Another knitting publisher friend (curiously, there seems to be quite a few of knitting logophiles - I wonder why that should be??) brought my attention to these chaps at the Little Experience.
I like the Knit-it Sheep Kit the most. Shear a sheep, to knit a sheep...brilliant! It's got the whole chicken and egg feel about it..!
The bad news is that I have another cold - blimey. So, it's back to the hankies and Lemsip. This is quite ridiculous - roll on Christmas - this is my third month of various plague attacks.
The FABULOUS news is that I am getting a spinning wheel for Christmas from my lovely parents! I'm literally bobbing up and down with glee. For a rather clumsy, left-handed person with a propensity to RSI this could prove a disaster - but I remain ever optimistic.
Fiona's been helpful, as always, and helped me with all the initial considerations that I need to make and I've been browsing the complete set of beautiful Ashford wheels. Aren't they beautiful?
My mum, bless her, has been researching it too apparently (and she's about as interested in knitting/spinning as a biro) - and she likes the beautiful, traditional-looking Ashford 'Fairytale' wheel (right). I do too, but I need to think about other requirements too:
So, I think it's a choice between the easily-portable Ashford 'Joy' model with it's rucksac (right; also owned by Amy Singer of Knitty: so I can glean some tips from her) and the charming and lightweight Schacht Ladybug spinning wheel (top left; which has also just been purchased by Amy!). Both available from the Guildford stockist Fibrecrafts (but there is, somewhat predictably, a waiting list for the latter already!).
Chris' FAQ website on spinning wheels and her related Spindizzy site were helpful. I found some information on a shop called 'Spinning Weal' on the latter site. Spinning Weal is a new shop in Clevedon, Bristol - opened in May 2007 - that stocks Ashford wheels and look like they'll be able to help me. And, as a bonus, we'll be able to stop in the reportedly-wonderful Tyntesfield on the way!
I've been using this useful U.S. website too. And, if my eyes weren't big enough with excitement already - I've just realised there's a whole section of Knitty donated to spinning. Bounce, grin, bounce.
The following blurb is from the front of last week's Guardian's Shopping Directory:
'Identikit high streets packed with mighty brands and virtual shopping malls where all it takes is a mouse and a credit card to avoid the Christmas rushes and surly service - or indeed, any service at all.
The small shops, stocked and run with passion, commitment and specialist knowledge, are still there - but there numbers are dwindling and their squeaky voices are ever harder to hear amid the cacophony of the big-bucks corporate advertising...'
The directory aims to help, with concise listings organized alphabetically by region.
There are a few more I would have added: namely bookshops like 'Topping & Co.'; there are countless more independent gift shops in Bath than 'Hansel und Gretel' and 'Rossiters'; 'Country Threads', at least, in the Arts and Crafts section.
Tanis Taylor writes an very interesting article introducing the Arts and Crafts section: 'is craft a radical re-evaluation of women's skills or is it a slap in the face of feminism'? I've kept my head very much down over the 'Yarnstorm' media scandal earlier this year (sparked by this appalling article in the Telegraph: look at the number of comments to see some fine British outrage. Liz Hunt can now be added to the list of authors that make me froth (but Rosie Millard will always be top: for 2 counts)).
I watched the whole Brocketgate thing develop with increasing feelings of both mild despair and bemusement. I'm with Taylor very much on this: I don't see the increasing number of crafting, domesticated women will lead to the demise of the independent, strong woman. The key argument here is surely that we have the choice - crafting of any sort is not a necessity for British women anymore. We are not forced to sit quietly doing needlework - forgoing education and a career. Yes, Yarnstorm's life does seem idyllic and delightfully simple - but we all know that this cannot be her true life - her blog is simply her portrayal of her private life to the public: to give us all a little gloss, peace and beauty in a sometimes hectic and grey world.
The main accusation leveled at Yarnstorm by Liz is that she incites guilt amongst her readers. Really? I can't imagine any women feel that their crafting lives are pressured upon them; that it is some kind of competition or carry shame about the jumper that took 14 years to complete. Of course, there must be times when we all look at someone else's work and wish we had the time/inspiration/money to make such wonders - wee pangs of envy, perhaps, but surely never obligation? What do other people think?
Here's a sneak preview of Taylor's mentioned upcoming U.S. documentary 'Handmade Nation' (I wonder if it will come to the UK? Or if there will be a simlar UK-based programme?):
I know it's a bit Scroogy - but I've always found the idea of pulling up and killing a lovely tree in order to stick it inside in a tinselly pot for a fortnight a bit sad. Especially when I read that the average age of a Christmas tree is between 6-10 years old. Their production is resource and energy intensive, and they take ages to degrade in landfill.
