Vogue Knitting and Trellis Scarf

last one skeining: Review Monday


(I am experimenting with trackbacks)

I was intrigued by LOS's post about the Vogue Knitting Anniversary Edition. So intrigued that I sent her a sketchy text message asking her to bring it with her to Knitting that night. I foolishly believed she had my phone number in her phone so it was way creepier than I intended my text message to be, by the way. Imagine receiving a vague text message telling you your blog post was "intriguing".

Anyway, she brought it with her and I flipped through and really fell in love with Nicky Epstein's cover project, the floral scarf. She is my favorite designer, and in the last three years I truly do believe the best published pattern in VK has been her floral trellis bag. Even though mine is sitting at home needing to be reblocked, it still pleases me. Though the editors' "update" of that pattern in the anniversary edition was foolish. All they did was change the colors.

So I bought the Vogue Knitting Anniversary Edition, with a special dark silver shadow cast over everything they have ever published. Apparently Target is now selling knitting magazines in Jersey City.

I set to work adding new Nicky Epstein flowers to my Floral Trellis scarf from Scarf Style. I really liked the idea of that pattern (a crochet trellis with roses climbing it) but I hate chenille, and that is the original design, and the cabbage ruffle roses in the pattern were a little too plain for me. Thus, I will create a sort of garden trellis scarf with many different kinds of flowers, mostly by Nicky Epstein as I also have her Knitted Flowers book.

This is my work in progress, modeled by Bear, my surly Himalayan cat.




So surly he won't even look at the camera for me.

I plan to go to the magic trimmings stores on 6th ave in NYC for some interesting stamens and beads.

Mystery Stole

I know you are all curious about where I am with the Mystery Stole. Well, I am still just where I was three weeks ago, which is tinking row 99 so that I can redo it correctly. I feel slightly better about it since the Yarn Harlot recently confessed her lifestyle doesn't agree with MS3 knitting either.

Since they released the last clue on Friday, I am feeling a bit like a fat girl running the Boston Marathon. Everyone is crossing the finish line and I am at mile marker 4.

Never fear, Stephanie, you are not "desperately behind". There's still a knitter (or 16 according to Ravelry) who are still trying to catch up to Clue 1.

Last One Skeining is really First One Doing Everything Else

This is my friend Last One Skeining. We met through our knitting group 2.5 years ago.

The photo above features us shopping at our LYS, Patricia's Yarns. I believe that bag was expensive.

LOS has her fingers on the pulse of the knitting community and is, perhaps, the coolest knitter I know.

Example the first:

I am all "Hey, I really wanted that pattern booklet about knitting robots that came out 2 years ago."

LOS: "Oh, I totally have that!"

I still don't understand how LOS managed to get it since practically the day the designer was published on Knitty I got on her wait list and then she never published again.

Example the second:

She has been on Ravelry since May 31, 2007, mere days after the launch of the site and 2 months to the day prior to when I got on. I joined the wait list once she joined and testified at the coolness.

Example the third:

She is knitting her way to a knitting masters degree. Okay, not quite, but she is doing the Knitter's Guild Master Knitter Level One which I think is perhaps the coolest knitting thing ever. Okay, maybe that is because I am one of those people who loves learning/craves advanced degrees and the combination with knitting is just a geek knitter's paradise.

I have also decided to adopt her accomplishment as my own. For example, I am already practicing the phrase "Well, my friend is a Knitting Guild Master Knitter Level One and so..." to gain knitting cred. Dude. It will work.

Example the fourth:

Tonight at Knitting I say: "I was stalking around Ravelry last night looking for a men's sweater pattern for Dan and I found Brenda Dayne had knit a really amazing sweater for her son called and Urban Aran sweater..."

LOS: "I totally have that pattern booklet."

Now, COME ON. How is it that everything cool in the knitting world, LOS knows about already and has beat virtually everyone to it? I am thinking that she's keeping a hidden source from me. Like an editor at Vogue Knitting she lunches with or something. Seriously, who knew about Ravelry in May?

Regardless of her secrets, she is totally MY pipeline into the newest and geekiest stuff in the knitting world and I am grateful for it. I believe tonight she was telling me about a knitting podcast about a woman with seven kids. I also cannot wait until she reveals to the world her secret intarsia project. Stay tuned.

Mystery Stole 3

Recent discoveries:

I am stuck on row 99 of the Mystery Stole (halfway through tinking that row because I ended up with too few stitches because I screwed up on the beginning of that row).

I am also discovering I have little time to knit lace in solitude with my current lifestyle.

For the same reason it takes me awhile to get through books, since HP7 has taken me over a week to read and I am on page 500.

Thusfar I have been really forgiving of myself about the slow progress on the Mystery Stole. Yes, I am on the last row of Clue 1. It has taken me a month to get through Clue 1. Four other clues have been released while I finish Clue 1. I attribute this both to my slow knitting ways and the lack of solitude and focus neccessary to master this art. The knitting itself goes quickly, it is the screwing up that eats up most of my time.

Anyway, Clue 5 and the theme of the stole were announced today and even though I am totally forgiving myself for the whole Clue 1 slowness, I am SO ANNOYED I am not on Clue 5 already! The theme of the Stole is Swan Lake and she is having us knit a freaking wing into our stoles! How cool is that?

I love short row shaping. WHY AM I NOT ON CLUE 5 YET?

Oh well. I am going away on Sunday and probably won't pick up MS3 for 2 weeks. The whole pattern will be released by the time I even get to the wing.

I did decide what I am going to probably knit in the dirt. The answer is robots.

Made it!

I got invited to Ravelry yesterday! They are definitely plugging through the waiting list (about 1200 per week). I already found another knitter that employs a Shih Tzu knitwear model and am really impressed at how easy it was to plug in my projects (I have yet to enter a yarn they don't already have in their database, which makes it really easy to not have to hunt for ball bands). I am the only one on their knitting the Building Blocks blankie. And one of hundreds knitting the mystery shawl!

I uploaded some older projects into Flickr and can't wait to clickie some more through other people's FOs and WIPs.

Woo!

What to knit in the dirt

As of 4:44 pm today, 191 people in front of me on Ravelry.

I am going back to Michfest this year. The last time I went, in 2005, I knitted eight womb dolls in pink and blue and used them to barter in the Barter Mart.

They were a big hit and it has been requested that I make some more. I only have green and black in the correct weight of yarn, so unless I do an emergency yarn mission, I am going to just have to go with those colors. I might make one or two.

I am unsure of what other mindless projects to bring with me. Last summer, my beach project was making baby bibs. Beaches have similar conditions to this trip--lots of sitting near dirt or
on dirt when the knitting takes place. Needs to be lightweight and portable and needs to be mindless.

