I'm trying something new! A POP-UP sale of some of my photographs on wood.
I've been selling these as limited edition prints on wood by special order for a couple of years but I thought it'd be fun to share them online for one day for a few days. Why not? All the INFO and DETAILS are on the order page here. Except it is unlikely that you will receive them before Dec 24th.
At first I worried that printing photographs on maple would be gimmicky or look tacky--but with some careful choice of which images I use, I love them. The wood is lovely and heavy, and there's a keyhole so they are ready for hanging. The grain shows through the lighter parts of the imagery--which is why the choice of photo is so important. The finish is a matte laminate so it goes with the modern natural vibe. These are 6x6" square, and are 1/2" deep.
And I'm going to make all this disappear soon! Kind of fun. Let me know what you think! Order from link here, or you can email me with questions gale@gzucker.com . Back tomorrow with the usual content :-)
Trip Mitts-- a pattern you can knit (in multiples) before the holidays.For yourself. or not. Do you listen to the Twinset Designs podcast? I'll confess I am a slacker in the knitting podcast department--I am picky picky about who I listen to. And I just plain forget to seek and listen. Which is a shame because there are some brilliant podcasters out there, making a great mix of friendly chat, smart ideas and knitting information that inspires and illuminates.
I was lucky to be part of an interview with Ellen and Jan of the Twinset, when they caught me and my co-authors at Rhinebeck, (photo swiped from Twinset Jan's IG feed , thanks Jan!), this is Team Drop Dead, in which two of us are wearing matching sweaters, the Keynote Pullover. To be upfront, Twinset Ellen, 2nd from left, is our tech editor (she is amazing!) and we have been friends for s few years. However, I still think their review of Drop Dead Easy Knits, in Episode 85 with our interview, is well worth a listen.
I was thrilled that Ellen mentioned my Trip Mitts at the end of the segment--she'd tech edited them when they were going to appear in our book. They got cut. We had more than enough content, and an editor thought they were too rustic.
It was understandable-- I know my design sensibility is on the brux side. I released the pattern alone,
last year. And since the season is nigh for quick knits that make great
gifts--and quick knits to wear on your poor cold hands--I'm bringing
it back for your attention.
The pink ones are knit in Anzula Oasis.
And the blue ones are some handspun wool and a teeny bit of a marigold
yarn for the closure.DK weight for both, but you can sub almost
anything. See the project page to get what I mean! Stashbusters, for sure.
10. Kirsten Kapur and I have a brand new slide talk we're debuting, and narrating. Come see how many times we both start to talk at the same time and then say"oh no, YOU o ahead""No, YOU!", then laugh, in unison
9. The trunk show will be there! Don't you want to wrap up in the Glama , as Josephine does here, and see how delicious it feels ? (super easy chunky drop stitches make it drapey and delish). 8. Also check out the Keynote Pullover, which (so far) looks excellent on everyone. 7. If you aren't already a member, this is your chance to check out the Big Apple Knitters Guild for free ( if it is your first time dropping in), or for a modest $5. guest fee. Either way, worth it. They have great programming. 6. We are bringing a mountain of our book and would love to sign them for you (or to give as gifts). Seriosly, don't you love receiving a knitting book with 30 patterns plus a knitting accessory like stitch markers, or a LYS gift certificate, as a present? (please forward to my family members, or yours, as needed). 5. The coasters! As far as we can tell, we are the only knitting book that has a natural cork drink coaster that is your attendance lagniappe. Because our patterns go well with sipping. 4. Tips and tricks. We're givers like that! Kirsten is sharing her favorite tools and how she wields them. Knitting muscle explained ! 3. More tips and tricks! Kirsten is also sharing her top lace tricks. I've known her well for years now and just learned one of them last night. For reals. 2. Oh, even more tips and tricks! I'll be sharing my best secrets for photographing knits without too much fuss, to make killer images of all things yarny. And the # 1 reason: Knitters gonna knit. Whether you need a break and just treat yourself to a couple of hours basting in the juicy knit talk --or you are heelbent on holiday knitting, and teh collective knit energy will move you faster, it'll be an afternoon worth joining in. Hope to see you there! Leaving you with a taste of our drop Dead Easy Knitting wisdom...
Not to be adding on to your generalized anxiety but there aren't that many knitting days before you need to present gifts. Let us put aside the dream of fine gauge socks* or mitts unless they are something like Trip Mitts which I, ahem, heartily recommend as a last minute gift.
Let us cast on something bulky and stylish. Like the Wilderness scarf. Super fast. When I shot this for Tahki I totally fell for it. You know I am a sucker for fringe, but it is more than that--it has a modern western/bohemian vibe to love. The yarn is a wool tape, like soft thin strips of wool felt. It makes me wonder if I could knit this by cutting very thin strips of wool yard goods or recycled coats....(warning, warning, do not go there, will not be a simple fast project.....buy the yarn....) Karin Strom, creative director and stylist for the shoot (on the right--and that is the wonderful Stacy Charles himself in the center. Yes! He's a real person --- I love working with him), paired it with a vintage coat and multiples of the scarf. One scarf makes a fabulous gift--and the yarn, Tahki Spencer, comes in some bright colors in case your giftees aren't into earth tones. A little BTS; the Fashion Director for the collection, Conley Averett, wondered if we could spread the scarf out and shoot it as a shallow shawl. There's always a bunch of scootching and sshhjushjing of the knits on the model, to try different looks at a shoot. Sometimes one of us interprets the piece totally differently (as in--ohhhh I though those were shorts--not an oversized slouch hat with ears...ohhhh) and eventually we settle on the look that works best.
So Wilderness is knit on size 15 needles The yarn isn't super hefty, yet it holds up perfectly to the open design. And the fringe lays flat so nicely. You could substitute other yarns, it'd look great but differnt vibe in something with a teeny bit of a halo, or in a nice rustic yarn, or a yarn with long color changes, too.
* as for me? I'm speeding through that bulky fuschia Azel (scroll to end) when Zoe isn't looking, and just cast on for another gift hat...on size us3 needles. Living dangerously on that one. How's your gift knitting going? Have you checked into the MDK Lounge for moral support? When are Kay and Ann going to crack out the eggnog and high quality chocolates for us, is my question?????
