Knit and Plenty

Monotomy v monogamy

We all know the joy that comes from "hooking up" with a new project.  It may not be the stuff of schoolyard gossip - but I'm usual on the phone with my best buds sharing all the juicy details. There's certainly an air of excitement, anticipation, promise. I love getting the project all set-up with my bag and Yarn Minders and notes, a plastic sleeve for the pattern and all the markers, etc. that I'll need. And, of course, I MUST  work up the gauge on that very first day.

But some time after that - maybe a week into the project, I start to lose steam. I am discouraged by the long unknit road ahead. Another trip to the LYS could, and often, comes along and some new yarn might beckon. A picture on someone's blog of a great felted bag  makes me start to yearn for THAT project. My eye wanders to the latest knitting mag issue, sneaking a lusting peek at the summer shawl centerfold. Gosh, I can't stay faithful for a minute!

One thing that really helps keep me somewhat focused on the end-game, so to speak, is that I am involved in several knitting groups and I find such joy in watching the progress of other people's projects and certainly love to share the good and the bad of mine. The triumph of a finished piece is always hailed by all - and that seems to spur the rest of us onward. Having a blog to post FO pictures to is also a great motivator. I have been working pretty diligently on the shawl I am making out of...um...wait...um...excuse me...is that a new Cherry Tree Hill Boucle....???

Have a great weekend!

Are we masking the problem?

Ok - I have to admit that the whole Avian Flu threat is starting to freak me out. You can't pick up a newspaper without some glaring headline about how doctors in this country - or scientists from that University - are telling us that we are NOT prepared. Now granted, part of me thinks that some of the timing of these headlines is also intended to mask Bush's latest BIRD brain scheme to go to war with Iran - but I'm also thinking, "IS ANYBODY LISTENING????" I get these horrible images in my head of Vincent Price roaming the streets as the  last man on earth.

Well, here's a way that we knitters can save the world!  Why not start knitting up some attractive masks? They are bound to be all the rage for fashion influenza. Use a soft, breathable cotton. Perhaps a fair isle pattern. It could be the perfect application for all the acrylic in the world!

Now THAT'S stupid   clever!!!

WWW. Weird Web Wednesdays

One of my favorite things about blogging is sharing the interesting, fascinating, shocking and amazing things about knitting you can find on the web. Here's a great example: Hannah in Oxford, England, proclaims on her website, "I knit dead people." Here's a photo of a group she calls "Dawn of the Dead." Her blog tagline is "There's a fine line between stupid and clever." That's a line I wonder if I am crossing every time I write an entry. But I think Hannah is dead-on, and her stuff IS definitely clever. I bet she's be happy to knit you up a dead mother-in-law  - which is step up from  "crochet my..." well, you remember.

I'll never have an eight or a six pack, so I am settling on five!

I am so grateful for everyone's support of my new adventure, the Gettin Knit Together Kit. It will probably never be profitable, but I am sure having fun. People who bought the kit are already coming back for more individual Yarn Minders, so I put together a five pack. After all, you need one for every project. Some folks have set out to organize their whole stash!

The good news is that Yarn Minders can be transferred from project-to-project or skein-to-skein and they're durable enough to hold up for years.

They're all wrapped up and ready to go for $10.00 in an adorable pink gingham organza  bag.

Katzenbloggers

Here's a question:
What is it about cats and knitting blogs? Seems like there must be some strange connection between the two. I mean, I love my three guys (Jed, Dexter and Dewey) and I did introduce you to them back in March, but I'm not crazy about the whole "look at my cat with my half-knit socks" sort of thing. Am I missing a whole blog audience by not going in this direction? Am I just a sour puss because I've never knit a sock? Did I just lose half of the few reader I have?

But while I'm on this cat-o-tonic subject, I thought I'd share my "tuxedo cat kitsch" collection. Now, I am pretty good at finding stuff on the web, but try as I might, I could not find a picture or a pattern to knit up a tuxedo cat. I'm sure I'll think of something.

And if you should come upon any black and white cat stuff out there, give me a shout. Like skeins of Noro, I can never have enough.

The Rain Gauge

It rained all day Saturday and Sunday - something only a knitter could love. I wanted to start on my vest from the Rowan Summer Tweed book and I swear, I spent half of the day trying to figure out my gauge.  We all know that GAUGE is the invention of the devil - but once you start to spend considerable $$$ on yarn (who, me??) or unless you are only going to make scarves and purses (not a bad idea, mind you) - the devil is in the details - and the detail is in the gauge. So my Monday Knitter's Poll is all about gauge. Do you go the whole 4 inch by 4 inch routine, hoping to save those little squares to make a quilt for Fluffy? Are you more like Noah - taking the "two by two" approach? Perhaps you're like me - and feel quite vindicated just for actually making a swatch that I usually cast on 20 stitches and knit three rows - only to discover that for some unknown reason no matter what needle I start with -  or switch up to - or size down to - it's always the same GODDAMN 3.5 stitches to the inch???? So, here's the gauge-old question: what size do you really make your swatch? And please - if you also wash it and block it, you might be reading the wrong blog. ;-)

Purlfomercial

I am about to rock your world and you don't even know it yet.

