Another bride in the knitterly way

That is Kelly----- one of my very sweetest knitting brides this season! And get this, (drum roll please) Kelly actually KNITS!!!!!!!!!! Woo Hoo!

She is working Boogie, and doesn't she work it well? Drat that navy blue, it doesn't show nearly as well as it could!

Speaking of Boogie, it is finished and blocking as we speak. That navy wool took about 4 rinses to get all of the bleeding color out of the water. I hope that when it is worn the color leak will not be a problem! Just to be sure I will recommend that it not be worn the first time over a white shirt of any kind!

Currently the project is the Ravenna Satchel and I'm STILL knitting the black sections. With any luck I'll have them finished today. (That sounded dreadfully optimistic even to my own ears!)

For those living in the U.S., the last Presidential Debate is tonight---------- of course I will be watching but quite frankly, I will be so glad when it is all over. It seems we have larger battles to contend with both globally and here at home and the endless bickering is wearing me plumb to a nub!

First Bride of the Knit

Yes, in the first installment of the Knitting Bride series this week I bring you Kristin. She was a lovely bride, and a little sassy as you can see by the pics.

At the time I had knitting to haul to her wedding shoot, Wisteria was not yet quite done and there was no way I could sling out an entire sweater minus a bit of the last sleeve. What went along was the Pi Are Square Shawl=== certainly not a lot further along than the last time you saw it. But, does it not look quite fabulous with the fall colorings? Yummy that rusty tone!

Kristin's dress was sort of a cross between a tulip shape and a mermaid shape. Very heavy with the beads and spanglies along the hem of the tulle layers. Her veil was quite plain and drove her crazy so it was ditched after the ceremony.

Pi Are has gone back into semi-hibernation while I finish the usual zillion things on my desk and try my hardest to get Boogie OFF my needles. (This I believe will happen this evening but that depends on the relative solace I can find to do my three needle bind off on the shoulder seams).

The bottom of the Ravenna Satchel has been completed and the back is cast on and sitting for the happy end of Boogie to give it adequate attention. I'm already bored pretty crazy of black stockinette in it's pre-felted condition for the back and bottom of this great bag. Thankfully with doubled worsted weight and size 15's it zooms along nicely.

Get knittin!

Wisteria and the Lady in White

I'm so glad to have knitting bride back.............. I miss it when my brides don't get a chance to vamp a bit with the sticks!

Sarah is one of my favorites this year, she is adorable, and her wedding day was nothing short of spectacular. Isn't her gown lovely? It was very light and 'floaty', the bodice front waist was wrapped and jeweled, very pretty. I have to say that her new husband is one of the good guys! I love his sweet and respectful spirit, and oooohhhhhhh was he gaga about his bride. It always makes for the very best photos (and some just smokin' hot!)

Wisteria is looking pretty good too if I do say so myself! As of this writing I'm 9 rows short of beginning the waist shaping with the sleeve stubs waiting on pieces of waste yarn.
Look at that mega-watt smile! It's almost like she's getting married or something! :) The location is in front of the Art Museum in St. Louis, called Art Hill.......... actually down at the Grand Basin, you can see the fountains in back of her.

One day to try and finish up loose ends around here before heading off to Phoenix for my Mom's surgery. Thanks a lot to all of you who have sent emails and hugs, I do appreciate it. I'll be without laptop and probably pretty much incommunicado for the next 9 days, then I launch immediately into a wedding. Of course there will be another knitting bride, she's already told me that she's looking forward to it.

I'll be face down in my knitting---- and looking forward to seeing the girls at Jessica Knits as well.

Knitting Bride + Liesl

Is she not the sweetest? My knitting bride last Saturday was one of those who had that innocent and shy demeanor. I assure you, she was NOT---- but that was the persona she wore all day when she was wearing her gown.

She is 'knitting' Liesl. For those of you who are keeping track, not row one has been knit on that lovely baby. I'm in fact considering making it sleeveless and maybe even a little cropped so I have even the outside chance of wearing it this year!

You know, one does what one must. It is after all, wedding season and this bride wrangler is too busy to enjoy much else.

