September 27, 2006
Why Wasn't I Told?
Do they work?
Representative shrinkage: 37 balls of Sisik in 1 medium Spacebag!
One queen-size bed covered in pounds and pounds of wool becomes six space-bags full—just a bit over two tidy plastic bins:
Space bags. Amazing!
September 26, 2006
The Autumn Leaves Drift by My Dachshunds
With the autumnal equinox behind us, we've been organizing wool and our books of knitting charts and not crocheting even a tiny bit (although we fully expect to resume our project shortly). I love this time of year, even with its bittersweet baggage.
Watching Mikey sniff through some leaves that suddenly scattered across his path made me think of fall and that made me think of the upcoming Rhinebeck festival, which I love (but won't be attending this year) and that I recommend to you. . . every bit as thrilling as MDSW, but in the glorious Hudson Valley. This 2005 view is from the backporch of the Vanderbilt's summer place. And, while in the area, you can get bags and bags of Macouns!
By the way, you still have time to enter the art competition for the MDSW 2007 catalog cover. Get it--your vision--there by Nov. 6 and possibly see your stuff on t-shirts, posters, websites, cards, and, of course, the catalog.
Meanwhile, yes! that is knitting you see beyond Mikey; it's some lovely inky-blue mohair being knitted on big needles into a big soft comfy fluffy square from corner-to-corner. That will work, right? To have started at one corner with a few stitches then increase to the mid-point then decrease back to a few stitches? We'll ask our favorite Kim, who always sets us straight when we're having impatient or ADD moments re: knitting and needlework. And, speaking of our wiseNeedle-worker, Kim has moved her blog onto wiseNeedle, and it looks smarter than ever. Zip right over and admire AND learn a bit about what's available in commercial tapestries. I love that woman! And wiseNeedle. Did you know it has a knitting-wiki now? Sweeet!
I Came Here to Tell You Something
My parenthetical asides and thought-detours have made me forget what I came to blog about today, which is vexing but what-the-hey! You know what I think would be magnificent? A personal GPS that really was personal--one that told you exactly where you were in your life :-) Right now, I'm all over my personal map and I'm not sure a public explanation will follow...maybe later. Maybe not. But ideally, if I had a personal-personal GPS, it would locate the felicitousness of a new journey while advising me on direction and right action and what-lies-ahead and just-around-the-corner. Wait, that's this thing, not GPS! I am XLIX and trying to remain convinced that All Things Work Together for Good, but c'mon!! Let me just share with you that blogging may be more sporadic than usual over the next couple of weeks. Sorry!
Black and Tan Rules
New stitch markers!! Acquired (along with a couple of other very cool sets) in a trade with the talented Karen, Beadmarkers at etsy.
Animal beads are her specialty, and these are pretty special, aren't they! Dachshund stitch markers--hahaha! very happy with these! and look! Dalmations! Go see if she has your fave!
We've gone way past our time-allowance for blogging, so we're going to make like the autumn wind and blow.
Be cool! We're (probably) coming soon to a town near you!
September 15, 2006
NOSHI NOSHI NOSHI!!
Monographs ONE and TWO of the NOSHI Knitting Monograph Series are available!
Update! 4:00 p.m.
Nanette's new book Christmas Knitting in Color is also available! Not only are there four original new stranded color knitting patterns, but also a recipe for painted sugar cookies. AND, all profits go to nonprofit rabbit rescue through the Colorado House Rabbit Society! Win, win, win, win, win!
September 14, 2006
A Biking Knitter and Some Incredibly Violent Knitting!
Many of you may remember Geane Helfrich from her knitting blog Knitpix and the handy but gone Knit-A-Norgi tip sheet. She's still knitting gorgeous colorful knits AND has been doing a lot of bicycling the past few years. Her mileage for '06 is well over 2,500 miles!
This past weekend, along with several other thousand cyclists from all over the country, she rode 90 miles in North Carolina with Team MS to help raise funds for a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. If you'd like to support her, select this link and put Geane Helfrich in the boxes where prompted. Then follow directions to make an epledge. Donations will be accepted until mid-October, so there's plenty of time.
Warning! Graphic Knitted Violence Ahead!
If it's been a while since breakfast, you might want to take a look at the craftsmanship in the knitting here.The creative force behind Beutiful art made with kintting is obviously not one of the knitters who finds Knitting the New Yoga. Gruesome but technically masterful pieces include a Road-Kill Kitty, Knitted Baby Being Eaten by a Knitted Alligator, and my favorite, the Man-Eating Tiger. Wow.
Woofs! and Snaps!
We are thrilled to support a knitter who is a professional musician, a mom, and a biker! Way to find balance, Geane! Della expresses it best for us by woofing and snapping:
Happy Thursday! Everybody ride on!
September 13, 2006
buh-Balance
Thanks for the insights offered in the comments lately; sometimes the most obvious things sit in front of me, flashing like tetras, but I miss them until someone points them out.