I have plenty of kitchen cotton, but for some reason the idea of making a bunch of dishcloths isn't as interesting. I might flip through my copy of One Skein and see if I can rustle up an easy project in a washable yarn. I have a whole box of "one skeins".

When on longer trips, I have a tendency to bring a "car project" and a "there project". The "car project" (lately the lego blankie) tends to be bigger and more involved--thus more interesting for the drive. The "there project" is usually small and easy to whip out and knit on when having company. Since space in the car is at a premium I am thinking about just bringing socks. But ever since my "socks fit for a giant" fiasco I have been sort of resentful of sock knitting.

Startitis is rearing its ugly head, I think.

Ravelry

Okay, I am totally drooling over Ravelry. I am staring at my yarn stash while I work out on the elliptical machine (which faces the stash) and thinking "I can't wait to organize all this stuff on the internet" and also "what am I going to do with that funky colorway of dk weight I bought on a whim, I bet I can find that on Ravelry."

Right? I can't be alone in this.

I have actually thought of going over to Last One Skeining's apartment to peek at her Ravelry account and see how cool it really is.

Anyway, so Ravelry ponied up with the best feature EVER.

As per their website:

July 14, 2007 We have been buried in 'where am I on the list?' emails! You can now look up your position yourself.

And then you clickie clickie and you enter your email and poof!

Found you!

• You signed up on June 5, 2007
• You are #7063 on the list.
• 261 people are ahead of you in line.
• 13583 people are behind you in line.
• 32% of the list has been invited so far

Yesterday I had 411 people in front of me. I am thinking this bodes well. If the site is as delightful as this little feature, I will be in social networking heaven.

Also, this is my Alien cat watching over row 85 of my mystery stole. I had to frog. It was like doing open heart surgery and I just don't want to talk about it anymore.

I love this so very much

MUST. KNIT. THIS. CREATURE.



gesundheit

Rumor and Inuendo Abound!

I received the following Special Notice from the Mystery Stole 3* yahoo group (I am not signed up for the emails--there are hundreds per day!)

There is a theme guess that was posted on Ravelry** this afternoon
regarding the theme of MS3 as being related to Dante's Inferno and
tying in with some apocolyptic and Satanic symbols. I just wanted
everyone to know that this is purely a guess and not at all correct.

For those who are concerned about this, please don't worry, this stole
and design are completely appropriate for just about any situation
(Christine has pointed out that monster truck rallies, mud wrestling,
and water slides might not be appropriate) . Not all brides will want
to wear it, but that reason will be revealed when I reveal the theme,
and some won't be bothered by the theme.

I just wanted to reassure everyone because I know some people are on
digest and won't get these messages for a while and some of you who are
on Special Notice might see the original post in Ravelry.

Don't Panic, Melanie

I suppose if I were the designer of a mystery being knit by over 4,000 people I would want to squash any slander I came across but honestly, who is going to believe that someone is leading that many people on a blind path into satan worship? Being fairly new to the lace knitting game, I was looking at this more as a learning experience and less of a true "mystery" in terms of deducing her theme. I have also read some of the theme ideas on the yahoo group and they are as hysterical as they are diverse.

Now, Melanie did give fair warning in the pre-project show notes that the shawl would not be appropriate for a bride. It never once occurred to me that the ultimate design, other than being pretty, might result in something out of a horror movie. Though, if I were leading the blind and this kind of rumor popped out, I might make a quick chart alteration for the next clue (clue five is due out a week from Friday) and make some letters that spell out something more mischievous. "Go Fug Yourself" might make a nice surprise.

*I am on row 85 and did not bring it along this weekend for our road trip. However, at some point tonight I managed to add an extra stitch. I sense some quality time with the shawl coming soon to "read my knitting" and repair it. This is the most tedious thing about lace knitting--fixing errors!

**I have been on the waiting list for Ravelry for 2 months and still haven't received my membership. I am dying to get on there!!

Too hot to be outside

When the summer heat bears down I am disinclined to leave my house for anything other than going to the beach.

On Sunday I actually bailed on plans with my friend/blogging partner Kelli because it was really far too hot to do anything but sit inside. It was a blogger meet-up at a bar in Brooklyn and I know the Cattyshack was not going to be air conditioned (or at least not well-air conditioned). She was understanding and I went back into the world of working on my Mystery Stole.

I am still not done with Clue 1, despite the fact that I got about 50 rows done this weekend.

I learned that, when knitting lace, I require a table at standard table height so that I can read the chart (as opposed to coffee table height) and I need something heavy enough to hold down two sheets of paper taped together and keep my place on the chart. Right now I am using a CD case but I am hoping to find something longer but not obnoxious, like a legal sized notebook. As a lawyer, I think casting about in my office should yield something.

After some trial and error, I set myself up in a corner of the living room and brought down a table from the yarn room upstairs. I would knit up there (and might relocate eventually) but there is no sound system and it needs better lighting. Baby steps.

Check out my sexy new knitting bag.

I did install my first lifeline (at row 50) and solved two major stitch issues, so all of that progress, while not the major speed with which some of the knitalongers are doing on the yahoo group, still makes me very proud of my MS3 stole progress.









Since I felt bad for snapping at Dan or demanding complete silence in the living room, when he wanted to watch the Singing Bee I consented and switched to my baby blanket. It is coming along really quickly and I hope to have it finished before the end of the summer.


I just found out this morning my great aunt's funeral is in Maine. Dan and I will take a road trip up there on Friday. With all the time in the car, will I be able to knit lace? I am very compelled to keep working.











Speaking of my car, Jack Knife Winston just got a new accessory:


The lighting is crappy, but it is a pink yarn ball and needles from Lisa Knit! It arrived in record time and she charges actual shipping costs. Not bad for $6.97. I really hope no one steals it.

Bandwagon

I am jumping on the Mystery Stole 3 Bandwagon. Or, more accurately, I am already on the back of the cart, rain colored yarn in hand dangling my feet off and clutching my circs to my chest everytime the wagon hits a bump.

I haven't photographed my (slow) progress yet but I am totally digging it in full knitster geek way.

It has been awhile since I've embarked on something truly new and challenging*. While I have knit lace before (an entire blanket in lace pieces and the Perfect Pie Shawl from Weekend Knitting) and I just worked something very simple in laceweight mohair, I have never knit a complicated lace project on laceweight mohair. So I thought I would take on the challenge.

I cannot say enough about how awesome the support of over 4,000 knitters working on the same project at (relatively) the same pace is. I went to Patricia's Yarns in Hoboken to get some laceweight for the project and she suggested Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Or, rather, dangled it in front of me like a snake charmer and I was powerless to its influence despite the hefty pricetag.

