Sweater Surgery Book Contributions

Ok, I know I'm lame, but I'm finally getting around to posting my contributions to the Sweater Surgery book. (Disclaimer: I purposefully blurred out the instructional text because of copyright issues. Besides, that way, you can go buy the book. :-) Or, if you're interested, I'd be willing to teach any one of these projects at your shop or party. I also teach knitting and dyeing.)



The instructions are just for the Twiggy Headband (page 63)...it's the rainbow colored one. The other two headbands are featured in the book's Gallery section on page 131 and do not include instructions.


Nine-to-Five was also flashed in a quick 1-second clip on DIY Network's "Uncommon Threads." Originally, my friends and I were also supposed to demo this project, but the producers realized that they didn't have enough time, so we just worked on Shelly.


Everyone loves the Hippie Chicks! I came up with the idea when I was experimenting with dyeing a recycled angora sweater. I love the way the publisher styled Opal and Sunshine. Recently, I sold both of them to a very cute and enthusiastic Taiko drummer named Susie.


Violet Flower was such a labor-intensive project. Well all of the featured projects are, but this one takes the cake with the size ratio. This is made from a recycled, upcycled sweater sleeve that I felted. Then I dip-dyed it (not as easy as it seems because you have to hold it to get saturation and try to control the colors to make sure that it seemed more fluid), hand-stitched the purse and the lining and did the embroidery edges. Each petal is also individually laid out and sewn. The center of the flower also is the closure.


Shelly has an extra cameo on page 14, and has her own Gallery photo on page 127. I had posted about Shelly before and my experiences on Uncommon Threads in September 2006 (Geez, has it been that long?)


These two hats (page 130) are featured in the Gallery section as well and do not have any accompanying instructions. Gwlana was originally intended to be an artsy-ish woven bowl, but then Zona commented that it could be cute as a kid's hat -- and I agree! Cosmopolitan is made from cut pieces of a felted wool sweater. I used the texture of the sweater fabric to create interest in the hat.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Guess who I called me??? Read on as I keep you in suspense a little longer with my verboseness. :)

Though I have nothing I have been able to show or share publicly, I have been keeping myself very busy over the past 3-4 months with knitting. The reason is because all the things keeping me busy are knitting designs that I submitted to various publications. All that good stuff has to stay a secret until either (a) I get rejected and decide to self-publish or (b) I get accepted and the pattern gets published.

Since I started knitting not so long ago, I toyed with about 3 patterns that I randomly submitted to e-zines. Recently, I decided to take things to the next level and submit for real. I began reading public forums and researching how to submit designs.

My first attempt at a book submission occurred in December 2007 and it proved well, since 2 of my designs were selected to be in the follow-up to the successful Sensual Knits book. Currently, there is some delay with the publisher, but all the contributing designers are hopeful that all goes well. With any luck, I will resume work for this project soon.

More recently in the past few months, I submitted designs for 2 other books, 2 traditional print magazines, 1 e-zine, and a yarn company. I don't mean to be vague about to whom and what I submitted, but typically, one cannot and should not be divulging any specific or juicy details about pending projects unless thus granted by the companies or publishers.

• The yarn company wanted 4 of my designs. I've completed and was paid for one, and the yarn company is holding off the others for a later date as they work on additional things for their company.

• Two weeks ago, I received news about my submission for a book about summery knitting -- 2 of my 3 design submissions were selected for the book. I have since received the yummy yarns and am nearly halfway done on the first of the projects, due in June. The other project is due in July. The yarns and colorways for these projects are truly divine! I really wish I could post photos of the yarns.

• This past Monday, I received a voice mail message and an email from the editor of a superb knitting magazine saying that she wants to publish one of my designs. Woohoo! I was so excited from jumping up and down that I think my cats might have thought we were having an earthquake. It was my first "real" submission to this magazine. I just received the yarns for it (so lucious!), but I still haven't talked to the editor about the details of the project, which makes me just slightly nervous especially since the deadline is rather tight. -- I have less than 30 days to finish it. I know I will definitely meet it, but I think I'm just being a little more neurotic on this one because I want to make sure that I plan my time well in order to anticipate any unforeseen snafoos when working on multiple knitting design projects with overlapping deadlines.

Wait, I have more good news!

