Well, it’s been quite the month, with new classes (knitting and otherwise) and a fair number of post-England tasks (unpack masses of books and yarn purchased in the UK, recover from Cadbury addiction, stare at photos of England, return to work, etc.). I’ll post a better catch-up tomorrow morning, but for now check out what I’m doing…
I have signed up for Stefanie Japel’s spiffy UPcycled T-shirt class. Very, very exciting. [Wow, I'm a geek.]
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Tagged: stefaniejapel education inspiration
Another very cool sign from our neighborhood, seen on some ripening tomato plants. How I love where we live.
Meanwhile, I’m working on a Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah Fettig. It’s in a fairly fine yarn – Malabrigo Lace – and I’m excited to see the final result…while at the same time awfully impatient about it.
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This blog might as well be called Knit Like You Mean It PLUS bonus baby animals!. FU Penguin would be appalled. However – aren’t these baby burrowing owls great?
The first in 30 years, apparently. And they have a look that says, “Took you guys long enough.”
Hop on over to the National Zoo Photostream for more photos. And consider knitting some Owlings hand mitts (rav lnk) to welcome these little guys to the world.
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Tagged: mitts
Here is one of the reasons we love our neighborhood: down the street, one of our neighbors has started a Poem Fence. Mr. Trask tells me that there used to be poems tacked on the fence, here and there, but now there are two established cork boards: one for children’s poems, and one for poems by adults. Children who have written a poem can post a copy of their poem on their board; the same for adults.
Some folks have posted original poetry, and a few have posted poems by well-known poets that they just wanted to share. Some post one copy of their poem; some post several copies so passers-by can take one if they like.
I’ve never met these neighbors, but I’m sending them goodwill and good vibes today for this excellent public service.
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Tagged: delray
Yes, one of my first stops after I returned to the U.S. was fibre space. All I expected and more! The shop is large and well on the road to “bursting with yarn.” [Disclaimer: I teach knitting for Knit-A-Gogo, fibre space's parent company, and all my classes will move there this fall.]
As we’d expect from a shop owned by the glorious Danielle, the shop is funky without tipping over into inaccessibility – and has some of the most beautiful yarn I’ve seen in quite some time. Spud & Chloë yarn and patterns — yarn from The Mirasol Project, and all the Miss Babs sock yarn you could ever dream of.
Best of all – a dedicated classroom for us teachers. Can you tell I’m excited about the shop? Sadly, at this rate I’ll be spending all I earn before I even walk out the door…but, heck, what is money for if not to exchange for yarn?
Today they’re receiving something like 43 boxes of yarny goodness from Malabrigo, Blue Sky, and others…I’ll be there late afternoon to help unpack. Will post another report soon after — or drop by and see for yourself!
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Tagged: blue sky alpacas, fibrespace, malabrigo, mirasol, missbabs, spudchloe
Big Knitters in Cardiff
It’s Day Two of Mr. Trask’s and my jaunt to Cardiff, which has been lovely indeed. After studying intensely all summer, it took me a few days to recover (sleep, read bad-for-me books like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, etc.), and I think today was the first day I really felt myself. After sleeping until 11:30 a.m., of course. [I expect to get no harassment re: P&P&Z. Check out the Onion AV Club review. There, that's distracted you.]
So, since I was feeling myself, what did I do with myself? Why, I found two yarn sources in one day, of course. First up: Big Knitters in Cardiff, which doesn’t yet seem to have a web presence. But they’ve been open just a few months and they are definitely there! The neighborhood clearly knows about them; several other knitters stopped in while I was there (on a Wednesday afternoon, no less), and a few area bloggers have written them up (see blog_bletherings and Chopped Tomatoes). I splurged on a Schoppel-Wolle Crazy Zauberball (see rav lnk) and some local handspun with Shetland fiber. Photos soon… I also splurged on Kim Hargreaves’ Amber (rav lnk), which I’d been unable to find in the States, and a set of KnitPro Symfonie DPNs. Huzzah!
