Thursday, November 30, 2006
Day 2
Normally the first week of shooting is a wee bit hellish. Things never go smoothly. Although there is of course a little bit of that settling in happening this go-round, for the most part, the last two days have been pretty damn good. Today, is was all boys, all the time. We shot two shows, the first guested by Stephen Houghton of the blog, Hizknits. He was delightful and the show went off without a hitch. The Knitsters where awesome too and because of the new way we're shooting, we actually had, IMHO, the best end of show banter ever. Hopefully that will come through in the final edit. Anywhoodles, here's Steven and I posing purposely awkwardly, a la prom.
This next one is of us with the Knisters, Aaron, David and Kristin.
John Brinegar returned as a guest for the 2nd show today. His stuff is always cool, urban and fun to work on. This first picture is of him and producer Lorelei prepping for the next act while Dave & Andri (art department) set up the props.
Like with today's first show, two of our Knitsters for this one were guys. Both had learned to knit from their respective girlfriends and although they're good friends in real life, neither one had told the other about their knitting habit until being called to do Knitty Gritty. I thought that was adorable. After the shoot we convinced them to step away from their needles to skate a bit on the set.
This last one is from my perspective at the demo table, taken of the Knitsters hanging out between takes. From L-R is Eric, Danika and Mike.
Ok, I'm beat so I'm going to wrap up some work and get into bed. Have a good night!
xo,
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 10:20 PM
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Day 1, Part Deux
We're finished with the first episode of shooting. It took a looooong time to get through it, but that's normal for day 1. In the past we've shot live to tape, which means we'd have to get through each act (the individual scene before commercial) without any screw-ups. As you can imagine, that's a wee bit stressful for all involved. This time however, the network wants us to edit all takes in post-production which means that we can stop and start whenever we need to, which is like a vacation when it comes to hosting. Good stuff. As I mentioned before, our first guest was Art Yarn's, Iris Shrier. Since she's been on the show twice before, she knew the gig and easily adapted. We made a lovely, multi-directional sweater in her beatiful, silk yarn.
My new Supervising Producer, Kelly Ehrlich, is awesome and hilarious. This is us going over notes before the show. She used to run crafty-guru Carol Duval's show and is a total pro.
All in all, it was a good day. Tomorrow, we shoot 2 episodes both, with male guests. Yay, for male designers! I'll report back when I have more scoop. Now, I'm off to take off the stage make-up and get into my jammies. I think I'll watch a little Medium in bed. I'm a sucker for anything about the paranormal! :-)
Have a good night!
xo,
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 10:42 PM
Day 1
Hey all! I'm running out the door for our first day of shooting. I was wrong about starting yesterday so I actually got to do some personal stuff like order Christmas cards and drive up for dinner with my mom and son (my youngest came out with me). Yay!
I know I spent 20 years in L.A. but it never ceases to amaze me how different it is from Austin. A couple of days ago, Snoop Dogg was arrested a couple of miles from where I'm staying and the the fake boob quota has reached epic proportions in this neck of the woods (not that there's anything wrong with that). But I digress.
The Screen Door Entertainment peeps sent the coolest flower arrangement to the hotel! Very unique. This is it here next to my latest accessorie crush, the Betsey Johnson purse that my brother bought me for my b-day/Christmas. Woo hoo! Actually, the best part of that gift is that we got to hang out together while shopping for it. I miss that kid.
Ok, I have 2 minutes to get to the studio. Have a great day!
xoxo,
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 9:50 AM
Monday, November 27, 2006
Knitty Gritty or bust!
Well folks, I leave in an hour for L.A. to shoot seasons 7 & 8 of Knitty Gritty. I've got my camera packed and will try to keep you updated as we go on exciting, behind the scenes action! ;-) Tomorrow we're only shooting one episode (we normally shoot 3 in a day) as a warm up. I don't remember off-hand what the topic is but the guest is Iris Shrier, author of Modular Knits.