Balancing Acts
“In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth.” — Patti Smith
Primarily, removing shoulds from life seems to be the fastest route to restoring balance, because certainly there is always more than enough time to do what we really want.
Isn't there?
The day-job, whether in or outside of the home, seems to be the biggest time-thief, but the most lucrative balance-dilemma. And that reminds me of something about balance that Susan Sontag wrote: “The truth is balance. However the opposite of truth, which is unbalance, may not be a lie.” Yes. Precisely where I find myself at this moment, so I need to continue to think about this topic. More on this later. But I would love hearing more about your strategies for keeping all the balls in motion.
Haunting Crochet
I saw a profile of Felieke van der Leest's work on my favorite zine whipup back in May, featuring photos of some of her mixed-media jewelry. Yesterday, tidying up my hard-drive, I ran across one of the images I had saved to my desktop, the Flamenco Deer Señor Señorita del Sol brooch:
I think this brooch completely defines what I'm reaching for in achieving balance, if you know what I mean, and I'm not sure that I do myself. But I love this woman's work! Plastic animals, metal, textiles, imagination! See more in her online gallery (your choice of Nederlands-ish or English). There is a monograph available now, Jewelry Fables, that details van der Leest's work in the last 10 years, written by Ward Schrijver, published by the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, and available here, among other places.
And speaking of monographs, the first in the wonderful NOSHI Knitting Monograph Series is available. I love my extraordinary copy, and hope all thoughtful knitters will support this project. It's very easy to support, as it's simply excellent, and you'll enjoy it.
Why's Mikey in Such a Rush?
He craves balance, because the new issue of Wool Gathering arrived in our mailbox yesterday! Featuring a very nice Norwegian-style sweater to knit. Very happy here. But off to work we go.
Cheers as always, and more later!
September 07, 2006
Random Grannies and a Surprising Number of Self-references
No, we're not going there again. There's simply lots of crochet sampling going on here.
Hmmm. Yes. It *is* rather craptastic. However, as I mentioned a few entries (weeks?) ago, I Have A Vision. And, incredibly, it needs crochet to manifest. And, the practice squares have some utility. They are made from self-patterning sock yarn scraps, and, profligately, actual unused skeins of unloved self-patterning sock yarn. Some alert readers may remember a blog entry from early in 2005 in which Everybody was a Weiner in photo caption creation, and won 100 g or so of self-patterning sock yarn. (What? You don't remember my single blog entry from the other 1,450,000 of knitting and knitting-related blog entries published that day?)
That was one way of dispensing with too much yarn. Another perfectly legitimate method is scrap-yarn-knitting or crocheting. So over the weekend, I declared the remaining stash of self-patterning stuff as scrap yarn, and let the square dance begin. I repeat (in a rather defensive tone) I Have A Vision! More later on that.
The ultimate in granny squares, of course, is Debbie New's 10 x7 ft knitted portrait of her granny, knitted from squares. You can see a smallish-photo on this page if you scroll down to the third image in the right column. (Or third image in the middle column, depending on your point of view.) Cubism. Pointillism. Knittism. Spectacular. If you don't own Unexpected Knitting, you should.
There are dozens of new books out on crochet, check Amazon. (Sidenote to everyone: coming in July 2007, Mr. Funky's Super Crochet Wonderful (ペーパーバック) by Narumi Ogawa. I've pre-ordered because this title is simply the most compact, brilliant way to describe crochet that can ever be. Ever. Snaps!) Lion Brand's newsletter/website has been featuring motifs to crochet. It's everywhere! (Sidenote to self: have I seen the headline 'Crochet is the New Knitting'?) Crochet. Oh I can't stop myself: It's not just for granny anymore. Hahahaha!
Now, Two Things
First, I was very touched by comments that indicated daily blogdogblogging would be a good thing. Thank you. I hope to resume daily blogging soon.
Second, some advice please. My kayaking adventure continues to please in my memory every bit as much as last fall's First-Real-Bike-ride-in-35-Years (wearing handknit vest and hat, of course).
My mechanical difficulties from the past are much improved from physical therapy and the resulting much more active lifestyle. I am so grateful to be able to move more freely! Now I have a time-management issue. I'd like to hear how people reconcile hiking/biking/kayaking/walking with getting enough knitting done each day, AND still do the working dayjob AND have a little bit of a non-k-ing-something life within a measly 24 hours. Superwomen? Speak up, please.
And third (I MEANT Three Things!), I want to apologize for the lack of response to comments and emails. Entirely due to the Second thing above...my time-management skills are currently very fuzzy. My desire is always to respond to all comments immediately, but I seem to end up sending positive vibes instead. I hope you got them. Peace, prosperity, and perfect health in so many affectionate directions. I'll write soon, honest.
And now, with a strong warning to those with sensitive gag-reflexes to corny titles,
Dachshund Tails (erp)
It has been raining here a lot since Ernesto passed directly over the peninsula last Friday or so, and the dachshunds have been furious, as you would be too if there were 4-inch deep puddles everywhere and your legs were only 3.5-inches long. So there was a lot of this:
