Oh, go knit a turkey!

It's hard to believe that three years have passed since I knitted Terrie the Turkey from Susan B. Anderson's wonderful pattern, a free download from Spud and Chloë yarns.  If you compare the photos of my Terrie Turkey--named for a former friend--with the "Tiny Turkey" on the Spud and Chloë page, you'll see that my Terrie is rather overstuffed, or, to use the favored euphemism, "Rubensesque." There are two reasons for this.

Terrie nesting on a bed of lettuce in the greenhouse.

One is that this was the first knitted toy I'd ever made and I went somewhat overboard with the fiberfill. The other is that American poultry breeders favor big-breasted birds. Neighbors of mine in deeply rural Rhode Island raise chickens known as Cornish Crosses. These genetically-engineered blobs are so big-breasted that by six weeks of age they can barely walk because of top-heaviness. (Thus the short, unhappy life of native fowl.) So I guess that Terrie is actually somewhat realistic, insofar as a knitted turkey can be realistic. Also, I didn't knit her feet, which adds to the general impression of instability.

She will, as in past Thanksgivings, be the star of the table's centerpiece.

I'm giving you-all the heads up because there's still time before your feast to make yourself and your loved ones a knitted turkey or even a small flock. You have nothing else to do, right?

Meanwhile, there are a few things I need to get off my chest. In past Novembers, as Thanksgiving approaches, I've gone through a few songs-and-dances about my pet issues at this time of year. The first is Buy Nothing Day, aka Black Friday. I urge all of you knitters and your sisters and your cousins and your aunts to ignore the media-contrived shopping frenzy and turn this into Knit Something Day. If you send me photos of what you're knitting on November 29th, I shall post them on this blog.

I'd also like to remind those of you who live in this area of New England that the annual Buy Nothing Day Winter Coat Exchange takes place, both on the State House lawn in Providence and ancillary sites around the state and in Seekonk, MA.  Click here for addresses. If you have a warm coat to donate, drop it off. And if you need a coat, pick one up. No money is exchanged, only good will and positive energy.

So, gentle knitters, here's the drill: knit a turkey, celebrate Thanksgiving, drop off a coat to celebrate Buy Nothing Day, knit something to celebrate Knit Something Day (November 29th) while relaxing in the serenity of your unshopaholic life, and email me photos of your creations, which I shall post on the blog for general admiration. In advance I thank you ever so much for your contributions, and wish you all a lovely holiday and great leftovers, which as we all know, are the best part of the meal.

Knit Something Day: The Aftermath

Dedicated readers of this blog know that an annual tradition, the presentation of Knit Something Day results, was begun a couple of years ago and continues to snowball. Every year I invite knitters to send photos of what they were knitting on the day after Thanksgiving.

Some folks believe that like Valentine's Day, Knit Something Day is every day. I wouldn't disagree, but like Valentine's Day, it's really nice to honor whom or what we love with a special holiday. So let's hear it for KNIT SOMETHING DAY 2012!!!

In the materialistic world, this day is known as "Black Friday," a way of defining year-end profits for merchandisers. In retaliation, the Adbusters folks call this day "Buy Nothing Day," and while my heart is with Adbusters, I prefer the positive energy of my term:  Knit Something Day. The positive energy of knitting something, working by hand, crafting, self-expression through yarn, and the calming nature of the knitting process is, I believe, highly preferable to the negativism of the commercial and anti-commercial concepts.

Well, enough of that homily.  Herewith the photos for your delectation. If anyone would like to send me more images of their work, feel free to do so using the email button attached to my blog profile.  I hope you enjoyed your Knit Something Day as much as I did!

We begin with Neuroknitter, the consummate "everything" gal--spinner, dyer, and knitter par excellence. Obviously she's got a lot of good stuff going on!

Next, the socks for Nancy that I finished on the 23rd (coincidentally, her birthday!) These are from the Marathon sock yarn I like so much (the colorway is Twin Cities).

Deborah Newton sent a photo of the inner side of a tam she designed for her niece's birthday in La Gran mohair (knitted in one day, I must add, with matching mittens):

Susie B sent a gorgeous Aran-style children's sweater in process. She writes: 

This is the back of a sweater for a dear friend's granddaughter. I knit slowly and it's a complicated pattern requiring concentration and time, which in short supply. So I'm knitting it in a larger size than she would need right now in hopes that I don't miss the window. We'll see.

Nancy sent a pair of socks just finished for very lucky moi in Lang Jawoll from Switzerland:

Jude sent a photo of her elegant sweater, an original design:

Helpful data provided by designer:  cardigan in 2 gray yarns; needles size 3 and 5; steeks open ready for sleeves and front ribbing.

