the pixie punk knits!

new blog.

2008-02-07T15:15:00.001-07:00

click here.

get a move on!

2007-12-05T09:49:00.000-07:00

i've decided that i really need to push myself forward with my ideas of designing knitting patterns. the vogue knitting and interweave knits winter issues were disappointments to me, and today was the release of the new knitty - most people are really excited about it, but there's not a single pattern i'd knit. and for KNITTY to not have a single pattern i like is insane.

so, with the gloves i have on the go (a checkered fair isle thing) and the sweater i'm designing (which i hope will be as awesome as it is in my head) i'm making a start. but i really think i need to keep moving forward with it! because i love knitting, but only if i can find things i want to knit. :-P

actual you snag! pictures

2007-11-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

here are photos of the three pairs of my you snag! glovelettes i've been working on. coming soon are the you snag! sweater (already in the knitting stage), check you out! glovelettes (one of the pair is finished and the pattern is finalized) and a few other things. i guess i've got the designing bug, though i'm starting small.

here's the pattern link again.

in yarn oddities 'time bomb'

in yarn oddities 'rebel rebel'

in cherry tree hill supersock, 'autumn foliage' or some name like that (i forget...)

stuff i've been spinning

2007-11-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

with thanks and <3 to momma-monkey.

the first is pixie dust from copperpot woolies, the second is hibiscus from spunky eclectic.

i have two others that i've finished but i haven't had time to photo them. they'll be up soon!

i'm thinking voodoo wrist warmers for the purple, and mittens for the orange.

you snag! glovelettes

2007-11-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

hello lovelies!

my computer is giving me issues, so i can't really post pictures right now. however, i really want you all to be able to see what i worked on last weekend... my first-ever pattern!

it's called you snag! and it's for a pair of top-down punk glovelettes with dropped stitches. i've made two pairs already and i'm starting on a third... they're so comfy, and easy too. definitely a beginner level.

pattern is here for downloading!

i'm already working on a sweater based on the same stitch pattern. i really like it, what can i say?

health update.

2007-10-27T14:41:00.000-06:00

i just wanted everyone to know that my test results came back in my favour. there are certainly some medical issues i have to deal with, in regards to the lumps and sores on my breasts, but they're not cancer. right now, that's MORE than good enough for me.

thank you for all the love and well wishes that everyone has sent my way...

loooooong week.

2007-10-15T13:06:00.000-06:00

yes, i still haven't caught up on posting or blogstalking or anything, but i'm working toward it. life itself is a little bit crazy right now.

my boss at the radio station quit, so i'm doing her job and mine both, plus working on air hours, plus rehearsing two nights a week with my jazz group, and then still trying to get up to date in yarn oddity orders and stuff for the store. also working on that GINORMOUS order for robyn's november sock club at robyn's nest, which is going to be so awesome.

anyway, things were thrown for a loop this week as i had to go in to the doctor to have a core cut out of a lump in my left breast, so that they could send it away for biopsy. and now i'm just... on edge, is really the only way to describe it. apparently it could take over a month for results.

so until then, i'm going to work a lot to take my mind off of things, spoil myself in little ways to keep myself happy, and just generally try not to wonder whether i have cancer.

so, due to a flurry of keep-myself-busy creativity this week, you will soon be seeing new colourways... more of 'bad brains' and 'spooky girlfriend', and the appearance of 'moods for moderns', 'this sad burlesque', and 'the elements within her'. i'm really excited about all of them.

if you have a request for a yarn oddity for yourself, this week would be a great time to do it.

take care of yourselves, my lovelies, and more from me soon.

i still knit..

2007-10-09T12:58:00.000-06:00

..it's just that most of what i've been knitting is stuff that was a big secret. ;-) i had three downstream pals in the recent knittyboard sock swap, so i had to wait until they had their socks before i could share pictures. there's still one more pair coming, and some other stuff that i also can't show yet, but in the meantime:

beatrix, from monkey toes, for mean girl. knit in 'chinese rocks' yarn oddity

clementine, also from monkey toes, for lkmanitou. knit in 'we want the airwaves' yarn oddity

i <3 socks, and my favourite patterns are all momma-monkey's.

more dyeing pr0n

2007-10-09T12:46:00.000-06:00

(if it's dyeing pr0n, does that make this a snuff entry? okay, okay, bad joke.)

anyhow, here's what else has been cooking up in the yarn oddities studio:

my darling 'rebel, rebel', which is currently for sale at pixieriot.etsy.com

custom order 'she talks to rainbows'

close-up

'bad brains', also a custom order, but a skein will be available as a prize in my contest at socktopia

blurry as all hell, TEN skeins of 'the birds will still be singing', a colourway available exclusively at robyn's nest

close-up, but the lighting was weird and the colour is off. the photo that shows all ten skeins has the true colours

'deep, dark, truthful mirror', on its way to a secret pal who doesn't read this blog :P

'imperial bedroom', the second semi-solid i've ever done, for the same pal

close-up

in the shop right now: two skeins of rebel, rebel and three pick-your-own-colour custom skeins, so check it out.

also, i'm doing the november sock club for robyn's nest (link above) and the yarn is SO cool... robyn had a bit of an idea, and i just sort of flew with it. you're going to love it! the catch is, since the sock club kits go out in november, i won't be blogging pictures of it until DECEMBER... so the only way to see it before then is to sign up. ;-)

up next, actual KNITTING content, oh my!

yarn oddities pron friday

2007-10-05T08:57:00.000-06:00

all of today's yarn pr0n comes to you from my basement studio (ha ha ha, it's actually a bathroom with a BIG sink attached to a storage room with a deepfreeze that makes a great dyeing surface), production headquarters of yarn oddities. so, this is what i've been up to lately! (and more to come as soon as i get the pics off of emma's camera.)

loudmouth:

babysitter:

gimme gimme shock treatment:

havana affair:

chewing gum:

my mood swings (more purple than it looks here):

sad about girls:

rebel rebel (currently available at etsy):

miss mary (part of a set for knitherapy):

sneaky feelings (also for knitherapy):

that's all i've got for this time, but trust me, there's more! plus this is a dyeing weekend.

and the seasons, they go 'round and 'round

2007-10-04T18:39:00.000-06:00

and the painted ponies go up and down.... sorry, random joni mitchell moment there. are you ready to see what i've been spinning?

up first, party girl by copperpot at etsy, 4 or 5 oz spun into singles and then plied together. oh, everything on this page is spun on a drop spindle from spinsanity at etsy, by the way. it's so great!

it's so soft and pretty, i'm going to have a lot of fun knitting it up. it's kind of a sport/dk weight, so next i thought i would try to spin some actual sock yarn. i think these singles are almost there, but i haven't plied them yet. they're atomic melon from spunky eclectic, with many thanks to momma monkey. it was such a nice surprise!

and up last, the batch of spinning that i'm working on right now, a custom batch of fiber from copperpot again. her fiber is AMAZING! just one shot, a little fuzzy. this batch is definitely going to be sock yarn, and i have 8 oz to work with... i'm so lucky!!!!

there's still yarn pr0n to come, but i think i'll post it a little later tonight.

not only am I alive...

2007-10-04T18:27:00.000-06:00

but i've been knitting! look, i can prove it:

it's gwen, from monkey toes, and i LOVE these socks so much. they're on my feet right now. yarn is regia, ringel stripe i believe it's called, from my lovely pal in the mini punk rock gift exchange.

currently in progress:

broadripple socks for my new roommate, lorna's laces shepherd sock in iris garden

we call them pirates hat for me! all in knitpicks palette from a trade. i'll be making the mittens to match it, too. there's other stuff i've been knitting, but i either can't share it yet, or i don't have pictures right now. they'll be coming up as soon as i can.

oh, here's another one! toddler socks, gooey by momma-monkey at monkey toes. such a cute pattern, check it out! knitted in yarn oddities, 'gimme gimme shock treatment' colourway.

up next, what i've been spinning!

it's like being in star trek!

2007-10-01T15:09:00.000-06:00

we got new phones at work today. they're black and silver and totally covered with buttons that light up. the display has a built in directory of all staff numbers, and it even coordinates with your voicemail. it's so cool... oh man. it seriously makes me feel like i'm in star trek, especially since my last phone before this was a $10 panasonic cheapie from radio shack.

the projects i've been working on lately are finally seeing the light of day, so i'll be able to start showing you. most of it has been secret, either because it was test-knitting for patterns, or because it was for secret pals. so as soon as i find my camera (i misplaced it this weekend in the midst of my birthday festivities, but it's in my house somewhere!) you can expect pictures of things i have knit, things i have recieved, etc etc. well, the things i've knit will happen sooner because i already have pics of them, seeing as they've gone away. i just haven't uploaded yet.

oh, and i have spinning pictures to show you, too! i've been doing a lot of spinning and it's going really, really well. i have some gorgeous purple handspun from some copperpot roving, and some atomic melon from spunky eclectic that isn't plied yet, but still looks great!

hm, what else, what else... i cast on for we call them pirates this weekend. i'm already more than halfway through... it's actually a really fast knit! i'll try to get some in-progress pictures tonight.

thanks to everyone who's sent love and support. i'm still busy as all hell, but i'm feeling more like me, and that's a very good feeling.

oh, and p.s. - i sold yarn on etsy! it was SO EXCITING! hee hee.

