Friday, August 28, 2009

Friday Cuteness V

We're still all full of fantastic knitted monsters. This is Frances and her Mr. Bunny Nugget. Rebecca Danger does such fun stuff.















This particular Frances is a bit shy. She never goes anywhere without her Mr. Bunny Nugget. He is a very nice Mr. Bunny Nugget and is happy to accommodate her whims. He e has never been seen out and about on his own. (Like some other trampy MBN we hear about. Just sayin'.)

They're both knit in our Shepherd Bulky. Frances is in a custom color that Sam created for herself. MBN is in Frankenstein's Cotillion, one of our Sock Summit colors.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

World View

I think my view of the world might be getting just the tiniest bit narrow. When Judy, from the airport, asked me what I was working on, I said "Milkweed". Not "A shawl" but "Milkweed". It didn't occur to me that not everyone knows what a Milkweed is.

Certainly here at Lorna's Laces we all know exactly what it means to be making a Jaywalker or a Clapotis. There's no need to explain Tempest or Monkey Socks. But there are some people in the world, even knitters, that don't have the Ravelry and knitty.com pattern libraries committed to memory. I guess as occupational hazards go, this one isn't so bad.

Another thing that has been firmly ingrained in my psyche is color names and numbers. Motherlode is 74. Number 509 is Satsuma. The other day I stopped reading on page 142 of a novel and rather than dog ear the page, I used Buck's Bar, color 142 to help me remember where I needed to pick back up.

I haven't gone so far as using color numbers to pick Lotto numbers. Yet.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Many Milkweeds

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that just about everyone here had one of Laura Chau's Milkweed shawls on the needles. We all finished them within a few days of one another and everyone brought them in. From left to right: Caitlin's in Handmaiden/Fleece Artist, Beth's in our Shepherd Sock Zombie BBQ, Emily's handspun, Sam's in Yarn Pirate, Stef's in a sparkly grey stash yarn that she lost the ball band from and Emily's in Malabrigo sock yarn.

Here's another shot of them.













This one shows our Zombie BBQ on top. It also includes Amanda's entry into the Great Small Shawl Extravaganza of 2009. Not a Milkweed, but a really pretty little Stefanie Japel number in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Courage.

I finished my Milkweed on the way to Portland and Sock Summit. While I was sitting at the airport waiting for my flight, a woman stopped to talk knitting for awhile. Isn't it wonderful how often knitting brings us a new friend? (Even if it is just for the duration of a flight delay.) Judy and I chatted about where I was going and what I had on the needles. We talked about her knitting group from church and the prayer shawls she had participated in.

By the time we boarded, Judy had gone her way and I had gone mine. It's unlikely that we'll ever cross paths again. Even if we did, it's doubtful that we'd remember one another. But those for those fifteen minutes, we connected.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Friday Cuteness IV

Friday cuteness is brought to you this week by Emily.

Frog.














And Kiwi.














I'm having trouble deciding which I think is cuter. What do you think?

Thursday, August 20, 2009

A Twist on the Prayer Shawl

I think most of us in the yarn community are familiar with the Prayer Shawl. In case it's new to you, it's when a knitter (or group of knitters) makes a shawl for someone who is sick and prays for the recipient while working on it.

The other day I got a note from an old friend, Emma. I met her just about the time I bought Lorna's Laces. She's a painter and before she moved to St. Louis, she had the studio right across the hall.

Emma and I shared a cup of coffee most mornings and got to know one another little by little. Over time, I learned that Emma is a breast cancer survivor. When we first met, she had just hit the one year post-diagnosis milestone. Like everyone, I know many people who have fought cancer, but she's my one of a very few real friends that have faced the disease.

Six years later, after having been clean for over five, Emma's cancer returned. This time it's metastasized to her bones and the prognosis isn't good. She's undergoing a long series of chemotherapy treatments, but it's palliative rather than therapeutic, they are trying to give her good quality of life for as long as they can.

Emma has always been a knitter, but it's become a bit of an obsession lately. It gives her something to keep her mind off the cancer. Even more than that, it's given her a purpose. Her goal is to knit a substantial piece for everyone in her family as a remembrance. This way, no matter what happens or when, they will always have a way to feel her hug.

