Archive for April, 2008

Items of note

April 27, 2008

* I went to Color today and took a beginning spinners’ class!  Many, many thanks to my friend DarlingFloy for lending me a drop spindle.  I’m still dithering about which kind to buy, but taking the class has taught me that I want a rather lightweight spindle, with a top whorl, and that spinning is a lot easier when you’re not using a CD spindle.  I got some good recommendations for spindles a while back, but I’m slow on the uptake.  Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and I got carried away and purchased some fibers to try out.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

There were few vendors, but that made for a cozy, intimate, and unintimidating event.  And all of the vendors had lovely stuff, so all the better!

I’ve long admired the ads for A Verb for Keeping Warm on Ravelry, and their real life products exceed even their creative name and beautiful logo.  The colors are subtle and elegant, and they have some really interesting fibers.

Pigeonroof Studios was also there, and the yarns I saw were very beautiful, though it looks like nearly everything was sold before I arrived.

I’m oddly tempted by the moustache products from Girl on the Rocks.  They also had pretty stitch markers, needle books, and knitting needle cases, but it was the moustaches that nearly claimed my pocketbook.  I’m waiting, though, because I think I need a better reason to buy than, “But they’re moustaches!”

Finally, my actual purchases were from Tactile Fiber Arts.  Brooke taught the class I took, and I really liked the wool we used – Finn wool, which is long staple, and very soft – so I bought more of it.  I also found myself walking away with some irresistibly soft baby camel/silk fiber, which I’ll have to wait until I’m a more capable spinner to use.   No pictures yet, because I can’t get the bloody camera to take pictures that show any hue other than black.  (You may remember that I have had this problem before.  It is a moody camera.)  As cool and gothy as these pictures are, they rather fail as pictures, so we’ll wait until the camera has a change of heart, or until I stop being too cheap to buy a new camera.

* I started a group a little while back on Ravelry.  It’s called Color Coordinated, and it’s about color theory.  If you’re at all interested, I’d love for you to join.  Already, some interesting discussions and ideas have been sparked.  The most interesting idea to me is the link between language and color perception; the idea that how we perceive color is linked to what we name it.  A rose by any other name would not be as pink – that is, if the language in question has not divided color in such a way as to have a separate term for the rose tint.  What this means in relation to the various poetic names that we give to colors of lipstick or yarn or paint is not entirely clear to me, but it’s something I’d like to think on a bit more.

I’m stuck on a color again this season.  Do you remember how last summer, all I could think about was a bright leafy green?  This spring it’s gold.  All hues and shades of gold.  I don’t own much golden yarn, but it’s the color that’s stuck in my head and can’t get out.  I’m thinking that the colors that get stuck in my head are likely influenced by what’s growing.  Last summer, it was the roadside forests that got me stuck on green.  This spring, the new leaves are almost golden in color.  Yellow flowers are everywhere.  The sun is turning everything bright, and it all just screams for something bright to reflect it all back.  Anyone else have seasonal color cravings?

* On a similar note, I’ve been a member of COLOURlovers for some time now, and I wanted to recommend it to other knitters as a good place to see how certain colors work together before buying yarn or beginning a project.  I’m Jejune Ennui on there, should you wish to drop me a line.

* Nancy McCarroll has a really neat article about complementary colors.  Check it out!

* I found this story on the BBC’s website about a man who knits nets to prevent items from being blown out of recycling vans.  Go knitting!

* The Yarn Harlot was right.  Spring is conducive to Starteritis.  More and more projects keep leaping onto my needles.  I don’t think I’m going to finish all of them this season.

Posted in Color, Miscellany, Ravelry, Spinning | 3 Comments »

Yarnmeme, yo

April 22, 2008

Orata‘s had some nifty memes on her site of late, and I decided to tag myself, just because. So there.

First off, the yarnmeme, because I like thinking things through, like what I like and why. And maybe this will be useful to someone else – I’ve found use in the ones I’ve read so far!

Out of the top 50 yarns on Ravelry (by number of projects):
Bold the ones you’ve used and would use again,
Cross out the ones you’ve used and would not use again,
and italicize the ones you’ve never tried, but would like to.
Add comments as desired, and then pass the meme along to 5 knitters/crocheters.
Link back to this post and to the person who tagged you. (We rebel self-taggers will have to forgo that last bit.)