<3

2007-09-25T14:06:00.000-06:00

the store has three skeins of the signature rebel, rebel colourway... and also five shots at buying a totally one-of-a-kind custom yarn oddity, dyed to your very own specs. check it out if you can... thanks guys.

a couple of oddities

2007-09-24T17:23:00.000-06:00

if anyone is interested, i'll be posting three skeins of pq001-'rebel, rebel' on etsy tonight.

it's the signature yarn oddities colourway... black and hot pink with some lime green.

proceeds from the sales of these skeins will go directly back into yarn oddities, to help it get financially stable after the less-than-awesome circumstances lately.

anyway, it's freakin' awesome, so you should check it out. i guess it'll be posted around midnight e.s.t. so maybe check in the morning.

<3 <3 <3

forever in that birdland in the sky

2007-09-11T15:01:00.000-06:00

RIP joe zawinul.

you changed the face of jazz and funk, and made this world a far more interesting place.

missing countdowns

2007-09-09T23:18:00.000-06:00

in case anyone is wondering what happened to the two tickers on the site...

i'm no longer going to the monterey jazz festival, and yarn oddities is no longer opening at the end of the month.

i'm not sure when the store will open, but i will let people know as soon as i have a better idea.

maybe another month or two? i don't know.

any custom orders will proceed as normal, so don't worry if you've placed one.

i'll also continue to do one- and two-skein custom requests if anyone has any.

expect all to be quiet on the blog front until there's news.

p.s.

2007-08-30T13:04:00.000-06:00

i forgot to mention yesterday...

come roleplay harry potter with my friends and i.

set when harry's parents were in school...

it's SO MUCH FUN!

we're looking for james potter, peter pettigrew, loads of teachers and death eaters and order members.

come check it out.

furtum potentia - right here. if you apply (which you SHOULD!) tell them that pixie sent you.

tasty tasty diet coke

2007-08-29T12:44:00.000-06:00

hi all.

yes, pixie's been crazy quiet for a while. i've just needed it. don't worry, though. i'm still knitting and dyeing away, and the first big batch of yarn oddities are in full production swing! more yarn will be arriving this week.

i'm also doing some work for robyn's nest which i'm REALLY looking forward to.

yarn oddities will open as planned on SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29th! (one month away! eek!) here's a handy counter to help you remember, hee hee:

for the opening weekend, saturday and sunday only, there will be NO SHIPPING CHARGE on any orders! so make sure you get in there on those two days. also, there will be bloggy previews of the yarn oddities before they get posted in the store, so watch for that too!

otherwise... well, how about you leave me a comment and tell me about something really cool that's happened to you lately? i could use that.

i'll let you guys know as soon as there's more yarn oddities news!

actual spinning!

2007-08-10T10:46:00.000-06:00

on the weekend, i spent a LOT of time spinning with my lovely new drop spindle, and i'm getting MUCH better at it! i ordered some custom fibre from copperpot on etsy, and have my amazing spindle from spinsanity, also at etsy. check them both out!

what i spun actually turned out SO well that i've started knitting with it! it is such a cool feeling to be knitting with my own handspun!

here are a few pics.

thanks to all of the WONDERFUL people who have been giving me spinning advice. this is sooooo much fun!

in other news, a HUGE box of acid dyes and supplies arrived yesterday, so i've got a crazy number of colours to choose from, and unlimited mixing potential. it's so exciting! i have the first 15 colourways already designed and written down, so i just have to wait for my yarn to get here and i'm set!

things be looking up. :-P

rut-bustin' sock swap!

2007-08-09T15:05:00.000-06:00

it turned out that pixiehollowriot, my upstream in the knittyboard rut busting sock swap, was none other than the lovely aitara!

so i want to take a moment on my way out the door to show you all my FANTASTIC goodies! my goodness.

all of the goodies in one place!

all packed in this funky little bag.

who knew there was jack skellington lip balm?!?! so great! also, little glow in the dark pixies, and stickers!

punk goodies AND my favourite candies, YAY!

hand-dyed yarn! i kinda want to eat this colourway...

more delicious hand-dyed yarn.

and tinkerbell! whee!

oh man, what a wonderful package. i'm in a hurry right now, but as soon as i have some more time i will link aitara's blog.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

le swag

2007-08-01T10:51:00.000-06:00

i think i've mentioned before, but all yarn oddities ship with some funky stuff. pixieriot.net postcards and the like, plus magnets and stitch markers. for the original yarn oddities, i had made stitch markers and magnets that matched the yarn, but this time around i've come up with something a little bit different. a 'signature' set of magnets, and stitch marker, that you'll get with your yarn oddities order. at least one of each, but more depending on what kind of mood i'm in, haha! hopefully also buttons, eventually, if you think that'd be cool.

the magnets are handmade and either say KNIT, PURL, YARN, or PUNK:

and the stitch markers, also handmade, have a funky black glass bead, and are made in pixieriot.net colours:

the pink beads are MUCH brighter than they look in that, they're definitely hot pink.

the last remaining orders for you 'get real' girls are shipping today! and your orders include the new gear.

let me know when your yarns reach you!

whoa. it's dusty around here.

2007-07-31T14:18:00.000-06:00

hello lovelies! i'll probably update a few times over the next day or so, but i'll start here. i've had a few worried-sounding 'where are you?' emails and comments, so i thought i'd prove to you all that i'm still alive! lots has been in the way, but i'm okay, so please don't worry. i'll update you on all that's gone on, but for now, i'll share some of what i've been doing.

i did up some custom-dyes the other night:

meet 'rockaway beach'

and 'she's a sensation'

both of which are headed to their new home tomorrow.

speaking of yarn going to its new home, here is the finished stack of 'get real', ready to go out to the lovely ladies who ordered it, also tomorrow morning!

i'm very happy with them!

speaking of dyeing, with the store opening coming up, i need to make a few decisions. one of them is as follows:

i'm currently not planning on making any more of the colourways i've already produced (get real, love you 'til tuesday, etc) until i've finished all of the new colourways and have them in the shop.

do you agree with this? or is there a colourway from that batch that you'd like to see appear alongside the new colours in the shop?

opinions are ALWAYS appreciated. more from me later...

totally lame!

2007-07-20T21:36:00.000-06:00

i saw this on a painfully emo teenager's journal. but it's funny! let's see if anyone wants to take a crack at it.

(2 Points) My name:
(5 Points) Take a stab at my middle name:
(3 Points) Do I have any piercings:
(3 Points) How tall am I:
(2 Points) What color are my eyes:
(2 Points) How old am I:
(2 Points) What work do I do:
(3 Points) What am I afraid of:
(2 Points) Do I smoke:
(3 Points) Do I drink:
(2 Points) Do I have any siblings:
(2 Points) How many:
(1 Point) Do I like 'em:
(4 Points) What's one of my favorite things to do:
(2 Points) What's my favorite food:
(3 Points) What's my favorite type of music:
(2 Points) What's my favorite TV show:
(2 Points) Who is my favorite band/artist:
(4 Points) Am I shy or outgoing:
(3 Points) Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules:
(2 Points) What’s my favourite color:
(3 Points) Name something I hate:
(4 Points) Name a talent I have:
(4 Points) What kind of shoes do I wear most often:
(4 Points) Do I have any pets:
(2 Points) Who am I dating right now:
(5 Points) What did I study in university - or am GOING to study:
(5 Points) What is the color of my room:
(5 Points) What is my worst habit:
(5 Points on creativeness) If I were stranded on a desert island, what would I bring:

80-85 Points — Stalker Extraordinaire!
70-79 Points — Hard-Working Stalker
40-69 Points — Decent Stalker
20-39 Points — Stalker-In-Training
00-19 Points — Crappy Stalker or New Stalker

yarn pr0n friday

2007-07-20T12:09:00.000-06:00

because my yarn stash is in transition, and hideously disorganized, today's yarn pr0n is the yarn i've been working on this week. erika, if you're reading this, these two skeins will be YOURS! whee!

oh yeah, i got real.

2007-07-18T13:56:00.000-06:00

last night was spent dyeing up six skeins of 'get real'. i have the green fingers to prove it, too!

i have more yarn arriving before long, so i wanted to see if anyone would like to request a skein of any of the other currently-existing yarn oddities colourways.

just visit the store and see if there's a colourway you'd like to reserve. if there is, email pixie at pixieriot dot net and let me know which colour it is you want. when the new yarn arrives, i will dye up everything that's been requested!

i just wanted to make sure i don't miss anybody, before i start dyeing the new colourways for the store.

blythe pr0n!

2007-07-18T13:52:00.000-06:00

okay, not really, but she IS in her panties. this is the sleeves-a-gogo sweater i made with leftovers of lotus yarns' headfirst for halos colourway.

pattern is sleeves-a-gogo from wooly rockers. how freakin' awesome! the yarn tails you see have been left so i can sew on snaps when i find some.

fo: purple iris monkeys

2007-07-18T13:17:00.000-06:00

i made more monkeys!

pattern is cookie a's monkey socks from knitty.com. yarn is lorna's laces shepherd sock in purple iris, knit on us1 dpns for my aunt. she has no idea i'm making her something. yay for surprises! i love knitting socks, oh man oh man...

speaking of knitting socks, i got my monkey bag in the mail last night, and it's AMAZING! just the right size to hold a sock project, with elastics to hold my needles in place, a drawstring top, and the cutest pink-black-and-white tattoo-print material! sooooo good. i hope momma-monkey is okay with linking her photo here, because my camera batteries are dead.

for more information or to buy your own, visit monkey toes on etsy!

get real is in the house.

