Showing posts with label travels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travels. Show all posts
Saturday, January 19, 2019
The Hat that Could Not Be Lost
Let me tell you a wonderful story about the hat that could not be lost.
The protagonist of this story is a lovely hat. The black, squishy, yet washable yarn holds the intricate and simple cables well. It goes with all of my coats and is worn so often there is a ring of foundation around the brim. The extra ribbing covers my ears perfectly and it hugs my head without being to snug or too slouchy. My fellow knitters will understand it to be a Traveling Cable Hat made with black Cascade 220 Superwash yarn. It is four winters old, which is something like 80 in hat years. Aside from the aforementioned ring of foundation, it barely shows its age.
It is a good hat.
It is a hat that knows where it belongs and always find its way home.
About me: I lose a hat a year or just about. They're left in cabs for the most part, though perhaps they fall out of bags, pockets, or the hood of a coat. Not this hat, though. This hat has fallen out of my hood on the subway in a distinct manner so that a fellow New Yorker could see it, and call out to me in time to collect it before the doors closed. It is a special, loyal hat.
Birmingham, Alabama was chilly in January 2019. Expecting weather in the 50s, I almost did not bring this hat with me on my sales call. However, the morning I left New York was cold, so I donned the hat without thinking. I was glad I did. The rental car was chilly at first.
Purse overflowing with not only the usual items, but also my work laptop and folders of presentations, I went to my account's offices to sell some great books. The day grew warm and as I left their offices I tossed the hat on top of my purse and rushed back to the hotel to meet colleagues for dinner. Quickly, I deposited my sales materials into the hotel room and left for dinner. I had wished the hat had come with me as we left the restaurant as it was quite cold that evening. The hat was not in my hotel room when I returned.
Disappointed at losing the hat, I made plans to use a bit of extra time the next day to visit a yarn store in Birmingham and to knit a new favorite hat on the way home. I opened the passenger side door to place my (still overflowing) purse on the seat and was greeted by the hat!
"What's new?" it seemed to say.
Delighted to be reunited, we went to breakfast (and still to the yarn store because, well, now I wanted to knit another hat anyway!).
All day we traveled together. We had tea at Starbucks and meandered to the airport together, waiting for our flight. We walked almost a mile from the gate to the taxi stand at Laguardia together. The cab was warm and after spending so much time together, we needed our space so I left it reconnect with the (still) overflowing purse.
The next morning I went looking for the hat. It was perfect weather for this hat and the coat I was planning on wearing gets along so well with this hat. Yet, I could not find this hat. With disappointment, I put another hat on my head and left for work.
The day was busy, but I thought about where I could find more Cascade 220 and when I'd be able to manage that during the weekend. It was a good hat. It needed to be re-made.
My husband will not have even 1 beer before getting into the driver's seat of a car, so I suggested we take a Lyft to and from dinner. He agreed. Beer and a plan in place to re-make the hat allowed me to relax enough to forget about the hat.
Forget about it I did. Until we arrived home. The Lyft driver stopped the car. I got out and spotted something on the black road.
Could it be?
Yes! It was!
Lying there on the road. Soppy, soggy, and sad, but happy to be found! My hat!
Happy to be brought inside the nice, warm apartment to dry out and rest after prolonged adventures. Waiting to be washed so it can take its rightful place on my head once again.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Tropical Knitting
It's taken me several years, but I think I finally understand how to choose a project for a tropical vacation.
2009 - Hawaii
I know I checked the weather before I left. I think I even knew it would be hot. I brought a shawl project because I figured I'd have a hard time finishing a whole shawl in a week. I started a Seraphim out of some beautiful Briar Rose Angel Face. I did not complete it in a week. In fact, it was rather gross to knit with in Hawaii. Don't get me wrong, I love the shawl and the yarn. But Alpaca yarn, even lace weight alpaca yarn is not the best yarn to knit with in 80 degree weather. I pretty much only knit in the room before bed or on the plane.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
The Story of EZ's Knitter's Almanac
Does anyone remember that group from the '90s called Sublime? They had a hit song "What I Got." I had a copy of their self-titled album. I los it somehow, or it was stolen. More importantly, everyone I knew at one point who had that album were having a hard time putting their hands on their copy of it. It was the one album that everyone but no one had.
