Obsession Thursday: The S

When I knit or spin for long periods of time, I get knotted muscles in my back in a particular spot – between spine and shoulder blade, just below my shoulder. You know the spot? Many years ago a co-worker introduced me to this funny looking S, officially called the Backnobber II.   You hook one end  over your shoulder, centering one of the knobs on your knotted muscle then pull down. It puts deep, concentrated pressure on your muscle and releases the knot. It breaks down into two pieces, so I take it along to spinning and knitting classes, where I tend to be tense from the learning, sitting and working of ...

WWW: Sheep & Dogs

This week is the kickoff of HRH The Prince of Wales’ Campaign for Wool, which aims to educate the world about the versatility and sustainability of wool in fashion and household uses. Many events are scheduled – lots of opportunities to ‘meet the sheep’ all around the UK. Even if you’re not in the UK, or a sheepy knitter, the website is worth a visit for its beautiful photography. The Guardian hosts a slide show and free Jack Russell pattern preview for the book “Best in Show: Knit Your Own Dog”, by Sally Muir and Jo Osborne. The designs are all great, but the Old English ...

What Do You Gift A Spinner?

It’s full-on fall in the northern hemisphere and my mind is turning to the up coming gifting season and the many birthdays of my fiber friends that happen in the fall. What do you gift a spinner, or a knitter? My go-to gift used to be a spindle or other fiber tool, but now I’m rethinking fiber gifts. I think this season I’ll be giving roving that I’ve picked specially or dyed specially for the the recipient. I’m also thinking about handspun yarn. I’ve never been much for giving my handspun yarn, but why not? Who better to appreciate handspun than a another spinner? Every time ...

Obsession Thursday: Spreadsheets

It’s no secret that I have a background in numbers: I have a degree in mathematics, and I spent 15 years working in product management in the software industry.  I’ve spent many, many hours working with numbers in spreadsheets, sometimes in Microsoft Excel and sometimes in the Open Office spreadsheet program. No matter which program I use, spreadsheets are my best friend, and I love how they can help me even though I’m no longer in the software industry! I use them for a surprising number of things. Yes, spreadsheets are good for working with numbers, and I take advantage of this by using them to ...

WWW: Thinking Pink

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month in the US, and Lorna’s Laces reminds us that 20% of the proceeds of the sale of their Flamingo Stripe colorway of Shepherd Sock are donated – year round – to Breast Cancer research. If you’re a survivor, or you are knitting for one, you may find yourself in need of Beryl’s Tit Bits. The Tit Bits website provides links to other resources and information. Knitty’s Fall 2004 was a Special Edition for Breast Cancer Awareness with patterns to comfort and support sufferers and survivors, and to provide discussion fodder. Classic Elite ...

View From My Wheel: Friends

I just got back from a blissful weekend away with fiber friends. There were seven of us holed up in a cabin for 2 1/2 days, doing nothing but fiber, watching movies and overloading on carbs. This weekend got me thinking about how I spin with friends. Spinning with friends is all about relaxing. It’s impossible for me to learn or teach something new, because I might miss out on my share of the conversation. I did find I can practice skills that I already have a seed planted for in my head and hands, thick and thin or trimming my yarn diameter. But something new or something not in my realm of my usual woolen ...

WWW: NYC Yarn Crawl, Considering the Environment, Knitted Wonder Wheel

The second annual NYC Yarn Crawl is scheduled for October 9, 10, 11th. More info here. Each of the 14+ stores participating will have prize draws, special offers and other goodies. Each store visit entitles a participant to a raffle ticket for one of the many great prizes donated by the stores and participating yarn companies. And to add to the fun, there’s a scavenger hunt… themed for the Big Apple, of course. Find the knitted apples hidden on the crawl route to win more prizes. If you’re interested in the environment impact and origins of the yarn you’re working with, check out Green ...

What’s Your Groove?

Not too long ago my friend Erica & I both spun worsted weight-ish types of yarn. We’re both part of a group of fiber friends who meet weekly at a coffee shop to spin, knit and generally laugh off our weekly stresses. Our worsted weight yarns, hers worsted spun, mine woolen, were our groove yarns, our sitting on the couch go-to yarns. What our hands and wheels just spun when left to their own devices. Erica decided she wanted to spin thinner, she used smaller whorls and weekly I could see her yarn getting finer and finer. I decided to spin fat lofty yarns, I took some classes and practiced a lot and my yarn ...

WWW: Town and Country; Habu Trunk Show

Congratulations to the winner of Monday’s Ninja-bonus contest: Monica E! The yarn for Mythos will soon be on its way to her! Make sure to share a picture of the finished sweater when you’re done, Monica! The fabulous Habu Textiles has just announced a trunk show for three very lucky west-coast stores… In addition to a showing of their designs and yarns, Takako will be running a workshop on how to read Japanese patterns. September 23 they will be at Little Knits, Seattle, WA; September 27 at Knotty by Nature, Victoria, Canada, and September 28 & 29 Urban Yarns, in Vancouver, Canada.  Contact the ...

KNIT CamBRIDGE

The KNIT CamBRIDGE project is the brainchild of Sue Sturdy, an fiber artist based in Cambridge, Ontario.  Cambridge used to be a major textile production and manufacturing hub in Ontario, and her project was designed to mark and remind residents of that often-forgotten history. The idea was simple: cover Cambridge’s historic Main Street bridge with textiles – specifically, knitted textiles.  (Although some crochet did sneak into the project, the vast majority of the thousands of pieces were indeed knitted.) The work started in April of 2009, and was completed on September 11, 2010, when 16,000 zip ties ...
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