rottencupcakes hats for fall 2011

They’re here! Now available in the shop.

Two Twisted Thistles & a Delirium Tremens Beret

Preview of hats to be released tomorrow, Wednesday, October 5th. Black, smoke & cream!

Hat season is coming!

It’s hard for me to believe that fall is already here (especially while located in Southern California where summer feels perpetual and seasons never seem to change—it’s like a weird weather-time-vortex) and that I have been knitting for WEEKS on end. I am sourcing some finishing touches for this season’s hat launch and will definitely have the first of the hats up by the end of the month (hopefully sooner). I will certainly keep you all posted.

The story of the hats! I first began knitting hats in November of 2008 when I was laid off from a magazine publisher in Chicago. Luckily, I wasn’t unemployed for very long but the brief break allowed my brain to churn out some creativity on full throttle for a month and a half (while panic-stricken, I frantically looked for work). I had been hunting for a hat to give my little sister as a gift for a bit but I couldn’t find anything that was exactly what I was envisioning so I started testing out some ideas on my needles. I wanted a beret, in a vibrant color with lots of cute cables and just the right amount of slouch. Thus the Twisted Thistle was born! I liked it so much that I started knitting more and more and suddenly I had far more hats than what I knew what to do with. I sold my very first hat on Etsy in January 2009.

Knitting berets has become somewhat of a meditative process for me (each one takes me about 8 hours to create) but last season, I kept saying to myself that it would be my last season knitting hats. It’s a lot of work, effort and time. I spend a lot of time producing and less time creating new things. I try to source gorgeous yarn, soft and durable and remain as cost effective as possible. I want to maintain great quality and a reasonable price but I also want my hands to not feel broken after a knitting sprint! I have a fairly demanding career as an Art Director for a magazine, I like to dabble in all sorts of crafts (as evidenced by rottencupcakes itself), I have a few other side projects that keep me with my hands and head full of ideas & activity and I do actually enjoy spending time with my rad husband and our cats. I enjoy knitting these berets too much to stop entirely but in order to keep my life a little more balanced—this hat season will be a tish smaller and perhaps show up a little more slowly.

That being said, I can’t wait to show to this season’s efforts in the coming weeks. Cheers! <3

photoshop for realz.

Things i Love Thursday

• A real live photoshop! Amazing print and poster work for software-asli.com; attributed to the following talented peeps:
  agency: Bates141 Jakarta
  creative director: Hendra Lesmono
  art director: Andreas Junus & Irawandhani Kamarga
  copywriter: Darrick Subrata
  account executive: Nitya Priyahita
  photgrapher: Anton Ismael
• Nesting. I totally despise moving but I love our new home. I really do need to get a move on with the unpacking.

happy work-in-progress

• Drafting new hat patterns! I am super excited about the things I’m making for ye olde etsy shoppe that will be going up in mid-August. Yes sir.
• Apartment Therapy Chicago‘s recap of my Ikea Billy hack.
• Riding my bicycle to work almost everyday
• Dr. Sketchy’s at Studio L’Amour (figure drawing with burlesque dancers and BYOB?! HEAVEN)
• Even after 4.5 years & a wedding, catching my husband take sleepy-eyed peeks of me while I’m getting dressed in the morning.
• Being a remixer of the week! Thanks, Tricia!

What’s TiLTing your world this week?