier Heather, which is appropriately named for where we now live :) It's a really nice darker purple with lots of flecks of color.

Unfortunately, I've got knitter's elbow and wrist from working on it so far, so I haven't gotten as much done as I'd like. I recently switched to continental style knitting (or 'picking') instead of English style ('throwing'), but the gauge and fabric were a bit loose and uneven on my swatch for this sweater. (Yes, I actually did a swatch!). I decided to go back to English style knitting on this project because it is mostly stockinette and shows any inconsistencies in your knitting. I am already regretting it, just from a physical standpoint. The fabric looks great and even and I'm getting the right gauge, but I love the new style because it doesn't hurt me!! Try it out if you are having any pain in your right hand. It really did help me.

I cannot believe Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK! Whew. Craziness. This is the first year I will be cooking for a large group of people. Pinky's sister and her family and brother and his wife are coming to our house this year. We are also having a couple of friends join us who aren't traveling. We'll have 3 boys and 3 dogs and a baby and 8 adults!! Wish me luck :)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and send me any favorite recipes for leftovers, if you have them. Turkey tetrazzini is one of my favorites! Not so healthy, but so yummy and comforting. Pretty much just noodles, turkey, cream of soup and cheese on top. How can you go wrong? Have a lovely one and enjoy your friends and family! 

xoxox

Now offering Skype lessons!

I am so excited to now offer knitting and crochet lessons over Skype! Woohoo!!

I've tested it out with a friend of mine (who has a super cute blog here!!) and we've had amazing success. She is a properly addicted knitter now :) So if you or anyone you know is looking to learn to knit, or crochet, or sharpen their skills in either, please contact me through email at: laura[at]redribbonfox[dot]com.

I will give you more details through email, but the great thing is, you don't have to go anywhere! My schedule is fairly flexible so there are a variety of times we can schedule. Each lesson is 1 hour and is $25, paid through Paypal. Easy peasy!

I'm so excited, again I'll say it. I really love teaching knitting and crochet and love getting people totally addicted to it like I am. Please contact me or spread the word. Happy Knitting! xoxoxo

just remember...

Happy Weekend! Don't over do it :) xoxoxo

-This message brought to you by and because of Pinterest.com ♥

Welcome to the new blog site!

Look! He is SO happy to be here at our new location under a new name "Red Ribbon Fox Knits." I hope you are excited to be here, too! Same knitting, crochet, craftiness and other fun information will be posted. Thanks for putting up with our change and joining me on this continuing adventure...

New purling method for continental style knitting

So, I have wanted for a LONG time to start knitting continental style, 'picking,' rather than the English style, 'throwing,' that I learned a long time ago. Because I've done some stranded colorwork and have learned to hold one color in each hand, I have become comfortable knitting continental style. BUT, purling has always been a pain for me to do...too slow and cumbersome and not worth giving up the speed I have with English style.

A friend at a knit shop tonight showed me how she purls. I also learned this evening that it is the Norwegian method of purling and that it is used because in Norway they do lots of colorwork knitting in the round. This method allows you to keep your yarn at the back the whole time, so you're not moving your yarn in between your stitches, from the front to the back. It seems like a lot of movement when you break it down slowly, but when you try it out a few times you will definitely pick up speed. If you've ever done a rib cast-on then you may feel that this method seems familiar.

Seriously, why have I never seen this before! Anyway, I'm working on a LARGE cowl neck for the sweater I'm making right now and it's all 2x2 ribbing. This new method may just safe my life and save my elbow! See what you think about it and let me know. Here is a link to knittinghelp.com's video:
Norwegian purling method

oh, hi again :)

I found a lovely for you this morning. Beautiful cast silver real knitting and crochet stitches. Isn't this lovely? I am in awe.

Cast Silver Knitting and Crochet article

Today is my first day of a silversmithing class here in Portland. I am so excited! Multnomah Arts Center offers many cool classes and I have ALWAYS wanted to learn metal smithing. I will let you know how it goes. Super excited. Are you learning anything new this fall? So far I've learned Tunisian crochet and natural dyeing. I think I wish I was really going back to school :)

Flock Together Mitts - new pattern

So, I've gotten the designing bug. Here is my latest pattern, Flock Together Mitts, for sale on Ravelry and Etsy. They are super quick to make and would be a great gift :) Feathery goodness for your fall season...


http://www.etsy.com/listing/82679705/flock-together-fingerless-mitts-pattern

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flock-together-mitts

Tea Latte Cowl pattern!

