senior glamour

for those of you who need a little sparkle in these dark days of winter...
or those who remember senior drapes, clinique, guy smiley, g.s.jr, or just need a chuckle down memory lane...

p.s.

my teeth look so big, and note the ET fingers

olympic dreams

seems i am going to be knitting for team italia in the knitting olympics
updates to follow






link to knitting olympics:
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/olympics2006.html

team italia:
http://teamitaly.blogspot.com/

the project:
'genovesey' afgahn

the challenge:
1. getting the project overseas
2. personal handicap (major jet lag)
3. first project with:
a. cabling
b. verticle color change

big bro

http://www.freetostitchfreetobitch.org/

looks like good ole american values are everywhere these days.
busy body americans looking for something to fill that chip on their shoulder just can't mind their own bees wax...gotta sue somebody, raise a fuss...

i can say to americans...shut up! be thankful for what you have and learn to support one another as a nation so we keep our liberties in tact.

speaking of our national liberities...
the 1950s had the beatniks, 1960s and 1970s...flower power...
well, its fiber power for the new millinium...so in it's honor
and to stamp out those nasty undesireables...
here's a good old fashioned boycott....

wwjd...what would jerry do

Must be getting early, clocks are running late.
Paint my love a morning sky, it’s all cold.
Dawn is breaking everywhere, light a candle, curse the glare
Draw the curtains I don’t care, but it’s all right

I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.

I see you’ve got your list out, say your piece and kiss off.
Guess I get the gist of it, but it’s all right
Oh well anyway, sorry that you feel that way.

Every silver linings got a touch of grey
I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.

It’s a lesson to me, the ablers and the beggars and the thieves
The abc’s we all think of, try to win a little love.
I know the rent is in arrears, the dog has not been fed in years
It’s even worse than it appears, but it’s all right

Cow is giving kerosene, kid can’t read at seventeen
The words he knows are all obscene, but it’s all right

I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.

Shoe is on the hand that fits, that’s all there really is to it
Whistle through your teeth and spit, but it’s all right

Oh well a touch of grey, kinda suits you anyway,
That’s all I had to say, but it’s all right
I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.

It’s a lesson to me, the devils and the east and the free
The abc’s we all must face, try to save a little grace.

even though this is an incredibly joyous moment in my life as an oyster (for those who may be guessing, you'll find out in good time), much like my shell...the late grateful jerry states...every silver lining has a touch of grey. it's that same ole bitter-sweet chocolate, the yinyang of life, the cutting oyster shell surrounding the succulent delicacy.

the truth shall set you free as we preach in the south, and denial will get me nowhere. i have realised and am in the midst of accepting that i am leaving my country (odd that this is something i dreamed of for years, and i now leave with apprehension). i am not going for a visit to nz, i am moving there.

it's almost like sending off a loved one at a funeral wake...a feeling of loss, mourning your familiar life. shedding the mundane objects that made your house a home and closing that shell around the delicate oyster.

sure, i'll be back...but when...and to what...

for now,
oyster girl in the world...hoping for a gentle warm tidal pool to call home.

dog days

Been spending some much needed quality time with my hounds...it's great. Santa brought them 'credit cards' for a day of beautification and the Petsmart groomers...they cashed them in today and got their hair and nails did, in dog world, it's perfectly acceptable for sam to do this as well as maya.

They (and I) had a blast, they were first doted on for three hours of groomer...they loved it, got a freebie (the neckercheifs), shiney new tags, and a one hour shopping spree. maya was taken with the pink barbie shearling tennis ball, sam showed a little intrest in a furry mallard duck. They were both impressed with the selection of food products

but in the end settled on two cows' hooves and and gingham sqeaky dog that was completely destoyed within minutes. they were entranced throughout the night.

Today, they seem a bit depressed. Not sure if today is a let down from yesterday, but maybe it's the dreary weather. They've moped around all day, maya barely begged at dinner. I think they are also mad...as I began to make my upcoming travel arrangements.