Sporty Little Knitting Bride

My knitting bride last weekend was a hoot and a half. I have seen some people holding knitting needles that looked, well, odd. Little Miss Thang just looked totally lost, cracked me up! She is clutching those circs like, well I don't know what! In case you are not a St. Louis native you might not notice that she is standing in front of Busch Stadium, home of the Cardinals. (I think it must be about time for another foray to the park to see a game because those boys are playin' some ball!)

You see, she is a Major Jock. A softball coach by trade, and a State Champ to boot, I am not sure she even knows the first thing about knitting. But being a great sport she was more than happy to work a shot with the needles.

She's holding the almost no progress Pi Are Square.............. I still love it to bits, there has just been no time to work on it much. And of course the shawl has had to contend with my major flirtation with Liesl!

Back to the bride, when we arrived at the church before she got dressed I had to laugh---- THAT was my natural bride! She had her hair done all foofy and pretty with the veil neatly pinned in. Below the well made up face was quite the outfit, a tank top with "bride" in sequins and an old ratty pair of track shorts. It was SO her! Well, except for the ivory satin pumps and all......... she was trying to scuff them up before her trip down the aisle. It would have been wonderful to have seen her marry in that outfit! The dress she chose however was very much her.............. all smooth satin and clean and simple lines. Even bustled up the dress was just one leading line, no fluffy stretch of fabric. With the exception of the chic and easy bow at the bodice there was no ornamentation at all. Perfection! I do so love it when a bride follows their heart and dresses in a way that speaks to them.

The detail on the dress was perfect for her--------- just that slim belted sash about 3 shades darker than the satin of her dress. No crazy foofiness for her--- and it worked. I was especially taken by the way the dress was cut. Can you see how the side of the bodice dips down to meet the back? There is a gentle curve there, not just a straight line of fabric. The result was a dress that not only fit beautifully, but was so graceful when seen from all angles.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't share her bridesmaids flowers! They were completely gorgeous, the absolute essence of a summer wedding!

Sunday was Erica's baby shower------ from my knit group. I had to miss it, and I feel really bad about it but it was Pride Sunday and that parade is just not to be missed!!! The slow saunter through the (very) crowded park after the parade is without a doubt the finest people watching in the universe. Maybe Chicago or Atlanta or even San Francisco Pride is better for just sitting back and enjoying the sights---- but it would be hard to prove by me! The people who estimate crowds (who are they and how or why do they do that anyway) said over 80,000 people. That is a fair bit by any estimation! Thanks to the Harlot, her Pride blogpost was really fabulous but more so the comments that were left. Doesn't it just warm your heart that knitters are so wonderful?

So it is back to the grind, work calls and my knitting is somewhat forlorn. While I did manage a whole 3 rows on the Pi this weekend I feel somehow guilty for not sitting more with it. Liesl is sitting for the moment as I enjoyed a giant brain freeze getting toward the end of the yoke. On a row where 'stuff happens' with lots of yarn overs and knit togethers (for my non-knitting blitters) I somehow couldn't make it all gel. I'm back on track, I think maybe it was the pressure that even though I was exhausted, I had to produce something. Pretty silly when you think about it!

Maybe I need to just shove back and read for a bit. New books on the coffee table are:

• "The Savory Way" by Deborah Madison
• "Four Quarters" by t.s. eliot
• "The Wisdom of the Desert" by Thomas Merton
• "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett
• "Baking Handbook" Martha Stewart (hey----- all that heavy reading makes a girl want to toss together some muffins or something!)
• "Knitting Nature" by THE Norah Gaughan :)

Light reading, great weather, and with the way the economy is going here in St. Louis--- happy to be working!

Knitting Bride a la PiR2d

Saturday's bride was absolutely gorgeous, and as sweet and innocent a bride as we've had in, well maybe forever! She was anxious to pose with my knitting, doesn't she vamp up Pi Are Square quite well??? She doesn't knit (as most of my brides don't, sadly enough) and when she asked how to hold it and I had placed the needles, smiling with a "Don't let the stitches fall off those needles!" her eyes opened wide and she gasped saying "ohhhhhhhhhh I'm so afraid of it!" That, dear blitters, was a first! Scared of knitting, news at 11! :)

She was so gorgeous, and her wedding gown one of my favorites so far this season that I wanted to share another photo with you. Even though gowns with straps of some sort enchant me, this dress was lovely. I'm telling you, only one of my skinny mini brides can rock out this mermaid shape so beautifully. The flowers were also really gorgeous, beautiful roses in shades from cream to the fuschia, her bridesmaids carried tied stems of hot pink gerbera's.

