Truth. Goodness. Beauty. Yarn
Two blog posts in as many days—is this strictly necessary? Yes. Because today, my friends, is Hobbit Day. For the uninitiated, September 22 is the birthday of both protagonists of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth saga, Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit) and Frodo Baggins (The Lord of the Rings). As a result, it’s become a sort of …
Some things never get old. Of all the knitting books in my library, Romi Hill’s New Lace Knitting is my absolute favorite; my absolute favorite design from it (and it’s chock-full of beauties) is her Crystal Bay Shawl. I knitted myself one years ago out of some black merino/silk laceweight yarn, playing a white-knuckled game …
Anyone who thinks that birds in their little nests agree has never had chickens. How bad could these little featherballs be? Pretty bad, if last week was any indication. Nothing lasts forever, and inevitably comes the day when the flock has been thinned out by predators, illness, and old age; and it’s time for the …
When SweetGeorgia Yarns announced their Spring Make-Along, I immediately knew what I wanted to make; at some point I realized that I was the only participant daft enough to try for a sweater (in fingering weight, no less!), but amazingly there was no disaster. (Well, there was—a little bit; read on.) I bound off on …
We must have been at Corrie’s house, in the living room, some evening after supper. She was knitting a baby blanket, her favorite project, on the couch or in an armchair; I still remember the constant motion of her wrist (she knit English style and threw the yarn with her right hand) as she talked. …
Sweater knitters are many; but I’m not usually one of them. For one thing, sweaters are expensive—even something as budget-friendly as Wool of the Andes (which, in my view, is like the Costco rotisserie chicken of yarns) will add up when you need 10 balls of it. And then there’s the time commitment; design usually …
The few people who have modeled designs for me know that it is an undertaking not for the faint of heart. I grab an innocent and unsuspecting victim, forcibly drape them in a shawl or festoon them with a hat, and then prod and turn and mutter and mumble and occasionally take a picture. (There’s …
Besides being the title of one of my favorite Homer Price stories (read it if you get a chance), Mystery Yarn also describes my life at this moment. Design has cured me of my tendency to spill the beans when I have a big surprise in store—stronger than the revelatory urge is my sense of …
Novelties are not my strong suit; neither is being on trend, and certainly not being cool. But never say never, right? When Knit Picks released their super-bulky faux fur yarn, Fable Fur, I nearly had a laughing fit. Who would ever make something with that? A lot of people, apparently…including me. I tried to ignore …
Should old stash entries be forgot,And never brought to mind?Should old stash entries be forgot,And the days of auld lang syne? For auld lang syne, my dear,For auld lang syne,We’ll take some time for knitting yet,And auld lang syne. And surely you’ll buy your hank of wool,And surely I’ll buy mine!And we’ll take some time …