I feel like the Knitter's Almanac is just like it. I was looking for a copy earlier this year. I thought i'd had a copy, and my Ravelry Library, which I keep pretty up to date, was also telling me I had a copy. I'd just moved here a few months ago at that point and I remembered seeing the small 5.5 x 8", paperback, green covered book when setting up my book case. But I couldn't find it. A friend of mine mentioned that she couldn't find her copy either.
Can you find my paperback copy of The Knitter's Almanac?
Sometime this summer, I think I had a credit somehow or a gift card to use on Amazon. I knew there was a newer edition of Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitter's Almanac
out, so even though I was so sure I had a copy, even though I couldn't find it, I decided to get the updated edition.
The new edition is 7 x 10", hardcover, and red. I have reason to believe that this change in format and color mean that I will not lose it on my shelf!
Last week, I went on vacation to Disney World. I did a travel knitting assessment (check out my posts on knitting and travelling here), and decided to bring some lovely Briar Rose Angelface with me to create a Pi Shawl from The Knitter's Almanac. Now, I looked at my shelf and really didn't feel like taking this large hardcover book that was sure to be heavy with me. Didn't I have a much smaller copy in paperback somewhere? I noticed some extra space between two books and I did what any normal person would do: I stuck my finger between them.
Lo! And behold! My paperback edition of The Knitter's Almanac! At last!
I started flipping through it, and realized that this might make a good reading book in addition to a good pattern book. So I decided to read it as well. However, my purse is already quite heavy with the iPad I carry around with me everywhere. So I didn't want to carry another paper item around with me everywhere. I bought the ebook on iBooks and am pretty confident that I can't lose that edition, since it's in the cloud.
And that's how I ended up with 3 editions of the Knitter's Almanac.
Oh! This is a knitting post too, so here's my progress on the Pi Shawl. I'm using size 0 needles with Briar Rose Angel Face and just a simple eyelet ring pattern. this is one I think will be picked up and put down a lot so I wanted to keep it relatively simple. I'm a little worried that the eyelets will actually get lost, but I think it will still be pretty.
I feel like the Knitter's Almanac is just like it. I was looking for a copy earlier this year. I thought i'd had a copy, and my Ravelry Library, which I keep pretty up to date, was also telling me I had a copy. I'd just moved here a few months ago at that point and I remembered seeing the small 5.5 x 8", paperback, green covered book when setting up my book case. But I couldn't find it. A friend of mine mentioned that she couldn't find her copy either.
Can you find my paperback copy of The Knitter's Almanac?
out, so even though I was so sure I had a copy, even though I couldn't find it, I decided to get the updated edition.
The new edition is 7 x 10", hardcover, and red. I have reason to believe that this change in format and color mean that I will not lose it on my shelf!
Last week, I went on vacation to Disney World. I did a travel knitting assessment (check out my posts on knitting and travelling here), and decided to bring some lovely Briar Rose Angelface with me to create a Pi Shawl from The Knitter's Almanac. Now, I looked at my shelf and really didn't feel like taking this large hardcover book that was sure to be heavy with me. Didn't I have a much smaller copy in paperback somewhere? I noticed some extra space between two books and I did what any normal person would do: I stuck my finger between them.
Lo! And behold! My paperback edition of The Knitter's Almanac! At last!
I started flipping through it, and realized that this might make a good reading book in addition to a good pattern book. So I decided to read it as well. However, my purse is already quite heavy with the iPad I carry around with me everywhere. So I didn't want to carry another paper item around with me everywhere. I bought the ebook on iBooks and am pretty confident that I can't lose that edition, since it's in the cloud.
And that's how I ended up with 3 editions of the Knitter's Almanac.
Oh! This is a knitting post too, so here's my progress on the Pi Shawl. I'm using size 0 needles with Briar Rose Angel Face and just a simple eyelet ring pattern. this is one I think will be picked up and put down a lot so I wanted to keep it relatively simple. I'm a little worried that the eyelets will actually get lost, but I think it will still be pretty.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Ravellenic Games 2012
My hardcore training will start soon.
The swatches.
The project is ambitious this year.
A virtual sort of cheering squad may be necessary.
Many times I have tried and many times I have failed at medaling in the Sweater competition. This year I'm determined: I shant fail again.
Ravellenic 2012 Sweater Triathalon.
The Wrapped Pullover from atelier alpha will look glorious under a gold medal.
Pocket on the side for a medal is a plus.