Alright, I'm outta here. Happy Monday!
xo,
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 8:33 AM
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Happy Stuff
Thanks everyone for the b-day wishes! I really appreciate it. :-)
What's everyone doing tomorrow for Thanksgiving? We were supposed to go to either Texarkana or Dallas to spend the holiday with Dave's family. However, since I'm leaving on Monday for 3 weeks to shoot Knitty Gritty, we decided to avoid traveling and stay close to home. Instead, we're going to Jenny's to eat, drink wine and let our 4 kids run wild. Sounds like a great day to me!
OMG, I'm so excited! Jonelle at SWTC sent me a picture of one of the first existing balls of yarn from my collection. It's crazy seeing the label with my face on it--I'm so, so happy though, with the way the whole thing turned out! Special thanks to designer, "Big Al" for all of his hard work!
I'm eagerly awaiting delivery of actual yarn although I'll be away working so I'll probably have to wait to play with it. BOO to the OO! I did however have enough of 2 of the yarns to include swatches for most of my sketches that I sent to Jonelle for pattern support consideration. There was also enough for me to make a purse, a cardigan , a mesh beanie and the aforementioned "Lois & Clark" ascot that I gave to Annette O'Toole. I must admit, I'm so ready to work with another color besides the dye-test magenta! ;-)
I just got the new super-sized "Love Issue" of Knit.1 in the mail. It looks really beautiful--as always, the folks over at SOHO Publishing did a fantastic job. If you get a chance, take a gander at my interview with Dr. Ruth. She's a delightful person and I really enjoyed chatting with her.
One last thing before I disappear into stuffing and cookie making obscurity, if you're up early on the day after Thanksgiving don't forget to check out the DIY Holiday Open House special that I co-hosted with the peeps from Creative Juices, DIY to the Rescue, B. Original, Craft Lab and many more! The special is airing on HGTV, at 8am ET/PT and then will re-air on DIY on Decemer 3rd at 7pm ET. Check it out!
Ok, that's it for me. Happy Thanksgiving!
xo,
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 8:25 AM
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Double Trifecta
I finished everything but the collar and installing the zipper on the cropped cardi for the LOVE yarn. I want to add some kind of funky duplicate stitch action on the front--maybe an owl--but haven't figured out anything I'm happy with while fiddling around with Stitch Motif Maker. I spoke with Jonelle from SWTC yesterday and all of my yarns should be in within the next two weeks. Woo hoo! I'm starting to get really worried though, that I'm not going to be able to get them the designs they need for pattern support in time for the January launch at CHA. I'm gone for 3 weeks shooting Knitty Gritty and also have to find someone, interview them and write the next Knit.1 article within the next 2 weeks. In addition, I have finishing touches on Knit Aid to work on and promotional responsibilites for both DIY and Knitty Gritty Knits. Oy. I'm totally not complaining, I love my job(s) and feel really fortunate that I get to make a living doing what I do. I just don't want to let anyone down, you know?
In other news, today's my birthday--the big 3-3. So far it's been a good one. Thanks to Scout (aka Jamie) for sending me hand-dyed yarn in Rosalie, a mudflap knitter girl t-shirt and muppet magnets! There's nothing like getting knitting goodies in the mail. :-)
My boys are going to their dad's today so we celebrated last night with them. With the help of my sweet man, we had pizza (for them) and butternut squash ravioli and polenta (for us), followed by gingerbread cake and presents. Tanner also made me an awesome birthday card that he got up early to write out himself (he's 6)! Sooo cute! My best friend Tammy made me a very happy woman by sending M*A*S*H 4077 (my all-time fave tv show) pajamas, some skully jammies AND a new copy of the DVD of Chorus Line. That's my comfort movie. I've probably seen it 100+ times and was soooo sad when I lost my copy. Also last night, I got a hilrious delivery from the folks from Knitty Gritty. They sent me a floral cosmopolitan martini like this one.
Tonight, my comdedian friends Demetri Martin & Leo Allen, are coincidentally going to be in town performing at The Paramount theater.
