It's the love-child of the Topless Knitting Club and Big Ass Knits. For when you want to look naked but with added bulk.
And for when you're feeling more modest.
See you all in July!
June 21, 2009
Thursdays Vacations are for What the Hell is This?
Since I will be out of the country and away from all computers for the next ten days I thought I'd leave with you an early Thursday post. This one has been sent to me several times in the last few days.
It's the love-child of the Topless Knitting Club and Big Ass Knits. For when you want to look naked but with added bulk.
And for when you're feeling more modest.
See you all in July!
It's the love-child of the Topless Knitting Club and Big Ass Knits. For when you want to look naked but with added bulk.
And for when you're feeling more modest.
See you all in July!
June 20, 2009
Panic!
I am gripped with panic. I keep running through everything over and over in my mind. Passports? Yes. Tickets? Yes. Toothbrush? Yes. Knitting? Yes. I have decided on Coraline and already started the body. I keep thinking, "Should I bring another project, just in case?" I know I'm forgetting something. I guess I'll find out what it is once I'm in Tokyo.
June 18, 2009
Doubleknit #22
I sound incredibly tired and spaced out but it's up. Erin and I catch up after TNNA. Plus there's a silly video too.
How Did They Know?
While looking at Franklin's blog in Bloglines this morning I noticed an amusing string of terms in the sidebar.
What's that?
How did Ask.com know to pull out the most odd and random items mentioned in Franklin's post? Not to mention that it understands that "salt lick" or "fevered brain" are single search term.
What's that?
How did Ask.com know to pull out the most odd and random items mentioned in Franklin's post? Not to mention that it understands that "salt lick" or "fevered brain" are single search term.
Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?
The Topless Knitting Club has reformed! I haven't seen any of its members since January of '05. It seems they are busy as always knitting scarves and hats and the occasional sarong.
But no sweaters. EVER.
But no sweaters. EVER.
June 17, 2009
The Whole Picture
I'm happy so many of you were touched by my sweet children saving a special piece of pizza for me on my return home from TNNA. I neglected to include a photo of the huge container filled with pizza with a note on it that read, "[Older son] and [Younger son] pizza. DO NOT EAT!" So you see, they weren't being thoughtful. It was just a diversionary tactic to keep me away from their pizza stash.
June 16, 2009
slea·zy
ADJECTIVE:
slea·zi·er , slea·zi·est
1. Shabby, dirty, and vulgar; tawdry: "sleazy storefronts with torn industrial carpeting and dirt on the walls" (Seattle Weekly).
2. Dishonest or corrupt; disreputable: Some sleazy characters hang around casinos.
2. Made of low-quality materials; cheap or shoddy.
3. Thin and loosely woven; flimsy: The coat has a sleazy lining.
I leave for Japan on Sunday. Part of my prep is figuring out what knitting to bring. I began swatching some Knitpicks Shadow I got as a door prize at the Knitters Guild in December for the Featherweight Cardigan.
I get that this is supposed to be open and drapey but there is no way I'm knitting myself a sweater with this yarn at this gauge. There's open and then there's open. So once again I'm at a loss. Should I start a new sweater to bring with me? Maybe Coraline? I tried on Ysolda's version at TNNA. While it was far too small for me I could see that it would be a good sweater for me (in my own size). But lugging a whole sweater's worth of yarn to Japan? Is that a good plan? I also considered just taking a big bag of oddballs and making hats for charity. No patterns to follow, just knit. But again, that's a lot of yarn to lug around. A decision needs to be made. And soon.
slea·zi·er , slea·zi·est
1. Shabby, dirty, and vulgar; tawdry: "sleazy storefronts with torn industrial carpeting and dirt on the walls" (Seattle Weekly).
2. Dishonest or corrupt; disreputable: Some sleazy characters hang around casinos.
2. Made of low-quality materials; cheap or shoddy.
3. Thin and loosely woven; flimsy: The coat has a sleazy lining.
I leave for Japan on Sunday. Part of my prep is figuring out what knitting to bring. I began swatching some Knitpicks Shadow I got as a door prize at the Knitters Guild in December for the Featherweight Cardigan.
I get that this is supposed to be open and drapey but there is no way I'm knitting myself a sweater with this yarn at this gauge. There's open and then there's open. So once again I'm at a loss. Should I start a new sweater to bring with me? Maybe Coraline? I tried on Ysolda's version at TNNA. While it was far too small for me I could see that it would be a good sweater for me (in my own size). But lugging a whole sweater's worth of yarn to Japan? Is that a good plan? I also considered just taking a big bag of oddballs and making hats for charity. No patterns to follow, just knit. But again, that's a lot of yarn to lug around. A decision needs to be made. And soon.
