Marta McCall Knits

Micro Organizing The "Bits"

2008-10-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm really, really not fanatical about organizing, but I have discovered a few helpful tools to help with the challenge!

I love when my design supplies are neat and tidy, "like-things together", my mother advised me when I was a kid. She was delightfully organized and I was artistically messy!!

My daughter added another interesting twist to the organizational mix when she insisted that her beads were organized in "rainbow color order" when she was about 6.

Wow, that's a lot to live up to! I find myself sandwiched between two great organizers attempting to use tips from each of them.

This is one of the two ways I organize my beads.

Finding the right organizational tool is another tip! I like to find the perfect container for the item. It takes time and doesn't happen in a day.

Organizing, like knitting is a process. Right now, I'm enjoying the process.

I found boxes I really like at the Container Store. I ALWAYS use clear or see through boxes and I like it when they have lids that snap closed (no beading accidents, please!)

I know that I'm visual,

so if I store my stuff in opaque or decorator boxes, it absolutely disappears and I can't find anything. So see-through is for me.

I find that organizing by color also works for me (since I can never remember the "rainbow" color order like my daughter), I usually just organize from lights to darks.

In the case of my buttons, and I have quite a collection, I find that the large antique ones need to be carefully contained, so I chose this box from the Container Store. I can see them all and they are protected from any rubbing or scuffing.

I used to contain my buttons like everybody's grandmother, in cookie tins, but I found that rectangular containers work better when stacking inside cabinets.

I use a lot of embroidery floss (many of my patterns contain floss in the materials list), so the best way for me to keep it wrangled, is by using a clear box that has sections that seem to fit the skeins and a lid the keeps everything in one place.

Magazines are quite a challenge if they aren't contained in magazine holders. These are VERY inexpensive from Ikea and I've got a bunch of them for the Interweave Knits, Vogue Knitting, Rowan, Threads, Filatura and every other magazine I can't seem to part with. They line up easily on book shelves or in cabinets.

I like to see my Knitting needles, so I arrange them in attractive bottom heavy "vases". These are kitchen cookie jars, again from Ikea. They go with the decor in my office and I organize them by size. I'm still looking for the PERFECT circular needle organization, but I've got a pretty good one which I'll share next time.

Well that's all for now. I've got to get back to my... organizing!!

Organizing The Stash!

2008-10-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm sure we're all in agreement that times are challenging right now and utilizing what we have is a good idea.

With that in mind, I've been organizing my design materials to the "inth" degree.

The remodel of my office is almost complete and I've started moving in. This has given me an opportunity, yes, I said opportunity, to go through every single bit of my stash, fabric, buttons, ribbons and YARN. I've purged any unnecessary "bit" and made donations to the High School Fiber Arts Class.

The photo above is one of two cabinet sections where I have organized my fabric (for lining bags mostly). I've arranged it by color, which makes me happy. The two diffused white laminate glass cabinets at the very top also house fabric, but I left them closed so that you can see how nice they look.

The cabinets are 8 feet tall and are from Ikea, my new favorite place to shop!

At right is what my Ikea cabinets look like closed. There are no handles, they are push-latch to open. So it becomes a clean wood-paneled wall.

The pieces at left are my favorite of all!

I think I've finally found a way to organize my yarn. And believe me, I've been trying to find the perfect yarn organization furniture for decades!

The drawers not too tall or too deep, they are handy, keep my yarn lint and dust free, make viewing yarn easy and just as easy to access.

These drawers are also from Ikea (no, I don't work there---but I should!) I have 5 banks of them all together (three are shown above).

I put Ikea kitchen cabinets on top of the drawers and they are anchored to the wall in studs. The top cabinets house "crafty" stuff and things like handbag handles.

Here's an open drawer of yarn! Happily organized!

I hope this provides a bit of inspiration. Cleaning out and clearing out is good for the design soul! I'll share more as I organize the rest.

The Ravenna Satchel Available August 1st, 2008!!

2008-06-30T13:32:00.001-07:00

I just finished designing the Ravenna Satchel.

I've been waiting to start work on this bag for almost a year (that's how long my queue is). Finally it's here.

The Ravenna Satchel was knit in Zitron's Classic Loft (from the Skacel Collection) using the Intarsia method. The front and two sides are knit as one continuous piece. Then the front piece is felted and needle-felted afterwards.

The top, bottom and back are knitted in black, to avoid bleeding onto the light pink background of the front Intarsia flowers, they were felted separately and then the bag is sewn together.

I used amazing bag hardware from www.julsilver.com do check out their gorgeous rings, feet, buckles and buttons---true art!

I'll be hosting a knit-along for the Ravenna Satchel at http://www.planetpurl.com/ in late September, they are taking sign-ups now. Please join me, we had such fun on the last knit-along for the Needle Felted Bucket Bag!

The pattern will be available at http://www.tinkknit.com/ on August 1st!

Do visit me on Ravelry!! I've just updated all my designs and TinkkniT.com info and photos there.

The construction goes on in my office (yes, we're very, very late). I'll post photos soon. It's been a difficult process! I guess what they say about construction is true!!