You may remember Leo from one of the Knit Bits we shot last year while we were in New York for the Knit Out. It was the one about using a coffe cup sleeve to make a yarn bobbin. Anyway, he's one of the funniest people I've ever met. Seriously. Like tears-running-down-your-face-from-laughing-so-hard funny. He once called me in the voice of his spleen and proceeded to talk to me for a good five minutes about his life as an innard. WTH? But I digress.
After the show Jennifer, Karly, Tina and some other peeps are going to meet for us for bevies at a local bar. Should be fun stuff! :-)
Ok, that's it for me. Have a great weekend!
xo,
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 8:37 AM
Monday, November 13, 2006
Note to Self
Note to self: buy a pretty, well-fitting slip so that next time you wear your not-quite-thick-enough-to-be-modest, empire-waist dress to a fabulous fashion event like last Saturday's STITCH, where your 6 year old son feels the need to hide beneath said dress while strangers are talking to you about your show, the aformentioned strangers plus those standing in line at the bar, will be spared the full back view of your ugly, biker-short-esque girdle. Thank you.
Speaking of under garments, I was recently sent the galley for Nikol Lohr's new book Naughty Needles and well, HUBBA HUBBA!
Now, I before I go on, I should mention that this collection of patterns is not for prudes or anyone under 18 who hasn't asked their parents first before they take a gander at the gams, as it were. Naughty Needles is a hilarious, yet very sexy ode to the bondage/pin-up days of the '50s and 60's. There's a lot of whips and chain stitch within its 140+ pages but also, some very cool, well thought out knits that make a girl proud to not be one of those emaciated models of today. Women are luscious and lovely in the Felt Up corset and Mrs. Robinson sparkly bra. The felted nurse cap is killer and the knee-high socks are adorable but my favorite, by far, is the cover project: Gidget Goes Hawaii, a perfect Varga girl inspired bikini. Oh, if I only had the guts! All in all, if you're in touch with your saucy side and have a sense of humor , then you'll dig this jaunt far away from traditional knitting fare. For more info, check out Nikol's website, Disgruntled Housewife.
Nightie, night!,
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 9:16 PM
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Week in Review
Under the category of "never a dull moment": I got a call on Monday that I might need to go to Vancouver on Wednesday to shoot Knit Bits on the Smallville set (the actors who play Lois Lane, Martha Kent and Lionel Luther are all knitters). While conceptually this sounds like a ton of fun, it would've required some major juggling of deadlines and arrangements to make happen. I ran out to buy some last minute wardrobe, called the editors for the magazines I work for to ask for extensions, got a de-halloweenifying manicure (I still had chipped black polish on), and got my mom in California to track down my birth certificate in case I needed it for the flight. It was a complete circus. Finally, at around 3pm on Tuesday, my producer called and said that I could breathe easy, we weren't making the trip after all. Apparently, one of the actors we wanted to interview wasn't going to be there and they couldn't guarantee that the others would be for sure--it makes much more sense to go after Christmas giving us time to plan rather than just sending me and director Celia, to Canada with little more than a camera and a dream.
Last weekend I knit Ubernatural from MagKnits. The sweater looks super cute on the model/designer Stefanie, but on me looked like crap. I think I'm going to frog it. Actually, I may try it again in a chunkier yarn. I used one of the recommended substitutions, Noro Big Kureyon #12 (which I LOVE), but I don't really think it was right for this pattern. Oh, and although the pattern suggests approx. 800yds of yarn, I only needed about 200--sooo, I bought way too much yarn. Oh well. I think I might just make a thick scarf out of it instead, for December's free pattern of the month. Stay tuned!
