Knitting Passion

The Alaska State Yarn Council is hosting Lily Chin at the upcoming Yarn Expo IV, according to the Anchorage Daily News article in today’s Two Sticks column.

I don’t think I am going to be able to get up to Anchorage to attend - too busy at work right now - but it looks like a lot of information will be shared and a lot of fun will be had. I hope everyone who gets the chance will take it in - and then, come back here and share with all of us, okay?

Sent off the box to Shelly today - 40 squares, 30 edged in black and (at her request for some not edged so the volunteers could ooh and ahh over “exotic places”) 10 not edged. I have sent an email to Catherine Hollingsworth, the author of Two Sticks, and asked her if she would highlight the effort in her column. That was where I first learned of the Hokie Healing Squares back in May.

It would be wonderful if more people from Alaska could chip in to the effort Shelly has begun.

And - a side note here - if the woman I met at the Tribal Forum last week stops by here, could you please email me with the name of the book your felted bag is in???? I didn’t write the name down, and another friend who saw it that day wants to make it, too. Thanks so much!

Well, today has seemed like Monday all day long and I am feeling more behind with each moment. So I am going to close here and go over and write today’s entry at Diabetes Health Talk and then go relax a bit before tonight’s meeting.

Have a wonderful evening, everyone, and stop back by soon.
><

Lily Chin, crochet, knitting, felted bag, granny squares, Hokie Healing, Two Sticks, Anchorage Daily News

What to write about?

Lessa and I are headed to Homer, Alaska today for the Kachemak Bay Writers Conference, with keynote speaker Amy Tan. Lessa and I are both looking forward to getting away for a bit - we ejoy each other’s company (always nice in a mother-daughter combo - and especially nice since we will be bunking together for the next few nights - heh)

Homer is a quiet little hamlet by the sea - well, usually, but it IS closing in on summer now and the tourists are coming strong. Also, all of the folks who live in our area or in Anchorage who like to fish out of the Homer harbor are beginning to put their boats into the water and playing.

It is summer in Alaska.

but . . . let’s get back to the knitting front, shall we?

I was dinking around through a knitting news site and found an article that just climbed right into my brain and wouldn’t let go - even though the article is about crochet, not knitting. It is about a woman who lives in Coshocton, Ohio, which is a town that my mother lived in at one point in her life. It’s near where I grew up, too.

The story is about Esther Rine, who carries on a craft taught to her by her grandmother when she was seven years old - crocheting rag rugs. This is cool to me because I also learned to crochet early (4 years old) and was taught to make rag rugs by my grandmother (the one who lived in Coshocton while my mother was young)

Ms. Rine also makes children’s clothing and gives them to her church and missions. Her rugs are now being sold on ebay thanks to the work of a friend. Very cool, I’m thinking.

And, for your weekend pleasure - a free pattern to use for Knitting in Public Day (the 9th). This is a darling cap with “heart shaped lace detailing” from Knit Whits. Poifect!

And, with that I am out of here until Monday where I will be writing to you from beautiful downtown Homer, Alaska. Perhaps I’ll have a picture to share!

knitting, knitting news, Coshocton Ohio, rag rugs, crochet, free pattern, knit whits

Here’s a tangible way all knitters and crocheters can help heal the Hokie spirit:

Knit an 8 inch square (or crochet) of the softest yarn you have in Hokie colors: maroon, burnt orange, white or black.

Send them to:
Mosaic Yarn Shop
880 University City Blvd.
Blacksburg, VA 24060

read the whole story and spread the word.

knitting, charity, Hokies, Virginia Tech, go Hokies, spread the love, crochet, knit, share

With my renewed interest in knitting, and a love for travel, I was wondering what would happen the next time I took a trip. Would I have to leave my latest project at home? Would I have to be satisfied with bringing a book along to read? Or, would I, as I had read recently, be allowed to bring my pointy sticks on board with me?

Turns out that TSA has loosened their rules - a bit - to allow us to bring along our needles. However, we might have to surrender them - it really all depends on the TSA agent at the gate.