To the right is a photo of Macy, the Official Spokesdog of the Totally Knitting Universe at Patricia's Yarns. They were very hospitable to yarn loving Shih Tzus who keep their paws off the merch. Macy helped another customer pick a color of yarn the last time I took her over there.

Then I brought it home and started feeling really insecure about the yarn choice. First of all, I have never had a lace project that did not specify the needle size. The ball band and the pattern gave a range of needle sizes, so I didn't even know where to start. Plus, I picked a color other than the recommended black, white or shades thereof. When I start getting insecure it eats at me and definitely puts a damper on the excitement of beginning something new.

So I did a quick search of the messages in the Yahoo group and lo and behold, not only had this question been asked by someone "Omigod I am using Rowan Kidsilk Haze and I don't know what needle size to use! OMG help!" but it had been answered! By list members and the pattern designer, who suggested size 7 needles and assured that it would work.

What a relief!

In addition to that, I am completely loving the resource links! Someone posted a video tutorial on how to do the crochet hook bead adding technique. So much easier than I thought!

Someone posted a link to a description of how to add a lifeline!

Someone posted a link to how to correct a lost yarnover!

And even though I haven't yet needed to add a new ball, I learned about the Russian Join technique.

Clearly I love to learn new things. For the mystery stole, however, I do need to remember not to bring it to my knitting group. My first missed yarn over on Tuesday night requires a bit of surgery.

*As lawyers, when Brian and I first began peeking under the skirt of the great monster that is the knitting universe, we wanted to learn as much as possible and mount our knitting challenges in quick succession. Now that the initial fires have cooled a bit, I had to scale back my thirst for extremely challenging knitting because it is hard to not screw up hard knitting when you don't devote huge chunks of time to it.

Knitting Worry

My fiance and I headed to the Thousand Islands region on the St. Lawrence River (along the boundary between Upstate New York and Canada). It was meant to be a quick, relaxing jaunt to visit my mom's BFF and her husband at their summer home. Maybe with some sightseeing via boat and some fishing.

We left Friday morning and Dan had a sore throat and a slight cough. By our evening hike around the island he was feeling really poopy. And after a night of coughing fits and not being able to breathe very well in the morning, we decided to go to the emergency room. My nurse friend Kelli suggested that the quick decline might be pneumonia and she was right! After being admitted to River Hospital emergency room very quickly, we sat and waited for breathing treatments, steroids, benadryl, 2 "big dog" antibiotics and robitussin with codeine to start working. By 4:00 PM they decided since Dan was on 4 Liters of O2, he was going to be admitted.

I am very good in a crisis. My real melt down didn't happen until we were all done with the hospital two days later. Since Dan was finally able to get some rest and was sleeping in the Emergency Room, I sat by his side and instead of actively worrying, I knit. I concentrated on my child's cardigan in Lion Brand Cotton Ease (the newly relaunched Cotton Ease). It was a nice easy garter and stockinette striped pattern and very good worry knitting. Especially good for stopping on a moment's notice waiting for updates. (Pattern was a free Lion Brand flyer next to the new display of the relaunched Cotton Ease. I will admit that the baby girl on the pattern flyer--not the same kid as on the internet pattern--was too cute to avoid wanting to knit the cardigan.)

I added inches and inches to this sweater meant for no one in particular, the colors just spoke to me and the size was sort of determined by what I got out of the gauge of the needles I had on hand when I started it.

When we found out Dan was not going to go home Sunday like we thought, I spent the entire day in the hospital keeping him company. And I knit my current "epic project", the building blocks baby blanket from Vogue Knitting on the Go I. I am using Red Heart Super Soft something or other I got for $3 a ball when I started the project two years ago. I got quite a bit done on the intarsia house block while trying to concentrate on Dan and not on the fact that I was terrified that when I had to leave for the night he might have a catastrophe and, well, all of the things you knit instead of worry about.

The blanket is knit in squares--the filler squares are meant to look like lego blocks and the intarsia is meant to look like the images are made of lego blocks. The blanket is worked in great strips and will eventually get a garter stitch border.

Luckily, Monday he was finally able to breathe room air. With six prescriptions, we headed home. I continuing to work on the building blocks blanket and the cardigan now that I've caught the bug (but am breathing deeply and coughing in order to avoid developing pneumonia). Macy, The Official Spokesdog of the Totally Knitting Universe, is doing her best to nurse me with sweetness.

Knitting Progress!

It has been about a decade since we last updated, but Brian and I are still knitting and making yarn mischief. It is simply interspersed with other things.

Brian's BF* Boomer totally bought him a Wii for Christmas. I go to their house to play Wii a lot, which is very fun, especially since their TV is 110" and also they sometimes put up a screen outside to accommodate the projector. Imagine playing Wii on a 220" TV. Boomer's hobby is buying and doing awesome things with gadgetry.

Right, so back to the knitting content.

In March I accidentally made a sock for a giant. I discovered the error in my gauge while I was on a trip to Philadelphia and someone mentioned how enormous it looked. I had already turned the heel and tried it on, careful of my DPNs and... well, they were right. I don't know what happened with the gauge when I changed from 2x2 ribbing but it was horrific. I just wanted it to be stockinette on the feet because I don't like ribbing around the foot.

The yarn is gorgeous Trekking XXL in Color 39, light greens and browns. I am either going to rip it out entirely or rip it back before the gusset decreases but basically the sock is in purgatory in my yarn room closet until it thinks about what it has done and I get over the shock of a sock gone terribly wrong.

So what did I do while I was in Philadelphia on a Sunday and my only traveling knitting project was traumatic and could not be relied on for joyful companionship on the 1.5 hour drive back to Jersey City? I made my fiance and my friend Zoe stop by an LYS** so that I could get a new project. Nothing soothes the wounds of a knitting project betrayal like new yarn. And some addi turbos, just to see what all the hype is about.

We stopped into Loop, which thankfully maintains reasonable hours on Sundays and I bought one of their sample projects, a bright pink ruffled shawl that was a surprisingly easy pattern. I was drawn to the shawl immediately because of how vibrant, girly and fun it was. It reminded me of something I would have died to have found in a dress up bin when I was a little girl. And, let's be honest, shawls like this are the evening wear equivalent of a feather boa. I wear those on stage and I wish I could wear them every time I dress up. (See the dress-up appeal of the shawl modeled by my friend Anne.)

The yarn is Alchemy: Yarns of Transformation in color "Promise--Evening Pink". It was $34 for 423 yards. The shawl is knit on size 13 needles and I did the bigger size shawl--60 stitches at the widest point of the triangle, with a five row repeat ruffle border. I don't think I can attest to the transformative nature of the yarn, but it was a pretty quick, straightforward knit. I did a great deal of the project while on jury duty, which meant I replaced the addi turbos with my Denise circulars to pass the muster through the x-ray machine. I still have some yarn leftover, and I am thinking I might add another ruffle to it just because I can. I mean, it is already bright pink, I don't know if being too showy is even a consideration.

