Various, but not random

Gentle knitters,
I must do some catch-up here for there's been a lot of traveling in my recent past and scant time to post. Apologies, because as usual Life trumps Writing. However, you may recall my exhortation to knit something on Knit Something Day (the 29th of November) in lieu of mindless consumerist Black Friday bingeing, and several of you sent photos of your post-Thanksgiving Day efforts, which may be enjoyed below.

Joan W. of Weston, MA, knitted this vase from a Classic Elite pattern.

Preparing to reknit the sleeve; a minor adjustment.

Neuroknitter decided to re-knit part of a sweater on Knit Something Day.

She made a sweater a few years ago that she wore so often, the sleeves stretched out because they were too long and "I felt like they were dragging the rest of the sweater off my shoulder."  Her further explanations are the photo captions.

Old and new sleeve (new on top), a minor adjustment.

Unseemly seam.

Voila! A better seam!

Detail:  Brownie, Neuroknitter's invaluable assistant, steadies the garment as N finishes with mattress-stitch seaming.

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Susie B., of NYC, finished this gorgeous bobble-decorated sweater for a toddler.  It took her  a year to knit, but she started before the child could walk.

Deborah N. of Providence, RI, designed and finished a cowl "for a beloved niece, in a beloved yarn that is now, maddeningly, no more--Ecologie Wool from Nashua."

I knitted Superbunny, loosely based on this free pattern from Lion Brand Yarn, adding cape, insignia (with E, the initial of the person with whom he now lives), in Vanna's Choice Cotton Ease (the red sweater) and Classic Elite Bamboo (the rest).

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Zontee H. of Brooklyn, NY, crocheted this afghan for an ailing friend. What could be more comforting?

and last but not least is this witty sweater from upcoming Rhode Island designer, Casapinka:

You can find Casapinka's designs on her blog, through Ravelry, Etsy, or at Knit One Quilt Two in Barrington, RI.

***

Well, that's all that showed up in my Inbox on the post-Thanksgiving weekend. My gratitude to those who contributed, and I hope more of you send me images next year. Meanwhile I've been obsessively busy with finishing, socks, and Mr. Max, my new grandson, who arrived on December 3rd. 

Maxwell David, current and future recipient of many handknits.

Having just returned from an emotional introductory meeting in Los Angeles (he cried A LOT), I can assure you only l'amour d'une grande-mère could compel me to fly a 6,000 mile round trip and drive, aided solely by I-phone GPS, the harrowing freeways of that eternally strange city. On the way back, such are the inevitable, expected, and unprotested longueurs of air travel, that I began a top-down sock in the LA airport, and made it to an inch or so past the heel-turn before deplaning in Providence.  

Murray, his person, I, and another passenger shared the bulkhead seat. I chose this seat because I had to race to catch another flight when the plane landed in Baltimore, and I wanted to be up front. And I love dogs. Murray is a good guy, but the arrangement was actually quite cramped.

Plus, on this long flight (and I sat next to Murray, a Golden Doodle therapy pet, but that is another story...of the shaggy dog genre) I could knit only by holding my arms very close to my body or extended before me in a weirdly strained position. Is that knitting dedication or what? 

Alfie did not appreciate my interrupting his nap for a photo shoot of the LAX sock.

Till the next time, may your holiday celebrations be serene, peaceful, and knit-worthy.

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....

Songs (almost) without words, Part Two

By the time we'd crawled through the Peter Patchis warehouse o'yarns, it was time for lunch. Then--onward! We drove to Warren, about twelve miles outside of Providence, to our final destination, Bella Yarns.

Bella's organization of its yarns is simply clever:  machine washables on one side of the shop, hand-washables on the other.

What we bought, and where:

Fresh Purls:  Moi:  4 skeins of Berroco "Naturlin"; Neuroknitter:  1 skein of Jojoland Tonic in Nuclear Orange, 1 hank of Uniso sock yarn.

The Yarn Outlet:  Moi:  2 skeins of Aslan Trends "Santa Fe" (hand-dyed), 1 Hiyahiya #4 16" bamboo circular; Neuro:  1 hank of Fiesta Ballerina extremely fine lace weight, 2 skeins of Treasure Purlescent,  size 50 (!) needles.

Peter Patchis Yarns: moi:  0; Neuro:  3 lbs of 77% wool, 23% rayon fingering weight.

Bella Yarns: moi:  1 ball of Lang Yarns Jawoll Color Aktion; Neuro: 2 hanks of Araucania Ruca (100% sugar cane!), and a loom shuttle.

Put these emporia on your "worth the visit" list. Even if you don't find knitting yarn at Peter Patchis (I have found it there in the past), it's the kind of place where the inventory changes often, and its funkiness places it in the "interesting" category. And I am happy to report that all of the shops (save the Patchis warehouse) collect hand-knitted items for charitable donations to great organizations. Drop off  your Knit Something Day contributions (baby clothes only at Bella Yarns) whenever convenient!

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.

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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.

It's turkey time

Everywhere I look I see another one.

Outside....

Narragansett Turkey (a heritage breed) #1 of Coggeshall Farm, Bristol, Rhode Island

Naragansett Turkey #2 of Coggeshall Farm, Bristol, Rhode Island

inside...

Bell & Evans, purchased yesterday at Dave's Marketplace, East Greenwich RI

in trees.

Espied today roosting in a greenhoused calamondin tree.

The Knitting Goddess has oft remarked to me that she hates holidays, much preferring ordinary life. I am beginning to understand the wisdom of this view. Why do we futz around for these events, allowing ourselves to be buffeted by the Stürm und Drang of lengthy travel, artificially-induced interpersonal dynamics, gluttony, acid reflux, and the deep boredom of chitchat with people we don't know?

The yin-and-yang of Thanksgiving at my house this year:  everyone invited has canceled at the last minute. This is providential, as the dishwasher--an almost new Bosch--died last week. Thus, all is in balance. (File for future reference in case you're contemplating the purchase of this brand. It's the second Bosch that died within weeks of purchase. The first was replaced gratis by the merchant. Stay tuned for an update after the repair-guy arrives later today.)

We are left with too much food, most of which we'll freeze. Our Thanksgiving will be minimalist, just H & moi, the turkey-craving cats, and the always-ravenous Lola who will repeatedly proffer the paw, roll over, dance unbidden in circus-dog circles, and whimper pathetically while her people serenely enjoy their repast.

Gentle knitters, thank you for reading this blog so loyally. For that I'm truly grateful. I look forward to seeing your photos of what's on the needles on Friday (send them to me!), as we celebrate Knit Something Day (November 25). May your Thanksgiving meal be tasty, and may peace be with you and your yarn.