travel | Jordana Paige Blog

Posts Tagged ‘travel’

Say hi to Christine, our newest Knitter Profile

Monday, August 20th, 2012

Knitting in public is something that, for most knitters, isn’t relegated to the month of June. We’ll knit at the dentist office, on the subway or really anywhere we’re standing still (or kinda still).

In our latest Knitter Profile, Christine tells us about one place she knits that threw us a little, but it seems like a good idea. Read on to learn more about Christine and find out a great place to catch up on some knitting.

JP: Hope you’re summer is going well. What do you knit this time of year?

My knitting is no different during this time of year than any other. I’m still knitting/designing hats, shawls and fingerless mitts right now!

JP: When do you enjoying knitting most?

I enjoy knitting anytime, anywhere! I take my knitting with me everywhere I go! That’s where my JP bags come in handy! I knit in the car (when my husband is driving that is), I knit at events, doctor’s offices, etc… I even knit while standing in line to ride rides at Universal Studios.

JP: How did you find out about JP?

I think I first found out about her back in 2008, possibly earlier. We had just moved to the SF Bay Area’s Silicon Valley and I was looking for a knitting group to join. I had Debbie Stoller’s SnB Nation book. So I chose the San Jose SnB group and decided to pay them a visit!

But they told me that their founder, Jordana Paige, was no longer attending. So it wasn’t until 2010 that I actually met her for the first time when I attended a trunk show at Bobbin’s Nest Studio.

Author Julie Turjoman of “Brave New Knits” fame was also there. Here’s a photo of Elizabeth, Jordana, Author Julie Turjoman, and myself. As you can see, I brought my blue knitter’s satchel along that day!

JP: What was your reaction?

When I found out that she was designing knitting bags, I got very excited! I’ve always been a “bag lady,” but a “knitting bag” is even better!!! I couldn’t wait to see what she had to offer! I’m now the proud owner of 5 JP bags!

JP: If you could eat or drink anything with no consequences, what would it be?

I would probably enjoy having desserts more often after a meal, which I normally don’t do.

JP: What projects are you working on right now?

I have a triangular shawl design in progress…

JP: What’s the one knitting project you’ve always wanted to try but just haven’t gotten around to it, or you’re just a little intimidated by?

A sweater! I’ve made doggy sweaters and a doll sweater, but I just haven’t gotten around to knitting one for myself. I tend to stick to smaller items. I like the instant gratification! But I know once I find the perfect sweater that strikes my fancy, I will finally knit one for myself!

JP: Tell us about your bags. Which one is your favorite?

Well, like I said, I have 5 JP bags. Two Satchels, one L.J. Kaelms, one Rio, and one Bella. The Satchel in Grape is my favorite! I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I haven’t knit a JP pattern yet. I really like the Royce and the Catalina though. If I can decide on which one, I’d love one of those to be my very first sweater!

JP: Do you have any favorite quotes or sayings?

“Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spirit either.”
- Elizabeth Zimmermann

JP: Any advice for new knitters?

Never give up! Don’t let intimidation stop you! Anything is possible! I guess I should take my own advice and tackle that sweater!

JP: What’s the best (audio) book or podcast you’ve read or heard lately?

I’ve really been enjoying Alana Dakos and her Never Not Knitting podcast.

JP: What kind of music gets you in the crafty mood?

Upbeat, feel good music… Although I don’t need music to be in a crafty mood.

JP: Coffee or tea?

Both! I love my coffee in the morning and in the mid-afternoon. I’m a cream and sugar gal. I also enjoy some sweet iced tea with meals! And last but not least, a good Chai tea every now and then.

JP: What inspires you?

I find inspiration everywhere especially in nature! I love textures and a rustic feel. I’m also a big fan of stitch pattern books.

JP: How did you learn to knit?

I took a free knitting 101 class at the library when I lived in Aurora, IL. They taught me the basic garter stitch. I ran with it after that and have pretty much self-taught myself everything else since then!

JP: What was your first knitting project? How did it go?

A scarf! What else? In Lion Brand’s Wool Ease Thick’nQuick. I guess most people think that’s the easiest project to start with. I still have that first scarf. It turned out lovely if I do say so myself. I gave it to my daughter and she loves it!

JP: It’s the zombie apocolypse. What’s your weapon of choice?

I’m wielding my knitting needles!

JP: What’s one of the strangest things you’ve put in your JP bag?

Well there’s some crumbled dried lavender buds in my bag right now. My kids gave them to me while we were out one day so I tossed them in the bag. It sure smells good!

JP: What’s the last movie you really enjoyed, whether you were knitting or not?

I watched Benny & Joon again recently for the umpteenth time!

JP: What’s one of your favorite outdoor activities?

