It only looks knitted

("Knitted" ceramics collection by Anette Bugansky, via)

I just thought these were absolutely fascinating. These textured ceramics have the appearance of a knitted cozy, a play on the idea of hard materials appearing to be soft.

How is the weather in your area? It's just so unbearably hot around here. Wishing for some rain. I just don't feel like knitting today...

Update: Anette Bugansky's work is available at Loop in London and on their website.

We Are What We Do (and not what we say)

(From the Holt Renfre site: "Anya Hindmarch wanted to do something to make a difference and to inspire people to change their everyday actions. Anya worked with We Are What We Do, the global social change movement to create this limited edition reusable bag. Wear your bag to do your shopping, carry it to the gym, take it to the beach, smug in the knowledge that you are doing something to influence people to make a difference. The bag will be available at or through Holt Renfrew from late June.")

Guess where I was this morning... unfortunately the bag was in "short" supply.

My best friend urgently messaged me yesterday to give her a call because she found out that the Anya Hindmarch I'm Not a Plastic Bag bag was going on sale at Holt's today. So this morning we headed over there at 8:30 am. The line wasn't long, About 13 people ahead of us. But then the line grew longer and relative of the people in front of us joined the line. Closer to their opening time, shop employees came out to announce that they would come around with a list for customers to declare just how many bags they wished to purchase. They also noted that there were only 100 bags at this location and it was first-come first-serve. A fairly reasonable amount and enough to go around for each person in line if the limit was one (I think there were only about 20 people after us). But the limit for purchase was ten! People in line became anxious, as we all knew that the people at the front of the line were going to buy ten each. A family of six had lined up with lawn chairs to be first in line and purchase 60 bags. You can safely bet on where these bags were headed, a street market in Hong Kong, or more likely an online auction with the price jacked up to $200. If you ask me a ten bag limit for a limited edition of only 100 is only facilitating the black market. It is obvious that anyone wishing to purchase ten bags is going to re-sell them. Then the list come to my friend and she got in. She was going to get me one, but somehow they had miscounted their supply and she could only buy the last one.

While I am disappointed to come so close to getting one only not to, I am more disappointed that the message behind the concept is going to be lost. We spotted one woman walking out with ten bags with extras of Holt's shopping bags to use for her resale. This has become a way for fast-cash rather than to encourage environmentalism. They were sold out in record time, only 15 minutes, but there were only 100 and the first six people bought 60 percent of them! Holt's is in the business of luxury goods, didn't they know that a ten-bag limit was only going to support those in the online auction business and was just going to make everyone else unhappy with them? Or were they only in it for the hype (the record time sales)? Surely they knew this would happen. My other question is, do the high end retailers have a love-hate relationship with the black market? I thought they hated them, what folly.

Lily Allan

(Textured wool-and-mohair sweater, Prada, $1,165, at select Prada Boutique nationwide, via)

Love Lily Allen and love how dense this sweater is.

TWiggy Bobble Hat

(Twiggy Bobble Hat as seen in Spun)

I've been notified that the original pattern published on Spun is no longer available. Here is my updated version with corrections already added in.

Materials
1 skein of Fable Handknit Pure Baby Alpaca [100% baby alpaca, 132m per 50g skein], #6
4mm/16" circular needles
4mm double pointed needles
Tapestry needle
Stitch Marker

Size
Finished Measurements:
Circumference: 22"
Length: 7"

Tension
22sts and 30 rows= 4"/10 cm in stocking stitch

Stitch Patterns
Make Bobble (mb)
To create a bobble, K into a stitch, being sure not to slip the st off the left needle, Yo, and K into the same st again, this time slipping the st off the left needle on completion. Turn your work and P back across the 3 sts you just made. Turn again and K 3 sts. Turn yet again and P 3 sts. Pass second & third sts on RH needle over the last st made.

1 x 1 Rib
K 1, P 1; repeat to end of round

Directions
Using long tail method, cast on 112 sts and join, careful not to twist. Place maker at join

Work in 1 x 1 rib (see above stitch patterns) for 1.5”/4cm.

Purl 5 rnds.
Bobble Rnd 1: P6, mb, *purl 13, mb; rep from * to last 7 sts, purl.
P 5 rnds.
Bobble Rnd 2: *P13, mb, rep from * to last st, mb.
P 5 rnds.
Rep Bobble Rnd 1.
Purl 5 rnds.
Rep Bobble Rnd 2.
P 5 rnds.
Rep Bobble Rnd 1.
P 4 rnds.

Dec Rnd: *P7, p2tog; rep from * to end of rnd. (98 sts)
P 1 rnd.
Dec Rnd: *P 6, p2tog; rep from * to end of rnd. (84 sts)
P 1 rnd.
Dec Rnd: *P5, p2tog; rep from * to end of rnd, purl last 2 sts (70 sts)
P 1 rnd.
Dec Rnd: *P4, p2tog; rep from * to end of rnd. (56 sts)
P 1 rnd.
Dec Rnd: *P3, p2tog; rep from * to end of rnd. (42 sts)
P 1 rnd.
Dec Rnd: Change to double pointed needles. *P2, p2tog; rep from * to end of rnd. (28 sts)
P 1 rnd.
Dec Rnd: *P2tog; rep from * to end of rnd. (14 sts)
P 1 rnd.

Break off about 8" of yarn and thread the end through a tapestry needle. Pull through the remaining stitches and gather. Secure end on the inside of the hat by tying a knot. weave in ends.

P/S A baby version of this hat is published in the upcoming book, Hats, Mittens Scarves.

Upcoming Book... Hats, Mittens, Scarves

(From Chronicle Books Gift catalogers)

If you were at TNNA this past weekend, you might have spotted the cover of my upcoming book at Unicorn Books. It's listed on Amazon.com, but no image is available yet. It'll be in stores October 2007.