Accidental Art

catch up--nah, not possible

Okay, okay, so it's been a while.  So, ya know I closed the Grove City shop.  Well, it's not retirement time for Linda yet.  Got a lovely offer to help out a few days a week at a new yarn shop in Powell, OH called The Tangled Tale.  All natural fibers, lots of enthusiasm, an intense interest in Weavettes (by Buxton Brooks)--Google 'em.  (Hey, it's 12:14 AM-and I'm out of practice.  Ya get what ya pay for-he-he-he!)

Why am I back?  Well, I've been thinking about it for quite a while, but had so much to say, and as usual I managed to just ignore the whole thing...til today.  Got an email from my lovely daughter and she told me about this incredible site called www.spoonflower.com where you can get custom fabric printed on demand, like they do books!  Is that incredible or what?  Why are you still here reading this when you should be checking out this web site and signing up for the waiting list for the beta version?  As untechie as I am, I did it, and you can, too!  You know you always wanted to do this, right?  (If you said no, I'd consider going to Confession this Saturday.) 

Anyway, I'll come back soon and post a couple of pictures of Spring in Ohio, give you some idea of what Market was like last week, and show you all the quilt pieces I've been working on.  Don't be intimidated..nowhere did you see the word "finished". 

later.

linda

shop closed

DO NOT.....repeat.....DO NOT go to the shop the Friday after Thanksgiving for the going out of business sale.  I sold all the inventory to Etoia Rivera for her shop in South Bloomfield.  Thanks you for your kind patronage, and I'm sure I'll see you guys around somewhere.  In the meantime, I'll be back to fairly regular posting once I get rid of this incredibly annoying/exhausting cold.  Stay tuned...

linda

new stuff

Okay, I started out the trip home happy that I had taken 2 pictures of new stuff that had come in:
Panda Wool sock yarn - the colors don't show up well, but the second from the top is a rich dark denim and the bottom one is a black with bits of red and gold +?..feels great.I also got hanks of this yarn undyed   to go with all those Cushing dyes that came in.  I got some of Crystal Palaces's superwash wool called Merino 5 for dyeing, too. 

Then I got in these great little dp needle point protectors Julie'd been telling me about for ages ---they really are great!  So I was on my way home ready to post these pix and I stopped in Barnes and Noble on the way.  No, it's not on the way, but who's gonna quibble when there's books and magazines at stake? 

Now, nobody know better than I do that we sure don't need more scarves.  That's what I thought.  Learn something new everyday.  I picked up this book Knitting New Scarves  27 Distinctly Modern Designs by Lynne Barr from STC craft edited by Melanie Falick.  HOW DID I MISS THIS?  Where was the hype?  Where was I?  You won't believe some of these---connected knitted "pearls", interlocking discs, wavy things, "woven" i-cord, and the list goes on.  I want to make at least 10 inches of almost all of them.  And yes, they put the least intriguing one on the front cover.  Did they ask me?   
Well, all I can say now, is this is the end of the post, cause I have to go look at these some more and see which one I start first!!!!!  And I don't want a scarf!!!!!

what's new

Just a quick heads up:  Part of the crystal palace order came in today.  I now have crystal palace bamboo 6" dp's in sizes 0, 1, 1.5,2,3 & 4.  Also got in 4 colors of Panda Wool sock yarn, and undyed panda wool and merino 5.  Fun fun!

new stuff coming!!

Yes, I know it's been a bit but I have been busy.  Yes, too busy to have my stuff together to get pictures of my hand dyed sock yarns, and no updates of my knitting, but HOPEFULLY this weekend I'll get some up.  In the meantime, I've done what I said I wouldn't do--and how many of you are going to say, "told you so"? I ordered more yarn.  But it's not my fault!!! It's for my customers. Honest!!  Here's the deal:

I love Crystal Palace bamboo double points.  They're just the best.  No, not the cheapest, but the best.  And in order to get them into the shop, I had to order lots of stuff!!!  They have a BIG minimum.  So, I hope you will think I chose wisely.  I got the needles and I got:
             Panda wool sock yarn-the new november color is to die for
             Panda cotton sock yarn
             Panda silk sock yarn-so gorgeous for a slightly heavier than lace weight shawl!!!!!
             Merino 5 (which is a teense lighter than Aurora 5 and yes, is a super was wool)  Stop screaming and pointing at me like that!!
             Creme - which is a wool silk blend.

All of this is not coming all at once, but some will come each month between now and December.  If you're curious about any of these, go to the Crystal Palace web site:  www.straw.com
I also ordered some of those double pointed needle point protector thingies. 
   Let me know what you think.  I'll let you know when these things come in.  Thanks for hanging in there!

linda

busy, busy and still unfocused

I did finish the big wrap me up shawl :

Not too bad.  I also started the next one in a hand-dyed lighter weight Peace Fleece:

Trust me.  It looks better in person. 

And I've gazed onto the lovely fields in full grow mode around us:

Okay, this last one is a dark shot, and I don't know why, but believe me when I say that it's a field full of gorgeous black-eyed susans.  And the corn is tall and drying out, and the soy beans are carpets of green.  I'm so glad I'm here.