Hiking at Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve. This popular open space preserve offers abundant wildlife, a working farm, and 23 miles of trails.

JP: Do you have a favorite type of knitting project?

Not really. I love a good challenging stitch pattern on quiet evenings when I can concentrate. Otherwise I enjoy mindless knitting when I’m knitting in public.

JP: Do you do any other sorts of crafty stuff?

I’ve been trying my hand at using my sewing machine lately. I’d love to come up with a needle roll for my needles and a small project bag (that can both be carried inside my JP bags of course)!

JP: Do you prefer to knit alone or with friends?

Both. I need to be alone when I’m designing, otherwise I get scatterbrained and end up frogging what I’ve done. But I do enjoy knitting something simple when I’m with friends. So long as I can chitchat and knit at the same time, It’s all good!

JP: If time and money were no object, what would you be doing instead of writing this email?

I’d be exploring castles in Scotland. I’ve been there a couple of times, and would love to go back. It’s in my blood!

JP: Where can we find you online?

You can find me on Ravelry, Etsy, and Twitter. I also have a website, am on Facebook, and sell patterns on Craftsy. And I also blog!

JP: Anything else you want to tell me?

Well, I have two beautiful children, Caitlin is 8 and Brandon is 6. I’m a knitting/crochet instructor at Beverly’s Fabric & Crafts store.

Reading and knitting are like therapy to me! Both help me to unwind after a busy and hectic day!

I’m originally from Oklahoma, but have traveled worldwide, and I now eat, sleep, knit and design from my home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I am proud to announce that I have partnered with Jimmy Beans Wool to fight heart disease in women! As a Stitch Red partner I will be donating a percentage of my gross profits from the sale of my Cables & Bobbles & Lace, Oh My! Hat Pattern.

Donations will go to Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) in support of The Heart Truth®, a national awareness campaign for women about heart disease, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

And last but not least I’m working on a knitting book at the moment. Details to come… so follow me for more info!

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Thanks so much for sharing your stories and photos Christine, and for sharing the great theme park knitting tips. That’ll be one thing we pack on our next trip to ride the roller coasters.

If you’d like to be featured in our knitter’s profile, we’d love to hear from you! Email or leave your info in the comments and we’ll make it happen! Don’t worry, you don’t have to submit photos of yourself if you’re not into that (but we do want to see your knitting and your bags for sure).

Tags: bella, brave new knits, catalina, christine chen, elizabeth zimmermann, knitting, knitting bags, knitting patterns, l.j. kaelms, rio, royce, the knitter's satchel, travel
Posted in Fiber Fashionistas | 1 Comment »

How to Choose and Pack Yarn Projects for Airplane Travel

Monday, August 6th, 2012

By: Rebecca

If you read our blog, you know that in addition to loving all things fiber and fashion, we’ve also got a bit of a thing for travel. That’s why when Kathryn Vercillo of the blog Crochet Concupiscence offered to guest blog about traveling with yarn, we couldn’t resist.

She also opens up her bag for another edition of What’s In Your Bag? Read on? We think so:

Knitting and crochet projects are an excellent diversion for any plane ride. The repetition of stitching is soothing and relaxing, which is exactly what most of us are looking for on our vacations. The stressful part of it all can be figuring out what projects and craft tools you are allowed to take on the plane, how to pack them properly and how to work on them in those crowded little seats. This guide will help you figure that all out so that you can travel smoothly with your craft.

What Can I Take on the Plane?

The first question on everyone’s mind is, “What will I be allowed to take on the plane?” After all, with all of the tightened security rules that the airlines have these days you never know what they might take away before you get to the gate. Here are some of the basic rules to follow based on current TSA guidelines.

Crochet hooks are almost always okay. These are not considered sharp or dangerous so you should have no problem getting them on the plane.

Rules on knitting needles vary. Here’s what the TSA currently says: “Items needed to pursue a needlepoint project are permitted in your carry-on baggage or checked baggage with the exception of circular thread cutters or any cutter with a blade contained inside which cannot go through the checkpoint and must go in your checked baggage.”
Scissors must be small. The rule is that metal scissors with pointed tips must have blades no longer than four inches. Alternatively you can bring blunt-tip scissors.
Sewing tools. Sewing needles and pins are allowed on planes so you can pack them if you’ll need them for your project.

Note: Keep in mind that that these rules are subject to change and may vary depending upon where you are traveling. Always check the TSA site and your own airline’s guidelines before you pack if you want to be sure.

