Here’s an interesting new challenge from Interweave Press/Handwoven…Not Just For Socks with your handwoven. There are a lot of fun things you can make with those sock yarns and a rigid heddle loom or portable looms like Weavettes.
Deadline is February 28, 2010. Lots of great prizes too.
Grace — There’s plenty of time for Iris to fire up her Cricket Loom and enter!
The weather has turned COLD since I returned from SOAR. I don’t know if it’s been cold all along, but because of my self enforced confinement due to the cold pre-SOAR, I just didn’t notice it. In any case, the whispers in the back recess of my brain are now shrieking…Vests! Hats! Mitts! Something, anything, warm and snuggly.
I started the Hiker’s Waistcoat with Cascade Rustic from my stash. I’m going to put in a zipper instead of buttons. This should have been a quick knit except I keep thinking I know where the pattern is going and knit merrily away, only to find out several inches later that my interpretation was off. Waaay off. So, I’ve done quite a bit of unknitting. Why not just rip? I’m trying to keep track of row numbers so that the seaming will go easier.
The wool/linen blend is amazingly soft. I’m loving it so far. The soft flowing of pure white to gray is mesmerizing. I can’t wait to wear it. I should have enough for a hat or something to go with.
Maybe some pictures after the most recent unknitting session.
So much to say yet so little to show for it on my cameras. At least, that I’m willing to share on the blog. After all, I need to hold back something for blackmailing. Karaoke with Velma & Nancy Roberts, anyone? Samba line dancing? (Thank goodness no one took pictures of me doing that!) Stetson and Sarah trying for the longest draw with cotton and a spinning wheel (with Denny and Stephenie doing the limbo under it).
What’s best about SOAR? Hanging out with old friends, some you only see a few times a year, or once a year at SOAR. Getting to know some of them better. Getting under the covers and learning the thought and design process of the mentors for their various projects: Sara Lamb, Deb Menz, Stephenie Gaustad, Sarah Swett to name a few. (Go ahead, click through to their site and tell me you aren’t inspired.) Meeting new best friends. Seeing all the fabulous projects that everyone has been working on during the past year. Creative juices are flowing.
Unfortunately, creative juices aren’t the only juices that are flowing. I arrived still recovering from the ravages of a 2 week old cold (just sinusitis and bronchitis at this point, and cleared by my doctor as not contagious), there were others who arrive while contagious. Sorry, people, cold/flu while you are contagious and in small hotel meeting rooms/suites and lots of other people is just not a good idea. Several of the mentors came down with the crud after the 3 day workshop and had to suffer through the remainder of the week feverish and loss of voice. Not cool. Some think that the SOAR crud is the price of admission; I’d rather not.
The cold dry air of the Oregon High Desert triggered a severe asthma attack for me. That on top of weakened lungs from the bronchitis made it ugly. Very ugly. So ugly that I barely made it to Whidbey Island. So ugly that my doctor put me on a course of prednisone. So ugly that I’ve decided to stay put until this is fully under control instead of returning back to the bay area and some commitments I have down there.
Now that the asthma is better controlled, I have the sniffles. Damn! And a winter storm is now scheduled to arrive tomorrow and stay through the window I am thinking I’ll be able to head south again.
On the positive side, I love a good winter storm when I tucked in the cottage with a fire blazing. Plenty of hot tea and my spinning wheel. I might even break out the Cricket and weave a scarf!
And even better, I will be able to go to the Whidbey Weaver’s Guild‘s Annual Sale on Friday!
I leave you with some images of the week. Click through for full size.
31-Aug-2014: Sorry, I have removed the photo gallery because I have been getting a lot of comment spam through a loop hole in the WordPress Galleries created before a patch.
23 Dec, 2009: Edited to use YouTube instead of the local QuickTime movie for improved page loading and throughput.
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