Love this teapot!

Here's a pic of a knitting themed teapot and mug I purchased from Whittard of Chelsea in the UK. I first learned of it from a forum posting on Ravelry. Apparently it's out of stock now. It's the only reason I would want to rush through summer just so I can snuggle up in the winter with a cup of tea.

Isn't it purrrty?

ISO Sample Crocheters

What: Crocheted samples of fruits and veggies from the book Tasty Crochet by Rose Langlitz

Materials needed:

• The book Tasty Crochet: A Pantry Full of Patterns for 33 Tasty Treats by TastyCrochet on Ravelry.
  
• Worsted weight yarn in fruit/veggie type colors depending on the project. Suggested yarns are Lion Brand Wool-Ease or Paton’s Classic Wool but any comparable yarn is acceptable. Great project for stash busters!
• Fiberfill stuffing
• Stitch marker
• Yarn needle
• Size G hook

When:ASAP but postmarked by Monday, March 15th at the latest.

Difficulty:Intermediate

Who: Anyone who can meet the specified requirements and wants to help with an ambitious charitable project (Keep reading for more details).

Compensation: 1 handmade stitch or row marker (your choice) per item that meets above guidelines and is of acceptable quality as determined by me. Bonus stitch or row markers for including partially used skeins of yarn used in project or extra size G hooks. I will keep all samples I can use and return unacceptable ones to the sender.

Note: You must purchase your own copy of the book and use all your own supplies including yarn. You are responsible for postage for your sample and must include a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope(s)) in order to receive your stitch/row marker(s).

FAQ’s:

Who are you? I’m a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist trying to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption amongst low-income urban families. I work at a non-profit Health Center in New York City that services patients primarily in Harlem and the Bronx. We have a large population of immigrants of all ages many with limited English speaking ability and some who cannot read in any language.

What’s with the fast deadline? This is to support National Nutrition Month in March.

What are you actually going to do with all that crocheted produce? Good question! We’re holding a heath fair the week of March 22nd. I plan to give these out as a fun reminder to patients to eat more fruits and vegetables. I will hold classes for men and women to teach them to crochet. Help me spread the crochet love and share the meditative aspects of needlework. I plan to continue these classes throughout the year. If I have enough I will use them as prizes all year for patients who demonstrate positive health outcomes.

Why are you doing this again? My goal is to promote stress relief and support efforts to lose weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and manage diabetes. This will, in turn, lower health care spending which benefits everyone.

You’re a dietitian. Can’t you just tell them to eat more of the healthy stuff? It’s not that easy for a myriad of reasons including lack of money, access to fresh produce, education, language, cultural differences, and reading abilities. This is part of a much larger program that includes more traditional as well as creative outreach efforts.

Are you making any money off of this? No, not at all. I am in no way affiliated with the author of Tasty Crochet or its publisher. I chose this book because I received it as a holiday gift myself and think the patterns are pretty easy and supercute. I will be spending my own money and time outside of work to make the stitch markers.

Can’t your employer pony up some dough to compensate me? We are a non-profit organization with a very limited budget for this program. It already took a bunch of convincing on my part to get the administration to agree to this concept. Unfortunately, they are unable to provide funding to cover expenses.

Why do I have to buy the book? Can’t you just send me the pattern? That would be a violation of copyright and I want to avoid any sticky legal issues while ensuring the author is not deprived compensation for her efforts. I will contact the publisher to see if they’ll allow me to copy patterns but it’s doubtful they will agree. You can purchase the book from Amazon for $13.59 and it’s eligible for FREE Super Saving Shipping on eligible orders over $25.

Sounds awesome! Shut up already and just tell me what I need to do to help. Show your interest by commenting on this post. I’d be happy to answer any and all questions relating to this project. Optional: Indicate which of the following you would like to make (Pics from Tasty Crochet): watermelon, strawberry, pear, side salad & bowl, mushroom, green beans, apple or apple wedge, asparagus, carrot, peas, tomato, or cherry tomatoes on the vine.

I can’t make any stuff but I still want to help. I welcome donations of suitable yarn and crochet hooks. Post a comment and I'll send you the address.**

Thanks in advance to everyone. With your help we can make a difference!

Handknitted Designs by Jennifer Fox

Diagonal Scarf - Knit Simple Magazine Holiday 2009


Messenger Bag - Knit Simple Magazine Holiday 2009 (made sample)


Praire Rose Scarf - Knit Simple Magazine Fall 2009




Arrowhead Socks - Stitch 'n Bitch Page-A-Day Calendar 2008



Racing Stripes Scarf - Knitting Page-A-Day Calendar 2008



Retropolitan Cardigan - Son of Stitch 'n Bitch book





I'm a Lil Teapot Sweater - Unpublished


Baby Shower Sweater - Unpublished


Ainsley - Unpublished


Tyson - from pattern


A Hat for Jean - unpublished


Fair Isle convertible mitts - from pattern


Flower pacifier clip - from pattern

Maryland Sheep & Wool '09

Julian and I drove down for the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival last weekend. I can't believe it's the 4th year in a row we've gone! It's strange too because it tends to be almost all the same vendors set up in exactly the same spots. Makes it seem as if they've never left all year.