Joan's pet pig models a Classic Elite Lowell cowl under construction:

And finally, Irene Garza DeVerna sent a treasury of works in progress from herself and members of the knitting community fostered by her wonderful Rhode Island LYS, Eneri Knits. One thing I admire about the way Irene has built her business--which just celebrated its second anniversary--is how she's created a welcoming venue for knitters who just want to knit. There are open knit sessions several times every month where people can gather to meet like-minded knitters, have refreshments, and sometimes enjoy presentations like trunk shows, technique demos, etc. There's never any pressure to buy, but there's a real incentive to do so in such a pleasant, low-key environment. (Thanks to Irene for providing the captions below, as well as the six photos.)

Mary Lou was working on her Classic Elite 'Molly' scarf today with Liberty Wool Prints.  It's coming out great!

Irene writes:  I'm working on a cashmere bouclé kimono vest designed by Berta Karapetyan.

This is Victoria's Blue Heron chenille scarf, which she's made up with some (suggested) help from her knitting circle friends.  She's making a fun, twisted fringe every couple of rows.

Kristen is working on a Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater, which is also a free download on Ravelry.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/seamless-yoked-baby-sweater

Cathy and Susan were working on the Revontuli Shawl today.  It's a free download pattern on Ravelry:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/revontuli--huivi-northern-lights

Susan has just started, and Cathy is mentoring her on the project!

We had some crocheters today taking a class who wanted to get in on the action!

Debra, Mary, Andrea and Audrey are working on the quick Classy Cloche crocheted hat.  This was a class that Audrey teaches and she designed the pattern!

***

I hope you find this gallery inspirational.  Coming up in near future posts--some reviews of interesting knitting books I've been reading. You might want to give yourself a few for the holidays....

Department of Good Works: a calendar

It came to my attention recently that St. Mungo's, a British organization dedicated to helping the homeless, has proclaimed October 26th Woolly Hat Day.  Volunteer knitters are asked to make 5,678 orange watch caps to be sold for fund-raising, and, according to its website "to be used to create a stunt."

The number of hats--5,678--represents the number of homeless people forced to sleep on London streets last year.

And, sooner than we think, Buy Nothing Day, a.k.a. Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), will be upon us. Faithful readers of this blog know that over the past few years I have publicly deplored the wretched excess of Black Friday, the day on which the holiday shopping season officially begins. It's not just that I'm philosophically opposed to conspicuous consumption and mindless spending on unnecessary stuff. It's also that in a world where so many lack food, shelter, basic services, and gainful employment, our society's materialism--and the consumerist frenzy it fuels in November and December--is profoundly disturbing.  Not to mention wrong.

Thus I've always encouraged my readers to re-conceptualize Black Friday as Knit Something Day.

Knit Something Day (23 November this year) is a day when knitters anywhere can put positive energy into the world by boycotting stores and simply knitting.  Knit Something Day is a day when knitters can knit something for charity that can be donated to an organization serving the needy.  Knit Something Day--a.k.a. Buy Nothing Day-- is also when the Annual Coat Exchange happens in Rhode Island.

The Annual Winter Coat Exchange is an opportunity for people who have extra winter coats to bring them to specific venues--including the lawn of the State House in Providence--and give them to folks who need warm outerwear.  The Annual Coat Exchange is an opportunity for anyone who needs a warm coat to find one.  No money is involved, only good will.

Well, here's the calendar so far:

• 26 October:           Woolly Hat Day
• 23 November:       Buy Nothing Day, Knit Something Day, Annual Coat Exchange (RI)

And, on a lighter note, October 12th, I've just learned, is I Love Yarn Day!  It's a celebration that has both a fun and a charitable purpose, as you'll see if you read the link.

I'm compiling a list of drop-off sites for knitted donations, and welcome input from my readers if you'd like me to publicize a collection place you know of.  Please be in touch!

Quentin and Orla are back!  And it's mating season...

 

Knit Something Day: the Gallery

My feet at right, shod in a fave pair of elderly sneakers. Please note that the left foot has recovered from its break and torn ligaments.

This morning's Providence Journal documented the success of yesterday's Rhode Island Coat Exchange, one of the two significant events of Buy Nothing Day, the other being, of course

KNIT SOMETHING DAY!

The responses to my request for photos were heartening, and I share them with you here, listing the participants alphabetically by first name. My goal for next year is that even more knitters will send me photos of their KSD WIPs. In the meanwhile, perhaps you'd like to participate in the tiny poll over to the right, so we can glean something edifying from the responses. (The poll runs for a week. Many thanks!)