Carolyn of Bulldog Krafts
Then we wandered into the Cardiff Summer Festival, where Bulldog Krafts had a booth. Carolyn Kennington, the owner of the company, was so charming and enthusiastic about seeing us. She stocks yarn that no one else in the UK does, and explained to me that she started out bringing some amazing cotton back (EL D Mouzakis – rav lnk) from Greece for herself (“I’d bring a whole empty suitcase with me every summer!”) and then started her business to share her goodies with the rest of the UK.
I bought some lovely J C Rennie Supersoft Cashmere (rav lnk), which came with a free shawl pattern (we do like free). Carolyn has just started posting her patterns on Ravelry; you can find them here. Watch out; they have an online shop as well. Dangerous!
All in all, a grand day. Cannot wait to start knitting with my finds here. Am carefully not thinking about how I will get all this yarn into my suitcase.
→ 2 CommentsCategories: travel · yarn · yarnshop
Tagged: big knitters, bulldog krafts, cardiff, handspun, Kim Hargreaves, knitpro, rennie, schoppel-wolle
Yes, the National Zoo has done it again. The mother of the male cubs born in March gave birth to a female cub last week – July 13.
As always, I find myself wondering how I can get Mehgan Murphy’s job (she’s the photographer for the zoo). Anyone got any tips?
Pop over to the flickr feed to see more photos, or the National Zoo’s cub update page to follow the little guys’ progress.
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Tagged: zoo obsession
Good afternoon to you all (good morning to those in the States)!
I am on the bus to London for the weekend. I have four big books with me, not to mention my computer. A paper is due on Wednesday, AND a class presentation as well. But the fabulous Joe-Biden-Lookalike SteveLawton (also known as my father) is in a flat in Kensington, so off I go. Theater and Churchill Tourism await! And I’ll read and write late and early (oh dear).
This was a challenging week, with class assignments looming (what, they don’t just want me to read and talk? I have to write? Formally?) and a bad head/chest cold the last few days. But I am still enjoying myself here, which is saying something indeed.
My spirits lifted, too, when I saw what’s pictured in the first photo below…a little charity shop in Oxford’s Covered Market that sells yarn! When I saw that shop window, I felt all my muscles tense, like a pointing dog. And then I felt a little better than I did before: there’s some yarn living around the corner from me.
Now, do I need more yarn? I do not. And on my current budget I probably won’t be buying any (which is why the sign on the door — second photo below — was a relief). But it’s nice to know there’s enough knitting out there that a charity shop can make a little money selling the tools of the trade.
And now — on to London!
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Tagged: oxford
…and now I am on my way back to Oxford. Have made through all three train transfers intact!
When I got to Paddington I almost immediately saw the ad below. I love that knitting’s a little more mainstream here, but is it fair to pick on a sheep? It’s not her fault she bought the wrong Underground ticket. Truly, we should commend her for venturing to London at all.
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Tagged: oxford
Hello from across the pond! I have arrived in Oxford after a few hectic weeks of preparation, during which I knit to calm myself down more than anything else.
In this program one certainly does hit the ground running — this is day five and I’ve already had two 2+-hour classes and much, much reading. I haven’t knit since I was on the plane…nor have I read for pleasure or even slept much.
But now I’m on the train, going to Paris to see my gorgeous friend Lauren, so here is my traveling sock (and project bag by Slipped Stitch Studios — I’ll add etsy link when I’m not iPhone blogging).
The yarn is Jade Sapphire cashmere, and to those who remind me socks should be made of sterner stuff — I say Eat My Leek.
Yes, eat my leek, evidently a Shakespearian retort, one worthy of being stamped on a tiny button in the RSC gift shop. I am a sucker, so I bought it for 50p, along with one that says, “She’s short but fierce” or words to that effect. We saw “As You Like It” in Stratford last night — a lovely performance, though it lacked both leeks and knitting.
Without further ado — here is the traveling sock. My England posts thus summer will probably be like this one…short and fierce, but frequent.
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Tagged: oxford, socks
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