Money for knit stocking

During the past week we had 2 requests for hand-knit items.

Let me know (thea.yarnstore at gmail.com) if you're interested, and I'll pass on your info.

1) knit stocking. red and green stripes.

2) I just had a baby and am looking for folks that are interested in knitting or crocheting baby items for me. I have the patterns. I would like hats, and stockings. Something of a fairly good quality (although it doesn’t hv to be cashmere of course!) but something that will last for years to come and can be passed on to his own children someday.
There are also so many items that I want hand-knitted for him. I hv saved many pics of items that I like, especially knit dolls. Sock monkey style!?

shawl pic

What's next

I finished the shawl! yay. It's too dark to take an adequate picture right now, but I should be able to take one by Wed.

Next on my list is a drop stitch scarf with ribbon yarn. We sold the previous store sample, so I'm making another one.

After that I'll finally be able to work on my growing list of presents and gifts.

I'm also going to try and make before Friday night a hat for Knitzilla. Why Friday - a representative from the group will be at the store on Saturday for our charity knitting day. I'm thinking of a black hat with red diagonal stripes. We'll see.

The Christmas presents I'll need to make are a mobius head shawl, possibly with the outback mohair and Noah's pirate socks (half done), and a slew of bookmarks to stick in a few Christmas cards. Jessamy wants bed socks, slippers, and a hat, but she's going to be in SF for Christmas, and last year we just had late Christmas with her.

My sister asked for a sweater. Fortunately her birthday's in mid January, so if I shoot for having it done by Christmas, it should be able to finish it by mid January.

Charity Knitalong

Hi all.

The holidays are a season for giving, so why not use your knit and crochet skills for charity.

Here's the deal:
Everyone who participates in our December knitalong should email me (that@thatyarnstore.com) with your name, blog (if any), and the # of items you pledge to make for charity between Dec. 1st and by Dec. 31st.

Here's what we hope to accomplish with our CHARITY KNITALONG:

100 hats for Stitches from the Heart.
25 preemie sweaters for Stitches from the Heart.
25 hats for Knitzilla.


Participants:
Hilda - 2 preemie hats
Marisa - 3 preemie hats
Terry - 10 preemie hats
Thea - 10 preemie hats, 1 sweater, 3 knitzilla hats

_______________

The special charity knitting button will be available soon. We'll also have a button for those that meet or exceed their pledges.

The charities I'm focusing on are Stitches from the Heart and Knitzilla. But feel free to send your items to other charities.

We have a $25 gift certificate for the most charity items knitted or crocheted (we'll need a picture of your items to share).

Keep checking back for updates. Thanks for getting involved!

If you're in the LA area and would like to knit with others, That Yarn Store will be having a charity knitting event (including reps from Stitches and Knitzilla and a preemie hat knitalong) on Dec. 9th from 11-1.

Check out Bev's Country Cottage for preemie measurements and patterns.

Charity hat done

I just finished the template for my preemie Stitches from the Heart hats.

I used DK weight yarn, and size 5 DP needles.
Here's the pattern - CO 50, work in k1, p1 rib for 4 rows. Work 8 rows in stockinette.

Decrease as follows:
Row 1: *k5, k2tog*, repeat from *, ending with k1.
Row 2: *k4, k2 tog*, repeat from *, ending with k1.
Row 3: *k3, k2 tog*, repeat from *, ending with k1.
Row 4 and all subsequent rows: *k2, k2 tog*, repeat from *, ending with k1.
Stop decreasing when you have 9 stitches left. Cut end, bring end through the 9 stitches, weave in ends.

Look we're famous!

In case you missed it, That Yarn Store had a whole two paragraphs in a semi recent LA Times article about Eagle Rock.

Here's some excerpts from recent press and ones from the past.

Side note: the kid on the front page of that article looks just like one of my identical twin cousins - coincidence, probably, but please don't ask me which twin it looks like.


LA Times, Calendar Section, Nov. 16th
[...]
Late on a Wednesday morning, David Orozco is sitting on a floral couch knitting a baby blanket. Barefoot and bearded, he isn't the sort of owner you'd imagine for a yarn shop, but this isn't your average knitting store. In addition to offering classes and selling yarns made from bamboo, hemp and yak hair, the store is a community gathering spot of sorts. Set up like a living room, with a couple of well-worn couches and rocking chairs, this strip-mall outpost regularly hosts special events, including a monthly Spin a Good Yarn Night (where knitters share stories while working their needles), yarn swaps and Spanish conversation nights.

