{ tara frey }:: typing out loud

The Knit Killer...

I started this sweet little scarf, lush with vibrant hues and sort of a jelly bean jar effect...which is a bit of a stray from my softer frothy color collection. The scarf style itself is unique I'm told by my girls at the knitting store...because before cast off, there is a trick to pulling pieces to give it a "raggy & fringy" effect. So, I planned on going back to the store for them to show me how.  They said something like "just go home, cast on 9, straight knit until the end and come back in to the store and we'll teach you the rag pull"  

But it seems that Sadie wanted to save me a trip to achieve that rag effect.  I left it on the counter and there must have been a piece of yarn within her reach and, well, let me just show you...  

I suppose she wanted to teach me her own technique

 

Lovely, isn't it?

I should also mention here that we've been having trouble with Sadie and what seems to be a jealousy of the needles, yarn and all the silly attention that 2 sticks and some string gets around here. What's so great about all this stuff? As she sits and looks up at me while I knit... I swear that's what her eyes are saying to me.

Oy! the commotion and ruckus this all caused.  She immediately transformed into Cujo upon capture  

My youngest screamed "mommy mommy Sadie is killing your knitting!" That in itself, just sounds so funny.  So the kids promptly placed her under arrest, snapped her mugshot and processed paw prints.  There was no need for judge or jury, she was handed her sentence

ps on a side note: my best friend said that I would be the only one on the planet to use vintage shutters as doggie gates.  She doesn't know our creative blogging community very well obviously, as this is totally normal.

Cha-Cha

{**UPDATE 1/4/10** I've  received so many inquiries about the Cha-Cha!  If you are unable to get it at your local knitting store, I've found an online resource here.}

  
Love this new knitting project I started.  And the name on the label? ohh lordy...it's called the "Cha-Cha", how could I resist? the same nickname I gave our spunky, funny, free-spirited little mouse.  It's a super easy straight knit scarf project which creates a magical layered scallop look.  Love when things appear more complicated than they really are. 

 
It's actually a chocolate brown color although it looks gray {ish}in the photo  You know how I love me some gray, remember the intervention?  So if you are looking for an easy knit project, go to your local knitting store and ask for the "Cha-Cha". (make sure they don't give you one of these instead)

Happy knitting! xo- T

Knitlaces in Stock for Sweet Gift Giving...

UPDATE Dec 8TH:   SOLD OUT   ::  THANK YOU !!   

With all of our computers down for the count...crashed, toasted, burned up, I'm late posting the Knitlaces in the shop here .  So with blurry eyes, cramped hands and a few expletives to the repair techs (sorry Andrew) we are stocked up for now. So come by and shop around! click here. These petite and pretty scarves will make sweet Christmas gifts for yourself or  loved ones.  Feel free to email info@tarafrey.com  if you have any questions. SOLD OUT THANK YOU! xo~ T

  

 

Dress up your neck with a knitlace©...

 
I've knitted up some "knitlaces©" just in time for Fall.  These are skinny scarves, sweet and tiny and long enough to make a statement.  They are handmade by me (and usually knitted while laying in bed late at night with ear plugs in my ears next to a giant snoring beast...but that's another story)

I love them because they jazz up anything.  Instead of a necklace, wear a knitlace© (or why not both?!) Fun, whimsical and chic. 

 
 
Please vist my Etsy shop {click here} to see the yummy's.  See you there and thank you. Happy Fall !- xo  

UPDATED 10/7/09:: SOLD OUT :: THANK YOU!  MORE LISTING COMING SOON!

man cowl...

    Well I did it.  My man has a "man cowl" {and he actually loves it, which is surprising from someone who only recently started wearing a scarf.}  Most surprisingly, I read a pattern, finally! Basically it's a scarf, twisted 180 degrees, with ends woven together to form sort of a big circle, then it's wrapped twice around the neck.  Such a weird name though? man cowl... sounds like mad cow.  He asked if he was going to get a disease from it.

    Notice that most of the scruff is gone from his face. {insert happy dance here}.  The man cowl looks much better without burly straggly scruffy facial hair.  I told him he would definitely not get a disease if the cowl is worn with an almost clean shaved face.  It even said so in the directions. 

