Trish Knits.com

Category: blog

  • Silly Clyde…

    Clyde the cat sitting in the trash can
    “No, Mom! Don’t take out the trash!”
  • I Didn’t Mean To…

    Sunday was the 6th Annual Homespun Yarn Party, at Savage Mill in Savage Maryland. It’s similar to a lot of wool and yarn festivals around the country, but this one features vendors specifically from around the area, and mostly indie dealers creating their own unique brand of fibery goodness. Small farms and dyers such as these are typically overshadowed at some of the larger festivals, so this is a chance for many to really shine.

    The thing is, what started out with the intention of having an intimate feel has become a bit of a madhouse. The event quickly outgrew the venue, but we still keep going back every year, knowing it will be hot, stuffy and mobbed. We fiber enthusiasts don’t seem to care about being a little uncomfortable. It’ll usually take more than a little sweat and pandemonium to keep us away from our yarn.

    I went there without specific intentions this year. Clearly, with 21 bins of yarn in my house, need of more yarn is not the question. I intended to mostly spend my time and money in some of the other shops Savage Mill has to offer. The Mill is full of unique artist studios and all kinds of wonderful nooks and crannies to explore.

    My friend Lynne offered to take me to the event again this year, and Dina came along. When we arrived, the main hall was already filled to capacity and there was a line of people waiting to get inside. Dina opted to wait in line, but Lynne and I headed off to explore. We came upon the studios of JUL and Noni Designs. JUL makes unique buttons, shawl pins, and purse hardware, and Noni Designs is famous for stunning felted bag designs, and amazing knitted flowers.

    I did spend some money in each studio:

    Three shawl sticks
    Three shawl sticks

    I bought three shawl sticks from JUL and a collection of buttons:

    Purple pedestal buttons and a collection of cinnamon buttons
    Purple pedestal buttons and a collection of cinnamon buttons

    The cinnamon buttons are made with real cinnamon and smell amazing! I plan on making several tea mug cozies and fastening them with these yummy buttons. And the purple ones? I have no idea yet what I’m going to do with them. But hey, they’re purple. And super cute.

    I bought a Lipstick and Change Purse Kit from Noni Designs:

    Lipstick and Change Kit
    Lipstick and Change Kit

    It’s hard to see, but this one is grey with tiny purple beads. I think it is going to be beautiful.

    Nora Bellows, Owner and Designer-In-Chief at Noni, was gracious enough to sign my copy of Noni Flowers: 40 Exquisite Knitted Flowers, which I hadn’t brought with me to last year’s Sheep and Wool festival because I didn’t know she was going to be there. She wrote the nicest inscription. I do love this book! The knitted flowers are amazing and truly the most accurate knitted flowers I have ever seem. I bought it mostly so I could make sprays of beautiful, showy flowers on my knitted hats, and sadly I haven’t made any hats since then… but I plan to! So look out for pretty stuff in my knitting future!

    After a scrumptious lunch that included oh-so-sinful mac n’ cheese with crabmeat, Lynne and I finally headed into the main hall for the main event and lots of yarny goodness. I had worried that stuff would be picked over and the pickings slim, but I needn’t have been concerned. There was plenty left, just for us. Here’s a quick peek at what I got:

    In this collection are some Lindy Hop Sock yarn, which is in a colorway called “Tardis.” I got this for my husband, who is a Dr. Who fan, and he says he would like a scarf out of it. Now I just need to find the perfect pattern. Also I got three colors of Mithril from The Verdant Gryphon. Gryphon herself helped me choose the colors… for I know I am obsessed… yet another Color Affection. (I’m starting to wonder if I will get them all made before I die? Sheesh!) Last, but certainly not least, is a hank of Biggie from Dancing Leaf Farm. (I also got the lovely felted pins from Dancing Leaf.)

    So, even though I hadn’t intended to buy yarn, I did… sigh. At least my knitting needles are moving faster these days. I look forward to getting quite a few things made in 2013 and beyond.

    It was a great day and a great event, and now I am looking forward to my annual trip to Maryland Sheep and Wool, where once again, I will vow to buy no new yarn. Yeah, right. We’ve all heard that one before.

  • Progress!

    I have been knitting like crazy on my Color Affection shawl. Since I didn’t get it done in time to give it to its intended recipient for Christmas, I’m trying to get it done for her birthday instead, which is, Crikey! In only about 6 weeks. My daughter helped me spread it out so you all could see where I am at this moment:

    Color Affection in Progress
    Color Affection in Progress

    In case you’re wondering, I’m in the middle of the 6th repeat of the short row section.

    I’m still worried a bit about the overall depth of the shawl. It seems a bit skinny, like the lace weight version, but this is fingering weight yarn. I am thinking of adding an extra repeat on the short rows, fudging the bottom border to make it a little deeper, and blocking the hell out of it to recover as much depth as I can. I’m probably going to need a blocking helper when the time comes, because the thing is so big that I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to stretch it out by myself.

    Oh yeah, and like it or not, my friend’s going to find that her gift comes with free cat hair included:

    Bonny helps with the knitting
    Bonny helps with the knitting

    That’s all for now! I’ve got knitting to do.

  • Live and Learn

    Shawl Progress
    Shawl Progress

    Well, ok. Section Three (the short rows) section of my Color Affection shawl is well underway. And I’ve realized, now that I can see the proverbial light at the end of the knitting black hole (how’s THAT for mixing metaphors?) that I’ve made an error in judgement. I am a habitually loose knitter, so I always knit with a needle that is way smaller than the pattern usually calls for. But in this case, with this shawl? I probably shouldn’t have gone as small as I did. The thing is huge from end to end, but skinny, I mean scarf skinny, from top to bottom. I’m going to have to add an extra repeat of short rows to add depth to the thing. And maybe make the bottom border bigger, too.

    This is not what I wanted to have to do, add more rows just as I am getting so sick of this project I could die from the boredom. But alas I want it to be a large wrap that my friend can curl up in. So, I’ll have to get creative about it.

    I’m more determined than ever to finish, though, and have made a point to knit as much as possible every day. I’ve been re-listening to some steamy audiobooks to pass the time, and I finally caved and started watching Downton Abbey. Ok, so I know I’m late to THAT particular party, but in a way I’m glad that I can plow through the episodes at my own ravenous pace rather than having to wait for the next installment like everyone else. Of course, I will get to the end soon enough, and then I’ll be waiting just like the rest of you for it to start up again.

    But hopefully, by the time that happens, I’ll be on to another knitting project. This one is now plaguing me. And I can’t wait to be done with it.

  • Saturday Silly Cats

    Ok, these are too good not to share.

    Clyde was doing a little bird watching so my daughter decided to grab the camera and shoot photos of him from the outside looking in. Look at his silly face:

    Silly Clyde
    Silly Clyde

    (Ok, so she caught him mid-yawn, but we’re still laughing so hard at this one.)

    And here’s Bonny, watching and waiting to swat at her favorite feather toy.

    Bonny watching her favorite feather toy dangling overhead
    Bonny watching her favorite feather toy dangling overhead

    It’s been a silly kitty kind of day.

  • Vive Le French Tips!

    French Manicure
    French Manicure

    My nails are ready for the Oscars.