Mandy Moore's Blog, page 70

Jillian’s Spinning: New Knitty and Spinning Sightings

The Spring+Summer issue of Knitty is out. There are two gorgeous handspun shawls in this issue, Regenerate by Mary-Anne Mace  and Sunday Sunrise by Zsuzsa Kiss .  Regenerate is even on the COVER of this issue. I love it more than I can say when handspun makes the cover. There is still snow on the ground here in Michigan and these two shawls give me hope for flowers and green grass.

Regenerate

Sunday Sunrise

My Knittyspin column is all about different ways to measure yarn. I never measured my yarn except for length and occasionally WPI. I was never really satisfied with it and could never spin consistently from one skein to another. Since I quit fighting the measure my yarn is much more even within and between skeins. Ahhhhh.

Measuring

I’ve noticed spinning in a couple of places this week:

Julia-Farwell Clay found spinning in the wild. On the Fluevog (sigh, I want all of the shoes) blog. A pair of World Zurich’s spinning on a Merlin Tree Hitch Hiker.

Fluevogs and a Hitch Hiker

Have you seen Shear Madness yet?

Shear Madness

It’s a reality show based on  Natalie Redding ‘s life running Namaste Farms. I’ve only seen one episode so far, but it’s great. I always knew that raising the fiber that we spin is hard work but, holy cats, seeing it is a whole other story. It’s on Nat Geo Wild on Saturday nights in the US.

WWW: Poetry, Master’s Program in Knitwear Design, #sockjournal

Our Spring & Summer issue launched just yesterday, and knitter Vicki Downing-Withers was so moved by the Regnerate Shawl design, and the story the designer tells, that she wrote a poem about it.

Oh swoon did my heart

that beats so fast

when my eyes gazed

upon your edges of thistle

dripping with meaning

sorrow and delight

maroon-purple mixed with

emotions that mere words

can not express

My knitting needles fainted

when first they did see

the loveliness in the pattern

oh yes, it is of weeds

To my stash I went with haste

only to find worsted not lace

My knitting needles began to mock

imagine for them it must have been a shock

for when I opened up another cabinet door

a ball of lace fell upon the floor

It was of eight hundred yards

not the nine eighty-four required

but then I thought perhaps

I’d knit as far as I could

and if at journeys end a lapse

of inches were to be found

I’d match it with another

close and yet not the same

but just as lovely with a different name.

Unbelievable.

Knitter Denise Salway, famous for her knitted replica of all the characters in the movie The Hobbit, has unveiled her next Tolkien-inspired project: the Hobbit coat. Her work is fantastic, and her Flickr stream is definitely worth a visit, whether you’re a fan of Middle Earth or not.

Although not the main thrust of the article, I’m excited about the news that Kingston University in London, UK, is launching a master’s degree program in Knitwear Design.

Live in the Pacific Northwest? Attending Vogue Knitting Live in Seattle? Amy’s got some space left in a couple of her classes this coming weekend…

Lucretia Green, as she approaches her 100th birthday, credits her longevity to good food, music and knitting.

Last Sunday’s Socks: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Bee Stripe.

I’ve been having fun on Twitter of late, with my #sockjournal. Pretty much every day, I tweet a picture of the socks I’m wearing, marked with the hashtag #sockjournal. Join in!

Perhaps a crazy idea, but if there really are 15,000 penguin sweaters going unused, perhaps we should channel our energy to knit penguin toys to wear the sweaters, and get these nattily-dressed little creatures donated to children in need?

Jillian’s Spinning: No Spinning, Granny Squares

I have been slowly (very slowly) teaching myself how to crochet. With the help of friends and a couple of online classes I have managed to learn the basic stitches. I made my teenage daughter a scarf out of double crochet. It felt good to be learning something new, but there was no real spark. That thing that kicks a new craft from “it’s nice” to “I have to get up early to do one more row/stitch/whatever”.

Then I learned how to make a granny square, an innocent little square, and my friends I am a little obsessed.

Granny-o-Rama

Right now I’m trying them in all different sizes of yarn. There are some yarns from my stash that I never really liked as knitted, but as crochet they are a different happier beast altogether. I have no idea of the technical reasons, but I just like them better crocheted.

Mountain Colors Merino Tape yarn. Never liked it knit, love it crocheted.

Small silk granny from slubby laceweight silk. I like the small grannies.

 

Tell me about your love for granny squares. Do you spin for crochet? Because that is now knocking on my brain asking to be let in.

On Charity Knitting; Too Many Penguin Sweaters?

Boing Boing puts it best: The Internet may be producing an excess of penguin sweaters.

If you do want to do some charity knitting, consult local organizations in your area to see what they need… women’s shelters often take children’s items; animal shelters often take blankets and comfort items; hospitals, particularly those with neonatal ICUs, often accept items for tiny newborns; homeless shelters often take winter accessories like hats and scarves.

We all have the impulse to use our power for good – let’s just make sure we direct it in a way that it’s of most benefit.

WWW: Tiny knitting, less-than-tiny garments; the Gawthorpe Collection

Speechless.

