mary makes merry

Now, THAT was fun

The weather cooperated, thank God, and it was just another wonderful evening at the Art Institute last night! Thanks, Dana, for being a repeat Mobile KIPper, and to Trope, Bonne Marie, and another excellent newcomer, Katie, for coming out and knitting on the steps.

We even packed up the needles a little early (gasp) and went into the museum for about half an hour. As Bonne Marie pointed out, it's certainly a different place at night. I do love that place, though I wish I knew more about its contents. And chatting all the way with friends...yeah. Then we wandered over into Millennium Park, which had a nice number of people hanging out for as late as it was. You could just feel the happy summer vibe. I think it was pulsating from the Bean.

What a beautiful night in many senses of the term! Thanks, y'all!

Stepping out to the Steps

Pathetic that I haven't posted since the last Art KIP, but come on out tomorrow night to the steps of the Art Institute -- toward the left lion as you're facing the museum (the north lion, if you're bringing your compass). I myself would like to try to sweep through the galleries at some point, but I'm sure there will be some sign of us outside, from 6 or thereabouts on through 9!

Artful Kippers

We really missed our fearless leader, absent due to unavoidable circumstances, but the KIP on the Steps went well...so well that Dana pronounced herself ready to do it again, to which we all said aye. So come next Thursday, the 24th, anytime from 6:30 to 9! We will camp out on the steps near the left lion, as you're looking at the museum. If no one's there when you arrive (unlikely), we're all inside, soaking up the world-class and (on Th/Fr nights till the end of the month) FREE art.

So, thanks for coming out, Theresa, Michelle, Michelle, and the excellent newcomer Jen! A critical (very critical) mass of us are watching Project Runway -- I was in heaven, knitting on a beautiful evening on Michigan Avenue, talking Project Runway! So, in case you are in danger of missing this, I offer you this link. I haven't even read it yet, but it's Ralph Fiennes interviewing one of the Bravo honchos about the show. (via BestWeekEver.tv, whatever that is, via Blogging Project Runway, which I learned about a while back via Corinne. Whew!)

http://www.bravotv.com/blog/andysblog/2006/08/ralph_fiennes_interviews_andy_about_runway.php?page=1

Mobile KIP and a Nice Try

I'm even more psyched than usual about KIP tonight -- we're taking our show on the road to the Art Institute, which is free on Thursday evenings now! C'mon out -- meetcha on the steps.

Thanks for bringing it into being, Bonne Marie!

I made a hat for Ellie out of an old pair of jeans Saturday and then thought I'd try to enter it in the Whiplash August competition (deadline: today).  Alas, I can't fulfill their (reasonable) requirement of getting the badge on the blog so that it is a live link back to their site, and my continued attempts have made my eyes hurt. But here's what I would have said!

My favorite jeans of the last five years went to seed, or to scrap, a couple of  months ago. An artist's rendering, using their successors, of what they looked like at the time of their retirement:

When I realized last week that my daughter's summer hat was probably permanently missing, I decided to try making her the oversized (that is, enormous) bucket hat that comes with McCall's 4813,  a variety of little girl summer clothes.

I used a remnant of some cotton fabric replete with garden jollies from Joann as the lining, both to have softer fabric against her head and because there isn't enough fabric in one pair of jeans for both the outside and the lining, unless maybe using the pockets in some way would have done it. I had to finagle laying out the pattern pieces on the jeans; both the crown and the brim have one more seam than called for because I couldn't lay out those pieces on a fold. Anyway, here's the result! She'll be able to wear it till she's in junior high, it's so big:

If you're squeamish, look away now...but here are the remains...

Kay and Ann-iversary

A couple of days before our anniversary, Clark walked into a bookstore that had all of two knitting books in stock. He was pretty sure I already had one of them (he was right), and the other one was this:

Thank you, Clark! It was a great gift, because I definitely wanted it but wouldn't have bought it for myself. It was a complete surprise, too; I hadn't mentioned any knitting books to him in ages. And it was perfect timing, because I have a brand-new niece and some Cotton Fleece...armed with the kimono pattern in this book, I was off to the races. But there was a false start

brought on by my using the wrong size needles and pressing on even after I realized my mistake ("the way it drapes will be so elegant for a baby"), coupled by my insistence on using the cable-cast on when it came time to add stitches for the arm (the pattern recommends using backward loops or the thumb method). So I began again, without even bothering to unravel the abandoned one. The new and improved C.Fleece for the Niece is in garter stitch, on smaller needles, with nice little backward-loop cast-ons where needed. It's not finished yet, however, because I keep going back and forth on whether I like garter stitch for garments. Oh, what a goof I am.

Time keeps on slippin'

Here's a bag I made a few weeks ago with help from Mariko's awesome bag tutorial. I just wanted something that could carry my wallet, phone, and datebook, and that's what came out of my "design" "process." (Update: I should acknowledge my Inspiration Bag, which was a little, much-loved purse from Old Navy that bit the dust this winter. It was about this size had this same nice front pocket. Poor little bag. To see Venice, Florence, and Rome from my shoulder and then to suffer such an ignominous fate years later...But I digress.)

I faked my way through adding the outside pocket (pretty easy) as well as a cellphone pocket in the lining (probably pretty easy, for those who actually know what they're doing). In a sign that I am capable of thinking through sewing problems, I did remember to sew the inside pocket onto the lining before putting the bag together.

It's working well for me. Fabric from Quiltology, 2625 N. Halsted. There was a bag there made from this print with this lining, so no points for originality in fabric or design...(the Quiltology shop model is a totally different shape.)

Small but mighty

What we lacked in numbers last night at KIP, we made up for in FUN! I missed catching up with some of the regulars, but I really enjoyed hearing E.'s tales of Scottish Glee and getting the latest from Bonne Marie and Michelle. And then, a visitor! We love visitors, especially ones as delightful as Kandy. Come back anytime, Kandy! And a new blog to read, too; yay!

I couldn't find the Rowanspun Cardi-gun for Ellie as I was trying to leave the house (now, that's not good!), so I grabbed the stegosaurus that's been in a holding pattern for a while. It's from this darling group of patterns -- thanks to Jennifer for putting them out there!

I can't find the camera, either (developing problem alert), so I'm afraid I can't show you a pic. He needs two legs stuffed and all four legs sewn on, and he's finished...surely I'll have found the dang camera by then. Wait -- I forgot about the TAIL SPIKES, but they won't take long. (Nor will they be dangerous, but I've never knit TAIL SPIKES before!)