I wore it with an evening gown I had sitting around in my closet to a benefit for NoLose, "My Big Fat Queer Prom" in Asbury Park, NJ. And I had yet another brush with fame. My knitting was totally featured in the Village Voice.

Since it isn't the greatest shot of the FO*** (though it is a great one of me singing "Before He Cheats" to Zoe), to the right is another one of that night, with me and my friend Sarah.

I think we can all agree my shawl should have another ruffle.

We recently moved because my fiance decided he was tired of yarn falling on him from every crevice in our old one bedroom apartment. He said that I can have a "Yarn Room" as long as yarn isn't in any other room in the house. I packed everything in a hurry so I have bags of WIPs*** and UFOs***** as well as garbage bags full of my stash. It is really horrendous.

I am trying to organize it all and, in the meantime, I've gotten through some of my old WIPs. I will post some more FO pictures later, but suffice it to say that after 2 years sometimes you just have to finish something. I have this real knitterly ADD****** and I am not a very fast knitter, so it makes me tend to have way too many objects on the needles. I think at one point I had fifteen. I am not exaggerating. When I first started knitting, I was whipping out FOs far quicker than I have time for now, so I think that might have justified the stash and project piles a little better.

Brian is also knitting. His BF really likes alien motifs, so he made him a Rockin' Alien Illusion scarf from Stitch n' Bitch. His BF manages an apartment complex and actually took that WIP and showed it to a resident and claimed to be able to knit and "lookie and the illusion where an alien pops out of nowhere"! I believe this managed to endear the woman to Boomer in a way that simply being his charming self could not. And believe it or not, this is not the first person I have known who lied about being able to knit. I sincerely do not know why one would do that when it really is as easy as logging onto www.knittinghelp.com, but whatever floats your boat.

Brian is now making Boomer some alien socks from Knitty.com. This is his progress OTN*******. I found some glow in the dark yarn the other day and I believe he will duplicate stitch some decorations onto it when the pair is complete. He is using Lang Jawoll and the 2 circular needles method. I think he has bent his needles and am not sure if it is due to needle quality or the effort of fair isle sock knitting. Or perhaps he just doesn't know his own strength.



*Boyfriend
**Local Yarn Shoppe
***Finished Object
***Works in Progress
*****Unfinished Objects
******Attention Deficit Disorder
*******On The Needles

Knitting Rockstars and Yarn Bus Tornado Tragedy 2006

Last December, Brian and myself took a trip on the Yarn Bus (the vehicle of choice of the Offical LYS* of the Totally Knitting Universe) that we haven't blogged about yet.

We met Vickie Howell, host of DIY Network's Knitty Gritty. She was taking the Yarn Bus up to Flying Fingers to sign copies of her new book. Kevin and Elise, the proprietors of the shop, had advertised her trip so it wasn't like we were googlestalking or anything.

We boarded the yarn bus at 9 AM, myself sleep-deprived from a night of debauchery an hour and a half south in Philadelphia, Brian a bit bedraggled from lack of coffee. Vickie had spent the night previous partying it up with the cast of Saturday Night Live (at the after party and at the after after party). Vickie Howell, you understand, is truly a knitting rockstar.

Brian and I are big fans of Vickie's show, mostly because we love knitting and with a DVR, you can choose which episodes to watch. It's nice to learn a new technique from the TV instead of a book, as I am a more visual learner.

I immediately asked Vickie when we could start asking questions. She confessed to her previous night's activities and said as long as I didn't mind a sleepy response. We asked why on her show they pronounce it "Knit Oh Meter" instead of "knitahmeter" like it is spelled. We asked who does her styling since Brian and I often wondered aloud where she might have obtained a certain shirt or flashy pants. She answered all of our questions with a sense of humor.

We were the only Vickie fans on the bus, the rest of the passengers were just happenstance riders who either didn't have cable or had never watched the DIY network.

After spending the day with us at the store and on the ride home, I think she appreciated our sense of humor and even agreed that we could be knitsters on the show next time they tape. We were also enamored of her publicist.

Brian bought both of us copies of her book, New Knits on the Block, as I was about to turn 27. I don't think either of us has knit anything out of it, but our intentions are there. It's a fantastic book if you have kids to knit for. Lots of great knitted costumes, and the mermaid costume would make a great scarf stitch pattern.

The photo above is myself and Brian with Vickie, modeling some of the samples of the work in her book.

This weekend, Brian and I are planning a return trip to Flying Fingers. Imagine our disappointment to learn that we cannot ride the Yarn Bus because of a freak tornado incident in Westchester County!! We don't get a lot of tornados in the New York Metro area.

Instead we're bringing Macy (my Shih Tzu and Official Spokesdog of the Totally Knitting Universe) and our significant others. Brian sent this email to Kevin, Elise or both in anticipation of our arrival:

Dear Kevin, or Elise, or Webmaster, or Any Combination Thereof,

Hello. This is a communication from Brian, the boy knitter of the knitlist. You may recallm e from such times as that time my best knitting pal Bevin and I rode the yarn bus with knitting superstar Vicki Howell, or that time when Bevin and I rode the Yarn Bus with a reporter from the New Yorker, who rocketed our names to international stardom with her piece on the Yarn Bus that featured quotes from Bevin and me.

As always I come to you with very specific knitting needs. Kevin, Elise, Webmaster, or Any Combination Thereof, I proclaim here publicly that my sock fetish is not yet sated. And I find myself in need of some very specific sock yarn for a very special project.

You see, Bevin recently found a pattern for argile socks that feature a skull and crossbones. Here is a picture.

As you might imagine, Kevin, or Elise, or the Webmaster, or Any Combination Thereof, I MUST MAKE THESE SOCKS WITH ALL DELIBERATE HASTE! Recall, if you will, my penchant for alterna-cute and my disdain for Cutsie-pie. I therefore come to you. I need 5 skeins/or hanks of solid colored sock yarn to make this project sing. 2 black, 1 white, 1 undecided color that won't get lost in the black, and 1 other undecided color that won't get lost in the black and won't look silly next to the first undecided color that won't get lost in the black. I'd like to buy this yarn from you. Two more parameters to throw into the mix, I'd prefer the yarn I buy be machine washable and probably sport weight or lighter. Do you have something available for purchase from your website that would be suitable?

I found some wildfoote, which I adore, but it's not solid colored and therefore best for other projects. I've not been able to locate anything else that might be good for feet.

