2009 Birthday Wish List

It's time for my semi-annual wish list, since my birthday is a little over a week away (the other one is at Christmas-time)! What has caught my eye this summer? In no particular order...

A job! Modestly lucrative pay, meaningful work, a chance to talk to other grownups about something besides the kids. Sometimes I think that's just a fantasy. I know, work is ... work, and I'm contributing to society by doing my best to raise strong yet sensitive children, but I am capable of more.

Twist Tote - looks like a great project bag

Still crazy about the Scilla cardigan kit from Solveig Hisdal (select Bohus Stickning, then scroll down about half way) - blue for the main color, of course!

Knitpicks stuff: some options needles perhaps (the new Zephyr tips look neat, and I'm often partial to warm and lightweight plastic/acrylic like my Bryspuns), blocking tiles, maybe even a new ballwinder. A Knitpicks gift certificate would work, too ;)

iPhone - I go round and round on whether I really want to join the 21st century and be able to get online anywhere. It's really a blessing and a curse, isn't it? I read something recently that people get a little endorphin rush every time they get a message, and it's addictive. Hence all those people Driving While Texting (DWT). Right now I just have a pretty lame cameraphone, which is OK. Plus, I'm a Verizon customer, and there are rumors Apple will partner with them soon, since AT&T is dropping calls left and right with their overloaded system. Maybe I'll wait.

Some new clothes, probably J.Crew. When I get a job I will definitely need some clothes, since most of mine are three years old or so (anybody want some maternity clothes?), and I purged much of my wardrobe when the Gloucester house sold. Actually, what I'd really like is a cool, eclectic wardrobe of clothes from etsy. I am always amazed by all the creative things people are producing over there.

A remote for my digital camera, so I can stage my own photo shoots :) I'm also thinking of doing a Self-Portrait 365 starting on my birthday. I hope it will improve my knowledge of my camera. My class with Franklin reminded me to, you know, actually use the various functions on my camera and experiment, not just leave it on "Auto".

Still keen on the Ork Posters: Boston (blue screen print), Chicago (white on black screen print), Great Lakes (clear blue print), and of course Manhattan (butcher paper orange - how cool). Once a graphic designer, always a graphic designer, I guess.

A Mermaid Napper blanket from Nan Kennedy/Sea Colors. I met Nan at the Bath Farmer's Market (and had missed meeting her a few years ago at a Sea Colors trunk show at Yarns in the Farms) and had a great time talking with her and admiring her woolly wares (solar-dyed yarn, sweaters produced by Maine knitters with seaglass buttons - want some of those! -, tasty lamb chops, and these blankets). Wedgwood or Mermint are my favorite colorways, of course.

Barbara Walker's Fourth Treasury (the green one) - I used to dismiss this one, but as I've delved deeper into knitwear design, I see that there is more wisdom in there that I could benefit from, beyond just plugging stitch patterns into existing shapes.

Yarn yarn yarn. Although I did acquire two skeins of Swan Island Certified Organic Merino Fingering weight in Robin's Egg before leaving Maine for the summer. It's the stash pet of the moment, while I figure out a worthy project for this yarn. And yarn came home with me from Wisconsin. But you always need more yarn, right?

Yarn Coordinator

So, I have much to report from the nation's heartland (photography class with Franklin Habit at Loopy Yarns and checking out two brand-spankin' new yarn stores in Door County with my mom), but that will have to wait because I need your advice, dear readers.

The groovy people at Soho Publishing, publishers of Vogue Knitting amongst others, is looking for a Yarn Coordinator. Right here in NYC. ... I know! It sounds like one of those potentially thankless-to-some jobs that we Virgos love: all organizing, coordinating amongst editors, designers, and yarn companies, making lists and spreadsheets, ooh, maybe databases, and stuff like that (according to the job description).

The problem is that I have to write a cover letter. And it's been a while since I wrote one of those. I have no idea what to say without sounding like a fan-girl or a space cadet or a senior art director, which is what I was in my past life. What do I write?! "Hey, I love yarn and am an 'exquisitely focused knitter' (I prefer that phrase to 'obsessed') who needs a job. I'm highly organized and love setting up databases to keep everyone else around me organized as well."

I never liked writing cover letters, but at least in my last few job searches I could let my design samples and resume do a lot of the talking for me. Having spent the last couple of years hanging out with preschoolers and the screaming bébé (thank goodness she's turned into a delightful almost-toddler) hasn't helped my business communication skillz.

So, if you have any ideas on how to phrase things, let me know.