Needle Felted Bucket Bag Knit Along Tonight

2008-05-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight from 6-7PM (PST) I'll be hosting the first live chat
knit along at www.planetpurl.com
for the Needle Felted Bucket Bag, pattern available from www.TinkkniT.com.

We'll be getting together every Monday night for six weeks at the same time.

Join us!!

I'll be knitting two more Needle Felted Bucket Bags.

One in Cascade's Pastaza white (#002) with contrast heather gray (#026),

the other in Cascade's Pastaza red (#6003) with contrast orange (#50).

If you're in Portland, Oregon, sign up for the "live" class at Abundant Yarn starting Saturday, May 31st from 10:15am-12:15pm for 3 weeks.
www.abundantyarn.com.

Welcome Spring!

2008-03-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

The pink plumb tree is blooming in my front yard. A breath of Spring for those of you who are not yet experiencing it. The daffodils are up, too, in Portland, Oregon. Next we'll see the tulips start. I saw my first fat yellow and black striped bumble bee in the plumb tree today, as well.

Speaking of pink..... the swatch above is a hand-painted ribbon which I knitted up in a cat's eye stitch. I really like it because it looks like crochet (which I don't do). I've got a few ideas gestating. Hmmmmm.

Aren't these bracelets cute? I can't remember where I found them, but I think they're really inspirational. Don't you think we could knit (and/or felt) something like these and embroider them up in Spring colors?

One more swatch above to inspire your design. I'm still working this one out, but I'm thinking about a summer jacket. The yarn is a ribbon in silver.

Now go knit, draw, design!

Look What We Found!

2008-03-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

The ewwww factor! The construction crew opened a wall and guess what! The biggest paper wasp nest that anyone of us has ever seen. Although it looks pretty big in the photo, I'll tell you that it was a lot bigger in person! At least 3'x3'x3'! Thankfully, abandoned. But the guys know to come and get me for a photo op. So here it is. We can't even imagine how many wasps it held when full! Yikes!! So the re-model goes on.....

Moving on,

I'll be hosting a live knitalong for the Needle Felted Bucket Bag at PlanetPurl.com in about 6 weeks. I'll update you when we have an exact date. In the meantime, if you've wanted to knit this bag with a worldwide group, here's your chance! The pattern is available at: http://www.tinkknit.com/Needle%20Felted%20Bucket%20Bag.html

I'll be teaching a "live" class to go with the on-line class at Abundant Yarns in Portland, Oregon. We're still figuring out the timing. I'll keep you posted.

Coming soon will be the Needle Felted Bucket Bag yarn pack kit. I'll let you know shortly on that, too!

Also, that secret project I told you about.......

I can now tell you that it's for Ann Budd's upcoming book entitled KNitted Gifts published by Interweave Press. Probably out in the Fall of '09. The project is The Perfect Ballet Flat.

They are soft knitted slippers with Intarsia flowers, outlined in an embroidered stem stitch and a few beads sewn on for the fun of it. There's also a velvet ribbon detail sewn around the opening of the slippers and suede pads sewn to the bottoms for traction. I've worked out the basic slipper pattern this weekend in three sizes to fit practically everyone.

Here's the drawing I did to go with the swatch. I've been wearing the slipper prototypes around this weekend and they are cozy and warm!

Now, more remodel! Here's Bary doing a high-wire act on the beam that goes across the new raised ceiling! So Cirque du Soleil!

The dramatic beams and framing went in this week. The beech wood that will cover the ceiling is being finished at furniture grade and I can't wait to show you! Also the plumbing was moved around the bath to new positions.

Tomorrow electric (and because this will serve as business office along with design space, there's a lot of electric) and Tuesday, the tile man will come and take a look at what's in store for the bath. My designer, Susan and I go search for the perfect obscured glass for the shower and the toilet room wall. Crazy!!

More soon! Keep knitting!

Under Construction: The Perfect Design Workspace

2008-03-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

This week construction (more precisely, demolition) began on my new design workspace and office. It has been in planning for about 8 months, and as some of you who have been through the construction process probably already know, once they open the walls and see what you really have to work with, all bets are off!! Above is a view from the landing just outside my office through the double door entry.

Just inside the doors of the office, you are looking at the gutted wall, on the other side of which is the 20x6 foot walk-in closet. The ceiling has been torn out so that a new cathedral ceiling can be built.

This project is quite large. The office and attached bath are about 500 square feet, and to make the room feel even bigger, and because we had immense attic space to work with, the ceiling is being raised from 8 feet to a cathedral peek of 13 or 14 feet. One surprise we became aware of in demolition is the gigantic beam you see, will need to stay in place. So I'll have an exposed beam I wasn't expecting and we'll add a few more to make it look like we meant to do it all along.

Here's the view back the other way from the closet wall to the double entry doors (the lighted opening to the right is the gutted bath.

My glass desk will be placed in front of the windows with such a pretty view of trees (when the windows are clean!!)

So, I planned every minute detail with my friend and Portland, designer extraordinaire, Susan Green, but........a wall in the bathroom couldn't be moved, as we had previously thought, which changed just about everything in that room's design. Design opportunity!! The sad little toilet is the only thing that remains for now (the above photo is about 1/3 of the bathroom). It, too, will be replaced in this remodel.