THE GALLERY

Deborah Newton photographed this amazing cotton doily, about which she wrote:

What will I be knitting this weekend?  Well, I am sending this picture of a doily my brother-in-law Bob found at an antique store in northern RI-- it is knitted in what appears to be sewing thread!  It's worked in 4 quadrants, with a kind of leaf motif at the center, all at a stunning gauge of about 16 sts per inch!!!

I will be trying to chart it and work a swatch of the patterns in a heavier weight yarn, but one that is still fine by knitting standards: Manos Del Uruguay's delightful SERENA, a fine gauge mix of 60% baby alpaca, 40% pima cotton.  I'll let you know how it turns out!  

***

From Heather Craige:

I am making a pair of thick hiking sox for my darling daughter, Toni, for Christmas. I am using a brick red shade of Encore Tweed because it can go from feet to washer to dryer to feet without special care or anxiety.

***

Irene  DeVerna of Eneri Knits sent along this cardigan-in-progress, saying:


I'm working on Amy Swenson's 'Watershed' pattern, which is a lacey open cardigan in Madeline Tosh Vintage (Ginger).

***

And who says a WIP can't be useful before it's completed? Joan Wilson provides the salient details of her gorgeous afghan:  

The Absolutely Fabulous Hand-Dyed Throw Kit by Colinette

Waterlillies #10, D. Pattern Knitted Stripes

The kit comes with eight different yarns including mohair, various wool combos, and cotton.  Bought on an over 90 degrees day in LYS for extra % off......  a totally therapeutic knit.

***

Judy Korgen sent along this image. If you check out the pattern book behind the toy, you can look ahead.  Judy says:

I would title it “Knitting a Giraffe with Patons Astra yarn—designer:  Sarah Keen”

It looks a little gross, but this is the order the parts are to be knitted.  I have started the head.

***

Neuroknitter, designer and dyer extraordinaire, sent along two photos of her latest WIPS.  She writes:

The booties are made with WEBS Franklin sock yarn, hand dyed in slate, golden pear and pine green. (I have 2 friends at work who are expecting.)  The cuff is the beginning of a sleeve of "Virgin" by Mette Handberg, the first sweater featured in Norsk Strikkedesign.  Oogyknitter and I are each making the sweater as part of our stranded knitting initiative for 2012. I decided to start a sleeve in place of doing a swatch.

***

Oogyknitter, Neuro's BFF and knitter extraordinaire referenced above, offered these photos of her latest endeavors. (By the way, if you want to see the prodigious creativity of both Neuro and Oogy, please check out their fascinating blogs, linked to above.)

She explains:  

I have a couple of things in the works that I can share without spilling too many beans :)

The first is a cat toy in Highland Wool yarn.  It will eventually be felted and stuffed with catnip!  I'll be making a few of these for feline holiday gifts.

The second is an Icelandic Sweater with Horses in Lottlopi yarn.  I've included a pattern picture because I've just cast on (whilst awaiting the delivery of yarn needed for actual Xmas knitting!  I shouldn't be working on it, but since my holiday knitting is on hold until the yarn arrives, I needed something to do over the next few hours/day!).

***

Yours truly must confess that at the moment there are more than a few ongoing projects in my basket o' yarn. These fall into different categories of workability. Some are mindless (e.g. in garter stitch), others require brain-cleansing concentration (lace). I've chosen just one for public display, socks done in the German "On Line" Supersocke Relax-Color, a self-fair isling yarn that I particularly love. It's thick, very soft, and feels great to knit because the fiber (75% wool, 25% polyamide) has undergone some kind of aloe and jojoba oil treatment.

***

And Stephanie Steinhaus of Unwind Yarn (in Burbank, Los Angeles!) sent this photo of her cowl, knitted from, as she reports:

Rowan Creative Focus Worsted
Stacy Charles Stella
Stacy Charles Luna
All three held together 

Isn't it elegant? You can read more about Unwind Yarn in my article "California Dreaming," out any day now in Interweave Knits Accessories December issue. It was one of the several lovely shops I visited last March in LA.

Well, dear knitters, thanks for your wonderful contributions. If there are any stragglers among you,  and you really want to send me photos of your Knit Something Day projects, please do asap and I'll post them in the near future.

When does the life of a knitted object begin?: An Existential Query

Recently I began probing some of the deeper questions raised by knitting. For example, if you wear a knitted sock does it become animate? Or is it animate before you put it on? The sock exists, does it not? Does not the knitter of the sock transmit and transfer deep positive energy into the sock as part of the knitting process? Can we therefore consider the sock animate?

This chain of questions led me to further contemplation. For example, when does the life of any knitted object begin? Is it at the moment of conception?

And what exactly is the moment of conception? Is it defined as that time when the pattern designer has finished writing the pattern? Or as the time when the knitter has finished reading through the pattern and decided to knit the pattern? Or as the time when the yarn destined to become part of the pattern is cast onto the needle? Or as the time when the knitter begins the first row?

