November 28, 2006
Hand Jive Knits Sweetheart Purse
I finished a heart, the Sweetheart Purse by Hand Jive Knits. The irony is not lost on me but it was an easy enough UFO to finish and I’ve wanted to review both the yarn and the pattern for some time. This is the second Hand Jive Knits pattern I’ve done and they are altogether wonderful. The Sweetheart Purse is a fast knit, the yarn - Nature's Palette - is soft and richly dyed. And it's a heart. It's a whole handful of a heart. Will I ever use it as a purse? Probably not. Maybe as a holder of dreams. Or wishes. For my heart and that of the man I love.
May 31, 2006
White Dove Farm
Remember that Corriedale lamb roving I bought from White Dove Farm at the Tall Grass Fiber Fest last month? Well, I’m in love. The roving lent itself so beautifully to the fingering sport weight I prefer, I couldn’t wait to swatch it up. At 21 x 35 gauge, I’m thinking the Pentagon Shawl from Nature Knitting by Norah Gaughan. Except of course the pattern requires 21 x 30. I’m a bit leary of the implications for this particular pattern. It’s not just a shawl, it’s a series of swirls with armholes and I hear the pattern has errors. Maybe a long sweater with cables instead, with enough left over for the shawl or a shawl or something. The yarn is calling hard. I emailed the publisher for errata but there’s no way I can fend off this yarn for long. And the pattern is lovely.
I had originally bought 4.2 ounces of roving to try. As fate would have it, Mary Wallace had 21 ounces left. We scheduled a visit on what turned out to be a perfect summer morning and were utterly delighted. Mary very graciously gave the whole family a tour. First stop were her three yearling rams. We all took turns petting them. It turns out their favorite tickle spot is underneath their chins. Aren’t they handsome?
I can’t look at this guy without dreaming of sweaters and shawls and hats and scarves and socks and all manner of woolen lovelies.
Then we went to visit the lambs. Eighteen boys and three girls this year! Mary caught a couple so we could pet them. They were so beautiful. Cradled in her experienced arms, they submitted very sweetly to our collective oohs and aahs.
Now this is a view I can live with.
This is as close as I’ve ever gotten to the sheep to shawl experience. The roving is minimally processed and the color is such an exquisite blend of natural browns and grays. And then to have met the Sheppard and her flock! When you buy a sweater you buy a product. But this, the spinning, the knitting, the shepparding, this is the stuff of life.
Posted by Jacqueline at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)May 08, 2006
hit by a farm
Jim and I want to raise sheep one day. Since neither one of us knows the first thing about farming, nor do we have a farm yet, we read a lot. Actually I read a lot. Jim nods distractedly, which is good enough for me. I just finished hit by a farm, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Barn by Catherine Friend and loved it. I loved it because it talks about the things a newbie, and a reluctant to admit indoor girl, needs to know before embarking on such a venture. It talks about pooh and sex and birth and all the gritty gooey things that surprisingly enough other books don’t talk about. Either because they assume this knowledge or they don’t want to scare you away. It also talks about what farm life can do to your otherwise rock solid relationship. I can’t tell you how important this is to me. Not only does Jim represent 90% of my happy, the whole purpose behind this lifestyle change is a return to family and love and fulltime togetherness. Clearly there’s a lot of pooh involved. Not to mention cross species contact that in any other setting would indelibly mark you as beyond help. There is also death, intentional and non-intentional. Catherine is a tender-hearted soul but she is also a meat eater. So are we. Even if we concentrated on fiber, the care of animals encompasses their entire life cycle. Can we do this? Lastly, she writes at length about balancing farming and other passions. I want to teach and knit and write and spin. Jim wants to sing. Must sing. Has to sing like birds need air and fish need water.
Verdict? My to do list has gotten more serious.
1) Subscribe to the Black Sheep Newsletter and Sheep Magazine.
2) Order more roving so I can decide what kind of fiber I want to raise.
3) Find an internship. I need to acquaint myself with more pooh and goo than my Aussie and Bichon can produce.