    Check out the rebel knit shirt I got. Lots of funky tees available for knit chicks.  I think I like being a part of this group!  The shirt made me get down to business and make some more knitlaces.  Check them out here. ~xo  UPDATE 1/30: SOLD OUT...THANK YOU!!

sweeties need scarves too...

    I got him to wear my hand knitted scarf (that took me 2 days to complete, by the way, just call me "turtle knit") because I love men in scarves.  He doesn't.  But he put it on and said he liked the color (as you can see it's made in the charcoal gray we I love.)  Perhaps I relapsed. or I'm off the wagon or it's just a safe color?  He wore it all day. (and kept petting it like a cat).  Now if I can only get him to wear it with the famous rock star shirt?  Although I don't think it will match.  I started making a "man cowl" for him in a dark olive and have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just happy to be reading a pattern.  Something tells me I'll be in my local knit shop asking for help.

ps:  note the glimpse of burly scruffy facial hair?  I loathe the winter due to this manly ritual.  I just don't get it.  Ewww.

knitlace for sale...

    Hi.  Last minute Lucy here.  Could I have thought of this about a month ago before Christmas shopping began?  Anyway, I had a lot of emails regarding that scarfy looking necklace I knitted and called it a "Knitlace" on my bloggy here, so I set up shop over at etsy, appropriately named ::{knitting out loud}::  so we match.  Although Christmas delivery is kind of out of the question, treat yourself in the new year!  Come see them:  www.tarafrey.etsy.com  I love them all and they will be hard to part with, but you guys rock and I know they will go to great homes and on super chic necks.

    I know how to shop at etsy {and very well I might add} however, this selling is new to me, so I hope I did it right.  Let me know if you find any kinks?

    Hope you like, and I'll be posting some new Knitlace's soon, since I got a big fat gift certificate to my local yarn shop and I'll be getting jiggy with it..  Merry Christmas!~xo

knitlace...

 

    Ok, so I was making all these scarves and had some yarn left over, not enough to make a full scarf, so I did this necklace or "knitlace" or "knit neck", or "i don't want to make scarves anymore so I'll knit these" 

    I made one in every color to match almost every outfit. (charcoal anyone?)  I must say they are super cute and fun to wear!  This one I like to call "cafe latte" since it reminds me of coffee for some reason.   I'm running out of ideas...at some point I'm going to have to learn to read a pattern and make a hat, or gloves.  Anything.  But for now, it's safe to say we're all knitlaced up.~xo

my basket runneth over...

    So I'm going a little yarn crazy and starting multiple knitting projects.  All of them have one common theme though--scarves.  Seriously, it's neck warmin' wooby city over here.  I need to sit and learn to read a pattern and make some hats or gloves, anything besides a scarf.  I'm in need of a bigger basket, for sure too.  Love this yarn I picked up (and of course started making a scarf) It's kind of Anthropologieish. What are you knitting or crafting today?

 

Celebrations and stuff...

     

    The festivities are underway as this this guy turns the big 4-OH or {40} or "really really super old" like the kids told him.  Poor guy.  Anyway, my daughter was up in our bedroom making these crown party hats.  I think she remembers how well he liked the Burger King hat and how he spoke like the king whenever he wore it and we all would laugh in his face.  She had her inspiration right next to her, in the form of this beautiful pillow by Teresa. 

     Tonight we will dine like kings (but not at Burger King) Just going to our favorite Italian restaurant and then later this week, just me and him are escaping to a getaway in the Poconos, while my mom stays with the kids.  We are staying at a beautiful old French inspired inn/ bed and breakfast.  Hiking, horseback riding and fishing are on the agenda....I do have to remember it's his birthday, right? {oh! but there are these fabulous outlet shops and antique marts conveniently nearby, so if it means a canoe ride, touching worms, gutting some fish and breaking my back on a horse to get me there, then it will be worth it}  

     And my little mouse was so happy to read all of your comments on her knitting skills and her first scarf that we did together.  She is at the point where she only needs minimal guidance, no hovering.  Here is the one I made in lavender, I just love this yarn, it's so easy to work with.  I added a little bling for the sparkle effect. It's weird to be knitting scarves during a heat wave.  Fall, where are you?

