4 February 2012 · 2 Comments
I generally kill houseplants. Well no, I generally just avoid buying houseplants. I have no good places for them, and I worry the cats will either destroy them or be destroyed by them. The ones I can’t resist usually die quickly in protest of my mistreatment of them.
But not this time. This time I was unable to resist a cheap orchid at Trader Joes. My thinking was that it didn’t cost any more than a bunch of flowers, and that it would probably last at least as long as they would. That was three weeks ago, when this thing had exactly one bud slightly opened. In the intervening period, I’ve stuck it in my dark office, watered it twice, and otherwise totally neglected it. It is now covered in flowers (and seems to be growing a whole new branch of buds) and shows no signs of dying. It also seems to match my red red walls almost frighteningly well. And I know I may have jinxed it by mentioning it, but I’ve totally gotten my money’s worth at this point, so I’m willing to risk it.
3 February 2012 · 5 Comments
Have I explained sample cards to you guys? They’re rather nifty, and not something I knew about until I started designing. I just got another one in the mail, so I thought I’d take advantage of this shiny new addition to my drawer of goodies and tell you about them.
So we all know that hanging out at yarn stores is the best way to find great yarns. You can see exactly the color and the structure, you can pet the yarn, you can even sniff it if that’s your thing. But no one yarn store can have every yarn (except maybe Webs…I think they’re working on it, but they’re also far far away from me), and even if a store has yarn from a particular company, they may not have every color and every base.
But sometimes when you’re working on a design, you really need to lay hands on the yarn you’re thinking about using, or to see just how fuzzy the fuzzy yarn is, or to figure out if that pink will really look good with that brown in the real word. This is where sample cards come in. They show a little bit of each yarn and each color that a company makes. It’s not a huge amount of yarn (a few inches each, not enough to knit a swatch with), but it’s absolutely perfect for really getting a feel for the color and texture. It makes it much easier to decide which of the 14 thousand light brown fingering weight yarns out there is the right one for a given project.
This latest batch is from The Rare Yarns Company, a New Zealand manufacturer a friend recently introduced me to. Sample cards are especially useful for yarns with interesting texture like these that can be hard to fully appreciate on a computer screen. I’ve got a few lovely skeins that I’ve got great plans for!
2 February 2012 · 1 Comment
Every now and then, I need to knit something… unofficial. Something I have no intention of using in a pattern. Something mindless. Something I can pick up for 5 minutes here and there between other endeavors.
This is it. It’s Yarn Harlot’s One Row Scarf, worked in some (almost) yarn I (sort of) spun from lace caps many moons ago. It’s a single ply, and I’m knitting right off the spindle.
It is not fancy, it is not hard, it is nothing but colorful loops. And it’s just what I need right now. It is, alas, also hard to photograph. Millicent is helping out, and I’ll find something more fitting once it’s done (some day). But for now, it’s serving as proof I’m still here and still knitting and haven’t drown in a puddle of highlighter ink or been papercut to death by post its.
31 January 2012 · No Comments
I saw this over on Design Sponge and fell instantly in love. It’s awesome all on it’s own, but they even show it filled with yarn. Very thoughtful of them! It’s made from paper, and it seems like the perfect excuse to break out the sewing machine. I have a vague feeling I’d need to get a special super sturdy needle for it (like one of the ones for denim), and I might try out the fancy decorative stitches that my machine makes, but I definitely want to play with the idea. Now…to find the paper…anybody think colored tissue paper might work? Or would that look too much like an easter basket? Or maybe that could be cute if you wanted to make an easter basket? I foresee some experimentation.
(And the obligatory note, this image is from Design Sponge and belongs to them. I’m sharing it because it’s awesome and I want you to know about it. Click on the pic to see their post, complete with instructions. If you’re from Design Sponge and want me to take it down, just let me know!)
30 January 2012 · 6 Comments
Dear Sir,
You sat to my left at the concert in Toronto on the 14th. I noticed you seemed to be a bit perplexed by me and my actions during the concert. Indeed, perplexed may not be a strong enough word. You appeared downright disturbed. To help allay your concerns, I thought I’d answer some of the questions that seemed to occur to you. So, without further ado:
1) Knitting.
2) Yes, really.
3) A sock.
4) Again, yes, really.
5) Because I like to. Because they are awesome. Because it’s my job. Because it helps me respond with more grace to the antics of others.
6) Indeed, I do think it’s an appropriate thing to do at a concert.
7) For a variety of reasons. Namely, because it is quiet. The sound of yarn against yarn or the sound of needle on needle is far quieter than, just for example, the braying of your ringing phone and your loud conversations. Because it is discrete. My knitting does not emit light, unlike (again, just for example) your phone as you send text message after text message. Because it can be done while remaining within the confines of my allotted seat. My knitting can be accomplished while keeping both my elbows and my knees to myself, unlike (once again, just for example) your phone conversation, which seemed to demand a truly impressive amount of gesticulation (hint, your conversational partner can not see you).
So sir, please do not be alarmed. And don’t worry, knitting is easy to learn. If you’ll just put your cell phone away, I’ll be happy to show you how. In no time at all, you too can be behaving appropriately in public.
Sincerely,
The Irritated Knitter to Your Right
26 January 2012 · 13 Comments
Sorry for the radio silence. I’m going over the draft book with highlighters and a variety of colored pens and a stack of post its. So are a host of genius editors and tech editors and other noble and diligent souls. I know it’s part of the process, and I’m very glad to be at this stage of the project, but it does cut into knitting time. All of which means that the orange spiky socks are coming along slowly (just past the gusset decreases on the second sock). As soon as they’re done, I’ll have the pattern up. It’s all written and tested, I just need the socks finished so I can take some pretty pictures, then it’s all yours.
Actually, they need one more thing. They need a name. I noticed the other day that I have patterns starting with almost all of the letters of the alphabet (apparently I like the shiny words, who knew). The only letters missing are Q and Z. So, do I try and name the next few patterns with words that use those letters? Or do I just let them pick their own name like usual and not worry about filling out the alphabet? And if the former, does anyone know any good Q or Z words?
23 January 2012 · 2 Comments
You’ll have to pardon me. I’ve been a poor hostess. I’ve neglected to make the proper introductions. Miss Manners would not be pleased.
Knitters, I’d like you to meet Esmeralda. She’s a lovely multi-part hat form. Esmeralda, please meet the knitters. They will all appreciate your unique talent for improving the look of jaunty hats of various shapes and sizes.
You guys chat amongst yourselves, I’ll be over here working on something dashing for our new friend to wear.
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