What you Want? Baby I've got it!

When in doubt for a title, always fall back on 'Retha.

Fyberduck and I are trying to come up with the rules of fair play for all you would-be Project Catwalk types. Bare with us , unknown to most of you, we usually just make stuff up as we go along. Below is what we came up with. Fyberduck, if you please...

Intended for nascent designers, Gratis Knits will be a platform to submit original and unpublished patterns (featuring yarns and products available for sale on the Knit Purl website), to be noted in our store newsletter and featured on our blog.

We're looking for all types of patterns: the sky is the limit. Patterns that are fashion-forward and seasonally appropriate will be given preference. Please look through previous Gratis Knits patterns to become familiar with our pattern formating and language.

Publication dates and deadlines:

January (Winter), deadline: January 1st
May (Spring), deadline: May 10th, 2009
July (Summer), deadline: June 15
October (Fall), deadline: September 15

The Terms:

• Only submissions received by the relevant deadline (listed above) will be considered. Please do not submit patterns more than one month before the deadline.
  
• All submissions must be sent to info (AT) knit-purl (DOT) com with "Gratis Knits: Submission" in the subject line.
  
• The pattern must be attached to the email in one of three formats: Word (.DOC), Rich Text Format (.RTF), or Adobe (.PDF). No other formats will be considered.
• Patterns may be for either knitting or crochet projects.
• We can only accept patterns that are original ideas and haven't been submitted/ published elsewhere.
• The designer will receive a confirmation email once the pattern is chosen and payment upon publication.
• In return we will award a $50 gift card to the featured designer for use on-line or in our brick and mortar store.
  

The pattern must include the following information to be considered:

• Multiple photos of the finished object are a bonus, however only one photo per submission is required, and each photo must be at least 72 dpi.
• Sizing must follow the sizing standards of the Craft Yarn Council of America.
• A list of supplemental materials (waste yarn, stitch markers, etc.) must be included in the pattern requirements.
• Needles/ hooks must be given in metric and US standards.
• Contact details -- please include:

- Your name as you wish it to be published
- an e-mail address where we can send questions or feedback
- the URL to your website or blog, if you wish us to link to you
- the name of any models featured in photographs you submit
- the photographer's name

We reserve the right to edit and change patterns and photographs to fit our needs. Please direct any questions to info (AT) knit-purl (DOT) com.

True Plies: A Cheap Thrill

True Plies: Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend

One of the lovely perks of being in the receiving office of a knitting store is receiving the yarns. Especially when we get new lines of yarn, like Manos del Urugauy's new Silk Blend, a sumptuous mix of Merino and silk. But, before I get ahead of myself, here're the specs:

Fiber: 70% Merino, 30% Silk
Yardage: 135 m / 150 y
Skein weight: 50 g / 1.75 oz
Yarn weight: DK weight
Recommended gauge: 2-2.4 sts/cm or 5-6 sts/inch
Recommended needle size: 3.5-4 mm / 4-6 (US)

Just like their Wool Clasica and Cotton Stria, the Merino Silk is kettle-dyed by hand to create deep, vibrant solids and variegates. Completely different from the Wool Clasica, the Merino Silk is soft enough to be used in baby garments. As much as I loved the Manos Wool Clasica to look at, knitting with it left something to be desired. For me, anyway. I know The Blogger has a deep and abiding love of Manos Clasica for felting and outwear garments.

Aside from the fact that the Merino Silk is softer than it's older siblings, it has the added benefit of being DK weight instead of worsted. While it comes in 50 g hanks and not 100g (like Clasica), they have the same yardage for nearly the same price. The only drawback I could see is that the Merino Silk is millspun, not handspun like one might expect, which is probably why it costs less than the Clasica.

Back to receiving the Silk Blend. This variegate, "Autumn", immediately caught my eye. So, as soon as it was received, i.e. in the system and ready for sale, I grabbed a hank and CO for a hat. With 150 yards to 50g and a cold head, the project choice seemed obvious.

On US 5's, with 5.5 sts & 8 rows/ inch, I CO 120 sts for my 23" head (remember to always subtract 10% for negative ease!). Enjoying the process of just knitting with the yarn, I worked the hat in stockinette for several inches. The yarn made a soft, well-draping fabric. It was hard not to stop and admire the color-changes in the yarn every row or so, I must admit. Eventually, though, I had to start the crown decreases, which The Blogger cunningly took an aerial-view photo of.