The concept is "a place where people could come and hang out and talk and have it be supported by a business," said Orozco, 55, who runs the shop with his wife and two of his six children. He chose Eagle Rock because the retail space is fairly inexpensive and "the cultural mix of the community is such that there's all kinds of people here and all kinds of economics."


LA Weekly
November 15th
LA Vida-Knitting Factories
Where to stitch ’n’ bitch in L.A. [...]

That Yarn Store

This place is more than a knit shop: It’s an art gallery, a literary salon, even a language-immersion center. On Spin a Good Yarn night, patrons read poetry, passages from novels, or just a good joke; Friday Night Fun might mean a movie or live music underscored by the soothing click-click of knitting needles; on Spanish Conversation nights, knitters are invited to habla español. Owners David Orozco and Sarah Todd, along with their brood of eccentric kids (ask them about Borneo), are constantly thinking of new activities to keep knitters from feeling lonesome. Their upcoming Yarn Swap and Thanksgiving Leftovers night (November 24) is a clever way to use up uneaten stuffing and old balls of leftover yarn. There are weekly classes for beginners, a Men’s Only night and — just in time for holiday generosity — a Quick Gifts class (Saturday, December 9). That Yarn Store, 1578 #4 W. Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock, (323) 256-YARN or http://thatyarnstore.com.

LA City Beat - 7 days
9/14/06
HUMAN TOUCH
Most objects and adornments feel better in your hands if you sense the hands that made them. All day today through Sunday, see handcrafted fine art and objects, including creations by more than 45 jewelers working in a wide range of materials, at the 1st Annual Santa Monica Arts Festival (Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main St.; $7.50, $6.50 seniors, free for kids under 12; Americanartsfestival.com). Hourly demonstrations throughout the weekend include ceramics, water color, and weaving. But if it’s fiber that really gets you going, hit That Yarn Store in Eagle Rock, where this evening they’re holding a “Singles Night” so people of both sexes, any sexual orientation, and all knitting skill levels, can needle each other in search of true love (1578 W. Colorado Blvd., 323-256-9276; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; free; Thatyarnstore.com).

LA City Beat - 7 days
5/18/06

THREAD BARING

Got a yarn to tell? Don’t know yarns that well? Satisfy both needs tonight at That Yarn Store in Eagle Rock. The family-owned, “community-oriented gathering place” is hosting its second “Spin a Good Yarn Night,” featuring poetry, jokes, improv, and other kinds of ways to tell a story while your hands are busy making mittens, or scarves, or a sexy ’70s crochet bikini. Bring your needles, or your active storytelling or listening skills, and see what “purls” your pals will come up with. Say, isn’t that James Frey in the corner? 7 p.m. Free. 1578 W. Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock, (323) 256-9276. Thatyarnstore.com.

Begone with you

Got an email a few days ago about a call for unfinished knitting projects, to be used as set pieces for a play.

So I dug up my first attempt at a scarf.







Yes, it does have a cable down the middle. But, it also has crossed stitches, new yarn joined in the middle of a row, and I thought two skeins would be enough for a scarf.

I briefly considered keeping it for sentimental reasons, but seeing as I don't actually remember knitting it, that excuse wouldn't work. Plus, I'm genetically predisposed to hord crap, and although I'm doing pretty good at the moment in terms of stuffage, this scarf just might be the gateway garment. Next thing you know, I'm 70 years old and still holding on to my gauge swatches afghan squares.

If anyone wants to share postage, bring your knitting to the store, affixed with all the necessary info.

________________

Dear Knitters,

Got an old knitting project that you don’t plan to
ever finish?
Half done socks?
Five inches of a scarf?
Now they can be part of a touring theater piece!

Help performer Kristina Wong demystify the
knitting circle and unravel the deep psyche of the
master crafter in her new solo show “Wong Flew Over
the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Your donations of unfinished
knitting pieces from around the world will be included
as part of the set for a live serio-comic exploration
of maintaining sanity in times that seem almost
fictitious.

