05.29.06
Posted in Knitting, Spinning, Subway at 12:49 pm by delipics
Knitting shows up in the funniest of ways . . .
Today I decided to take advantage of the Memorial Day Sale. Now I don’t know about you, but when I need to buy something I do not wander around - I go with a mission. I like to go in, find what I need, and get the heck out of there. I also go early to avoid the crowds. But for all my tactics to shop as hassle-free as possible, you cannot always avoid THE LINE.
On the 5th floor of the Macy’s Herald Square there were two check-out counters open with a line of women snaking out of the confines of the rope. I shuffled back and forth across the floor, trying to gauge which line may go faster. It was hopeless. Who was I kidding at a Memorial Day Sale? Eeny,meeny, miney mo and it was the line to my right.
I made my way to the end of the line, resigned to a long wait. Male companions stood patiently to the side as they waited for their respective partners. Other people muttered under their breath, “This is ridiculous!” or sighed dramatically. It was then the lightbulb appeared over my head, “I know, I will take out my knitting!”
As I went out the door this morning, I grabbed my sock that I started yesterday. I figured I could put in several rows on the subway, and so why not knit more rows while standing on line? I hooked the hangers of my purchases onto my bag and pulled out the double-pointeds with the Koigu on it. I happily knit while waiting and the line seemed to go much faster because of it. I also like to think I gave everyone else a welcome distraction. At least they had something different to watch. What is she doing? How can you knit with four pointy things?
Other fiber news this weekend:
- Continued spinning the alpaca/silk mix. I am learning not to fight the fiber. I originally was trying to spin it like a DK weight but it was not coming out the way I was hoping. I decided to listen to the fiber and I let it do what it wants. Now it looks more like a baby weight.
- Yes, finally started knitting my first sock! I kept reading the pattern and feeling intimidated. I would walk around the Koigu, giving it a wide berth. Finally got over my apprehensions (mostly irrational ones, such as,”What if I mess up the Koigu?”) and cast-on while watching Serenity on DVD.
- Fiber Geek Alert - while watching another DVD, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, I realized how fiber obsessed I am. Anytime the characters showed up wearing something knitted, I took a closer look. Lucy had on an adorable knit hat when she and her siblings were boarding the train and of course, Mr. Tumnus had on a knitted scarf. It’s an illness, I tell ya.
- Speaking of KIP - World Wide KIP Day is June 10th Thank you Juuli for alerting me! Anyone from Brooklyn or NYC going?
And why no pictures yet? Because my camera got left behind in the band’s car! I think it had a good time touring Texas, but now I have to wait for it to come home.
Permalink
Posted in NYC, Spinning at 11:34 am by delipics
I learned about this via the Knitty Blog:
SPIN ON SPIN IN SPIN OUT! (click to the link)
Saturday, June 24th, 11AM - 5PM
Location: Central Park, NYC at the Cherry Hill Fountain
I am so there!
Permalink
05.24.06
Posted in Knitting, NYC, Spinning, Yarn at 7:24 pm by delipics
I went to the Massive Knit NYC blog to check-out how it went yesterday, and who do I see, prominently displayed in an eye-catching yellow sweater? It’s the talented Caroline, my spinning teacher from The Yarn Tree! She is also quoted in today’s free NYC Metro newspaper.
In class today she walks in and I exclaim, “You’re a celebrity!”
I wish the photo showed clearly what she spun for the event - yarn with chunks with grass. Is she an amazing textile artist or what? Plus, she is a great teacher - very patient with us as we try to figure-out spinning.
Tonight I learned how to use the niddy-noddy to wrap up my very first skein of hand-spun yarn and how to set the twist with steam heat. I was able to see on a classmate’s skein how the fibers “dance” as the twist is set by the heat. I was incredibly happy when the yarn was set and twisted in an offical-looking skein. I know it sounds corny but I was bursting with pride. I could not believe I had actually done it. It looked like “real yarn” instead of this bumpy thing on my drop spindle.
Yes, I know - photos coming soon - *promise*.
Permalink
05.23.06
Posted in Knitting, NYC at 6:02 am by delipics
Saw this in the paper today –
A collective, connected, community of individuals honoring the late Jane Jacobs. We will gather in Washington Square Park on Tuesday, the 23rd of May starting at 5.30 p.m. under the Arch to memorialize her and her ideas. Using individual sensibilities, we plan to create an open structure in the park, connecting various elements of the park together. By the end of the evening we should have a string of material connecting the park together.