My first worry was that the yarn might pool unattractively once the number of sts changed. Thankfully, the way the yarn is dyed seems to prevent this. As you can see, the yarn didn't stripe either (another problem I find with some hand-painted yarns). In the end, I finished with some yarn to spare. Not much, but enough to prevent panic.

Of course, the first thing I did was put it on my head. Then I wove in the ends and examined the FO more closely:

After an experimental "sqoosh" or two, I put it back on my head. What can I say? I like my hat.

I also really like the yarn. It was a pleasure to knit with, and I definitely want to use it again in the future. Aside from hats, it would be great for baby clothes, mitt(en)s and scarves. In the pattern book that came with the yarn, Primera, there are also several gorgeous adult sweaters I might be tempted to try.

This just might be my new favorite yarn for next winter.

Next week: how do you knit a pineapple?

Sock it to us!

Our Monday night sock knitters group needs a better name than "the Monday night sock knitters", so (for the past few days) we've been taking suggestions. Here's the poll to cast your vote (new suggestions are welcome, as well). And comment on the ravelry thread for a chance to win a skein of yarn!

Meaning

Pick a name, any name...

Rockum Sockum Club Sock In Mouth Socks-a-million! Sock it to Me The Soxy Knitters Club What the Sock?! Socks Appeal No Mean Feet Socks Stars Monday Night Sock Knitter's Club Other: View Results

No Grass Greener

I often hear people fantasize about working in their local yarn store (LYS). On the outside it does seem idyllic, full of warm squishy fiber, and color rich days of endless knitting. However many may not realize the awful truth: the last person who gets to knit is a person who works in the LYS.

First of all people need help with pattern instructions, or where exactly they went wrong on that lace scarf. There are sales filled chocker-bock full of customers who not unlike a evangelized band of conquistadors, plunder through bins of yarn on the quest for the everlasting fountain of fiber. There are also trade shows and fiber festivals. Recognizably, it's difficult to fully understand the world of LYS employee. So, walk through the rayon chenille curtains, and jump into the land of yarn...(cue music and special effects ala Disney)

Picture it: you are your LYS's blogger on your way to a fantasy land. Fearless leader made the last minute technical decision to send you to help set up the booth and sell yarn at the Madrona Fiber Arts Festival. Because of the annual sale at the shop you were crushed to think you would miss one of the best fiber arts festivals of the year. However, even though it's only for a day, and regrettably, you will head home before you can fully explore and embrace all the fiber love, you are hurriedly banging away on your computer in order to send out the monthly newsletter.
You hate, hate, hate doing the monthly newsletter. Hate it with the fevered passion of a power-hungry monarch desperate for an annulment from the Pope. Unknown to you at this time, the computer decided to send out the January newsletter again with the February newsletter, very slowly. So slowly it finally reaches all of its recipients four days later. Later you will foresee several dozen emails in your inbox lambasting everything from your technical ability (you suspect they have a point there) to your mother's choice in contraception (you take offense at that). However at at this point, you worry and fret and type and cuss and finally at half past five the next morning you send out the creature and go home to sleep for two hours before you hop in the van to the festival.

