House of Swank

Things The Harlot Taught Me

Last night Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka The Yarn Harlot) made an appearance in Portland in support of her latest book - Things I Learned From Knitting (whether I wanted to or not).  It was a pretty cool and informative experience on many different levels. 

Things I learned last night (in more-or-less chronological order)

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Puts on a Kick-Ass Event
Blue Moon is a locally based yarn purveyor that many people know for their Socks That Rock yarn and their Rockin' Sock Club.  They were the one that hosted the Harlot.  Proceeds from book sales that evening went to Doctors Without Borders - a charity that Pearl-McPhee personally supports, and has called on other knitters to support as well.  They also has a special sock yarn available for purchase at the event. 

The colorway was, appropriately, named "Knitters Without Borders"

I need more sock yarn like I need another hole in my head, so I TRIED to resist, but the line was long and they really are my colors.  The red is much more prevalent and vibrant in real life, and I am so enamored with the colors the only thing preventing me from casting on a pair of socks right this minute is the fact that the appropriate needles are in use with another sock right now.  But don't think I didn't consider frogging out that sock so that I could cast on the socks immediately last night.

The other really fun thing Blue Moon did was an Inexplicable Knitting Behavior Scavenger Hunt, inspired by a similar Scavenger Hunt sponsored by Pearl-McPhee.  One person scored 88 points on the Portland Scavenger Hunt.  She awoke at 5 am and has a 3-page schedule and cross referenced maps.  Once the Harlot posts about the Portland event on her blog you can see a photo of the winner.  Truly astounding.

Knitting Can Help Break Down Social Barriers
I had my first taste of this lesson on the train on my way to the event.  A high school girl noticed my knitting and started talking to me about it.  She was a knitter herself, and it was obvious through our conversation that her fellow classmates didn't know fully what to make of her.

It also showed itself at the event itself.  Although I knew a couple of people there, I had gone on my own.  And ended up sitting next to two other people who had gone on their own.  We waited and knit and chatted and had a very lovely evening.  We had some big differences between us, but some strong similarities as well (and not just the fact that we were knitters).  I've never experienced anything like that at a book signing in my life.

There Are Some Very, VERY Odd People Out In The World
I'm speaking specifically of the woman who had a knitted (and beaded) mauve colored rooster's comb that she wore on top of her head the entire evening.  I don't know that anyone could say anything that would make me understand that one.  There was also one corner of the room where random squealing would emanate while we were all waiting for no apparent reason.  I do not understand at all.

The Yarn Harlot Is Not Only Funny, But Also Quite Profound
Pearl-McPhee is a very entertaining person.  She can spin a good story and does it in such a way you feel as if she's your BFF even though you've never met.  But the humor was just the candy coating on a pretty strong, inspiring message.  Knitting can make you more patient, can help you with processing difficult information, and can help prevent Alzheimer's and dementia.  The process of knitting can help increase the size and functionality of your brain, can tap into your most creative brain waves, and can help you develop the ability to tap into those creative brain waves at will.  Knitters are a demographers worst nightmare (since we're such a diverse lot), which leads to why we're such a misunderstood and marginalized lot.

I decided to let my inner geek out in preparation for the event, so there's a strong chance my photo will be showing up on her blog once she posts a recap of the event.

Fringe Benefits

One of the benefits of living in the 'Couv that I never counted on is the fact that KnitPicks is headquartered here. 

I am not a KnitPicks consumer in my everyday life.  I've considered purchasing some of their interchangeable needles because they are the bomb, but I much prefer my local yarn stores for the actual purchasing of yarn.  Yes, I pay a hell of a lot more for my yarn because of it, but to me it's worth it.  I can go in, fondle the yarn, compare different brands and such, and have my purchase in hand that day.  The proprietors and employees are a really good resource that you can utilize and get assistance for questions such as how many skeins will I need and will I get the desired effect.  They also remember you and will help celebrate accomplishments and mourn the mistakes.  Plus, there's the whole supporting of local business and it doesn't seem very green to have things individually shipped to every consumer, especially when you consider that a UPS package shipped from Vancouver to Vancouver probably travels through Nashville or somewhere similar along the way.