4) Jim and I need to write up a plan that takes into account our whole life, not just one part of it.
5) Catherine has a BLOG! Add to my favorites. Spread the word. Tell everyone!
Did I mention the book is hilarious funny? Like cover to cover, paragraph to paragraph, do not drink anything while you're reading it because it will spurt out your nose funny?
April 04, 2006
Mason*Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne
My favorite knitting books are actually about knitters themselves and the leading role knitting plays in their everyday lives. It is why I love knitting blogs so much. The kinds of minds knitting attracts and the central place it occupies in every day life is endlessly fascinating to me. So I was really looking forward to the gabby part of Mason*Dixon Knitting. Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne are virtual knitting pen pals. The book grew out of their knitting blog which is basically a correspondence between the two. Much to my surprise I was completely blown away by the patterns. This is dive in knitting at its best. The projects make you want to drop absolutely everything. It’s not so much the colors although the colors are great. It’s not the techniques, they are very easy. It’s actually the utilitarian nature of the projects themselves combined with great colors and easy techniques. This is a fabulous book for beginners and I think for children. The projects range from small dishcloths to medium sized rugs to giant blankets and they all spell comfort. It reminds me very much of Frugal Luxuries by Tracey McBride in that these projects are not meant to heirlooms. They are ordinary items meant to be used everyday. It is in the knitting that the ordinary is made beautiful, luxurious even. And who doesn’t need that on a daily basis.
One project in particular really struck me. The Courthouse Steps Denim Blanket which is actually 'a knitted tribute to one of the Gee's Bend quilts, "Bricklayer," by Loretta Pettway.'
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It looks so Japanese to me. It reminds me so much of a shop I used to visit when I lived in Japan. It's called the Blue and White shop and they specialize in indigo textiles. Again, the same theme. Utilitarian in nature, simple materials, simple methods, gorgeous result. While the proprietor did write a book, unfortunately there is no website. But really, any book on Japanese design will do. My sister-in-law gave me Japan Country Living and At Home with Japanese Design as gifts. Every photo is so full of possibility.
Do you see how one idea, one simple idea, can morph from mind to mind? A reminder no doubt to look to mediums other than knitting for inspiration. Imagine a series of ethnically inspired utilitarian projects - Japanese, Swedish, Irish anyone?
Posted by Jacqueline at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)March 27, 2006
Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
For those of you who’ve read At Knit’s End and The Yarn Harlot, Knitting Rules! is a bit of a departure. It is about knitting, the thing itself, as opposed to knitters and what happens to them when their lives, openly or not, revolve around knitting. What rescues it from being just another tips and tricks book is of course the Harlot’s inimitable sense of humor. Stephanie has a gift for articulating the knitting subconscious. She describes the shadow so well that you can’t help but recognize yourself at every turn (or should I say row). Take the chapter on gauge for example. I recently had several knitting disasters in a row (no pun no pun) and they were all related to gauge. Not only did I learn several new things about gauge, I was open to learning them because all my little gauge-related resistances were brought to light and they were funny.
The layout focuses your attention beautifully, which is really important given the amount of material this book covers. You can read it cover to cover or topic to topic. And the illustrations are perfectly in tune with the writing. It also includes a fantastic collection of useful charts. My favorite one is Needle Sizes – metric, U.S. and British. Instead of reaching for one of my many roaming needle gauges, I now turn to page 56. Some other favorite charts are Typical Head Sizes and Figuring Foot Length. Best of all is Stephanie’s explanation, or rather non-explanation, of pi. I now have the confidence to knit circles based on pi without understanding pi as people who understand pi understand pi. I am so relieved.
Overall Knitting Rules! is a must have. Not only did I inhale it in one sitting I was surprised how much I learned. This is definitely a book you want to buy in multiples. While it makes a great gift for knitters at all levels, I think it’s particularly well suited to new knitters. It has tons of information but it is so fun and funny it doesn’t feel like yet another long list of things you need to know.
Posted by Jacqueline at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)