Now you are in the van, excited and unable to sleep due to overcaffeination for the newsletter deadline, so you work on your Secret Gay Husband's never ending socks (they were for his birthday last year and you feel a bit guilty for having his knits so long in time out). All the while, you curse yourself for paying bills on time because now you have no spare money for stash enhancement. You secretly wish your landlord would get over this being paid rent every month phase, or learn to accept lovely woolens in lieu of cash.
The gang arrives in the late afternoon at the hotel and after unloading a store's worth of yarn, you unpack boxes and begin to hang yarn for the show. You hang yarn till you are tired and hungry. The scaffolding starts to buckle under the weight of the yarn. You hang yarn till you are grumpy, so then you hang yarn till you go to the crazy place. The scaffolding needs rearranging and more zip-ties so you can hang more yarn. You hang yarn until the staff kicks your group out that night and then, shaking from low blood sugar and heavy lifting you wandered off to your hotels. Because your departure was last minute, your motel is about 20 minutes deep into the nether regions of the 'burbs and it takes some time to check in because somehow Fearless Leader's Husband and co-owner "The Man" lost the company credit card and now you and he have to scramble to pay for the room. The card turns up next day with a hangover. You don't ask it any questions.
Eventually, that night you get into your room where you jump into 'jammas and crawl into bed...
You lay there for a bit because you are still twitchy from the adrenaline rush produced to keep you upright. Then you remembered you wanted to check the status of the newsletter because although you received the test copy, the real version hadn't arrived yet. So, you bang away on the laptop for a bit trying to discover the problem much like a chicken using a calculator: too much energy with very little accomplished. You are so tired the headache you've nursed all day spreads beyond the boundaries of your skull and your hair starts aching. You give up trying to get anything accomplished on the newsletter because the sound of the space bar being pressed sends shooting pains from your head to all points of your body. Sadly however, you still can't sleep, so you decide to eat some dinner thinking maybe a full stomach might help you doze off.
You get dressed again and give a teary farewell to your precious 'jammas, promising them you will soon be reunited. Dressed, you half walk, half stagger to the diner by the hotel while developing a strategy for surviving in prison just in case you are   arrested for public intoxication.
The diner food is excellent but you realize it tasted too good. It was of the level of tasty that worries you at the end of the meal about salmonella, chemically enhanced tasty-goodness, genetically modified mystery food, and the years of life lost from hidden calories. It is a worry so profound you place a "just in case" wastebasket by the bed and lie awake thinking about how your chemically polluted, genetically altered remains won't fit into any of your clothing at your premature funeral. Next, you find the digital clock's sinister red glow taunts you because you were unable to get the alarm to work properly. At two in the morning you think again about your meager technical ability to work simple tools. At three-thirty you beg the motel desk clerk to call you before her shift ends because the alarm clock doesn't work. After explaining vehemently how they do not have a wake up call service, she grudgingly agrees to call you back at six-thirty. You finally sleep...

Phone call. Much sleepiness. No comprehension. Did you ask for someone to call you? Where are you? Ah, yes: Tacoma, yarn, motel. Need cab to get from motel to yarn. Need clothing to get inside cab. Need shower to get clothing. Need caffeine to get shower.

Make tea.
Call cab.
Wash body.
Put on clothing.
Drink tea.
Pack bag.
Fight with the Beast.
Give mirror a double-take.
Readjust clothing so it is right side out.
Sit and wait for cab.
Fall asleep.

Phone call. Much sleepiness. No comprehension. Did you ask for someone to call you? Where are you? Ah, yes: Tacoma, yarn, motel. Need cab to get from motel to yarn, but cab no come.

Make more tea.
Call another cab.
Suckle lovingly from the caffeinated teat of English breakfast.
Panic because the show is opening now and you are still in the motel deep in the nether regions of a foreign suburbia...

Now you are conscience and not just awake. You are in the cab on the way to Madrona. The cabbie is cranky but the tea is working its mojo and you are elated to meet everyone and see all the cool booths.

Everyone at the show is incredibly nice. The yarn is lovely and the hotel has provided coffee for all. You love the genius behind the free coffee and contemplate marrying into their family so your future imaginary children will be graced with their genes.
Ruth Sorenson walks over to the booth because she is wondering who has knit her Autumn cardigan. She is much nicer than you imagined. You chat with her and try not to act like a dork. You mention your great-grandparents were Danes as well. You wonder why you mentioned it because it makes it seem like you were asking if she knew them or like you wanted some sort of Danish stamp of approval. You realize you are acting like a dork, drink more coffee to keep from talking, and let Ruth impart her knowledge to you. Ruth graciously answers your questions and you begin to fantasize she is your next door neighbor who comes over from time to time and talks about yarn, and that stunning knitted skirt she created as you drink Pickwick tea and snack on stroopwafels. You think about the classes she is coming to teach at your LYS. You then realize you are staring off into space, glassy-eyed, and it looks like you aren't listening to the benevolent all-knowing Ruth Sorenson. It doesn't matter, because she has to leave to look around the market before heading back to class. You hope she doesn't hate you.

