First Frost, 5K yards, and Crocheting

The first freeze of autumn occurred this week. I’d already begun the great clothing switch. Such a lot of work and mess, but fun rediscovering clothing items forgotten over the spring and summer. 

I’ve suspended work on the Helen Skirt to bang out a pair of fingerless gloves. It’s not cold enough for the convertible fingerless or the mittens, but there’s just enough of a nip to need something that allows the fingertips to snuggle while waiting at the bus stop. I’m using Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Tonal, a discontinued worsted weight yarn on size 6 dpns. 

 

At the Shirley Paden workshop earlier this month, I sat beside Phyllis, the crochet instructor at Looped Yarn Works. Phyllis gave me a link to a crochet site that explains how to read a crochet pattern. My aunt Fanny taught me to crochet. Not by reading patterns but by teaching me stitches and patterns. In teaching me, she taught me what to do but not the names of the stitches. So in my memory, I have several doily patterns that I can do. I found that I have no difficulty reading and crocheting patterns that are all symbols because the symbols make sense since they closely resemble the actual stitches. But put those stitches into words and I am lost. I was able to crochet the Shell Scarf because there were videos of each of the steps. I’ve been wanting to crochet a Crocodile Stitch scarf and was making no headway with written instructions or pictures of the steps. I found a video on You Tube and by the second row was off and running or crocheting on my own. I’m fascinated by how my learning is so different in knitting and crochet. In the workshop with Shirley Paden, we worked on a smocking stitch. I immediately recognized the process for creating the stitch from the stitch process diagrams in my Japanese stitch book. There was just the tip of how to prevent holes between the wrap and next stitch that will make the process easier when I use it in a garment. What I realized this week, is that with crochet I’m a completely visual learner. In short, I need to learn the way I was taught. 

Toupie had a bit of a mishap this week. I’d put out a string toy for him to play with. It has fuzzy ball at the end. Naturally, he attacked it. The next moment he was sprinting through the apartment. It’s not unusual for him to get a bit hyper when playing and it wasn’t until he made the third sprint from the front door that I paid attention. When he jumped up on the futon, I noticed the fuzzy ball went with him. Upon investigation, it turns out he’d got the string part of the toy wrapped around a hind leg. It took a minute to settle him and a bit for me to work the string loose. He sat there curled up with such a look of gratitude while I cooed and fussed to let him know he was okay. He’s such an odd little boy. Most cats I’ve had meow at the first sign of trouble. Toupie goes completely silent and has done so since he was a kitten. This tendency has made me very alert that when I don’t see him or when I call to him and I don’t get either a vocalization or an appearance, I immediately go to find him. He’s rarely in any trouble, usually curled up in some dark corner or bookshelf.

Why Can't We Be Spuds

For those who don't know, there has been an ongoing controversy about the name of the Washington football team: The Redskins. Columnists and media outlets are refusing to use the name, because it and the logo featuring the head of an Native American in feathered headdress, is offensive to Native Americans. Native Americans have protested, even the Prez has weighed in. The point is well taken, and one which I agree with: no other racial group in this country would be so portrayed. Lots of other teams and organizations with Native American names and logos have changed in response to protests.

Now I do get it that there are millions of dollars tied up in all the ancillary gear that a sports franchise and the league manufactures to sell and the current owner isn't considered to be the nicest of people. And I can even concede the point that the name, nowadays, isn't intended to offend. But we all know which road is paved with good intentions.

During last night's game, Bob Costas, NBC sports commentator and guru, delivered a commentary on the continued offense the team name causes. The team name, in my opinion, needs to go. But then what to replace it with? The best suggestion is in the comments section of this article on the Costa's commentary. Change the logo to the Redskin Potato. I like it! If Green Bay fans can where hats in the shape of a slice of cheese, why can't we be spuds?

The Hogs can give up their dresses and wear potato sacks instead. Smash potatoes could replace French fries as a unique stadium food. Sacking the quarterback would take on a whole new meaning. Instead of stripping the ball from the running back, commentators could say he peeled the football away. Instead of losing a game, we could be mashed by the other team. With a logo change, yesterday's game could have been described as the Cowboys roasting the Redskin Potatoes.



 

On My Soapbox

Slightly frustrating week. Working on a database for my sister, cut into my knitting time. I’m usually not bothered by the weather, but the rain from Wednesday finally got on my nerves by Friday night. It was like living with a nature sounds tape in continuous loop. I found myself wishing for the silence of snow. I stayed in yesterday. My umbrellas thanked me. 

Vote for the Loopy Ewe
This is cool: Intuit is running a contest to give a small business a chance to place for a Super Bowl advert. The Loopy Ewe has entered. How wonderful it would be to see a yarn store advert amongst the beer, car, computer, and chip adverts.  Vote for the Loopy Ewe here

 

The Helen Skirt Update

Yesterday I finally joined The Helen Skirt in the round. This is really a very nice, well-written pattern.