How cool is that? It's like a reverse Prayer Shawl.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

AFK

As my husband and his gaming friends would like to say, I've pretty much been AFK (Away From Keyboard) since I returned from Sock Summit. The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind.

Sock Summit. What a great time! For the most part, my pictures stink. I will take solace in the fact that there has been so much written about it that y'all should be able to find good photos galore elsewhere.

I think the thing I liked best about SS was getting to talk to so many knitters. I don't get a chance to do that as often as I'd like. Since, Lorna's Laces is a wholesaler, I mostly end up talking to LYS owners. Don't get me wrong, I love them to death, but every once in awhile it's good to talk to the folks that are knitting with our yarn. I was humbled by all the nice things you had to say. Thank you.

I was also humbled by the talent there. And not just the big names. Sure, being around the likes of Barbara Walker and Meg Swanson is exhilarating, but I was equally impressed with by the parade of gorgeousness that walked by on the feet and needles of the attendees. It is remarkable what people do with sticks and string. Just remarkable.















I know these aren't socks, but somehow this picture sums it up for me. Just after Kathleen got hurt, she found herself sitting on the couch, bored. So she just whipped up a pair of crutch cozies! It would have never occurred to me. So creative on so many different levels. That's what it was all about.

It was a pleasure being there and in some small way being a part of Sock Summit. Thanks to everyone who made it happen.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Rainbow Handspun

Amanda found this not long ago on Ravelry. In the Keep the Fleece group. Her name is Sarah. She blogs here. Fun stuff.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Friday Cuteness III



These are some mini aliens that Stef brought in the other day. It's a pattern designed by Barbara Prime.

They are knit from various bits of yarn she found in her stash. They have friends at home....I think they are a little like Tribbles.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Friday Cuteness II

I'd like to introduce Rutherford B. Hayes.

Sam made him out of Shepherd Sock in the Zombie BBQ colorway.

It's Frances the Charismatic Monster by Rebecca Danger of Dangercrafts.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Fall Vogue Knitting

Our Green Line Worsted is featured in this gorgeous Cabled Pullover by Cathy Carron in Vogue Knitting's Fall issue. Wow!

I particularly like the arm detail here. I can imagine cuddling up with a cup of cocoa in this one.

The Green Line comes in both worsted and DK and is showing up in magazines right and left. We are really excited about that. I'm not sure why, but I have a real soft spot for this yarn.

Monday, August 3, 2009

FO: Ishbel

It's finished! My Ishbel is signed sealed, and delivered blocked.














I am inordinately proud. You'd think I'd negotiated peace in the Middle East or something. This is the first lace I've done in a long, long time. Sure there's been a sock here or there with a YO and even a sweater with bit of edging, but this is the biggest piece that I've persevered through in years. (Yes, I recognize that this is no Princess Shawl. Baby steps.)

Normally, I'm a product knitter. I'm all about the moment when you get to put on whatever it is you've been working on. Or get to see the look on the face of the person you're giving it to.















But, there was something about this project that really got my juices flowing. I was getting up a little early to give myself a few minutes to work on it before heading out to the studio for the day. I stayed up past my bedtime to do one more row. I got all wrapped up in counting stitches and figuring out how to read the fabric to see if I on track. I found it curiously compelling.

Then, to top things off, we decided to do a Milkweed KAL here at Lorna's Lace. So, two pieces of lace for me in a row. I'm beginning to worry that this might be the beginning of a new obsession. I even caught myself eyeing the Helen's Lace a little while ago.....

Saturday, August 1, 2009

I Make Pretty String

You know, at the end of the day, what we do around here boils down to something very simple.















I've used the phrase for a long time. What we do isn't fancy. It's not curing cancer or keeping the world safe from terrorism. It's just pretty string.

That said, it does make our lives richer. The things we create with sticks and
string are tangible manifestations of love.

We had a few of these T-Shirts made up for Sock Summit. Some buttons too. We realize that people who work with our yarn might want something a little different. What about this?












If these were available at an LYS or online, would you buy one? Which do you like better?