I actually got quite a bit of knitting done as this was the wedding where Murphy's Law ruled. If anything could go wrong, it did. And then some!


Is that giant rose in her hair the best? Very Carrie! Look at that sweet girl in the photo above............. you would never know that this is the last time before her wedding day is pretty much in the toilet. That sound you hear is her dreams going down the drain fast.

The wedding was okay; I can deal with overbearing and irritating church ladies whose primary job is to manage weddings. After the wedding, the bride wanted a very quick down and dirty time of formals with the family in the church, and we don't normally do many anyway. Location photography was going to be wonderful and the couple had looked forward to it of course. The Cliff Notes version is that the bus broke down and was 45 minutes late in arriving with the replacement vehicle. Once you get that far behind in the schedule it's pretty hard to make it up. The replacement vehicle had a slow breakdown after the first location which caused us to have to sort of skip to the end of the day. The third bus arrived and took them to their reception. No chair covers............ the reception was on the very lightly attended side, and the best part? Or the worst part, depending on how you look at it----- the reception was held at a well-known and very nice loft building downtown so they were well above street level. The also well known exhibitionists chose that evening to, well do what exhibitionists do. Quite naked. Quite in your face. I'll leave out the really graphic details (knit group was screaming). The bride who is as I said earlier sweet as pie was----- less than enchanted. There was much crying and wailing in the ladies room. I feel horrible for her, and am quite glad that most of our weddings are wonderful events.

Because I spent more than my usual bit of time waiting I was able to knit four rows on the Pi Are Square shawl----- that doesn't sound like much until you remember that I've done my last increase in the body of the shawl and there are a lot of stitches on the circs at this point.

Other than knit group ***which was a lovely Sunday as always*** I've been face down in work and things probably won't change a great deal. Ack. I am delighted not to be using $4.00 a gallon gas to go to the studio for a few days and can work from home. If I schedule my time well I hope to get that new Amy Butler bag done and putter around a little bit. Otherwise I'll be most creatively hung!

Yoel, bless her heart tagged me with a meme------- I'll get to that tomorrow!

Last Knitting Bride of May

As much as I loved the bride and groom from last Saturday's wedding---- it was a tough day to be a Bride Wrangler. On a lot of levels...... we'll just let the dirty details go.

That is sweet Mrs. H, before the wedding, in her suite. I have to say that she was not only lovely on the outside but breathtakingly beautiful on the inside---- where of course it matters! The beautiful bride and her handsome groom were married in a hotel ballroom and the ceremony was held across the wide expanse of hall. Thankfully, we engineered a lovely private 'first glance' for the happy couple and could then escape for a few hours of location photography in between the crazy stuff. The lovely bride is holding Pi Are Square----- still a wonderful piece of fluff knitting. It has proven to be wonderful to just be able and pick up for a few quick stitches. The only thing to remember is the front parade of yarn overs that separate the round body from the triangular front sections. Easy peasy----- wonderfully Zen. You can see the line of holes marching through the knitting next to her right hand in the photo above. She started out the day tired, poor baby and sat for the knitting portrait---- but you can see more of her wedding gown below.

Her dress was lovely, I'm especially fond of the NON strapless variety. They have a more classic appeal, and because every dress in the world is strapless these days, they are 'different'. Of course they fit so much better too and there is a lot less 'grabbing of the girls' to make sure that they are firmly ensconced in their tulle and lace prison. Mrs. H's dress was allover lace with a very flattering one inch satin bow tacked in the center front and trailing around back to give a pretty diagonal leading line. Her bridesmaids were loads of fun and wore fabulous shoes and pretty cute dresses, very 'cocktail-y'. Do check out the ink of the matron of honor! Woo----eeeeeeeeeeee. I discovered at the end of the day that her ink was all 'alcohol related' and that was why she no longer consumed alcohol I could only smile. You should see the sides as well as the front!

