Yes, there was a Christmas 2012

I didn't skip the Holidays this year, I have decided just to not write about it in detail. There were cookies made, good if not gourmet meals (IMHO) prepared, most not prepared by me and lots and lots of family time and gifts. I will list here only those relating to knitting, but know there were plenty more I could mention.

I asked for is this book (yeah, I know do I really need another knitting book with over 40 already listed; yes I do). Amigurumi Knits: Patterns for 20 Cute Mini Knits by Hansi Singh was a gift asked for and received. Check out the link above to review the vegetables, insects, sea creatures, and crytids (like the jackalope). The thing that intrigues me most is the Black-Devil Anglerfish; I just love the appendage with what looks like a light at the end in front of that monster-like mouth. Plus there's a great looking earthworm, I'll have to knit a whole slue of them. This book alone will keep me busy for months.

I also asked for a book about embroidery stitches, The Embroidery Bible by Betty Barnden, so I can embellish projects with different types of embroidery stitches. My first project will be finishing that wedding cake I've had on the docket for years; it requires a rather feathery looking stitch. I have been able to find the right stitch, the closed fly stitch, and have already practiced it. I'm sure baby sweaters will also be improved from my ability to add new stitches to them.

A Namaste - Better Buddy case was a great knitting gift and a splurge I wouldn't have purchased for myself. It is the perfect small case to hold all the little things one needs to knit. It now houses a tape measure, pair of scissors, two stitch counters and a small box of stitch marker as well as a few strands of leftover scraps of yarn. Mine is a perfect blue-green colour not shown in this photo.

Finally I received two cones of multiple fiber content purchased at a Portland yarn shop called Yarnia. This shop allows the yarn artist to put together fibers and colours, and will be a place I have to see in person when I'm in that city again. The two cones I received have over 400 yards on each cone. The darker colour is named Foehn, a combination of bamboo and wool, and the lighter blue combination is Maestro which is made with wool, merino (which is also a wool) and silk-poly. Foehn just called to me so I was compelled to start knitting with it.

My Before & After Scarf in it's ugly stage with the Maestro cone standing next to it

Churchmouse - Bias 'Before and After' Scarf was a perfect selection for this lightweight yarn. Click on the link if you want to purchase the pattern for yourself. (BTW this will be a scarf I keep for me.)

The designer says: "We dubbed this scarf 'before and after' because it's so ugly (truly!) before it's blocked and so beautiful after." See how right the designer is in my picture above. It is curling and rolling and so far looks nothing like the lovely scarf above.

I've managed now to share my knitting Xmas gifts before we all lose the glow of the Holiday season. A sincere thank you to everyone for the lovely and thoughtful gifts, knitting and otherwise.

Anatomy of a Sock

I've been knitting socks for a relatively short time. One of the disconcerting things for me as I started following patterns for socks is the pattern designer assumes the knitter (in this case that would be me) knows all the parts of a sock. So I thought I'd devote a post to improve my own knowledge about the anatomy of a sock and maybe some of you will learn something about the humble yet necessary sock as well. Here's the names of the parts of the foot as I know them. #49 ankle, #50 heel, #51, instep, #52 ball, #53 big toe, #54 toe, #55 little toe, #56 toenail. There are some parts more important for this discussion; first the heel of a foot is generally used to refer to the entire C-shape from the ankle to the instep. Speaking of the instep, it refers to that curve near the bottom of the foot. And what seems to be missing in the design above is the sole which generally refers to the bottom of the foot in total or plantar aspect in more technical terms. (BTW

Ode to the Cat

It has been six months since Mike, the cat's, passing. I think of him every day and miss him especially when Paul is away. Mike was a being in the house with me and we were close. Grieving his death has been muddled with my Dad's passing and sometimes I feel guilty about that happening. As time passes the ache becomes less hurtful for both and I am starting to get mostly good memories in its place. Recently I helped celebrate Pablo Neruda's birthday with Jami, my poet and overall very creative friend. Guests were asked to select one poem written by Neruda to read to the small group who gathered for the celebration. I picked this one: Ode To The Cat -- Pablo Neruda There was something wrong with the animals: their tails were too long, and they had unfortunate heads. Then they started coming together, little by little fitting together to make a landscape, developing birthmarks, grace, flight. But the cat, only the cat turned out finished, and

Knitting-Related Guinness World Records

I had to share some of the Guinness World Records connected with knitting. It is amazing to me the type of skill, stamina and unique characteristics these record holders have in common. How about trying to knit with these SPNs?? Ingrid Wagner and her large needles and knitted swatch The largest knitting needles measured 3.5 m (11 ft 5.8 in) long and had a diameter of 8 cm (3.15 in). Ingrid Wagner, a rug and art creation artist, from the UK used the needles to knit a tension square of ten stitches by ten rows at the Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, on March, 10 2008. (And I complained about getting certain SPNs stuck in my clothes.) See how this swatch was done with merely 5 people managing the needles. And what about the yarn? It is truly ex-bulky. It looks like they're knitting in a warehouse, but with a wingspan of almost 24 feet or 7 m, you'd need all that space. Or how about the longest piece of finger knitting that measured 4,321.4 m

Flagel Knitting Files

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