All contributors will receive “set construction”
program credit for the life of the show. (Please
forward this notice to all the knitters you know)

Your friends in crafting,
The Cuckoo’s Nest

WHY UNFINISHED KNITTING?
“Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” originally
set out to explore the sky-high rates of mental
illness and suicide among Asian Pacific Islander
Women. Asian Pacific Islander American women have the
highest rates of suicide in the country in a statistic
that seems to be widely unpublicized and often
disregarded. The unfinished knitting collected
represent incomplete intentions, women’s work,“spinning a yarn,” and loneliness. During the show,
Kristina uses the knitting pieces to represent
“unravelling” women and even unravels some of the
pieces during the show. These knit pieces may also be
displayed as part of an art installation later in the
run.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING:
Please include the skein of yarn (if there is one)
attached to your unfinished knitting. Include the
knitting needle it’s sitting on, or if you want to
keep you needles, pull some waste yarn through the
loops so that your piece doesn’t unravel in the mail.

On a sheet of paper please include the following
information. This information is all optional as it
may be displayed as part of a public installation of
this work.

Name (or alias)
Gender
Age
Ethnic identification
Where do you live/ Where are you from?
What was the original intention when you cast on
this piece?
What reasons do you have for not finishing it?
Any information about this piece that is pertinent
to its history or to your history.
If you are interested in knowing where “Wong Flew
Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is touring to, please include
your email address.

Note: Your name and hometown must be included if
you want to be credited for “set construction.”


DO SEND:
Unfinished knitting, all different shapes and
colors that can be unraveled if pulled at the string.
This could be the sleeve of a sweater you never
finished, the first scarf you started, or any other
piece of knitting that for some reason or another you
have not managed to finish nor do you anticipate will
represent incomplete intentions, women’s work,
“spinning a yarn,” and loneliness. During the show,
Kristina uses the knitting pieces to represent
“unravelling” women and even unravels some of the
pieces during the show. These knit pieces may also be
displayed as part of an art installation later in the
run.


YOUR KNITTING WILL NOT BE RETURNED!
At the end of the run of “Wong Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest,” the remaining pieces will be stitched
together to create blankets for charity. Any attached
skeins of yarn will be cut and also given to charity.

TIMELINE:
* Knitting received by December 1, 2006 will
appear in the Berkeley premiere of WFOTCN on December
9 and the run at MACLA in San Jose December 15-16.
* Knitting received by March 15, 2006 will appear
in the East Coast premiere of WFOTCN March 23-24 at
the Painted Bride in Philadelphia, PA.
* Knitting may also appear in other national
performances of this show.

MAIL YOUR KNITTING TO:
KRISTINA WONG
WONG FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
PO BOX 251664
LOS ANGELES, CA 90025 USA

Please do not send anything COD.

QUESTIONS/ PRESS INQUIRIES?
Http://www.kristinawong.com
k@kristinasherylwong.com

Felted Sachet

I needed a break from the never ending shawl yesterday, so I made this 3 hour felted sachet. I'm thinking I'll use it for a felting class.


December 9th is our charity knitting event.

I'll be posting in the next few days about how you can help and take part in our charity knitalong.

Pictures!

Hey, here are some pics from the last couple of events.

Live Music tonight!

Music Night
Featuring Lorin Hart and a special musical guest.

November 17, 7 pm

"Lorin Hart is like Buddy Holly's girlfriend, a downtown cowgirl, and her songs sound like the fairgrounds" --Tom Waits

Join us for a wonderful evening of music and heart.

home.earthlink.net/~lorinhart

Fiber arts show this week!

fiber = art

Fibrous Beginnings: A Los Angeles Fiber Arts Show

November 12-November 18, 2006
Opening Reception: Saturday, November 11, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Join us for some unusual, witty, and just plain cool pieces by local
Los Angeles fiber artists.

Artists include: Illona Battaglia Aguayo, Juanita Rivas-Raymer, Evelyn
Van Orden, Janice Ogata, Regina Rioux Gonzalez, Elisabeth Quick, Ako
Castuera, and Sharon Grier.

That Yarn Store
1578 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 256-9276
http://thatyarnstore.com/show.html

Fiber arts show coming very soon!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

November 11th
Fibrous Beginnings: A fiber arts exhibit



November 12 - November 18, 2006

Opening Reception: November 11, 7-10 pm

And don't forget our unnofficial, not really end-of-show Music Night

Featuring Lorin Hart and a special musical guest.

November 17, 7 pm

Click here for an invitation

"Lorin Hart is like Buddy Holly's girlfriend, a downtown cowgirl, and
her songs sound like the fairgrounds" --Tom Waits

It keeps going ...

Yay, I love the I voted sticker.



Still working on the shawl. I've made some progress, but I'm not done yet!

Gnome class this saturday

Knitted gnome class! This Saturday!

Holiday Gnome Workshop
Saturday, November 4th,
9:30-12:00 $28 (+ materials)





Knitted toys are a great way for beginners to learn the basic techniques of knitting. Learn how to make these cute little chaps. To reserve your space, workshop must be paid in full. Drop by the store before 7 pm, or phone in your reservation today!

More projects

I've done another bookmark, this one in a drop stitch pattern.

I'm also making a shawl (on commision). It's ribbing with small needles, so I'll be doing this one for a while ...

Quick Bookmark

For about a year now my grandmother has been telling us we should do bookmarks because they are fast and easy. So last night I put aside my socks and made some quick 1 hour bookmarks using cotton thread, #2s and a simple yo, k2tog pattern.

Apparently this mixture really shows off uneven tension, but I still like it.


This was my second one (the first is already in a book), and a third of a different pattern is on the needle.

Not much knitting, but...

I was pleased to find out that The Nipple Project is extending it's deadline to Spring 2007.

As much fun as it seems it'll have to be a post-Christmas project for me.

Thanks for the update Janice!

pirate socks

I decided to do Noah's pirate socks at the same time. A good decision, I think.

I'm going to dupicate stitch the skull onto the big black stripe. Sure, the skull is going to be a little further down than one would expect, but I don't think it will ruin the effect.

Parrots

Becca from Sugarbutterbex and I are at the Highland Park Farmers Market every Tuesday from 3 - 7. We have crafts available for kids, sometimes simply some paper and markers, or a special treat, like last week's sugar skulls (man, was that messy).

Early on in the afternoon we were greeted with a cacophony of squaks. There's a lot of speculation as to LA and other cities have their own parrot flock. I don't pretend to know which rumor is true, but I do know they are loud.

For several months the parrots used to wake me up in the morning (the opposum is still around, by the way), but about 6 months they moved on. I had always assumed the flock consisted of 15, maybe 20 parrots. But this flock had to have had at least 50 parrots. It was a bizarre sight. Maybe I'll see them again next week.

New yarn!

We've just got in new shipments of yarn. Now introducing:
Royal Bamboo, made of 100% Bamboo (not to be confused with 100% Bambii, for those of us who can't type)







Galaway, 100% Wool, in a nice orange for a felted pumpkin, or whathave you

Dreambaby DK, Acrylic and Nylon (I'm going to use it for pirate socks for Noah, but of course not in the colors show)









and ....
Cleckheaton Merino Supreme
Ohhhhh.
I still haven't figured out what I'll be doing for the capelet, at first I was thinking simple eyelett lace pattern, but now that I see it in person I'm thinking short cables. hmmm, choices.

Call for entries, and new needles

We just got in new needles:



















and we're restocked on the 9" Circs.
and ...

Call for Entries:
That Yarn Store in Eagle Rock will be having a fiber arts exhibit in early
November. The deadline for consideration is October 30th.

We are looking for works of art that are knitted, crocheted, felted, spun,
etc. We prefer unusual pieces, works that make people ponder, marvel, and
are generally just cool. The purpose of the exhibit is to celebrate and
recognize the vast artistic talents of Los Angeles fiber artists.

Please send standard sized photographs of your entries, no more than 3
entries per person, to
That Yarn Store
c/o fiber art exhibit
1578 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
if you would like your pictures returned, please send a SASE.

or email photographs of your entry, no more than 3 entries per person, to

yarnart@gmail.com

Please send with your photograph the following information (please write
clearly):
Artist:
Title:
Description:
Bio:
Email:
Phone:
Mailing Address:

All decisions will be made by November 10th.

Thanks.

Thea
That Yarn Store
1578 Colorado Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 256-9276
www.thatyarnstore.com

yarnart@gmail.com

snip snip

So the haircut wasn't so much a chop chop as a snip snip.

I almost always dislike haircuts at first, I think there's only been one exception. With this one, I like the layered bangs,














but ...














not so sure about the mullett. I hope you appreciate the picture, it took about 6 tries to get a shot that wasn't just my hand or my shirt.

Sure, the mullet was big in Japan a few years ago, and if I were to judge Japan's haircut trends by those three girls in H&M yesterday, it still is. But I'm not really sure it's my thing. Lets see how I feel tomorrow.

You might be wondering why I haven't been posting any of my knitting projects. Well, that's because I don't really have any. I'm waiting for my yarn (dreambaby DK) to come in for pair of socks and superwash (cleckheaton) for a hooded capelet/poncho thing. So really, I've just been messing around with short rows and lace, trying to figure out what pattern I want the capelet to be, it's not really postable material since I rip it out immediately.

I'm going to have a booth today at the Highland park Farmer's Market (goldline station) stop by and say hi.

Chop Chop

I'm gonna get my hair cut tomorrow. yay. Not that I'm really looking forward to sitting in a highchair and awkwardly staring at myself and the hairstylist in the mirror for three hours. But, a change would be nice. I still don't know how I want it cut, so I guess we'll all be surprised tomorrow.

Pictures

Hiyal.

Here are some pics of our last two Friday Night events - Martini Night and Left Over Party Night.

Knit for peace

Martini Night was a blast (thanks again, Libby), and I'll post more on that soon, but right now I want to share an email I just got (write a comment, or email if you have any recomendations on how That Yarn Store can celebrate it) :

Dear Folks,

We've just passed the autumnal equinox, it's the new moon, the New Year for some, a lovely Friday in September for others, and I'd like to start organising for 2007. These are the things that I'd like to do to get organised:

Get the Knit for Peace Manifesto translated into as many languages as possible.

Remind people so that they can start planning in their communities.

Generate contact with the press so that the word can spread.

To update you on what I've been doing:

I've updated the Squidoo lens (http://www.squidoo.com/knitforpeace)

I've (gulp) started a blog (http://knitforpeace.blogspot.com)

The reason that I've started a blog is to make current information available to anyone who looks for it--it's seems easier than pointing and clicking to bcc to everyone on a mailing list from Yahoo so that you're all anonymous to each other. Speaking of which, if you want to be removed from this mailing list please let me know and I will do so immediately. I don't expect to be sending out a lot of this type of email because (1) it's a pain to write and receive, and (2) I figure that some of these will get caught in a spam trap because the list is so long, and I don't want that to happen.

Happy knitting,

Randy

Another Knitter for Peace

What's on the needles?

Right now I'm making wee hats for Stitches from the Heart.

These two I finished at the last church of craft. I love little hats. You can whip them out in an hour and don't need a pattern. And so what if they come out a little pointy...

Babies' heads are a little pointy, right? Well, Jessamy says they are, though I can't say I've ever made a mental note of the shape of baby heads.

Can you tell I'm not a professional photographer? I think pants make a fine backdrop.

new yarns

We've recently received some new yarns.

We're most excited about the Rowan Demin. The finished garment fades and shrinks just like jeans. Like many things in life, normally that's a bad thing, but since it's purposeful it's cool.

What are these droplets?

I would like to assure you before I start my actual post that I will refrain from mentioning Singles Night (9/14 6pm). I've already posted about Singles Night (9/14 6pm) and I would guess that most of the people who read this blog also get our newsletters and are tired of being reminded that Singles Night is this Friday at 6pm and that we'll be providing some cheese, crackers, and non-alcoholic drinks (we're saving the bubbly for Martini Night (9/22 6pm)).

I woke up this morning and noticed that it was a little darker than usual. I just assumed it was a manifestation of my then current mental state, but I realized as soon as I closed the self-locking door and walked down the porch and into the foggy drizzle that it was completely stupid of me not to have looked outside before exiting the building. And it wasn't as if I was driving to work that day. I was, of course, late to catch the train (light rail system to be exact). I really need to start watching the weather channel, or at the very least not smile and nod and secretly say in my head "poor woman, she has no idea what she's talking about" when a customer tells me the weather is going to be cooler tomorrow.

Yesterday was Noah's birthday, so we ate out at Stinking Rose. Hana and Noah claim the restaurant is under new management because the menu is different and the mash potatoes don't taste the same. I wouldn't know about that, but I do know Garlic Ice Cream is good. I also know that excessive amounts of garlic make one very volatile. At one point in the evening mom asked some question which required an explanation of opossums and the news that the "Jingle Cats" CD she gave me 5 years ago has finally been appreciated, though perhaps not as originally intended.

Mom's response to the opossum story was "yes, I know, I read your blog." Oh dear, is nothing sacred! In an instant she had shattered all my dreams using this blog to air my family's dirty laundry and reduced my topics of appropriate posting to the weather.

Church of Craft tomorrow

The next Church of Craft meeting, Eagle Rock congregation, is tomorrow, September 10th, from 2:00-5:00 or so at The Coffee Table on Colorado in Eagle Rock.

