embellishments «Skrilla Knits Skrilla Knits

It’s been very, very weird here in Western, Mass. The past three days have been filled with rain and thunder, unnaturally dark days with little tenuous bits of sunshine. It’s like ‘The Happening’, which I happened to love, but I’m pretty sure 60% of my love for it is a desire to be contrary and a girl crush on Zooey Deschanel (anyone want to go see this with me? Anyone?).

I’ve been doing a lot of knitting of course, mostly for the store. Knitting for the store like mad is a bit of an addiction, I’m afraid. We’re compensated in store credit which feels like Monopoly money, and though I really, really don’t need the yarn, I just can’t pass it up!

My latest contribution also marks a bit of a milestone for me–I finally figured out how to make a PDF and put up a pattern page here on the blog. I made a cozy scarf with Cuzco, a scrumdiddliumptious new Berroco yarn, 50/50 wool/alpaca with a nice bouncy twist. I’m totally digging Crotona, but it might just be the outfit in general, she reminds me of these fashionable sheep, still clinging to the ‘dark leg’ trend. I can see why, it’s a classic trend, if there is such a thing.

You can find the pattern for the Brûlée Scarf on my new pattern page!

Also there is a link to a pattern I did for J. Knits that I think I forgot to blog about! I’m calling it the Downtown Clutch and it will also appear in an upcoming book from Storey Publishing. The yarn is called Charming and well, it is! I actually can’t describe the feel of knitting with it, but it is good. The last time I was this flummoxed by a yarn (Socks that Rock in this post) I started talking about it’s mouthfeel, so yeah. You’ll just have to see for yourself. There is already an adorable finished Downtown Clutch over at Ravelry, I simply love her mods. I am certainly planning to embellish mine similarly, hopefully before fall!

Downtown Clutch

Time to make the donuts,

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Hi, Happy New Year! I just installed Photoshop which should help me to be a better blogger in two specific ways–I would like to venture out of the apartment for more of the photos I take, and I’d like to update more frequently so that I don’t have to make these massive photo-heavy posts every two weeks. I’ve been “busy” but in a very scattered way, but I promise that 2007 will (hopefully) see a more focused Skrilla…

Eric and I went to Salvie’s in Spencer, MA and I cleaned up quite nicely. I wasn’t expecting to find anything, but I found some irresistible basics. Too ‘boring to photograph’: a black merino cardigan with 3/4 length sleeves, a tight and tagless black cashmere (?) sweater with some holes that make it look very cool and deconstructed, and a big wooly saddle shouldered sack the color of pea soup. Also, a cashmere/silk/wool (79% cashmere!) cardigan, with huge already mended holes in the elbows, which I patched!

Clearly, I’m quite happy with the result. I wanted to go with fuschia or lime green but Eric talked me into a nice neutral brown. It’s some brand of alpaca knit in seed stitch. If anyone would like specific directions, let me know. This was quick and I feel like it’s a whole new, much cooler sweater now.

Since I pretty much only shop Salvie’s and sale racks, I’ve started to splurge on good shoes. This is kind of justifiable because I have a tarsal coalition that I don’t “treat” in any other way, but it can be quite painful when I’m standing or walking for a long period of time. Anyhow, I suddenly get the fuss! I tried the felt ones at first and couldn’t get a good fit, but these are amazing! I saw Kate wearing these at Webs and instantly realized that the strap would keep me from falling out and twisting my (already bad) ankle. She also made me realized that they’re the perfect way to show off handknit socks. Now, to knit them…heh.

Occupying both the small improvements/thrift store score category is my Ganomey with an (improvised) flower pin. If you want details, I can give ’em but I’m actually planning to make a lot of these and then post about my ‘technique’. Also featured: my 100% lambswool scarf, woven in Scotland, a whopping $1.50!! Look at that sky! That’s my favorite, pastel sky and black black trees. Nikki McClure does a lot of that:

Earlier today I saw beautiful tree that looks like a woman in a backward yoga bend:

What next? Knitting? Clothes? I suppose this 1/2 an Enid is both:

In other news, I hacked up an old sweater, felted it and covered a little lumbar support pillow with it. The rest of it will become a new apron for Stitches West in February. Maybe this year the temps in Cali won’t be freakishly cold again. We rented a convertible and it was miserable! P.S. Why haven’t I been privvy to the amazing Nigella before today?? I mean, I knew of her but I was sort of over all the celeb-chefness…she is so so cool. I should’ve known, two favorite bloggers are always raving about her.

Another clothes/knit combo, a Calorimetry in Alchemy Lonestar in my new favorite color and an amazing wool/cashmere jacket that I scored for under 10 bucks.

I suspect it was homemade from a Vogue Pattern, a lot of the seams are lumpy and look at this label:

Another score, a little boy’s school blazer:

Uh, I’ve been watching a lot of America’s Next Top Model reruns…Eric just said “ohhh, are you in the Strokes??” Yeah, so I’m practicing poses because I was more than a little stiff at my last faux-toe shoot. I seem to be stuck with the hands-jammed-in-pockets approach.

And my last ridiculously lucky find, a grey J.Crew all-wool sweater with lonnnng PUFFED SLEEVES (what’s up, Anne Shirley?) and a cute keyhole closure in the back.