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Take Me Out

Traveling Sock celebrated Father’s Day by going to the ballpark.

Ducks Game 6.19.2011

It was a beautiful day for a game. Especially when the home team won 6-0. Sorry, Camden.

Ducks Game 6.19.2011

The Long Island Ducks are my favorite baseball team, because they are a semi-pro team that play in a reasonably-sized stadium where you can see what’s happening on the field no matter where your seat, because you will not go bankrupt buying crackerjacks, because the first base coach (Buddy Harrelson, for you Mets fans out there) will sit at a table during the fourth inning and sign autographs for kids, because half of the starting lineup is from the Island and I like supporting my community, and because the mascot is a gigantic duck.

Ducks Game 6.19.2011

Since it was Father’s Day, Quackerjack’s dad Papa jack flew up from Florida to join him (get it?) Their antics never fail to amuse.

I didn’t get much knitting done, since I was coated in sunscreen and still somehow managed to get burned in a few spots. But it was a great afternoon. I love a good ballgame.

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Multi-craftual

I’m working on a bunch of gift knitting at the moment, but I needed a bit of a break.

So I started another project. Startitis? Me? You must be mistaking me for some other knitter.

Ishbel on the train

Say hi to my new train knitting, an Ishbel that I am making in Madtosh Merino Light celebration yarn that I bought the day my new job called to tell me I was hired. I felt like partying, and picking up a skein of yarn and discovering it was named “cameo” (which jewelry I am quite fond of) seemed like a sign. So I bought it, and am knitting it now and I just adore how it’s working up.

I’ve actually done a bit more since I took this shot on my trip home last week; I finished the stockinette portion and am into the charts now. It’s chugging along nicely and I feel refreshed and ready to retackle my gift knitting, which is exactly what I needed.

IN the meantime, my crafty mom surprised me today with these:

dream of cities

City pillowcases! When we went into the city a few months ago to check out those awesome quilt shows, we found these great city-themed fabrics in the City Quilter, my favorite quilt/fabric store in Manhattan. So we got them, and Mom made me a set of pillowcases. Yes, that second one has the subway map on it, and I love it to bits.

This deal we have of trading knitting and sewing with each other is pretty awesome. She keeps threatening to teach me to use a sewing machine, and I keep threatening to teach her to knit, but I think we’re both pretty happy with this arrangement as it stands. At least, I am! Now to see what I can offer her in trade to get her to turn my old tee-shirts into a quilt…

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Red and White

I did not knit today. Today, I marveled.

View from the entrance

Through a not entirely random series of events (a quilt show at FIT, stopping in to use a coupon we go there at my mom’s favorite quilt shop in the city, and a conveniently placed pamphlet at the register) my mom and I ended up at the Park Avenue Armory for the American Folk Art Museum’s exhibition Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts.

All of these quilts are from a private collection, and the owner apparently decided that she wanted to celebrate her 80th birthday by throwing herself an exhibition. Well. Rock on, Joanna S. Rose, because this is the most unique birthday party I’ve ever been to.

Looking across the drill hall

The best word I can use for this is dizzying. There’s over six hundred quilts in this exhibition and they are hung in the huge drill hall four and five high — and in the center? They spiral up in a seemingly-never-ending column. Everywhere you turn there’s a new design, a new technique, something new to admire.

This one caught my eye for the intricacy:

Cats? Unicorns? Your guess is as good as mine.

And this one for its cross-craftual appeal:

Cross-craftual

But I think my favorite in the whole show was this one:

Redwork Flour Sack Quilt

This quilt was made of squares cut from flour sacks, with the flour company designs embroidered in red. It’s such a perfect example of the idea of folk art, taking the ordinary everyday objects in life and making something beautiful and even breathtaking out of them. I stood next to this one for a long time just enjoying all of the fine details and contrasting logos.

The only negative thing? This exhibit is only open until March 30th. If you’re in New York this week, you should definitely catch it! It’s even free, so there’s no excuse to miss it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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Catching up

Just because I didn’t post about February’s socks in February doesn’t mean they weren’t finished in February.

Really.

