Chicas Picante

While my Rhinebeck experience was a tiny bit tarnished by missing those groovy knitting girls, no sooner did I get home to find that I was going to see what almost anyone would call a "celebrity" knitter - Ginger Spice and the rest of her posse. Or Posh-y.


I saw a publicity video on the Hollywood Real True Story News they all look like Damien Hirst has had them in formaldehyde for the last 10 years. But, we knitters really like to get together so I'll bring a sock or something to the show.

Done Roving for Now

It was all about the roving this weekend at SheepStock 2007. I'd say the ratio of roving to yarn was 3:1 and frankly, even when you are not working there isn't enough time to spin all that roving into yarn and forget about knitting anything with it.

I did buy some exciting yarn this weekend, but I found it difficult to spend all the change I have found around the house while vacuuming during my unemployment. I'll spend some time later this week on the yarn, after I have had a chance to cast on all new projects with every skein which should take me another, oh, 48 hours.

I did learn a few things this weekend that I'd like to share.

First, as you can see here, people like to dress up their animals. While I enjoy a talking dog as much as the next person, I think you go too far when you dress up a llama with a scarf - made out of acrylic to boot.


Second, there were famous and beloved knitters to be seen, but we didn't see them. At the Mason Dixon table, we saw the Mason Dixon kids but not the moms. Kristin Nicholas left all this very beautiful knitting at here table, but she was probably on line for a lamb pot pie so I didn't get to meet her.



Finally I learned that the Yarn Harlot really packs them in. Here is she wearing the Kauni cardigan. Sadly, she was telling a story that I had both heard her tell in person a while ago and then read about on her blog.



Yarn Harlot, if you are reading this, here is a j0ke you can tell that slays any size audience: Hey! did you hear that the supermarket chain Stop n Shop is merging with the A&P? It's going to be called Stop and P!

Kills'em, every time.

Yessir, Yessir, Three Bags Full

Tomorrow we are heading out to the great big gluttony known to muggles as the Sheep and Wool Festival.

My People know it to be two days of sheep, sheep dip, pumpkin tosses, yarn, more yarn and in fact, $200 dollars worth of yarn.

Even though it will be about 80 degrees, my family will be wearing every knitted thing in the house. I will be proudly sporting my Rhinebeck Bingo badge, 'cuz I'm a square!

Smells Like Teen Something

I got the bad news this week that Emily doesn't "need" a Halloween costume, thanks all the same.

I was planning on making this nice one on the left here.

The truth is, it's hard to knit for a teenager. I've knit a few things for Emily, with mixed results. By the time I'd finished one sweater, she had already grown about three inches. Colors we chose for a sweater in the fall were too dorky to wear in the spring. And don't ask me about the poncho.

A knitted pair of socks is always welcome, but often one of the pair finds it's way into the parallel sock universe portal of her laundry basket.

I think I hit it big, though, with this Calorimetry pattern. Em gave it a rave review, at least now while it's still 80 degrees outside and I am not asking her to puh-leeze wear a hat this morning your wet hair will freeze to the back of the bus seat. It's a quick knit, and an ass-kicking stash buster. Since you need less than 100 yards you can rescue quite a few widows and orphans right in time for the holiday season, and maybe make a teeenager say awesome.

Girl Can't Help It

I spent so much time today on Ravelry that I had to make this for dinner.

Did I hear you golfers ask: what is this thing taking up so much of your time? It's like watching the Golf Channel, only you and your friends have shows on it. Night of the Living Dead Putters! Mr. Manner's Guide to Golf Etiquette! As the Ball Swirls! And probably even this movie.

And you have to sit up, because it's so much harder to reach the keyboard when you are laying on the couch.