In the alternative, do you have anything in your store that might be perfect? Bevin and I have been talking about paying your store a visit soon, we want to see the new digs, and are positively in mourning over the Yarn Bus Tornado Tragedy of 2006. Don't worry, we'll just drive this time if you don't have anything mail order. Oh, Kevin, or Elise, or the Webmaster, or Any Combination Thereof! Can you help me?

Love, Brian

It was Brian's birthday on September 13 and I promised to pick up the tab for some luxury fibers as a present. Additionally, he moved in with his BF**, Boomer, and destashed. I sold a bunch of his yarn on ebay and we split the profits. Our $34 each is rolling into fiber purchases.

As a post script, Brian and I have been neglecting this blog for a lot of reasons, mostly because he got a boyfriend and changed his lifestyle, and I got a happy relationship and changed my lifestyle. We both still knit, but not as obsessively as we once did. Which is, at once, a good thing for both of us, and also sad. We miss our nights delightfully yarn shopping or watching reality television and ignoring the increasing piles of clutter and mess growing in both of our apartments.

I discovered Flylady to help me keep my house in order. So I am no longer creating amazing FOs*** every 2 days, but my house looks much better.

*Local Yarn Shoppe
**Boyfriend
***Finished Objects

Bitch and Bitch and Knitting

I just got another email from Yahoo Groups about the Jersey City Knitting group's description.

When I started the group, I listed it on www.stichnbitch.org and called it a stitch n bitch. Because, you know, that's what it was.

When all of this copyright/trademark infringement stuff happened (good background on the Brenda Dayne podcast, Episode 10 and also Free to Stitch, Free to Bitch) and I was initially notified by Yahoo Groups about their cease and desist, I changed our description to st*tch n b*tch. Right? I mean, the message is clear but the trademark is not infringed upon.

Anyway, apparently that's not good enough for the bastards at sew fast sew easy, so I've been demanded to cease and desist. So now we are a bitch and bitch and knitting group.

Since I am totally on a self-imposed yarn diet because I bought two garbage bags full of yarn at back to back Smiley's Yarns Yarn Riots, and my stash is eating me slowly but surely, I decided to spend some of my yarn budget supporting anti-sew fast sew easy establishments. I bought an embroidery kit and some patterns from Sublime Stitching. I am making a "More Cowbell" tea towel for my good friend. She used to MC with me in our drag troupe and three years ago we had a group of drag kings act out the "More Cowbell" skit from SNL. It was a miracle. Anyway, she and the other founder of the troupe moved back to Columbus and she's turning 30 in a couple of weeks and I thought an embroidered gift would be really nice.

I have been having a hard time getting it together to knit lately. I've been working on a pair of socks on size ones for 6 weeks monogamously, but only three or four times a week, rather than my customary every possible moment knitting. I am a totally polyamorous knitter, with about 12 projects going at once because sometimes you're in the mood for different things. But socks are both mindless and challenging, small enough to take anywhere and the yarn is so gorgeous I can't help myself. Plus, I intend to wear them before it gets warm outside.

But for some reason whenever I pick up my knitting I feel guilty that I'm not doing other things around my house or brushing my two new persians or playing with Macy.


ALF, so named because he looks like an alien life form.

Bear, so named because he's enormous with fur. I might spin his fur, which is weird but it's so soft and there's so freaking much of it.

And, Macy, for good measure. Still my number one girl.

Anyone else feel "Knitter's Guilt"?

Uncle Brian hasn't been knitting because he has a new boyfriend.

Several Knitting Sudden Intuitive Leaps of Understanding

Things around the old Totally Knitting Universe have been a little slow. Brian hasn't picked up his entrelocks in awhile, and instead is plugging along at a new scarf style project with his blue bamboo yarn and he completed a test knitting project for Annie Modesitt of a hat and scarf that were the bane of his existence because of his desire for them to be 100% perfect. His nephew Xander was born and so we have to do some sort of ticker at the bottom. I may start a ticker for my dear friends Holly and Lois, who are inseminating this week.

I finished the triangle scarf from "Hand Knit Holidays". Because it was so glamorous (and didn't take so much time to make) I donated it to a charity raffle but didn't get a good FO pic of it. I also did a knitted womb for my friend CMolieri, who recently lost her right fallopian tube in emergency surgery. That womb was modeled after her own organ, without the right fallopian tube. She loved it.

In these meditative times of mine, I've become very addicted to knitting "Cross Lane Cables" from Scarf Style. It's on Peruvian Tweed, which I got from Flying Fingers that time we took the Yarn Bus and were featured in the New Yorker. It is a really soft, amazing yarn and looks awesome in the cross lane cables pattern. It's a 7 row repeat, reversible cable pattern and was quick to memorize and is so relaxing and fun to do. Being a DK weight yarn on size 5 needles I anticipate finishing sometime in May, but I really love doing it so who cares?

I've been trying to get around to starting my holiday sweater for Macy, which I will enter in the Knitting Curmudgeon's Christmas Crap-A-Long competition. I have the design done, complete with obnoxious knitted border designed from Nicky Epstein's Knitting Over the Edge. That book has some really great borders but if not used with an intention to be classy you can go really over the top. It is my hope to really work that to my advantage. The prize for the Crap-A-Long is four friggin' skeins of Koigu!

Luckily, Macy is only 11 pounds so sweaters for her are less than a week's project.

As mentioned in a previous post, my girlfriend of three years broke up with me two months ago. I have had the requisite "Oh please, I want to take you back, I regret breaking up with you" plea from her (only after I went on a date with someone else) and have reacted with the Sudden Intuitive Leap of Understanding "We weren't right for each other, anyway. Please move your shit out of my apartment and take your cats."

The break-up has lead me to several knitting Sudden Intuitive Leaps of Understanding.

KNITTING Sudden Intuitive Leap of Understanding ONE

Knitting, for me, is a huge stress releiver. Brian found some study that said knitting is as stress relieving, minute for minute, as yoga. It is also sort of an escapism thing. So for the last few months, when I was in an unhappy relationship, I was knitting all the time at my house. If I wasn't going about the business of getting ready for work, cooking or taking care of the dog I was knitting. Which meant that I wasn't cleaning my house. I let the clutter and bullshit pile up to really outrageous levels. Now, ladies, I was never filthy. My dishes got done regularly and I am fastidious about the bathroom. But clothes and knitting bags and camping equipment from August... The friends that came over always got some excuse about the state of my apartment, but it was what it was and it was ridiculous.

About a month out of the relationship I realized what I had been doing and spend six solid nights straightening, sorting and cleaning out my apartment. No knitting was done, unless on my lunch hour at work. It was hard to forego the knitting but it was important and I am so much happier at my house without the mess. I also sorted through all of my yarn (bags from various yarn binges all over the place) and probably have about $100 worth of sugar and cream. One can only have those moments of "OOOOH! I don't have THAT color yet," so many times. I mean, I have enough balls for about 70 baby bibs or dishcloths. I am insane.