We can always carry needles in our checked luggage and, according to the TSA page itself, we can pack them in our carryon luggage as well. Well, maybe . . .

“As a precautionary measure we recommend that you carry a crochet hook with yarn to save the work you have already done in case your knitting tools are surrendered at the checkpoint“

Harumpf! Either I can or I cannot - come on, folks, it’s not THAT complicated.

Of course, as I finished the vintage bonnet . . . on size 2 needles . . . I realized just how dangerous those puppies might be - in the wrong hands - or maybe in the hands of the knit-wit who was forced to give them over at the gate . . .

Maybe I’ll stick to my books for air travel companions.

knitting, knitting needles, flying with pointy sticks, tsa, TSA, carry on luggage, checked luggage, pointy objects, pointy sticks, two sticks, chicks with sticks

Now, Lessa has two cats and a dog - at any given time one of them might be found draped across her lap, her feet, or her keyboard. That’s pretty “normal” as we animals all seek warmth, right?

But a week or so ago the Today Show on NBC made a big deal about the Crazy Cat Lady who’d had a sweater knit from her cat’s fur and was (HORRORS!) wearing it and loving it. There’s a link to the video of the story in the right column on this page. (Cat sweater - purr-fect)

I guess this just tickles me because the same people who laughed about this story may be the same who wear a lamb’s wool jacket/sweater/etc. and think nothing of it. They might come to Alaska and purchase a scarf or sweater made of qiviut.

But they would fuss with someone who takes the offcast hair of her cat and sends it to a company to be spun into wool and then makes a sweater? People are odd, I tell ya!

here, kitty, kitty, kitty . . . heh

crazy cat lady, cat fur sweater, purrfect sweater, knitting cat hair, spinning cat hair, fiber arts, nbc, today show

Knitting underwater at the bottom of the Red Sea? I could get into that.

Need motivation for your pre-teens to learn how to knit? Just tell them Dakota Fanning does it!

I came across an interview with Dakota Fanning where she talks about knitting on the set. This is the bit about knitting:

Were you invited to the wedding? [Of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes]
I wasn’t but I sent a present. I’ve knitted Tom a scarf before.

Are you a good knitter?
I’m good but I’m so bad about actually knitting them. If I’m on a movie, I will knit for everyone on set but then I barely do it at home, so I have to get better at knitting things for my family. The only one in my family who has a scarf is my grandmother, so I have to make sure I make one for my mum, dad and sister.

Don’t they give you a hard time about the fact that Tom has one and they don’t?
Yes. My sister gets really mad at me. I started knitting her one and made the mistake of telling her, so now she just hangs over me all the time saying: ‘You’re not knitting my scarf!’ So when I’m just sitting there being lazy, she’ll bring it over and say: ‘Start!’

So you won’t be having your own scarf line any time soon?
Well, I could if I got in the zone. I knitted one in a day before.

knitting, Dakota Fanning, famous knitters

Yes that’s right, I said it! Believe me if this weren’t important and for a good cause I would never have mentioned it.

But seeing as how an estimated 178,480 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American women in 2007 alone, and many of those will have one or both breasts removed, (and as I am not a fan of implants personally), here is the latest in how knitting is contributing to the well being of breast cancer survivors. The designer is a cancer survivor, and has her own site here.

But that’s not all!

Knitted breast prostheses are also being made to help new moms learn to express their milk! This is especially beneficial for mothers of premature babies to express milk to help build their babies’ strength. So for your next preemie project, make a hat and a breast for twice as much benefit!

I didn’t think it was possible to love knitting even more… but now I do!

knit, breasts, prosthesis, breast cancer, lactation assistance

So I’ve already purchased 2 items for my swap partner. I’m so excited! I can’t wait to put pics up of them, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise! Argh! Frustration!!

The March colorswap is green themed, but I’m not sure if I’m going to do it yet…

Ooh! I could do something with Stitching for Lyme! Ooooooh the possibilities……

color swap, Stitching for Lyme

I came across this blog: Arabian Knits, and have decided to participate in the Color Swap for February, where the theme is brown and tan.

