I got hit again, but this time at home. Some particularly skilled programmers wrote a lovely collection of malware that infected my laptop. One of the many fine features of the package is the way it hijacks the explore.exe object, thus rendering my operating system complely vulnerable. I’m going to have to wipe the drive and start over.
Wish me well. It will take a few days to get everything put back into place. I guess this was the wrong week to stop sniffing glue…
I’m afraid that the trip to Lansing has been postponed. Again. Times being what they are, we weren’t able to fill the class enough to justify the travel expense. Bummer! I was looking forward to seeing everyone again.
We’ll reschedule for next year, have no fears.
Heather loved your Christmas card. She wanted to send you a picture, too. We’ve had cold, cold days all week, and yesterday it dumped a few inches of snow. I’ll be printing these up for Happy New Year cards, but you get a sneak peek!
Does she remind you of anyone?
Bet you thought I’d never finish a thing again. To be honest, so did I. Then I remembered that Christmas is right around the corner, and I hadn’t made anything for Heather yet. So dug through the multiple project baskets I’ve got stacked up around here and found these tube socks that were nearly done. I only had a few inches left on the second sock, so there was really no excuse.
Heather is one of those sensory kids: the ones who can feel every loose thread, every misplaced seam, every bit of VM in the superfine merino, no matter how carefully they scour it. She’s got the Sock Thing. I’ve spent a small fortune trying to find the right socks, but each pair has something wrong with it. I knit her normal heeled socks, but she wanted handspun and then grew out of them too fast.
There has to be a solution to the problem. Socks that fit, that she can put on herself, that she won’t outgrow before she wears them out, that feel as good as they look.
These are the spiral tube socks “After Bertha” from Socks Socks Socks, by Diane Ballerino. I followed the pattern as written, casting on 66 stitches. I’m a tight knitter, especially on socks. These stretch enough to fit my feet while still fitting hers. And with no heel, she can pull them on easily by herself. AND, since they’re in good Trekking yarn, they’ll last for years. I should cast on the next pair right after the holidays, but this time I plan to finish them in less than nine months.
And have you seen the weather reports? We’ve Got Snow! In Seattle! In December! I clipped the sock cuffs together with a paperclip and hung them from one of my little pear trees.
What do you do with your leftover sock yarn? Do you have little balls in a bucket somewhere? Here’s what I’m doing.
It’s one big granny square, currently about 17.5″ across. I started it a coupld of years ago and plan to continue building until the day I die. It will end up a gigantic blanket, big enough to cover the bed, and be a remembrance of every pair of socks - and every event that occured while making them. And since it’s sock yarn, it’s washable, soft, and sturdy.
Happy snow day, friends!
First things first. Miss Heather was an angel in the Christmas program. The second grade presented a Living Nativity as the middle school choir sang the Halleluia Chorus. I was seriously impressed with all of them. And for those of you who know Heather personally, This Is My Baby. Can you imagine her standing like this for the entire Halleluia Chorus, right over the manger? But she did it. Note the crooked halo. That’s my girl. :)
I finally caught up on my blogs. (Well, I’m catching up. I can’t claim to have read everything. But I just saw Emma’s news that she got laid off. So, if you’re planning to buy some fibers for the holidays, will you stop by her shop and see what she has to offer.
Emma started dyeing a couple of years ago. I don’t usually buy handpainted rovings because too many self-taught dyers try to work too fast and end up felting the wool. Not Emma. Her stuff is lovely, with no felty bits at all. Give her a try.
I’m writing a new class, on the design parameters of Selbu mittens. There are some basic guidelines and layouts to follow in placing your design elements. I’m preparing a small chart library and a blank mitten template (with instructions) and students can create their own custom pattern. Sound fun? Let’s see how it plays in Lansing and Salt Lake City! I’m hoping to slip out for some skiing when I go to Blazing Needles in February.
Date: January 9, 2009
Location: ThreadBear Fiber Arts Studio
319 S Waverly Rd
Lansing, MI 48917Website - 517-703-9276
Back to Lansing! We had such a nice time in February 2008, I can’t wait to get back and see everyone’s projects. Hopefully I won’t be recoverring from flu this time around. This is a great opportunity for those who took Mittens to pop in and learn the design parameters to create your own unique pattern. I will provide a chart template and you will use traditional motifs to fill in the spaces. Bring a pencil.
Date: January 10, 2009
Location: ThreadBear Fiber Arts Studio
319 S Waverly Rd
Lansing, MI 48917
Website - 517-703-9276
This is a great opportunity for those who took Mittens to pop in and learn gloves. You’ll need to get the homework assignement, however, because we’re working in fingering weight yarn and I need you to finish the cuff before class begins or you’ll miss the good stuff. Gloves begin the same as mittens, but we’ll add setting in the fingers, especially getting that beautiful divider line to match up between the fingers.
Date: January 19-31, 2009
Location: The Fiber Gallery
7000 Greenwood Ave North
Seattle, WA 98103
Here’s a quote from the newsletter:
“Come and see the beautiful, intricately stranded mittens and gloves on display at the Fiber Gallery from January 19-31. Then get inspired and enter our mitten contest.”
Hmmm, do you think I’m eligible?
Date: February 20, 2009
Location: Blazing Needles
1365 South 1100 East
Salt Lake City, UtahWebsite - 801-487-5648
This lecture is a companion to, and extends the research in my book. Learn the history and techniques of Selbu knitting, with additional photos and book samples on view.
Date: February 21, 2009
Location: Blazing Needles
1365 South 1100 East
Salt Lake City, UtahWebsite - 801-487-5648
This class is the companion to my book. Learn the history and techniques of Selbu knitting as you knit an original mitten design in worsted weight yarn. Students should be able to knit on double pointed needles, and some experience with stranded knitting is strongly recommeded. Bring yarn in 2 strongly contrasting colors (white and black, white and navy, yellow and brown, etc.) and US Size 4 DPN needles, waste yarn, tapestry needle.
Date: February 22, 2009
Location: Blazing Needles
1365 South 1100 East
Salt Lake City, UtahWebsite - 801-487-5648
Learn the design parameters to create your own unique pattern for fingering weight yarn. I will provide a chart template with knitting instructions and you will use traditional motifs to fill in the spaces. Introductory pattern library provided: Bring a pencil.
This cardigan is done, the pattern is edited, the layout is in the works, and now I need a photographer. Suggestions? It fits me perfectly, so I think I’ll model it myself. :)
Denise Balvanz knit the pieces for me, and I finished the cardigan. Denise, your work was terrific. There was no biasing after blocking, so I think it must have been your work direction that created an illusion. I haven’t had any problems at all.
I’ll finalize the pattern for purchase as soon as I can. Hey, Denise, will you add it to Ravelry when it’s ready? I don’t know how. :)