Woah. Just woah. Knitter Althea Chrome works in miniature, at 70 stitches TO THE INCH. After hitting the “I have knit all the scarves I can possibly ever need” wall, she decided to challenge herself in a rather amazing way: by getting smaller. Using silk sewing thread and surgical wire – and wearing magnifying glasses – she makes tiny sweaters and socks.

Huge congratulations to Ravelry, who just this past weekend, hit the amazing milestone of 4 million users.

Funny and yet totally serious.

Fascinating, conceptual and strangely beautiful. Japanese fashion design label Comme des Garçons showed an incredible collection of knitwear for fall 2014 in their Paris Fashion Week show last week.

I enjoyed the slideshow twice: first it made me smile, thinking how some of these multi-layered, multi-armed, stuffed and cocoon-like garments would be entirely suitable to this winter. And then I looked again, in awe of how the items are both constructed and yet de-constructed at the same time. It’s couture, these aren’t items to wear, but items to inspire and amaze and challenge. And in that, they are utterly, fantastically successful.

(The faux-ripped printed leggings are magnificent.)

Kate Davies (center) and Debbie Bliss (right) get a tour of the collection.

Also items to amaze: The historic Gawthorpe Textiles Collection lauched a new and exclusive range of knit and crochet patterns inspired by the work of Miss Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth, the founder of the Gawthorpe Textiles Collection. Designers Debbie Bliss, Kate Davies, Jane Ellison, Claire Montgomerie and Emma Varnam each created a new and exclusive item. The designers were invited to view the Gawthorpe Collection of needlecraft including embroidery, lace and costume gathered from across the globe, and the items they designed took flight from the amazing work on display. Funds raised by the sale of these patterns will be used to maintain the wonderful Gawthorpe Collection. If you’re not familiar with this wonderful little museum, read up on it.

She’s not wrong. Headline of the day, a quote from an 85-year old woman who donated a kidney.

Very cheering. Image courtesy Craftsy.

The weather may not be cooperating in letting them flowers grow outdoors, but surely your stash can be used to grow some indoors. The flower of the month is the daffodil, a personal favourite. Knit or crochet yourself some - thanks to Craftsy for the pattern collection!

WWW: Knitting songs & other history, knitted nests for baby birds

Easy to knit, yet very powerful in their ability to help.

Wildcare, an urban wildlife rehabilitation center based in San Rafael, California, has put out a call for help. They collect for rescued orphaned baby birds. The birds start arriving at the rehab center in June, and they need a lot of nests to care for these delicate creatures.

Stick to your knitting, kitten…

Singer, knitter and podcaster Melanie Gall of The Savvy Girls has released a second collection of knitting songs. This second release focuses on knitting songs of World War II. I love this project, keeping alive a small piece of ‘domestic’ history that might otherwise have been lost. Melanie is a professional opera singer, and her lovely voice is just right for these songs. The instrumentation is true to the period, and brings to life these little stories of life and knitting during the war, knitting for sweethearts and family members and servicemen abroad, knitting while you wait, knitting because it might the only thing you can do to contribute to the war effort.  At the same time, these songs tell universal stories of knitting, stories we’re all familiar with… “She started on a sock but kinda lost her nerve; shock followed shock for she couldn’t make the curve” – yup, we’ve all been there.

Image courtesy the Stroudwater Textile Trust.

Speaking of history, the Stroudwater Textile Trust has just launched a new website. This UK Trust is dedicated to telling the story of the Gloucestershire woollen industry, restoring and demonstrating historical textile machinery at two sites in the Cotswolds. The website has a wonderful history section, and hosts many historical images of wool mills in action.

Looking to the future: Kim Werker alerts us to news of an Open Source knitting machine.

“In the model of 3D printers and the online platforms that host open-source plans that anyone can print, some folks have developed OpenKnit, “an open-source, low cost (under 550€), digital fabrication tool that affords the user the opportunity to create his own bespoke clothing from digital files.”

And from technology to mathematics: wonderful eye-candy (although not entirely about knitting) in this slide show from Scientific American magazine, showcasing “The Stunning Symbiosis between math and knitting“. The article provides more detail on the craft-related events from Joint Mathematics Meetings held in Baltimore last month.

We’re pleased to announce two giveaway winners: the winner of the Dreaming in Shetland book is Lisa in Maryland and the winner of the class with me! is Debra, in Ontario.

Jillian’s Spinning: Working with commercial yarn

I love commercial yarn, I love buying it, I love knitting with it, nothing makes me happier than going to a yarn store and touching all the yarn. I never leave empty handed.

When my son wanted a hat, red and cozy, I went for Cascade Eco Wool.

Eco Wool and hat

My son said it was the perfect red and really soft. It knit up fast,but I noticed something. It had less ply twist than I would use if I had spun the yarn.

Balanced ply twist

Because I am a curious spinner, I added some ply twist.

Added twist left, regular right.

I knitted a swatch for comparison.

Added ply twist left, regular right.

I really like the little bit of extra twist in the knitting, it adds some sproing. My son likes the version with regular twist.