Life is so much easier with all of my SWIPES* and UFOs** in one place, and knowing what yarn is in my stash.

KNITTING Sudden Intuitive Leap of Understanding TWO

Knitting gifts on a deadline is pointless and takes the fun out of it. I have decided to adopt the mantra that I never knit on a deadline unless there's a monetary reward. Crap-A-Long is a constructively monetary reward, see above re: 4 friggin' skeins of expensive yarn. I successfully finished two gifts for Christmas last year, one to my ex's mom and one to her neice. I was literally finishing them on Christmas Eve and that is lame. I want to knit for fun and if I give it to someone, they should be grateful and joyful and I'm not going to add stress to something that should be as awseome for me as for the recipient.

KNITTING Sudden Intuitive Leap of Understanding THREE

Break-ups make SWIPES. When that girl broke up with me, I was literally, at that momemnt, knitting Leroy (her dog, the little white chihuahua) a dinosaur sweater. I had to finish it, it was too adorable not to. Plus, I loved that dog and it was the first week after we broke up, I was still in love and wanted her back.

However, at the same time I had been working on a Christmas stocking for her 3 year old nephew. I was (still am) about halfway done. It is a miracle in fair isle. One section of it (trains, he really likes trains) even has four colors stranded at once. I was thinking originally I was going to finish it and send it to his family, along with one I planned to do for his sister, the 18 month old neice I adored. But I just can't do it. Again, there is the knitting on a deadline thing and also it's just sort of weird now. It is really too bad I already knitted her nephew's name into it in fair isle. Otherwise I'd finish it and gift it to someone else or donate it to charity.

Another SWIPE that will always be a SWIPE is this dress I was making for her neice. This was a SWIPE mostly because it was a dress knitted in DK weight yarn done in seed stitch. I realized about halfway through one side and already done with the intarsia mouse that I really. hate. seed stitch. Don't know what to do with the yarn, it's a really pretty blue cotton. I may finish the dress one day when I manage to learn contininental style knitting, as I hear it makes ribbing and seed stitch a breeze, but until then my english knitting ass is only using seed stitch in borders and accents.

After the Sudden Intuitive Leaps of Understanding

In addition to cleaning, organizing my stash and my life, and having knitting Sudden Intuitive Leaps of Understanding, I have taught two friends to knit. One is my coworker Eldy who is totally getting as obsessed with knitting as Brian and me are. And the above-referenced CMolieri is working on her first scarf. It took both me and Brian to get her going, but she's chugging along.

Brian and I went to Smiley's Yarns Manhattan YARN RIOT. Yes, it was called a Yarn Riot. It was okay. I liked our first Smiley's haul better, back in February when we went to the sale they had at their Queens store. We left with garbage bags of yarn both times, but at their Queens store they sell yarn by the ball and we were able to get a lot of colors and various projects prepared. I had wanted to get cheap felting wools (I have a Nicky Epstein project with 12 colors I want to start) but instead wound up having to buy yarn by the bag at the Manhattan sale. Don't get me wrong, we spent $175 between us and ended up with a big stash enhancement and garbage bags. But mostly I got some camel, burgundy and cream colored skeins of Lion Brand "Kool Wool" for making more masculine scarves ($6 per three ball bag), we split a bag of blue worsted that is a really pretty cornflower color ($10 for 10 skeins), we split a bag of white 100% cashmere ($60 for about 600 yards in four hanks), I got a bag of a chunky pink wool for making a gorgeous '40s style wrap from Wrap Style and girly scarves ($25 for 10 skeins), Brian got an afghan's worth of Lion Brand Cotton Ease, three bags of red and one of yellow ($10 a bag?). And we each bough a bag of six skeins of Jamie yarn, one in baby blue one in lavender for the babies forthcoming in our lives ($6 per bag). Brian was outraged that there were only three options for sock yarn. We felt like Santas leaving that yarn riot with garbage bags over our shoulders.

Not many people were smiling, even though the place is called "Smileys". And there were moments we were scared of the rioters. One time Brian poked a finger into a bag to feel the yarn inside and it turned out that the bag belonged to a woman who was standing with her back to us. She was good natured about it, though you could tell there was a glint in her eye about how outrageous it was that her merchandise was poked by another shopper.

Hopefully our next update will have photos and some FOs. It's time.

*Stalled Works In Progress
**Unifnished Objects

Progress Report

As has recently been reported here at the Totally Knitting Universe, I am making Entrelocks from a pattern found at Men Knit. The pattern calls for 6 different colors that go nicely together. 6 balls of sock yarn, for the record, is about enough to make 6 socks, so I convinced Bevin that we should go in on this endeavor together, that we could split the materials and the cost and still have plenty left over in the end.

Oh, what a plan!

I was impatient and started mine right away. Here's a progress pic.



I mentioned to Rose that I'm sort of glad my first piece of entrelac is in the round because it has the modest advantage of not requiring the construction of left or right triangles. Just three shapes instead of five. Since this photo was taken I've progressed a little further to the point where I'm ready to start the heel flap.

Which I will do as soon as my super speed emergency project is complete.

Ladies, let's talk about Lion Brand Homespun.

Now, I hate it. It is difficult to work with, sheds great fistfuls of fiber, the boucle bunches up on the working yarn as you knit and it pills the instant you bind off. Think I'm exaggerating? Just try it yourself.

I don't buy it.

This does not mean that I don't have garbage bags full of it in my home, however. A friend who moved recently gave me great heaps of it so she wouldn't have to move it. I tried to decline, but my friend, well she's insistent. Bevin and I have been puzzling over what to do with all this stuff that I now own but don't want to use. She's in favor of me putting it on ebay and auctioning it off. Other ideas have been to get giant needles and use it to make that mythical afghan that uses like ten strands of yarn at once so we can donate it to Katrina victims who need something to snuggle with and don't care if it pills because winter is coming and all they have is a damn tent and would be happy to have a crappy blanket to cover their naked bodies as they try to stave off death for just one more day.

Well, in the midst of that conversation I landed a great new job and gave notice at my current position and I have been recieving cards and little tokens from my co-workers as I pack up and prepare to move on. One of these co-workers, the sweetest and most wonderful woman ever, presented me with a card and a nicely wrapped package containing three skeins of Lion Brand Homespun.

It is bad form to throw away gifts, and none of my knitting friends would have accepted it as a re-gift, so I decided that I absolutely must turn some portion of this into a scarf to give back to her. I could consider what ever was left over as waste, or as the 11th strand of that afghan I mentioned and which is spoken of so frequently on the purile Knitlist. I also decided that I had to have it done before I leave this job two days from now on Wednesday.