Madelinetosh Tosh Chunky in a color way called Forestry will provide maximum delight for knitter and spectators alike.
A dash of negative ease.
A dose of a road trips. One driven, one drive.
Challenge: event on the last weekend of the Olympics.
PassionKNITly, indeed.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Knitting On the Go: MacGyvering It
No matter what kind of trip, or what your destination, if you're knitting, you'll need more than just yarn and knitting needles. It's really easy to forget scissors, tape measurers and cable needles at home. It's even easier, sometimes, to drop a stitch marker. But don't stress! Dig in deep, pull out that mullet wig from your carry on bag and embrace your inner MacGyver.
Problem: You dropped that stitch marker under your seat and can't squirm enough to pick it up.
Solution: There are a number of items that can be used to mark where you are in a pattern or the beginning of a row. Twistie ties from some airplane snacks can be twisted at the ends to form a ring that can be used as a marker. A rubber band and another piece of yarn can also work. If you get into a really tight spot, try the tab rom a soda can. It's not ideal, since parts of the tab can be sharp and cut the yarn, but it'll work in a pinch.
Problem: I totally left that tape measurer at home and my pattern says to knit until piece measures 16" from cast on edge!
Solution: Pull out my card! No, really, standard business cards are 2 inches wide and 3.5 inches long. Crease the business card in half to find the center and then just keep flipping the card over itself to measure your piece. If you're knitting the instep of a sock and aren't sure if it's time to start the heel or toe, you should know that the length of your foot is the same as the distance between your elbow and your wrist.
Problem: I forgot a pair of scissors!
Solution: Try a pair of nail clippers, or ask for a can of soda and carefully try to use the mouth of the can to cut the yarn.
Problem: My cable needle is stuck in my checked luggage!
Solution: Unless you're doing a super complicated cable, I can cable without a cable needle! For a cable that crosses to the left (a front cable), insert your right needle through the back loops of the stitches you need to knit first. Then, slide all the stitches off the needle carefully, and place the stitches that will cross to the left or front onto the left needle. Slide the stitches from your right needle back to the left needle and knit according to the pattern. For a right crossing cable (a back cable), instead of sliding the right needle through the back loops of the stitches you need to knit first, slide the right needle through the front loop of the stitches you need to knit first and follow the same directions. A video for this technique can be found here.
Problem: I knit too far and my stitch holders are in my carry on in the overhead bin.
Solution: This is the perfect time to ask the hot dude next to you for some floss. If you find that too embarrassing, however, you can always use a bit of yarn. Ideally, you'd use a contrasting yarn, but if you're stuck in a window seat without any other yarn, sometimes you've just got to make do.
Problem: I forgot this was an intarsia pattern and now I need bobbins!
Solution: Well, you don't really need bobbins. Sometimes bobbins make things easier, but you can use the whole ball of yarn and just move them around each other. You could also use a twistie tie to wrap small hits of yarn around, or you could make mini 15 yard balls.
Problem: My traveling companion freaked out and threw out my darning needles when she saw them thinking they aren't allowed on our mode of transportation but I have to seam this sweater and weave in the end!
Solution: It took me a while to figure this one out. I think the only solution I could come up with was to use a twistie tie Fold it in half and twist the bottom part around itself leaving a hole at the halved side for an eye.
Problem: I need to use the rest room but I'm afraid my stitches will fall off the tips of the needles.
Solution: You can either use a rubber band or hair elastic to keep the stitches off the tips or, you can stick your needle through a piece of in-eaten gum (you should really only do this with an un-sticky kind of gum - Orbit would work ok, but Trident Layers might not be preffered)
Problem: My dog got anxious in the back seat and ate my row counter.
Solution: Count the "v" shapes on top of each orther to figure out what row you're on. There at some pretty great smartphone and iPad apps out there that hopefully will be less likely to munched by your pooch. You can use Any note taking app, even an email or text message to keep track of your rows once you've figured out where you are in the pattern. Also, while I've almost completely scorned pen and paper, that dynamic duo can also help you in this instance
When possible, it's probably less stressful to prepare for these kinds of situations in advance. I have a Knit Kit a friend gave me as a gift. I found a spot in my purse to keep it and always carry it with me. It's got a yarn cutter, a crochet hook, a counter, stitch markers, a tape measures and a set of scissors that are TSA compliant. I call it a Swiss army knit for knitters.
