craft

Milestone

The knitters out there will get this. I just turned my first heel.

I return from Stitches West! What is Stitches, you ask? It’s a yarn conference. It’s the Santa Clara Convention Center packed full of classes and vendors and knitters and crocheters and spinners and weavers and so much yarn that you wouldn’t believe it. I was totally fiber-drunk within a few minutes of stepping in the building. It goes on for days, but on this first adventure, my compatriot and I decided that we’d start with a day at the market and tackle classes next year.

The Saga of the Leaves Sweater

Once upon a time there was a sweater pattern and a hopeful, young maiden and a gauge square. An evil, villainous, treacherous gauge square that lied all the time.

Burst of Creative Activity

The night the show closed I woke up with a midnight sewing inspiration. I went to the fabric store the next morning with Luke in tow and an idea brewing. My idea came home to my sewing machine and turned into a complete and utter failure, but I pulled a nice skirt out of the ashes, of which I'm quite fond, and hey, I learned something.

Itchy Fingers

I’m making my first felted project. It’s a laptop sleeve for my MacBook Pro. Don’t know what felting is? You knit something out of wool. Then you throw it in the washing machine... on hot. I know, I know. Contrary to everything we’ve ever been told. It’s like putting metal in the microwave or browsing the web using Internet Explorer; there are some things you just don’t do. Testing it on my gauge swatch felt wrong. I paced in front of the washer fretting. So what happens?

Digital Pursuits

I don’t do Facebook. Don’t do My Space either. I don’t twitter, never digg, haven’t farked in ages, and I’m not linked in. Just not my deal. I ravel– that’s for sure – and I blog. I follow one or two online zines. I’ve got half a dozen blogs I read regularly and another half a dozen podcasts. That’s enough, really. How much time am I supposed to spend with you out here in the wilds of the internet, anyway? I do have a biological self to maintain.

Finished Objects

Now in post-holiday mode, I can knit without the burden of a deadline. That’s exciting. I’ve been finishing up some projects on my to-do list.

Death Warmed Over

Do You Like My Hat?

Now that the election is done and over with, I think it's time to talk about some really important issues... like yarn.

So I accidentally cast on for a hat the other day. How does one accidentally cast on for a hat? you might ask. I assure you it can happen. I was trying to help my sister with a confusing bit in a pattern. The directions weren't making sense to my eyes, so I decided to grab a ball of yarn and give my fingers a go at it. It made more sense to them. A lot of sense to them. In fact, they declared it fun. Before I knew it I had accidentally knit a hat.

Traveling at 6 mph

While en route to my sister’s house I got caught in the traffic puddle that is Berkeley. Oop, here’s University Avenue. Everybody slam on your brakes and look around. You might see a hippie.

Stuttering along in stop and go traffic makes the mind wander. You’re not traveling physically so you may as well take a mind trip. While looking out at the sloshing bay and regretting the 20 ounce cup of tea I downed on the way, my mind bounced around all over the place. Here’s where it took me.

One is the Loneliest Number