Family holidays and meeting friends

Last month, I went away on holidays with all my family (Charly and the boys).  Since my sister and her family live in The Netherlands, we prepared a small tour around a few European cities, with stops at her place at the beginning and at the end of our trip.

As you can imagine, it was a big change after all the summer days we spent by the swimming pool! And it was great to finally give some use to all the hand-knits I had been making all these years.

I am wearing my Leftover Hat and Striped Hugs cowl.  In the back, Leti (my sister) wears the Black Poncho my Mum made for her back in 2010, and Nano is also wearing his Leftovers Hat.

It was a fantastic tour!  Oh, all the places we went to... All the cities we saw...  Even the kids (who we didn't expect to have fun) had an amazing time and walked miles and miles each day.  It was absolutely refreshing and I feel renewed to start this still new year for me.

Oh man, these Leftover Hats did pay off... They wore them all the time!

*About travelling with kids:

Some people asked me what we did for the kids to have fun, and they were wondering whether it's worthy to travel with 5 and 7 year olds.  

Well, the secret is to gift them your time. My kids have 2 working parents who spend a lot of time with them (cause we work at home), but that doesn't mean we are always free to hang out with them... 

Whenever we have travelled with our boys, even if we don't go to the most interesting places for them, they really appreciate that we are more relaxed and have all the time in the world to explain them what we are visitting and why.  They do notice the big difference and enjoy every minute of our holidays.  So don't be scared!  They are like sponges and take in anything you can show and teach them.  

I believe a trip (even if it's just a few miles from home) is a wonderful experience for any family and changes the perception children have of the world...

All the family in Brugge, with no hand-knits

Besides spending time with my family, I had the opportunity to meet many Ravelry friends who I had been long wanting to meet...  Friends who I've had long conversations with for years, but whose laughter I had never heard, or whose smile I had never seen...

Sorry! This one is really out of focus, but it's the only one I have.  From left to right: Marion, Joji, Karin and Steffi.

The first of these meetings took place in Amsterdam, where I spent a whole day with 3 very dear friends: Marion (aka Mabuli), Steffi (aka Merliane) and Karin (aka Karinita0607).  They all travelled to meet up there, and we started the day having breakfast by the canal, and showing off all our handknits and yarn.  It was a feast indeed, and people approached us several times wondering what we were all excited about. 

 

We wandered around Amsterdam for hours, talking about life, yarn and knitting... And in the afternoon we came to Penelope Craft, a lovely yarn store in Amsterdam's heart, where I presented a little trunk show with all the garments from my collaboration with Veera Välimäki: Interpretations.

On the mannequin: At Dawn; On the table: Thoughts, Feather and Cloud, So Close and Fade.  On the hanger: Fine Tune.

At Penelope, I got to meet another special friend, who came with her family all the way from Germany.  How incredible.  I was really touched by all the people who came!

Cindy (aka Finismama) and her daughter Josi are just the most incredibly sweet pair of girls!

Josi, wearing her Lipstick, and Cindy, wearing her Thoughts.

Well, all the cool girls were wearing their Thoughts, so we even had a small parade... 

Takakoob, Marion, Cindy and Karin

There were soooo many great people to meet and talk to!...  I was even able to meet one of my favorite knitting artists: Stephen West.

Yes, I guess you could say I was a wee bit excited to meet him... :)  And he is wearing At Dawn.

After leaving Amsterdam, we drove all the way to Belgium, making a stop at Efteling to spend a day having fun as children.  These guys have the wildest roller-coasters!

And in Belgium, I got to meet Vera (aka Maanel), one of my oldest and dearest Ravelry friends, back from the old days when I couldn't design a thing, and Vera always helped me find the most beautiful and charming patterns to knit.  Our friendship dates back to the beginnings of 2008, so we've been friends for 6 years now!

Vera and I near the canal in Gent.  She's wearing The Way from Brighton, and I am wearing my Upper East Side.