Knit Group was absolutely fabulous yesterday, the day was bright and warm and there were no shortage of laughs (as always). A wonderful option was presented to me that quite frankly I had never thought of! Instead of actually knitting 'Twilight" the long suffering Two at a Time socks, I could have PAID a stunt knitter to actually make a pair for me! Heckfire, I could then have presented them as my own with no one being the wiser. Somehow this option sort of intrigues me! We did have a very good conversation about tattoos, maybe we should all go together to get one?? How much fun would that be! I'll take the photographs!

After taking a couple hours this afternoon from studio madness to see S*x and the City---- yay--- I'll be stitching on the binding for my bright and happy table runner. For some reason, I can't wait to have it finished and placed on the dining room table.

It is after all the small things in life that bring us joy!!!!

We all need more joy!

Knitting Bride and Knitting?

Even Erica the lovely knitting bride seems incredulous!!!!!! What??????

Is that "Twilight" in her hands? Could it be????

Turned heels even!

Quite mean of me to ask you to notice the socks a la Melissa and Two at a Time Socks but there you have it.

The bride was sweet as pie too, wasn't she? It was a blessing to have had a military wedding (of sorts) on Memorial Day weekend, the groom was in the Air Force and had just come back from a tour in Iraq bless his heart! This bride was the last in a long line of children from a family that we've done all of their weddings. We knew two things going in, we'd see a lot of former brides and grooms all in one place, and that there would be loads of handmade bridal goodness.

Erica and her family made almost everything, and auntie even did the alterations on the wedding dress and the bridesmaids dresses, in other words they fit--- always nice and unbelievably rare. The cake was made with love (and delicious), even the bridal bouquet and much of the rehearsal decorations. It made us all smile to see that much familial love all joined together for such a lovely cause!

Now, "Twilight"............... yes I do still have to pick up the gusset and get on with it and no I haven't done so. I've made progress, lets not go crazy now!

Summer Mindless Knitting has begun in earnest with a gloriously lovely cast on------ Pi Are Square by Elizabeth Zimmerman. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. What can you say for miles of glorious garter punctuated by the occasional lacey holes of yo's? Delightful! It is wonderful having such a project to tote around in the craziness of the season. The yarn is from KnitPicks, Campfire in Shadow--- a lovely laceweight. I'm knitting the shawl on Denise 9's, lacey and airy but not overly so.

Garden and planters have been finally filled with blossomy good stuff, I absolutely refused to let the chilly wet spring find me with holes in the garden bed when June came around! The squirrels, whom I hate with mad abandon, have taken to snacking on the lovely orange and red marigold blossoms. Other than spray them with a mixture of soap and hot sauce I really don't know what to do to discourage the evil brats!

"Made by Hand" by James Howard Kuntzler is about half read, thanks to the recommendation by Mrs. Runcible. LOVE this book, although a bit grim and even depressing in spots I am having a hard time putting it down. How I would love to be able to borrow Kelley Petkun's trick of reading a novel while knitting, it just doesn't happen for me and I didn't want to go the route of the book on tape. There are just some stories that need to come through the eye gates and be held in the hand, words formed in the mind and savored, this is such a book for me.

The camera will get drug out very soon for a bit of a show of the new shawl, the socks, the garden and the little quilted project that makes me smile.

Fierce Knitting Bride

Wrangling a bride on Saturday------ out of town engagement session on Sunday---- commercial shoots yesterday and today, plus a looming deadline on a bride-y article I'm finishing--today equates to crazy busy. I do want to share my knitting bride from last weekend---- she was a 'fierce' bride------ we have shots where she took a turn on some kids skateboard out on location, truly great!

She was lovely and her dress was solid drapey lace with a lacey, overembroidered and jeweled sash, very pretty and loads of fun! Kelly was more than happy to pose with my knitting, she said that she would rock it! I think she did that admirably!