I recently came into a little miracle called Handknit Holidays which features a very interesting and very easy scarf design for heavier weight yarn. The pattern, Snowy Triangles," is a series of garter stitch triangles up the length of the scarf done with increases at the start of each right side row and a decrease at the border between triangles. Simple, and very effective.

I cast on for this scarf in Homespun and am racing along, trying to finish in the next two nights. I'll let you know how it goes. In the mean time, here's a progress pic on this project as well.



Yes, the image is upside down, which is not my preference. But Bevin is hosting the image and I have to prevail upon her to fix it. In the photograph the triangles are difficult to see, but not in person. I hope that I will be able to get a few more shots that highlight the design better before I give it away. And this Homespun business will all go away soon. Since this photo was taken the scarf has doubled it's length. I continue to barrel toward completion.

Bevin cast on the same scarf in some yarn from her stash. You can see the stitch definintion more clearly here because hers is not a boucle. The second triangle is just starting to form on the right side. You get the idea.



Of course, hers is far more glamorous.

Happy Howloween

Darlings:

I saw a sweater in a picture ages ago online and said "I MUST make this for Leroy". I could never find the pattern. Until one day I happened upon the pattern book in a random yarn store in Nyak, NY. I snatched it up and cast on Leroy's sweater. This was right before my girlfriend broke up with me, but I decided to continue knitting it because Leroy's been my step dog for almost three years and he didn't break up with me.

Plus, look at how f*ing cute he is:







I'm not sure if my exGF has plans with Leroy for halloween but I feel like this dino sweater can be year-round. It is versatile.

The pattern book, for those playing at home, is Patons "Another Dog's Life" and it's one of those mini pattern booklets. It calls for worsted weight yarn. Basically, you knit a turtleneck sweater in one color to your dog's size and use duplicate stitch (which is basically sewing, which is great if you're a quilter but I prefer knitting and using intarsia) for the polka dots and knit up the ridge as a garter stitch type triangle thing that you sew on. It was pretty easy. Fits him perfectly in the Petite size.


I bought Macy two costumes this year for halloween, both of which were labeled "Small", one was too big (from Old Navy) one was too small (from Target). So, feeling inspired by the dino sweater and emboldened to try to actualize a vision, I made the following sweater from my own design.







I added the waddle at the last minute, which is why it's only in one photo.

Tomorrow I plan to give her a bath and a trim and take more pictures. I really want to do her justice.

I hope to use this sweater as a prototype and submit it somewhere for publication. It was really fun but time consuming to put everything together.

Up next, sweaters for Dewey and Johnny's new dog, Zoey and Erica and Amy's new SHIH TZU, Pluto. And a gaudy holiday masterpiece for Macy.

FO*s for Feet

As you may have read in the New Yorker, February was Sock Month.

We totally failed to make socks in February, but that doesn't mean that we failed to make socks.

Behold!



As modeled by the Official Spokesdog of the Totally Knitting Universe (TM), Macy, we have completed socks!

I started first, with some Koigu premium suchandsucha sock yarn at $11.50 per skein, so a $22 per pair of socks plus NY State sales tax. I loved the colorway and wanted a real sock yarn to start off with. Brian had bought the book "Knit Socks!" in February for Sock Month and I borrowed it and went with Starter Stockinette as the basic sock pattern. I was in and out of those socks, even with an 8" leg in under two weeks. Totally fun and easy to understand pattern, this book (along with some Knitty Gritty basics Brian retained) really helped me through the new techniques. Even this trick with twisting knit stitches when you pick up the gusset. Brian failed to mention this until after I had knit the gusset on one of the socks. I have holes at the gusset on one sock but not the other. My left foot is eternally grateful to Brian.



Brian saw me do those socks and was all hella jealous so he grabbed his Lion Brand Magic Stripes (one skein = 2 socks at $4.50 on sale at AC Moore in NJ, no sales tax) and whipped up his own Starter Stockinettes. His legs are shorter on his socks but I have to say it makes more sense the way he did it. He went with 5" instead of the pattern prescribed 8".





Brian is very pleased with his socks and thinks they are comfy and warm. Unfortunately there was a little laddering around decreases for both the gusset and the toe. This is something Brian intends to work on in future sock projects. Brian's socks are totally cheaper but still completely snuggly and still cheaper (Brian keeps making me type cheaper).



I liked knitting with my expensive and nice sock yarn better, though. The debate rages on.

The coolest part about the pattern in "Knit Socks!" was that the heel flap is worked with a slip stitch that makes the varriagated yarn look woven and marvelous and provides extra cushioning and wear for the heel.



Brian has already cast on a second pair of starter stockinettes in more Magic Stripes (the bitch bought, like 5 balls at the same time--he totally gave me one when I begged for it, this free ball of Magic Stripes will totally offset the $22 plus NY State sales tax pair I'm wearing this very minute) and worked all weekend on the Entrelac Socks from the recent issue of Men Knit Magazine. I saw this magazine first and knew, instantly, Brian would be drawn to those socks. Progress pics shortly.

Brian has completed almost the whole leg and it looks super cool. Brian is truly a master sock knitter/entrelacker (entrelacer? entrelocker?). Brian is also super gay, because he chose (with my urging, since I agreed to pay for half of the six skeins of sock yarn neccessary so that I could also make entrelocks) rainbow colors for our sock yarn.

If you want to knit socks you totally should. Easy enough to fly by, hard enough to keep your interest. They rule.



*Finished Object

Shih Tzu Style

I recently bought Wrap Style. There are only like 3 ponchos in the whole thing and the wonderful capelets make up for those awful and ugly afghans for wearing. I especially bought it for this wrap.

I am thinking about making a book called Shih Tzu Style and soliciting "Innovative and Inspiring" designs from top designers, all to be modeled by various Shih Tzus, including my Gorgeous Macy Poo Pie. Isn't she sweet?



While I was at the AC Moore in Seacaucus the other day, I found that they have not only expanded their yarn selection but also included some knitting magainzes and LYS* quality knitting books. Totally awesome. I came across Creative Knitting November edition. It had some mediocre designs inside, but what caught my eye was that the cover had a Shih Tzu modeling knitwear.



That Shih Tzu is WEARING A PONCHO. For crying out loud!

Such a waste of a shih tzu modeling opportunity.

******

What follows is some correspondence regarding our next trip to THE OFFICIAL LYS* OF THE TOTALLY KNITTING UNIVERSE. You can see why, other than their passion for and quality of yarn we totally heart Kevin, Elise and their Yarn Shoppe. Even if they discriminate against pets who aren't celebrities.