• Just 3 days ago, I received a packet from the publisher of the 2nd book containing news about 2 of 3 designs I submitted. The packet contained 1 rejection letter for the lace beanie shown in the photos, and 1 acceptance letter for the other project. The best part of this bit of news is that I already did the work so other than signing the contract, I don't have any deadlines to meet! I am now eagerly awaiting news on the 3rd submission for this book.

The "reject" hat is called Geode. In all honesty, I was not happy with it, but I didn't have time to rework it for the book submission, so I am not at all surprised that it was rejected. As for the fate of this design, I will definitely be self-publishing it though I have not decided whether to offer it as a free pattern or to rework it a bit and sell it.

Googling Myself

It's been a while since I tried to Google myself. Then today, I read an email from my friend Jean, who apparently found out a bunch of stuff about my crafty stuff when when googled me.

I hadn't really googled my name before. I have googled "crafty diversions", "homemade yarn swift" and some of my other patterns before just to see what people were writing and blogging about them.

So, curiosity got the best of me and I googled myself. There's still a lot about what I did in my former job, where I did a lot of public speaking. There are some blog mentions and apparently a previous post by another yarn shop.

Then I happily discovered that the editor of Craftzine had posted about my Buccaneer's Booty pattern in a post way back in October 2007. I had NO idea!

Sensual Knits

Have you seen the book? It was just released this month. Isn't it great? I admit I have not knitted anything from it yet, but I love the selections and patterns in this book. The patterns are modern yet classic, fitted and the photographs are great. In addition to the jacket featured on the cover, there's a lovely cabled cardigan that I'd like to knit.

The follow-up to Sensual Knits is already in the creation process. Guess who's going to have her designs in the follow-up book? Yes, me!!!! So, the sequel is even more destined to be fantastic too, right? ;)

As you can imagine, was quite elated when I opened an email from the editor last week that they had selected not one, but two of my design submissions for inclusion in the book. I wanted to post it everywhere, and tell everyone, but at the same time I wanted to keep a level head and didn't want to post anything without checking with the publisher. So, I apologize for the tease, but I am not at liberty to give you much more details about the book or my design at this point --- you'll just have to be patient and wait to see. The other reason that I don't want to get too giddy is because, until the book actually gets published in a concrete and tangible format, there's always the chance that nothing will happen (ahem, speaking from my past experience). So, I'm trying hard not to get too excited and trying not to count my chickens before they hatch, so to speak.

One of the things that I have to do as part of the design process is to select and recommend yarns and colors for the project. Even more fantabulous is that for the last 5 days, Aubrey and I have been attending TNNA, a needlearts trade show, so the timing worked out great, and I had lots of goodies to touch, smell and buy. But picking out a couple of yarns for the book project among thousands of great (ok, yes there were some not so great) yarns was a lot harder than you'd think!

I do not have any photos from TNNA, which was held in Long Beach, to share with you because we were not able to take photos in the exhibit halls. However, I promise to take photos of my loot (freebies and samples) later this week and tell you about our adventures including which yarn and knitting divas we ran into.

Sweater Surgery

Sweater Surgery is a book that is due to be released in May 2008. Guess who has some projects that will be featured in the book??

Yep. Me! The author, Stefanie, was looking for some ideas a while back, and I submitted several ideas, including Shelly. Stefanie said she remembered Shelly from our episode appearance on Uncommon Threads. Yay! I don't recall how many projects I ended up submitting -- probably around 6-7. I would've come up with more, but it was kind of a last minute thing. Anyhow, I think 2-3 of my projects were selected for the book, but I can't be sure exactly how many made it all the way through until I see it. Who knows? Maybe they did some last-minute editing. I sure don't want to get disappointed though, like with Magknits.

Oh, if you're intererested in making your own Shelly, you can get instructions here. A viewer recently emailed me about making a bunch of mini-Shellys for her grandchildren for the Holidays.

The book image from Amazon.

So Early!

Ok, finally, proof that I am not a liar. The first episode we shot for Uncommon Threads is airing at 7am on HGTV PT/ET. I hope we don't look dorky on TV, but I don't know if that many people will see it anyway, since it's airing awfully early.