I'm going. See you there.

The Love Scarf Project

That Yarn Store is supporting a new charity, The Love Scarf Project. Drop in and donate a handmade scarf or cap.

About The Love Scarf Project
The Love Scarf Project collects handmade scarves and caps to be distributed on Christmas Eve to men and women living with cancer at City of Hope, a southern CA institution dedicated to the prevention and curing of cancer and other life-threatening illness.

Singles Night, countdown begins

Singles Night is 8 days away.

So far we've had more men than women RSVP for the event and it's going to be very awkward if Singles Night turns out to be a room full of guys, Frannie, and I. Especially since Frannie and I aren't single ...

Come on over to singles night, don't be shy, it's basically just going to be a knitting and crochet circle for people with at least one thing in common - that they're single. So bring your friends, and bring your knitting, we're also looking for volunteers to teach those that don't know how to knit or crochet. Did I mention we'll have refreshments?

Opossum revisited

Last night (UFO Night) I was asked about the opossums. Well, sad to say, the issue has not been resolved.

I had done a fair amount of research, looked at several possum websites, including www.opossumsocietyus.org, etc, called animal control but apparently they only catch dogs and cats and then claimed there were no other city services that trapped wildlife, so I then called up a couple of professionals... Then nothing. I got overwhelmed, and dad's solution of get Max (he would be leaving in two days) and Noah (a sixteen year old) on the roof, at night, to board the hole just didn't seem like something I wanted to do.

I love my brothers, I don't want to send them on the roof at 10:00 at night. More to the point, I don't want to send them up on the roof at 10:00 at night, only for them to fall off and leave me with the guilt of their neck-down paralysis for the rest of my life.

After a not so brief consideration of hiring one of the trappers for $350 and more attempts at the ammonia buckets, I temporarily gave up.

Then, after a so far successful ridding of the fruit flies two weeks ago, I've been alternating between zealous fits of "must be on offensive against possum" and "I'm too lazy to sit in the backyard with an empty trashcan, a stick, and a piece of string."

The last fit of offensiveness involved going out at 9 pm and buying 3 boxes of aluminum foil at the 99 cents store and $20 of aluminum at Home Depot, the thinking being that we could wrap aluminum around all the trees, and then the possum wouldn't have any surface to cling to as it's climbing up the trees. Well, 45 minutes into the plan we (jessamy and I, mostly Jessamy) had just finished wrapping a 3 inch in diameter vine when we realized that the opossum, which had previously been on the ground, had made it's way to the roof via an unknown route. Suddenly, that plan got way too complicated for our tired little brains.

Becca, who's very nice and owns sugarbutterbex, has had a raccoon problem for a number of years, and has convinced me to rent a trap. Fortunately we have a park a block away from my house (I'll tell you about the rat relocation one of these posts), so I'll be able to relocate the animal easily. Though I just now realized that I shouldn't get my hopes up, since that advice is given from someone who has had racoons for a number of years.

Until then, Jessamy and I have decided to go the General Noriega route and blast Jingle Cats out of a stereo placed right under the ceiling (while we're out of the house, of course).

UFO Night Tomorrow

UFOs, otherwise known as Unfinished Objects to those in the knitting acronym circle.

Friday, September 1st
5:30-7
Bring in any projects that are ... well ... unfinished.
This is the chance you've been waiting for to finish that shawl hiding under your sofa.

(I'm going to be bringing that linen shirt that's been sitting in the corner for months)

Eagle Rock rocks

Today Frannie and I went around to various stores in Eagle Rock to promote our Martini Night (Sept. 22nd) and Singles Night (Sept. 15th). Everyone was very nice to us. It was interesting how some were really into the idea of a Martini Night (like the guys at the Underground store on Eagle Rock blvd.) and some couldn't care less about booze, but thought the idea of a Singles Night was great (like the guy from the ballroom store). The biggest dissapointment of the afternoon was the fact that the firestation was closed (no fires in the afternoon?), but we did put a singles night flyer in their mail box (don't worry, I'll be personally delivering singles night flyers to the Highland Park firestation).

Even though I seem to pass out flyers every few months, I'm always surprised how wonderful the Eagle Rock community is, and how the people who work and live here are friendly and great.