Dear Kevin and Elise or Both:

Hello to you! This is Bevin, of Bevin and Brian. You may remember us from such times as we rode the yarn bus with a reporter from the New Yorker magazine and were featured in the Talk of the Town section. I actually just got a Friendster message from a guy I was a Resident Advisor with at UC Davis who I haven't heard from since 1998 who totally recognized my name when he read a back issue of the New Yorker his mom sent him since he's working in Amsterdam for Mattell. Small world, right?

Anyway, Brian and I mentioned in the New Yorker article how February was totally going to be sock month. Well. We didn't quite make it. I cast on my first socks in August and loved loved loved the process so much Brian was right on my heels. We are about to post the products of our joyful labor on our blog ( totallyknitting.blogspot.com).

As you may be aware, sock knitting is a bit of a cultish type activity because it is so fun. I knitted my first pair out of koigu sock yarn and loved the colors they had to offer. We want to know if you offer that at FF just for our own edification. I'm sure you have lots of other great sock yarns available (I seem to recall Cherry Tree Hill being in stock last time we came up). We are ready to purchase more sock yarn (even though Brian went a little nuts with the Magic Stripes from AC Moore, but I'm trying to get him into real sock fibers). Brian and I are also a little liberal with the monies for such fine sock yarn, since he just got a new job offer from a big firm almost doubling his salary as a librarian and my girlfriend of three years just broke up with me and I need to console myself with consumerism, including knitting to distract myself.

Tell me, Kevin or Elise or Both, do you have room on the Yarn Bus (early shift) for two avid sock knitters on Saturday, October 22, 2005, returning on either afternoon return trip busses, preferably the earlier. We are also free on Sunday, October 23, 2005 but prefer Saturday so that Sunday can be Sock Day. You see what I'm saying.

Hope you are all doing well and work on the new storefront is progressing smoothly so that you can expand your yarn offerings even more. We are waiting with baited breath for the Grand Opening.

Love,

Bevin (and Brian, via proxy)

P.S. We got your email about the Martha feature of the Yarn Bus too late to DVR it. Do you have a tape of the episode available along with a tv and vcr at the shop so we can watch it when we get there, or, as an alternative, do you know when it will be rebroadcast?




Dear Bevin,

Ah, yes, I do vaguely remember you...
Oh, no, right, Bevin of Brian and Bevin--you got me all confused with the order there :)

Actually, I remember you as Bevin of totally knitting universe where so many people have been turned on to Flying Fingers Yarn Shop--thank you very much.

Of course, we have room for you two on the Oct 22 bus. Are we picking up in the usual not Union Sq almost Chelsea location?

All the prospects for wonton consumer spending are as thrilling for me as they are for you!

Hey, I thought of Brian the other day thinking of crocheted skull motifs (not sure how well you can see the photo):
[included in original]

Waiting to see you again with an.........................ticipation,

-Kevin! "Feel the Yarn!"

[an additional email as an addendum]

I believe I'd prefer "wanton spending" not "wonton spending" since we don't accept food as legal tender. Geez!

Dear Kevin:

I am so glad that you received our request and can accommodate us on the Yarn Bus. I did, of course, mean the almost Union Square but mostly Chelsea stop (and still plug that there be a 33rd street stop near the PATH station).

I am disappointed about the wonton spending. I was hoping to knit up some wontons using knitty's pattern (http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring03/PATTdimsum.html ). Do you and Elise have a cat?

Also, speaking of patterns. This may be a long shot but I was wondering if an 11 pound Shih Tzu would ever be invited into the hallowed halls of Flying Fingers and on the Yarn Bus? She does not eat yarn and doesn't pee inside. Not this time around but some other time I want to film my audition tape for the Martha Stewart Apprentice show and am thinking about trying out in tandem with my dog. Oprah is the highest powered woman in the whole world and brings her cocker spaniels everywhere she goes. Plus I think Macy would really dig Irvington on Hudson.

I am also glad to see that people are patronizing the Official LYS of the Totally Knitting Universe. They know good taste.

And the skull crochet was hard to see. Perhaps you have this item in person that you could show us when we get there? I can pass the pattern to my friend Jackie and demand she crochet it for me.

xoxoxoxo,

Bevin

That's a tough one. We do occasionally allow dogs in the shop--when it's not too busy and with the caveat they must leave if any human complains--people have allergies, fear (justified or not), kids, their own dog that doesn't want to get along, etc. However, its tough to kick a pet and their owner off the bus, so we have to say no. Sorry. (Yes, we would allow Oprah's and it's not fair...) Thanks for understanding (hopefully).
-Kevin

*Local Yarn Shoppe

Emergency Knitting!

I went to Columbus last weekend to go to a housewarming party at The Crocheter and her partner's new home. They used to live in Philadelphia and now it's a 10 hour drive.

Anyway. I learned to knit on size 15 needles using fun fur type yarns. It hid my mistakes and knit up really quickly (though was super expensive). Once I started really knitting I would use smaller yarn and smaller needles and it would take me SO long to finish something. Anyway, I have this really warped sense of timing with knitting projects.

Recently I found this interesting furry style yarn, Bliss by Carons, for $2 a skein from a super mega Rag Shop sale. Since I needed a cute and furry scarf to begin the winter with, I decided to do the Snuggly Neck Warmer from Knit Scarves! This is basically a garter stitch scarf with a hole in the middle to slide your scarf through. Forgetting how quickly garter stitch fun fur scarves knit up, I managed to finish my scarf by the time my ride got to Columbus.

This was devastating, knowing that I was going to have to endure an 8 hour return trip with no knitting. I made a big stink with people asking if I could go to a yarn store sometime. Those plans fell through and I was thoroughly depressed about it, especially since I had been told about a new store that had recently opened called "Wholly Craft!" during their party. I just like saying the name. No one could confirm whether they had yarn but I thought it was worth a shot when I saw it, literally as we were driving out of town. Turns out it is a store that sells some handmade crafts and also THRIFT STORE CRAFT SUPPLIES. Including a few baskets of old acrylic yarn probably from estate sales and pre-balled. Oh, the sexiness of $3.00 for 5 balls of yarn! Oh the joy of $1.50 size 9 needles! Oh the miracle of a knitting book from the 70s for $2!

Needless to say, I had an interesting and occupying project for my 8 hours. I did this vertical striped hat shaped in short rows. I will post progress photos, right now it looks like half a hallowig.

Brian was really enthusiastic about the pattern book. There are some crazy AWFUL poncho designs and also a pair of socks with knitted on shoes. Seriously.

**********

I love the Knitting Curmudgeon! She is fantastic. Not only snarky but good knits and you can't beat that.

The best blog thing I've read recently, though, has to be the bitchy comments about Crochet in a recent post, with defensive comments by the designer. Holy shit.

"Crochet that isn't too tacky. A novel idea, but impossible."