one for the boys

woo hoo!
I think I've mentioned Kaffe Fasset before (for such a talented man, his website is not groovy), but I might not have mentioned Brandon Mably (ditto, but I've linked to it anyhow - take a look at the fabrics and drool). . . as you can see from the lovely Brandon's sweater, I am once more in the throws of a creative dilemma
(well, not exactly - my dilemma has nothing to do with his sweater, especially since I am crocheting and not knitting at the moment) (didn't know I could crochet? neither did I! but it's fairly easy to teach yourself one or two easy stitches, and so I did and hence my dilemma)

still with me boys? good. . . persevere

anyhoo, in my spare time, I've been crocheting granny squares. . .
not quite like that (I wish!). . . actually if I could wish, I'd be crocheting this:

(hang on in there, gentlemen, this will all be worth while if you bear with me)

so, having had a bit of spare time recently, I've amassed a goodly collection of said squares and was going to turn them into a shawl thing (you know, how the older generation like to keep warm? irrespective of fashion, in the case of a crocheted shawl) only Mini-Teen has now highjacked them and wants me to turn them into a hippy skirt (you know, how the younger generation don't care about warmth, only fashion? and - by bizarre coincidence, the timing of which is odd - since I've learnt to crochet the trendy shops are full of crocheted stuff) (haven't noticed? now you will!)

when the squares were going to be a shawl, they were going to be vaguely rainbowishly arranged (I haven't crocheted a rainbow, but oddly I seem to have all the shades and some inbetween)

only Mini-Teen prefers a more random pattern, and nothing rainbow related at all. . .

but - being new to crochet - I don't know how to join the squares together. . .

(still with me guys? hang in there!)

so when I was doing a little research into that, then I came across this:
which I think you'll agree is rather marvellous (and I might borrow its theme for my next round of creative activity). . . and it's based on one of Mr Fassett's quilts:
who also created this, only it's knitting and I'm crocheting so it'll have to go on the backburner for a while. . .but before I was distracted by Messrs Mably and Fassett, I found this:

which I think you'll agree is fairly unpleasant (in that colourway and with those sleeves at least). . .

. . .but! back to the plot! I was going to say something really important to all you men out there, but now I'm distracted and can't remember what it was

oh well!

the fabric of dreams

do you know about Harris Tweed?

Harris is an island, one of the Outer Hebrides (also known as the Western Isles), Scotland. . .traditional tweed is hand-woven from wool. . . you can find a little history here, if you're interested. . . tweed isn't just for flat caps and coats. . .

now, I don't know if I've ever told you this, but I love fabrics. . . and I especially love tweeds (check out these really funky ones!). . . and I also love Tana Lawn from Liberty (I'm sure I've told you this before)

I think I have, haven't I? oh well - so lovely, we'll look at some again. . .

(you can even buy Tana Lawn Buttons!)

and this one reminds me of tweed and lichen

but, seeing as it's mid-November, let's stick to the warm woolly stuff. . . look at the colours of these beautiful tweed yarns from Rowan - it looks like tweed, and knits up to create a fabric with those gorgeous tweedy flecks in it
.
a little like knitting your own lichen in fact. . .

I could wax on for hours about colour and texture and yarn and fabric, but they are some of those things that have to be experienced to be truly loved
.
in the meantime, I'll leave you with this:
.

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

..
WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

.

<----- returns to her knitting

knitting (don't yawn) (yarn is interesting!)

ever wondered where the phrase "spinning a yarn" came from?

knitting is a very cultural experience. . .
altho a lot of people knit by themselves,
it doesn't have to be a lonely pastime

lots of people knit with their friends!

for me knitting is an absolute pleasure - every stitch is a delight. . . it's like picking a beautiful jewel and threading it onto a necklace of other sparkling gems; like writing a story - whether it's a short story, a novel, a love poem, a tale to tell to keep the winter chill at bay; like taking a favourite walk thru familiar woods and fields, or a new direction thru unknown pastures; a swim in the ozoned-waved ocean, or wading in a gently - almost still, but not quite - flowing river, or diving into a deep deep pool) (you get the idea?)
.
my favourite yarn is Japanese: Noro, cardings of wool*/silk/a mix of fibres (*there are many many different sorts of wool, a little like wine) are hand dyed and then spun into threads which change colour gently and subtly if not with each stitch then with each row or every few rows. . .

I'm using this book for the pattern I am currently knitting
(the cardigan on the front)

(which, of course, I'm not following exactly - as I'm using a different yarn, in a different set of colourway shades) (it's also a finer yarn - which means different needles, smaller ones - which mean a different number of stitches, more per row of width and inch of length*) (and I'm not knitting the rib [variations of "knit one-pearl one" on one row and then "pearl one-knit one" on the reverse], I knitted the sleeves a little longer as I am just using stocking stitch ["one row knit, the following row pearl" - the "knit" row is the front side] as I like the way it rolls at the cast-on edge) (*see, knitting is very mathematical) (which makes it intellectually challenging**) (**not to me of course, I am good at math) (ha ha ha)

anyhoo. . .
let's look again at the beauty of the Noro yarn

(see, the thing about loving knitting is that you have to use a yarn you totally adore, so that every stitch is a delight. . . if you knit with baby blue or sunshine yellow acrylic it's never going to make you happy, now is it?)
.
(I'd rather save up and buy a pricier yarn to knit one item, than purchase cheap yarn and knit yards of itchy scarf)
.

(but that's just me)
.
*HAPPY SIGH*
.
so - that's about it for knitting!
(unless you have any questions?)

.
anyone fancy a bobble hat for xmas then. . .

(not that I waste yarn on bobbles, you understand)
.
I have threatened my three with
something knitted for their stockings. . .

(The Teen has a fear of evil penguins!)
.
and for myself?
something from this book perhaps. . .

(-; still don't fancy knitting? there's always voodoo. . .

.
*evil cackle*

the seasons are a-changing. . .

. . .so I'm going to spin you a yarn

well, knit myself a thinking cap, perhaps

as well as some of my other artistic endeavours, I'm a knitter

*cough splutter*

but knitting's trendy now - so I have no shame in admitting to it; as a knitter, I have a stash of yarn

I used to be obsessed with adding to it. . . everywhere I went I would search out wool shops

(unlike Wallace, it never lead to love)

I'd buy yarn, yarn and more yarn. . .I'd buy needles, needles and more needles. . .

I'd have my favourite yarns that I'd want to buy more of. . .

I'd see funky needles and just have to add them to my collection

if you're a knitter, or indeed any kind of collector (or obsessive) you'll understand this
.
(you do understand this, don't you?) (if not, it's a tad tricky to explain!)
.
dear reader, you know how my circumstances have changed in the last couple of years. . . I accept and take responsibility for where I am, here and now; I know that I no longer have the funds to add to my collection of yarn and needles
.

but!!
never fear:
despite credit crunch and/or
change in personal circumstances. . .
I have my stash!!

so, I'm currently knitting my way thru the stash - mainly scarves and beanies (not to a pattern, just as the mood takes me) (once you understand the basic principles of knitting a plain pull-on wooly hat, it's really easy to knit an interesting hat) (and a total joy if the yarn is fabulously interesting too)not that any of my hats look like those (I don't waste yarn on bobbles, for a start); I'm thinking of unravelling a couple of jumpers I knitted last winter and reknitting them into something else

I threatened (yes, threatened - they were really really really annoying me) that I'd knit the POVSs their xmas gifts (I'd rather spend the money on a new coffee machine for myself. . . something that would improve the quality of life for all of us!)

but there are some things I won't be knitting