But, I'm not such a snob that I'm not willing to take advantage of some of what KnitPicks has to offer.  And when you live close to them you sometimes get opportunities like I did yesterday to participate in usability testing for their website.  For an hour of my time I got a $50 gift certificate.  SCORE!

The guy in charge of the testing was not a knitter (as he had to point out when he asked me to explain why I might want to see a swatch of a multi-colored yarn knitted up rather than just a close-up shot of the yarn itself), and I think there were a few points of the test where I frustrated him. 

"What do you like about the KnitPicks website?"
"I can get cheap yarn and awesome needles."
"Yes, but what do you like about the WEBSITE?"
"It allows me to get cheap yarn and awesome needles."

Really, the website they showed me had some real issues with it.  When I came home and decided to start planning how to use my money I noticed a lot of the issues I had with the website they showed me were non-issues in the website as it currently exists.  Makes me really curious as to how it's all going to play out.

I've got some tentative plans for the money, but for now I'm just sitting tight because I have placed myself on a yarn diet until I get a couple of things cleared out of the queue.

Giving In To Peer Pressure

If you're not a knitter, you can just go ahead and skip this blog post.

I've done it.  I've gone and done Ravelry.  Username Swankette.  I've actually been on for a little while, but just got around to taking the time to put projects in there.  Next step will be to add the stash.  But that will take a lot more work, so don't hold your breath.

Building the Stash

I am completely and totally intrigued, and a little bit in love (even though I haven't actually checked it out yet) with the newest yarn store in town:  Yarnia.

The pun on one of my favorite book series of all times is good enough, but the fact that it's a place that you custom-design your own multi-ply yarn.  The options are staggering.

I'll be starting with an exploratory mission to begin, scope out prices and such.  But I'm sure there will be purchases in my future.

Teaching An Old Cat New Tricks

I completed Samson's cat bed about a week ago, and am happy to report it's a success:

Knitting Details
Pattern:  Dotty Cat Bed
Yarn:  Ella Rae Classic
Colors:  2 skeins - Beige (#105) 1 skein each - Lavendar (#12), Dark Green (#110) and Dark Brown (#17)
Needles:  Size 9 - Denise kit with a 24" cable to start and Brittany double points to finish
Notes/Modifications:  I followed the pattern, with the exception of the needle size, and ended up with a LOT of excess fabric in the base of the bed.  Some of it came out in the felting, but there is still enough left over (you can see it from the top view) that if I had it to do over again I'd decrease every two rows rather than three.  I would adjust the stripes to align with the decreases, as that made it very easy to keep track of where I was.  I also think I could have gotten away with one ball of the beige (only used 15g of the second ball) and just eliminated the beige stripes in the center of the bed.  (I'm making a scarf of all the leftovers right now).  The yarn was a JOY to work with, and will likely become my workhorse wool of choice.  I was a bit worried about felting in my front-loading washing machine, but it went pretty quickly and felted well.

Cat Details:
When I first completed the bed Samson wanted nothing to do with it.  Which is what I suspected and feared.  With a bit of conditioning, he now spends a fair amount of time in the bed.  Here's how I accomplished that:

1. Took some fresh catnip and spread it into the corners of the bed.  Introduced the cat to the bed, and he was a wee bit curious, but still basically wanted nothing to do with it.
2. When the cat was laying comfortably somewhere that wasn't the cat bed, I would take the bed, place it next to him, lift him into the bed, and hold him in place, petting and loving on him while he was in the bed.  At first he would try to bolt, and I would have to physically hold him in the bed.  Eventually that turned into him not really enjoying it, but he knew that he'd get a lot of petting out of the deal.  Then, once he actually laid back down and stayed there for five seconds when I was done petting him.
3. Once we'd reached that stage and I found him lounging about, I'd put the bed next to him, put him in the bed, then walk away.  He'd hang out for a minute or two, often scoping out the catnip, and would hang a bit longer each time I put him there.
4. I threw the bed on the floor, in front of the heating duct in our room.  He decided to test it out in the middle of the night.