2007-07-17T14:01:00.000-06:00

on the weekend i bought dye.

yesterday, i skeined yarn.

today, five skeins of get real come into being!

these skeins have been reserved by jacicita, tonna, kayt, erika and maya.

if you ladies could please send an email to pixie at pixieriot dot net, from the address you'd like your paypal invoice to go to, that would be awesome. i'll get the yarns out as fast as i can after payment is recieved.

thank you for supporting yarn oddities... the sale of these skeins is going a LONG way toward helping get the store up and running. and there's something VERY cool in the works that just may involve a new pattern and a designer i love... keep your ears open!

i'm thinking about a sept 1st launch date... it's a saturday, so i could spend the morning listing yarns, and i want to have a opening weekend sale!

she's here!

2007-07-14T16:38:00.000-06:00

my blythe doll is so pretty.

she'll be undergoing a lot of modification in the future... plus she needs a name... but for now, here she is!

and then there was yarn.

2007-07-14T16:33:00.000-06:00

last night, using knitchick's tutorial, i tried andean plying with my little neon single. the result was some underspun but very pretty yarn. here are some pictures... with closeups, because i missed yarn pr0n friday!

neon cat barf!

2007-07-13T17:20:00.000-06:00

...or, what happens when the pixie learns to spin.

this morning and today after work, i got out the drop spindle that arrived yesterday from spinsanity, and messed around a bit with the beautiful copperpot fibre that she sent along with it. there wasn't much, so i didn't get in much practise, but i'm ordering more so that i can really get the hang of it. anyway, here's picture evidence of my crazy yarn. i will probably wind it off, half it, and ply the two short pieces together just to see what happens. because there's not enough yarn to do anything else with, that's for sure.

so here you go, some neon cat barf:

if anyone who spins has any comments or suggestions, please, i'd love to hear them. for a while in the middle, the yarn was soooo consistent and even! and then it got thick and thin again toward the end. i guess we'll see what happens next time!

thunderbirds are go!

2007-07-12T22:32:00.000-06:00

man, thunderbirds were awesome. i fricking love supermarionation. yep yep yep.

soooo... how's things?

anyway. what's go? not thunderbirds... pixieriot.net! the new front page and store preview are up.

also, several cones of yarn are on their way. which means there will likely be a dyeing FRENZY over the next few weeks, and then a store launch!

i think my plan is to launch it on a weekend and have a discount for those two days, for the folks who get in first. that'd be supercool!

anyhow, that's all. if you're used to using the pixieriot.net link instead of the blogger one, it will work again!

pixieriot.net difficulties

2007-07-11T11:34:00.000-06:00

pixieriot.net is missing! if you noticed this and had to get here through blogger instead, worry not!

i'm just waiting on a dns change, and when it happens, you'll see a spiffy new frontpage at pixieriot.net, instead of the 'server not found' message. it just hasn't changed yet.

hopefully by the end of the day, and then you'll see the funkyness that i've been working on. :-)

pixieriot dot net is CHANGING!

2007-07-09T18:40:00.000-06:00

don't be alarmed, ladies and gentlemen. if you visit www.pixieriot.net and see something that ISN'T this blog, don't be surprised! the initial landing page will have links to the store, the gallery, AND the blog. it's just one extra click away! i'd definitely prefer people linking to pixieriot.net still, instead of to the blogger address.

however! if you click directly to the blog address, then you'll not notice any change at all.

just wanted to make sure everyone had warning!

much love,

pixie

if i don't respond to your comments...

2007-07-06T10:54:00.000-06:00

... i still <3 you! something seems to be going on with my comment notification... i just found TEN comments that didn't get emailed to me! i'm worried that something is wrong with my email, as i know someone was having stuff bounce when they sent it to me...

if you read this, can you please send an email to pixie at pixieriot dot net? if you don't get a reply by the end of the day, let me know.. via comment i guess. that way i'll know if there's stuff not getting through.

THANK YOU!

edited because i'm an IDIOT and put in the wrong email address...pb

yarn pr0n friday

2007-07-06T10:31:00.000-06:00

this yarn is DELICIOUS. oh my goodness. i can't stop petting it. swtc bamboo - i've never knit in bamboo before! yarn was won at ms. prolix's blog, and i LOVE it. oh man oh man. have some pics!

shiny shiny pretty pretty! this yarn is going to become the lace nightie from interweave knits. it's going to be so soft and comfy and slinky and lovely... i'm excited! THANK YOU MS. PROLIX!

i'm a startaholic

2007-07-05T14:31:00.000-06:00

seriously. i am. i just signed up for the mystery stole 3 kal. of course, i have no laceweight yarn in my stash, so i have to go buy some. and beads. but i only have a dollar until the thirteenth... so by the time i get the money, put it on my credit card, order the yarn, and the yarn gets here, AND i dye it... we'll probably be halfway through the kal, or even further. bah. me and my lofty ideas... but i REALLY feel the need to make this!

fo: jaywalkers and camera suckage.

2007-07-05T10:25:00.000-06:00

seriously, i'm going to need a new digital camera. macros on this one SUCK, unless they're in blindingly bright daylight! oh well, someday..

jaywalkers by grumperina, from magknits. lorna's laces shepherd sock in 'rainbow', 84 sts co, size 1 needles.

and here's a preview of the new pair i cast on last night. trekking pro natura, 92 sts co (one size up from the two in the pattern), size 1 needles. for the rockstar!

didja google me?

2007-07-04T14:48:00.000-06:00

i noticed today, looking at my statcounter info, that a lot of people get here by googling the keyword "pixieriot". who are you mysterious people who are looking for me? what have i done? aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!

no, seriously though. :-P if you googled me to get here, hi! welcome! how did you hear about me, how did you know to look for me? or are you regular readers on other people's computers who couldn't remember my url?

if you googled, please speak up? this little pixie is dying of curiosity!

100 posts!

2007-07-04T10:28:00.000-06:00

dude. this is post number one hundred! i feel like i should have a contest. but i have NO idea what the prize would be.

so... uhm... tell me what you'd like the prize to be and i'll think of a contest! first pick of one of the new yarn oddities when they're released (for free of course)? your own custom-dyed yarn oddity? custom stitch markers or magnets? one of my hand-painted canvas totes? something knitted by me? other yarn? oh heck, i don't know! suggest something.

speaking of hand-painted canvas totes, here's the one i carry around with me:

and at the request of the lovely miss maya b, here are pictures of my military sweater. i know, it doesn't quite look military yet... the 14 buttons down the side closure will help with that! and i guess the colours wouldn't really let me blend in anywhere... ;-)

i love the way this yarn looks... who doesn't dig neon tweed? okay... maybe it's best if you don't answer that... ;-)

hopefully later today i'll have a pic for you of how my first yarn oddity knitting is going. i couldn't possibly be happier with how the colours are falling... NO POOLING! yay!!!

get real - coming soon!

2007-07-03T15:42:00.000-06:00

there were a LOT of people who were disappointed at missing out on 'get real' from my first batch of yarn oddities, and a few people in robyn's journal, when she posted it, who expressed interest.

i've just ordered up yarn to make a batch of 'get real'. i should get at LEAST five skeins out of it, maybe more.

i already have maya, kayt, jacicita, tonna and erika penciled in for skeins of this colourway, but if anyone else would like to reserve a skein, please comment here! that way i can make sure you don't get missed.

edit: this is the five skeins from this batch spoken for, but if more people want 'get real', i'll make sure more gets made!

as always, the yarn will ship with matching magnets and stitch markers, some cool pixieriot.net swag, and anything else fun i have on hand. it's like a sock club package, without the club part. ;-)

yarn will be $20 USD including shipping to anywhere in the world, 400 yards of 100% superwash fingering weight merino... i'm knitting with a skein of this merino that i dyed, and it's just lovely, i'm so happy with it!

oh, and there'll be no charge until the yarn is dyed and ready to ship, no worries. :-)

i swear, i'm still alive

2007-07-03T11:01:00.000-06:00

wow. a week without posting... i think that's a record for me.

still here, still alive. shipping out a few yarn oddities this week, and trying to manage my finances... putting together the first big batch of colourways for the store is going to involve a fairly large investment... well, it's large by my standards, two or three hundred dollars. i have a seperate account for store-related finances, just so that i don't spend the money on other things... though it's tempting, because i can barely afford food this week. sigh. but i'm getting closer, mostly thanks to the support you've all shown by buying my first yarns!

i also have stitch markers for sale, if you're interested in helping me get closer to my starting-my-store goal.

i've taken pictures of my WIPs, but most of them are for swaps, so i can't show them yet! and maya asked for pictures of my military sweater... i tried to oblige, but it wouldn't photograph right in the light i had, so i'll have to try again today.

and really... i guess that's it. i've been in a bit of a dark hole the last little while, and i'm trying to drag myself out of it with happy thoughts of making pretty yarn.

yarn oddities for sale!