 

Love Yarn Day
October 11 was International Love Yarn day. I celebrated by taking advantage of Vogue Knitting’s pattern sale. I bought Shirley Paden’s Fitted Jacket, which is the first garment, featured on her website. Speaking of Shirley Paden, she returned to Looped Yarn Works last weekend. I attended the Friday evening workshop where we worked on the rib and smocking stitches using the pattern on the cuff of the Duster pattern on the front of her book, Knitwear Design Workshop. On Saturday, I attended the Lace Knitting class. Just like the takeaways from the Cast-On class in February, I am now confident that my lace knitting will improve as I apply the skills and knowledge gained.

Knit Pro Karbonz

A couple of weeks ago I purchased a Knit Pro Karbonz needle. I have finally found a knitting needle worthy of buying as a set. The needles are light in the hand, the yarn moves easily, and the cable is great.

Knit Edge Magazine—the only knit magazine I buy and read the articles before getting lost in the patterns—had a fascinating article on the origins of From the Mountain yarn company and how the yarn is sourced and providing livelihoods in Afghanistan. As well as an article on the mad vilification of former Australian Prime Minster Julia Guillard for being “a knitter”.

 
Some Thoughts About Knitting
Yes, in most of the West, knitting is seen as “women’s work” and historically, especially in the 19^th century seen as a way for women to “respectably” earn money. Those who are not involved in the craft see it as part of the post 9/11 nesting phenomena or some post-hippie, redefined feminist, anti-commercial, anti-cookie cutter fashion movement. While these arguments may have some validity, I think there is another impetus at work: The Internet.

As I have said in posts before, I have seen my knitting skills improve by leaps and bounds with the advent of blogs, Ravelry, You Tube, and most recently Craftsy. The Internet has removed the barriers to the transmission of skills, creativity, and materials. The resources in a knitter’s community have easily expanded from the knowledge and skills available in the guild, the class, and the local yarn store. Even language is no longer the barrier it once was. Individuals, sometimes without monetary compensation, translate patterns. There are groups and individuals on and off Ravelry supporting those knitting patterns in Japanese. The list of regional knitting techniques and traditions now available on the Internet is legion—Estonian, Peruvian, Turkish, just to name a few.

Why has knitting spread beyond the knitting nana or those with a family history or a chance encounter sparking an enthusiasm with the craft knitting? I argue that it is fun to create. The fun includes the work, meeting the challenge of commitment to completion, learning new skills, being a member of community where skills, achievements, and like in any community, life experience is shared. Knitting is not like building a miniature railroad or cabinetry, it’s an easily portable craft. You can knit on public transport, in the grocery queue, the doctor’s office and even in a darkened movie theatre.

Knitting is not mindless. You need to be able count, add, subtract, divide and multiply your stitches to create patterns and shape a garment. Unlike sewing where you are imposing a form on a fabric, in knitting you are creating and shaping a fabric. Could be why so many knitwear designers in the last 20 years have backgrounds and often graduate degrees in math-dependent sciences.

Lastly, there is the product. Yes, you can invite your family and friends over to view your model railroad, your sideboard etc. But knitting allows you to give: to family, to friends, to complete strangers. Thousands of hats, gaiters, and socks have been knitted for soldiers deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq; hats, prayer shawls and other items for hospital nurseries, cancer patients; hats, scarves, and blankets for the homeless. Fiber craft has been employed at N Street Village to help homeless and abused women earn income, gain self-esteem and entrepreneurial skills and is helping prisoners.

Just think how different the ongoing acrimony over the US government shutdown would be if Boehner needed Obama’s help with the intricacies of entrelac?

Angry Hour

We're on day two of the government shutdown. The sole affect on my life has been less rush hour traffic and the shops and restaurants have been full of patrons in the afternoon. This is a much more interesting experience so far than the last government shutdown 17 years ago. Hard to believe that the Internet was in its infancy then and most of us who were online were on BBS systems. This time around things are very different. There's lots of FB and Twitter traffic arranging meet ups and advertising specials (free/discounted drinks and food for those with Fed IDs). Here's one

There are goodies for knitters: Looped Yarn Works is offering 10% of all purchases until Friday. Fibre Space is offering free knitting classes in the afternoon. Wendy Johnson is offering 50% off on all her patterns for the duration.

Me, I'm envying the Fed fiber fiends who are having hours to knit, crochet, spin, weave, and sew. But despite my envy, I am making good progress on my Helen Pencil Skirt. I've also signed up for a workshop with Shirley Paden on Friday at Looped Yarn Works.