So, the fastest design re-do (thank you, Susan!) on the planet was done in about 18 hours, so that Jim, custom cabinet maker,

Dale, the contractor (that's him above) and I would have something to work with.

Bary and Casey are the most cheerful workers! I can't help but keep them topped off in french press coffee and cookies.

I am very, very excited about this project and will keep you updated as we move along.

Designing a space, is very much like designing knitwear.

It is certainly a lesson in being flexible and highly creative as each design choice impacts all the rest behind it.

I am grateful to the professional team that "has my back". More to come!

I'm Not A Knitting Purist

2008-03-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

As I'm sure you've probably guessed, I like to add lots of elements from other craft disciplines to my knitwear designs.

Nothing is off-limits, as far as I am concerned. The more crafting skills you know, the more amazing your projects can be.

Sewing, embroidery, needle-felting, beading, wire-working, leather-crafting, painting and drawing, weaving, spinning, dying and above all a "can-do" attitude can spice up your knitting repertoire.

I added gold and silver leaf to the felting process in the Silver Leaf Satchel (center top), Zebra Bag (above) and Pebble Beach Bag (above Zebra Bag).

Pearl beads were used to emphasize the zig-zag motif in the Zig Zag Wrap (at right) and real pearls on rings, Felted Purls (below).

Needle felting on the Needle Felted Bucket Bag (left), Cheery O's Pillow (below) and Cheery O's Book Bag (below Cheery O's Pillow).

Embroidery before felting on the Flower Market Bag (directly below).

Wildflower Cushion (below) is also embroidered before felting.

Spray paint on the Barcelona Bag (below).

Shibori on the Rocky Road Scarf (right).

Added embellishments like pennies, polished stones, shells on The Famous Penny Bag (below), Pebble Beach Bag (you've already seen above), and the Hamptons Bag (below The Famous Penny Bag).

Or simply add unusual hardware and buttons, like on the Five Alarm Bag (below left), Beginner's Mail Carrier Bag (below right), Silver Leaf Satchel (top of page), Barcelona Bag (top), Zebra Bag (second from top).

Many more surprises are waiting to be revealed through your knitwear designing. I encourage you to experiment and swatch using your non-knitting skills!

Now go out and design!

All of these designs are available from

http://www.tinkknit.com/

My Best Ideas Come To Me In The Shower!

2008-03-06T17:50:00.000-08:00

As I've often told my knitting students, some of my "crazy-wonderful" ideas seem to be downloaded to me (from the Universe?) while I'm in the shower. I now know that I ALWAYS need to have a pen and paper next to my sink at ALL times to jot down those wild ideas.

When I was in high school I ran across a poem that exemplifies the fear of every artist who's met with a fleeting germ of an idea that crosses the mind in a flash, only to evaporate before it is ever grasped and committed to paper. It is from a book of poetry called "Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle...and other modern verse" by Stephen Dunning/Edward Lueders/Hugh Smith.

The poem is called Gone Forever by Barriss Mills. It goes like this:

Halfway through shaving, it came--

the word for a poem.

I should have scribbled it

on the mirror with a soapy finger,

or shouted it to my wife in the kitchen,

or muttered it to myself till it ran

into my head like a tune.

But now it's gone with the whiskers

down the drain. Gone forever,

like the girls I never kissed,

and the places I never visited--

the lost lives I never lived."

SO that's why I take great care of the potential design ideas that I get in the shower. They are jotted down quickly, then when I'm dried and dressed, they are illustrated in more detail.

Then, if I simply can't bear to wait, I swatch a little swatch to see if the idea really works in "real life". And if it still has grabbed hold of me, I knit it until it's finished. Somehow, during this process all the other "drop-deadlines" sit on hold and don't seem to be any the worse for wear!

Don't tell my husband I get my ideas in the shower! He thinks they come when I'm sitting on the beach while staying at an expensive beach rental gazing at the Pacific Ocean. I don't know where he got THAT idea!!

Besides, it's really the dog who loves the beach the most!

Good Boy!!

Flowers Flowers Everywhere!

2008-03-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

When I design potentially complicated and colorful pieces of knitwear, I draw sketches.

I'll usually start with a rough pencil drawing and then color it in with an array of pens in my collection. These were the first colors that popped into my head for the Wildflowers.

I was lucky on this project, and kept all the colors that I originally drew. This was going to be fun, there are 18 colors of wool! As you can see by my drawings, I intended to design a handbag.

I made a color graph and knit the project. I outlined the basic Intarsia knitting with a simple embroidery backstitch so that when the piece was felted, it would look like very complicated knitting had taken place. NOT!!

Of course, before that, I carefully swatched the yarn and felted it, noting all the shrinkage. I was pretty sure that the finished size would be: A very large, satchel.

But.......the felted piece

did not shrink as anticipated. It was really far too big to be a handbag, maybe large luggage! But that wasn't going to be very practical.

What to do? Well, it didn't take long for me to decide that it would make a wonderful giant cushion, suitable for floor or couch.

I love the bright flowers and they seemed well suited to all sorts of different decor.

Classic to contemporary

The Wildflower Cushion pattern is available at:

http://www.tinkknit.com/Wildflower%20Cushion.html

Inspiration & Interpretation

2008-03-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes inspiration comes from flipping through fashion magazines (but not always). I saw this fabric on the skirt above and loved it. I wondered how to interpret it in a felted swatch which might end up being a handbag or a pillow.

First, I sketched my

interpretation in the same colorway.

I knit, felted and then needle-felted the outlines around the leaf and flower motifs.

Hmmmmm.......

Maybe a color change was in order.

I was inspired by the printed fabric on an upholstered chair.

The result is the pillow you see here, which will be published in Pam Allen and Ann Budd's next book in their series ColorStyle this Fall.

So the path from here to there can be quite interesting in both life and design.

It never seems to be the same road traveled to get from inspiration to interpretation.

And that's the fun of it!

Meet Alice The Mouse!

2008-03-03T14:58:00.001-08:00

"Alice-the-mouse" is her formal name. She came to life shortly after our daughter came into this world. She is very much a part of our family and was lovingly slept with, scrunched and dragged around for 10 years. Then spent the next 7 years on the shelf.

She's knit out of Dark Gray French Angora that was left to me by my mother-in-law, who passed away a few months before our daughter was born. My thinking was that Alice could be the soft hug from a grandmother who would not be known.

This is our daughter at 6 with precious Alice, whose eyes are pewter rose buttons. They were only separated once, by accident, when poor Alice was left in a hotel room and was not able to be retrieved for 3 long, heart-wrenching days. I've often wondered what Alice was up to during her stay at the hotel!

I wrote stories about Alice's humble beginnings and her adventures which were told at bedtime. Here is a sampling of some of the illustrations I did to entertain the two sleepy-heads.

Our daughter is now 16 and Alice doesn't sleep in the bed anymore, she sits on shelf. Ahhh, they grow up so quickly!

I can only imagine that someday Alice-the-mouse will have some knitted friends who will likely be as rumpled and crushed and loved as she was.

Danke, Frau Huber!

2008-03-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

When I was 6
our housekeeper in Zurich, Switzerland taught me to knit. This is me (with the bird) at 6 and my terrified sister, Allida, 3 1/2, in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy in the early 60's.

Frau Huber was of the opinion that my upbringing was lacking because no one (meaning my mother) had taught me to knit at 3, which was the custom in Switzerland then. I was behind! She taught me at once. Frau Huber did not speak english and I spoke Swiss German with a 6-year-old vocabulary. None-the-less, knitting was taught and learned hand to hand, one stitch at a time.

This is one of my original needles, the other one was lost eons ago. (My little drawings with the Swiss words above them was how I learned Swiss in school.) My first bit of knitting was a giant white wool blob (as my daughter calls it) with a gaping 8" hole in the middle of a 12" square. Although that piece was filled with every mistake a new knitter could possibly make, short rows, dropped stitches, tangled yarn, increases and eyelets, it didn't bother me a bit.

It was all about the process, which I found fascinating then and still do. There was something about the way I felt as I manipulated that yarn through each loop. I felt like I was doing something important. I still can't quite put my finger on why I felt this way at 6, but I've resolved myself--I was meant to knit.

Garter stitch was what I knew and I knit scarves for every one of my dolls. Chatty Cathy was the first to recieve a navy scarf to go with her red wool coat with the white fur collar. Chatty is pictured here in a perfectly adorable dress and kerchief made by my mother, she made me a matching dress, too. That's me on my 3rd birthday. Sadly, Chatty's knitted navy blue scarf was long ago lost (as was one of her two front teeth). I hadn't noticed before, but we both had matching bangs, too.

Sears & Roebuck department store knitting school was where I learned to purl. We returned home to California after living abroad and I begged my mother to enroll me. Once I knew how to knit and purl, I taught the rest to myself through books and lots of mistakes.

My strategy was to never read a pattern all the way through when I started a project. That way, when something came up that I didn't know, I'd have to ask, look it up or make it up and move on. All these years later, that lack of fear (of knitting, that is) has definitely worked for me. It has led me to some wonderfully unusual places in my knitwear designing career.

Thank you, Frau Huber, for the gift of knitting you gave to a very young American girl.

And thank you, mom, for teaching me to sew and embroider and draw and see the world like an artist.

Knit fearlessly, dear knitters! And don't forget to thank your Frau Huber and your mother!

The Joys Of Night Owl Knitting

2008-03-02T11:32:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I must knit far into the night. Projects like the lacy wrap I'm knitting of hand-painted mercerized cotton by Blue Heron Yarn must be focused upon when the house and the earth is most silent. The pattern is "drooping elm leaf" from Barbara G. Walker's The Craft Of Lace Knitting.

No interruptions, please! I don't knit these kind of projects when the house is "buzzing" and electrically charged with activity during the day.

There is a satisfaction of knitting far into the night when everyone is fast asleep. Somehow it feels like cheating, but mostly it feels like fun. To be wonderfully, irresponsibly, burning the mid-night oil is one of the great joys of being grown up. No one to tell you it's too late to be awake. No one to tell you to go to bed.

Deadlines for books and publications sometimes find themselves being knit late at night, occasionally to the background of Letterman, or Conan or some ancient movie that requires little attention being paid. The row by row instructions easily remembered by the post-it highlight that continues to make its way down the page. As pauses in the knitting become longer and eyes tire, when mistakes become too numerous, the knitting itself says, "time for bed".

And so it is set down, reluctantly. Still there's an anticipation of next time, as a weary knitter sets off to bed in the early morning hours.

The

French

Angora

Scarf

and

Beret are not so difficult that they must be knit at night, but can be deliciously saved for night owl knitting. This pattern is available at: http://www.tinkknit.com/French%20Lace%20Angora%20Scarf%20and%20Beret.html

Let's Shibori!

2008-02-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

Maybe I'm just a scavenger!
My family knows that they must save all plastic bottle caps. But why you ask? Well.........

Shibori of course! In the knitting, felting world, Shibori means manipulating the felted fabric by inserting objects during the felting process so that permanent impressions result.

I like plastic because it doesn't hurt my felt. But a word to the wise, always put your Shibori projects into a delicates bag before they go into the washer. No matter how careful you are, it seems a few objects always get loose! I usually use rubber bands to secure the objects into the felt. I prefer the ones that look like plastic (I found mine at Office Depot), because they don't seem to "catch" on the fibers and are easier to remove after the felting process is completed.

Be patient, wait to remove the objects until your felt is completely dry.

Mothers of young children, I hear that Legos work well. I wouldn't use heavy objects like rocks, or metal objects that might rust (or ruin your washer).

Experiment by felting pieces of old wool sweaters to see what the impressions will look like. Then, choose a great felting yarn and make Shibori stuff! It is really fun.

The Rocky Road Shibori Scarf is available at:
http://www.tinkknit.com/Rocky%20Road%20Scarf.html

Tomorrow let's talk about the joys of night owl knitting!

Now, Go Knit!

Georgia O'Keeffe Said It Best

2008-02-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

"I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty.”
Georgia O'Keeffe

Yes, I will paint it, knit it, embroider it and felt it!

You can find the Flower Market Bag at: http://www.tinkknit.com/Flower%20Market%20Bag.html

Button,

button
who has the button?

I don't know about you, but I love buttons. I collect beautiful old buttons and thought I'd share a few with you.

This last weekend at Stitches I bought a brooch which is made up of several bakelite belt buckles and buttons piled up and glued. You can find more goodies like this one at: http://www.unbuttons.com/.

I found these little gems in my travels. My mom made the smallest jewel of a brooch (below) for me when she found out how much I love, love, love old buttons.
I'm off to knit! Remember to add interesting buttons to your next project.

Finished, felted and shipped!

2008-02-27T18:33:00.000-08:00

The

Felted

French

Velvet

Scarf I started yesterday morning, was first knit and then felted and finished last night (or early this morning--2AM)! I wish you could feel what happens when you felt this particular Blue Heron Bulky Chenille 100% rayon yarn. It becomes silk velvet. Light, airy and drapy. I really think this scarf, knit in a dark color could be knit for a man, too.

It is in the capable hands of my favorite FedEx guy, who's delivering it to the East Coast by morning. I'll keep you posted on the name of the book and the publisher, when I'm allowed to tell!

Finally, I can share my whirlwind experience at Stitches in Santa Clara on Saturday! So many great, booths to visit in the Market Place. Here are a few of the highlights:

Arrived in Santa Clara early to stand in line to enter the Market at 10AM. I was so surprised to see the CROWDS of knitters! The last time I was at Stitches was 4 years ago and it was packed (remember when EVERYBODY and their brother was knitting furry scarves?)

Cat Bordhi, my daughter and I had a wonderful visit while sharing boxed lunches together. Then off to the Market where we met up with another good friend, Karin Skacel of the Skacel Collection busily demonstrating Art Felt (is that Amy Singer in the photo, too?)

Rick Mondragon

editor of Knitters Magazine!

http://www.knittinguniverse.com/

Sheila Ernst of http://www.glasspens.com/ makes the most beautiful glass beads and glass knitting needles!!

Stunning knits are always found at Philosopher's Wool booth!

Carol was wearing a great sweater she bought in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I really must go there soon!

Two

TinkkniT

Fans!!

Cute

Orange

Scarf!!

Proud

Mom

knit adorable Baby's hat!!

UnButtons by Linda Sicard. I bought a huge bakelite broach from her. Love it!

Margaret knit her own sweater!

RedFish booth was glorious color!

Lastly, the pillow in my room deserved a photo for being so inspirational. Hmmmmm, what to do with this idea????

Sometimes Designers Change Their Minds!

2008-02-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

Or maybe, they just loose their minds! Anyway, I thought I'd let you know that I'm in the middle of a crazy deadline on the felted chenille scarf for a friend's book which needs to be in the over-night mail tomorrow!

I changed my mind on the color. A couple of posts ago I showed you the Leaf colorway which I was sure would work for this project. After changing the pattern about 4 times, I decided it was the color that was making me so unhappy. So this morning (yes, this morning!) I switched the color to Old Gold, also from Blue Heron Yarns.

I've got to run now, I'll be up very late tonight finishing this scarf and then felting it tomorrow before it makes its way to FedEx!

Next time the scoop on Stitches!

Mysterious Antique Wedding Stockings

2008-02-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

Maybe not so mysterious, but I don't know who knit them, where she knit them or when.

I acquired them from a Canadian antique dealer who thought they were crocheted and used them as Christmas stockings.

Are they wedding stockings? Okay, so I'm taking poetic license here, but it helps me to imagine the reasoning behind their artistry. The gauge is: 13.5 stitches to the inch (that's inch!) and 18 rows to the inch.

They are knit in ivory cotton and are even more charming in person than the photos represent.

Here's a close up

of the leg of the stocking.

Here's a close up of the very top of the stockings.

If you think you've ever seen stockings like this will you let me know?

A new knitting website that looks very interesting and has great potential just landed in my in-box this morning, it is:

http://metapostmodernknitting.com/

Take a look.

Okay, so I promised a look at a bit

of knitting that I'm working on for another friend's book. I really thought I'd be further along today, but I'm not. Hold on just a second, I've got to run outside and photograph it........

Although it's a bit challenging to see right now, this is the handpainted chenille yarn that I was talking about a few days ago from Blue Heron yarns. There are four small cables in the center, the edges are seed stitch. Notice that the yellow zig zags from left to right up the piece of knitting (the blues do, too). This always happens with their yarns and the zig zag changes with the gauge.

I'll felt the scarf when I'm finished. It doesn't have a bit of wool in it, but if you've ever mistakenly washed some rayons, you know that they shrink. In this case the shrinkage makes the knitted fabric very drapy. Think french silk velvet, that's the feel. I love it.

I designed another similar scarf for TinkkniT called The Impressionist Scarf. The yarn is Blue Heron and it was felted. This was my answer to the Touch Me chenille scarf in Pam Allen's ScarfStyle. Many of my students got lost in the pattern, so I designed this pattern. It only takes one skein of yarn. More information at:

http://www.tinkknit.com/Impressionist%20Scarf.html

I leave for Stitches early tomorrow, I'll let you know what I think.

Good knitting to all!

Birds Knit Too!

2008-02-21T14:57:00.000-08:00

A little bird wanted me to remind you to toss your wool bits into the yard so that they can knit their nests. I save the tiniest pieces of wool (no longer than 5") so that baby birds are born into soft places. It's always fun to see which colors disappear from the grass first. There seems to be some kind of order, red and blue being the last colors chosen (by my birds at least).

Swatching a secret project for a friend's book. It's an unusual piece (no, not a bag!) that isn't flat. I'll tell you more when I hear if it's been accepted!

The Needle Felted Bucket Bag is easy to knit out of Cascade Pastaza. If you haven't needle

felted, you must try it out. So easy! It takes about 5 seconds to learn. Check it out at: http://www.tinkknit.com/Needle%20Felted%20Bucket%20Bag.html

Another project to show you tomorrow!

Spring Is So Cheery O's!

2008-02-18T08:25:00.000-08:00

The Cheery O's Pillow pattern is for every beginner knitter (and everyone else for that matter). Fun to knit, felt and then needle felt. And a great use of bits of wool stash, even the tiniest pieces! Finish the pillow yourself, or even better, send it to a professional to sew up and start your next knitting project.

Find this pattern at: http://www.tinkknit.com/Cheery%20Os%20Pillow.html

Cheryl Ritter loves to needle felt and needle felt and needle felt! After seeing her many versions of the Cheery O's pillow in person and some begging on my part, she sent this wonderful photo taken by her husband. Everyone in her family requested (and received) their color version. And they all work!

Okay, since you've asked I'll start to divulge my numerous projects on the needles. Scary to think I've got deadlines next week for projects I've promised to designer friends for their books. I'll be sketching and swatching, but one piece must be completed by Friday. Keep your fingers crossed! I'll use a hand painted yarn from

Blue Heron yarn, colorway Leaf. Visit them at: http://www.blueheronyarns.com/ . It turns out that their bulky rayon chenille felts. It becomes very soft and drapy and I'll use those qualities in a cabled scarf. I'll have to start it today. Yikes!

My knitting is calling!

All Things Knitted

2008-02-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

Like so many of you, I love functional objects that depict knitting. If you haven't seen the gorgeous porcelain work of Alyssa Ettinger, I encourage you to take a look. Although I don't know her personally, I purchased tumblers and bowls, which are beautiful. Her website is: http://www.alyssaettinger.com/.

Behind the scenes of a photo shoot can be fun to look at!

The Barcelona Bag photo shoot took place in downtown Portland, Oregon in front of a 1906 Bank Building.

If you are not yet acquainted with the Barcelona Bag, it is available at: http://www.tinkknit.com/Barcelona_Bag.html

Did you notice that the photo we used looks like we shot at night? It was 3PM in the afternoon, but through the magic of photography and a very fast shutter speed, the photo we used looks like midnight in New York!

The knitting is incredibly easy, although it appears impossibly difficult. The lace image on the front is accomplished by using...........spray paint! Even on close inspection, it's almost impossible to figure out, tee hee! All the instructions in this 10 page pattern, including where to get the exact handles and buckles are disclosed, as always!

I love beginning knitters and want all of you to know that you can accomplish magnificent things with only a few skills!

A Little Slice Of Heaven

2008-02-16T15:52:00.001-08:00

During the course of the last week I was away with other amazing knitwear designers to contemplate our ideas on writing books. San Juan Island is the most deliciously quiet place. It rained a bit, the sun came out a bit, but mostly the pace was slow and the ideas plenty.

Our location had no cell phone service, so the only connection with the outside world was about once a day by Internet. Seriously, what could be better?

This week I also found a very interesting small format book/magazine called Craft: Transforming Traditional Crafts. It is really cool. The focus seems to be a twisted contemporary "take" on traditional crafts. Check it out at http://www.craftzine.com/m/.

The Oregonian knitting blog did a little interview with me, take a look at http://blog.oregonlive.com/knitting/. I'm usually pretty shy about including my photo, but they talked me into it!

Is it just me? Or is there a hint of spring in the air? In Portland, Oregon today we actually saw sun!

If you haven't checked in, http://www.tinkknit.com/ has been updated for Spring.

Wanna see the Zebra Bag?

To purchase the Zebra Bag, go to: http://www.tinkknit.com/Zebra_Bag.html

It's our newest bag (see our half page ad in Interweave Knits) Knitted felt meets gold leafed zebra stripes, accomplished with our exclusive stencil. It's super simple. The detail is in the finishing.
We've added tutorials on http://www.youtube.com/ (search Marta McCall) and you'll find three new videos to support this bag.

Many thanks to the brilliantly talented Robert Loran of Portland, Oregon for his incredible photography. http://robertloranphotography.com/

Silver Leaf Satchel

2007-06-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

Here it is!!! The Silver Leaf Satchel was unveiled last Friday evening at the TNNA fashion show in Columbus, Ohio and spent the weekend in the Skacel Collection Booth to lots of "oohs and aahs". It's available at www.tinkknit.com both retail and wholesale. All directions are included to duplicate the satchel exactly (and that includes the application of the real silver leaf which makes the felted leaves very, very shiny.)

You'll see the SLS in TinkkniT.com's ad in Interweave's Special Felt issue due on newsstands July 17, 2007 (where I'll also be profiled) and then again in Interweave Knits Fall issue and also in Vogue Knitting's Fall issue.

The Best Of Interweave Knits book will be on sale September 2007 where my "Weekend Getaway Satchel" will appear again.

More goodies are on the needles. Until next time!

2007-01-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm back!!!

What a whirlwind three months of starting up www.TinkkniT.com. Lots of fun and exaustion!!

What's new?

Well I recently completed the Wildflower Cushion using 18 colors of Knit Pick's Wool of the Andes. That yarn really felts well and is a great bargain for the knitter/felter at $1.99 for a 110 yd skein! Love it!

Also re-thought the Bucket Bag in Cascade's Pastaza and then needle felted the front using a Noro yarn because the colors were soooo great! I really do like needle
felting! It's easy, like coloring when you were a kid. Very satisfying, so long as you don't felt your finger! Looks really polished!

Also, I have to mention another great yarn I found from www.blueheronyarns.com. A bulkyhandpainted chennille. I knit it into a cabled scarf and then felted it (hot water wash). The result is a silky, soft finish, much like Touch Me when it's felted, but only one skein is required for the entire scarf which makes it amazingly affordable at about $36 (retail) for 240 yards.

Other Stuff

We were snowed-in in Portland after the MLK holiday for a few days. Fun at first, until Bob the dog ran out of dog food. So we trekked up a huge hill (no way to get cars through the snow)with our sled, filled it up with dog food, groceries, stopped at Starbucks, then home again. A 2-1/2 hour round trip exercise in 29 degree weather! Thank goodness we're back to our normal winter weather now!

I'm off to visit my friend Alice, the owner of Tangle Knitting Studio in Lake Oswego, Oregon, for Sunday afternoon knitting circle and chatting. I'll update you next time on the latest from the "girls".

TinkkniT.com is coming October 30th!

2006-10-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to tell you that my new knitting pattern company will be up 'n' running on Monday! Here are a few photos from the patterns that will be available to purchase! Enjoy!

So Glad To Be Back!

2006-08-07T18:30:00.001-07:00

Hello All!! We're back from "the Continent" it was fun, it was long and it was hot, hot, hot. Wow, about the only thing air conditioned in our three week stay was our room. Yikes!! And the weather was 92-104 the whole time.

I searched for knitting stores, but unfortunately, Europe is not having the knitting resurgence that the US is right now. Knit shops are very, very few and far between! If you have the good fortune to find one, the store will carry lots of crafts and just a few balls of yarn. Such a pitty!!