Vera lives in a fairy-tale city called Gent, and together with her daughter Ellen, we spent the warmest (in spite of the weather) morning of my whole trip.  There were many hugs, many stories to tell, many places to see!...

You can see Ellen in the bottom picture, also a knitter, and the cowl I am wearing is Squeezebox, made by Vera for me. ♥

Goodbyes are always sad, and of course the visit felt too short for both of us.  So we'll keep dreaming of our next meeting.  Who knows, maybe even one day she'll come down here to Argentina...

The journey continued around Brugge, Brussels, and we finally reached London, where I was going to meet more incredible friends.  The first one was Ken, our host in the UK, who is so awesome that deserved a Leftover Hat of his own.  

And on the following Thursday, I visited Loop, in the neighborhood of Islington (seriously, what a cool neighborhood!), the cutest little yarn shop in the world, where I stayed in for one of their wonderful Knit-nights.

I met 3 great ladies there: Julie (aka Evieandlily), Ce (aka Theuncommonthread), and Dani (aka Lionessknits).  The photographs from this day were so terrible (most of them taken with my phone) that you get the old-style versions...

From left to right: Julie (wearing a preview of an upcoming design), Dani, Joji and Ce

Oh, what a great girls' night!  We told each other so many things.  I have been a fan of Dani's and Ce's yarns for ages, so it was a dream come true to hear them talk about the production process, and future plans.  Dani told us all about her new project Unwind Brighton, and they all showered me with gifts and laughter.

I must say I came home with a big haul of yarn and other goodies, but that's for another story...

There was a lot more going on in my trip...  The journey continued through Northern Scotland, Prague and other regions of The Netherlands, giving love and hugs to lots of people who live too far away... Much farther than anyone would like.

I feel blessed and lucky to live in a world where I can meet new friends through social networks and communities, and feel them close despite the distance and time.  To be able to meet them every once in a while and feel normal, as if we had been knitting together all these years!

This same world allows me not to miss so much those who moved far away...  Allows me to see my nephews grow through a tiny but meaningful screen, and tell them how much I love them, even if I can only come over a couple of times in their lives.

Noah's second Birthday

It took me all day to write this post, a very much needed one. A post that I will revisit again and again, when I miss these friends, and especially my family abroad.  Hope you all can live the distance the same way!

Leti, my sister, and inside that blankie is Fedde, my 2-month-old new nephew.

Love to all,
~Joji

Interpretations

Well, finally the day of our release has arrived!

It is with a great emotion that I'd like to share with you the project my dear friend Veera and I have been working on during the last year: our first collaborative design work, Interpretations.

There are so many things I want to tell and share about this!  It is definitely the most wonderful project I have ever been involved in... Sharing it with such and amazing friend, who will never cease to amaze me and inspire me, has truly changed me.

More posts will come soon, as I slowly realize that this has actually come true!
In the meantime, here is our amazing Lookbook, hope you enjoy it!

~veera and joji

Meet-up in Amsterdam · February 8th!

The day is coming!!!

We'll be soon leaving for a family trip in Europe, where I'll have the pleasure to meet again with my sister, my brother in law and (most importantly) my two beloved nephews/Godsons...

But, of course, there is always time to do some knitting plans!  And while getting everything ready, the lovely Malia from Penelope Craft Boutique invited me to visit and do something special...

So! If you are around the area on Saturday 8th, come meet me!  I'll be there from 3 to 6 PM, and I have a very special surprise as we'll be displaying my newest collection, a collaborative work I've put together with my favorite designer friend.  I cannot tell who she is yet, but all will be revealed on Feb 1st... :)  All I can say is that I know you will love this!

We’ve put together a wonderful collection of 12 pieces that represent each designer’s interpretation of 6 themes.  All 12 samples will be on view and all patterns will be available for purchase.

February 8, 2014 - 15:00 - 18:00

Penelope Craft

Kerkstraat 17 HS

www.penelopecraft.com

...see you there!
 ~Joji

PS: I couldn't leave with a postcard from my last visit to Amsterdam... What a magical city, can't wait to go back!