June 15, 2009
TNNA Wrap Up
Well that was a blur.
Thursday:
I flew to Columbus on Thursday. I left very early in the morning after too little sleep and didn't arrive at my hotel until nearly 8. I was starving. I looked around the convention center hotel lobby for some familiar faces and saw none so I headed to Marcella's by myself. I thought I'd waltz in for dinner or get a seat at the bar. There was a 30 minute wait for a table and no free seats near the bar. I hovered feeling exhausted and so hungry. The general manager passed me several times and finally stopped and asked if she could get me anything.
"I'm just looking for a seat."
"Can I bring you a chair?"
"Yes!"
I was so grateful.
"Can I bring you something to drink?"
"Yes," I replied, nearly tearing up, I was so exhausted and hungry and grateful.
When my table was ready and the hostess showed me to my seat I felt a tug on my leg. I looked down and saw the yarn for Georgie trailing through the entire restaurant and back to the bar. I followed it back, rewinding it until I got to an amused though confused young woman standing in the bar holding the remainder of the skein in her hand.
"Bet that's the first time that ever happened here," she said.
"There's a yarn convention in town. It's going to happen a lot."
Friday:
I had an all-day class with Cat Bordhi on writing patterns. It was about formatting and editing not the creation of a design. I got some very good information from it.
Then there was Sample It. This is an event where vendors, if they choose, can offer one item at wholesale prices--sometimes slightly below wholesale--to buyers. This, in theory, allows buyers to try out a product before committing to a whole order. But really people just use it to buy themselves a bunch of stuff. It's always super-hot and jam-packed. I got some items for my shop--not for me!--and then fled to the much cooler, calmer lobby. There was a teacher's gallery where experts who offer classes can connect with shop-owners. Mary Beth Temple was there. She is a crochet designer and teacher. Her brand is called Hooked for Life. There was a slight typo in her signage.
Next was the fashion show which was much, much better than the January show. It went more smoothly and faster and the designs were better on the whole.
Then it was off to the Tip Top for a much needed late dinner. I ordered a Diet Coke and was handed a vat of soda. Seriously, look at it compared to my cell phone.
Or Laura Chau's head.
Saturday the market opened. I shopped and walked and shopped and walked and shopped. I'd say I'm most excited about Spud & Chloe. Blue Sky Alpacas are a class act and they do a beautiful job on the yarn, the patterns, the whole packaging. Plus they always have the cutest, most inviting booth at the show.
There are social events and lots of food in the various booths. Interweave hosted a Twitter meet-up (tweet up) called Let Them Tweet Cake. They served massive cupcakes and coffee. So that was lunch (nutrition and sleep both suffer terribly at TNNA).
More shopping and walking and shopping. Then out to dinner with several designers from Stitch Co-op plus several other crochet designers. We met up with...well, everyone in the universe...back at the Hyatt lobby. There is a huge circle of chairs, and couches. We rearrange all the furniture. We sit and knit or spin. You just grab a free chair and when you see a free seat next to someone you want to talk to you just go over and plunk yourself down. That is how I met Melissa La Barre and Cecily Glowik MacDonald. These two extremely talented ladies, who are also a hell of a lot of fun, are collaborating on a book from Interweave. I am really looking forward to seeing it.
Sunday was more market. At this point I was operating on almost no sleep. More shopping and walking but also more staring off into space. So tired. A huge group of us had converged on the Stitch Coop booth where Cat Bordhi and Ysolda Teague were on the floor playing with a trash can full of water and dry ice. It was in part a recreation of last year's dry ice session. I'm sure the internet will soon be flooded with photos of it. After trying for a while to find a restaurant that could accommodate 20+ people with no notice, we gave up and split into small groups. I had a really great dinner with Laura, Ysolda, Miriam Felton and Mandy Moore. We then made the required trip to Jeni's for awesome ice cream. Everyone wanted t-shirts but they were pretty much sold out. The guy behind the counter was apologetic.
"Yeah," he explained. "There's this knitting conference in town and they just went nuts."
Back at the hotel, during all the hanging out, knitting and laughing, Cirilia Rose and Ysolda began to act out all the cliches of knitwear photo shoots. It looked something like this.
And that is what TNNA is like.