At first he would only use it if we weren't watching him - either asleep or out of the room.  As soon as we were aware of him in the bed he would bolt under our bed.  Now he hangs out in the bed and just looks at you annoyingly if you walk into the bedroom.  It only took a day or two to teach him what a cat bed was for, and I have to say I couldn't be happier.

Earlier today I was hanging out on the guest bed (the hardest place for him to jump up to) and he tried to jump onto the bed and failed.  I reached over to lift him onto the bed, but he bolted into the other room and his bed and has been chilling there comfortably ever since.  Precisely what I was hoping for!

For The Love Of A Cat

There's no denying that Samson is getting older. 

We decided to buy a second litterbox, so he would have one on both levels of the house, and the box in the basement hasn't been used since.

Yesterday Sweetie and I were watching TV in the guest bedroom at one point, and the cat tried to join us on the bed, and fell trying to jump up. 

So I've decided the cat needed a warm, cozy place near the floor to hang out.  Sweetie and I will lift him onto the bed if we're around, but that's not always a given.  So I've decided to knit a cat bed for him in colors that match the living room.  I got started late this afternoon and am into the second round of dots on the sides.  Hopefully it won't take me too long and I can train the cat to sleep there.

To The Victor Goes The Spoils

I received my major award for the major embroidery project today.  I am very, very happy.  I am also the first to admit this post would be WAY cooler with photos, but that means figuring out where the camera and cable are, assuming both are even here and not in the storage unit, and that's just far too much work for me at the moment.  I'm also ignoring the fact that I still owe them directions for the pattern.  It's on my list of things to do, it's just not quite near enough to the top of the list at the moment.  But soon, really, I promise. 

Anyhow, the goods:

• A Stitch 'n' Pitch fanny pack.  This has been donated to my Mom, who has said she may use it for her trips to the casino.  If she does not make use of it, someone at Goodwill most certainly shall.
• A 5.5 mm Crochet Lite, which is simultaneously creepy and compelling.  I'm glad I got the crochet hook and not the knitting needles, so that if I never use it I won't feel bad.  But it will be nice to have around for when a knitter needs a crochet hook.  And part of me is oddly compelled to want to learn to crochet now.  We'll see if that pans out or not.
• A pretty cute Craft t-shirt.  I'm not usually one for the t-shirts as advertisements, but this is cute enough I might actually wear it not just under other stuff.
• The Friday Night Knitting Club, which seems like the perfect sort of fluffy reading material I've been seeking in my life lately.  I was going to be impressed that it was a hardcover, but apparently it's not coming out in paperback for another three months.  Still, a nice book.
• The ENTIRE back catalog of Craft Magazine.  Volumes 1-4.  Which is, apparently, what was promised to me, but when I read the prizes I somehow read it as getting ONE Volume.  I've seen the magazine in the past and thought it was cool, but not cool enough for the price tag attached.  Now I get the coolness without the price tag!   YAY!

But now I REALLY need to get to work on those instructions.  Soon, I promise.

A Flaw In The Plan

So when I entered the Stitch n' Pitch contest I knew that if I were a winner a tutorial of my project would be posted on the Craft Magazine website.  However, I think my brain was too busy with calculating "I have to do HOW many miles of backstitch by WHEN?" to figure out the little bit of WHO would be responsible for coming up with said tutorial.

Yep, that would be me.

If it were a knitting project it would be easy.  But, it's not a knitting project.  It's an embroidery project.