You meet customers that came from Seattle area for their yearly yarn crawl. People recognize you as The Blogger because of the Beast. The Beast is behaving itself and is making everyone think you are mad for complaining about it. The Beast knows how to lie well. You meet Nancy Walsh:
You regret drinking so much caffeine because you can't take a proper picture. You fantasize about living next door to Nancy Walsh so you can hang out together with knitting and computers, talking geek, and drinking tequila shots. You could knit special costumes for each other complete with knitted capes and pocket protectors, solving knitting computer related problems across the land.

A bit later as you help customers you spot The Yarn Harlot out of the corner of your eye. You devise a plan to "Kinnear" her with your cell phone camera. This is your first attempt:










And this, your second.

You bitterly regret that last cup of coffee. You sidle a bit closer and snap this photo:




The Beast is pointing and laughing at you from behind your head. You vow to take a straight iron to it as soon as you get home. You snap another shot...






...of your scarf. You snap more pictures and curse as the stench of a desperate blogger fills the air. It is overpowering the wool fumes and you are afraid the fiber lovers are going to notice. Finally you get one very small photo:

It's not much and you decide that there needs to be a school for wayward bloggers, with an emphasis on Kinnearing 101, punctuation, descriptive storytelling, and spelling.

The Harlot walks by...

Panic! What to do? Do you talk to her or should you play Canadian and pretend like it's no big deal? You remember that you are American and that your countrymen have an infamous reputation for snapping photos during auto collisions, talking louder and slower to those who speak other languages, and accosting celebrities at every turn. Somehow you convince yourself to ask her how to Kinnear. You hope you don't stutter. You take a deep breath and say:

"Excuse me Ms. Pearl-MahMah McPhee, will you show me how to Kinnear properly?"

Lady Harlot is gracious and kind. She shows you her Kinnearing techniques and ignores the stuttering. She allows you to take a photo of her. You chat about upcoming "episodes" with the mounting Kauni yarn fumes taking over good judgment. You are infinitely grateful, awed by her demeanor, and you begin to fantasize about her hanging out with you. You imagine her as one of your peeps, chillin' at a party with some Black Rabbit Porter on a hot summer day while she gives you tips on lace knitting and the Secret Gay Husband grills Portabello Burgers for your dinner that evening. Once again you realize you are staring off into space, dumb smile plastered on your mug, and now it looks like you aren't paying attention to the ever-cool Yarn Harlot. She leaves for classes and you find you haven't been breathing properly during the whole interaction and now the extra oxygen rushing to your head is making you woozy. You hope she doesn't hate you.

The only thing to do is sit down, put your head between your knees and thank your lucky stars things worked out the way they did. No matter what trials you undertake, you realize there is no grass greener than yours at this moment. You are so grateful for every lost moment of sleep and every hurdle you had to make because it makes moments like these taste even sweeter than they already are.

Thank you everyone for such a great time in Madrona!

We're having a President's Day SALE

Yes. You read that magic word, "sale". Yarn. On sale. MMM... wool.

We’ll be having a President’s Day Sale at Knit Purl all weekend (and Monday) to celebrate, uh, Washington’s and Jefferson’s birthdays and yarn and stuff. But, for Sip’n’Stitchers, we’re letting you have the first shot at everything tonight (the register WILL BE closed at 8:30 pm, just FYI).

Anyway. Here’s what’ll be on sale and by how much:

Lorna’s Laces

• Lion & Lamb 20% OFF
• Grace 20% OFF
• Shepherd Sport 20% OFF
• Revelation 20% OFF

ALL YARNS by:

• RYC 20% OFF
• Classic Elite Yarns 25% OFF
• Llomi Alpaca 40% OFF
• Loom ‘n Essence 40% OFF
• Daikeito 25% OFF

Display yarns - 40% OFF

Dyelot Loners - 25% OFF

Knit Purl

• Knit Purl/ Henry’s Attic Yarns 25% OFF
• Rappu 30% OFF

Hillesvag Yarns - Hifa 3 30% OFF

Alchemy - Lux 20% OFF

Brave Brown Bags 40% OFF

Manos of Uruguay - Solids 10% OFF

Habu Textiles

• Poly Moire 25% OFF
• Poco Wool 25% OFF

Rowan

• Tapestry 25% OFF
• Big Wool 25% OFF
• Biggy Print 25% OFF

Jo Sharp

• Classic DK 40% OFF
• Rare Comfort 40% OFF

Fleece Artist - Strati 15% OFF

Muench

• Aspen 40% OFF
• Esprit 40% OFF
• Soft Kid 30% OFF

Debbie Bliss

• Cathay 25% OFF
• Astrakan 25% OFF
• Super Chunky 25% OFF
• Chunky 25% OFF
• Cotton Cashmere 25% OFF

Louisa Harding - Grace 25% OFF

Laines du Nord - Cleo 30% OFF

We hope to see you here!