What Should I Take on The Plane

Just because you’re allowed to take your tools on the plane doesn’t mean that you should. Here are some tips for the best yarn tools on planes:

Choose plastic or bamboo hooks and needles. They look less threatening and therefore are more likely to easily make it through security than aluminum or steel tools.
Choose smaller size tools when possible. A long, pointy knitting needle looks more dangerous than a smaller, rounded needle. Most airplane security people won’t care either way but if you want to get through security smoothly then this is something to keep in mind.
Circular knitting needles. Many knitters recommend this option because if you drop a straight needle on the plane it will be a lot more likely to roll away and get lost. Note that it is commonly recommended that circular needles be smaller than 31” in length.
Kids’ scissors. You may want to bring kids’ craft scissors since these will cut yarn just fine and aren’t considered a safety risk.
Stitch markers. You may have to stop in the middle of your project so make sure that you have a way to mark your place.

Best Projects for Airplanes

Once you’ve got your tools settled, you need to decide what project is going to be best for the airplane. Here are some tips:

Choose a project without too many color changes. If you pick a project that includes twenty different yarn colors with color changes at every row then you need to pack twenty skeins of yarn in your carry-on luggage and that’s a hassle. Choose a project with one or two colors of yarn instead.
Consider yarn weights. Your yarn will require less space in your carry-on if you choose fingering weight over bulky. Think about that since you can only bring a small carry-on on board.
Select a mid-sized project. You don’t want to bring along an afghan worked continuously because the project needs to fit in that small seat with you. However you also don’t want to make zillions of little blocks or tiny amigurumi pieces because you risk losing some of them on the way. Choose mid-sized projects like a cowl, shrug or 12” blocks for a blanket.

How to Pack and Organize

Once you have the right tools and the right project, it’s time to pack it all into your carry-on to use on the plane. The two important things here will be to choose the right carry-on bag and to organize everything for ease of use during the trip.

First, you want to make sure that you choose a good carry-on bag. Although you can take large carry-ons onto most planes, you may want to go with a smaller bag to ensure that even if the plane is fully packed your bag won’t get moved to the plane’s underbelly. You want to choose a bag that has lots of pockets and separate spaces. This allows you to easily separate your yarn project from other important things like medication, electronic gadgets and snacks. The Rio and The Satchel by Jordana Paige are great choices because they are large enough to carry many items but small enough to fit nicely on a plane. Plus they have lots of pockets to keep everything you bring well organized.

Even if you do pack a reasonably small carry-on bag, you will want to pack a smaller bag inside of it that contains the project that you want on the plane. This way, you can easily pull out your project and keep it under the seat in front of you in case your bag does get checked or gets placed somewhere far away from you on the plane. Your smaller bag should include just the most necessary items:

The portion of the project that you are currently working on.
The yarn you need to complete that portion of the project.
The hook or needles needed for that part of the project.
Stitch markers in case you need to stop in the middle of your project.

Everything else can stay in your larger carry-on bag. You may want to keep your tools safely organized in one place by putting them together in a carrying case such as the Crafter’s Tool Butler.

Your craft project should be a joy during your trip, not a hassle. Pack smartly and it will be!

This guest post was written by Kathryn Vercillo of the blog Crochet Concupiscence. Kathryn’s work has been published around the web on sites like Crochetvolution, SF Indie Fashion, Whip Up, Handmadeology. Her newest book, Crochet Saved My Life, will be out in August 2012.

We’re always looking for creative and adventurous stories of yarn, travel and handbags on our blog. If you’re interested, please let us know in the comments or email us!

Tags: air travel, crocheting on airplane, knitting needles on airplane, knitting on airplane, travel, what's in your bag?
Posted in Rio | 4 Comments »

What’s in your bag?

Monday, June 4th, 2012

By: Rebecca

What is it about peaking inside someone else’s purse? It’s kinda like peaking in someone’s home: you want to see how they use their space, whether for inspiration, to ooo and ahhh or just to satisfy your curiosity.

Jordana did a post awhile ago about what was in her purse, and we thought we’d show a few more. We started with Donna Druchnas and her L.J. Kaelms. We were thrilled when she offered us a peak into her latest super-secret design project.

Here’s my bag. What’s in it? The inspiration and ideas for my a new pattern line I will be publishing next year. I can’t say much more now, but you can see in the photo that travel is involved.

And as in most of my design work, there will be strong cultural and historical influences. When I travel, the bag becomes my all-purpose carry-on + knitting bag, but when I’m at home for a stretch of time, it becomes my business-planning tote.

I love that my L.J. Kaelms is so versatile, light-weight, and comfortable to carry. Don’t know how I ever lived without it. An exaggeration? Maybe just a little.

Aww can you feel the love? And since Rebecca hasn’t opened up her purse to you yet, let her spill her (handbag’s) guts:

I went to Minneapolis awhile back and decided to check a bag, which meant I could carry something fabulous on board instead of the usual backpack/luggage blahness.