And really, unless everyone wants to have a memento of my rehearsal dinner, it's not a pattern so much as it is a general game plan. 

I think I'll be OK with the basics.  I'm still brainstorming how best to present everything, but I think it will work out OK.  People likely interested in such a project can probably just look at mine, and adapt it from there, so a few guidelines will be all I'll really need to lay out.

While doing the project originally I DID think ahead enough to save the labels from the embroidery floss, so that I could refer to the colors I specifically used in the project if asked.  I DID think ahead to keep the project out in case it was needed while all of our stuff was in storage.  I did NOT think ahead to keep the labels out.  They are buried in a POD in North Portland at the moment.  And I did NOT think ahead to take photos of the piece in progress.

So now I think my plan is to write up the general guidelines on the project.  Then, start the second scorecard from the game, taking photos of that as I go.  Of course, we've got more problems, because that scorebook is also buried in the storage unit.  Which I'm pretending won't be a problem, as I think the photos of the background of the scorecard are the key part, and that I can do without the scorecard.

This also means I have to start figuring out how the heck I'm going to record the double-play on that sheet, but I'm going to push that one into the back of the brain for a while.

Guess it's back to the backstitch for me now.

A Major Award!

Well, apparently the ballots are in, and I'm a winner in the Craft Magazine Stitch n' Pitch Contest.

If you want details, go to the link, read what's there, and you'll know as much as I do, as I only KNOW I'm a winner at the moment because I've gotten some hits from that webpage.  I'm sure I'll fill y'all in with details as they come available.

Stitching and Pitching

Tonight was the Seattle Mariners' Stitch n' Pitch game.  It was a lot of fun, fairly surreal, and I may not have my hearing back until sometime next week.  The people sitting directly behind me were VERY enthusiastic fans, and in addition to cheering at absolutely everything liked to wolf whistle.  In that key that makes you curl up into the fetal position.  At one point in the 9th inning I overheard the whistler say "Every time I whistle it makes them cringe.  I'm going to do it again."

This was the first game I've been to without my Sweetie since I've started scoring games.  I was a bit nervous, because I frequently turn to him for validation or how to score the wacky plays, and my safety net wouldn't be there.  I did, however, encourage my Sweetie to keep an eye on the game and alert me to any bizarre plays that I would have likely scored incorrectly.  Turns out that came in handy.  In the 3rd inning there was a 3-4-1 play at first base - the ball had tipped off the first baseman's glove, the second baseman covered it and the pitcher made the play at first.  From my vantage point I could not tell the first baseman had  made any contact with the ball, it looked like it had just gone past him.  (But, to my credit, when I got home and Sweetie mentioned that I had likely scored that play incorrectly, I knew exactly what play he was talking about.)

It was kinda nice to be the baseball expert for once.  Usually when we go to games Sweetie is the baseball expert.  Part of that is sexism in action, and part of that is the fact that he knows a lot more of the stuff that people like to talk about at games.  But tonight, I got to be the one people asked questions to.  I was able to talk about wild pitches, and pitching changes and other stuff like that.  I even knew where Yuniesky Betancourt was from!  (I was asked, and said I THOUGHT it was Cuba, but wasn't 100% sure, but turns out I was right!).  That was a very fun feeling.

I also got some opportunity to feel a bit smug at times.  There were several big, beautiful fly balls that got the crowd going wild hoping for a home run.  The fact that there were three homers tonight didn't help things in that arena.  But I know that in instances like that you watch the outfielders.  For several of those plays they didn't even need to take a step to catch the ball and make the out.

There was a beautiful catch by Ichiro.  Richie Sexson hit a long-bomb homer to center field, and Mark Kotsay ran up the center field wall attempting to field the ball.  I will put exclamation points in my scorebook when defensive players make particularly spectacular plays.  I considered a scorers note with an exclamation point the efforts he went through were so outstanding.

At the end of the day the Mariners lost, which is a bummer, but it was still a fun game.