:: sigh ::

Well, Magknits never published an April issue, and as I said before, waiting sucks. So now it's May. The May issue is up, but my pattern is not in it. I did not get an email about why April was never published, nor did I get one about why my pattern is not in the May issue either. I sent an email to the Magknits editor again this morning and am waiting for a reply. If they're going to publish it, I wish they'd do it already or let me know their intentions, instead of letting me hang. I very much appreciate courtesy emails. If they've changed their mind about publishing it, I just want to know so that I can either self-publish or submit it elsewhere.

I'm starting to wonder if people think I'm a liar. I submitted the pattern to Magknits in November 2006 and still have nothing to show for it. In September 2006, my friends and I taped 2 episodes of Uncommon Threads, which started airing in March, but they stopped the airing schedule midway. I don't know when they will resume, but our episodes belong in the unaired batch. Knitty Gritty probably won't air for some time either (but that's not too big, since I was only a knitster). Well, at least I have this.

Waiting Sucks

I hate waiting, don't you? I've already waited since November! So then I waited for February, and when the pattern didn't show up then, I waited for March. The March issue didn't go live until the 4th, if I recall correctly, and it didn't have my pattern in it. I was wondering what happened to my pattern, so I emailed Magknits editor Kerrie Allman, who apologized for forgetting to notify me, but that they were thinking about putting my pattern in the April issue. It's already April 11, and the April issue still isn't up! I wonder what's going on with the publication? I checked Kerrie's blog, and certainly seems that she's been swamped with a new baby, a family passing and new yarn line for her shop, but I didn't see any mention or announcement about Magknits or the reason for the delay in releasing the April issue. If they do end up publishing an April issue, and with my pattern in it, it would be such a lovely birthday present. Boooo, I hate waiting.

Knisterville

KNITTY GRITTY, Season 8, episode #12, "I Do Knits"
Yesterday, Aubrey and I spent the day at the studio of Screen Door Entertainment for the taping of the wedding-themed Knitty Gritty episode. The guest of the day was Suss Cousins of Suss Design, who demonstrated how to knit a lace wedding veil with a crocheted border. Both Vickie Howell and Suss were really nice and very energetic. The producer of the show was Sonia, who also happened to be the associate producer of our "Shapeshifting Sweater" episode of Uncommon Threads. The associate producer was Joy, who was super nice too and really took care of us.

Part of the fun in doing these shows is that it not only removes you from the monotony of everyday life, it also allows you to meet lots of really creative and fun people. We met and got to know Brenda, the 3rd knister on the episode. Brenda is a newlywed and she got to show off a shawl she knitted for her wedding last December. She also currently organizes the Los Angeles chapter of The Church of Craft. While we were sitting and waiting (which happened quite a bit), we met another cool crafter, Cecily. Cecily is also an Uncommon Threads alumni -- she and her friends demonstrated various crochet projects for 3 episodes of the first season of Uncommon Threads.

Click on photos to enlarge.

left: Me and Brenda in between taping. right: The 3 knitsters!


above: Some behind-the-scenes shots.


left: Aubrey's self-portrait right: Me and Aubrey posing with Vickie and Suss.


left: Aubrey knitting and lookin' sexy . right: Vickie knitting a scarf on set.

Not yet published

Still no news on which month Magknits will be publishing my pattern. They said either February or March 2007...it's still very far away, but if it's February, it's less far! I love how you can get really cute free patterns from Magknits and Knitty, don't you? I guess my next long-term goal is to try and get something submitted to Knitty and/or Interweaves or some other reputable knitting magazine.

I Do Knits

KNITTY GRITTY
"I Do Knits" apparently is the title of the Knitty Gritty episode that Aubrey and I will be shooting in a couple of weeks. The producer just emailed us the pattern and shipped us yarn to do the project. I can't wait to see it! I should be getting the yarn by tomorrow. Yay! I know I can't distribute the pattern, but I'm not sure what I can reveal....it's a wedding-themed show. The pattern calls for a crocheted edge. I don't know how to crochet (shouldn't knowing a chain stitch suffice?), nor am I really interested in learning. Luckily, we can alter it to our own taste and spice it up if we want. Woo hoo! That means no crochet for me! No offense meant for you crocheters out there.

MAGKNITS
More Awesome knitting fun! Last week, I submitted a pattern to MagKnits for publication. I got a response from the editor within a few days (damn she's fast!) saying that they want to publish my pattern. I read it a couple times just to make sure my eyes were not playing tricks on me. They are wanting to put my pattern in their Feb. or March 2007 issue, so I don't want to get too excited and celebrate prematurely until it comes out. This will be my first published pattern. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Up, It's Up!

