5 Reasons to Rent & Watch: Lars & the Real Girl

From Lars & the Real Girl

5.  It's a completely original, unique and beautiful story.

4.  It'll make even the most jaded amongst us, believe in the power of human compassion.

3.  There's knitwear all over the place in this movie!  My favorite is a simple, lace baby blanket that Lars wears around his neck whenever he needs comfort...which is most of the time.

2.  The writer, director and actors managed to pull off the whole "small town rallying around one cause" thing, without there being an ounce of movie-of-the-week cheesiness involved.

1.  Ryan Gosling is a knitter.

 ( If Ryan ever decides to write a knitting book, he should call it: "Lars & the Real Purl".  Thank you and good night!)

Ask Etsy!

Hey all! Tomorrow I interview Etsy big-wiggy Matt, for CRL. Got any hot burning questions you'd like me to ask him about the inner workings of the company, tips he might have, how did get your stuff featured on the front page, etc, etc? If so, post 'em here before 9amCT tomorrow and I'll see if I can work some of them in.

Ok, off to teach a crochet market bag at Hill Country Weavers. Night!

xo, Vic

Linkland USA!

Hi all, I'm back from all kinds of traveling.  I'll post pictures and adventures as soon as I get caught-up.  In the meantime though, wowzers, there were some cool mentions of my various projects while I was out of town! Here's a list, if you're interested in checking them out:

Etsy Storque

The Crafty Sitter

Confessions of a Compulsive Crafter

Rachel's Knitting Corner

Craft Mag Blog

The Point Cafe

The Toy Society

Washington City Paper's Blog

Art Like Bread

Artist's Life on Craft Gossip

Madison Avenue Baby

Alpaca Fibers

Crafty Chica

DIYOD

Sew Bettie

Hunky Dory Links

Starving Crafter

Happy link following!

xo, Vic

Tank Girl--Free Pattern!

Greetings from California!  Just a quick post to let you know that my Tank Girl camisole is up as one of the Surprise projects on the Summer Issue of Knitty.  

It's simple tank top with a touch of tailoring can be a gal's best friend during the wretchedly hot, summer months. Tank Girl fits the B/F/F bill!

It's quick and classic at the bottom with a subtle drop-stitch rebellion, set asymmetrically on both front and back. A change in needle size and brief ribbing nips the garment in to hug the feminine curves accentuated by the darted bust, giving it a delicate, camisole feel.

Tank Girl can be worn as shown here with capris & platforms...

with a flow-y skirt and strappy sandals or, layered with a contrasting t-shirt and paired with jeans and Chucks (this is how I wear it but the editors weren't a fan, hence the "nice girl" shots ;)).

It's quick to work up, cooling in my organic cotton yarn and extremely versatile. C'mon, get tanked with me!

xo, Vickie

NC & CC

The little book that could--my crochet project that was put into works 3 years ago, then put on hold, then switched to different management--Pop Goes Crochet (formerly Catwalk Crochet) is FINALLY, semi-nearing completion with a publishing date of Spring '09.  We wanted this book to still be fresh and relevant, even so long after it's conception, so the theme has changed a bit. Instead of focusing on the already well-covered fashion aspect, my book will play with the role pop culture has had in the evolution of crochet style.  You know how I loves me the pop culture, so I'm really excited about this new angle!  

I leave for Asheville, NC (where the publishing offices are) tomorrow to begin styling and photography.  Since I've had 1 book (Knit Aid) come out and begun writing 2 more (Eco-Stitch and Craft Corps) since Pop Goes Crochet, I feel really disconnected from it.  I'm really looking forward to diving back into it for the next few days.  I'll try and remember to take a few candids of the shoot to share when I get back.

That said, I probably won't be posting much, if at all, next week.  I will however, be checking in all quick-like at Craft Gossip.  If you haven't read my last few posts on new goodies and happenings in the knitting world, be sure to stop on by!

While I'm gone, please take the time to submit a profile for Craft Corps.  I'm thrilled that I've already received a ton of e-mails, but I want to make sure to have a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, crafting levels and genres represented in the finished product.  I'm so excited to be working on something that I can include everyone from sculptors, to collage artists, to needle pointers in.  Please make sure to pass yesterday's post along to every crafty person you know! :)

Speaking of CC, a HUGE community shout out to the below ladies for helping to spread the word on their blogs:

Claudine Helmuth

Cathie Filian

Mix Tape Zine

Margot Potter

Average Jane Crafter

Mama Sings the Blues

Have a great week, everyone!

xo, Vickie

Join the Craft Corps!

Calling all crafters! I’m gearing up to write my next book, Craft Corps (pronounced Craft Core) which will focus on the community perpetuated by craft and the designers & hobbyists who feed it. As part of the content, I’m hoping to include 50-60 short profiles of crafters of all types. If you knit, crochet, embroider, decoupage, paint, sew, bead, tat, work with ceramics, collage, etc.---I want to hear from you! Whether you’ve found success selling your handmade sock monkeys on Etsy or you crochet chemo caps for charity, I want to know who you are, what you craft and why you do it.  YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE PROFESSIONAL CRAFTERS (in fact, it's preferable as the book's other content will focus on that)!

I’ve been fortunate enough over the years to receive e-mails from people all over the world, sharing their favorite memory of crafting, what crafting has done for them or what got them started and how they’ll never stop. These stories--from hilarious craft mishaps to touching crafty life stories-- have inspired me to collect more to share with the public, handmade community.  