RIVENDELL

Rivendell Socks

Pattern: Rivendell by Janel Laidman
Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label in Deep Sea, a birthday gift from J
Needles: US 1 dpns
Notes: Oh, these did come out breathtaking, didn’t they? But that wasn’t without some pain. The pattern calls for a wrap design around the top of the leg that makes a scalloped effect. Very pretty, but… I have fairly short, wide calves, and they just did not fit. I ended up ripping back the first sock to start over. My options were to figure out increases, or… skip the scalloping entirely. I went with the past of least resistance, and just did ten rounds in the ribbing pattern before starting the charts.

This pattern is so, so pretty. And being rather fond of Lord of the Rings, I really love how it evokes Arwen’s pendant and the general beaux-arts elegance of the elves:

Rivendell Socks

Naturally, within hours (seriously) of weaving in the last end, Janel Laidman released a pattern update including more sizing options. I think next time I will see if I can manage it with the scalloping. (Of course there will be a next time, are you kidding?)

Incidentally, Tanis Fiber Arts? Amazing. These are the second pair of socks I’ve done in Tanis and I love it love it love it. If you can get a hold of some, do so as quickly as possible and do not let it out of your hands.

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I’ve been watching the news out of New Zealand and now Japan with a rather dull dread, but like last year, LSG, my main hangout on Ravelry, has stepped up with verve. I decided against doing any pattern-sale fundraisers this time around, but when a few LSGers volunteered their time to run a silent auction, I decided to donate a pair of October Leaves. So, if you have a ravelry account and you’d like to see what else is available, point your browser here for a look. My offering is the fourth one down, a pair of October Leaves mitts knit in the winning bidder’s choice of KP Gloss Fingering colors, as well as their choice of patterns from my shop. The first round of auctions (including mine) end on Friday the 25th, so get a move on!

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While I’m not doing pattern sale donations, plenty of people are. Two that I indulged in are Mitered Crosses Blanket from the Mason-Dixon ladies, and the Japanese Garden Shawl from Wendy Knits. I have some Sekrit Plans for that blanket, yes I do. And I bought myself some really beautiful Madtosh this week, because I had news that was worthy of celebration and this is how I celebrate:

Celebration Yarn!

and I think that one of these skeins will work exceptionally well for Japanese Gardens. (And the other will become a Saroyan, I am thinking.) Of course, now I have to decide…which color with which pattern? I’m all about the tough choices.

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Just ducky

Hello, Internets!

I have had some adventures.

I went to a baseball game. My team did not win, but I got to see some fireworks as well as Quackerjack, my favorite badass mascot:

You don't mess around with Jack

He acts all sweet around the kids (and the couples getting engaged, another thing I got to witness!) but this is one truly attitudinal duck. He will waggle his tailfeathers at the opposing team in a most insulting manner, and he expects them to thank him for the privilege. Now if only the rest of the team could pick up on that attitude…

There’s been actual, honest to goodness ducks around here, too. Don’t believe me?

Leaves are delicious

My Sister the Teacher does a Duck Unit with her second graders every year in June. They adopt duck eggs from a local farm, and watch the ducks hatch and grow in order to learn important facts about life cycles. All three eggs hatched healthy ducks this year, so unlike years past we are not having to dive into the toughest lessons right away. Instead we get to enjoy the ducks being fluffy and adorable for a few more days, until they go home with their new adopted families.

Make way for ducklings

I can’t stand the cute. I just can’t stand it.

In between all of that, I made some socks.

Summer Socks

Summery, yes? My usual top-down/heel-flap stockinette, from my carefully hoarded stash of Knitpicks Dancing. This colorway is Ballet. They are not exactly difficult, these socks. I could knit my “usual” sock recipe in my sleep at this point. (Actually. I am pretty sure some of these socks were knit in my sleep.)

They make me very happy anyway.

Tune in later, when we play a fun new game called I Ran Out Of Yarn For This Shawl I’m Working On And I’m In Denial But While I Work On That Please Help Me Figure Out What Color Would Work Best To Finish The Border. First I have to finish gnashing my teeth and shaking my fist at the universe, but that shouldn’t take too long.

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Sing of happy, not sad

Anybody else who grew up with Sesame Street remember that one? I rediscovered it a few years ago, and now it earworms its way into my brain frequently. Today is a day to sing of some happy.