I've got a few trips coming up in the next couple of months, and writing thesse posts has actually been rather helpful for my own planning. I hope they've been helpful to you as well.
Safe travels wherever the summer might take you and knit well!
Problem: You dropped that stitch marker under your seat and can't squirm enough to pick it up.
Solution: There are a number of items that can be used to mark where you are in a pattern or the beginning of a row. Twistie ties from some airplane snacks can be twisted at the ends to form a ring that can be used as a marker. A rubber band and another piece of yarn can also work. If you get into a really tight spot, try the tab rom a soda can. It's not ideal, since parts of the tab can be sharp and cut the yarn, but it'll work in a pinch.
Problem: I totally left that tape measurer at home and my pattern says to knit until piece measures 16" from cast on edge!
Solution: Pull out my card! No, really, standard business cards are 2 inches wide and 3.5 inches long. Crease the business card in half to find the center and then just keep flipping the card over itself to measure your piece. If you're knitting the instep of a sock and aren't sure if it's time to start the heel or toe, you should know that the length of your foot is the same as the distance between your elbow and your wrist.
Problem: I forgot a pair of scissors!
Solution: Try a pair of nail clippers, or ask for a can of soda and carefully try to use the mouth of the can to cut the yarn.
Problem: My cable needle is stuck in my checked luggage!
Solution: Unless you're doing a super complicated cable, I can cable without a cable needle! For a cable that crosses to the left (a front cable), insert your right needle through the back loops of the stitches you need to knit first. Then, slide all the stitches off the needle carefully, and place the stitches that will cross to the left or front onto the left needle. Slide the stitches from your right needle back to the left needle and knit according to the pattern. For a right crossing cable (a back cable), instead of sliding the right needle through the back loops of the stitches you need to knit first, slide the right needle through the front loop of the stitches you need to knit first and follow the same directions. A video for this technique can be found here.
Problem: I knit too far and my stitch holders are in my carry on in the overhead bin.
Solution: This is the perfect time to ask the hot dude next to you for some floss. If you find that too embarrassing, however, you can always use a bit of yarn. Ideally, you'd use a contrasting yarn, but if you're stuck in a window seat without any other yarn, sometimes you've just got to make do.
Problem: I forgot this was an intarsia pattern and now I need bobbins!
Solution: Well, you don't really need bobbins. Sometimes bobbins make things easier, but you can use the whole ball of yarn and just move them around each other. You could also use a twistie tie to wrap small hits of yarn around, or you could make mini 15 yard balls.
Problem: My traveling companion freaked out and threw out my darning needles when she saw them thinking they aren't allowed on our mode of transportation but I have to seam this sweater and weave in the end!
Solution: It took me a while to figure this one out. I think the only solution I could come up with was to use a twistie tie Fold it in half and twist the bottom part around itself leaving a hole at the halved side for an eye.
Problem: I need to use the rest room but I'm afraid my stitches will fall off the tips of the needles.
Solution: You can either use a rubber band or hair elastic to keep the stitches off the tips or, you can stick your needle through a piece of in-eaten gum (you should really only do this with an un-sticky kind of gum - Orbit would work ok, but Trident Layers might not be preffered)
Problem: My dog got anxious in the back seat and ate my row counter.
Solution: Count the "v" shapes on top of each orther to figure out what row you're on. There at some pretty great smartphone and iPad apps out there that hopefully will be less likely to munched by your pooch. You can use Any note taking app, even an email or text message to keep track of your rows once you've figured out where you are in the pattern. Also, while I've almost completely scorned pen and paper, that dynamic duo can also help you in this instance
When possible, it's probably less stressful to prepare for these kinds of situations in advance. I have a Knit Kit a friend gave me as a gift. I found a spot in my purse to keep it and always carry it with me. It's got a yarn cutter, a crochet hook, a counter, stitch markers, a tape measures and a set of scissors that are TSA compliant. I call it a Swiss army knit for knitters.
I've got a few trips coming up in the next couple of months, and writing thesse posts has actually been rather helpful for my own planning. I hope they've been helpful to you as well.
Safe travels wherever the summer might take you and knit well!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Knitting on the Go: Transportation and Destination
The type of trip and transportation can make quite a difference in what project(s) you take with you on a trip. The destination itself is also something to consider.