I heard from a number of those business that things are really slow right now, so I want to encourage everyone reading this blog to support Eagle Rock business. Instead of going to Target to buy your next t-shirt, check out some of the cool stores like Regeneration on 1649 Colorado blvd. or Eagle Rock Underground 4690 eagle rock blvd. Shop at Colorado Wine Company, 2114 W. Colorado Boulevard, the next time you're in the mood for wine (they also have a weekly Sangria Saturday which I hope to go to this weekend).

In short, please support your local business, they need your patronage in order to survive, and we need them to help make our community safe, interesting and unique.

Almost finished hat

I more or less have finished the hat for Max. I'm not sure if it's the right size for him so I haven't closed the top of the hat yet.

It's an entirely unimpressive hat, but I think that's what he wanted.
To be honest, I'm not sure. When I asked him what kind of hat he wanted he replied "you know, a hat." So that's what I made. The color's nice at least.

I'm almost tempted to leave the needles permanently on the top. It reminds me of those propeller beanies, but a lot more dangerous. Maybe I can start a line of knitwear called "At Your Own Risk." It will feature clothes with knitting needles still in them, pins holding sweaters together, rusty nails woven into socks ...

Somehow I don't think the line would be very successful.

Spin a Good Yarn Night

Spin a Good Yarn Night is tonight at 7:00

Bring stories, poems, gossip. Or, if you're shy, just bring yourself.

Return of potholder

I did finish the potholder, 3 hours before Max left for SF.


I was asleep by the time Max got back from the Hollywood Bowl, so I didn't see his reaction, but when I showed the potholder to Noah he said "wuh, it actually looks like a potholder, if someone were to ask me what this was, I would say it's a potholder." What that comment actually meant, I'm not sure, but for now I'll take it as a compliment.


Next on my knitting to do list: a hat for Max, per his request (he'll be back in LA in two weeks, so I have another deadline) and a pair of socks for Noah for his birthday (mid September), Noah didn't specify what kind of socks, so I'm thinking I'll make him pirate socks. Black and white stripes, maybe a simple skull, depending on when my yarn comes in.

This just in:
You may have heard of the craft group called Church of Craft (not affiliated with That Yarn Store). They are a cool group with local meetings all over the US. that get together and do crafty things. We think the group is great, and want to let you know that the next meeting of the Eagle Rock congregation is September 10th from 2:00-5:00 or so at The Coffee Table on Colorado in Eagle Rock.


Current project:


I'm working on a pot holder for max, who's moving into an apartment in less than a week. It's made with cotton licious. The black will be regular single crochet, the white will be a single crochet through the back loop.

Let me be, oh opossum

We have an opossum in our attic.

Every couple of months we'll have a rat in an unused closet (closing the hole would require cleaning out the closet which crammed with crap, literally and figuratively, so I don't think that problem will be solved for a while). I've already learned what to do when we have a rat, turn on a light in the closet. Since they are nocturnal it takes them a very long time to adjust, and the noise aspect of the problem (the one that affects me the most, and this the only one I care about) is solved.

I assumed the recent stint of noises inside the walls was another rat, a very active, and large, rat. Then I heard that Noah was complaining about an opossum which was making a lot of noise in the yard while it was climbing a tree. Ah ha, it all made sense now. I told dad, thinking that would make the problem go away, a week later I was awoken at 4 in the morning, and was kept awake for another hour. The next day I mentioned to dad the little problem again, and again I felt sure that the opossum problem would magically get fixed.

Well, it didn't, and this past week, just like the week before, I've been awaken most every night by an incessant scratching right above my head, and last night it lasted from 4-5:30 in the morning. I just did a google search, and apparently one should not use poison, or board up the hole (which dad claims is hard to reach and near the roof) while the possum is out because babies might be inside. So, I'm going to try using a rag soaked in ammonia, and if that doesn't work, I'm calling a trapper. Which of course means if I want to get it done soon I need to call the trapper myself, and just fork over the money I was saving for a dentist appointment. Right now the need for uninterrupted sleep is greater than the need for good dental hygiene. And did I mention we also have fruit flies? What a cruel, cruel world we live in.

yummy goodness

The Stitch n Pitch Dodgers game was a lot of fun, I think I watched about 5 minutes of the game, was too busy working with thin novelty yarn. Don't worry if you missed the event, the Dodgers promised to have another one.

Besides the linen shirt (I really, really don't want to do the math) and arm warmers I started on two years ago (don't even remember the needle size!), I don't have any other projects on the needle right now. To be honest, for the past two days I've been playing Rail Baron in all my spare time. Fortunately, Max requested a hat, and picked out the yarn today, so I have a project I can start tomorrow, right after I buy all the rail roads and laugh at Noah and Lily because they lost.