P.S. The next True Plies is on it's way. 3 words: Manos, silk, blend. Yum!

True Plies: A Taste of Ye Olde Country

True Plies: Jamieson's of Shetland 'Spindrift'

Jamiesons of Shetland has been producing Shetland wool yarns for over a hundred years. Mostly known for their Jamiesons' Shetland Books, I have to admit I never considered using the yarn for anything but Fair Isle or cable work. On a lark, I decided to try out their Spindrift yarn, one of the more popular Jamiesons lines. I wish I had been fast enough to finish the project I started with it, but at least it's halfway done.

Realizing I needed another pair of mitts, I bought two balls of the yarn in the color "Mulberry" (at $5.00 for 115 yds/ 105 m, it wins the economics award) and CO the first of another pair of Campanula Mitts. While it is intended to be worked at 7.5 sts/ inch on US 3 needles when knitting Fair Isle or cables, I decided it'd look grand in lace work on US 5's. Turns out I wasn't wrong (for once):

The yarn is crisp (gives good-to-great stitch definition) and has a nice loft (it's well-plied and airy). Since I've mostly spun my own Shetland wool before this experiment, it was interesting to start with the yarn already made. A lot easier, too.

One thing I did miss was the fact that when spinning from fleeces you can pick out the finer wool (from the Shetland Sheep's neck) and use it separately for lace and baby garments. This yarn was probably a mix of the entire sheep's fleece, and thus an average of the different parts of the coat.

Still, it was rather soft for an unblended rustic sheep and quite pleasant to knit with. All in all I really liked working with it - the plies didn't split, it didn't break or crackle at all, and it's also colorfast (notice the pink stains on my Brittany's? Those came from something that wasn't colorfast).

Last night I finished the first of my Campanula Mitts, wove in the ends (this yarn is nice and "sticky", so I think the ends won't pop out), and blocked it with a steam iron. It went from being kinky and scaly (we all know how awful unblocked lace looks) to something I would proudly wear in public:

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of the first mitt, but I'm sure the idea is expressed. The yarn blocked beautifully. That there next to the mitt and yarn is the second mitt (not a Brillo Pad) that I cast on this morning. At the rate I've been knitting on this (and every other project I have OTN), I might actually finish them before the end of the month.

My review, in the end? I like this yarn. And while I wouldn't recommend it for baby garments, it would be fantastic for outerwear and, you guessed it, socks (it's not super wash, but that's beside the point). I'm definitely going to keep it in mind for future projects. Maybe one day I shall even attempt Autumn Rose.

... or maybe not.

Next week? Oh, the choices! What shall I review?

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Today's post is of an amazing tale. An account of desperation, betrayal, and the fragility of life. Please heed my words and spread them to all in every corner of the planet.

However, in yesterdays post I promised to explain to those who wanted to know about the upcoming fiber arts festival in Madrona. So, I'll begin with a bit of news about the show then launch into my story.

What exactly is Madrona?

Madrona = lots of fiber packed fun.

From February 14th through the17th at the Hotel Murano (formerly the Sheraton), in Tacoma Washington, thousands of fiber-hungry knitters will gather to buy and sell yarn and learn new knitting techniques from the biggest names in knitting/crocheting/spinning/hand dyeing in an annual fiber arts festival.

Wanna take a class? The big names teaching classes include: Nancy Bush, Judith MacKenzie McCuin, Lucy Neatby, Evelyn Clark, Paula Schull, Ruth Sorenson, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (also known as Fiber-ho' to her friends), Blah Blah-blah, and Yadda Yadda-yadda. Too late to register though because all the classes are full. (What? You think no one else wants to take classes from cool teachers?)

There will be a mash of vendors proffering their wares and Knit Purl is one of them. We'll have Kauni (fifteen colors!), Hanne Kits, and all sorts of goodies.

