Knot Knecessarily Known Knitting

I recently acquired a free skein of yarn and pattern. I could have tossed it in the stash, but I figured a one-skein hat pattern could be knit up almost as fast as I could put it away. And, really, I am trying to keep the stash at a manageable size. As it was, I cast-on one day and finished the hat the next. The pattern is Oh Yum, Bubblegum Slouchy Hat by Eleanor Swogger and the yarn is Kraemer Yarns Perfection Tapas in color 9038 Elderberry. By the way, they do have an adorable commercial featuring a car sweater on YouTube . I'll probably toss the hat in the guild charity pile. I don't typically wear hats all that much. Plus, I have a cloak with hood that I plan to wear a lot whenever the cool weather returns to Atlanta (probably not until October). At this point in the year, we've had 95°F weather for so long I don't remember when it wasn't summer. (I do love that summer is five months long in Atlanta.) I did want ya'all to notice I used a tubula...

I believe I am not the only knitter who likes gadgets. There's something charming and appealing about a trinket that makes a task just a bit easier. I am not only a fan of fiber arts, but I am also a big fan of board games and all things geek. Earlier in the summer I attended Awesome Con in Washington, D.C. Not quite Dragon*Con — what is? — but still very nice. The vendor hall was very, very large. And mixed in amongst that merchant horde was CritSuccess . CritSuccess is a company that makes dice rings. What are dice rings? Dice rings are spinner rings with the spinning part marked off in numbered increments. They can be used in place of regular dice. In fact, one of the advantages of dice rings is they can be manufactured to any number set you desire. Do you need a seven-sider so you can roll days of the week? No problem! Do you need weighted numbers -- a set where some numbers are more likely to come up than others? Again no problem -- some numbers get a larger space than other...

There's a reason I consider Vincent a top-ranked knitter's or spinner's cat. It is not just because he loves crafts. He can put into body language what humans instead put into words. Yes, Vincent, you can haz fleece.

Sometimes I think I might need a Twitter account just for these sorts of tidbits. An envelope arrived in our mail, marked as an "invitation" from Harry & David. This is, of course, the retailer known for glorious baskets of perfect fruit (at a price point reflecting the time and care needed to attain that level of perfection), typically given during the end-of-year holidays. I've sometimes wondered what Harry & David does during the off-season between January and September.  Apparently, they attempt to sell sand to the Saudis . . . or in this case, peaches to people who live in Georgia. -------- experience ------- THE FIRST PEACHES OF THE SEASON I already have. In fact, I regular patronize two different local farmers' markets, plus I live a mile from three groceries stores and a new Sprouts Market opened in Smyrna. We've had peaches for over a month already. Why would I want to ship in peaches from three time zones away when I ...

It has been a busy summer with lots of travel. While I usually don't mind travel, I've done enough at this point that I think I get one victory point for every day in August in which I do not move my car. I am ecstatic to be sleeping in my own bed, working on my own projects, and having time to share my most recent discoveries. One of these discoveries is an interesting maneuver and stitch pattern. It started when I saw my mother wearing a commercial sweater with this pattern: Non-knitters probably don't notice anything about it, but knitters may notice the pattern is symmetrical. Not a big deal, you might think. Think again! There are a number of ways to make a fabric with holes on the half drop. Most of them are not 100% satisfying. In the examples below, odd-numbered rows are always right side. Swatch #1: Multiple of 2 stitches. Row 1: alternate yo, k2tog. Row 2: p all. Row 3. alternate k2tog, yo. Row 4. p all. Repeat these 4 ...

Ungar-Leech Map bracelet from above. If you've met me in person in the last couple years, you've probably heard me mention that my husband lives in Maryland while I live in Georgia. This is not my favorite living arrangement; and I can disavow the illusion that maintaining two households is a glamorous lifestyle. It is a major inconvenience, it is expensive, and it is a huge drain on my time. That said, we've all heard about making lemonade out of lemons. I've used the trips to Maryland to work with other Center for Knit and Crochet board members in person instead of over the phone or Internet, or to visit family in Pennsylvania, or to attend the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, or to shop at The Mannings or The Knitting Boutique. I've also been attending Southern Maryland Knitting Guild meetings when I can. I met Dr. Susan Goldstine at one of these meetings. Susan is a professor of mathematics at St. Mary's College of Maryland. She is also a clever cra...

In addition to being involved with both knitting guilds in Atlanta -- and occasionally one in Maryland -- I'm also a member of Textile Appreciation Society of Atlanta. If the guilds are the artists, then TASA members are the patrons. I love attending their quarterly events just to see what everyone is wearing! This quarter's event was an excursion to a pair of wonderful textile exhibits at The Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design Gallery at Georgia State University . Yes, this in downtown Atlanta. I took MARTA to the Five Points Station. If you exit towards Peachtree Street, just cross the street and walk a couple short blocks north towards Woodruff Park. Turn right and walk west a couple blocks on Edgewood Avenue. The gallery is on the corner of Peachtree Center Avenue SE and Gilmer Street SE. They both sort of intersect Edgewood Avenue at one of those strange multi-street intersections that seem to be too common in Atlanta. You'll notice the gallery off to the right...