I am a Who-vian!

“Through crimson stars and silent stars and tumbling nebulas, like oceans set on fire. Through empires of glass and civilisations of pure thought, and a whole, terrible, wonderful universe of impossibilities."

Matt Smith, the 11th Doctor
Episode 9 "Night Terrors"


I started watching Doctor Who with the 9th Doctor, Christopher Eccleston and I've watched some of the classic episodes too. Although David Tennant is my favorite doctor, I have an appreciation for each regeneration. And I love the story of River Song.

If you understood any of this, you're a Who-vian too!

Yarn Yarn Everywhere

I have been very busy planning new designs and accruing ball after ball of yarn. It is slowly taking over my dining room and part of my living room. I have lived in a very small house for a long time so I've become somewhat of a master at blending my yarn stash into my decor but it is becoming more and more difficult, lol.

I am enjoying the start of Autumn in Chicagoland as well. Cooler days, leaves turning...it is my favorite time of the year. I tried my hand at making some felted bowls with the idea of having some candy corn in them, I must practice some more as felting is much more of an art than a science. Once you've knitted your piece, you're never quite certain of how the felting will turn out. You can see the bowl in my dining room along with my branch of fall leaves and jar of suckers...

My Music Man

An ode to my beautiful, guitar playing husband...we've been together for 17 years and the first time I saw him, he was playing guitar...my favorite thing to listen to still, him playing his Martin guitar.

Autumn Splendor is on the way...

I have been so busy designing new yummy knits for fall and winter, getting a Junior in high school and a 2nd grader ready for a new school year, and becoming a first time Room Mom that I've neglected this little old blog. So here are the knits I've been working on...

                                                                 Knit Hat Admiral Blue

Autumn Stroll Fingerless Gloves

Knit Scarf Cable Cowl

                                                   Chunky Knit Bracelet Lemongrass

                                                            Autumn Knit Bracelet

I am also working on making some of my patterns available for purchase on my Etsy shop
In the meantime, I await the cool colorful crisp Autumn...

                                    Autumn Fires by Robert Louis Stevenson

                                                    In the other gardens
                                                    And all up the vale,
                                               From the autumn bonfires
                                                   See the smoke trail!

                                                Pleasant summer over
                                             And all the summer flowers,
                                                  The red fire blazes,
                                                The grey smoke towers.

                                              Sing a song of seasons!
                                               Something bright in all!
                                                Flowers in the summer,
                                                     Fires in the fall!

Created By Laurie: Featured Shop - WindyCityKnits

Created By Laurie: Featured Shop - WindyCityKnits: Happy Tuesday everyone! Today's featured shop is WindyCityKnits. Read below to learn a little bit about her, see some of her amazing talen...

Why Wool?

I think wool has gotten a bad rap. I thought I'd give some information about wool and explain it's great many benefits.

• Wool is a natural fiber. Each year sheep produce a new fleece, making wool a renewable fiber source.
• Wool has the ability to regulate body temperature by keeping you warm when you are cold but releasing heat and moisture when you are hot.
• Wool has a large capacity to absorb moisture vapour next to the skin making it extremely breathable.
• Wool has a naturally high UV protection.
• Wool fibers have a natural protective layer which prevents stains from being absorbed.
• Wool is naturally fire retardant. 
• Wool fiber can be bent 20,000 times without breaking and still return to it's natural shape.

I hope I've explained the benefits of wool and why it's the best choice for hats, scarves, mittens and gloves. Wool lasts pretty much forever and can be passed down from generation to generation. The only difference in washing these items is that they need to be hand washed unless they are knit with "superwash" wool. Hand washing is easy but a little more time consuming than machine wash. Hand knits should be washed in barely lukewarm water with no agitation, twisting or wringing. A small amount of mild soap should be used and then rinsed in the same lukewarm water temperature. The best way to dry hand knits is to lay them flat on a towel and gently roll up the towel to absorb the excess water. Then lay the knit flat to dry completely.

Wool Winter Hat

Hand Knit Chunky Slouch

See these beautiful hand knits and many more at Windy City Knits

A Little WCK Bio and A New Hat!

I was filling out a questionnaire for an upcoming blog feature about my background and I thought I'd share a little about me and my knitting background.

I've always loved all different crafts, sewing, crochet, jewelry, but I didn't start knitting until about 11 years ago. A friend showed me how to cast on and make a knit stitch and then I taught myself everything else from books and online tutorials. 
I work part time at a retail store and I care for my two daughters the rest of the time. I do my best to work on my Etsy shop while they're in school so I can spend time with them and not have knitting needles in my hands, lol. My inspiration comes from the yarns I use and nature. I love picking up a skein of yarn, studying the texture and color and thinking about seasonal colors around me. Living in Chicago, where in the winter it can drop below zero with the wind chill, I definitely design and create knitted pieces that are functional too. My advice to shops just starting is to be patient and get involved with teams because they are full of other artisans who have so much great advice and are there to help. 

And I have a new hat to show: 

You can see this hat in two Treasuries on Etsy -
                 Foggy Day in London
                 Read My Lips


And a new Headband / Choker: