Neapolitan Baby Blanket

UPDATE 1/8/16: Congratulations to winner Gillian! Gillian, check your email! --------------------------------------------------

Despite my fate of coming from a long line of lactose-intolerant Gray's, I love Neapolitan ice cream. I can't remember the last time I had it, but there's just something about it. Is it the bright splash of color in a dish? The delightful combination of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate, all classic choices swirling together in a wonderful jumble of sticky, sugary goodness? I don't know, but it's good stuff.

Our friends at Wikipedia tell us, "Neapolitan ice cream was named in the late 19th century as a reflection of its presumed origins in the cuisine of the Italian city of Naples, and the many Neapolitan immigrants who brought their expertise in frozen desserts with them to the United States. Spumoni was introduced to the United States in the 1870s as Neapolitan-style ice cream. Early recipes used a variety of flavors; however, the number of three molded together was a common denominator, to resemble the Italian flag. More than likely, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry became the standard for the reason that they were the most popular flavors in the United States at the time of introduction." That's probably more than you ever wanted to know, but next time you dive into a bowl of this magical dessert, now you know the history.

With that in mind, I'd like to introduce the Neapolitan Baby Blanket. An ode to the aforementioned dessert without the stickiness, this beautiful baby blanket would be a treat for any lucky recipient. Knit in 3 colors of Shalimar Yarn's Enzo Worsted, which continues to remain my current favorite yarn, (some folks have asked where they can get it, click here to contact Shalimar directly and they'll be happy to help you locate it), a superwash merino, cashmere and nylon blend, knitting this was pure delight. My son walked into my office, grabbed the blanket, talked about how soft it was, claimed it as now his and tried to wander off with it.

A simple lace pattern that's intriguing enough to keep your interest because it has lace on both the right and wrong sides, this blanket knits up on US 7s with 2 hanks of each color. The color is changed every 16 rows, so you can stripe with as few as 2 colors or as many as 15 (one for each stripe). Wouldn't this be amazing with a rainbow of color? Or in a gray-scale? Head to your LYS and try some new colors you may have been eyeing last time or dive into your stash and use up a few lonely skeins.

You can easily adjust the length by adding a few more stripes or make it smaller for a stroller or car seat blanket. I love knitting baby blankets because they're great travel projects (this time of year especially since you can keep your lap warm as the blanket grows on your needles), it's a wonderful way to learn a new technique because you don't have to worry about fancy shaping, someone is always having a baby and it is my firm belief that every newborn should have their own hand knit blanket to be able to pass on to their own children some day.

Let's give a copy of the pattern away, shall we? Answer the below trivia question correctly in the comments and automatically be entered to win. A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow, Friday, January 8. Contest open to readers worldwide.

What juice is sold today that was originally created and marketed as a syrup intended as an ice cream topping, but it became more popular mixed with water as a drink?

Download the Neapolitan Baby Blanket pattern here.

Knit, Purl, Sow

CORRECTION 1/5/2016: This is an exhibit from last year, but still worth reading about! :) ----------------------

If you find yourself in the NYC area, check this out! The original article ran in the Wall Street Journal here.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Exhibition Is Knitted With Scientific Accuracy

"Knit, Purl, Sow" Features Knitted Floral- and Plant-Inspired Works

By SUNSHINE FLINT

In one of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's conservatories, flowers that have more in common with cable-knit sweaters than the surrounding flora have been on display for the last few months.

The exhibition, "Knit, Purl, Sow," features knitted floral- and plant-inspired works by the artists Tatyana Yanishevsky, Ruth Marshall and Santiago Venegas, on view in the Steinhardt Conservation Gallery through Jan. 22.

Two years in the making, it contains 21 works, including 19 by Ms. Yanishevsky, an artist who studied biology at Brown University. Before picking up her knitting needles, the Rhode Island-based artist, who taught herself how to knit, dissected flowers and studied their anatomy in textbooks and greenhouses.

"It was a knitting challenge to create those forms, to have them be three-dimensional and puffed out where they needed to be," recalls Ms. Yanishevsky.

Her work sparked the idea for the exhibition when the garden's director of science, Susan Pell, noticed it online and admired its scientific accuracy.

"We were impressed with the way a lot of her pieces show all the parts of the flower or plant, the roots," said Sonal Bhatt, the garden's vice president of education and interpretation, who approached other artists whose work she felt was complementary. The show opened in October.

"We want the public to appreciate nature another way," Ms. Bhatt said. "I really like the idea of 3-D art and kept looking for the right fall to do it, because knitting doesn't fit into any other season."

