Hello, Knitting People!
I hope everyone is doing okay out there. I’m grading end-of-term papers and getting ready for my trip to Texas. On the knitting front, I’m making slow progress on the border of the Travel Shawl.
It was warm enough outside today to sit on the porch and knit for awhile.
I’ve also been keeping up with the Scrap Yarn Sock Advent Calendar knit along. Here’s where we are so far.
The top bar of the second sock, the part that looks like it says “POOP,” is actually “Woof,” written out in runes. We got to pick our word, and I thought “Woof” seemed like a fun one because, you know . . . dogs. Anyhoo, after I finished I realized it looked like it spelled poop. Shoot.
I really love a fun knit along. I’ve mentioned the Lattes and Llamas Geek-A-Long before. Some of the squares on the 2014 and 2015 blankets were absolutely inspired. I also love the idea of doing a double-knit blanket which is what you end up with if you do the Geek-A-Long squares.
The theme for the 2016 Geek-A-Long was revealed today in the Ravelry group. It turns out it’s going to be video games, from classic to modern. This actually seems less interesting to me than the 2014 theme, Fandom, or the 2015 theme, Mad Scientists. But Dr Llama says it will be “the most visually dynamic blanket” they’ve done yet. If that’s true, it will be one awesome blanket. I’m so tempted!
I also got a card in the mail this week for the Rowan Martin Storey Knit Along for 2016. It’s starting on January 28 and runs through the end of May. I’ve seen some pics of the 2014 blanket, and it’s really gorgeous, something that seems like it would have been fun to knit and wonderful to keep and use and use and use.
It’s funny—I love blankets. Love having them, love using them, love thinking about them, love working on them… The only problem is that, so far, I’ve never actually finished one! I think one of my goals for 2016 will be to start and finish a blanket. We’ll see.
Other interesting knitting news . . .
Have you heard about Chanel? Two of their team apparently visited Fair Isle and spent time with a Scottish designer named Mati Ventrillon. They claimed to be interested in learning more about the Fair Isle tradition. A few months later, a sweater almost identical to Ventrillon’s showed up on the catwalk in Rome as one of Chanel’s new designs. Not cool. Chanel has apologized. Still…
Also, if you haven’t read Gregory Patrick’s “The Time I Was Questioned By Police for Knitting in a Starbucks,” be sure to check it out. It’s a great story, and as someone who used to be a police officer, I can say that it doesn’t surprise me one bit.
I am so relieved you acknowledged that spells “poop.” I looked at it and my very first though was “OMG why does it have poop on her sock!?!” But, hey, dogs….. Poop… Why not?!
I marvel at what you do with socks. I’ve never made a pair. I’ve made three, and finished two. Neither has a buddy and one was 3″ tall. I gave that to the cat. Seeing all the color work blows my freaking mind. My hat, and socks, are off to you.
I didn’t see it until I posted the pic to the Ravelry group, and then I was suddenly like — Oh, man! That looks like POOP. Ugh…
Socks and colorwork both have a learning curve, but once you get past that, it’s like anything else. The colorwork in these socks is embarrassing in its unevenness, but I’m trying to avoid freaking out and chalk it up to using so many different yarns and yarn weights. It’s only sort of working. 😉
Perhaps POOP is also appropriate because of dogs LOL. I have never really participated in a knitalong, Ravelry groups still leave me a bit befuddled at times. Perhaps in 2016 I’ll try something new!
That’s what I thought too. Lol!
I love knit alongs because of the camaraderie. It’s a lot of fun to see other people’s progress and get their tips and feedback as you go along. Maybe we could do one together in 2016!