Leave it to me to find it first. I am an insomniac afterall! The SqueezeOC website posts the weekly magazine online as well as in traditional print. Here's the article. Here's a bio on Aubrey and me. The photos below are from the magazine.

Knitty Gritty Knitster

KNITTY GRITTY KNITSTER?
Yep. That's me. I just received confirmation that Aubrey and I will be knitsters on Knitty Gritty!!! It all happened sooo fast. I saw a post on SNB-LA asking for people to be a knitster for a wedding-themed episode. I immediately emailed Aubrey to call and apply since she just got engaged. After a few minutes, I decided to write in too, especially since I'll be going tons of weddings. It also turns out that Aubrey needed another bridesmaid and asked me to be one (of course on the condition that she didn't make me look like I walked through a Pepto-Bismol factory explosion). Anyway, it all folded together at the same time, and the assitant producer, Joy, called us today to "officially book" us! They like the fact that Aubrey and I met through knitting and I will now be in her wedding. I don't know if I'm supposed to say what the project is, but it is wedding related! Another cool thing is the producer of this Knitty Gritty episode was the assistant producer for one of the episodes of Uncommon Threads that we taped this past September. (Knitty Gritty, Uncommon Threads and several other craft shows on the DIY Network are produced by Screen Door Entertainment.) Yay us!!

OTHER MEDIA NEWS!
Ok, remember when I posted about a teeny weeny bikini I was making? I made the top and Aubrey made the bottom. It was for a photo shoot for a weekly publication, SqueezeOC, a subsidiary of the Orange County Register. Well, the issue is supposed to come out tomorrow!! I can't wait to see it! If you go to the website, they post current issues online too!!

The reporter came by the knitting group and interviewed us 2 weeks ago, after we said we'd knit the bikini. I don't know if she quoted us in the story (about knitting) but I'm sure we're credited for knitting the teeny weeny bikini. I still don't know what the bottom looks like, although Aubrey and I sketched out some designs, and since I started and finished my piece first, I was able to email Aubrey my top pattern to that her bottom and better match the top. It is a totally functional bikini, one made to go in the water and move with the body, not like those "sit and look pretty" ones in Sexy Little Knits. What make it functional? We used Cascade Fixation, which is cotton with lycra. Knitting this was quick and fun, but we sure could not try it on since the model is a 31A and Aubrey and I are much more busty. It would be x-rated if we tried to wear the bikini. We haven't had a chance to take a picture of both pieces, but here's the top, taken in my car as I dropped it off for the photo shoot.

CRAFTY THINGS
I have made and written several patterns recently. However, because I am trying my hand at being a "published" knitter, I am planning on submitting them. Thus, I cannot post the pictures! bummer! Books, magazines (online and traditional) and other legitimate publications have a clause that you cannot post a picture of your work until they publish it (if selected), plus some time (i.e. the issue expires). I did submit something to Debbie Stoller for her upcoming book on more advanced knitting skills, but I got rejected. Don't worry, I'm not bummed about it at all. I knew the chances were slim and although I am happy with my abilities and what I can achieve, I totally know and appreciate that there are many much more skilled knitters and patternwriters/designers. I simply tend to make up my own patterns because I don't follow directions well, and also because I need something to think about when I can't sleep. :)

One thing I can share is a lacy lace-up gauntlet I finished writing about 3 weeks
ago. The photo here is of the prototype (unblocked), so it's not very good and really doesn't show off the lace. Necia of Jane of All Trades volunteered to test knit for me, so I custom-dyed some yarn for her. She just finished and I am eagerly awaiting her response, comments and photos. She did post one picture and blogged her experience here.

Most Awesome Cards

Because we had so much fun, we wanted to thank our producers from our Uncommon Threads shows. The girls and I decided to put our creative juice together again and custom-make Alana and Steve thank-you cards that are reminiscent of the projects we worked on.

Aren't they cute?!

Alana's Card:


Steve's Card:

As a joke, we decided that Aubrey should make this a dead cat, and I don't know if you can see the tag, but this dead cat's name is "StepOut."