The large-scale, three-dimensional pieces line the wall of one room and hang from a central atrium under four skylights. Other fluid forms and long pieces dangle from the ceiling.

The atrium's natural light shows off the execution of pieces like Ms. Yanishevsky's 3-foot-high "Anatomically Correct Passionflower," whose three-pronged stamen gives it the googly-eyed look of a friendly Pixar alien. She uses six textures to differentiate the organs, from a stockinette stitch for the corona to mohair-and-wool lace for the petals.

Many of the works are for sale, including three multi-piece exhibits, ranging from $25 for the smallest pieces to $15,000 for Ms. Marshall's "Lotus."

Ms. Marshall, an Australian based in New York, previously worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society and is known for her knit "pelts" of endangered cats. Ms. Bhatt, a former colleague, contacted her even though she typically makes animals, not plants. Ms. Marshall eventually settled on the lotus as her contribution, creating its vibrant pink flowers, circular leaves, seed pods and interconnected rhizomes and roots.

"I thought the roots were really interesting with their holes and how people harvest and eat them," says Ms. Marshall. "So the project became about including the whole plant. It was three months of solid work."

She said the show has given her new inspiration. "I'm still completely dedicated to depicting endangered animals, but a lot live amongst jungle foliage. I could see mixing the animal pelts with other 3-D elements."

Even accomplished home knitters will be impressed by the pieces' craftsmanship. The hanging "Tiger Lily" is 5 feet in diameter with six mottled yellow petals that curl all the way back in full bloom and have a cable-knit stitch down their length.

"When I'm doing anatomical pieces, I look to the plant for reference, and lilies have parallel lines on their petals," Ms. Yanishevsky said.

She used cables to create the channels and wove in varying shades of yellow. The big bobbles that represent the lily's characteristic black spots are a favorite of hers.

"They are fixed spheres made from yarn," Ms. Yanishevsky said. "It's something of a treat for me to make."

Ms. Yanishevsky also took pleasure in making two versions of a swamp pink, a native flower that is a threatened species and that the garden recently installed in its newly expanded Native Flora Garden, with roots made of polyester resin and different materials and stitching for each model. In a bit of serendipity, one of them was placed under the room's heating vents, and the forced air moves the leaves like they are swaying in the breeze.

Nordic Fair Isle Slouch Hat KAL

I really enjoyed my first Knit-A-Long (KAL) with String Yarns. I've mentioned my love of teaching so many times on this blog (and I know some of my readers are students, here's a shout out to you!) and it's interesting to see the evolution of my teaching experience.

When I was a tween I'd tag along with my mother as she taught children's art classes at the North River Arts Society. I was in that weird in-between stage of being too old for the children's class but too young for the adult classes, so I was bequeathed the title of "assistant." So began my teaching career - I'd wash the paintbrushes, help with set up and clean up, assist students and even sneak in a project of my own. It was the best of both worlds (and pretty great having your mom as the teacher). While the class was always fun and the projects were incredibly interesting with my mom and her never-ending supply of great project ideas, it was the drive to and from the Society with my mom - sometimes in the cold and dark if it was winter, sometimes we'd have the windows down and the sun would still be shining if it was summer - that was my favorite thing. We'd talk the whole way and I learned how to be a good teacher from watching her. I have nothing but fond memories of working with the woman I admire most and spending time side by side in the classroom.

Like most things, teaching has gone global and I find myself in the classroom at my LYS teaching a group, tucked into a nook at the local coffee shop giving private lessons to some of my favorite advanced students who learn better one-on-one or flying away to teach at a retreat. But I also teach from here at my desk, reaching out to students online from all over the world. Knitting is so personal but incredibly social as well. Bring in today's technology and we can take a class online, learn new skills (I took a kitchen knife skills class online and it changed the way I cook) or band together for an online KAL. I love that the act of knitting has basically stayed the same (with better notions and fibers, arguably) but technology has made it this incredibly modern thing with Ravelry, YouTube, chat rooms and virtual KALs.

I'd like to introduce the project for our second online KAL with String Yarns, the Nordic Fair Isle Slouch Hat. Designed to be unisex with a slouchy fit, this hat was made for the beginner Fair Isle knitter or someone looking to learn Fair Isle from a stranded color work knitting addict professional. The bold, Nordic-inspired motif is flattering on everyone and the Stacy Charles Fine Yarns Aran 30 Sport cashmere and wool blend is a delight with its tweedy look and super soft feel. When finished it'll feel like you have a cloud on your head!