On Monday, I spent the day working on projects for my first crafty column in KIWI Magazine. I decided this article would focus on a project made from recycled, felted sweaters. As much as I love me the knitting, it was really nice to work in a different medium for a change. Quick-sew projects please my preference for instant gratification. After I was finished with the projects, I decided to use some of the left-over sweaters to whip up this pillow for my living room:
Yesterday I worked on tracking down soccer star, Brandi Chastain, as a possible interviewee candidate for "The Sports Issue" of Knit.1 (out next year). I found a way to get an e-mail passed along to her, and am now waiting to hear back about whether or not she's interested. She's a champion athlete, a new mom and a knitter--snaps!
Today I booked a room at the children's museum for my youngest son's upcoming birthday party. I can't believe my little baby's turning 5! For the rest of the day I need to go through the editor's notes on my next book, Knit Aid, start the text for the KIWI article and knit some more on a cardigan I'm making for the new yarn collection. Oh, and in my campaign to rid myself of the girdle I've been wearing on the last few shoots, I'll be hitting the gym yet again. Later, I get to hang out with one of my best friends, Kevin, who's coming to town for a quick meeting. Hooray!
Tomorrow, Jenny, myself and our SFOs are going to see one of my favorite authors, Sarah Vowell, speak at The Paramount here in Austin. I hope she reads from Partly Cloudy Patriot--I *heart* that book!
Ok, that's it for my week in review.
Have a great weekend!
xo,
Vickie
P.S. Button, button, whose got the button? I do! If you're interested in adding me to your blog roll, you can grap the code for my blog button on the LH column of this page. Thanks!
posted by Vickie Howell @ 8:57 AM
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Knitty Gritty on HGTV!
This just in...as of November 27th, Knitty Gritty will begin airing on Mondays on HGTV at 11amET/10amCT/8amPT. Tune in for Season 2 repeats AND never been aired Season 5 episodes! This is an awesome opportunity for the show to be seen by those who don't have digital cable or satellite television.
Oh, and as always, Knitty Gritty will continue to air daily on DIY Network.
Also on both networks, the DIY Holiday Open House special that I co-hosted with Jennifer Perkins (Craft Lab) Cathie Filian & Steve Piacenza, Michele Beschen (B. Original), Amy Devers & Karl Champley (DIY to the Rescue), and Ahmed Hassan (The Dirt on Gardening), will air simultaneously on both DIY AND HGTV on November 24th. Check your local listing for times!
Pssst!...pass it on.
Crafty kisses,
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 1:07 PM
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Creepy, Crafty, Column.
Morning! Hope everyone had a good Halloween. Ours was really fun. Jenny (aka my favorite web mistress) invited us to go trick-or-treating with her family, so Dave (aka the BF) and I threw on some holiday make-up and loaded my little Ghostbusters into the car. The boys went from house to house, closely followed by a 6'3" white boy in Misfits garb, holding up a boom box playing Ray Parker Jr.'s one hit wonder. Afterall, every kid should have theme music! It was HI-larious!
In knitting news, while I was shooting Knit Bits, I made another one of Stefanie Japel's One Skein Wonder shrugs in Noro Silk Garden. I really dig this pattern!
In crafty news, as of January 2007 I'm happy to announce that I will have a regular, eco-friendly craft column in the new, healthy-parenting magazine, KIWI. I'll focus on projects using recycled and organically made materials. You can find KIWI at bookstores, Whole Foods and Wild Oats stores nationwide!
Speaking of magazines, I'm totally geeking out over the new CRAFT. I was all whiney about the $14.95 retail price thinking that no one in their right mind would pay that for a magazine. Then, I actually saw the premiere issue and happily slapped down my own 15 bucks because frankly, it's really smart, asthetically pleasing and filled with interesting projects. Oh and bonus, three of my crafty friends, Jenny Hart, Tina Marrin & Kathy Murillo, are featured in it!
In ironic news, I recently realized that I'm going to Minnesota, Chicago & NYC during the coldest months of the year and don't have any warm knitwear. Seriously. WTH?
Have a great weekend!
xo,
Vickie
P.S. Don't forget to vote!
posted by Vickie Howell @ 10:12 AM
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
I'll Pimp Your Stuff, If You'll Pimp Mine. ;-)
Hiya folks! In the spirit of community cross-promoting I have a few things I wanted to float past you to see if you're interested. Here goes!