The knitting in the photo is my mindless travel knitting, I had started it en route on Saturday morning. I loved my recent yarn acquisition, I was delighted when it arrived. But knowing my schedule for the foreseeable future made it perfectly clear that the darling cap, wrist warmers, bag and lacey mat from the enclosed pattern were not going to become happenin' thangs. Basically, I did a quick cannibalization of the yarn collection, wound it all up on my Dirter and tucked it into a travel bag to take on the run. A fast down and dirty, beautifully mindless log cabin style knit. I love the yellow at the center, very sunny and happy. I'm not sure how big it will be when it is all said and done, or the grand finale, for now the knitting is the pure pleasure of it. Rows of garter stitch paradise, in and out of cars and dealing with badoodles of details.

The yarn is lovely isn't it?????? It is the "Georgian Sampler" from KnitPicks. You will also notice a fresh spankin' new size one 40 inch circ. This of course means that while my Two at a Time socks are currently in hiatus, I have hope, HOPE that this method will not be given up! Whatcha think Melissa?

The only yarn I'm really not crazy about is the blue boucle----- although I love the color and it is great in the mix of things. If you listen to Kathy from Webs each week on the podcast from Webs then you know her pronounciation as BOO-KUL. I shamefully admit that it is my pronounciation as well. Great cottony yarns, the bookul? Not so much.

I'm zen knitting, staying calm and taking it all a second at a time! Am I the only one who takes on a project not as much for the finished product but for the pleasure of the sticks?

Knitting Bride & Lambe Bag

It just wouldn't be wedding season without being able to feature some of my knitting brides. This is Ashley, isn't she pretty? Such a pretty bride! As with most of my brides, they know that at some point in their day they will hold my current knitting and enjoy it! Every single time without exception, they are just lovely about it! Ashley even asked when the knitting photo came? Made me laugh that girl did! Her dress was not a Vera Wang as our last few have been, but I have to say that she worked that dress as if it were. One of my very favorite things was her veil, a little shortie that was nice and full and beautifully beaded---- and she wore it with the blusher as she made her way down the aisle.

As someone who does the bride thing for a living I am a tough cookie, a little cynical around the edges and I don't easily get mushy. Having said that, a dad lifting the veil for that end of the aisle kiss pretty much does it for me every time. In the photo above the dad and bride practiced this quite a few times, it was funny/sweet/cute all at the same time.

So pose with knitting she did, -- for Mrs. Lear--- we're outside the Muny next to the box office and the temperature is a cool 67 degrees.

My bride totally rocked Lambe didn't she????? As you can see from the photo the lovely bag was nearing completion.

We shall not discuss the cable faux pas either. I was working on it in the back of the church, driving to and from the brides home and on location and quite frankly I fluffed it. The solution, along with the finished bag (which is dang cute) will follow on the next post.

So here is what really got me, and I am to be commended by all of you for not kicking a particular bridesmaid in the shins. These girls are mid 20's, career girls, well educated and I thought them to be quite evolved. After the last knitting bride photo was snapped and I thanked the bride, I take Lambe from her and am walking to the bench to put it back into my bag. This ignorant little miss says (loudly) "Hey----- all you need to go with that knitting is a vacuum cleaner!" WHOA!!!!!!!! See what I mean? She did deserve a kick in the, well you know.

Spring here in St. Louis has taken another hiatus, there was frost in the outlying valleys last night. Thankfully my peonies and roses were not affected, that would make me cranky! I'm up to my ears at the studio and want nothing more than to go into the sewing room and putter a bit. At the very least I think I will get Lambe finished up, I'm modifying the handles and lining it so it will take just a bit more time.

Hope your part of the world is far warmer than it is here!

Knitting, Brides& Loneliness

C'mon........ that is one gorgeous sleeve! In all of it's lovely Noro striping wonder, now appearing is sleeve one, almost finished now. The cuff is about 2 inches high and worked sideways, I-Cord surrounds the top and bottom and the sleeve itself is picked up and rises above the I-Cord increasing merrily. It's a bit of a pleasure to knit the sleeve after all of the mitered square fussiness. It's garter stitch, smooth sailing!