2007-06-26T15:55:00.000-06:00

three one-off yarn oddities today, first come first serve! fingering weight sock yarn. $15 including shipping (even international!) comment with an email address that i can send a paypal invoice to.

check the comments first to make sure the one you want is still available...

these ones are 370 yards, 100% superwash merino wool, and i love this yarn even more than the stuff i used last time! i think it's what i'm going to stick to.

by the way, yes, these are ramones songs. not david bowie. i thought i'd use a different artist for one-off and custom colours. yay ramones!

first up, 'go mental' - neon grape, orange and lime
SOLD!

next, 'somebody like you', which is very much my colours - neon pink, grape and lime
SOLD!

and lastly but not leastly, the very tasty looking purple and teal "suzy is a headbanger"
SOLD!

mini prge questionnaire

2007-06-26T14:40:00.000-06:00

i'm playing along with the mini round of the punk rock gift exchange, so here's my questionnaire. if you feel the punk knitting urges, come check it out!

1. Why are you punk?

this is a weird question. i mean, i could try to answer that i fit in with the aesthetic, or the values, or the mentality... but really, i just feel punk. isn't that the important part?

2. What are your five favorite things? (these don't have to be knit related)

my rockstar OH, music, knitting, dyeing, the people in my life that are real enough to stick around.

3. What are your three favorite things that you have made with knitting/crochet?

my loooooooooooooooong pink/red/orange/yellow neon tube scarf, the purple/red/pink military sweater i'm working on right now, and the loooooooooong harry potter style green/purple/black nightmare before christmas scarf i made for my brother.

4. What five things would you love to see in a swap box someday?

roving (i'm buying myself a spindle), jars of jaquard acid dyes (i can always use more colours), buttons, pins or patches for my hoodie (mostly vintage punk, but i would kill for a detroit cobras patch!), funky punk-y beads for making stitch markers, music that YOU love!

5. What are your three favorite yarns? What are your three least favorite yarns?

i love kona fingering superwash, i'm just playing with it for the first time.. it's lovely to work with, and to dye. cherry tree hill supersock is scrumptious! knitpicks bare is fun, too.

i don't have least favourite yarns, but i'm allergic to mohair and angora.

6. What are your five favorite delicacies?

haha. not quite delicacies, but i love diet coke, gummi candy (the kind with NO sugar/sour stuff on the outside), and of course chocolate... but i also loved steamed green veggies (especially asparagus), and have a serious soft spot for STRONG black tea with a teensy bit of milk in it.

7. What are your three favorite guilty pleasures?

crime tv shows! especially true crime, and csi:miami. staying in bed sleeping allllll day long. knitting or hanging out in knitting communities when i should be doing laundry or cleaning my house!

8. What would you like your pal to know that is not covered here?

i collect stuff. i love fraggles, vintage t-shirts, patches and pins, PEZ DISPENSERS (i have hundreds of them), things that are hot pink and black, things that are leopard print... did i mention anything that's pink? i also love tattoos and piercings, as is evidenced by how much money i spend on them.

also, i gather balls and scraps of worsted yarn, wool or acrylic or cotton, to make mitred squares for a patchwork blanket that's my ongoing project.

anything else, feel free to ask!

it's not friday...

2007-06-26T11:31:00.000-06:00

... but have some yarn pr0n anyway. i can't stop staring at the close-up of this.

edit: btw, that is a yarn oddity in one-off "suzy is a headbanger" colourway. i <3 it. i can't wait til i get my acid dyes...

dyeing and store stuff

2007-06-25T13:12:00.000-06:00

mwah. greetings all! i spent yesterday dyeing up some more yarn. three colorways are custom for sock pals i'm knitting for, and three will likely be for sale (though the provider of the undyed yarn will have first dibs on them!)

the three that will be for sale are one-offs, that won't be a part of the normal yarn oddities line. you lovelies will have first crack at them, of course, in all of their neon punk-ness.

two things i'm mainly posting about.

1) just a reminder: if there's a yarn oddity that's sold out that you're interested in, either email pixie at pixieriot dot net, or leave me a blog comment, to let me know. i'll make sure a skein gets dyed and reserved for you - but no $$ deposit is required, and if you change your mind later it's totally okay. it just gives me a good idea of how much i need to dye, and also makes sure you won't miss out on a yarn you want! i've got a lot of reservations in my little book already. FUN!

2) do you like the system i have now of posting my items in a store within my blog, and having you do your ordering via email? or, would you prefer to see my items go in an etsy store, so you can do all of your clicking and typing and purchasing through there? i'm very curious as to what you would prefer, and why. i want to make you all happy! :-)

off to get some work done now... i'll check back for responses through the day, party because i'm very curious and partly because i'm bored today. ;-)

itty bitty punky sock markers!

2007-06-21T10:27:00.000-06:00

last night, i made a whole bunch of sock-sized stitch markers. some are for a secret pal, so i can't show you! but these ones are too cute to not show you. 'knit' in six colours and 'punk' in three, and i used my very favourite black and white glass beads - they're so cool! these stitch markers are all for sale in the yarn oddities store, if you're interested.

monkey monkey monkey pal!

2007-06-20T11:37:00.000-06:00

angela marie turned out to be my monkey pal! i was SO EXCITED, because when i first saw the socks that she was working on for the swap, i wanted them so badly!

well, not only did i get the socks of my dreams, which fit wonderfully and will be worn with my doc martens for show-off-ness today, but SO MUCH other stuff!

i was planning on making myself some hot pink dishcloths after i finished the yellow ones i'm making my mama... but look what was in this box! AWESOME!

handmade 'girly with a twist' stitch markers from her own etsy store... i am IN LOVE with these!!!

crocheted matching bookmark that is already nestled inside my current read

monkey bag and 'spa girl' sugar free mints

my balls of yarn and needles for knitting blanket squares are already nestled inside the banana-lined sock monkey bag

monkey foamie kit (i'm making this tonight!) and a cute little photo album

and the whole thing was wrapped up with a pretty oregon postcard.

thank you SO MUCH, angela. there could not possibly have been a better way to start out my day... this is just incredible!

more beading!

2007-06-20T11:06:00.000-06:00

i made a bracelet and necklace for one of my best friends this week. how pretty are they? i'm thinking of making and selling some more like them.

VERY happy with how they turned out.

i got stickers!

2007-06-20T11:02:00.000-06:00

i ordered these, for on envelopes, and for on the black boxes that i've bought to package stitch markers and jewelry in. it was so exciting to get them in the mail! YAY!

czech out my yarn!

2007-06-20T10:56:00.000-06:00

i recieved a RAK from a lovely knitty in poland yesterday. thank you, emma! she bought it in the czech republic! it's the best-traveled yarn i own, for sure.

isn't this mossy green acrylic lovely? i'll make a few squares for my blanket, and i think the rest will become some supersoft comfywarm hats to go to the women's shelter this winter. they'll make someone very happy.

hokey geez, fredsgirl!

2007-06-20T10:52:00.000-06:00

my upstream pal in the knittyboard harry potter swap is calling herself fredsgirl, and she's already spoiled me rotten! she must have done her homework, because HOW PERFECT IS THIS PACKAGE?

an adorable card, harry potter stickers, dark chocolate dipped cinnamon altoids! (there were two tins, but one is living in my desk drawer at work), and the coolest magnet ever.

plus 'neurotic' mints, with a little mirror inside (so cute!) and the BEST KNEE SOCKS EVER! there's a second pair underneath that are black with a gray toe, heel, and cuff.

THANK YOU FREDSGIRL! you completely made my day yesterday.

been beadin'

2007-06-15T09:54:00.000-06:00

summer candy and dragonfly stitch markers for sale in the oddities store. just click the image above.

coming soon - punk rock stitch markers. i bought teeny skulls and handcuffs!!!

about the yarn question...

2007-06-13T17:27:00.000-06:00

i've had several people ask what TYPE of worsted weight yarn i'm collecting for my blanket. the answer is ANYTHING! soft cotton, dishcloth cotton, superwash wool, non-superwash, acrylic, bamboo.... as long as it's not mohair or cashmere (i'm allergic) i will happily take anything that's 5-10 yards, or so, for making squares for the blanket!

thanks to everyone who's sent yarn so far, i've made a few more squares, they're going to be my bus projects for the next while.

unintentional sss

2007-06-11T09:56:00.000-06:00

so, this weekend i made a jaywalker. usually if a pattern is supertrendy, i don't really think about it, but i had this lovely rainbow lorna's laces, so i decided to try it out. it seemed like the right pattern for pretty rainbowy yarn. i was right! the first jaywalker looks gorgeous, i LOVE how they fit my feet, and i will be making many more of these once i dye some more yarn!

the unintentional sss bit comes from the fact that i can't find the second ball of rainbow sock yarn anywhere... sigh.

speaking of dyed yarn, there is only one colour left! this was the yummiest. it was inspired by rocket pops, of whatever they're called in your region... those yummy red, white and blue striped popsicles. the best part was, dyeing with kool aid, it actually even smelled like them! i just wanted to eat it.

so if someone wants lost in the supermarket, let me know! i'd love it to go to a good home. just don't eat it when it arrives!

i'm off to do a bit of knitting on a rak suprise-y thing, and to eat some strawberry cheesecake ice cream. would you believe i'd NEVER had haagen dazs before this weekend? i now understand what the fuss is all about...

yarn oddities, the first

2007-06-08T20:42:00.000-06:00

edit: oh man, you guys, i can't believe there are only two left! i literally squealed just now as i was sending out paypal invoices. this is SO EXCITING FOR ME! the money from selling these is going straight into more dyeing supplies, and i'll be sending out all of the orders this week! read on to see if you want one of the last two colours left.

you've all been so lovely and patient! i would now like to present to you the very first seven yarn oddities. i am incredibly pleased with how well they turned out, and having so many pretty colours of sock yarn sitting in my living room is just a really nice feeling! :-P

the colourways are named after songs by the clash, and the colours are whatever popped into my head. this post is mostly just to show off my colours, but also - 'pressure drop' is already spoken for, as it was custom-dyed for my wee brother, but the other six are up for sale!

each skein is about 460 yards, so easily enough for a pair of socks. since they're my first tries at dyeing, i'm not expecting a lot. i'm thinking $15 US, and i'll throw in free shipping, wherever you may be (even if you're international!) ... if that sounds fair to you guys!

if you want one of them, just leave a comment to this post, and i'll make sure it's reserved for you. whatever doesn't sell over the weekend will go up in my etsy shop on monday. :-D

here we go!