Here are some tree-thoughts from the FOE:
- Buy a real tree with roots that you can re-plant for next year, ideally from a UK grower - see the British Christmas Tree Grower's Association for details;
- If you buy a cut one, check your local council can recycle it afterwards; and
- If you already have an artificial tree, get the most out of it, as it's best to avoid buying a new one.
I always beetle north for Christmas so I don't bother (and we never have a tree at home)...but if I did spend Christmas at mine I would have one of these (left) with some Christmas pot pourri for the festive bouquet...
I'm not in a good place with the ole string and sticks, to be honest (hence the lack of recent posts). Everywhere I look there are half-finished projects: pesky single, lonely socks, scarves without their edging, felted fabric pleading to be cut and sewn...you get the picture. And I go back up north to the Homeland in TEN days. I'm all a dither. And suffering from sock-fever...like Fiona (but she's just finished whereas I have a gazillion to go).
Yikes.
Anyway, I've managed to finish some things! My lovely friend Claire has left the fossil molluscs aside for now to have a little human and I knitted up a wee baby hat for her. The pattern was knitted flat and taken from the 'Vogue Knitting Beginner Basics' book (the BEST beginners' book I've found - taught myself to knit from it). With a cheery pom-pom added.
I'm currently battling with the beautifully tantalizing but infuriatingly incorrectly written Miss Potter/Beatrix mittens (Yarn Forward, Autumn 2007, left pic). Every blogger I've found who mentions this problem just says that they scratched their heads for a bit and then worked it out, rather than giving the solution, but I don't even have time to scratch my head!! AND the Yarn Forward errata links on their website don't work... :0(
Birdwoman from Ravelry (thanks Ravelry!!!) did help me out but she advises to knit even rows to the pattern but it didn't work when I did that. I don't even have time to think about why. Knit first, think later (?!).
I'll expand on this later - but for any hair-torn-out peeps in a similar emergency situation here's what you need to do...
Helen helped me work out the first confounding bit = for DD, slip the next two stitches knitwise TOGETHER, K1, pass these slipped stitches TOGETHER over the knit stitch. In my first attempt I slipped them individually (instructions are a bit ambiguous) and ended up with a messy line of stitches rather than the neat, tidy line you need...THANKS HELEN (aka, my helpful knitting elf)!!
For the rest:
Knit as pattern until thumb gusset.
R1 TG: K26, m1b, K2, m1b, K11
All even rows: K1, yo, k4, DD, K4, yo, K2, yo, K4, DD, k4, yo, K*, yo, K4, DD, K4, yo, K1 (where * is the remaining stitches, increasing by 2 every even row)
All odd rows: K26, m1b, K*, m1b, K13 (where * is the remaining stitches, increasing by 2 every odd row)
I think row 21 onwards is fine - but I'm not there yet...
And the worst bit - once I've done this mitten I'VE GOT TO DO THE OTHER ONE! Sob.
POSTSCRIPT: I've passed row 21 now - Round 1 of 'end of thumb gusset' should read:
K26, slip 1 stitch, transfer 19 onto waste yarn, slip stitch back and K2tog, K12.
I love the 'Listen Again' facility - surely one of the very best things about the internet..? A half hour squealing at 'I'm sorry I haven't a clue' and then I found myself listening to 'Woman's Hour' (it's a slippery slope).
Last week aired an interesting discussion about the revival of aprons (it's in the last 10 minutes of the programme if you want to fast-forward.) Here's the blurb:
'Gone are the days when the pinny was a symbol of domestic drudgery. This year’s Christmas gift buyers will find no end of pretty fabrics and patterns adorning the once humble kitchen apron. So are we ready to reappraise the pinny? Jenni talks to pinny collector and enthusiast Barbara Jones, and Good Housekeeping’s Judith Gubbay, to look at why this staple of 1950s kitchenwear is making a come-back.'
(There was one bit that had me sucking through my teeth - Judith seemed to pass scorn on those of us who use bread-machines rather than make their own...grumble...grumble...bread-machine owner and proud of it).
My lovely friend Mary got me Danielle Proud's book with a lovely apron pattern - I've got the fabric (top left) so, after the Xmas knitting deluge is completed, I will definitely be making my own...
By the way, troublesome clicky internet fingers also took me to this interesting programme about the Swede botanist Linnaeus - I've been reading about his classification system for years - to help me with those pesky fossils - but this programme brought the man to life. Highly recommended. Next week, John's off to the city made famous by Linnaeus for a conference - but this time he has instructions to find this yarn shop rather than bringing me back any taxonomic souvenirs...
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