Or, does knitted life begin when the object is a blob of semi-differentiated cells?

And, if you should decide to undo a piece of the whole, or even the entire thing...is that a morally-defensible act?

Well, while I'm in serious mode, I wish to remind you, gentle knitters, that the day after Thanksgiving--November 25th, which is soon upon us--has three names:

• Black Friday
• Buy Nothing Day
• Knit Something Day.

To those of you who unabashedly celebrate the three C's of Black Friday--Consumerism, Capitalism, and Craziness--I hope you at least patronize your LYS or another knitting-related boutique. To those of you who, like me, enthusiastically celebrate Buy Nothing Day, besides staying away from stores, please donate a coat to your local collections center. And to those of you who celebrate Knit Something Day, please send me a photo so I can post an image of your handwork on this blog that all may admire your creativity!  We all look forward to seeing what's on everyone's needles!

Thanksgiving leftovers

are the best part, as we all know. Herewith some additional knitting projects that were under construction on Knit Something Day:

Sheila D. of East Providence RI, a top-down sweater 

Joan W. of Weston, MA, the start of a Suri Alpaca throw 

The yarns in the first two photos are strong arguments for the chicken-or-egg world of knitting inspiration.  How can anyone look at these beauteous fibers and not want to knit something immediately?

Then there are perpetual motion knitters, like Denise of the Langworthy Library Knitting Association. She's actually been retained by a friend to knit twenty cotton dishcloths from a cone of color-slubbed natural cotton yarn, as presents for the friend's extended family!

In addition, Denise, currently recuperating from surgery, has been spending her non-dishcloth-knitting time with a variegated fuchsia scarf

and these wonderful socks, a present for her doctor.  (Seriously, this might be a great way to reduce the high cost of medical care in the U.S.--hand-knitted socks for all medical personnel!)

Artemis

Artemis, one of Denise's two resident felines, is in awe of her grandmère's productivity.

Gentle readers, we hope you celebrated Knit Something and Buy Nothing Days, and the National Day of Listening, all of which occurred on November 26th, in a heartwarming way.

It's Knit Something Day!

and Buy Nothing Day and The National Day of Listening.

Quentin bought nothing.  He wore his new garter-stitch scarf.  And he listened to the Wood River where there is now no bridge.

Knit Something Day approaches

Gentle readers,

No one needs to be reminded that we live in a society of wretched excess and gross disparities. As you may have noticed from the trend of my evolving "Blogs I Follow" list, I--despite the embarrassing size of my yarn stash--am partial to writers who chronicle the simple life. The low-tech appeal of knitting is part of my enjoyment of essential, meditative pursuits. I am also someone who really, really, really hates shopping--except, I admit, for yarn and knitting-related paraphernalia. There's a lot I will do to avoid stores, and an even worse nightmare, malls.

And now it is early November and in only a few weeks the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, arrives. Over the years social activists have campaigned to make this day after Thanksgiving "Buy Nothing Day." The idea is to reject the consumerist ethic that compels folks to shop until they drop in preparation for the holidays, and spend quality time on beneficial projects, whether they be some kind of volunteer work, communing with one's family and friends, or participating in an enjoyable non-consumerist activity. I am especially partial to the Annual Winter Coat Exchange on the lawn of the Rhode Island State House in downtown Providence (with ancillary sites around the state). Donate a gently-used coat (any size, from children to adult) on November 26th from 10 to 2, so that someone who needs a coat may be warmer in the winter months.

And once more I'll suggest another way to think of the Day After Thanksgiving:  Knit Something Day! Send me a photo of what you're knitting on November 26th, and I'll publish it in this blog so the world can see.

We Gather Together...

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and Friday is Buy Nothing Day, one of my favorite celebrations. On the lawn of the Rhode Island State House and at other locations around the state, the Green Party will be collecting and distributing overcoats to those who need winter warmth. (http://www.greens.org/ri/bnd.html) Find something that's been dust-collecting in your closet and make a contribution! It's an easy way to do good and feel good.

And in the spirit of good works, may I suggest that all of the knitters who observe Buy Nothing Day turn it into Knit Something Day? If you send me a photo of your Knit Something Day project, I'll post it on the blog.

Wishing you all halcyon days of peace, freedom, warmth, opportunity, nature's beauty, and everything else we in New England and the U.S. of A. have to be thankful for.

Love,

SMW

(I'm celebrating Knit Something Day with this WIP--a scarf in the Embossed Vine and Leaves pattern from Vogue Knitting's Stitchionary)

http://www.vogueknitting.com/resources/stitchionary/knit_purl/embossed_vine_and_leaves.aspx