January in Buenos Aires means... summer.

There is always a dark and a bright side of things... right?

Several years ago, I used to feel that living in the bottom half of the planet kept me from sharing things with my knitting friends...

While the big majority of the knitting community was enjoying snow and harsh winter temperatures, in January, I was struggling to find air-conditioned rooms where I could knit at.

Our summers in Buenos Aires are summers in all their glory.  The temps can go up to 40C (104F), and we have what most tourists call the perfect weather, with barely any rainy days during the whole season.  It is, I must admit, an ideal place to live in when it comes to weather (not so much when it comes to other social aspects...). 

I used to keep my summers for myself, waiting patiently for the winter to arrive when I could share how cold I was wearing my hand-knits.  As time went by, I realized that it was actually welcome by others when I posted about our cultural, social, and especially weather differences!  So, this summer, I decided to share our vacation time with all my knitting friends and readers.

Sightseeing in the hot city: Teatro Colón in the back.

This summer, we decided to rent a lovely summer house just outside Buenos Aires, where our kids could play while Mummy and Daddy work.  Summer is a time of a lot of work for me, probably the busiest time of the year, so I tried to find a place where I could be inspired at.

A view of the sunset in our garden, and a bunch of promising sketches.

With the end of a year I try to complete projects.  Whether they are knitting projects, design ideas, patterns to write, or whether it means a bigger project like something involving family planning, I try to start the new year with my hands clean.

Does that happen to you too?  It's a time for New Year's resolutions and projects.  A time to set realistic expectations and plans for the new year to come.

I can't always make it to all the deadlines, but this summer I feel so free and full of blooming ideas!

If all things go as planned, I'll have some really exciting projects to share with you soon (soon, as in REALLY soon!).  I am not a woman of secrets or mysteries.  I love to share all the process of my work and how all my knitting projects slowly turn into my patterns... But I have to admit that surprises are usually very well received!  So stay tuned.  February is going to be awesome!

In the meantime, I am starting to plan ahead for the rest of what is shaping up to be a really exciting year...  But what projects to work on next?

 

I've been thinking a lot about this...  Projects that would probably be released in year 2015, given the amount of time that takes me to come up with a design idea, and transform that into a knitting pattern.

I am not sure if I have a certain style of work.  I like to think I can design anything, but I am sure there is something that characterizes what I do...  Is there? I know I try to make things different, original... So I might always add details here and there, a certain distinctive stitch pattern...

But lately I have been thinking how much I would love to just knit myself some basic stuff.  You know, the kind of sweater I normally pay attention to when I shop for clothes for myself, and never allow myself to buy (cause, you know, "I could knit that" - who hasn't ever felt guilty for buying a ready-made sweater?).  But then I think whether writing patterns for basic sweaters would work?   

"There are so many patterns for basic stuff out there... I should write something different..."

That's what I struggle with every time.

I know, however, that if I wrote a pattern for a basic sweater I know it would be different from the rest... because it would be written with my own words and describing my own personal way to work that certain kind of sweater...

So there might be more basics in 2015, or at least more basic shapes with a twist here and there.  While I am still deciding about it, I have some really beautiful projects I am working on that are making me happy...

Currently working with my favorite color: gray.

What would you like to knit this year?  Maybe you can inspire me too.

Have a great summer/winter!

~Joji

The very late post

Well, it is no surprise that my blog does not get as much attention as other social media... You all know blogging is commonly neglected by many of us, mostly because sharing instant images or messages through other channels is so much easier!

But I've been meaning to write this for a long long time...  HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!

Oh, what a year 2013 has been... If I could only sign up for a year just like this one...  So many wonderful things happened around our family.  We travelled a little bit (and got to know the US for the first time!), my youngest kid finished pre-school, I became an auntie to my third nephew...

