splityarn

away games

TV alert: The third episode of Uncommon Threads we taped last summer is going to air on HGTV tomorrow morning! (Old Cover, New Trick. I'm going to make a CD case in the same way that I make my needlecases.) Set the DVR, cheer me on and then please go easy on me if I say something goofy. (Or god forbid, high-five on national TV like I did in the first episode. Sheesh. I'm such a dork.)

I've been bustin' a hump all weekend to put together a fat splityarn shop update before we leave town to go to the next set of weddings. First it was Vegas, now Montreal, Connecticut, Vancouver and finally Cape Cod. We've been calling it the Great Wedding Tour of Aught Seven. I'll only have one or two days at home between each trip so I wanted to make sure the shop was full of needle cases because I won't have any time to sew over the next month. The bonus of the travel will definitely be some good solid knitting time on each of those flights. I could even get Hanami finished before the end of the summer if I don't catch startitis...

obsessed

If you're a knitter, you've probably heard some of the buzz about Ravelry. I weasled an invite from Maryse the other day and let me tell ya, I'm in LOVE. (With Ravelry, not Maryse. She's delightful, but I'm a married woman.) They're adding new users every day and I highly recommend signing up for an invite. It's still in beta, but damn, it's goooood.

If you're looking to start a new project, Ravelry will be the place to go. Yarn information, patterns, other folks FOs, it's all there. If you want to see a completed Central Park Hoody and want to know who else has knit it and what yarn they used, it's all in one place. This is going to save me a ton of googling and flickr time when I'm looking for inspiration, samples of completed work or searching for a good yarn substitution.

I spent the weekend uploading most of my projects and finished objects to my Ravelry notebook. I even went back through my stash and photographed it all so I could prettify my stash page. Dig the needle inventory! You can download it to a .pdf to print it out. Brilliant!

Uploading all that information motivated me not only to get organized online, but in my studio too. When I finish something, I usually shove the pattern notes in a drawer to be 'organized later.' Turns out, Later was last night. Aaah, stapled, complete, and filed. Almost as good as finishing the project itself!

***

Quick TV note: If you missed the airing of the Crafty Bucket episode of Uncommon Threads last time, it will be on HGTV Thursday morning (May 10th.) Check your local listings. If you do watch, try not to cringe when I say "paincil" instead of pencil. I was SO hoping that I'd be the only one to catch it, but Meg totally busted me. I sometimes mix words together when I'm thinking faster than I can speak, but pain-cil?  Sheesh!

excited!

Are you ready for the big one? The episode of Uncommon Threads where I demonstrate how to make a crafty bucket airs Wednesday morning on HGTV! I'm excited! (And nervous! It's tomorrow!)

I first made the bucket two years ago as a stop gap for the knitting supplies mess in our living room. Since then I've been asked a couple times to write up a tutorial for it, but because I didn't make any notes and kind of winged it (and I'm sort of lazy,) I didn't ever follow through. When DIY came knocking this was one of the projects they jumped at so I had to figure out exactly how I made it. It took me a couple of head scratches to write it up but it was just the kick in the pants I needed for the tutorial. Thanks for all the support, I'm ecstatic that y'all are watching it with me! (And thanks Marisa for letting borrow these backstage and behind the scenes photos!)

If anybody makes a crafty bucket, be sure to let me know so I can add a photo to the reader gallery.

monday debut

Just a quick reminder, the first of our three episodes of Uncommon Threads airs tomorrow morning on HGTV. Check your local listings!

uncommon threads on the air

Thanks for all the good wishes about our move, it's going to be a busy couple months. It would seem that life is a never-ending river of excitement chez splityarn; remember way back in August when Jennifer, Marisa and I flew to LA to shoot Uncommon Threads? Doesn't it seem like it's been ages? While the DIY network continues to air season one of Uncommon Threads, HGTV has picked up season two. HGTV! Included-in-most-cable-packages-HGTV! I stumbled across the listings the other day mere hours before the first episode aired. Set your Tivos and DVRs, it's finally happening! If you thought I was excited about being on the DIY Network, I'm over the moon about HGTV.