One of the things I think about is how much time I'll actually have to devote to knitting. If I drive to visit my family for a weekend, I'll probably have a lot of time to knit once I get there, unless I'm going to a wedding or other similar event. If I'm on a cross country work trip, I will probably have a lot of time to knit on the plane and in the hotel room after dinner. Of course, things can pop up to provide you with more or less time than you'd originally thought. I usually bring what I think I can knit in the time I think I'll have, and then an extra project. You know, for luck!
Don't forget to tailor your knitting project for the quality of knitting time you'll have. Heading to the in-laws? Maybe pack an intricate sweater so you can tell them you need to count rows and concentrate on the project instead of hearing the story of your significant other's first trip to the amusement park for the umpteenth time. Time for a vacation? Why not bring a stockinette project that will allow you to drink up that tropical sunset (and that Tequila Sunrise!) without needing to wonder what row you're on. Cross country travel almost requires a patterned shawl to help with long boring flights and jet lag; there's no way you could finish that cobweb latvian stole in one flight! Knowing whether your brain (or fingers) need to rest or be kept active will be key in the travel planning process.
Even more pivotal, however, could be the type of transportation you'll be taking. Clearly, if you're driving, you won't be knitting. Doing so is extremely dangerous. Driving, in and of itself, should consume so much attention that listening to the radio and having a conversation might put you over the edge before knitting even peeks its head into the picture (NOTE: I am not suggesting you an knit and drive while driving if the radio is turned off and you're not having a conversation with someone. It's dangerous no matter what!). If someone else is driving, however, (and you don't get motion sick - or you have happy pills to prevent that), by golly, have at it.
If you're travelling by train, while you might have less room to spread out, you should be able to knit quite a bit. PRO TIP: before you sit down in a set on the train, make sure the reading light works above the seat you're looking to sit in by testing it. Oftentimes the lights go off on AMTRAK trains, so make sure you can knit on something that doesn't require a lot of looking at if you're travelling at night (ditto for busses!). Currently, security on AMTRAK trains isn't too stringent, so if you think yo'll need scissors, feel free to bring them on with you.
The same cannot be said for travelling by plane. While most knitting paraphernalia should not hold you up at security in the US (you remembered to put that swiss army knife in your checked luggage, right?), be sure to check the TSA's list of prohibited items to make sure there haven't been any changes in policy (international travelers should check with the airport they're flying out of, and also with the airline). Also (and this is KEY!), be sure to check with your airlines to make sure they're knitting friendly. If an airlines has tighter rules than the airport, the airline will probably win. When in doubt, keep your knitting on the needles and thread a lifeline through the row you're on. That way, if security does need to take your needles, your knitting isn't lost with them. If you're really that hard up to knit on the flight, stop by the food court for some chopsticks, and the convenience store for some floss.
Last year I went on a wonderful cruise of the Caribbean. There were multiple knitting threats to me: no current project on the needles, no swatch for a new project. in-laws were going to be there, and there would be alcohol and pools to compete with knitting time. I decided to bring a shawl with me. The pattern was one I knew I'd done before, so I knew about how much time it took to knit and I was good. Problem was, I hadn't quite figured out the gauge for this shawl. Into my bag went my Addi Turbo Interchangeable set and off to security I went. They stopped me at the x-ray machine. After about 10 minutes, and 2 security personnel later, the needles were given back to me without an issue. The project was a hot mess, but that story's for a different time...
Lastly, keep in mind the climate of your destination. Try not to bring warm fibers with you to Hawaii. I learned the hard way that alpaca might even be too much there (FYI: there is one yarn shop on Maui, but I wasn't in that part of town when it was open). Likewise, if you're headed to New Hampshire or Canada for a nice long snowy weekend, bringing an in progress blanket of wool or a cashmere scarf WIP might help with some chilly afternoons. If you're travelling somewhere exotic, try to remember to bring ball bands with you of the yarn you're knitting with. Maybe someone who has never seen it before will be interested in it and want to know what it is.
I know I said this last week, but knowing what the LYS landscape of your destination will help you should security take your knitting needles or scissors and in the event an emergency yarn need. Plus, yarn makes a great souvenir of the places you've traveled and the best gift for fellow knitters that couldn't join you. Sometimes, a key destination that you return to often might be a good spot to store some stash in case of a knitting emergency. My rule of thumb for this is if I keep a toothbrush and feminine products there, it's probably a spot worthy of stashing an emergency project. To that end, there may, or may not be yarn at my parents' to knit a scarf with. I can neither confirm, nor deny these rumors.