1, Cascade 220 Wool, 11967 projects – I’ve come late to Cascade 220, but I really do like it. It’s a good price for a good yarn, and it comes in a lot of colors. It’s good for felting and not too harsh for clothing. Not a favorite, but a definitely useful and good yarn, and I expect to use it again.
2, Patons Classic Wool Merino, 10445 projects
3, Malabrigo Yarn Merino Worsted, 8421 projects – I’m having a bit of a thing with Malabrigo at the moment. I tried Manos first and found it beautiful, but rather scratchy, and since I’d only seen Malabrigo in photographs, I’d sort of assumed it was the same basic stuff. So I was stunned when I actually felt a Malabrigo swatch and it was so soft. Despite the pilling and stretching that come with this softness, I think Malabrigo is one of the best deals around. The $10-$11 a skein price can seem hefty until you look at the yardage.
4, Noro Kureyon, 7947 projects – I haven’t yet tried Noro, and having felt it, I’m not in a rush, but I think I’ll have to give it a shot at some point. Some of the colors are nice, and while I’m not a huge fan of variegated yarns, I’ve seen a few patterns that really show it off well. (Like a zip-up jacket in So Simple Crochet. Lovely.)
5, Caron Simply Soft, 7914 projects – It seems like a very soft acrylic and a great value, too. I favor natural fibers, but acrylic has its place, and this seems like one to try.
6, Lily Sugar’n Cream Solid, 6864 projects - Great for dishcloths.
7, Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted, 6619 projects – I can’t believe I still haven’t gotten around to trying this one. It’s called for in, like, every felt project I want to try. I imagine it’s a little hairy, but I’d definitely like to try it out.
8, Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Solids, 6176 projects – Squeaky, and, it doesn’t wear well. I started a weird blanket with this way way back when, and the yarn just got ickier as I went along. Liam has some bright purple mittens in Red Heart, and they serve their purpose (that of being bright purple mittens) but I don’t like how they feel.
9, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solid, 5554 projects – I will need to be more careful washing Wool-Ease in future, because it doesn’t wear well if washed on anything other than the gentle cycle, but I like it as a basic kids’ stuff yarn. It comes in pretty colors, costs very little, and with care it can wear well.
10, Noro Silk Garden, 5410 projects – I really, really want to try this yarn. It sounds luscious, and some of the more subtle color palettes are irresistible.
11, Koigu Painter’s Palette Premium Merino (KPPPM), 5094 projects - I haven’t used much Koigu, but I love it. There’s a skein sitting in my stash at the moment, waiting to be turned into half a pair of Endpaper Mitts. It’s soft, lofty, and it wears well. Good stuff. The price is a bit steep, though, to my mind.
12, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, 5071 projects – I have used Telemark, which is basically the same thing. Good price, and a good yarn for the price, though scratchier than more expensive wools, if I go by Telemark.
13, Lion Brand Homespun, 4296 projects - Yeah, it’s awful stuff, but it’s soft and comes in pretty colors. I’ve used it for baby blankets and slippers, and while I don’t like knitting or crocheting with it, I’ll likely use it again sometime for a gift. It’s good for gifts.
14, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, 4157 projects – Lovely colors, and it looks like it holds up pretty well from other people’s projects.
15, Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock Multi, 4086 projects – Great colors, and I hear it knits up well.
16, Manos del Uruguay 100% Wool, 3989 projects – I wouldn’t use it for anything to go directly against my skin, but it’s truly gorgeous stuff, and I want to try it again. I felted my own hands when I felted some of it in the sink, so I will only felt it in the machine in future.
17, Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky , 3927 projects – Again with the felting.
18, Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, 3751 projects
19, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock – Lightweight, 3723 projects – I want to try the Ravenclan colors. I have plans for a Ravenclan baby outfit.
20, Plymouth Encore Worsted, 3573 projects
21, Cascade 220 Heathers, 3422 projects – I love heathered yarns, and I like Cascade 220, so it seems worth a try.
22, Lily Sugar’n Cream Ombres & Prints, 3384 projects
23, Zitron Trekking (XXL), 3348 projects – I hear it’s good, and the new handpainted skeins are really gorgeous.
25, Rowan Kidsilk Haze, 3203 projects – I’ve used Kidsilk Night and liked it. Very fine, but the mohair is softer than mohair sometimes is, and it comes in such nice colors.
26, Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, 2917 projects
27, Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc Peaches & Creme Ombres, 2658 projects
28, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, 2512 projects - Seems like a good price, and it’s used in a lot of nice Spring and Summer patterns.
29, Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock – Mediumweight, 2503 projects
30, Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, 2489 projects - See Wool-Ease.
31, Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc Peaches & Creme Solids, 2476 projects
32, Cascade 220 Superwash, 2323 projects
33, Berroco Ultra Alpaca, 2286 projects
34, Knit Picks Swish Superwash, 2226 projects
35, Knit Picks Essential, 2149 projects
 36, Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Solid, 2142 projects
 37, Colinette Jitterbug, 2090 projects – I’d use it again, but I do have some reservations. The colorways are gorgeous, but at least for some of them, the right pattern is needed to make them work. I went through five different projects before finding one that worked for my blue and brown colorway. I like the yarn, though, and find it really beautiful now that I figured out how to use it.
39, Knit Picks Shine Sport, 1976 projects – Great price for kids’ stuff.
40, Dale of Norway/Dalegarn Baby Ull, 1885 projects
41, Lion Brand Microspun, 1871 projects – Very soft, but so so splitty, and kind of irritating to work with. It served my purpose very well, but I hated using it so much that I gave away everything I had left and swore off it for life.
42, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino, 1863 projects – I’ve heard good things about Cherry Tree Hill, and the colors are nice.
43, Knit Picks Palette, 1765 projects - I want to try some of the heathers.
44, South West Trading Company TOFUtsies, 1762 projects
45, Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, 1756 projects – I like silk, I like wool, I like tweed, and I’ve seen some nice projects worked in this yarn.
46, Mission Falls 1824 Wool, 1725 projects – I’ve heard this works up well, but the price and the yardage irritate me.
47, Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK, 1718 projects – I like Rowan and basically want to try most of their yarns.
48, Red Heart Ltd. Super Saver Multis/Ombres, 1664 projects
49, Rowan Felted Tweed, 1646 projects – I’ve used it a grand total of once, but I can’t wait to use it again. One of my all time favorite yarns.
50, Rowan Calmer, 1571 projects - I wouldn’t have much interest in this yarn – it’s not made of materials I’m that interested in, it’s not a weight I feel strongly about, and it has fewer colors I like than most Rowan yarns – except that everyone I know who’s used it has raved. I need to see what the fuss is about.