We filmed three episodes while we were in LA and if they're airing according to the episode numbers, our shows should air on January 15th & 24th and the third episode on March 6th. The first episode (Mad About Aprons) is all the talented Jennifer. I'm there running the iron, but it's all about her amazing work. The second one (Crafty Helpers) is where I demo how to make the knitting crafty bucket. The last episode (Old Cover New Trick) we make one of my CD cases, Marisa demonstrates Jennifer's book cover, and....something else. Maybe the host Allison made something? It's been so long I can't remember!

I'm starting to worry now that maybe I was completely dorky or that I've said things that will make no sense. I'm sure it will all come out fine, but it freaks me out a little. I always think about the stuff the editing crew must make fun of while they're putting the episodes together. I mean, just how loud was my stomach rumble while Allison demonstrated the crochet pin cushion?

pardon me while I indulge

My dad was our official family photographer. He had a great eye and an innate sense of composition. He took photos that family and friends treasure as heirlooms. He loved to take pictures and had his camera everywhere he went. So, there aren't many photos of Dad The Photographer. He was always behind the camera, never in front, but there is plenty of evidence of his craft. I've found there's a parallel between my dad and his photography and me and my knitting. Everyone sees me knit, there's a lovely product at the end, but the execution is not as well documented.

When bloggers go on a trip together, there are plenty of photos to be taken. That's why I'm so thankful for Jennifer and Marisa and all the pictures they took of me knitting and sewing while we were in California. It's something I'm not able to do on my own (I'm uncomfortable with my self-portraits,) but they're pictures I would never have otherwise. Thanks ladies, I'm overjoyed with the moments in time you've caught.

(and don't you LOVE how grouchy that woman in the airport picture looks?)

the uncommon threads adventure

It was only 4 days, but it felt like 80 million.

You know how little kids get overstimulated at parties and then they're exhausted and hyper and unmanageable? That was me until yesterday when I lazed about and didn't get out of my PJs for most of the day.

So.

Dead.

Tired.

(Yeah, cheap effect, I was in L.A. - What do you want?)

I hardly even know where to start, but let's go with Day 1, when Jennifer, Marisa and I flew from Texas to California for the taping of Uncommon Threads.

Other than finishing the Crape Myrtle socks before we hit Dallas (proper FO pics later this week,) the flight was uneventful. We arrived at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank where Charming Vince the PA picked us up. You know how when you get off a plane there are often gents in tuxedo's standing around with signs waiting to whisk you off to your destination? vince was circling the airport with a hand-scrawled sign that read "Uncommon Threads." Once in the car, we quickly determined who he'd picked up before us by the crumpled up sign on the backseat floor. (That sign reads "Artisan Women of Worchester")

In the hotel lobby at the bell desk Jennifer noticed three women with amazing handmade bags. Not one to be shy among my own kind, I leaned in and asked, "Uncommon Threads?" Yup! We'd found Dharia, Sarah and Dayna (the previously mentioned AWW) who had just finished shooting their episodes. We had maybe 10 timid seconds of introduction and were then instantly fast friends, chatting and getting louder and louder and louder. Before you could say Pickalittle Talkalittle, we made plans for dinner and off we went to settle in our rooms.

Our late afternoon rehearsal was postponed, so we cruised out to nosh and goss with Dharia and Sarah. It was a relief to hear the crew were all fantastic and that although at times it was frustrating, there was nothing scary about taping the show. It helped quash some of the butterflies in my stomach (and there were MANY butterflies.) We laughed our way through the evening and although I wish we'd had more time to hang with our new buds, it was a relief to climb into bed at last.

Many more pictures and tales after the cut.

lookit Pa! I'm'onna be on tha Tee Vee

Orangina is off the needles (!) and most of my current sewing WIPs are incredibly close to the finish line. I'm hoping to complete as many as I can this week because my time will not be my own over the next month. As soon as my recently ordered fabric arrives at the house I'll be preparing 3 sewing projects for...(drumroll please)...the taping of three episodes of Uncommon Threads for the DIY network!

I'd love to pretend to be all cool about it, but truthfully I'm super psyched. Textile Fetish Jennifer, our pal Marisa and I are flying to Los Angeles in early August for the show. Our episodes are part of season 2 and won't air for a while yet, but meanwhile I'll be DVR'ing season 1 to see what I'm in for.

Now if I can only wrangle that book deal…