Blog Ads
Wanna advertise on my blog? Well then, you're in luck! I've just started a ad program that's easy, flexible and really-affordable! Through Blogads, you can place a banner for your project, business, special sale, etc, on my site for as little as 40 bucks. It's a great way to reach thousands of people with similar interests for very little cash! Check out the "Advertise on VickieHowell.com" link on the right-hand column of this page, for more info.
Guest Bloggers
Starting later this month and going through then end of the year, I would love to invite a few guests to take over my blog for a day. If you have a project you'd like to promote, then I'm all for it! Have some witty commentary (Yarn Harlot, are you out there?) on your life as a knitter/parent/working person/whatever, that you'd like to share well, that's good too! Once we confirm what your topic will be, we'll pick a date and I'll post your written goodness (pictures a plus!) here. I'll make sure to include a link to your own blog within the post and only ask that you also link to mine from yours. Which brings me to...
Link Swaps
I feel like my list of blog links is sadly short. Feel like swapping? If you have a knit, crochet, crafty, idie biz, home living, etc., focused blog, then I'd love to trade links with you! I think I have room for about 10 more spaces without knocking the page formatting outta wack. Anyone? Bueller?
Knitting Stores Needed!
The Knitty Gritty Knits/Not Another Teen Knitting Book tour is in the planning stages and we're looking for stores that I may be able to come to, visit and maybe do a little signing action at. Below is the list of cities I'll be hitting next January and February. If you have a favorite yarn store or other venue that you think shouldn't be missed, please let us know! You can either leave a comment here or e-mail the publisher's publicity department at kgalvin@sterlingpub.com:
San Francisco, CA
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Chicago, IL
Bloomington, MN (Would need to be near Mall of Americas)
Phoenix, AZ
Denver and/or Boulder, CO
New York, NY
Boston, MA
If you're interested in any of the above and prefer not to leave a comment here, please feel to contact me though the VH.Com About Page.
Thanks!,
Vickie
posted by Vickie Howell @ 1:13 PM
Glove Bites--November Free Pattern of the Month!
For the first time in months, it's actually kind of chilly in Austin today! In a city that's well aquainted with the triple digit temperature range, 60 degree weather is great cause for celebration--and what better way to celebrate than by knitting something cozy?! The fingerless glove is one of my favorite accessories that marries fashion with function. Inspired by my friend Karen Baumer's furry cuffed mittens, I break this month's free pattern out of my project archives. Enjoy! xo, Vickie
Glove Bites!
Fingerless Gloves
Materials:
1 Ball (MC) Cascade Pastaza. Color: 042 (Green)
1 Ball (CC) Berroco Plush. Color: Crema
Set of 5 Size US 10 1/2 dpns
Size:
Ladies S/M (L/XL)
Gauge
4 sts. per inch in Pastaza.
Abbreviations:
mc= main color
cc= contrasting color
co= cast on
bo= bind off
st= stitch
k= knit
p= purl
rnd= round
Directions (Make 2):
GLOVE BODY
With CC, CO 24 (28) sts. Divide sts. evenly over 4 needles. Join taking
care not to twist.
Work for 1 1/2" in garter st (k 1 row, p 1 row).
Join in MC and work in k2, p2 rib for 2 1/2"(3"). At the beginning of next rnd
k2(1), k4(6) with waste yarn. Slip 4(6) sts back onto left-hand needle and re-knit,
using working yarn. Continue working in rib pattern for 2"(2 1/2") more. BO.
THUMB
Carefully pull out waste yarn. Place 9(11) sts on 3 needles. Work rnd in
2x2 rib, picking up st in one corner so that you have 10(12) sts. Work until
thumb measures 1". BO.
Finishing:
Weave in ends.
Copyright Vickie Howell. All rights reserved.
posted by Vickie Howell @ 11:33 AM
|