If you need some more fiber in your diet, uh... stash, I recommend that you go.

Now for my story. Last night, while studying with friends at one of my favorite watering holes, the most mind-blowing thing happened...

Just as a butterfly struggles to free itself from a chrysalis, I witnessed a transformation of epic proportions. The procedure was brutal and not one for the faint of heart.

My companions' astonishment matched my own as they too stood dumbfounded at the end of it all. Frankly, I'm still shaking from the adrenaline rush. Excuse me for a moment. I feel I might need to lay quietly in a dark room for a few minutes until I regain my composure.

---------

Prepare yourself for shocking news. This is your last chance to turn back and I encourage you to do so because your life as you know it will change with this knowledge. Last night at approximately 9pm Pacific standard time, Knathan, a honest and diligent assisant to new knitter Jen (not seen at left), attempted to end it all.










I know, I know. I'm struggling right now as I type these words. How could Knathan do such a thing? Shock had poor Jen reeling and all anyone could say to her at the end of it was "It'll all work out", "We'll help you through this ordeal", and "Stay strong". Pitiful words of support considering the ramifications of Knathan's terrifying actions. We understand now that Knathan, a Crystal Palace US size 10 needle, unhappy with its role in the knitting world, decided to end life by plunging tip first into a candle flame rather than to face another stitch. As you can see on the left, I managed to get in a few grainy shots with my camera phone. The first shot shows the candle and the second was taken moments after the "episode". The bottom photo is of the note Knathan left behind for Jen. It says: "Now I'm a pencil". Doesn't it just break your heart?

If we had only known of the pain, we could have offered words of advice or encouragement. Someone would have beamed light in the darkness along the path to professional help. Jen was in the middle of a Peruvian Tweed scarf in checkerboard stitch when it happened. So startling was the event, at one point I found myself pointing and screaming "No! NOOOOO! DON"T DOOOO ITTTT!!!!" as I watched Knathan dive with four and a half feet of scarf trailing behind. I'm seriously going to double down on my anti-anxiety meds today.

Amazingly, Jen had the wherewithal to pull Knathan back from the fire but Knathan will forever show the scars of the episode. For those of you worried about the knitting, no injuries were sustained and the yarn ball, 117, wants everyone to know of its gratitude. I saw Jen and 117 this morning and in simple eloquent words the Peruvian tearfully stated, "I thank my lucky stitches for those who aided in my escape from certain doom. I will forever be in their debt. They are my guardian angels."

Don't worry I sobbed as well. Let us all take a few moments to think about the fragility of life while those of us with more tender souls compose themselves in their happy places.

-----

The world is a cruel place to those who seem different, to those who just don't fit into society's idea of "beauty". We learned Knathan has always felt like a pencil trapped in a knitting needle's body and wanted to undergo reassignment surgery but couldn't face peers and didn't know how to break the news to Jen. Confused and alone, drastic measures seemed like the only recourse.

I'm happy to announce Knathan, now Paul Pencil, is doing well and with one more surgery to insert lead, will lead a full and happy life full of lists, letters, and doodles, and maybe one day even drawings. We have all learned from this experience and we are dedicated to promote a more positive support network. I encourage everyone to extend a loving attitude full of acceptance to crochet hooks and knitting needles no matter if they are straight or circular. Finally, to those struggling to find their place in society, I say:

You are so beautiful.

Edited to add: Dame Catherine of the H.I.P.P.Y's has pointed out it was she who braved the fire and rescued Knathan, er Peter, from danger. Dame Catherine risked her life and we should all laud Dame Catherine for her quick thinking and cat like reflexes. So yell it like you mean it boys and girls:

All hail Dame Catherine! Hail! Hail! Hail! We love you even though you have a serious God complex! Hail!

There is Nothin' Like a Dane

Ninja, my officemate keeps running his mouth in a pseudo Schwarzenegger imitation, saying "Fana Hulk-enburg! Fana Hulk-enburg!".

Some may notice his error. (Hanne Falkenberg is Danish while Schwarzenegger is Austrian.) Still it's mildly amusing because he looks more Hanne than Arnold. We love him nevertheless.

