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October 31, 2006
Because it's still Socktober for 15 minutes
I taught a sock class recently and worked up a generic top-down sock worksheet for my class. And in the spirit of Socktober I'm sharing it. You can go here to download it. It is a work in progress, so go ahead and tell me if there are things that are missing or messed up. I was going to put a photo or a diagram in there, I just haven't had time. Happy Halloween and happy sock knitting.
Posted by kate at 11:45 PM | Comments (14)
October 23, 2006
I must be the last to post about Rhinebeck
We're back. It was a long, wet ride down and a long, wet ride back, with an absolutely gorgeous day in the middle. You know when you eat a bunch of candy or drink most of a bottle of real, Mexican tequila (not that I've ever done that... ahem) and your head is buzzing? That's what I felt like most of the weekend. It was a blast, but an overwhelming one. Here are some photos and memories:
I wore a store-bought sweater to dinner on Friday and was asked by a stranger in the restroom if I knitted it. It was a warm and fuzzy way to start the weekend, realizing you're surrounded by like-minded people.
After dinner, there were loads of knitters all hanging out in the lobby, ticking off other hotel guests who were dead-set on watching a movie there, rather than in their room.
Irene (the knitter formerly known as Blossom) with her first purchase of the day.
Why I loved Rhinebeck. It's all about the touching.
Tadpole with her first gift of the weekend, a felted ball
My second purchase of the weekend, fiber from Spinning hill. I didn't buy all of that. Just some of it and my pal Paper Tiger Knits, whom I FINALLY got to meet this weekend, bought some too.
These three ladies were only the start. I met about 10,000 knitters this weekend. Maybe more. I'm actually kind of curious so I might sit down and try to make a list. Everyone was lovely. Charming and fun and sweet and smart and lovely. Maybe everyone in the world should learn to knit and spin. It could create world peace.
Frog tried spinning. I think he had almost as much fun as I did last weekend.
Ginger haired girls and autumn leaves
The falling leaves drift by the yarn booths. The autumn leaves (and fiber) of of red and gold...
Baaa
Frog, Tadpole and "Baaaaaab" the sheep puppet.
And now back to your regularly scheduled silence. I have some deadline knitting to finish so you won't see me again until it's done. Wish me luck. I need it.
Posted by kate at 01:41 PM | Comments (47)
October 19, 2006
Blame it on the rain
Why do I have Milli Vanilli in my head? I do. It's sad, but true. I hope the soundtrack for this weekend will be better than that of 8th grade. Frog, Tadpole and I are off to Rhinebeck to look at animals, yarn, bloggers and maybe even buy a very extravagant 30th birthday* present for myself. Say, "hi" if you see us. In lieu of handknits, I might be wearing a jaunty green cap that I treated myself to yesterday. Or I might be wearing the t-shirt** Frog got me. Or both.
* Before you ask: I'm not at all upset about being 30. I did dumb things in my 20s. I survived. I'd like to think that I will have more happiness, self-confidence and do fewer stupid things in the next ten years than I did in the last ten. One can only hope. My only regret is that I never wore hot pants when I was young enough (and had the ass and legs) to get away with it.
**To fully appreciate the t-shirt, you need 3-D glasses, so you might want to be prepared.
Posted by kate at 11:19 PM | Comments (33)
October 14, 2006
13 steps for finishing a sweater
1. Sew steek.
2. Cut steek with (surprisingly) no fear and complete faith in the process.
3. Celebrate success.
8. Try to get a photo.
9. Try to get a photo.
10. Try to get a photo.
11. Resort to using a flash.
Posted by kate at 08:35 PM | Comments (95)
October 05, 2006
ohmygodimgoingtokillmyself
I have all of my Dale Baby Ull in one container. I have purple and green and yellow and 2 reds and 2 whites, one creamier and one whiter. Well, you know that sleeve I whipped out in one day? I knit it with the creamy white. The rest of the sweater was knit with the white white. But by the light of a lightbulb, you can't tell the freaking difference! BUT IN THE SUNLIGHT YOU CAN. SOMEONE PLEASE SAVE ME FROM MYSELF. I MIGHT DO SOMETHING DRASTIC.
maybe i don't care. it's been cloudy here for days, which is why i have lights on all the time which is why i couldn't tell. i'll just make her wear it in the dark. yeah that's it.
Posted by kate at 01:47 PM | Comments (30)
October 04, 2006
Rockin' it
Don't ask me how I managed to do it on a babysitter-less day. I have no idea. The knitting goddess was with me.
Days left: 14
Work left: Shoulders, collar, steeks and seaming.
Let's hope the force stays with me long enough to finish
And oh yeah. Let's hope it fits.
Posted by kate at 11:59 PM | Comments (15)
October 02, 2006
A bag so nice they'll give you candy twice
Jack
$4.95
This whimsical felted tote gives the little ones a great way to make sure their Halloween candy doesn't slip through the cracks, or you can knit it for your favourite candy-corn-loving adult as a swanky October purse. One side sports the traditional jack-o'-lantern smile, while the other's a little more devilish. Either way, it will keep all your loot safe from wandering ghouls and hungry ghosts.
Posted by kate at 11:05 PM | Comments (13)
Picture this
Rhinebeck, October 21: I walk into the festival wearing my trekking socks. On top, I have a sweater I finished just the day before. It's gorgeous. And original. And intricate. Around my neck is a lovely scarf or shawl. If it's chilly I even have a handknit hat tucked into my bag... my felted handknit bag...
Can you see it? Lovely, right? Well, it ain't gonna happen. Though I am knitting a sweater, as usual, it's not for me. And though I just finished a shawl, it's already been mailed. I do have hats, though most are to small and the others are missing. My trekking socks are more like trekking ankle warmers for now and will most likely stay that way for several months.
I was talking to my (non-knitting) sister about "Rhinebeck sweaters" and saying that I have nothing to wear, except clapotis or the Union Square Market Sweater (and that only if I get a girdle). She told me that I shouldn't wear clapotis because "that's like wearing the band's t-shirt to a concert" or "like being a Cornell engineering student and wearing your 'Cornell Engineering' sweatshirt to class". Yeah. I know. Non-knitters. You've got to love them, but the whole concept of a sheep and wool festival is foreign enough, without adding the layer of something knit FOR the sheep and wool festival.
So what is a knitter to do? I think I'll live vicariously through my child. Even if she doesn't have a hat, shawl and socks, I'm determined to finish her sweater. If I don't finish it soon, she'll never wear be able to wear it, so I had better get my butt in gear.
Posted by kate at 01:21 PM | Comments (12)
October 01, 2006
A new store and my dorkiness - in photos
This is Ginette (laughing).
This is Ginette's store, Éffiloché and this is the list of classses I'm giving there. More are being added all the time and someone please sign up so I'm not sitting by myself weeping softly into the fleece artist roving instead of sharing my love of knitting with people who love knitting too.
This is the first row that Lee Ann's daughter, Twinkletoes, knit.
And here are photos Lee Ann took of me acting like a total dork. What do you think of the project? Holiday sweaters are HOTT this year, didn't you know? Pumpkins are in! Just ask Tim Gunn. He's with me on this.
Or maybe felted jack o' lantern trick or treating bags are cooler than sweaters.
Or maybe they're still dorky... but cute anyway. For those who are still young enough to trick or treat, at least.
Hmmm... Now that I see this photo that Lee Ann just sent me, I'm thinking holiday sweaters might be hot after all... or maybe it's just me.
Posted by kate at 08:15 PM | Comments (23)