When I pulled everything out after I’d set up my Rio, I realized I carry two of pretty much everything. And my husband couldn’t believe I fit it all in there. He has no idea. This isn’t even as packed as I’ve had it.

Two cameras, two pairs of glasses, two journals, two books, two yarn projects — that’s Sante’s fancy scarf there and a crochet creation I’m just playing with. Plus I need snacks and LOTS of water when I travel.

I was pretty impressed the Rio closed with all my stuff stashed in there, but honestly that’s kind of what I use my Rio for. I love my Bella, which goes with me everywhere, but if I need more than one way to entertain myself (long bus rides, plane rides, car rides) the Rio is my go-to. It gets abused even if it isn’t used every day.

What’s in your Jordana Paige bag? We’d love to see how you organize your knitting and everyday things! Email us the photo, post it on our Facebook wall or tweet it at us. We love to see our products in action!

Tags: knitting bag, knitting bags, l.j. kaelms, rio, travel, what's in your bag?
Posted in LJ Kaelms, Rio | No Comments »

Serious traveling with L.J. Kaelms

Friday, May 11th, 2012

By: Rebecca

Travel is legitimately on our minds here lately. We just awarded the winner of our Globe Trotter Pinup Challenge, Rebecca just got back from Minneapolis (with yarn and Vogue Knitting’s Crochet issue as a souvenir), and Jordana is in Europe! Lucky girl!

Anne over at knitspot is also a seasoned traveler (with a penchant for taking great photos of foliage, among other things), which is why we asked her to give our L.J. Kaelms a try and see how it worked out for her.

Isn’t Toby (her pup) super cute? Totally adorable. Can you believe all the stuff she fit in there? I’m seriously impressed. Makes me think I need an L.J. Kaelms for my next trip in the sky.

Anne loved the bag. Of course it didn’t hurt that green is her favorite color. But she loved the weight and the pockets as well. She wasn’t sure if it would replace her older green bag for traveling, but she did say this:

I do find this one a little more stylish, so I’ll definitely grab it to tote along when I feel the look is important — and certainly I love how it babies my iPad. I also really like that it could easily work as my only bag for overnight trips — I may even try that sometime soon.”

Traveling with just one bag? She must be a pro. I’d love to see what she gets in there then and if it fits under her airline seat. See how hers fit in the bottom left photo there?

Thanks for sharing your travel thoughts with us Anne! You can read the whole review of the L.J. Kaelms on the knitspot blog, along with all sorts of fun pictures. Check it out!

Could you travel with just one bag? What tips do you have for traveling with your knitting?

Tags: knitting, knitting bag reviews, l.j. kaelms, press, tips, travel
Posted in LJ Kaelms, Press | 2 Comments »

Globe Trotter Pinup Winner: Rebel Knitting

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

By: Rebecca

Ever tried knitting on the back of a motorcycle? This is the question Becky posed in her collage Rebel Knitting. The answer for many, I’m sure, is no, but wouldn’t you like to try? If you were going to, Becky’s got the gear lined up for you already. (You’d definitely need your those circlets to keep your yarn in place!)

Becky is the winner of our Globe Trotter Pinup Challenge and will receive a Jordana Paige knitting bag of her choice. Congrats! You can see all the great entries we had on our Pinterest board.

Thanks to everyone who participated! It was such fun checking out all your great collages and ideas for travel. Cheers!

Tags: contests and giveaways, globe trotter pinup challenge, knitting bag, motorcycles, rebel knitting, travel
Posted in Contests and Giveaways | 1 Comment »

Have knitting, will travel

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

By: Rebecca

Traveling is something we talk about often here at JP, whether it’s how perfect the Rio is as a carry on bag or what fun Chicago is or knitting cruises to Mexico.

But really, our bags have more stamps on their passports than we do! We just shipped a full selection to a LYS in Iceland and the L.J. Kaelms just made its way to New Zealand for a review from entangled.

Entangled has some great things to say about the L.J. Kaelms, in particular about the construction.

“I have to say I’m quite impressed with the quality of the materials used. The red faux leather of my L.J. Kaelms has a nice pebbled effect with a matte finish … The findings (zips, buckles, etc.) used are very solid and obviously good quality – these make or break a bag in my eyes.”

It’s great to hear feedback on things like that, because Jordana puts so much time and effort into designing these details; it’s good to know it gets noticed!

You can read the rest of the review and the magazine by subscribing here. It’s a great issue, with an article about high fashion hand knit design finding its way into patterns we can knit. There are also loads of pictures and stories from places like England, India and New York: more places for us (and our bags) to travel!

Tags: entangled, fashion, iceland, knitting bags, l.j. kaelms, new zealand, press, reviews, travel
Posted in LJ Kaelms, Press | 2 Comments »