Free Patterns: Seven Knit Cardigans

Knitting Daily has another free e-book offering on their website with patterns for the Katharine Hepburn Jacket with cables and lace from Lace Style, Amber Beaded Cardigan from Michelle Rose Orne's Inspired to Knit: Creating Exquisite Handknits, Aran Duffle Coat, Pam Allen's Refined Aran Jacket, Sienna Cardigan, Side-Ways Rib Cardigan by Norah Gaughan, and Curry Cabled Cardigan. You must be a member of Knitting Daily, but it's free to join. [link]

KSA: Finding Fiber Events online

There are event listings all over the web. Here are a few to help you find fiber events in your area:

The Daily Knitter events page
The Interweave Knits calendar
The Knitter's Review events page

KSA: Triangular Shawls (Knitter's Service Announcement)

Want to make a triangular shawl? Only have a limited amount of that delicious yarn in your stash? Check out the exhaustive list Vicki of simpleknits put together organized by yardage; free patterns are in boldface. Summer is the perfect time for a little lace, and there are still a couple of weeks left! [link]

FO: Grandma's Birthday slippers

Pattern: Amy March's Slippers by Tiny Owl Knits [Ravelry link]
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Bulky from Purl Diva
Needles: US10/6.0mm
Notions: Hot pink ribbon from Joann's
Mods: Judy's Magic Caston and my version of the short row heel, which is just a little different than that in the pattern

Another pair of Amy March's slippers! This pair is for my grandmother, as she wore out the pair I sent her last mother's day. Love these! And the lipstick-red-with-touches-of-hot-pink yarn really is that bright - the hot pink ribbon which is for the straps on a dress for Isobel (should I ever hem it) is perfect. Grandma likes bright, cheerful colors.

Fiber Revival and Twist Collective

Momma and baby alpacas
Can I get an "Alpaca, Amen!"?


Jill/Tink and Carolyn/Wink in their floofy skirts
I had a fantastic time at Fiber Revival yesterday down in Newbury, Massachusetts. Such a good time that I only took a few pictures. But I got to see deardear Tink and Wink with their traveling version of the best little yarn shop in Massachusetts, along with Knit Night pals Joanne and Suzanne who were doing their best stash management by buying fluff instead of finished yarn - takes longer to use it up if you have to spin it first!


The beginning of my two-handed fair isle hat in Malabrigo Merino Worsted - though my little Isobel has already claimed it for herself
I took a two-handed fair isle class from Isobel Abelson (yes, spelled like my daughter Isobel), who was great. And now I get it! Weaving as you go is so much better than wrestling with floats. All sorts of new ideas are bubbling around in my brain. It was fun to talk Knitting with someone so knowledgeable. And we had a little two-person Joan Schrouder fan club. To top it off, Isobel had a great idea to fix something elegantly on a design project, rather than having to rip out the neckline and reknit it. In the small world files: Isobel and her husband lived one block away from our apartment when he was at Columbia Law School ... with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whom she said was a mensch, which I heartily agree with even though I've never had the good fortune to meet the lady. To make the class more fun, it was held in "Screen House B", which was one of those mesh screen tents. Ours was set up around back of the house near the chicken coop, which was also home to a big, white tom turkey who stalked around our tent with his tailfeathers unfurled.


The chicken coop by Screen House B

Tom Turkey

There was only a tiny bit of stash enhancement, but it was so pretty it had to come home with me: Sereknity Ayre Laceweight in Blue Lagoon (4 oz./1250 yards of 50% merino wool, 50% tussah silk). I'm mulling over ideas of just what to do with my new pretty...



And I got to meet Julia. I was having such a good time talking to her (and then had to dash to drive the two hours home) that I didn't get to look at the binder she casually mentioned. The binder with pictures of all the new Twist Collective projects. [facepalm] What?! Seriously? I felt like such a doofus last night. Thank goodness the new issue launched today, so I only had to kick myself for twelve hours or so.

So, have you seen the anniversary issue? Go! I'll wait... Really lovely, eh? Very nice patterns and a great mix.

I thought Cher Underwood Forsberg's men's sweater Urbanite was really handsome. Loved the Rococo gloves by Julia Mueller (I knit her Knotty Gloves for my grandmother last year). And I am adding the Cottage Garden pullover by Cheryl Burke to my queue right away - perhaps just for the adorable double-picot hems, though I'm itching to try my two-handed colorwork skillz. And let's not forget Mari Muinonen's Luminen - my problem is I have a white, wool, long jacket, but it doesn't have a hood, or those amazing cabled pockets, or those snowflakes on the back, nor is it out of Mountain Mohair. What's a knitter to do?

But the sweater I really want to knit isn't a pattern in there - the sweater Elizabeth Zimmermann knit for her goddaughter. Jared Flood's photographs are lovely, aren't they? I'm crazy about the sleeves. I've already sent an email off to Schoolhouse Press asking about it (see the article). You should, too!