Uncommon Threads - 2nd Taping Day

Episode #265: Meowzers!
Day 2 of our taping occurred on Sept. 6. We showed up bare-faced (dark circles and all) in regular (and rather untidy) street clothes. You see, we were instructed to showed up "camera-ready" and fully made-up for both taping days, by Sonya, the associate producer that works with Alana, producer for the Shelly project. We were good little girls and came fully primped that first day, we knew better for Day 2. On Day 1, we had to change out to street clothes so we didn't get our dress clothes dirty with all the rehearsals.

This 2nd day was so much more relaxed and fun. In part, this was because we already knew what to expect, and our producer, Steve, was really cool and funny. Alana was also really cool and super nice, but it was a little challenging to rehearse without her for most of the Day 1 morning. Alana had a taping, so she had Sonya, who is also nice, rehearse us by herself. We didn't know what to expect, and because Alana wasn't readily available for us to consult with, some parts were made more challenging than it should have been. Anyway, back to Day 2...

Day 2 was so laid back that Aubrey, Zona and I even had time to knit while awaiting our turn to tape! (Rachel was only able to do the previous day.) On Day 1, the entire show was dedicated to one project, whereas, on Day 2, we did our project, then Allison Whitlock (host) demonstrated her project and then we did a show & tell of other stuff we had made.

The step-out table with all the stuff and materials we needed for our project:

We struck a few poses on set while waiting for taping to start.

A few behind-the-scene moments:

Posing with the lovely Allison Whitlock:

Last, but certainly not least, I must tell you about our awesome producer (and it's not just because he gave us alcohol, well... he did score some extra brownie points!). Not only did Steve make us laugh throughout the day, he surprised us with a gift after taping in our 80's rock-ish decorated dressing room with poufy black leather sofas. He had set up a bucket of beer, a bottle of KJ Chardonnay (one of my faves at the moment - he must be a mindreader too!), and a lovely thank-you note. Earlier, Steve had told us that since we were the last episode and last taping of the season, we'd have the opportunity to celebrate with the crew with some beers. Well, their schedules got switched and they still had to tape some filler and tidbit stuff after taping our episode, so we didn't get to celebrate with them, but of course, its totally understandable. I mean, it would've been the icing on the cake, but we weren't disappointed or anything -- we already had tons of fun on both days. Anyway, Steve wanted to keep his promise, so he surprised us!!

The funny thing is that no one had a corkscrew, and we really wanted to toast and drink the wine.

Handy Tip of the Day: So, what do you do when you need to open a bottle of wine and don't have a corkscrew? Use a drill and a screw! This tip was brought to you by the über-crafty art department of Uncommon Threads!


We were all very huggy. Hope we didn't scare Steve! Thanks to all the Screen Door Entertainment/Uncommon Threads crew! Everyone was super duper nice. :)

Yeah, if only the interns brought us coffee!

Zona, uploaded her photos from the Uncommon Threads taping. You can see it here.

Uncommon Threads - 1st Taping Day

Episode # 241: Shapeshifting Sweaters.
Our little foray into the world of TV began late Wednesday night. I drove my pimp mobile (a rental Chevy Impala since some b*tch hit and ran into my 6 months old hybrid car!) to pick up Zona and Aubrey. We stopped by to do some last minute shopping. You know, we all have full time jobs on top of all this stuff.

Screen Door Entertainment, who is producing the show for DIY, was awesome enough that they realized how far the girls and I would be driving. Technically, we're "local" but the drive to Burbank from North and Central Orange County is not that "local," especially since they wanted us at the studios at 7:00 a.m. BOTH days. So...they got us a hotel room literally nearly steps from the studio. YAY!


Above: We are such dorks and just HAD to pose with Buttons the giant sock monkey made of burlap!

Aubrey and I shared a room, since we're both night owls. I realized that there were more step-outs than I thought I needed to do. (Hey, in my defense, I was very busy doing my friend's veil and wedding, had multiple visitors for like 2 months straight, including in-laws from Jakarta that stayed 1 month.) Anyway, Aubrey was sweet enough to stay up late to help and I think she finally fell asleep at 2am, whereas I slept at 4am, partly due to the excitement. Zona got lucky she didn't end up rooming with us and go the room to herself (Rachel decided drive in on Thursday) or otherwise, Zona may have cursed me for any ugly undereyebags that she got.