The bride and groom? Aren't they gorgeous as well? It was sort of a sad day for me knowing that when Mike and Michelle got married there would be far less contact than there has been over the past year when we did four engagement sessions with them. They are after all, one of my absolute favorite wedding couples. We love their extended family (with two former brides and grooms among them) and we've done family portraits and events for their wide circle of family and friends. These two are super special though, just a delight! Michelle is not only pretty as can be but so sweet and kind and genuine you are really taken by the whole package that is this woman. Her husband Mike is probably one of my favorite grooms EVER. Let me tell you, everybody just adores Mike! He reminds me a lot of my son although not in appearance, but in personality. Mike is the nicest guy in the world with an A+++ personality, funny---- warm, kind genuine, and adorable! When I asked them to pose with my knitting they immediately agreed and Mike said "Hey, I'm here for you, I am all about the knitting blog!" Whatta guy! I am pleased to report that their wedding ceremony was beautiful, Mike WROTE A SONG for Michelle and his cousin performed it right in the middle of Mass! So romantic! Then when we went out on two hours of location photography we just had the best time AND the weather was near perfect, sunny and with a nice breeze to keep it from being too (unseasonably) hot. The reception was held at a lovely country club and it was such a very nice event. I know you want the "Cake Report" but I must tell you first that dinner was unquestionably the best meal I've ever had at a wedding reception, filet medium rare, skin on garlic mashed potatoes, a veggie medley and all that yumminess was preceded by a really good Caesar salad. Fab! A glass of wine would have been great but y'know---- that working thing! Cake was merely 'okay', white cake white frosting---- it was rather typical wedding cake. Do not for one moment be tempted to believe that I did not eat every bite and scrape the plate with my fork of every squidgel of that sweet wedding cake frosting!

The funny thing about the day, with funny being not the word I'd use, is that I cried all day long. Really, all day long. It started at the church when the bride's dad kept crying------awwwwwww so touching! They were a dad and daughter who really and truly loved each other so much! Then I cried during the ceremony, if you could have seen the look on Mike's face when Michelle came down the aisle, wow! Of course during the song he wrote for her (titled "THE ONE") I was damn near losing it--- no Kleenex and knowing I'd look like rat pooty for the rest of the day! I kept it together pretty much on location as we were in and out of the car/bus so often and I was busy with bride wrangling. The reception? Oh dear............... sniffle city. Remember, I do this every week and almost never cry! The first dance was so sweet, the father bride dance was heart wrenching (of course they danced to "I Loved Her First") and the other little details that comprise a wedding reception were just achingly fresh and sweet. Occasionally during the reception we have a laptop slideshow of a few of the day's images so I'm busier, but on this evening I really had almost nothing to do. After eating of course. At one point I was in the back room (used for lunches at the club perhaps) which was empty of guests and there was a side door going out, I could see a patch of gravel against the building and all I could think about was how much I wanted to go outside, curl up there and just sob like I couldn't stop........... cry for everything and anything that was now or had ever been missing in my life. I was at that moment more lonely than I've ever been in my life. Achingly, emptily, sadly, horribly alone.

Friends are the jewels in your life, they love you no matter what, support you in all ventures, keep your head above the water when your going down and make you laugh for the good as well as the bad. My friends have, for the most part, all sailed away. Since arriving in a new town four years ago I am relatively friendless. The two guys across the street whom I adore don't count, they just don't. And that my Blitters, just sucks. Up until the gravel called me to sit and reflect, to fully embrace my sadness, and to cry buckets I had largely ignored this fact. This truth. I'd rolled along laboring under the notion that it was OKAY. After all, I've always been really, really good at being solo---- I like my own company, I love 'me time', and I'm pretty good at entertaining myself. I guess the crowning touch was when I was pulling email. The email addresses come across for those who have gone to view events we currently have online; weddings, engagement sessions, family portraits, kids, babies, etc. One of the names that jumped out from the screen (out of nowhere) was that of a woman who used to be My Friend. She betrayed me, cut me loose and really hurt me at a time when I needed friends most. That particular time in my life is still raw and painful. Seeing her name was like a blow to the gut that took my breath away, and yes I've been sniffling ever since.

It is going to be just fine---- it always is. But for now I'm still a little weepy. I went to bed last night at 9 o'clock----- maybe with a bit more sleep and maybe a cup of good coffee from the place down the street from the Brand New Studio Location, the sun will shine again.