Meet the Jiffy Steamer. It has changed my life. First, to "stick to the knitting", I use it for blocking my finished work. You just lay your garment pieces on a towel on a table, hit it with the steamer and you can get edges to lie flat in a jiffy. Now, if you are the type who completely soaks a garment and pins it to a board, etc. this might not be for you. But for the rest of us, you'll be amazed at the results.

But well beyond that usage, a steamer can almost totally rid your life of ironing! Anything that you can hand wash, you can steam.

Silk blouse with ruffles: steam 'em. 
T-shirts that get wrinked sitting in the drawer: steam 'em.
Something you've worn once, but needs a lift: steam it.
Jeans that get hung dry and stiff: steam 'em and they're soft and ready to go.
Silk scarves, shawls: steam 'em, steam 'em. 
Slips, silk teddies that get worn twice a year, nightgowns: steam 'em, steam 'em, steam 'em.
Table cloths, napkins, pillowcases, curtains, unworn pashminas since 2002: say it with me now: STEAM 'EM.

I keep mine right in my closet and it heats up in less than 2 minutes.
I bought the $189.00 one at jiffysteamer.com. Right now they are doing a fundraiser for breast cancer, with 10% going to the cause. You also have to pay for shipping - but I am telling you, if you hate to iron, you won't be sorry.

So, that's all from PSN (Purl Shopping Network) - Now let's take some callers:
Christine from Chicago - you are on the air!

Props for the Crops

I can hardly believe it but I finished my cropped cardigan! It's been so long since I made anything besides an accessory that I wasn't sure I could do it, let alone wear it. But I did it!

I showed you the yarn back in March (March 23).  It's Blue Sky Cotton and it was glorious to work with. The pattern is from Vogue's little KNIT.1 mag.  I wore it today to the Knitting Niche in Greenwich (so that the yarn could visit its roots and to show the shop owner my Gettin' Knit Kit) and Meryl came up with the idea to add a pink silk ribbon. It just made the whole thing POP. And, since I was feeling so good about my accomplishment, and being in a yarn store and all, I picked up another batch of cotton to make a second one. After all, when it comes to knitting, too much of a good thing is...A GOOD THING.

Quick! Call Yarn-1-1

I had a knitting crisis today. You know how it goes: On my way to an appointment where I was going to be sitting for a few hours, I suddenly realized I HAD NO KNITTING WITH ME!!! I can't even described the emotions - although if you are reading this blog, I bet you absolutely can relate. I hate to admit it, but it really felt like sadness. Maybe even panic.

Luckily, not too far out of the way was a yarn shop, albeit the one I always swear I'll never enter again. But at this point, I would have bought yarn from Osama.

Knowing I was going to be late, I rushed in, pushing passed a clerk saying, "Can I help you.." I grabbed a skein of Filatura Portofino and a pair of size 7 Turbos, and shouted, "No, it's an emergency thing."

Then and there, I vowed never to be stranded (or should I say unstranded) again. At least not if I am in my car. That must be what glove compartments, back seats and trunks are for. Perhaps someone (who, me?) should invent the emergency knitting jump kit. What about a service like Triple A that you can call to bring needles and yarn to you wherever you are? Where do I sign up? All I know is I am putting together my roadside knitting trauma kit - and I won't leave home again without it.

Heigh Ho Silver

Most knitters have an appreciation for all sorts of handcrafts - so I thought I'd take a knitting breather to show you a new craft I learned over weekend. I took a class at Beadworks on working with Precious Metal Clay (PMC). This is a silver pendant (with my initials) and a crown (for my goddess-ness) I made with PMC. It starts out like polymer clay that you can easily shape and imprint with stamps - and then you file it, fire it and polish it - and wow - how cool is that? I also made a bracelet - with small charms. I have to say that compared to knitting someone a scarf which can take a few days at best,

PMC could deliver a

high personal gift/value/time ratio that can't be beat.

Of course, just like with knitting, I am not sure I'll ever be able to give something away - but isn't it the thought that counts?

PMC is also a great way to add a bit of sparkle to a sweater with a custom silver decoration. How great would it be to put someone's initials on a button or scarf pin? Now that you know MY initials, feel free to experiment!