I hope they will make room for me on the bed...

more sweet than bitter

but here's a bitter sweet moment:
you know pride and prejudice, the 'jo sharp singlet' i had warm fuzzy feelings to...and now on the blog?

well, my mom was bugging me all this time how she wanted one, i started to try and make her one for christmasmas, but didnt' , and i kept sayin "why dont' you make yourself one",,,yado yada.

okay, well, i made the straps too long, and of course when i sewed them on, i sewed them to make sure they would never come undone...so i went to her this morning and asked if she had any idiea how to get them out so i could shrten them, of she was like oh boy,,,,see, by now it's all felted together. and she said let her try it on...oh gosh, it fits her fantastically...small enough on her that it clings just enough to show shape but not bulge out..you know?!?!?

so long story short, my mom is now the proud owner of the pride and prejudice sjs! and i have no completed handknits to wear (out of the house)...hense the bitter sweet...but it may give the solution to what to do with the sparkly patons crap i got at HL, and relieve the color anxiety i've had since my sister said, 'nice sleeve, but you need to move on from this color...' in reference to the sleeve completly blocked, now unravelled...cause it was too large...i finally learned the lesson...just do it, check your gauge!

so we {my mother and i} went to 'thursday night knitters' at barnes and nobles...we were both skeptical, but i was like what else were we going to do...it was hilariously interesting. not the hippest bunch of knitters, but nonetheless entertaining...

poor mom, she's really doing well with her fledgling project, but i keep finding dropped stiteches that we missed before, and all i can do is just sew it up...but it's lionbrand woolease so i can hide it...

check this out for wool
www.KnitPicks.com

(she tried it on while cooking breakfast, and it's insideout, but still looks better on her...above, you can see i look like an amorphic worm)

fancy

my rather fabulous friend since the first grade is a bagstress.
this means she creates custom handbags, etc... she made this great one of a kind notions case out of kiwiana fabric I brought over from NZ.

it's great and if you like it too, you can visit her website below and contact her.

http://www.designsfancythat.bigstep.com/homepage.html

a year in yarn

This past year can be described as a knitting project...a colorful scarf perhaps to warm your neck as you walk through a cold city. Broken hearts were healed as a project took shape, new and existing relationships were knitted forming tighter bonds than before...and as with most of my projects, mistakes were made. Bad color choices were made and some projects simply unravelled. In the end, necks were warmed, chances were taken, and gifts (of all sorts) were given.

I've picked up wool and needles from time to time throughout my life starting, like many others, with my aunt, later, on my own... with never a completed project, always with frustration and defeat. However, most recently, with the a patient and supportive group of friends willing to see me through my first completed projects...and seeing one another through the daily trials of life.

So, with one thesis completed, I was free to indulge in some zen knitting and embark on my 'world journey'...I arrived in New Zealand and at Breakneck speed found myself working in a local architecture firm and making weeking pilgrimages 'down mount everest' into Cuba Mall's Left Bank to the largest stash of wool I've ever seen. I know, an unlikely pair...the hardness of architecture and the softness of knitting...but it's the yinyang of life. Again with the patience and kindness of those at KnitWorld , I graduated from the basic garter stitch scarf to sumptuous fibers, intricate designs, and my first completed garmet. This by the way only had to be unravelled once.

I was hooked and the following months were filled with sketching, speculating, planning, and experimenting...Knitters are everywhere, they come in all sizes, shapes, genders (some questionable), styles of knitting, preferences, but in the end, we are all the same with a few minor adjustments...for example:

at Knit New York, you find punk rock knitters, your 'typical New Yorker', and knitters in drag. Also, this boutique is great for the odd boyfriend or husband in tow as it has a full service espresso bar and cafe...this is not to undermine the beatiful color choices and European pattern books.

in Philly, you find Loop, the Ikea of knitting. The boutique is small, minimal, and slightly goth. A sort of 'cut to the chase' , efficient (yet very helpful) knitting boutique stocked with the softest of cashmeres and smoothest of silks...and here you will find the Kate Spade of need carriers. Here I discovered Crystal Palace circular needles and highly recommend them.

the Yarn Lounge is in Richmond, Virginia. Here, you enter a wool shop exuding southern hospitality and lots of hand spun wool and partially knitted projects in every nook and cranny...complete even with your typical southern hound dog. Here you can pick your new muse, plan it up with whom ever else may be in the shop, then have a seat on any of the compfy sofas and begin clacking your needles.

the sites:
http://www.knitting.co.nz/site/page_affix/toaffix_location-wellington/

www.knitnewyork.com

http://loopyarn.com

www.theyarnlounge.com

projects

caught red handed...
at kirkaldie and stains department store












pride and prejudice...jo sharp singlet from jo sharp kid mohair

















G-L-O-R-I-A...
mohair scarf for simone's mother












the common cold...shoulder shrug out of cleckheaton country...nice wool, but it's a bit scratchy











gleeming at Knit New York...













street smarts...cowl and wristwarmers from adrienne vitadini trina

















dolly llama...mom's scarf, made from touch wool from new zealand

survey says

here is a knitters' survey I found floating on the web...