Knitting up on US 5s and 7s, this hat is jam-packed with technique - the cabled cast on, corrugated ribbing, Fair Isle or stranded color work, spiral decreasing and chart reading. Beginning on January 12th, I'll be hosting the online KAL on the String Yarns Ravelry Group here. Join other knitters from across the globe knitting up this gorgeous hat - a perfect gift for yourself after you've done so much for everyone else this holiday season! With purchase of the pattern, you will receive a discount code for 15% off Stacy Charles Fine Yarns Aran 30 Sport available here (you'll need 2 contrasting shades), so you can be ready when we start. Each Tuesday for a month we will work our way through this hat with detailed photo tutorials, instructions, tips and tricks provided by me. I'll be there to answer questions and cheer you on as we knit together virtually. Before you know it, you'll be hearing my voice inside your head chanting "embrace the Fair Isle chart, embrace the Fair Isle chart!"

If learning or perfecting your stranded color work knitting was your 2016 resolution, this is the project for you. Head on over to String Yarns to choose your 2 colors for your kit and be sure to join the String Yarns Ravelry Group here to be part of our KAL. I'll see you on the 12th!

Sharing Between Generations

If you're like me, you come from a long line of crafty folk. Both of my grandmothers and great grandmothers could crochet like a master, my mom is an amazingly talented oil painter and pastel artist, my dad and grandfather knew their way around a workbench, then there's me - my hands in all sorts of artistic pots, always following the inner drive telling me to "create, create, create." Since we recently moved and when you move you have to go through EVERYTHING, I came across a few treasures that only the crafty can appreciate. Tucked high on a shelf were my grandmother's and mother's button boxes. I'd sit at my mom's feet when I was a kid sorting, organizing and grouping the buttons together in a pattern that only made sense to me. There was my other grandmother's pale pink sewing box, which I use almost daily, my grandfather's screw drivers that are covered in bits of paint and worn on the handle where his hands once were, and fillet crocheted doilies hidden in a cedar chest made by great grandmothers I never had a chance to meet, their work so fine and intricate that it puts my crochet work to shame.

I came across this article recently on grandmothers and their granddaughters and things that have been passed down between them. It struck a chord, as it probably will with many of you, dear readers. It made me think of the holidays, families, gift-giving and traditions that are repeated year after year. Sharing it here seemed apropos of this time of year. Original article here.

The Special Bond Between Grandmothers And Their Granddaughters Revealed Through Their Presents

by Neringa Cergelyte 

A social photography project ‘A Present’ is collaboration between two Lithuanian artists: jeweler Giedre Duoble and photographer Ugne Henriko. The photographs explore the complex relationships between women of different generations through the presents given by grandmothers to their granddaughters.

Photography project‘s approach to capture gifts as symbols offers a deeply personal reflection of the values that have been passed between generations for eternity. “The project is about presents that are intended to be kept forever.”, said Giedre Duoble, founder of jewelry brand 57 Edges, “These photos capture the symbols of eight different timeless relationships. I love the idea that my jewelry designs could one day form a link between two generations and contribute to keeping family values alive.”

Photographer Ugne Henriko explored a similar theme in her earlier project ‘Mother and Daughter’, where she replicated the pictures her mother took when she was the same age as Ugne; the photos were published in ‘The Guardian’ and ‘Huffington Post’. It was this wish to talk about the relationships between generations that inspired the two artists to create a project together.

Singer Dovile Filmanaviciute (‘Miss Sheep’) received textiles woven by her grandmother Stanislava

Jeweler Giedre Duoble with her grandmother Regina and her present – a “Singer” sewing machine

Fashion designer Milda Cergelyte received a box of buttons from her grandmother Vida

Actress Toma Vaskeviciute received a handbag her grandmother used to wear

TV presenter Laima Kybartiene with her granddaughters Auguste and Kotryna and their present – a jewellery box

TV presenter Bernadeta Lukosiute gave her granddaughter Vilte a chair made by her great-grandfather. Vilte likes to do her homework sitting on that chair

Graphic designer Goda Jackute received a necklace made from black amber that her grandmother Elena wore on her wedding day

Ona Ceslava gave an old stove to her granddaughter, actress Aiste Lasyte

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What do you have that was passed down to you and is special?

My parents are here visiting, my in-laws are close by and soon my sister-in-law and her new husband will be coming home. The presents are piled under the tree, our twinkle lights are on the bushes out front and the crock pot has been going around the clock. I hope this season is filled with family, good friends, good food, very good yarn and a sense of peace and thankfulness that only December can bring. A very happy holidays from TanisKnits to you and yours.