a study break--

numero dos

Before moving on to a few other Christmas projects, I couldn't help but crank out another one of these:




































I've never been one to re-read a great book, and rarely do I watch a movie for the second time (excepting Amelie and Love Actually, both of which are called for after a break-up. And maybe Bridget Jones.) But coming across a quick, fun knitting pattern is a different case. Because unlike the many great books and movies I know await me after I finish one off of my bookshelf, a good knitting pattern is hard to come by.

And this one deserved to be used more than once. In fact, I'm sure I'll be back to it soon making new hats in different colors and patterns. I'm imagining the top in solid yarn with stripey earflaps. Or vice versa. Soon I'll have given up finals to become my own sweat factory of knitted caps. Made in...Davis.

take those knits right off my hands

Here's a glimpse at the latest projects to leave the needles! The first is a black hat that was a blast to knit. Pure fun. This one deserves packing away for a ski weekend in Tahoe. I'd dip those long ear flaps straight into my hot chocolate, for sure, but that doesn't mean it isn't perfect for a weekend getaway in the snow.









And with mixed feelings, I finished work on this beauty:





I'm jumping with excitement to pass it along as a Christmas gift to one of my favorite buds. I suppose the only downside to finishing knitted gifts ahead of schedule is that then they sit around your room, longing to be worn. And when it's only you and the scarf, in a bit of a face-off each morning as you get dressed...it's hard to just leave the scarf on the shelf. But I'm steeling up all my resistance to wait for December and pop it in the mail untouched.

Next up: stripey hats and slouchy neckwarmers.

Some things never change...

jump to fall: and i'm knitting again.



what knitter can deny herself the pleasure of picking up the sticks when there's a chill in the air, a bundle of half-finished projects sitting on the shelf from summer, and christmas on the horizon? if there is anything better than cuddling up with a half-made scarf and watching a movie as it pours rain/snow outside, i have yet to find it. all that could make my new knitting vigor better would be to gather old friends from McKelvy and have a knitty reunion in the theater room.

without giving too much away, here's a glimpse at two projects that are up and running. they'll be done soon, though it's going to be hard casting off on the purple scarf. it's almost too beautiful to quit.

Taking to the Streets

the sartorialist is a blog that has been around for awhile. indeed, it feels as though it has been here since the very beginning - at least in terms of design/fashion blog world. the sharp and ever-classy new yorker behind the sartorialist has made it his project, one that now spans years, to photograph average folks on the streets of nyc who are just lookin' good.





the sart's posts usually include the street name where these "models" were found, which adds a flair of the documentary to his work. and each picture is as real as the people in them. unlike the glossy shots that fill magazine spreads, these are images of the truly stylish, but casually impromptu. there's no misplaced animal print (or wild animals for that matter). no set design beyond what was around the moment the sartorialist discovered his muse(s) for the day. no more makeup or planning than the captured put into their look that morning in front of the mirror.

all if this is not to say that the sart's pictures aren't professional or great-looking. it just goes to show that fashion is not just for the mighty at vogue. it's something lurking in each of us, waiting to be brought out...for the sart to photograph!

Aussie Rules

this past year, i've been lucky enough to meet one of those people who you know you will be friends with for the rest of your life. sounds dramatic, i know. but we've all had those moments when you cross paths with someone new and realize how much you have in common, how much you enjoy each other's company, and how much this person just...gets you. ya know? good friends are hard to come by, and making a true friend is worth celebrating!

kay is from australia and we met after she moved to Northern CA with her husband to be closer to his family. i love talking to kay about life in australia (she's actually from tasmania, a tiny island off the coast of the aussie mainland) and hearing about all that her country has to offer. one of the great things to have come out of our friendship is that she introduced me one of her favorite stores from home - witchery.















witchery's website is chock full of inspiration. the "great looks" tab at the top of their page is just one place to start browsing through the ensembles that they've put on display. what's fun is that the australian winter is our summer (and vice versa), so witchery is previewing spring looks as we get ready for fall.







its strangely refreshing to see another part of the world pulling their shorts, skirts, and sunglasses our of the closet when we've been sporting them for a while now. and as we've still got another few weeks of summer left here in the states, its never too late to think about new ways of putting together a breezy, summer outfit. here's to good friends and new finds!

Fist is for "S"

these new necklaces from lorena barrezueta are enough to make one's heart throb. antique porcelain frames, with tiny sign language gestures inside, look so classically victorian. i'd love to see what the "j" looks like, and snag one for myself!














lorena also has a fine selection of bracelets that play off of retro wrist-watches. what's best about ms. barrezueta's work is her ability to blend so many different images and materials into one playful piece of jewelry. thanks, lorena!