And finally, just a reminder that the Autism Awareness Month drive is ongoing. I’ve received one entry so far, so entrant, you’re winning. ;) Remember, any amount will do for an entry. If you can spare $2, it’s $2 toward a worthy cause. Thanks, guys!

Posted in Knitting, Memes, Miscellany, Yarn | 3 Comments »

Raising Awareness, Raising Funds

April 16, 2008

April is Autism Awareness Month. Of course, April is half over already, but it’s been pretty busy at Kninja Central. As you may already know, my second son, Liam, is on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum. Each parent of an autistic child faces unique challenges. Autism being a complete spectrum, our children manifest the symptoms of their particular neurological glitches in very, very different ways. It took me a while to suspect Liam of being on the spectrum because I’d always heard that autistic children weren’t very affectionate, and Liam is the huggiest and most outwardly affectionate of my children.

Liam, in retrospect, was a suspiciously easy baby. He was calm, sweet, and often content to sit by himself. As he reacher toddlerhood, he liked to play alone a lot of the time. Gabriel was often frustrated that the baby didn’t want to play with him. The earliest clue, again in retrospect, was that Liam had the same reaction to both praise and criticism. He would listen politely, without much interest, and then return to what he was doing. Even if I’d told him no, he’d still seem surprised (and displeased) when I removed him from a dangerous situation. He didn’t crave the attention of adults the way other children usually do.