Anny Blatt!!
I did find the Anny Blatt store in the Marais district of Paris. I love that section of town and did lots and lots of shopping there. Tiny, twisty cobble stone roads, lined with little shops jammed together owned by some new and very interesting designers. Turns out that US fashion editors frequent the Marais in search of the next fashion trends. So did we!! Hot July meant we found a treasure trove of sales, not many Fall things were out yet.

Gelato!!!
But I've got to rave about the most artistic, delicious gelato on the planet sur la Marais! We waited in a line down the block and it was totally worth it! Ymmmmmm!!!!!

The Santa Fe Satchel
So here's another view of the "Santa Fe Satchel" in Interweave Knits Fall issue which might give you an idea of the scale of the bag. It was the third in the series.

The Rodeo Gal git alont bag was first, cover of Knitter's Winter,

second wasThe Sedona Blanket Bag for the Skacel Collection. The Marta McCall patterns are coming!! We'll have an unveiling in November. I'm currently knitting my fingers to the bone. Lots of exciting stuff on the way. Stay tuned for some sneak previews!!

A tale from Hollywood:

I thought I'd also regale you with a short story each blog from my "Show Biz" days. Long, long ago and far, far away when I first started to work, I worked for several legends, Bob Hope being one of them. I was his "chief of staff" at his home in Tuluca Lake in the early '80's and had quite a few staffers reporting to me. At that point Bob was doing a NBC Special about every month, so we were busy, busy, busy. Writers on staff were constantly calling with updated jokes. Those guys worked around the clock, not only writing jokes for performances, but "banter" for parties and dinners that Mr. Hope would attend. I used to taunt them with: When Mr. Hope "goes" you know you'll be buried with him, so you can write banter for heaven. Rightfully, they didn't think I was very funny--alas!

Hope was a night owl though, I always assumed it was due to his vaudeville schedule. My day, however, would start at 8:00AM (Bob would sleep until 11:00 or so), I was to leave at 5:00Pm, go home and have dinner and return at 10:00PM to take dictation (remember that!!) until about 2:00AM. The hours were totally nuts, but I was young. This was during the Reagan White House and I was amazed at how often the President called!! Usually wanting a joke or two for a speech he was giving or to set up a golf date. To balance out the political scale, Tipp O'Neill called just about as often.

Dolores Hope had recently built "the big house" in Palm Springs (I understand it is still used by pilots as an aerial land mark) she lived there. Bob would visit occasionally. I guess that's the way to have a happy marriage last multiple decades!

More next time! Joan Rivers was another boss of mine and definitely a laugh a minute!! And Frank Sinatra, too!! Yes, he did have blue eyes!!

Corrections:
As promised, the corrections for the "Children of Lir" stole in the Martha Waterman's Traditional Knitted Shawls and Lace. The problems are on rows 1, 3, and 7.

Row 1 should read: K3, yo(this is missing), K2togb, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1, yo, dbl dcr, yo, k1, (yo, K2togb) twice, k2tog, yo, k3.

Row 3 should read: K2, (yo, K2togb) twice (k2tog, yo) twice, k3, (yo, k2togb) twice, (k2tog, yo) twice, k2.

Row 7 is missing a YO: k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k3, yo, k2togb, yo, dbl dcr, yo(this is missing), k2tog, yo, k3, (yo, k2togb) twice, k1.

If you have the book, print this out and put it in it. It took a couple hours on a layover to figure out what exactly was wrong, but I've now corrected it. Phew!!

We're Off To Paris!!

2006-07-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all! We're off to Switzerland and Paris for three weeks of deadline free vacationing! I can't wait to check out every yarn shop I can find.

In the mean time, check out my French Market Bag and Wrap in Knitter's Summer 2006 issue! Another huge felted bag "The Santa Fe Satchel" in Interweave Fall 2006 issue and a lucious Aran coat in Knitter's Fall 2006! Also "The Sedona Blanket Bag" for the Skacel Collection! Phew!!!

My vacation knitting project is a wrap from Traditional Knitted Shawls and Lace by Martha Waterman. I'm updating the "Children of Lir" stole by knitting it in two hand painted nubby rayons called "Rio" by Blue Moon Fiber Arts. (A huge note as I publish this, there are many mistakes in this pattern, so if you are new to lace knitting, hold off on this one until I print the corrections next time.) One of the yarns is a stunning bronze color, the other is a lighter brown water color and together they look like melted vanilla ice cream sunday. Yummmmm! Makes me hungry! Absolutely scrumptuous! Keep your fingers crossed that I work on it on the trains. I'll post pictures on my return!

In the romance department, my darling husband, Steve and I will be revisiting Zermatt, Switzerland (you know, where the real Matterhorn is) we bought my engagement ring there 16 years ago, after he proposed a day earlier in Trafalgar Square (London). This time our 14 year old daughter and our niece will be joining us!

In other news, Kaffe Fassett is coming to Portland in October and I can't wait! I've been inspired by his multi-faceted designing for twenty years!!

Thanks so much to my sweet mother, Mimi and sis Allida for babysitting our dog, Bobby. Aarf!

So much more coming on my return! Happy knitting to my Tuesday night and Wednesday morning knitting girls and to Alice the owner of Tangle in Lake Oswego, OR! We'll be knitting again together soon!!!

Bye for now!
Marta