 

     And I scored with these vintage wallpaper parcels from the 60's and 70's.  Most of them are really beautiful. I was thinking of putting together some packs of maybe 8 to 10 and selling them in pretty bundles for @ $15. If you are interested let me know in the comments or shoot me an email so I know how many to prepare. Thanks and Happy Monday!~xo

Knitty bitty...

   

     She changed her mind half way through.  It started as a blanket for her doll then it turned into a scarf for her.  I had to help her a bit on this one though. She kept wanting to add an extra stitch with each row for some reason (I think she wanted it bigger!) Isn't it a great feeling doing a project with the kids and seeing their pride when it's finished?  She wore this for at least 3 hours this weekend when the temperatures were really extra steamy.  She didn't care because she had her doll blanket scarf around her neck that was handmade with care and love on a Sunday afternoon and we got to spend some quality knitty bitty time together.  Nothing better ~xo  

 

    

We now pronounce ...

  

     Wow!  That last post was super fun, I loved reading all of your guesses about my name!  We do pronounce it "fray" rhyming with "grey", "pray" "tray", etc...  Now I wonder how many names of the blogs I read I'm pronouncing wrong in my head?  My Dad calls this thing here a "blob" instead of a blog.  No matter how many times I correct him, he'll still say something like "you should put that on your blob"  I just let it go at this point, because, well.. it's just too cute.

     I loved reading about the stories of your names.  I'm glad that I'm not alone in the "Blog Name Regret" boat.  My Typepad link will remain the same (bellapink), I will just be putting my own name on the banners instead.  No big deal.  I've been taking notice of the blogs I read and a lot of them have a different url from their banner name, so I will be in that boat club as well !  It's funny how I just recently started to notice this I guess since I was thinking of doing the same...sort of like when you find out you're pregnant and everywhere you go all you see and notice are pregnant women?

     Anyway, speaking of "fray", in the photo above you can see I started to knit in this light pink yarn (and it is a little frayed,, but you'll give me a pass, right?).  I'm trying to keep up with the new knitting queen my daughter.  Not sure what I'm going to make yet, but it's okay not to have a plan?  I think I'll play it safe and make a blanket for her doll.  Small and simple.  But remember this is the same little diva who required these in her lunch box, I may not get off that easy.  If anyone knows of some basic knitting patterns, let me know in the comments.  Or even great knitting books to brush up on my lack luster skills.  I'm rusty for sure, but I think it's like riding a bike, you never really forget how to do it.  If you have a knitting blog, or posted a knit project, please send me a link in the comments as well!  It's knitting fever over here at the Fry Frey house. 

     And not to be outdone, is our son who started to latch hook.  Do any of you remember doing this as a kid?  I would sit in my room for hours and latch hook. I bought him this skull latch hook kit and he has learned it quickly.  Latch hooking is super easy for kids of all ages and I think it's gratifying for them because they can almost see instant results. (of course he hides it when his friends come over to play video games, this new hobby just might ruin his image? But I'm sure he will proudly display the finished skull, because that's cool.)~xo

She's a fast learner...

     She picked up knitting like she's been doing it for years.  Her little fingers moving so fast.  She's a lefty and it was harder for me to teach her, I was fumbling with the needles, so I enlisted the help of some pros at our local knitting store.  We walked in together, me and my new super knitter, and the women just ate her up like candy.  They were all so generous with their time and their skills are incredible.  It was so much fun to watch them teach her, and it gave me a chance to brush up on this old hobby.  Knitting, how I've missed you, sore fingertips,cramped wrists and all ! Now I have a friend to knit with and she'll make sure I keep up. This is her first project, a cute fuzzy hot pink purse.  While knitting outside and I'm snapping away, she said "Mom, look!...my purse matches these flowers, take a picture!"  Such an observant creative little spirit, where did you come from super knitter girl?~xo