David has been on a free-form crochet representation of real life object kick lately. First it was the star fish (complete with little suckers), next an octupus, and he just finished this ice-cream cone.

Finished Dishcloth

I finished Max's dishcloth

The pattern's very simple.
Row 1: *P1, k3*
Row 2: *K1, P5, K1, P1*
Row 3: *K2, P1, K3, P1, K1*
Row 4: *P2, K1, P1, K1, P3*
(the picture is sideways)

I CO 40 sts, started with 3 rows of garter stitch, then started each row with slip 1, k3, and ended with k4. When I got to my desired length I purled 3 rows. And voila, a dishcloth.

Lucinda, who occasionally teaches classes at That Yarn Store, has a knitting machine she would like to sell. Here's the information, if you're interested please email me at thea.yarnstore@gmail.com and I'll pass on your information.
Studio 360K (standard bed) $200/obo
Built-In Accesory Box
Row Counter
Main Carriage
Clamps (2)
Auto Tension
Yarn Rod
Claw Weights (2)
Transfer Tools
Needle Pusher
Tappet
(English directions - Xerox copy)

Max is moving out of the dorms and into an apartment, so I'm making him a dishcloth. It's out of a grey/brown linen. I call the color ugly, Jessamy says it's manly. It's probably both, but I don't think Max will care either way.

Haircut?

For my birthday Sarah bought me a gift certificate to a hair salon.

Just like with other life-changing events - weddings, births, etc. - haircuts require an extreme amount of planning and forethought. To my recollection I've only really had one bad haircut, and that was by a teenager who didn't speak English. Instead, what repeatedly happens is that the hairdresser disregards my plea that it be a wash and go cut. So the cuts look great at the solon, and crap at home. The past two hairdressers didn't believe me when I said that my hair takes too long to blowdry. After 10 minutes of "drying my hair" they believed me.

I've spent the past few days looking at salon websites for inspiration. But it's hard to find a short haircut that's cute but doesn't need gel. I like messy cuts, and love the idea that I could let my hair go wild, maybe brush it every other week. How is that any different from what I do now, you may ask. Right now I just ignore the fact that I don't brush my hair, but if I get a haircut that's supposed to be messy I can feel good about the negligence.

Of course one of the main ironies of life is that you can't just jump out of bed and get something like this:
oh no, it takes hours of preparation to look like you don't give a crap about your hair.

That picture was from the website of a salon in London, www.colournation.com. So far this week I've looked at maybe 10 sites so far. Most of the websites just have pictures of bad haircuts on bored looking women, but Colour Nation brilliantly got around that by showing bad haircuts on two bored women nearly kissing. At least I assume they were bad haircuts.

I'm having a hard time finding pictures of nice haircuts on people with my face shape. I've basically narrowed the choices down to one.

What do you think?

7 months late

I finished (almost) mom's Christmas present (for last year). Her birthday is in late August so now it's a birthday present. Though technically I still owe her a present for last Christmas. Maybe I can make Birthday socks which will be ready by Christmas.



I did actually finish a second sock several months ago, but the guage was off by a lot, so I donated it to the store as a sample. This one isn't a perfect match in terms of size, so I'm hoping blocking will help.

First it was the Swedish Heart, now the socks. Could the summer knitting blahs really be over?

Wonky Heart

Lucinda, who taught the knitted gnome class in early July (yes, we will be having another gnome class), asked if she could teach a beginners crochet project class in September. I said, "of course, we're not picky" which on second thought was not the best response. In any case, she dropped off a sample of the "Swedish heart" that she had made,and the pattern so that I could make the store's sample. When I finished the store sample I thought it was a nice enough decorative item.

That is until I took another look at her piece. Then, all I could see was ...


Knitting is supposed to be an art - soothing, unique. And yet it brings out this competative nature that almost always results in my crochet/knitting self esteem in being completely demolished. And it's not even when comparing similar items. When someone remarks on how even my stitches are I immediately begin to point out each ugly stitch. It's sad and depressing, but I know it's not just me. One of the hardest parts of teaching someone how to knit is trying to convince them that it's ok if their stitches are uneven. The first knit piece is supposed to look uneven, I tell them that one of the great things about hand knitting is that it's imperfection makes it unique, and makes it yours. 9 times out of 10 they don't believe me, and why should they when the little voices in my head are wispering "lies, all lies."