KP001 - rudie can't fail - SOLD!
(neon green and peachy-orange with white... num!)

KP002 - cool confusion - SOLD!
(dark grape purple, white, and electric blue)

KP003 - lost in the supermarket
(cherry red, white, electric blue - a rocket pop duplicated in yarn!)

KP004 - if music could talk - SOLD!
(emerald green, deep purple, and some dark slate blue)

KP005 - pressure drop - not for sale
(grape and lime!)

KP006 - 1-2-crush on you - SOLD!
(purple, red, orange and vibrant yellow)

KP007 - wrong 'em boyo - SOLD!
(yellow, lots of shades of green, and some teal)

i'm just so happy that they're out here for people to see! pretty pretty.

let's dance (aka the sock post)

2007-06-08T13:19:00.000-06:00

first of all, i am currently flipping around on the internet drooling over colinette jitterbug. magneta, popsicle, all of the bright colours are so amazingly vivid! i've never seen this yarn in person, but part of me wants to go ahead and brave the exchange rate and shipping to order some... pixie wants...

one of my monkeys for the swap is blocking. the cherry tree hill supersock bloomed when washed... i wasn't expecting that at all! still, they look comfy and a good size. i'm very happy with them, i hope my monkey pal is too!

the first pixie riot yarn oddities are almost ready to be posted. three of them are spoken for already - one was custom made for my brother, and two are going into socks for my knittyboard sock swap 2 pals - but there will be four skeins for sale, and they are SUPER bright and SUPER funky! whatever kinds of colours you fancy, one of these four yarns will suit your tastes.

one of the ones that's spoken for is actually going to be overdyed a little, but that should make it the perfect colour for my sock pal. YAY!

i hate myself and i want to dye

2007-06-07T10:52:00.000-06:00

title is stolen from a book i'm reading right now. i'll post about it when i'm finished, 'cause it's fantastic. it's hilarious, and perfect for any music lovers out there.

anyhow, last night, armed with kool aid and food colouring, i dyed another four colourways (i had done one yesterday morning, and two the evening before). last night's were even better than the earlier ones!

since these are my early dyeing experiments, and they're not exactly a perfect finished product, i decided to name them after clash songs. i know that joe and mick would appreciate the imperfections.

so, rudie can't fail is re-skeined and looks INCREDIBLE. it looks professional. i can't stop staring at it, because it's so much more than i ever expected from my first-ever skein of dyed yarn! cool confusion and lost in the supermarket are hanging in the computer room, dry and ready to be re-skeined tonight... pressure drop, if music could talk, 1-2-crush on you, and wrong 'em boyo are hanging downstairs, still drying.

after everything is re-skeined, expect a huge yarn pr0n post!

pixie flambé

2007-06-05T14:23:00.000-06:00

hello lovelies! i know i've been quiet for a while. i spent the weekend in calgary with the mama and my brother, and did a wee bit of shopping. i ventured out to make one yarn studio for the first time, and it was absolutely lovely. it was so warm and cozy and friendly.. but nice and quiet and mellow, which is what i needed. $60 later i had four colours of cascade fixation to make socks for my mama, and some gorgeous handpainted wool to send as a swap to someone from the knitty forums.

then, upon arriving home, i had a parcel drop-off slip. so this morning, since i woke up three hours early, i walked up to the post office. i posted a knittyboard swap item, the stitch markers and other goodies for the four girls who won my contest, and a secret item as a RAK to another of the knittyboard girls.

i also picked up a package from knitpicks... eight skeins of bare sock yarn! YAY! i have pink and green crystal light at home, and rockstar is picking up kool aid on his way home, so tonight i teach myself how to dye. i figured that using drink mixes would be a good first step, to see if i can get the hang of it, before i go out and spend all the money on dyes...

OH! and last week before i left i got two skeins of happy fuzzy yarns in the mail, in the new hot grrl colourway... it's stunning! definitely yarn pr0n to come.

i need a good summer weather mix cd.

so, tell me a song that feels summery to you! even if it doesn't mention summer at all, that doesn't matter... just something that feels right. here's mine!

bouncing souls - sarah saturday

write it once to the music in her head
it's a perfect song, moving her along
through a broken world that changes every day
but inside sarah's head, everything's okay

(by the way, the title refers to my nasty, nasty sunburn, obtained while walking from the c-train to make one)

looking to destash?

2007-05-29T16:39:00.000-06:00

by the way... i know i'm always saying i'm looking for worsted-weight yarns for my blanket, but seriously...

if you have an odd ball of a worsted weight yarn, or even just a couple of yards worsted in any colour or type,

I AM HAPPY TO BUY THEM FROM YOU! really. i will gladly paypal you the shipping costs, plus whatever you want for the remnant or odd ball. or just shipping if that's all you want.

or something like that. but really, i would love to have your leftover worsted. i'm getting REALLY into this blanket project!

and then there were 38

2007-05-29T13:31:00.000-06:00

i knit some more squares last night. can you see the theme? i didn't get the slytherin one done, because that yarn is buried in the basement, but here are gryffindor, hufflepuff and ravenclaw!

and the stack of 38 squares as they stand right now. which, according to my calculations, is 8.6% of the total squares i need to finish the project.

i guess I should weave in ends at some point, haha.

fo: punks just wanna have fun

2007-05-29T13:20:00.000-06:00

so, i ordered myself copies of punk knits, and pretty in punk. so many cool projects! instead of making anything from either, though, what did i knit?

a very open-weave scarf made of leftover yarns, with buttons and safety pins thrown in, of course! for me, this is a great everyday scarf. with jeans and a tshirt it's kinda messy and slobby... with a black dress and black dressy trenchcoat, it's actually been to the international jazz fest's press conference. yep, totally all purpose!

the button at the throat is a purple and red tinker bell one that says 'spoiled to perfection'. it's from a set i bought in disneyland. :-)

cyndi lauper - girls just wanna have fun

some boys take a beautiful girl
and hide her away from the rest of the world
i wanna be the one to walk in the sun
oh girls, they wanna have fun
girls just wanna have fun

oh man, secret pals rock!

2007-05-29T13:09:00.000-06:00

the knittyboard spring fling has been such a freakin' blast!

my downstream, magses, is still waiting on a package from me, because i'm still waiting for canada post to deliver two things that are for her.

my upstream, the midnight farm, sent me my big last package, and it arrived yesterday! oh my goodness. let's take a look at what was inside!

first, all still (mostly) wrapped up:

with a cute crochet-pattern card... time to dust off my (somewhat weak) crochet skills!

every town has to have it's postcard landmarks - how cool is this?

hmm, what could this lovely yarn be for?

and this TINKERBELL FABRIC and interfacing?

why, to make felted music bag! this is the most perfect pattern ever... and now i have everything i need to make it!

one skein, which i have been wondering about for AGES, and pretty bookplates!

the cutest sock patterns EVER... i can't wait to make the watermelon ones!!!

and a pair of pixies, a little girl and a little boy... too cute! these are going in the planter in my living room.

i am the most spoiled pixie EVER! thank you, the midnight farm, for making my first ever SP swap such an incredible one!

spirit of the west - our station

meet me tonight, i'll buy the first round
i know a little place that you might not have found
it looks down on the city from the underground
this is our station in the heart of town.

sure it's easy being green!

2007-05-28T17:38:00.000-06:00

You Are Kermit

Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know.
You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems.
Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green.
Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

The Muppet Personality Test

more patchwork blanketness

2007-05-22T13:03:00.000-06:00

the patchwork squares are coming along... though really, i'm expecting a year or so to get them all done, and then who knows how much time to sew them together! i haven't taken any individual pictures to show how they work up, but here's the stack of them so far.

and remember, if you want to make any and send them to me, i will be loving yous forever.... hee hee. (pattern is here)

wip: armfirst for warmers

2007-05-22T12:55:00.000-06:00

this is my latest for-me project. the first is actually almost finished, now, but these are the photos that i took last night.

yarn is lotus yarns in headfirst for halos. pattern is the unnamed armwarmer pattern by pixie j. purl (no relation).

here's how they've progressed:

they'll cover up my wrist tattoo, but it's totally worth it. aren't they looking GREAT? i'm just finishing the thumb gusset now, so i'll have the first one done tonight. the second one might have to wait until after my hogwarts sweaters are done... we'll see. they knit up REALLY fast, and don't use a lot of yarn... i'll have enough left to make a pair of socks out of this yarn, too, which is AWESOME.

i highly recommend this pattern. it's so nice... a good pattern for someone who wants to try sock yarn but is afraid to try turning a heel so soon. and so warm and pretty...

my chemical romance - mama

and when we go don't blame us
we'll let the fire just bathe us
you made us all so famous
we'll never let you go

fo: om yoga mat bag

2007-05-22T12:48:00.000-06:00

so, for mothers' day, my future mil wanted a yoga mat. so since rockstar was getting her that, it only made sense to make something to go with it. so, i present stich 'n' bitch nation's om yoga mat bag, with a few variations.

it's a little bit larger than the pattern called for, because it was a larger yoga mat that we bought. also, i added in some extra colour - that soft mint green that's in the strap. i also used the same green, on size 1 dpns, to make i-cord for the drawstring instead of buying one as suggested. turned out pretty darned well! yarn is an old red heart that was RAKed to me (rose), and bernat satin (green).

the beatles - across the universe

thoughts meander like a restless wind
inside a letterbox
they tumble blindly
as they make their way
across the universe

a brief finger-stretching break.

2007-05-19T13:49:00.000-06:00

i signed up for the sock-in-a-day challenge. it ends tomorrow, so i woke up today, about three hours ago, and cast on a monkey sock for the swap. i'm knitting away madly, and i'm desperately hoping i'll get it finished today. i guess i could have chosen something a little bit easier! haha.

eta: if you exclude the nap i took today, 11 hours and the sock was DONE! sweet. if you count the nap, 14 hours. still well under the deadline. YAY! i'm really happy about it.

yeah, sounds about right.

2007-05-18T13:45:00.000-06:00

though there's not much blue in my life. man, i love pink.

this description is pretty good, though.

you are darkslateblue
#483D8B

Your dominant hue is blue, making you a good friend who people love and trust. You're good in social situations and want to fit in. Just be careful not to compromise who you are to make them happy.

Your saturation level is medium - You're not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it's required of you. You probably don't think the world can change for you and don't want to spend too much effort trying to force it.

Your outlook on life can be bright or dark, depending on the situation. You are flexible and see things objectively.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

is it LASER tag?

2007-05-17T14:09:00.000-06:00

i got tagged... man, that's a new one for me... okay, let's see here. this comes from katie.

Here are the rules... Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

let's see what i have.

1. i have over 200 pez dispensers. i haven't counted in a while. they decorate the tops of my kitchen cabinets, and the rest are in boxes, waiting to find a home. i don't actually EAT pez anymore (except the peppermint kind, YUMMY!), but i still compulsively collect the dispensers. i even have four star wars GIANT ones.

2. speaking of star wars. i'm a nerd. i have somewhere in the neighbourhood of 150 star wars books. i believe that i have ALL of them that aren't set during/before eps I, II and III (which i hated. sigh.)

3. i'm terrified of spiders and dentists. i'm SLOWLY getting over my dental fear. the other one? oh hell no. never gonna happen.

4. i'm crazy about fraggles. i have boober, wembley and a doozer sitting on my desk, a huge fraggle rock poster on my wall, the first two seasons of the show on DVD, and the tattoo around my wrist ('we belong to the song') is a lyric from an episode called 'the fraggle medley'. seriously.

5. i have the messiest room ever. it's gross. i'm so ashamed of it, but every time i think i should clean it, i knit instead. i don't know if i actually have a floor, and there are dirty dishes to go downstairs. sigh.

6. even when i was a kid, i loved green veggies. peas, brussels sprouts, green beans, broccoli, asparagus... i still love them all now. SO GOOD.

7. i recently watched all nine DVD-released seasons of stargate sg-1 in about three months. i think that knitting and watching science fiction is the best combination EVER, so my knitting is working me through sg-1, atlantis, battlestar galactica, st:tos, st:tng, and who knows what next!

okay, there's my randomness. i think i will tag... hmm... batty, lotus, maryannlucy, mayab, lulu, webbo, and LC! that's seven, right? haha.

hey! let's all be square together!

2007-05-17T13:40:00.000-06:00

lately, when i have a little bit of time and i'm not picking up a project, i'm making mitred squares. the pattern i'm using is adapted from the heathen housewife's square blanket pattern, but i've gotten rid of a lot of her elements, i'm putting it together differently... really, it's just the method of decreasing for a mitred square that i'm still keeping from her.

using scrap worsted weight yarn on size six needles, here is the pattern i'm following:

co 41 sts (using a standard knit cast on

row 1 (rs) - k 19, sl 2 tog, k1, psso, k19
row 2 - k all
row 3 - k 18, sl 2 tog, k1, psso, k18
row 4 - k all
row 5 - k 17, sl 2 tog, k1, psso, k 17

continue in pattern until there are 3 sts remaining.

next row (ws) - k all
final row (rs) - sl 2 tog, k1, psso, break yarn and draw through remaining loop tightly to bind off.

sl 2 tog, k1, psso - slip two stitches together as if to do a k2tog, but instead just slip them onto the righthand needle. knit the next stich, then pass the two slipped stitches together over that knit stitch.

okay, now WHY did i post this pattern for you? well, because i'm making an entire blanket out of these squares.. mostly acrylic and superwash wool, all worsted weight or lighter weight stranded together, all starting with exactly 41 stitches so they're easy to join together.

rockstar is knitting a few squares for the blanket, and i thought some of my knitting friends might be interested as well. so, if you'd like to knit a square for my blanket, to use up some yarn ends or what have you, i would definitely not say no. this blanket is going to cover my entire queen sized bed. BIG BLANKIE!

(to give you an idea of my gauge on this, my squares are between 3.5 and 4 inches across, depending on the yarn. that half inch is easily fudged in a patchwork, though.)

no pressure though. just thought i'd put it out there... it'd be so fun to have squares from all over!

the monkees - pleasant valley sunday

the local rock group down the street
is trying hard to learn their song
they serenade the weekend squire
who just came out to mow his lawn

how to get ahead in advertising

2007-05-17T12:50:00.000-06:00

i think i need to make a button for my blog. something cute in black, pink and green that you can use to link to me. if i'm interesting enough that you want to link to me, haha. so should i get on that?

hmm, other stuff. i'm mentally designing my first pattern of my own. i have NO idea if it will work, but if it does, it will be the kind of thing where if you use one set of colours, it will be really pretty and girly, but with another set of colours it could be really goth or punk. wish me luck! i've never designed anything before. step one is swatching the different stitch patterns i'm thinking of. that's what my weekend is for. well, that and knitting monkey socks, because...

charmed knits has arrived, and i HAVE TO make two house sweaters before the movie premiere. i ordered the yarn last night with express shipping, so it should be here by next thursday at the latest. then i knit until my fingers fall off... sheesh. it's gonna be a LOT of work.

but when you combine it with the silk house ties that i ordered yesterday, and slacks and shiny black shoes, tommy and i will be a verrrrrrry adorable hogwarts couple. he looks like he should be a weasley... me? well, people are going to think that i'm trying to be tonks as a ravenclaw. haha. it's all in the pink hair...

james taylor - never die young

we were ring-around-the-rosy children
they were circles around the sun
never give up, never slow down
never grow old, never ever die young

synchronized with the rising moon
even with the evening star
they were true love written in stone
they were never alone, they were never that far apart

i want to dye!

2007-05-14T15:19:00.000-06:00

okay. i'm currently daydreaming about dying my own line of sock yarns. not that there aren't a million out there, but first of all - i would be able to make the yarn look exactly how i wanted it for any given project. and that's COOL.

second, i just have dreams of a line of yarns called 'oddity' (pixieriot's oddity yarns, i think it has a ring to it) with all of its colourways named after david bowie songs. because all of this songs invoke strong images and colours in my mind.

i really want my yarns to be BRIGHT. very vivid. i'm not big on pastels. darker colours are good as long as they're vivid. i really want the yarns to be something bold.

i don't know, i'm thinking out loud here. does this sound interesting to anyone? i'm thinking that when i get paid tomorrow i'll put some money on my CC, and buy the supplies to try out my first few colourways.

curious to see what the blogfolk out there think, though!

fo: rockstar rpms

2007-05-11T13:35:00.000-06:00

rpms are so rock and roll. man. i LOVED these socks. easy but interesting, patterned but still plain enough for my rockstar, just generally awesome.

rpm pattern is from knitty.com. i knit the larger size, but using a smaller gauge, so they're somewhere in between the two sizes listed on the pattern. yarn is lorna's laces shepherd sock in 'jeans', needles were knitpicks size 2 dpns.

the who - teenage wasteland

the exodus is here
the happy ones are near
so let's get together
before we get much older

getting primate-y in here!

2007-05-11T13:34:00.001-06:00

hmm, what arrived on my doorstep yesterday afternoon? well, a lot of things, but the important one was... cherry tree hill supersock in fall foliage. oh MAN, this is some of the softest, most beautiful, most scrumptiously delicious yarn i've ever seen. it also, conveniently, contains all of my monkey pal's favourite colours.

yep, just as pretty when it's in a ball...

and even prettier once it's become the first four repeats of a monkey sock! (the colours look a little dark in this picture)

oh, monkey pal, you're soon going to have some pretty colors to wear, that will be absolutely luscious on your feet!

(x-posted to monkey sock swap and the pixie punk knits!)

the most frakking punk yarn EVER!

2007-05-10T21:24:00.000-06:00

i ordered some custom yarn from lotus yarns (check out lotus knits on my blog links), for a pair of punk armwarmers that i want to make. this girl completely outdid herself. you have to see this to believe it. sheesh. what a freaking insane amount of talent. so here i give you the colourway 'headfirst for halos'

how cheapass pixies wind yarn (a.k.a. look ma, i'm my own swift!)

halfway there...

TA DAH! that is some seriously fucking sexy yarn. man. i think i'll go curl up and pet it. (it's fuzzy, i know, but this was the best shot i got of how DELICIOUS the colours are!)

while i'm off stroking my yarn, go check out lotus yarns so you can be ready to buy some. :-D

i am a huge dork.

2007-05-10T16:33:00.001-06:00

last night, i watched an episode of battlestar galactica titled "33", while knitting RPM socks.

get it?

33rpm.

i'm such a loser... *grins*

RAKed!

2007-05-10T13:17:00.000-06:00

to whomever the lovely was who sent me the box of yarn that arrived yesterday, thank you! as i said in my knittyboard post, i think it would make a gorgeous vintage style afghan.

in this picture, it's the 10 cakes of yarn sitting on top of all of the other skeins:

did i forget something? was i expecting this? should i know who you are? anyway, thank you thank you!

CONTEST WINNERS!

2007-05-10T11:22:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to

Rebecca
Krysstyllanthrox
MayaB
Lulu

!!!

You four will be recieving some pretty punk pixie stitch markers, and maybe some other goodies, in your mail.

Can you please email me your mailing addresses? You can send them to pixie@pixieriot.net

I have a feeling there will be more contests coming...

gratuitous pixiepics

2007-05-09T20:10:00.000-06:00

when i first started this blog, someone asked me for pics of my pink hair.

well, it got re-dyed last weekend, and actually STYLED on saturday, because i had to go and be professional at a gig, so it looked great on saturday afternoon. i figured, why not take a couple of pictures. :-)

of course, self-taken photographs are never as good as ones taken by someone else, but they turned out pretty well.

man, i love having pink hair.

rowan felted tweed

2007-05-09T14:10:00.000-06:00

i want to make a pair of weasley sweaters. the pattern in charmed knits is an aran weight... i'm going to use the older pattern, the dk weight one. which means knitting in rowan felted tweed.

does anyone have a suggestion on a good place to find this online? prices seem to flux from seven dollars a ball to twelve dollars a ball. i doesn't has a lot of money.

contest reminder

2007-05-07T13:05:00.000-06:00

if you haven't entered the PIXIE'S GOING TO MONTEREY! stitch marker contest, you should scroll down and enter. 'cause the stitch markers are cool! that's all. :-P

bookstuff: word freak by stefan fatsis

2007-05-07T12:56:00.000-06:00

this is what i've been carrying around with me (other than knitting) for the last few weeks.

word freak: heartbreak, triumph, genius, and obsession in the world of competitive scrabble players, by stefan fatsis.

For a moment I wonder, like Roz, what my obsession is proving. Maybe nothing. Maybe more than I care to admit. With the board and tiles and word books splayed across my living room, and my regular circuit of tournaments, and leaving work early on Thursdays to get to the club on time, I have managed to reorder my life so that I can play a board game. This doesn't seem healthy, especially because I still suck. But it doesn't seem avoidable, either. I entered this world because it was a curiosity, a good story. Then it became an infatuation. I'm having trouble typing these words, but right now Scrabble is the most important thing in my life. - stefan fatsis

i come from a scrabble family, where it regularly comes out at get togethers. certain people, like my mother and my aunt and my uncle, are deadly at this game. i'm sure that my uncle, at the very least, could play competitively. me, i'm not terrible, but i'm not fantastic either. my vocabulary, as large as it's supposed to be, usually deserts me when i have seven tiles racked up in front of me.

this book shows you an entire different world from the scrabble you would expect. and as much as it might not seem like a page-turner, i haven't been able to put it down!
i'm not sure whether it's the potential increases to my vocabulary, the lesson in scrabble strategy, or the truly bizarre characters that turn up in every chapter, but this is really just a damned good read, especially for anyone else out there that's a word freak.

anyway. read it. it's awesome.

FO: wickedly pink!

2007-05-04T11:50:00.000-06:00

and here it is. my violently pink wicked in all of its completed glory. it needs a spin through the washer and a flat dry on my sweater rack, but whatever - i want to wear it today!

i used lion brand wool ease in fuchsia, or maybe it was hot fuchsia... i dunno. anyway, it's bright. pattern from zephyr. size nine boye needlemasters out of my kit.

they're not uberflattering pics. my hair's not pink at the moment, i have no makeup on, but whatever. after three sleve-frogs, here's wicked!

non-knitting: calculations and goals.

2007-05-03T13:20:00.000-06:00

i played around with a BMI calculator this morning, trying to decide what to do about my size right now. i'm not that overweight, but it's above my healthy weight, and i had to buy jeans because none of my clothes fit. according to the BMI calculator, i'll be back at a healthy weight if I lose 15 or 20 pounds. so, that's not too bad at ALL. if i start exercising every morning, i can probably do that by the time i leave for monterey. it would be nice to buy a new bathing suit before i go stay at a beachside resort for five days! especially since rockstar LOVES swimming. frankly, i'm pretty afraid of the water, but i feel safer knowing that he has his lifeguard training.

so. 15 lbs in four and a half months. hell, even if i lose ten, i'll fit back into most of my clothes, and that's the big one for me. i spend a LOT of money on clothes, and not being able to wear so much of my wardrobe sucks. plus, i have patterns i want to knit! like the knitty hot tamale skirt... i'm not about to make it for the size i am right now if i'm going to start trying to lose weight!

for now i'll just work on sweaters. i haven't changed that much, size-wise, in my upper half. it's just that whole bloody "butt and thighs" area... sheesh.

do any of my lovely knitties have weight loss tips? i've been browsing through lessjess's blog... my first step, other than exercising in the morning, is going to be eating fruit. i love fruit... mmm...

my other goal right now is to finish the sleeves on wicked. AGAIN. i frogged back a ways this morning, and started knitting them again on the bus. i might have it done tonight! if i do, i'll get rockstar to take some pictures so i can show you.

you know, having you folks out there to type to just makes me happier. :-)

moxy früvous - can't be too careful

you can't be too careful
you can't agonize over it
you can't be too careful
make your mind up and go for it!

the PIXIE'S GOING TO MONTEREY! contest

2007-05-02T14:22:00.000-06:00

yep, still just as excited.

to celebrate the fact that i'm going to the festival of my dreams, and that it's making me ecstatically happy, i'm going to have a contest! the prizes are handmade stitch markers, and i'm hoping that they'll make some other people smile as much as i have been!

i've been making a LOT of stitch markers lately, and most of them are going to designated homes already. however, i made a few extra special sets of pixiemarkers! yep, handmade by me. partly pretty, partly punk, all pixie.

here they are!

yes, they're dripping in beads. while some projects are best with simple stitch markers, sometimes you just want something pretty! these are definitely the funkiest stitch markers i've ever made.

so, how can you win them? it's easy.

i'm going to the festival of my dreams, to see some AMAZING live performers. if you want to win stitch markers, send me an email with an answer to this question:

what is YOUR dream live concert/festival? (it can just be one artist, doesn't have to be a whole festival lineup!)

i'm just really curious to get to know you all, and what moves you when it comes to music! whether you'd want to go back in time to see the beatles, or even FURTHER back in time and be at the premier of mozart's magic flute, or if it's going down to the corner pub because your boyfriend's band are playing their first gig there. i want to know. :-)

so, email away. address is pixie@pixieriot.net.

by the way, you have a GREAT chance of winning, because not only do i not have that many readers, i made FOUR identical sets of stitch markers, so there'll be four winners. the winner will be selected by random draw! i'm not basing this on your musical tastes. ;-)

eta: i guess i need a deadline! let's give you a week. :-) wed may 9th... i'll draw names the morning of the 10th!

JAZZY DREAMS COME TRUE!

2007-05-02T14:07:00.000-06:00

holy cow. i can't believe i'm writing this. i can't can't can't can't believe it... zomg.... GAH! you may have noticed the obnoxiously bright pink ticker on my blog...

i am officially going to the 50th annual monterey jazz festival. dudes, this is THE jazz festival in north america. the two biggies here are montreal and monterey. I'M GOING TO MONTEREY! FOR THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY!!!!!

this year it's september 20-25th, so it's RIGHT before my 25th birthday (the 27th of sept), and it will be the BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER. gah.

dave brubeck is going to be there. ornette coleman. nnenna freelon. the list goes on and on and on and on...

not only that, but we're staying at the marina dunes resort, going on a wine tasting tour, etc etc etc... all with some of my most favouritest musically inclined people, fellow DJs from my radio station!!!

i just... dude. i might faint. this is so amazing.

oh, and i'm having a blog contest to celebrate. more on that this afternoon/evening!

(eta: this is the least coherent post i've ever written. sorry!)

the truly international sock KAL

2007-04-30T15:10:00.000-06:00

If you knit socks, you must check out The Truly International Sock KAL. it's going to be so cool!

random acts of kindness

2007-04-30T14:42:00.000-06:00

holy cow. okay, seriously. tonna from the knittyboard has made my day. she sent me a RAK gift in the mail, and it arrived today... it's HUGE! she destashed a lot of her acrylic yarns in my direction, and they will certainly be used. this is only two pictures out of FIVE that i took, which is how much it took to get all the yarn in. i already know what the two pounds of purple are for, and i can hardly wait to get started on it...

a knitting technique book! i've only ever had either instructional books or pattern books, so this is exciting for me. it's got all sorts of stitch patterns, patterns for different kinds of hems and collars, a whole thwack of cast-ons and bind-offs... i think that, with the help of this book, i might finally be ready to tackle creating my own sock pattern!

STITCH MARKERS! I have never ever ever ever had real stitch markers before. i always use leftover o-rings, pieces of plastic, or just contrasting yarn tied into loops. aren't they gorgeous? some of them she even made herself! can you see the little sun-and-stars one in the batch in the bottom right corner? it's my favourite. they're so lovely!

so thank you, tonna, for all of the wonderful goodies, and good luck on your surgery, too. i may be working on a little something for you, so watch your own mail!

<3

the beatles - here comes the sun

little darlin', the smiles returning to their faces
little darlin', it seems like years since they've been here
here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and i say, it's all right.

wip: queen of cups again

2007-04-30T14:19:00.000-06:00

pics of the first queen of cups in the pair. hey, i'm pretty happy with it. and a glimpse at my ghetto sock blocking. finally a use for wire hangers, whee!

the clash - rudie can't fail

now we get a rude and a reckless
we been seen lookin' cool an a speckless
we been drinkin' brew for breakfast
so rudie can't fail

wip: rpm - one bourbon, one sock, one beer

2007-04-30T13:31:00.000-06:00

they're rpm socks. revolutions per minute. records, baby. vinyl. and they're blue. so of course, they must be named after a blues tune. enter mr. john lee hooker. thanks for a great tune, man.

here's the first sock of the pair. i was taking my photographs late at night, so the picture lighting SUCKS. the first photo is the true colour of the sock. turned out pretty well... rockstar is on my case to finish the second!

john lee hooker - one bourbon, one scotch, one beer

one bourbon, one scotch and one beer
one bourbon, one scotch and one beer
hey mister bartender come here
i want another drink and i want it now

i stole this from rebecca. ;-)

2007-04-29T11:48:00.000-06:00

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

monkey sock swap two questionnaire

2007-04-29T06:36:00.000-06:00

The basics:
How long have you been knitting? 5 years-ish

Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep? Intermediate. Haven't been doing socks that long, but i've still got looooooots of practise. :-)

The measurements:
Shoe Size: women's 9 1/2 to 10
Foot circumference: 9
Foot length: 9 1/2

Yarn Preferences:
What colors do you love? hot pink/fuchsia and black together! best colour combo ever. bright pink, or any other bright rainbow colours

Do you prefer solids or variegated? variegated.

Do you prefer wool, cotton or acrylic yarn? Any of the above, though acrylic isn't great for socks.

What colors would you never wear? I don't like shades of cream and brown, or really pastel-y colours.

Knitting Gadgets
Favorite needles. Plastic, metal, bamboo or wood? I like shiny silver metal ones, but I also like my brushed aluminum interchangeables, and I've been curious about how knitting with bamboo would be.

Are there any knitting accessories you don't have in your collection but would like? Hmmm. I don't have most knitting gadgets, actually, other than the really basic stuff like row counters.

Would you be willing to have an international Monkey Pal or do you prefer one in the US? Sure! International mailing's not bad at all.

Do you have any allergies? Very allergic to cats... a very cat-friendly fur-filled house might not be a good source for monkey socks for me to wear!

other crafts: candy. but, wooden.

2007-04-26T14:09:00.000-06:00

(if you've been directed by taikeaux@nex to pixieriot.net to buy premade candy, read on! if you're one of my regular readers, sorry about the unusualness of this post. :-P)

my darling taikeaux came over last weekend, and we made bracelets for him to take and give away at raves. the pic below shows what we got done. he's coming over tonight to make more! it's a quick and easy process, our results turn out beautifully, and we're now officially selling lots of premade bracelets (in multiples of ten) for those kids who don't want to/can't make their own.

if that's why you've found this blog, get in touch via email - orders at pixieriot dot com is the address. i'll be happy to talk to you and set you up with exactly what you want!

i lean toward using brightly coloured wooden beads, but also have access to plastic, foam, metal, glow-in-the-dark, etc.

yarn pr0n: lorna's laces shepherd sock

2007-04-26T11:16:00.000-06:00

i love shepherd sock. oh, do i EVER! i can't wait to use a heavier wait of lorna's, because her colours are so amazing.

colours are purple iris (recieved a few weeks ago, one skein is already a queen of cups sock), blue jean (for RPMs for my rockstar), and rainbow (for more monkeys for MEEEEE!)

enjoy the pretty pictures. :-)

blur - blue jeans

air cushioned soles
i bought them on the portobello road
on a saturday

i stop and stare a while
a common pasttime when
conversation goes astray

<3 to pixies pal!

2007-04-26T11:08:00.000-06:00

every day i've been running down to check for mail, because i'm expecting a lot of yarn. but what did i find today? well, i did find an envelope of lorna's laces, but LOOK WHAT ELSE! my secret pal is awesome.

i hope you weren't attached to the box, pal, because i tore into it desperately enough that i'm afraid it didn't make it:

tinkerbell stickers! as soon as i find something important enough to put them on, pics will appear in the pixie gallery:

the full contents of the box (yes, that's a hallowig!):

hallowig being modelled by toulouse, who wants you all to know "i is not a girl!":

when i'm feeling a little bit better, and not looking like i've been sick for days, i promise to take a pic of myself wearing it! and i'll let you know if blondes have more fun. you know, my hair was actually this colour for a while... not blonde, but actual crayon yellow, like the wig. i liked it!

what's supercool is something that my pal couldn't POSSIBLY have known - i started to make hallowig once upon a time, in this exact same shade of yellow. i had JUST started knitting, and the thought of doing ribbing on circular needles scared me so much that i frogged it and made another scarf instead. :-X but look! i was DESTINED to have a yellow hallowig! how freakin' cool is that?!

i was feeling grumpy about staying home sick in a cold house, waiting for someone to come fix my furnace FOR REALZ THIS TIME ZOMG PLEASE, but it meant i was here when the mail was delivered, and that was AWESOME!

<3 <3 <3 <3 pixies pal!

spirit of the west - drinking man

i'm not the picture of perfect health
but i'm feelin' no pain today!

wip: queen of cups

2007-04-26T09:49:00.000-06:00

and an update post for my red-headed witch. a few shots in a row, of queen of cups in progress. i'm home sick from work today, and waiting for the furnace repair guy to come (it'll be the third day in a row he's been here, I WANT HEAT!), so you can probably expect that these will get much closer to finished.

knitty's queen of cups pattern in lorna's laces shepherd sock, purple iris colourway. so beautiful! i love the colours of this yarn. knitting on these bitty needles is still taking some adjustment though.

the first photo shows the true colour. apologies for the crappiness of the other two, i was being lazy.

talking heads - take me to the river

i don't know why i love you like i do
all the trouble that you put me through
sixteen candles there on my wall
and here i am the biggest fool of them all

fo: slipper-losin' pixie - the boss slippers

2007-04-26T09:46:00.000-06:00

here's the next installment in the slipper-losin' pixie series. i made them for my boss. she loved them, and proceeded to wear them around the office and show them off to everyone! it made me feel good. i don't think she's used to getting handmade gifts, but she'd been raving over my knitting so much lately that she deserved them! a pair of these knits up in one evening, depending on how fast you knit.

sloan - money city maniacs

hey you
you've been around for a while
if you'll admit that you were wrong then we'll admit that we're right
hey you
come on along for the ride
we'll hit the money city if it takes us all night

wip: pixieriot knucks!

2007-04-26T09:42:00.000-06:00

there's been so little picture action here lately! let's show you what i've been working on this week. i cast on knucks in a crazy red heart strata called pogo, yesterday morning, and this is how far i am. what a colour!

the weird thing is, they're almost too small for me, yet i'm knitting at a LARGER gauge than the pattern calls for. i'm guessing it's just because the yarn isn't stretchy, because maybe the rowan yarn called for in the pattern is? i dunno, i've never used rowan. still, they're supercute, and i'm looking forward to finishing them and embroidering the knuckles!

rajaton - poison tree

i was angry with my friend
i told my wrath, my wrath did end
i was angry with my foe
i told it not, my wrath did grow