Money's been tight so I had to seriously restrain myself this time around. On Saturday I bought a festival t-shirt and totebag. I couldn't resist one yarn purchase and bought the softest most beautiful "Baby Bunny" yarn from Tess' Designer Yarns. Julian bought his third ring from R.E. Piland. You can see it in the pic below:




We caught a sheepdog demo. Wasn't as good as others I've seen b/c it was a young dog who didn't listen to commands all that well but entertaining all the same. I took a video but can't figure out how to upload it on here. You really have to see how these border collies herd the sheep to appreciate it.



Seems like using the flash made all the sheep's eyes bright blue. Pretty cool effect.



It was cold out both days as you can see from these sheep's coats. Sunday was miserable and rainy. We donned our ponchos and rain boots and returned for a few hours.



In a moment of irony we stopped by A.C. Moore on the drive home. I had started a sweater with a couple skeins of Paton's wool from the giveaway bin at the magazine and needed more to continue. I had a moment of deja vu heading back to the White Marsh Mall I used to visit in my college days.



On the way home we stopped for our traditional Sunday night dinner at Cracker Barrel. Hit a bunch of traffic on the way home and the on and off rain didn't help. We had to go a little farther north than home as we'd borrowed my dad's car for the weekend. After returning it we hopped on Metro-North to return to our sheepless city.

Photo Shoot

I had a really awesome day. I got to help out at one of the magazine shoots. I even met a minor celebrity (although I'll admit I didn't know who she was until someone told me). The studio was in Chelsea. It consisted of a bunch of different really big rooms all completely white from the floor to the ceiling. One whole wall was all windows and looked out on the yard where they keep all the trains that go into Penn Station. There was also a great view of the water and the helipad at Chelsea Piers.

It was interesting to see how they put decorations and accessories together to create backdrops for each shot. Also got to watch the interactions between the crew: the models, photographers, makeup people, art director, fashion director, and the editor-in-chief. It feels like the work we do in the office is very removed from the final product so it was great to see how everything comes together.

I brought in a bag I had re-crocheted for them to shoot. I say re-crocheted because the sample had come to us from a yarn company in colors that we didn't love. Since I've been dubbed the "crochet monster" I was assigned the task of remaking it and happily complied.

I mostly helped the fashion director out. We had gotten in a couple boxes of clothes and shoes so I unpacked them and hung everything up. Then I became queen of the steam machine to get all the wrinkles out. I left after lunch to head back to the office but I'm really glad I got the opportunity. There's going to be another shoot on Tuesday and I can't wait to go.

Hip Hap Birthday

I celebrated my birthday on Saturday with a trip to the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Gardens. These amazing pics speak for themselves:




This purple one was my favorite this year. It's so pretty and if you look close at the center it looks like a little face.










Alien orchid!


Breathtaking orchid wall.

Can't wait to go back when the grounds are in bloom.

What day is it?

I had one of those weird days where you feel like you're supposed to be somewhere else. It started earlier in the week when I scheduled an earring making class for my craft group. Then I realized the magazine was doing a fashion show that night and I should probably attend. But I wasn't sure if I had to and if it was worth cancelling a class I had a couple people signed up for. I went ahead and canceled it which was good 'cause when I came in the next morning they asked me to be a model in the show!

So I helped organize the clothes and figured out what I was going to wear yesterday. I thought it was fortunate that I had Thursday free then was scheduled to work at the hospital on Friday. This morning an old co-worker called me to see if I'd be at the hospital and wanted to get lunch. I wasn't so we made plans to hang out another time. Then this afternoon I got a call from the hospital. Apparently I was supposed to work there today not tomorrow. But we looked at the schedule and saw that the dates had been written in incorrectly so it was an easy mistake to make.

I got ready and left for the show. Turns out to be a good thing I went 'cause I felt closer to my co-workers and they really appreciated me helping out. It was a lot of fun too! Julian came along with some girls from my knitting group then Julian joined me for the afterparty at a nearby French restaurant.

So if the schedule hadn't been written incorrectly I would have had to work today and wouldn't have been in the show. I have a feeling this is going to lead to something more substantial. Maybe I've just been watching too much Lost recently. There's all these debates on the show about time travel and how you can't change what's meant to be. That got me and Julian talking about alternate realities and how time isn't always a straight line. I'm not sure what the truth is but I'm pretty happy right now so I'm glad I've ended up where I am.