I love the idea of altering commercial yarn to make a yarn I like just a little better.

 

 

 

 

WWW: YO, YFWD, YRN, oh my! On codes and coding.

I hope everyone is enjoying all the excellent knitting-appropriate TV that the Winter Games provides… I have a bit of a weakness for all the figure skating/ice dancing events. I adore the artistry and athleticism, yes, but also the silly music, the slight frisson of scandal (score fixing?!) and the fantastic overuse of sequins… The Olympics this year have caused much debate, controversy and concern because of host country Russia’s stated policies towards members of the LGBT community. Friend of Knitty Bristol Ivy kicked off an initiative to give back. She decided to donate a portion of her sales proceeds during the run of the games to a human rights organization that supports those in that community. Other designers have joined her. More details here.

Not quite like this… (a still from a 1958 film adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities.)

An urban legend, confirmed… knitting has been used at least once as a code, to record information. Apparently, during WWII, the Belgian resistance recruited women whose windows overlooked railway yards to record the trains in their knitting. I do also adore the tid-bit that the British Office of Censorship banned people from sending knitting patterns through the mail in case they contained coded messages. It makes me want to design knits that contain hidden messages.

For lace knitters, knitting historians and those interested in the technical details: a fantastic discussion kicked up yesterday on Twitter between Susan Crawford, Knitty columnist Donna Druchunas and some others about historical lace patterns and the various ways to represent the yarnover stitch. Both Susan and have blogged about it. I agree with them that the modern catch-all instruction “yarnover” isn’t ideal, as it loses some of the finer detail about how to actually work it in various situations.

Lots of lovely eye-candy: the Twitter account @HistoryNeedsYou has been tweeting an awful lot of knitting-related pictures of late. I think this one is my favorite.

Helping hands.

Knitter Rita Gallant has been named a “Caring Canadian” by Governor General David Johnston, to recognize her work over the past 28 years making and donating baby clothes to hospitals. She has made donations all over North America, and also sold her handwork to raise funds to support the care of premature and at-need babies.

Jillian’s Spinning: Spinning Wheel Spa – Schacht Matchless

By far my favorite spinning tools are my wheels. Every so often, probably not often enough, I give them a mini spa treatment. I oil, condition their wood and change their drive bands. Just a little spiff up.

What usually happen while I’m doing this is that I think about how the wheel came to me and all of the classes and adventures we’ve been on together.

It has been past time for me to show my Matchless a little love. Here she is, I’ve had her for at least 20 years.

Schacht Matchless

I bought her at Lambspun in Fort Collins, Colorado when I worked at Interweave Press. I barely knew how to spin, but as soon as I saw her I was in love. I haven’t used her much for the past year or so, even though she’s the wheel I can adjust with my eyes closed, I’m so familiar with her.

She has aged beautifully. When she was new she was closer in color to my Lendrum.

Side by side with my Lendrum

She was a little dusty

Dusty treadles

This is the wheel I really learned to spin on thanks to Maggie Casey. It’s also the wheel I stuck in the basement for many years becasue  I was obsessed with knitting. She was patiently waiting when I decided I needed to spin.

Here’s my mini spa kit:

Mini spa kit

I like Wood Beams to condition the wood, it soaks in fast and has almost no smell. I use chalk line for my drive band replacement. It was recommended by Beth Smith as a good basic drive band for my Schacht. She does say that I ‘ll have to tighten it every few bobbins since it’s polyester and will stretch. I actually consult the wheel’s manual before I oil. Almost all of my wheels have their manuals on-line. During my mini spa I take my WooLee Winder apart and clean it according to the manual. There’s usually a lot of fluff stuck inside. I like a WooLee Winder, not everyone does. I use it most of the time on my Matchless, but not all of the time. I check my wheel for loose bits. Carrying my wheel around in my car, vibrates screws loose. I treadle the wheel by hand and attend to any weird sighs and squeaks. Then I am done.

My girl after her spa

She looks happy, doesn’t she? Now it’s time to spin!

How do you take care of your wheels?

 

 

 

 

Cat & Felfs & Kindness

Friend of Knitty and innovator extraordinaire Cat Bordhi, has announced her next book: The Art of Felfs: Felted Footwear for Families.

A new book of Cat patterns is always worth getting excited about, and this has a lot of typically wonderfully Cat ideas… although all the styles seem to have been knitted in the round, they are actually all cleverly constructed strips of garter stitch that are felted and folded in various ways to make a myriad shapes of comfy warm slippers.

Love them!

And what makes this book even more special is that Cat has chosen to donate 100% of the proceeds of the sale of the e-book to a cause close to her heart: the cancer treatment research of Dr. David Krag at the University of Vermont Medical School. To quote Cat, “Dr. Krag, who pioneered sentinel node location, which has been used by over a million women with breast cancer, is now on the cusp of starting clinical trials for a cancer treatment that is as gentle as chemo is violent, and likelier to result in a complete cure.” Cat has made a video to introduce Dr. Krag’s work, and to tell you a little about the folding of the felfs.

Love ‘em!