Permalink
05.22.06
Posted in Spinning at 8:02 pm by delipics
I had my first spinning related injury and a lesson learned very quickly –
If you lose a hold of the drop spindle during spinning, do not try to catch it in between your knees!
Oh my God, that really hurt!
The other thing I have noticed is my shoulder/neck area is sore from the grip / pull-up action of the fibers. You know what would be a good idea? A resident massage therapist at all yarn stores. Think about it - knitting is a physical activity that can take a toll on the body if one is not careful. I think it is perfect - buy a little yarn, get a hand massage, a shoulder massage and let’s throw in foot massages for good measure - what could be better?
I think I can convince a certain someone to give me a quick massage. I will tell him it’s going to a good cause - the-help-Delica-spin cause.
Permalink
05.19.06
Posted in Cleo, Photos, Spinning, Yarn at 7:19 pm by delipics
Yes! I am learning to spin! (Do you see Cleo lurking in the background? She has to be involved in everything.)
I started Spinning I class this week at The Yarn Tree, taught by the talented Caroline. After a brief discussion on the syllabus and looking at different examples of handspun skeins, we got started. Caroline passed out the drop-spindles, showed us how to tie on the lead yarn, and did her spinning demo. She makes it look soooo easy. And like with anything new, you have to just go for it and see what happens.
I am fascinated by spinning. One of my goals is to understand the yarn-making process from the sheep to the finished product so this is a big piece of it. I have been doing this for three days now and I am beginning to understand how to coordinate the speed of the spin and the whole pull or draw of the fiber as it spins into the yarn. (The best analogy I can give is this is like learning to rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time.) At first, I might have three seconds of getting that spin / pull combo right and then bam - big ol’ slub of yarn! I am at the stage now where I may have several inches of a consistently spun, yarn weight and then all of a sudden it is too thin or too thick. Plus I am trying to figure out how much of a handful of roving should I pull out to spin. I am very aware of my sense of touch with this process - what just feels right. This is difficult to explain - it’s not like I can say, add one teaspoon of fleece, spin until mixed. There is a kinetic and touch experience that magically happens and voila, a strand of yarn is spun!
After class finished, I did a *little shopping* because The Yarn Tree is having a 20% off sale for the month of May (you still have time to buy - in person, online or on the phone). I asked Linda to set me up so I can learn how to knit socks so she directed me to the Koigu shelf while she went looking for a pattern.
Now, I have looked longingly at Koigu for some time now, thinking, “Oh, Koigu, I am not worthy of you!” I stood there, unable to select a color - I wanted them all! I tried to choose a color I do not usually go for and decided on this variegated KPPPM skein of creamy yellow scattered with blues and reds.
Then I discovered the 30% off basket . . . I told myself not to add more to my stash but come on, 30 percent off! I grabbed the last four skeins of the colorway, La Petite Fleur, Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio Handpainted Yarns by Lori Lawson (to the right in photo).
Aren’t these luscious?
I will not start the socks until I finish my spinning homework. I have to spin all that roving that you saw in the first photo — in the next five days - daunting!!!
Permalink
05.16.06
Posted in Cleo, Knitting, Photos, Scarf, Yarn at 8:56 am by delipics
Reporting from Sick Central, it is another gray, gloomy, rainy day here in Brooklyn. My stomach hurts from coughing so much - YUCK. How about coughing so much you don’t get any sleep? But enough about me . . .
The most important occupant of the house, Cleo, is beginning to wonder why I am hanging out with her all day and not giving her any alone-time to do her kitty tasks. One of these days I am going to secretly set up a video camera so I can see what she does when I am at work. Don’t all pet owners wonder the same thing?
Yesteray, I blocked the orange scarf, the one I started on the plane to L.A. Blocking really does wonders - any annoying quirks of the yarn all seems to fall into the right place. I am very happy how this came out, considering this was a “Let’s-just-see-what-happens” project. Also, I looove the color, orange.
Specs:
The yarn used is Imagine by Classic Elite Yarns, a cotton (53%) and rayon (47%) mix on size 10.5 US Clover bamboo needles. I like the texture of this yarn. The rayon gives it a slight shimmer effect. I could probably have made this scarf with one skein. I had some left-over yarn from another skein used for a previous project, so the scarf came out longer.
The stitch pattern is from Rebecca (March/April No. 12). I was originally going to make Blue Top #29. I started to do a gauge swatch and stopped there. Later, I looked at the stitch pattern, liked the open-work effect of it and decided it would make a great spring or summer scarf - light and airy.
I am off to swatch the next project - more stash diving!
Permalink
« Previous entries