The arrival of Hanne Falkenberg trunk show garments precipitated this behavior and I can't fault him because the store is in an uproar. Lookie here:













As you can see from the various blurred images with torsos seemingly devoid of appendages, the co-workers are excited. They have reason to be excited because Hanne's designs are hot. Not the uncomfortable kinda hot but rather the cool kinda hot. She has designs that use color combinations only savants could dream up. Coffee, black, and cyclamen? Who knew. I really find this photo amusing as well:

















It reminds me of a troop of lions around the kill on the Serengeti. One of the wiser lions is surveying the scene for scavengers like hyena. The others are making quick business of the kill with fangs and claws. Here's another shot of the lookout lion in a stunning number:
Don't you just love that jacket? It looks great on her. Number One's convinced she can't wear Promenade without it wearing her. She's decided she'll knit Dacapo instead which is still a great choice. Hanne has quite a few choices for all body types and they are in size Dane versus size Japanese. The construction is stellar with short-rows worked in only one color for visual interest. Hanne also has refill service on her designs so if you knit one color you can buy just the yarn in another color combination for a bit less. If you can't come in and try them on in person, I suggest you check them out on her site.


















With all of this news of Hanne, I should also mention Ruth Sorenson who is scheduled to teach classes here right after Madrona. (If you don't know what the word Madrona means, stay tuned for a post on the subject) There are only a few spots left in her class (one of which will be filled by the Blogger). I can only decipher a few words of Danish but she does include some English translations on her blog posts and some super-fly pictures.




One of the classes entails working on a bag for fulling. As you can see it's quite cute and Ruth, like Hanne, is also a master on construction. There is nothin' like a Dane for well constructed cute knitwear. I'm really pleased she's teaching here too because the server for online sign up for Madrona crashed (my personal nomination for fiasco of the year) and that denied some knitters a spot in her classes up north. The Harlot was right to point out how everyone (even knitters) underestimate the all-powerful knitter and their numbers. I as a knitter and geek (albeit a mediocre geek with only stick-to-itiveness and few skills unlike the Super Killer Coding Ninja Monkeys of Doom like K-Dawg and my roommate Speedy*) I frequently find myself believing something on the website is broken because everyone is buying periwinkle Sea Silk (Montego Bay scarf) and Kauni EQ (Kauini Cardigan).














Yeah the code is broken. People can't actually be buying yarn for a project. I'm simple sometimes.





*Our lawyers have asked us to distance ourselves from Speedy's blog by mentioning that we take no responsibility for her indifference, neigh complete disregard for political correctness, her alternative lifestyle, and/or her political affiliations. She's an enigma and we like her that way.

Another Noro sock

That manages to make mine look rather simple and plain (but that's okay):

My socks are happy with their simplicity, I'm sure. Shown above is Sarah, one of our Sock Knitters Night regulars, showing off her latest finished sock - knit with Noro Kureyon Sock S185. She plugged in a very pretty stitch pattern, courtesy of Barbara Walker, and tried out one of Cat Bordhi's mind-blowing heels and toes from New Pathways for Sock Knitters.

Seriously, if you want to challenge yourself and destroy any preconceptions you had about sock knitting, check out this book. Ms Bordhi must be some sort of super genius, or something.

What were the rest of us knitting? you ask. We-ell, I'm afraid we were mostly the vanilla or ribbed sock knitters last night. Maybe I should bring in Pomatomus or Firestarter next time...

Sock Knitters meetup TONIGHT

I nearly forgot to post a reminder again*. Sock Knitters meetup tonight, 6 - 8 pm, at Knit Purl*. I think the discussion tonight will be about SSS and Cookie A's Monkey pattern :)

Feel free to drop in/ by and knit with us! Beginners welcome, as are more experienced sock knitters to spread the joy of socks.

*It's nearly too late now, too, but never mind that.

Rockin' in the USA!

This is Jeff Friedman.

Perhaps you can tell by his twinkling eyes or his provocative smile; he is a rock star. The kind of rock star that brings serious mojo to the knitting circle full of hellfire and smokin' attitude. Nothing scares him. Especially not a technique steeped in historical significance: double knitting.
As you can see, he knit a hat. An ear flap hat with stripes and textured patterning around the brim. That makes him a particularly bold rock star. The kind that doesn't mind getting dirty.












All that and he's new to the land of knitting. Anna Makarovna would be proud.

Here's to you Jeff; keep on Rockin' in the USA!