Since January is over, so is my little fundraiser. I totaled up my sales of October Leaves, figured out what half of the profits came out to, and I’m really really proud to announce that with your help, I will be making a donation to Doctors Without Borders of $285. (I threw in a buck and change to make it a nice round number.)

Thank you to everyone who bought or gifted a copy. I hope you enjoy knitting your mitts up. I know I keep saying it, but I’m so proud of all the knitters (and crocheters) who pitched in and did this amazing thing. For example, LSG, my home base on Ravelry, has been keeping track of member donations and the current total comes to over $47,000! And Casey over at Ravelry set up a special tag for all the designers donating money from their patterns — I might have done some shopping in there over the month as well. There were a whole lot of people pitching in and they all get my thanks.

Aestlight
The snowman in my backyard approves of you all and your generosity. Thank you all for your help.

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Mindboggling

So my favorite place to hang out on Ravelry is a little group called LSG, a group filled with some fine ladies and gents with hearts of gold. (And language of profanity, but that’s why it’s fun.) They set a goal to raise $5069 yesterday for Haiti relief, because that’s how many people are willing to admit they’re LSGers.

In 24 hours, they have raised almost $7,000, and donations are still pouring in. It makes my little heart go pitter-pat.

And I’m not the only one who’s pledged time, or money, or pattern sales. Kristen Rengren has complied a list of knitters, yarnies, and designers who are pledging their products, as well as a run-down of aid organizations accepting donations. There’s some great stuff on that list, so you should click through and check it out. Kristen herself is donating 50% of her sales from two of her terrific patterns this month, and I appreciate that she went ahead and made a list so I could just link you all to it.

I said it in the last post, but I say it again. Knitters are an amazing community, and I’m proud to be in it.

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Mending the World

Yesterday I bumped into a mention of the Hebrew phrase tikkun olam, which means “mending the world.” It’s a Jewish belief, with a lot of meanings and history, but the one I am most familiar with is the importance of doing good works to make the world better. I love the translation, and the idea.

And the world could certainly use a lot of mending today. Yesterday’s earthquake in Haiti has left uncountable numbers of dead and injured. Even aid groups who were already in the country are struggling with their own losses, of facilities and personnel. Rene Preval, Haiti’s president, was blunt: “Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed. There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them.”

I’m typing this on a laptop, sitting on my comfortable bed in a warm house. Downstairs my mom is cooking dinner for her family, and there’s a fire in the wood stove keeping us toasty. We have a roof and food and clean water, and we’re healthy and prosperous.

So here’s what I’m doing.
October Leaves Fingerless Mitts

I am donating 50% of my profits from January sales of the October Leaves Fingerless Mitts. I’m incredibly lucky, because not only am I prosperous and safe tonight, but I have this little pattern out there in the world that people love and are willing to purchase with their own hard-earned money. So I am going to share that luck with people who desperately need it tonight. On January 31 I will tally up my sales for the month and I am going to send that money to Doctors Without Borders. I will let you all know what it works out to, of course, when I make that donation.

If you’ve already bought October Leaves and you want to chip in, this would be a great excuse to try out Rav’s new gift feature, by the bye.
And if you’d like to pitch in, faithful reader, but you’re not on Ravelry, (and why not, Ravelry is amazing) you can follow this link to purchase.

Why do I do this? I’m a knitter. I love being a knitter. Even before the Yarn Harlot birthed the idea of Knitters Without Borders, we’ve been giving our time and our money and our knitting to people who need it. I’m proud to stand up and take my turn in a very small way in this amazing community of givers.

And another reason? I’m a New Yorker. I know the feeling of watching the sky fall down, and the entire world holding out its hands for us to lean on. My turn to hold out my hands. It’s as simple as that. My turn to mend.

And, but this goes without being said, I love you guys. Stay safe.

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All Is Bright

If you are celebrating, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. My knitting is done and wrapped and I am finishing a cup of tea before drifting off so that Santa can go about his work.

Tannenbaum

This is my favorite night of the year, and I hope you’ve all enjoyed it as much as I have. Peace.