1. List your finished objects, or just list your favorite FO.
multiple scarves, shrug, tube scarf, singlet, and wrist warmers

2. List your works in progress:
a Rebecca pattern, basically it's a scarf with sleeves and a cushion cover

3. What skeletons are in your knitting basket?
the wool from my 'experimental sweater' that never materialised and i suppose the project I started when I was about 10 years old.

4. What's your favorite project?
I love the scarf I gave my mom for Christmas this year...if she regifts it, I hope it comes to me

5. What project(s) will you never knit again?
I haven't been in the business that long, but I'll have to say the 'experimental sweater'

6. What was your major knitting accomplishment for the last year?
knitting beyond the garter stitch scarf!!! and i completed a garment!

7. What's your favorite yarn from the last year?
jo sharp comfort kid

8. What's your favorite yarn overall?
there's just something about mohair...i don't know what it is, but i likes it!

9. What new knitting techniques have you learned?
sl, k, psso....with this, the possibilites are endless

10. What are your knitting goals for 2006?
start and complete cleckheaton double-breasted jacket, and i fantasise about a blanket . oh, and i would like to make a dainty cardigan or shawl with a little bling knitted into it...
some random beading.
intarsha type experimentation
affording the color schemes i love

11. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?
i think I am, but Hobby Lobby definitely has its place in the world too!

12. Do you spin? Crochet?
no, somehow, it seems too old timey for me

13. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
right now, a cardboard tube with corks on the ends

14. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
about a year, give or take, and i think i've just moved beyond beginner

15. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
no, but i should (lol, amber knows what i mean!)


16. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
duh, i'm a chocoholic!!!

17. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
sew, needlepoint, paint, and I like making my own stationery. I was a jeweler in a previous chapter of my life.

18. What kind of music do you like to knit to?
retro 80s euro-trash (spandaeu ballet), classical, and post modern rock (soundtrack to Lost in Translation), well, actually, I don't even have a radio, so i listen to what ever i checked out from the library.

19. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
i keep going wtih sage-y greens and aquas, but i really wnat to go with a deep red...and chartreusse.

20. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
my family puts the Funk in dysfunctional, but we wouldn't have it any other way. I have two awesome dogs that I cry for, they are in foster care now, but you all know that.

21. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I live in scarves, wore ponchos until I saw a photo of myself in one, and i look stupid in hats. I don't have any mittens

22. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
like i said, something about mohair (it's very forgiving) and i just used this silky blend...it was interesting.

23. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
synthetics, and anything that looks like Fruitty Pebbles cereal

24. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
I've just completed a 12-step program for knitting obsessions...no, I have to say at the moment, seeking out the knitting scene where ever I travel

25. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
you can be so experimental and cheeky with scarves

26. What are you knitting right now?
didn't I already answer this...wrap sweater and cushion cover

27. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
of course I do

28. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
i've just conquered my fear of circulars, so i'm into them now...you can knit in bed on a cold morning

29. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
bamboo. but i also like the retro vibe of anodized aluminum

30. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
no, plus, it gives an excuse to visit the yarn shop (i don't know what a swift is)

31. How did you learn to knit?
first by an aunt 20 odd years ago, and recently by friends

32. How old is your oldest UFO?
gonna say the sweater vest started when I was about 10 years

33. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
maya and sam

34. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
none, but I like to look at Interweave Knits and LOVE Selvedge

35. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Jo Sharp and Rowan books (the cool ones), Last Minute Knitted Gifts, and Alterknits...the photgraphy is great and the projects good

36. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
button holes would be some handy knowledge

37. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
no, a US size 7, but jo sharp has a pattern for the most luxurious mohair socks...so cozy.

38. What are your favorite knitting weblinks?
http://www.youknitwhat.blogspot.com


*if you would like to answer the survey and paste it into my comments, email me and I will forward you the survey!