I can, however, say that I am heading to my parents' this weekend.
I'm driving up, so while I'll be in a car for an inordinate amount of time, I won't have time to knit (friends don't let friends knit and drive!). It's my mom's birthday, so there's a lot of celebrating this weekend. I know I'll have less knitting time than I'm used to, so all I'm bringing with me is a tank top I started on Tuesday, and a pair of socks that I'm not even 1/4 through with yet. We'll see if the silver bag o' hexipuffs makes it, it probably won't since a sock is perfect for travelling.
Friday, May 18, 2012
Knitting On the Go
I've got packing clothes down to a science, but what about keeping myself occupied? I've got some practice planning travelling knitting projects too.
I have a few posts drafted to include tips on how to plan, pick and pack your knitting for maximum travel fun and minimum knitting tragedy. I'll focus on what to think about before you start travelling, how your destination and type of trip could impact your knitting, and some handy knitting gadgets that come in handy on the go and everyday items that can be used in a pinch in case you're in a spot where you can't find something to help you. These posts will be bolstered by some helpful resources to help you in your planning as well.
Personally, for trips where I know I'm going to have a lot of time to knit (and relaxing ones that I'm super excited to go on!) I start thinking about what project I'm going to take with me about a week before I go. I'm the kind of person who literally packs clothing the day before I need to leave (sometimes only HOURS before she needs to leave!), so the fact that I think about knitting this far in advance, and make it part of my excitement for a trip is telling, I think. Here are some ideas for preparing that go from extreme, to throw-all-the-yarn-i-own-that-can-fit-in-the-bag-in-the-bag. Just some thoughts I came up with, I'll let you in on my own process later...
- Figure out your rate of knitting. Start about a month before you depart. Knit something small and simple like the leg of a sock or a handwarmer, maybe even a sleeve. Time yourself to see how long it takes you to knit and figure out your time per stitch ratio (Take the # of stitches in a round or a row and multiply that by the number of rows you knit for the total number of stitches you knit and then take the time in minutes it took you to knit all those stitches and divide it by the total number of stitches). Now you can take the amount of time you'll spend travelling and multiply it by your rate of knitting to find out how many stitches you'll be able to knit in transit. Ideally, if you're not intending to knit at your destination, this should be higher than the number of stitches you need to complete a WIP if you choose to bring one. This calculation gives you a realistic picture of how much you can accomplish, which can be rather helpful. Who wants to over-pack knitting that they won't get to? If I actually ever did this calculation, it would probably decrease the anxiety I have over whether I need to bring that 5th project with me or not...
- Map out the nearest yarn stores. Every time I travel somewhere new, and sometimes even when I travel to visit my parents, I hop onto knitmap.com and search for yarn stores near my destination. Write them down! Yes! Even the Holly Hobby or the Michaels! You'll never know when you might have an emergency! I've definitely stopped at a Holly Hobby in Bentonville, AR because I needed a darning needle to finish a sock. What if a dastardly TSA employee hates knitters and takes your needles? What if you didn't calculate your rate of knitting and ran out of projects before it's time to go home!? Know before you go! This can also be helpful to recalculate yourself after a whole day with either your family,or an in-law's family or a business meeting that just didn't go the way you wanted it to.
- Jot down some yardages/weights of yarn for projects you are interested in. In today's smartphone world, sometimes we think that cell service is omnipresent. Sometimes we think our own service provider is everywhere. I was recently up in New Hampshire and it seems as though my carrier did not get along with the mountains as well as I did. Sure, I could have asked the shopkeep to check out my Ravelry page and let me know how much yardage I'd need of something, but when you're just browsing and aren't sure, you might not want to talk to the salesperson right away. This is also a helpful strategy in the event that your significant non-knitting other is only allowing you so much time in the Sheep Shrine or when you'd feel awkward making them wait (which is more my case). Jotting down yardages can be an efficient and quick way to get the souvenir yarn you want while saving the relationship with the one you love. :)
- At the very least, take a sock or shawl. Those kinds of projects are easily transportable, compact, and take a sufficient amount of time to knit so that if you start them on the plane, depending on where you're going, you should at least be able to tide you over until you can get to a yarn store at your destination.