It was a year of not so many designs, but I valued each and every one of them.  I had made the resolution to only work on projects that I really found interesting or especially beautiful, and I think it showed in my work last year...  So I am taking that resolution for 2014 as well.

So, what was my last published design for 2013?

It was my Lines and Corners cowl.

A pretty little pattern to indulge ourselves with a bit of cozyness and color. The piece is worked lengthwise, so it can be adjusted to any length. Use a lighter yarn for a narrower cowl, or a chunkier one for a wig wide warm loop. :)

I used Primo Sport, by The Plucky Knitter (oh what a crush I've with these yarns!), 2 skeins, and I remember I had to convince them to make this color again at the time...  I don't think there is a shade of purple/burgundy/fuchsia that I can love more than this. It is called En Vogue, and I think they are making it available again from time to time.
Other things I needed:
Needles: US 6 (4mm) needles, crochet hook, waste yarn, stitch markers, tapestry needle.
Finished Measurements:
9½ inches (24 cm) wide and 56½ (142 cm) long loop.

If you like it, you can buy it here:

And also, if you like it enough to make a matching hat, you can check out the gorgeous Huntley by the talented Melissa, who released this amazing beanie using a similar stitch pattern...
Melissa's designs are always refined and beautiful, so you can check out more of her creations in her website.  I often wish I had the time to make many of her timeless classics for myself.

So, what was the whole 2013 about?
We all love collages, so here you have mine :)

And the best part is that there is a lot more to come for 2014!  January will be for relaxing a bit with the family, but February will be awesome :)

Hope you are having a great start of the year!

~Joji

On the Road Again

These words mean quite a lot these days to me...

Two weeks ago, I fell and injured my arm while learning to roller skate.  No, I was not going fast, and yes, I was being very careful and only skating at our street back and forth... But I managed to fall all the same, and I injured my elbow.  The moment I hit the floor I knew there was something wrong in my arm, but I just came home quietly without saying a word and tried to make it all go away with some ice-patches.

Well, the pain did not go away after two very "cold" hours, so I had to face the truth and get to the hospital.  the news weren't all that bad...  There was no fracture in the X-rays or CAT scan, but there was some serious soft tissue damage, therefore I was bound to wear a cast for at least two weeks.  Two weeks!  A time when I was not able to knit... and I could only type with my left hand.

So, now that these 2 weeks are over and my cast has been removed, and even though my arm still hurts a great deal, I feel I am On the Road Again, dreaming of casting on 1,000 new projects and making new dreams come true...

On the Road Again is the name of a beautiful pullover I recently published:

Yes, I am taking my pictures at my street again... It's just so much easier! lol

 

This sweater will soon become a staple in anyone’s wardrobe with its classic lines and casual beauty.
It is worked from the top down, in the round. The cowl neck is detachable, giving you options for cooler or milder days. The handy front pockets are a great addition for storing your travel card or your cherry lip balm, but they are optional, so you can keep your sweater without them if you prefer…
All in all, On the Road Again is your perfect travel companion, but it is also perfect for staying inside on a chilly day.
Don’t sacrifice style or practicality… You can have it all with this lovely, versatile sweater!

I just adore the detachable cowl!!

Some Specs:

Sizes:
XS (S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL).

Materials:I used Primo Worsted, by The Plucky Knitter (Merino/Cashmere/ Nylon – 100g/200 y): 6 (7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10) skeins.  You can use any worsted weight yarn that you love :)
 

And now, some other ways to wear it:

Sans cowl

Or sans sweater :)

Hope you guys like it!

~Joji

October... and November.

Where did these 2 months go?  I can't believe we are just a bit over a month away from 2014...  

I am starting to realize that I have ups and downs in my productivity...  During this year I have been in and out of love with many ideas.  Sometimes I thought that I had lost my knitting mojo, as we like to call it... but when it stroke back, I would start several projects at the same time.  Of course, this translates in a lot of patterns published at the same time!  And then... a period of nothing.  

I wish I could have a more steady creative rhythm... I am working on that, but still haven't quite made it.