That struck me as a personality quirk, but as he got older, the quirks became more pronounced, particularly when his speech became full fledged. He spoke in a very scripted way, memorizing books and DVDs, and co-opting the language for his own use. He even spoke in the same tones and accent that he first heard the words spoken in. As an example, when Eleanor was born, Liam was three and a half. He was a big fan of David Attenborough, and had memorized the two four DVD sets Life of Mammals and Blue Planet. When I would nurse Eleanor, Liam would say, in a British accent, “Mommy, you are surviving her on your fatty milk, which she will turn into blubber, or baby fat.” Every time. In the car, I’d hear a little voice from the back seat pipe up with, “The blue whale is right underneath our boat! Over 100 feet long, the blue whale is the largest animal ever to live on planet Earth!” He’d continue, sometimes for five or ten minutes at a time, reciting whole videos or passages. He could adapt the words to his own needs, but the times he used words wholly his own were few and far between. If he became really agitated, he retreated into his scripts, feeding people lines, and finding comfort in knowing exactly what would happen next.

At three and a half, it finally became impossible to ignore all the quirks. There were so many, and they were so odd. Any of them alone could have been normal for a young child, but they added up to something more. We took Liam in for testing, and he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified) shortly after his fourth birthday.

We do face a lot of daily challenges with Liam, but a lot of joy, too.

There is more autism research being conducted today than ever before, but we’re still a long way from knowing the causes and triggers of autism. And with one in every 150 children being diagnosed with autism these days, it’s essential that we learn the whys and hows.

I’m not one of those who thinks that the word “cure” is appropriate here. Part of what is wonderful about Liam comes from the unique way he looks at the world. But the unique way that Liam looks at the world is also what makes it harder for him to get along in the world. I want that gap bridged. And for that reason, I’m offering a prize package of yarn for those who donate to the Autism Research Institute between now and May 16th.

Make a donation of any amount, and email me at knittingkninja@gmail.com to let me know, and I’ll enter you in a drawing to win some of my stash yarn. One entry per person, and this is entirely on the honor system. I have no way of checking to see if you actually donated. The yarn I’ve pulled together is this: three skeins of Rowan RYC Soft Tweed in Twig, two skeins of a brown boucle yarn simply called Knitting Boucle, and one skein of Panda Silk in Nutmeg.

Prize yarn

Once again, make a donation to the Autism Research Institute, then email knittingkninja@gmail.com and let me know, and you’ll be entered into a random drawing to win the above yarn.

Posted in Autism awareness, Knitting, Miscellany | 4 Comments »

Writing my memoirs – briefly

April 6, 2008

I got tagged for a really neat meme by Michaela at Dollar Knits.

My six word memoir: With care for words and people.

This was really hard to do, actually. I considered putting people first, because I do care deeply about people, but I decided that my shyness and social anxieties sometimes prevent me from putting people up front the way I want to. I always worry about words, though – my words, the words of others, and what words mean. It’s what is and what I hope will be and what’s wrong and what’s right all in one place. The picture is a segment of a self portrait I did in art school. It’s slightly larger than life size, done in acrylic, and the odd expression on my face is due to standing in a dark-ish basement night after night, staring at the mirror I’d taped to the wall, and trying to remember what I looked like before I turned back to apply paint to paper. The paper itself has a collage of images and leaves (actual leaves) covered over with gesso. I also have a less successful portrait under the gesso. I’d planned to wipe it out entirely, but found that I liked it as it became ghostly, so my own ghostly face is staring over my shoulder. I darkened that side of the picture by writing all of the bad poetry I’d written that year on that side. While this portrait is over 10 years old, I still think it represents me pretty well – what’s embarrassing and silly and sincere and startled about me.

This NPR story inspired the meme, and here are the guidelines:

Here are the guidelines, should you choose to participate in this yourself:

  • Write your own six word memoir.
  • Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
  • Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
  • Tag five more blogs with links.

I hereby tag the following folks:

Orata
Ellen
Giff
Cirilia
Amanda

I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with! I wish mine was funnier – maybe next week!

Posted in Memes, Miscellany, Nifty Stuff | 5 Comments »

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