Until the next post on Tailoring Your Knitting to Your Destination, check out these projects that I've knit while traveling with varying degrees of success.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Travelling Yarn Gifts
There's not much to post here. I'm still working on a Christmas gift. It's taking a while, but it's a lot of fun to knit, so there's that. I'll chat about it after it's been gifted.
To prepare for life without Christmas knitting, I feel like I'm bringing an overabundance of yarn with me to Rhode Island for the holiday. Granted, I'll be there for a good week and a half with not much else to do but knit, I still feel like I'm bringing too much. Here's the list:
I should send out a public huge thank you to blogless NanLam. She gave me the coolest bit of yarn:
It's Dream in Color Knitosophy in the Superhero color way. It's a really great blend of colors. Kalajoki (RavLink) popped up when I did a search and I knew that the two were meant to be together. I'm stuck now though. Because this yarn would be perfect to tout around Comic Con and use for Yarn365. While I want to cast on RIGHT NOW for those socks, I should wait. I'll have to come up with something else in the meantime.
Today's Yarn365 shot is of a centerpiece of knitting needles. In order to get this shot, I pulled a bunch of knitting needles out of the tin I keep all of my needles in. I seem to have a ton of needles I'll never actually use ever again. I think 2010 for me is the year of getting rid of clutter for me - liquidating material things that don't need to be around etc. I'll post a list of the needle type, size etc. once I get back from Rhode Island and y'all can see if there's anything you need. I figure I should just donate them somewhere to charity after that. Anyone know of any charities that accept knitting needles?
I want to post about my visit to La Casita Yarn Shop yesterday, but I've REALLY got to get this damn gift finished!
To prepare for life without Christmas knitting, I feel like I'm bringing an overabundance of yarn with me to Rhode Island for the holiday. Granted, I'll be there for a good week and a half with not much else to do but knit, I still feel like I'm bringing too much. Here's the list:
- I've got yarn to knit another cowl out of (the light blue one is awesome, but it doesn't match my hat!).
- Yarn for a pair of fingerless mitts for me (my hands keep getting cold!)
- Yarn to finish the Christmas project
I should send out a public huge thank you to blogless NanLam. She gave me the coolest bit of yarn:
It's Dream in Color Knitosophy in the Superhero color way. It's a really great blend of colors. Kalajoki (RavLink) popped up when I did a search and I knew that the two were meant to be together. I'm stuck now though. Because this yarn would be perfect to tout around Comic Con and use for Yarn365. While I want to cast on RIGHT NOW for those socks, I should wait. I'll have to come up with something else in the meantime.
Today's Yarn365 shot is of a centerpiece of knitting needles. In order to get this shot, I pulled a bunch of knitting needles out of the tin I keep all of my needles in. I seem to have a ton of needles I'll never actually use ever again. I think 2010 for me is the year of getting rid of clutter for me - liquidating material things that don't need to be around etc. I'll post a list of the needle type, size etc. once I get back from Rhode Island and y'all can see if there's anything you need. I figure I should just donate them somewhere to charity after that. Anyone know of any charities that accept knitting needles?
I want to post about my visit to La Casita Yarn Shop yesterday, but I've REALLY got to get this damn gift finished!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Travels
The past couple of weeks have been somewhat of a whirlwind.
It started with a work trip to London last week. I was there for the better part of a week, but I did get a bit of time to go wandering. I walked from my company's offices on The Strand (practically on the River Thames) to Liberty. I was totally blown away by the exterior of the store:
And the interior was just as amazing. There were gorgeous scarves, beautiful wood architecture, some amazing Christmas displays, soft Rowan yarns and beautifully printed fabrics. I managed to score 2 meters of these fabrics:
I gave the one with the stars to Illanna.
After I spent too much money in Liberty, I wandered on over to I Knit London for their Thursday night Knit night. They were all so friendly there and the yarns at the store were all so beautiful! There were even a couple of people there that were good enough to tell me if a yarn I was looking at wasn't available in the states! It was the kind of knitting group that I wished I could knit with all the time actually.
As soon as I got back to the states, I headed on over to Illanna's place. We had organized a weekend of sewing together. I passed out super early on Friday, but ended up waking up rather early on Sunday. We sewed the pajama pants from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing. After breakfast we traced the pattern pieces out and then traced them onto the fabric. We took a break and wandered over to Yarn Diva & More.