October was a beautiful month for us.  We hosted some friends from Finland for a couple of weeks, and we dedicated the month to getting the house ready and spending time with them... I think I only knit a few couple of rows during that time, but it was so worth it!  We got to learn a lot about Nordic traditions and we even got to experience our wonderful Buenos Aires as tourists...

Also, I was gifted the most beautiful Finnish yarn, which I am saving for some special project...

I was being very active on social networks (you can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), and October is a bit blank there... Getting back to my usual work routine was a bit hard also after all those vacation days...

But I am back and full of energy to start some new projects again!

I did publish some beautiful patterns in this period.  Things I had been working on in the previous months, and which I am really in love with.

I released Bello in October.

 

When I designed Bello, I was looking for a sweater I could wear all the time, because I really adored the yarn I used for it.  I wanted something I could wear with jeans and a pair of boots…
I do love cardigans, but sometimes it is easier for me to throw on a pullover and not worry about what I am wearing underneath. So the decision was easy.
Bello is worked from the top down, in the round. It has an easy to wear shape, with flattering rib and cable details that keep the knitting interesting.

 

The design was named after the yarn I used, The Plucky Knitter Bello, and the colorway is Good 'Ole Pip, a mix between lilac and gray... really gorgeous.

These yarn is hard to get your hands on (I know it's hard for me to buy The Plucky Knitter yarns), but it can be replaced by any fingering weight yarn!  You can check out the project gallery to see what other yarns people used for this...

In early November I released another pattern that I loved: my Upper East Side hat.

 

As you can read in the pattern description, this past April I visited for the first time the amazing city of New York.  It was a total love affair with it... The buildings, the people, the style all around, the lights, the life!  Oh, New York, even coming from a big city like mine, you cannot stop admiring such an astonishing mass of wonderfulness...

And when I cam back home, I got hooked watching Gossip Girl.  I know, most people don't understand how I could love that series so much!  I just can't explain it.  It was so easy to watch, everything they showed was beautiful, and ridiculously perfect... For some reason it made my knitting much faster while watching!

So, when this hat was made, I couldn't think of a better name for it :)

So this is just a simple hat pattern, worked from the rib up, with lots lots of texture.  You will need just 1 skein of DK weight yarn, I made mine using Madelinetosh DK in colorway Onyx (a dark almost black gray).

The Red Lipstick

Some time ago, I wrote a blog post about an awesome Red cardigan from Zara's collection, remember?
http://jojiknits.blogspot.com.ar/2013/08/get-look.html
I talked about the inspiration, the yarn...

Well, a couple of months later, I have a finished cardigan to show you, and a new pattern to share...  As I said, September has been a very busy month!
The cardi is not exactly the same shape... It ended up being completely different than the inspiration, but I love its simplicity... Lipstick.

Lipstick is a simple, quick cardigan, with a relaxed look, but also with girly little details.
It is worked from the top down, in one piece, for minimal finishing. Knitted at a loose gauge, this little gem can be finished in very little time!
I chose a bold color for mine to compliment my very neutral wardrobe. I figured that if I still don’t dare to wear red lipstick, I might at least wear a very red cardi…

 

What I love about this cardi:

• I knits up SO FAST!  I swear I didn't even notice I was knitting this, and suddenly Bam! it was ready.  Gauge is 4 st to the inch, which was such a rewarding change after so many fingering weight projects...

• Love the relaxed (loose) fit.  Many times I stress about what the finished measurements of a sample will be after blocking.  With this style, I didn't need to be so precise, since an inch bigger/smaller would not affect the way the cardi fits... It is INTENDED to fit this way, and designed to be flattering with this feature.

• Gotta love the longer back.  I mean, really! Why haven't I done this with all my sweaters?

• The yardage used! I only had 2 skeins of yarn, so I thought this was going to be a cropped vest.  Honest.  I ended up with a very long, sleeved cardi.  Awesome!