The basic idea is that you receive stuff from someone and you send to someone else. (PS: My Sender designed the buttons above! I’m so excited!) There is a $25 “limit” although if you go over it’s on you, but you’re not supposed to expect the other person to spend more than that, including shipping. I’m thinking it’s going to be very fun!

Color Swap Survey
In order to help your partner learn more about you, please post this survey and your answers to your blog:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I LOVE natural fibers, but rarely can afford them. I usually buy yarn at Wal-Mart or Joanne’s.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I’m mainly a knitter, but I crochet a little, and am still learning to spin. I love them all though. (Just knitting the best, heeheehee.)

3. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I love making things with my son. I also love to garden and cook. Two things I absolutely *cannot* do are draw and scrapbook.

4. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Hmmm…. I guess anything soft that won’t give me yarn-burn.

5. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? You know I still haven’t tried them all. I guess if it’s yarn… then it’s good.

6. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Socks. And knitting books… muwahahaha!!!

7. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks. Really anything small and quick. I’m not all that patient, really.

8. What are you knitting right now? Guess? Ha! Socks! Also see this entry.

9. Are you a sock knitter? No not really, why do you ask? (Man, I’m funny!)

10. What’s your favorite color? Or–do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?Are there any colors you hate? Blue is my favorite. Yellow… mmm not so much.

11. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No but that’s a good idea!

12. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) Work!

13. Do you have any religious prohibitions or restrictions? No coffee, tea, tobacco or alcohol.

14. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Rain or fresh linen.

15. Do you burn candles?Not usually.

16. Do you have a sweet or salt tooth? Hmmm… nope.

17. Do you drink coffee, tea or cocoa? Cocoa sometimes with my son.

18. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Married. 7 year old boy, almost 10 month old girl. A dog named Weena, a toad, a gerbil, and a bunch of fish!

19. What are some of your favorite things? Raindrops on roses - oh wait… Avatar the Last Airbender, sheep, and books.

20. Is there anything that you collect? Sheep. (Not living of course, but how cool would that be? “Where’s your collection, Keri?” “Oh, they’re in the backyard grazing…”)

21. What is your favorite holiday? My birthday! (I’m not good at holidays…)

22. What is your birthday? (You don’t have to tell the year) 10/25/81 (Makes me a 25 year old Scorpio.)

So there you go! Hope that’s informative, and not too distracting!

OK, so everyone knows my favorite TV show is Knitty Gritty, and everyone also knows I’m into knitting for a cause. Well, even though this particular cause isn’t Lyme Disease, it’s still a good cause to knit for.

Vicky Howell (from Knitty Gritty) is having a fabulous “Knit In” during the Super Bowl to benefit people in need by knitting squares for Warm-Up America. The squares are then sewn into shawls or blankets, and distributed to those that need them.

Seeing as how I am not a football enthusiast, I was very glad to see that DIY will be showing a Knitty Gritty marathon at that time. (February 4, 5pm - 11pm EST) Although, as the squares are not in the least required to be fancy or detailed, (the simpler they are the more you can make), if you wanna watch the game at the same time, that’s completely up to you.

I’m telling everyone I know about it, and maybe any one who doesn’t like football can come over to my house and knit or crochet. Fun!

Here is all the information you need to know, size, simple pattern for knitting and crocheting, and the mailing address for finished squares.

I heartily recommend this to everyone. It’s a great teaching tool for beginners, and even children can make one and feel like they are making a difference.

This is not where I want it ultimately, but it will do for now. Until I can figure out the long way around, anyway.

my podcast on.mac

Just so you know, the more I listen to this the more I hate it.

But that’s just me.

podcasts, knitting

Well Apparently Holly Burnham is psychic because now I have a new computer! I’ve always been a PC gal, so I’m learning as I go. Like how to make a link to Holly’s comment… Well if you care to look, it’s under the post “I’ve been such a slacker.”

And she likes my blog! How cool is that?

Holly Burnham - you have made my night. Yay!

Now can you suggest I win the lottery? (I’ll split it with ya, winkwink.)

PS: Visit Holly’s site at http://www.knittinghaven.com

knitting sites, macbook