Now, if you've never been to Yarn Diva, let me describe it to you (because I'm too shy to ask to take photos of a yarn store from the inside): it's pink with floor to ceiling yarns. They've got EVERY yarn imaginable from Patons to Berocco to Malabrigo, Handmaiden and Blue Heron. Amazing colors and notions and it's kinda the bee's knees. I ended up getting a new tape measure there (my old one is starting to rip actually!), an amazing button, and a pair of amazing glass needles that I absolutely love knitting with:
The stitches just fly off the needles and I can't wait to find another excuse to knit on size 5 needles!
We came back from the yarn store, cut the fabric out, and started sewing. We even managed to finish relatively early that evening (maybe around 8?)! I'm still so shocked I haven't managed to snap a photo of the pj pants yet. I love wearing them, they're super comfortable, but next time I think I'm going to put a draw string into them as well. The elastic is great, but it's too loose around my waist. However, if it were tighter it wouldn't fit over my hips and would make getting them on rather a pain.
The next day, we wandered over to south jersey to WoodsEdge Wools Farm. They have over 300 Alpacas and Llamas. Someone from the farm was nice enough to explain the differences between the Alpacas and the Llamas to us. The Alpacas, she told us are more like cats in that they're not really that friendly to people they don't know, and they won't really come when you call them. I still think they're really cute. A Suri Llama named Firefly (I think that was the name anyway) was super friendly and adorable:
It was a great weekend filled with fun, awesome food and wonderful friends! I did end up buying more yarn, and as I take photos for Yarn 365 I'll be posting them. I might actually round them all up together. In the meantime, you can check out more photos of London, llamas and alpacas on my flickr stream.
It started with a work trip to London last week. I was there for the better part of a week, but I did get a bit of time to go wandering. I walked from my company's offices on The Strand (practically on the River Thames) to Liberty. I was totally blown away by the exterior of the store:
And the interior was just as amazing. There were gorgeous scarves, beautiful wood architecture, some amazing Christmas displays, soft Rowan yarns and beautifully printed fabrics. I managed to score 2 meters of these fabrics:
I gave the one with the stars to Illanna.
After I spent too much money in Liberty, I wandered on over to I Knit London for their Thursday night Knit night. They were all so friendly there and the yarns at the store were all so beautiful! There were even a couple of people there that were good enough to tell me if a yarn I was looking at wasn't available in the states! It was the kind of knitting group that I wished I could knit with all the time actually.
As soon as I got back to the states, I headed on over to Illanna's place. We had organized a weekend of sewing together. I passed out super early on Friday, but ended up waking up rather early on Sunday. We sewed the pajama pants from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing. After breakfast we traced the pattern pieces out and then traced them onto the fabric. We took a break and wandered over to Yarn Diva & More.
Now, if you've never been to Yarn Diva, let me describe it to you (because I'm too shy to ask to take photos of a yarn store from the inside): it's pink with floor to ceiling yarns. They've got EVERY yarn imaginable from Patons to Berocco to Malabrigo, Handmaiden and Blue Heron. Amazing colors and notions and it's kinda the bee's knees. I ended up getting a new tape measure there (my old one is starting to rip actually!), an amazing button, and a pair of amazing glass needles that I absolutely love knitting with:
The stitches just fly off the needles and I can't wait to find another excuse to knit on size 5 needles!
We came back from the yarn store, cut the fabric out, and started sewing. We even managed to finish relatively early that evening (maybe around 8?)! I'm still so shocked I haven't managed to snap a photo of the pj pants yet. I love wearing them, they're super comfortable, but next time I think I'm going to put a draw string into them as well. The elastic is great, but it's too loose around my waist. However, if it were tighter it wouldn't fit over my hips and would make getting them on rather a pain.
The next day, we wandered over to south jersey to WoodsEdge Wools Farm. They have over 300 Alpacas and Llamas. Someone from the farm was nice enough to explain the differences between the Alpacas and the Llamas to us. The Alpacas, she told us are more like cats in that they're not really that friendly to people they don't know, and they won't really come when you call them. I still think they're really cute. A Suri Llama named Firefly (I think that was the name anyway) was super friendly and adorable:
It was a great weekend filled with fun, awesome food and wonderful friends! I did end up buying more yarn, and as I take photos for Yarn 365 I'll be posting them. I might actually round them all up together. In the meantime, you can check out more photos of London, llamas and alpacas on my flickr stream.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)