Thursday:
I flew to Columbus on Thursday. I left very early in the morning after too little sleep and didn't arrive at my hotel until nearly 8. I was starving. I looked around the convention center hotel lobby for some familiar faces and saw none so I headed to Marcella's by myself. I thought I'd waltz in for dinner or get a seat at the bar. There was a 30 minute wait for a table and no free seats near the bar. I hovered feeling exhausted and so hungry. The general manager passed me several times and finally stopped and asked if she could get me anything.
"I'm just looking for a seat."
"Can I bring you a chair?"
"Yes!"
I was so grateful.
"Can I bring you something to drink?"
"Yes," I replied, nearly tearing up, I was so exhausted and hungry and grateful.
When my table was ready and the hostess showed me to my seat I felt a tug on my leg. I looked down and saw the yarn for Georgie trailing through the entire restaurant and back to the bar. I followed it back, rewinding it until I got to an amused though confused young woman standing in the bar holding the remainder of the skein in her hand.
"Bet that's the first time that ever happened here," she said.
"There's a yarn convention in town. It's going to happen a lot."
Friday:
I had an all-day class with Cat Bordhi on writing patterns. It was about formatting and editing not the creation of a design. I got some very good information from it.
Then there was Sample It. This is an event where vendors, if they choose, can offer one item at wholesale prices--sometimes slightly below wholesale--to buyers. This, in theory, allows buyers to try out a product before committing to a whole order. But really people just use it to buy themselves a bunch of stuff. It's always super-hot and jam-packed. I got some items for my shop--not for me!--and then fled to the much cooler, calmer lobby. There was a teacher's gallery where experts who offer classes can connect with shop-owners. Mary Beth Temple was there. She is a crochet designer and teacher. Her brand is called Hooked for Life. There was a slight typo in her signage.
Next was the fashion show which was much, much better than the January show. It went more smoothly and faster and the designs were better on the whole.
Then it was off to the Tip Top for a much needed late dinner. I ordered a Diet Coke and was handed a vat of soda. Seriously, look at it compared to my cell phone.
Or Laura Chau's head.
Saturday the market opened. I shopped and walked and shopped and walked and shopped. I'd say I'm most excited about Spud & Chloe. Blue Sky Alpacas are a class act and they do a beautiful job on the yarn, the patterns, the whole packaging. Plus they always have the cutest, most inviting booth at the show.
There are social events and lots of food in the various booths. Interweave hosted a Twitter meet-up (tweet up) called Let Them Tweet Cake. They served massive cupcakes and coffee. So that was lunch (nutrition and sleep both suffer terribly at TNNA).
More shopping and walking and shopping. Then out to dinner with several designers from Stitch Co-op plus several other crochet designers. We met up with...well, everyone in the universe...back at the Hyatt lobby. There is a huge circle of chairs, and couches. We rearrange all the furniture. We sit and knit or spin. You just grab a free chair and when you see a free seat next to someone you want to talk to you just go over and plunk yourself down. That is how I met Melissa La Barre and Cecily Glowik MacDonald. These two extremely talented ladies, who are also a hell of a lot of fun, are collaborating on a book from Interweave. I am really looking forward to seeing it.
Sunday was more market. At this point I was operating on almost no sleep. More shopping and walking but also more staring off into space. So tired. A huge group of us had converged on the Stitch Coop booth where Cat Bordhi and Ysolda Teague were on the floor playing with a trash can full of water and dry ice. It was in part a recreation of last year's dry ice session. I'm sure the internet will soon be flooded with photos of it. After trying for a while to find a restaurant that could accommodate 20+ people with no notice, we gave up and split into small groups. I had a really great dinner with Laura, Ysolda, Miriam Felton and Mandy Moore. We then made the required trip to Jeni's for awesome ice cream. Everyone wanted t-shirts but they were pretty much sold out. The guy behind the counter was apologetic.
"Yeah," he explained. "There's this knitting conference in town and they just went nuts."
Back at the hotel, during all the hanging out, knitting and laughing, Cirilia Rose and Ysolda began to act out all the cliches of knitwear photo shoots. It looked something like this.
And that is what TNNA is like.
Welcome Home
When I got back to the house I found this in the fridge.
They saved me a slice of pizza. They know me so well.
They saved me a slice of pizza. They know me so well.
Petite Purls
Have you all seen this adorableness? A new super-cute online knitting magazine showed up while I was gone!
June 14, 2009
Last Post Before I Die
Had 4.5 hours of sleep then did a crochet class with Lily Chin at 8 am (5 am my time). Worked and socialized all day and night. It's 2:15 am and I'm getting on an 8 am shuttle out of here. Still need to pack. If I'm crying uncontrollably the next time you see me it's probably due to fatigue.
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