Yes, I still knit

Indeed I do. In the last six years I have also added weaving and sewing to my list of textile hobbies. I’m currently on a sewing kick. I spent a week in Harrisville, NH with Cal Patch learning how to draft and sew clothes that fit ME. But I’ll write more about that later. It was such a great week that it deserves it’s own post. I’ve been itching to do more weaving too. It’s so fast compared to knitting and is a great way to burn through the SABLE stash. (Yes, the yarn store in my house has kept growing too.) Maybe this weekend I’ll warp up the rigid heddle.

As for the knitting, it’s mostly simple shawl projects these days as the knitting is typically done while I’m commuting BUT, the Miss Babs Yowza I ordered last week arrived today and there is swatching to be done.

What are you knitting?

Cascade Eco Plus, 2 skeins; Miss Babs Yowza, 1 skein purple, 1 skein gray, 3 skeins wine; Mad Tosh Light, 1 skein.

Quisp v Quake

OK. Who else is old enough to remember this advertising/marketing battle? I can’t be the only one.

If hashtags existed in the 60s, I was on #teamQuisp. When I was single digits years old Quisp was my favorite cereal, second only to Cap’n Crunch (the original, none of that flavored crap), back in the days when kids would read and re-read cereal boxes at breakfast instead of watching YouTube videos or checking out IG stories (I still haven’t figured those out).

Quisp knits an 87 mile necktie

I’m a Maker

I spent the weekend helping a friend move out of there studio of 20 years. And it was oddly satisfying.

Per my Fitbit, over two days, I put in ~18 miles of walking and 75+ floors of climbing. I admit to walking a bit funny at the end of the day on Saturday, but overall, my body is energized by the constant movement that the dumpster runs and organizing and moving that was accomplished this weekend. Key word here is ACCOMPLISHED!

We got shit done, the Salem Squad. A fantastic team of friends who supported and lifted each other up. This is a forced move, driven by greed, but that is beside the point. (I only mention it so that no disparaging thoughts/prayers can be thrown to my friend.)

Every member of the Salem Squad is a Maker. Art, photography, painting, quilting, knitting, fiber, upholstery, sewing, textiles, beauty. Intuitively we know what is needed to give each other the freedom to MAKE.

Turning wool into yarn. Turning yarn into usable objects. Turning fabric into quilts/clothes. Turning images into art to be savored. Turning old items into new items. And sometimes Making involves throwing shit in a dumpster.* On to the new chapter.

Salem Squad is LEGIT.

*Recycling, re-purposing, re-using where driving forces in the decisions made, but economics forces you to make hard choices.

I’m Back….

Wow, after too many years of not posting, I actually remembered the PW. Now to clean up the crap and figure out how to use this site again. Wonder if I can get back into my Flickr account too.

Tucket

Farewell my friend. You were well loved and will be missed terribly.

Road to Rockywold

2013 marked my fourth SAW. It also marked the first SAW where I wasn’t a gigantic stress-ball going in. It has been a long, long time since I enjoyed/celebrated a week. Elizabeth & Co. out did themselves.

Grateful that I was able to spend time with such creative and talented and funny people. Grateful that I was able to broaden my craft world and take classes in basketry, weaving and painting. Grateful for catching up with old friends and making new ones.

is it June 2014 yet?

Cuddlebug in my lap

For some strange inexplicable reason, the pup was a cuddlebug today. We followed our usual protocol for weekend mornings: romp in the dog park, stop at the market for victuals and back home by 10 for EPL soccer matches.

The extreme cuddle factor can’t be explained, but I’ll take it.

Eye Candy Friday

Beach off of Squaw Island Causeway, Hyannisport, MA

I <3 Noro

Ravelled here.

Cables, color work, a bit of intarsia (not a fan). Silk, linen, cotton, acrylic (shudder). I’ve knit them all, but nothing to me is as satisfying as a simple, wooly-wool, top-down, sweater.

2013 is the Year of the Stash. The plan is to work methodically through a bin/container at a time until it is all used up and then move on to the next one. First up the Noro bin. Good news – I am highly motivated to knit. Bad news – I am going to be sad when it is all used up. Good news – that’s at least 3.5 sweaters away from happening. Good news – I have more wooly-wools to play with – the Lopi bin is huge and I’ve got a sweaters worth of Seacolors that I am twitchy to start working with.

Inspiration

100013_035, originally uploaded by City of Boston Archives.

I’ve always loved maps. Seeing this makes me want to get out my embroidery supplies and practice. Oh, the maps I want to stitch!