We were told to arrive at our 7am call time, dressed and made up, although we were slated to be the 3rd show to be taped on Sept. 5. Sonya, the associate producer, was very nice, but she made us rehearse like 5 times. Alana, with whom I mainly corresponded from the beginning, was taping a show in the morning, so she didn't meet with us until late morning.

Above Left: Morning rehearsals with Alana. Notice that we stripped off our clothes that we were going to wear based on the instructions to "come dressed and made-up at 7am"

Above, Left to Right: Rachel, Me, Aubrey, Zona, & producer Alana. Umm, if their eyes look funny its because white people tend to have eyes that turn red in photos and I suck as correcting the bunny eyes.

Apparently the film crew and producers had been experiencing everything taking longer than they had thought, they had to cut some projects. I think the time factor has to do with the network's request for things to be done more "real-time" like, instead like those older craft or cooking shows, where they don't even hide that they have something pre-finished or pre-started. I guess they want viewers to feel a true "magic of television" that things were all shot in real time, but they editted down to 30 minutes per episode. Oh well.

So, they decided to make my Shelly Tortoise project the whole show and they cut out Aubrey's cool slipper project, the sweater lampshade project that Zona and Rachel were going to demo, and my magazine file cozy. The cut projects ended up being a show and tell.

Above: The set. The woman in the right photo is the stunningly beautiful (and tall!) host, Allison.

Aside from the slight frustration that most of the step-outs weren't used and we had to sew a brand new tortoise, which we dubbed Shelby, on the spot, it was really fun. It was such a loooong day. Because we had to create a new one (and not use 2 whole step-outs I had made), we didn't finish taping until 7:30pm. Oh, step-outs are what they called all they separate steps that we had to pre-make during pertinent parts of the construction of the project.

Oh yeah - the sweater fuzz flying around wasn't too fun either. The entire crew, including the host Allison Whitlock, was super friendly and amiable. Dave, the art director/master prop dude was really funny and personable as well. I owe several apologies to the sound guy (AJ?) because I coughed several times, which apparently sounds really really sharp and loud with the mike on. It was those damned sweater fibers! I swear, if anyone had to do an autopsy on me they would have to wonder why I have so many weird multi-colored felted wool fibers nestled in my lungs. I don't need any more respiratory problems -- I've already got terrible allergies and asthma!

See Aubrey's account of the experience here (and ignore my cross-post).

I took one of the unfinished step-outs home and look at Whitey Coyote -- instant love! I don't think this floor pillow will ever get used by my house guests.

Crafting Stars III

Wooohooo! I have already written several posts and made several references to me being a guest on DIY Network's new show Uncommon Threads. (blogged here and here.) My friends and I will be shooting an episode on Sept. 5 being called "Shapeshifting Sweaters." I had submitted other ideas, but either the big-wigs gave the idea a thumbs down, or other people beat me to the punch with similar ideas. Well, just about 1 week ago, one of the producers of the show called me and asked if I could do another 1-2 episodes. So, I will also be going to their studio on Sept 6 to shoot an cat-themed episodes. I submitted some sewing projects such as toys, cat beds and some out-of-the-box stuff.

As exciting as all this is, it is also very time consuming, as I have to make the projects and all the steps in between for both shows. My friends also have a couple of projects, but the ones I will be demonstrating/orchestrating take the most time and work. Eek! I hope everything turns out well.

Oh, remember the film crew from TriCoastDVD that I contacted to film my knitting group? (blogged here) I forgot to mention that Marcy the producer and her assistance Courtney sent me a copy of each of the DVDs that they filmed. I did not end up on the cutting room floor! I the little 2 second bit, I am working on my clapotis using the cashmere/merino yarn I dyed. What the crew shot was a very small segment, featured as an extra on the DVD menu. TriCoast DVD did it for Leisure Arts. The DVDs are: "I Can't Believe I'm Knitting -- in motion" and "I Can't Believe I'm Crocheting -- in motion"

Crafting Superstars Update

In June, I posted about a TV show for which I got my friends to submit with me. Well, we have been selected to be on a least one episode of Uncommon Threads, a new show that just aired on the DIY network. They want us to do some of the felted sweater re-creations that we submitted. The taping is tentatively scheduled for September, and it is for Season 2. They just aired Season 1 on July 3.