So, I've been trying to decide how I can have some interesting sock yarn without having to invest in $1500. of stuff that doesn't go with the rest of my stock.  So I'm dyeing my own.  Yes, I'm having fun.  Yes, my fingers are funny colors.  And I love the drying rack in my dryer. 

I also finished my Halloween hanging, and will try to get more photos posted the next time.  Til then, stay tuned.

linda

news

Not that anybody comes to me for book reviews, but here's one anyway.  Okay, it's a partial, but I'm too excited to wait to read the whole thing. 

I got Cat Bordhi's new sock architecture book today, and I'm excited!  The layout is divine!  The sock patterns and where to find them are listed in the back, and the different techniques covered are listed in the back.  Hallelujah!!  It's 11:34 on Monday nite and I don't want to go to  bed til I find some needles and yarn to take to work tomorrow to start on a baby sock for practice-her suggestion, not my obsessiveness.  Anyway, just wanted to give you a heads up, if you're looking for something new and challenging.  I got mine on Amazon.  Haven't found the direct distributor yet.  Have fun and stay tuned!

linda

books (more new projects)

So, last nite I spent looking at the 3 new Interweave Press books that came in.  WOW!  First we have Getting Started Knitting Socks.  For those of us who have experienced this process and fallen under it's spell, you don't need this.  For those of you who have been hesitant to start, wanted to understand the underlying formula, get a better fit, have a bunch of basic sock patterns-this is the book for you!  The pictures are great, there are lots of gauge options, and it's based in reality-almost all of us have holes in our gusset tops-it's just easier to fix than to prevent. 

Then there's Knit Kimono.  I love the basic kimono shape.  It looks good on all body types, is easy to make, and it's timeless-the one I made 5 years ago will still be worn 10 years from now and look good.  This book not only gives you a wide variety of variations of a kimono, but there's great history and how to design your own kimono directions.  I've got one in mind that calls for a silk that I'm gonna do in Peace Fleece black.  It'll make it a smidge bigger and I've got it in stock!

Finally, there's Twisted Sisters Sweater Knitting Workshop.  The sweater design directions are quite lovely and complete.  What will knock your socks off are the pictures in the gallery.  Inspiration up the wazoo!  No, there are no patterns for these, but you'll be able to make up your own and you'll want to at least start dyeing your own yarn, if not spinning it, too!

Speaking of dyeing.  I'm a lazy dyer.  I don't like to think.  And I don't care if everything is an even color.  And I've decided I like dyeing wool with Cushing Acid dyes in a crock pot.  Yes, a crock pot.  No, not one I use for dinner.  I got these at garage sales.  Really cheap.  If you're not able to sit and watch things, this is great.  You put it in, and let it simmer.  I have 2, and may look for more.  I only need 7-8 skeins for a whole sweater out of Peace Fleece or Briggs and Little.  I was going to dye some up last nite, but in one of my forced cleaning binges, I put the dyes in a safe place.  No, can't find them-but did run across a missing pair of Gingher thread snips.  So I ordered more this morning and if all goes well, I'll be carrying them for those of you who have the lazy dye bug like me.  Stay tuned.
linda

new books

No pictures today, but I had to let you know that we got in 3 new Interweave Press books:  Knit Kimono, Getting Started Knitting Socks, and Twisted Sisters Sweater Book.  I'm going to try to check them out tonite and let you know what I think. (I already found a sweater in the Kimono book that I want to start--in my free time!!!!) But if you're in town, see if you can drop in.  Later.

Linda

purpose

Purpose.  Yes, we all have one.  But now I'm talking about the purpose of this blog.  It was supposed to help me focus on stuff so that things would be accomplished in less than 5 (okay, 15) years.  To some extent I have.  In other areas, I'm as lost as ever.  What am I talking about, you may ask?  Remember that bunny quilt?

Well, I have 12 blocks done and 5 more marked.  Yes, that's good, but I haven't touched it for months.  Why?  'Cause I got really into things at the shop. 

And I have made lovely progress on this wrap.  So much so that I'm planning on having a "section of the month" knit along at the shop.  I figure if two sections a month got covered, it could be done in a year, easily, although if it were the only project you're working on (ha!) it would be done lickety split.  But what of the lace projects I have (3?, 4?, 5?) and the little Halloween wall hanging I'm still working on?  And then there's "Dear Jane".  Oh my.  I probably shouldn't mention that I got fabric for the Halloween hanging in the new issue of McCall's Quilts?  (I'm even too embarrassed to print a picture.)  I'm not sure if it's greed, inability to focus, excitement about new stuff or what.  The saving grace is I know I'm not alone. 

So, I'm off to get my laundry out of the dryer while waiting for the cable guy to fix channels 2,3,4,5,& 6, before I have to leave to go to work.  Late day today, so I'm packing up my *Smart Ones" and some fruit and trying to figure out how to get a power nap while I eat--wait-you're not supposed to multi-task while you eat.  Does a nap count as a task?  I'll let you know.  Stay tuned.
linda