Well it's about time I had a new pattern. Here is the Tea Latte Cowl...a cozy, chunky cowl knit in a herringbone stitch on large needles. This is lovely and warm in a wool roving yarn by Patons, but it could work with a variety of chunky yarns. I've always admired the herringbone stitch. The stitch has such a classic look, but the chunky yarn adds a modern feel. I hope you'll try it out! Available for sale on Ravelry.

inspired

My last post inspired me to get started. Here is what I came up with today:

to do

I've been in the mood to do more painting lately. I want to start painting more patterns and small simple drawings, etc. I have been doing a tiny bit of it, for some of my wedding invitation designs:

aqua diamonds invite

hand-painted flowers invite

chevron stripes invite

I'd love to do more though. For some reason I have always been drawn (no pun intended!) to illustrations of food and recipes.  Here is some inspiration I've gathered on Pinterest lately, mostly found in Etsy and Pinterest.

Asian recipe poster

Claudia Pearson

And some fashion from Samantha Hahn - adore it

What inspires you right now? Do you have anything you're dying to get into this fall? A new hobby or something you've not done for a long time? It seems I have a need to learn a lot of new things right now. I'm taking a dyeing workshop next Sunday at the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival. I'm starting a 10 week metal-smithing class at Multnomah Arts Center in October and I'm taking a Tunisian Crochet class this Wednesday at Twisted yarn shop. Whew! Now that I've listed it all out I can really tell my need to learn! I guess that comes with this season :) Happy Weekend! I'm off to do some creating...

another photoshop tutorial

I just tried this and it is super fun. I also learned a few new things about Photoshop in general, which is always handy. Here is my original photo:

Here is one I created using a block of text, following the tutorial:

And here is one using painted text. This was fun! It takes a little practice for sure, to get it exactly like you want it. Also, next time I will use a larger image with more detail, but what a fun idea to do for someone's birthday card or as a gift or something. Love it!

Here is the link to the tutorial. I hope you'll try it out and share your creations!!

http://layersmagazine.com/photoshop-cs4-a-picture-worth-a-thousand-words.html

weekly update

Hello! Today I am busy cooking in the kitchen, so I thought I'd share what I'm making because it smells amazing, I have to say. First of all, in order to eat more veggies, I think I need to just keep some dishes prepared in the fridge, cooked or chopped up or however. So today I roasted some root vegetables, as pictured here: carrots, parsnips, and yellow beets.

Just chop them into chunks that are all roughly the same size, toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and cook them for about 35 min. on 425 degrees. Check them to make sure they're not dried out, but that the veggies are tender and easy to cut. Mmm. They reheat well or you can just add them to a salad, with goat cheese. YUM! Dang, I forgot goat cheese at the store...

Also today, since I have knitting group kinda early (6pm) and I'm always starving by the time I get home around 8:30 or 9, I decided to make dinner early and eat before I go. I found this on Pinterest and thought I'd try it out. It smells amazing. I believe the only difference in my ingredients is that I didn't have chipotle chili powder, so I used regular chili powder, but I DID have smoked paprika, so I used that instead of regular paprika. We'll see!  BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe

Lastly, no photos, but thanks to my friend Shayla I made some Pumpkin Spice Creamer today. Mmmm! It's only a slight pumpkiny flavor, but definitely adds some fall flair to your coffee. You could experiment with the amount of pumpkin and spice. I might add a bit more cinnamon or something. I'm not sure where the recipe came from, so if you know, feel free to post a link.

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer

1/2 - 3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 3/4 cup half and half

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Blend this all in the blender and store in the fridge in an air tight container. It's yummy! 

You probably want to add some sugar to your coffee to bring out the flavor. I usually just have coffee with cream, but this was better a little sweet. You could probably add it to your creamer if you wanted.

Enjoy these yummy fall-ish dishes. It's getting gloomier here and cooler now, but this time of year I kind of welcome that type of weather. Lots of knitting to be done!!!

xoxo

today's goodwill finds

So, after seeing this cute idea on Design*Sponge this morning, I was inspired to stop by the closest Goodwill on my way home earlier today. Look at all of the great things I found! All for $20 :) Gotta love it.

Vintage pillowcases for my cocktail napkin project (see above)

A cool wall hanging handmade in Peru!

Awesome green glass dishes... set of 4 for $12 :)

A lovely painting of a giraffe. He is so handsome!

A great Ball mason jar with a glass lid

Thank goodness for thrifting. It's so inspiring. I didn't find what I was looking for, an enamel pot for my yarn dyeing, but I sure found really cool stuff for 20 bucks. Amazing. Now I need to go search out the other places. I think there are some good ones down the street...and one really interesting place that's only open on Saturdays. I need to be sure to TAKE some loads to the thrift stores, too :) I found this great coat and this awesome skirt a couple of years ago at a thrift store in Nashville.  What are your favorite thrifting finds?