We’re currently working on updating verypink to make the site easier to navigate, and to allow me to separate the blogging part from the videos and patterns.
If you’re here from YouTube and you’re looking for the patterns used in the videos, please visit “Designs and Free Patterns“. That will take you to all of the patterns available, including video tutorials.
If you’re here to see a cute Basenji, here you go. 🙂
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I didn’t announce it here, but I recently got Whiskey River back in my home as a foster. I had him the first time back in the spring when he was a 4 month old – do check out this post if you want to be overwhelmed with puppy cuteness. His family just found out that they’re moving internationally, and they could not keep him. If he has to bounce back into the rescue system, I’m glad he gets to come back here with me.
Here is a photo of him back in May –
And here he is today, all grown up on his first birthday –
Well, I keep telling him he’s grown up today, but I’ve been around Basenjis long enough to know that he’s got another solid year of puppy behavior left to go.
Happy Birthday, Whiskey River! I’m glad you get to spend it here, on the way to your forever home.
It’s finally chilly enough in Austin to bring out the wool again, which means that Ike has been reacquainted with his favorite thing in the world.
No polar fleece, machine-washable dog blankets for this gentleman. This is a full-on Aran fisherman-style afghan, knit by yours truly. Ike gets seriously excited whenever I pull it out of the trunk, and he makes a beeline for it. Everyone in the house knows that this is HIS blanket, even though that was not my intention when I spent dozens of hours knitting it.
What can I say. He’s got good taste. And he’s willing to share a corner of it if I sit right next to him.
I’m taking the month of September to carry out an idea I’ve had for a few years – to put together a collection of patterns with a theme. The working title is “Baby Shower Knits”, and the patterns are arranged by the amount of time you have to knit a gift before the baby shower. The working title is boring, but I’m excited about the collection.
Need to crank out something awesome before a baby shower next week? Got a few weeks before your bff’s party? Three months before your niece or nephew is due? Gotcha covered.
I’ve been working on the more time-intense designs first, and I’m just so glad that the creative juice faucet hasn’t clogged. Here are some sneak-peek photos of a few of the designs:
(That last one there is still just a swatch, but I love the way the cables are showing up with this yarn, so I took a photo.)
Bonus – they’re all machine-washable, and there will be free videos to guide knitters through the trickier parts of the designs.
Working about 14 hours a day by myself has it’s drawbacks, and now you get to listen to me whine a tiny bit. MY WRIST HURTS. I NEED TO STOP WORKING AND SHOWER. MY FINGERNAILS LOOK LIKE SHIT. I SERIOUSLY NEED TO VACUUM. I HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER HUMANS.
Ha. No, really, I’m fine. Those things are all true, but I’m loving every minute of what I’m doing. Just don’t stop by my house without calling first.
I haven’t totally fallen off the face of the earth…I’m still teaching private lessons and I have a couple of classes coming up at Gauge Knits this month. Drop me a note or call Gauge if you want us to hold you a spot.
I know three bad dogs who are very happy with the opium den of beds I’ve set up for them in my office, and the amount of time I’ve been spending at home.
We’re going to start shooting more knitting videos soon, including mattress stitch, buttonholes, 3-needle bind-off, and more. What technique(s) would you like to see? Leave me a comment with your suggestion.
xo
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What do you get when you combine 15 awesome women, their knitting, wine, and brownies? Around here we call it Sweater University, a class I taught all summer long. After meeting every-other Thursday since June, last night was our final session. We called this session our “party”, which meant there was even more wine involved.
The students signed up to get classes and coaching from me on sweater knitting. Unlike other classes I teach, this one gave the students the help they needed over FOUR months, so that they could work on their sweater and get all the coaching they needed.
See Ike? He’s the only dog allowed amongst The Ladies and The Yarn. I wish I had a wide-angle lens so I could have fit everyone in a single photo!
No one was sad last night that the class is ending, because we’ve decided to continue the class, this time calling it Knitting University. We’re going to have structured lessons, plenty of coaching, and of course – wine and brownies. If you are a knitter here in Austin and you’re interested in joining us, we have room for one or two more people. Email me at staci@verypink.com and I can send you the details. UPDATE – the upcoming Knitting University class is totally full! If you’re interested in a similar class in the future, you can drop me a note.
I often teach knitting classes here at my home. On class nights I always put the dogs in my bedroom behind a baby gate and give them delicious new chew toys to keep them entertained.
During these classes, it never fails that one knitter will say, “Aww! Let them out! They’re such good dogs.” Then it also never fails that everyone else chimes in, and the dogs stand there at the baby gate with their best sad faces on. Sometimes I’ll let Ike out, but Tippy and Abe are not allowed loose around that much yarn.
After last night’s class I let the dogs out of my bedroom, and began picking up wine glasses and putting away the cookies and chocolates. (My knitting classes are AWESOME.) I turned my back on Tippy, to see he had started his own fiber project.
This is why he has to stay in lockup.
And the guilty little monster, apparently not feeling guilty at all. I’d say that was a look of pride, even.
You’ll see that I have a nice cup of coffee to keep me going while I try to make sense of this mess. Ah, Tippy.