If you’re interested in possibly being a part of Craft Corps, please fill out the following questionnaire, cut and paste it into the body of an e-mail, and send it to: craftcorps@gmail.com as soon as possible (but no later than AUGUST 15th.)  If we’re able to use your profile, an editor will contact you directly with more info.

Thank you so much for participating! xo, Vickie

P.S.  Stay tuned for the Craft Corps website

P.P.S.  Please pass this along to every crafter you know!

Craft Corps 

Crafter Profilee Form

Name:

Age:

Location:

Profession (If you’re in school just put what level of student, ie College Student, Middle School Student, ect.):

Craft(s) of Choice:

Blog (if applicable): 


Memory, Story or Anecdote related to crafting in your life (no more than 250 words):

Having trouble?  Here's an example to give you a little inspiration!

Sample Crafter Profile

Name: Libby Bailey (aka my mom)
Age: 64
Location: Lakewood, California
Profession: High School Special Education Teacher
Craft(s) of choice: Knitting, without a doubt.

“All of my life, the most important thing to me was becoming a mother, in the true sense of the word--not just one who gave birth. When my kids were little, my focus was being the kind of mother that mine wasn’t. Back then in my mind, one way to do this was to home-craft. Knitting made the first connection when for my brand new daughter, I made her a pretty, pink Scandinavian sweater and put it on her little body saying, “Mommy made this, just for you.” After that, every year I repeated the sweater in a different color and size. When her brother joined us, every year there were two sweaters knit by their mother’s hands.

As my children grew, there were many crafts we did together, as a family--with mommy’s hands, teaching little hands. And now, decades later, the little girl all grown up, teaches her mother the advanced intricacies of knitting. The circle is complete.”

Nylon Knitters

I was flipping through a copy of NYLON Magazine (the one with Scarlett Johansson on the cover) and randomly came across not one but TWO of my friends/former guests from Knitty Gritty, featured within its pages! It's unlikely that the editors knew they were featuring a healthy dose of knitter in their "Music Issue" (because these particular stitchers also happen to be rock stars) but nevertheless it's clear, Nylon *hearts* knitters.

Share (Pedersen) Ross, former bassist of '80s metal band Vixen and current front woman of Bubble, was a guest on the guitar strap and Janis Tank episodes of the show.  She's also the author of the irreverently designed, Punk Knits.

Kelley Deal of the Breeders (currently touring for their latest--and perhaps greatest-- cd, Mountain Battles), appeared on a felted bag episode of the show, demoing Swiss darning (aka the duplicate stitch).  She's also the author of the book, Bags that Rock: Knitting on the Road with Kelley Deal (which I was lucky enough to get to write a cover quote for), which hits shelves this November.

Have I mentioned lately how much knitting rocks?  Okgoodthanksbye.

xo,

Vickie

Knitster Notes

Hey all.  Hope you're holiday weekend was cracktastic!  Wait, that doesn't sound right.  What I mean is, that I hope you had a blast watching fireworks with your friends and family...which in no way should've involved actual Crack.  Crack is wack, yo.  Ok, then.

I've gotten e-mails asking for links to people/things mentioned in Knitty Gritty Knitsters and noticed that DIY didn't include show notes on their website so, I thought I'd go ahead and just do that here.  I was only a part of the segments that I was physically on camera for though, so this links list was made from the info I could dig up on the web after watching the special myself (meaning, I apologize if I've left someone out or don't have the scoop you're looking for).

Ok, here goes (in order of appearance):

Naptown Roller Girls

Knockdown Knits: 30 Projects from the Roller Derby Track, by Toni Carr

Althea Merback (miniature knits)

Pate Conaway (ginormous knits)

Film School (band)

The Pity Party (band)

The Museum of Kitschy Stitches (book that sweater worn in Indie Band segment came from)

Space MTN (band)

Kelly DeMartino (musician)

Eskimohunter (band)

Lisa Gentry (Fastest Knitter)

Lily Chin 

Knitta

City Knits

Lisa Loeb

A Mano Yarn Center

Joy Kampia O'Shell (Crocheted Food)

Warm Up America

Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott

Stitch n Pitch

Sweater I'm wearing in the last segment was designed by Robyn Chachula.  Pattern will be featured in my upcoming book, Pop Goes Crochet (Spring 2009)

Thanks for watching, everyone!

xo, Vic

Knitty Gritty Knitsters!

Well folks, it's time for the last (new) Knitty Gritty hoorah.  Our one-hour specia we shot last year, Knitty Gritty Knitsters, finally airs this Thursday, July 3rd at 9:30amPT/11:30amCT/12:30pmET!

Whether you gather a group at your house for a little screening brunch, or Tivo it to watch on your own later, I hope you'll tune in because the special benefits one of my favorite charity organizations, Warm Up America.  

I traveled the country collecting squares (that would be pieced together to form blankets) from Knitsters everywhere from Charleston, South Carolina to Los Angeles, California.  We chatted with fellow stitchers ranging from 20-something indie musicians who knit in between gigs, to great-grandmothers who can't remember a time in their lives when they weren't holding a pair of needles.  I shot the knit with Tori Spelling and Dean Mc Dermott's at their wine country Bed & Breakfast, tagged the streets of Houston with hand-knit yarn cozies, ate gourmet goodies and supply shopped with my friend Lisa Loeb, and hit the ground skating with the Naptown Roller Girls (who all knit before derby bouts).

I had a blast working on this project and hope you'll enjoy seeing the range of people in our country who have one, craftastic thing in common: a love for the knit.

As always--knit loud, knit often!

xo,

Vickie

P.S.  Gone for the holiday weekend already?  Not to worry, here's the re-air schedule: