Knitted Wedding Dresses

As a knitter who is engaged, it was inevitable that I would have passing thoughts of knitting something  for my wedding.  Perhaps a veil?  Flowers?  The whole wedding dress?

But whenever I mention this to Fiance, she gets a panicked look on her face.  I think she is worried I will end up looking like this on our wedding day.

From here.

Which I am totally not opposed to :-)  But I was thinking something like The Gray Swan Dress

Or this pink flamenco dress

If I could crochet, would have a lot more options.  This woman crocheted her wedding dress on her morning commute.  Or there is this beauty from Nixx:

It seems like it might will absolutely be too much work.  But I did download this pattern from Vogue Knitting.

Maybe I will swatch a little and the urge to make a dress will pass....

Knitting Inspiration: Home Decor

I wrote about decorating my law school apartment here.  Now that I am out of law school and living in a new place, I am back to looking at knitting-related home decor.  And it's gotten easier to find, as knitting has wheedled its way into the mainstream and into more than just afghan throws.

For example, Crate and Barrel has it in all sorts of things.

Sweater Knit Planter

Knitted Pouf

I'm kind of into giant knit rugs and blankets the most, though.  Look at this rug:

You can see it being knit here.

Or this one, made from t-shirt yarn!

From Inspiration & Realisation

I also like the idea of huge, fluffy blankets all over the house.

This website has info about the giant yarn used to knit this blanket, as well as baskets, rugs, pillows, etc.

OK, now ish gets real.  This is a chair.  With a BUILT IN BLANKET!

My only question about this chair is: how do you wash it?

This is my favorite.

Technically, I think that's crochet, but we will let it slide this time.

Finally, how about some outdoor knitting?

How does the dirt not fall out of this basket?

Hmm, lots of options....

Government-Free VJJ

You know that female anatomy features prominently on this blog, so you won't be surprised when I tell you that I support the Government-Free VJJ Project:

Knitted Womb by MK Carroll. Pattern on Knitty.com

Some awesome folks got sick of politicians trying to butt into their reproductive rights and so are knitting bits of the reproductive system to send to these men-in-power.  You can find patterns here.  I kind of enjoy the "Snatchel" by the Anti-Craft.

Graffiti

Reminder:  Comment on this post for a VERY good chance to win a hand-knit hat.  To clarify, you all have until Monday noon to comment, then I'm picking a winner.  Deal?

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I LOVE when knitting makes it into the mainstream media.  Graffiti is apparently a mainstream issue because earlier this year the NY Times did a piece on the "more feminine side" or graffiti.  Not so pleased that they call knitting feminine (I personally feel pretty butch in my hand-knit watchman's cap_ but whatevs.  The Torontoist did an article about "99 Problems But a Stitch Ain't One" talking about yarn bombing.  NPR did an article, too, although they call crochet a grandmas' activity.

HI've talked about yarn bombing before, but here are a few more of my favorites:

In Paris, one artist has filled sidewalk cracks with bright yarn.  More pictures here.

This one is less graffiti and more awesome:

From Living Crafts

Stairs!  I also really like the links on these metal chains.

From FlickaMag

And look at these trees!

From Knit Hacker

Can you picture these in DC?  Or how about these at the bus stops?

From

There is a fun video of subway yarn bombing:



I especially appreciate the masked yarn bombers.  This would make my MARTA experiences a little less sad.  Maybe every time my bus is late, I will spend that wasted time yarn-graffiting the bus stop.

I really need to learn how to make knitting in the shape of cracks and bus stop benches and light posts.  I am considering yarn bombing the front pillars of my apartment building.  Anyone wanna help out?

Knitting Inspiration: Decorating My New Apartment

When you move to a new place, you have to try to fit all your old stuff into a new space.  Sometimes that calls for a few new items to make it all work.  I've turned to the knitting community for suggestions.

First, I was thinking that I need a good place to sit.

Like in a knitted chair from Melanie Porter

I also need to be able to see all the reading I am supposed to do without straining my eyes.

I was thinking that this yarny lamp by Tatyana Yanishevsky might be night

Or lighting by Kwangho Lee

My living room needs a little love, too.  Luckily Kwangho Lee also knits furniture

Like this chair

And this couch

For my bathroom, I've found a little floor covering.

From YUMMI Rugs

And I was thinking about a little taxidermy for the kitchen

No?  From Rachel Denny

If all else fails, I could just wall paper the whole apartment in yarn

via http://www.jornwemmenhove.nl/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/knit.jpg

So totally tempted...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Knitters

I am not going to lie.  One of my summer goals was to re-read all the Harry Potter books before the newest and last movie came out in July.  I did.  And watched many of the old movies, too.  I totally admit to dragging ten pound books of children's lit on the metro with me.  And while I didn't see the movie THE DAY it came out, I was super excited to see it this weekend.

But maybe not quite as excited as all those knitters out there that have devoted themselves to making the most amazing HP-related knitting patterns and finished items I have ever seen.

The Leaky Cauldron ("the most trusted name in Potter") has a whole page devoted to HP crafts including an actual knit Harry Potter:

Pattern here

Pretend to be Dumbledore with your very own wizard beard

Via

For the more sinister, there are Dark Mark Scarves:

And from LionBrand, you can make the three Deathly Hallows including this lovely Elder Wand:

Pattern here

I resisted making one to take with me, but just barely....

More Knitting Ads

I am constantly amused by how people use knitting/sheep/wool in advertising for completely unrelated items.  Here are some more ads that feature knitting:

Advertising a radio station, I think...right?  Via

Apparently music and knitting go hand-in-hand.  Although, this one seems to imply that there is something wrong with Kiss/men/rock stars/male rock stars wearing Kiss-style make-up knitting.  Shows what they know.  Via

For a mattress:

This one would make sense if there was ANY reference to a mattress in the ad and if the sheep weren't inexplicable knitting what appears to be toilet paper....Via

And on the cover of a 1952 American Weekly.

Saying what, exactly?  Via

Almost as interesting as the ads that use knitting or knitted items to sell something else, are the ads for knitting or yarn themselves.  For example, here is one for machine-washable wool

via http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolinetamtama/5402860970/  Cute, right?

There are a whole ton of vintage knitting ads at Oh Shoot

And the latest in men's knitwear:

Love it.  Via

Wait Wait, Do Tell

Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me is my favorite NPR show ever.  Having a favorite NPR show is like having a favorite stamp in your stamp collection...a legitimate thing to have, but not something you share with the world without the expectation of a few eye rolls and a request that you leave your yippie name checking at the door.

However, there were two bits of joy I discovered when I was catching up on WWDTM this week.

Carl Kasell Limerick May 28th:

My new sweater is nothing to flog.  It's from yarn that leaves most couches clogged. My pet I do brush. For his hair is quite plush. I make wool from the hair of my...

Yup....talking about people who knit stuff out of pet fur (note: I am super sad by the misuse of fiber art terminology here.  For example, you don't make "wool" from dog hair.  Wool comes from sheep.  And this New York Times article refers to "yarn weaved from dog hair."  You weave yarn into fabric, but you spin fiber into yarn....anyhoo...)


And then there was this exchange between WWDTM panelists on June 18th:

SAGAL: Faith, this week we read about a growing trend among expectant fathers. They're having what?
Ms. SALIE: A shower, a baby shower...Well, they're not called baby showers for expectant dads, they're called dadchelor parties...Well, you know, it's where you get stuff for the baby. It's all about preparing to have a baby. Dadchelor parties are about getting ready to lose your freedom. So there's lots of drinking and gambling and carousing.
Mr. ROCCA: And the doula gives you a lap dance.
SAGAL: Exactly.
Mr. ROCCA: I was just in Hawaii.
SAGAL: Yes.
Mr. ROCCA: And I was watching hula dancers and it's so relaxing just to watch them. And I kept thinking, I bet, like, if you were a lady and you were going into labor and a hula dancer came in, it would be so relaxing that the baby would just kind of come out really easily.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. ROCCA: I don't know, I bet a hula dancer could get the baby out of you like just so easily...It's just amazing. Like a hula doula would be incredible.

Yup, hula doulas.  I totally agree that wiggling your hips around would help the baby come out.  I know of pregnancy yoga, but is anyone out there doing pregnancy hula?  Not sure, but apparently hula-hooping works for some moms.

(P.S.  The doula does NOT give you a lap dance....)

Knitting Inspiration: Extreme Knitting

I'm not going to lie.  I am not exactly an extreme person myself (I think getting to the pocket section of my sweater is a friggin' riveting time), but I do enjoy watching other people do ridiculous things.  Race Across America.  Tornado-chasing.    Extreme Couponing.

And also 1000 Strand Knitting



I'm apparently not the only one with this fascination.  There is a book.

http://www.qbookshop.com/products/149672/9780760338452/Astounding-Knits.html

And knitters appear to be a super intense group of people.

This scary bunny took five years to knit.

Dave Cole developed a Giant Knitting Machine to be able to knit HUGE things and has also knit random awesomeness like this Electric Blanket.

How does someone produce their own piece of extreme knitting, you ask?  With gigantic knitting needles of course.

Huge Knitting Needles from the same folks from the 1000-strand knitting

Duh!

Knitting Inspiration: Fashion

My sartorial wish list:

I have never seen such beautiful knitting than these awesome sweaters from Sandra Buckland

Dress from Jenna Sykes.  There is a better pic on http://knithappenskc.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html

I'm trying to figure out how she made those loops.....thoughts?

Literally a "ball" gown.  Sewn together?  Actually wearable?  Or just stacked precariously?  Via

Something a little more casual for times when you need computer privacy via

And for festive occasion, there is a breast hat  via

Matching scarf?  Via

Knitting Inspiration: Art

I am going to be moving out of my current apartment in about a month.  I will have to find somewhere new to live and will have to decorate it to inspire me to study.  So today I offer a little bit of art.

First up, yarn collages from Sarah Applebaum from Honestly WTF

More from Sarah Applebaum...I want to do this so badly....I am a little obsessed with bright colors.

I could go a little less abstract and a little more traditional with something like this:

From the London Stitch and Craft Show.  More HERE

The Scream.  See how it looks like the original?  From HERE

This one I don't think I would put in my house:

A fiberglass knitted teddy bear.  On Flavorwire

However, I am leaning more towards photographs of my favorite movie star pirates.

Check these out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/totallee/

What do you all think?