Sizes:
XS (S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL).
This cardi is intended to be worn with quite a bit of positive ease (recommended 8”), which is built into each size.  I am wearing size M, and I have a 35” bust.

Finished Measurements:
Body circumference: 36 (40, 43, 47, 52, 55, 60) inches; 90 (100, 108, 118, 130, 138, 150) cm.
Upper arm circumference: 10 (10½, 11¼, 12½, 14, 15½, 17¼) inches; 25 (26, 28, 31, 35, 39, 43) cm.

Yarn
Studio Worsted, by Neighborhood Fiber Co, 2 (2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4) skeins. Shown in colorway Charles Village. You’ll need about 720 (760, 790, 850, 950, 1100, 1200) yards of heavy worsted weight yarn.
I really really loved this yarn.  The color is exactly as in the pictures.  This bright!

And, once again, I was very lucky to have a great group of friends who tested this in record time :)  They'll help you see how it looks on other bodies and shapes :)

Enjoy!

~Joji

Mixed Stories

September seems to be a really busy month!

Seems like nothing happened until August, and then Boom!, I have a bunch of stuff ready for publication.  And as much as I would love to hold on to some patterns and save them for later (like December, which is a very busy month for me, with the Holidays and family), the excitement is hard to control and I want to share everything with my readers as soon as it is ready...

So, I've had this little shawl pattern ready for some time now, and I decided to release it yesterday as a surprise:  Mixed Stories.

We took these pictures in Recoleta...

Before I tell you about this small pattern and how it came to life, let me tell you a love story about me and the yarns I work with.

I am a big fan of hand-dyed yarns.  They are special to me, and each of them means something different when I work with them.  I like to learn about who makes them, what inspires them, how each dyer works...  I like to read blogs, follow groups...  Sometimes I can keep up with all the wonderful things these dyers have to share... Sometimes my own work takes over and I get a little bit lost.

Each year I try to force myself to try at least one new yarn. It is hard, because each yarn I try, of course, I love.  And I become a fan, and in most cases, a friend of the dyers themselves...  (It is also a problem for your wallet!).

It was a beautiful, sunny day, as most spring/summer days in Buenos Aires...

Time went by, and I fell in love with many yarn companies, as you might have seen if you read my blog or follow me on Facebook (Joji Knits) or Instagram (@jojilocat).  And I try to be a good groupie!  So, as it turns out, this month of September, is a special month for The Plucky Knitter fans.  They celebrate with events, contests and prizes, and they call it Plucktember (you can read more about this in their Ravelry group).

I knew this special month was coming, and I tried to have my Bello design ready in time, but I couldn't make it... The sample took longer than I thought, so this wasn't going to be ready until October...

So as I watched September aproach I began to wonder if I still had the time to create something small for Plucktember...  I don't have a very large stash, and therefore, I only had one single skein of Plucky that could become something small...  It was a beautiful skein of Plucky Feet in colorway "Vignette".  And well, she told me it was time to work with her... So Mixed Stories was born.

I designed this shawl around a little skein of yarn… It was totally inspiring, which is good! But too inspiring can be overwhelming…
Do I want to make something simple and minimalist? Or something with lace? Or Something with cables!?
Do I want a delicate and romantic shawl? Or something more casual, for comfort wear?
I tried to picture myself wearing this piece and see what circumstances I found myself in… But the images kept coming as mixed stories…
So here you have it, a little gem born from many ideas… With cables, and lace. Romantic, but also casual… Hopefully it will join me in many adventures.
Do you have a special skein that inspires you too?

Finished Measurements:
49 inches (122½ cm) from side to side and 21 inches (52½ cm) from top to bottom at deepest point (after blocking).

Materials:
Yarn: Plucky Feet by The Plucky Knitter (90% Merino-10% Nylon, 425y/115g) – 1 skein.
Needles: US 6 (4mm) knitting needles.
Stitch markers, blocking accessories.

Hope you guys enjoy it!  More soon!

~Joji