I had submitted other ideas, and it looks like we may have a chance to do another episode based on pet-themed stuff. It's still not final yet, and it doesn't look too promising, but I am keeping our fingers crossed. I submitted a yoga-themed idea that the producer like, but the studio execs didn't, so we are definitely not doing that.

So between now and September, the girls and I have to get ready and do all the peices for the demo parts. We already wrote out and submitted all the instructions and other paperwork. So exciting!!

Btw- I have not heard anything from the folks at The Art of Knitting regarding our knitting group's filming. I sent Marcy, the producer, an email requesting information on the status. Everyone in the knitting group is eager to find out and see whether we are on the video or ended up on the cutting room floor. At the time of filming, Marcy did say that she would give us a couple of copies.

Crafting Superstars!!

"Crafting Superstars" is what Zona is calling us now. Last weekend, I found out about this new DIY Network crafting show, so I rushed Zona, Aubrey and Rachel into sending me some pics of their finished projects. I quickly did a presentation and sent in our submission on May 31st. We sent in photos and brief descriptions of various needle arts projects, but most of them were knitting projects. Within hours of me emailing the submission, one of the producers called. Woohoo! She said that she was very interested in some of our ideas and wanted to pitch it. She asked if we had other project photos to send in, partly becauuse the show would not be featuring any knitting. (ai-yah!)

Luckily, the girls and my friend Jane had planned on coming over to my house for Wine, Dye and Knit II on Saturday. The girls came over with their wonderful smiles and supplies in tow. We dyed, snacked, laughed and drank wine, but there was no knitting (yeah, I know, that's a little sinful). We spent all day sewing, crafting, but we had so much fun doing what we love and in such good company that we lost track of time. Zona forgot she had a child and husband to go home to, and poor Jane, forgot that she had to leave early so she could get up before 5 a.m. on Sunday. Jane also had at least a one hour drive home!

We were very productive and all our creative juices were flowing. *if only we didn't have to work, we could craft all day everyday* The timing was great for me too, since I had planned on making some stuff for a friend's graduation anyway (not finished yet, I'll post about it later). The only downside to a crafting weekend at my house is that there's scraps, threads and other things all over my house. It looks like a tornado hit my living room and dining room. I'm too embarrassed to post a picture of my living room on the world wide web, but below are some of the things we made.
1 2 3
4 5
6 7
9 9

1. "Seaweed" Scarf 2. House Slippers 3. "Roar" bag 4. "Hippie Chicks" 5. Fabric flower 6.Can Cover 7. "Shelly Tortoise" floor pillow (and cat bed?) 8. "Clematis" hat and matching circle purse 9. Magazine file

Got Filmed for Knitting Documentary/Video!!

Woooo Hoooo!
Last night some people working on a Knitting and Crochet Documentary from TriCoast Studios (who produced The Art of Knitting) came filmed the knitting group to which I belong at our weekly meeting!

It was so awesome and fun! I am delighted that I saw the post announcing the filming and that their interest in local knitters. Although Marcy the producer said that originally she had not planned on coming so far as OC, I really don't think it took much convincing. Why? Because the members of our knitting group are so cool, diverse and fun, and it is totally apparent just by looking in our group photo on the gorup page.

Everyone who attended was interviewed and asked to show how we hold our yarn. We also got to show off the fruits of our labor and/or share some knit stories. Renata and Melyssa showed the cameras how to spin, and Renata fascinated us all with her nalbinding demo. Someone else showed knitted dog hair (yes!), Aubrey shared her story about knitting a man-thong, Rachel did a Princess Leia with her own hand-painted balls of yarn, Teresa showed off her sari-silk clapotis, the men showed their crafting prowess, and we all laughed and had a hoot. Throughout the evening, we all missed and lamented Zona's absence.

I was told by Marcy that of the people in the group, she thinks I hold my yarn the weirdest. I showed off my Color Wave capelet (left). I made up the pattern with some suggestions from my knit friends and used yarn that I hand-painted/dyed. I also showed off my homemade swift.

I'm delighted that my fiber friends got to show off their wonderful work and personalities. It was a blast, and certainly an experience to remember.

The only regret is that I didn't remember to take pictures until towards the end, after some people had already left. :( boo.


Above: Renata demonstrating Nalbinding.

Left: (L-R) Camera dude, Aubrey, Me, Rachel