And Today, This

I've been behind on my blog reading...so this evening I am trying to catch up a bit.

I can't now.  Not since this, which I looked up (I guessed until I found the right information)...so I can write, quietly and softly and gently, to the right person.

A knitter.

With a mother...as we all have mothers.

Whose mother has left this world, now, just a couple of days ago, after a brief illness.  Young (from my vantage point) at 74...

I am so sorry.

I will write to tell her that...But I thought, Gentle Readers, that those of you who are knitters, and who know of and love the work of the Yarn Harlot, that you might want to write too. Old school.  A real note, on real paper, in real hand-writing.

Stephanie, I am so sorry.

P.S. The official notice is HERE.  No mention of donations in memory but Stephanie is partial to Medecins Sans Frontieres and  PWA Friends for Life Bike Rally...just so you know.

Thanks.

Because She's One of My Favourites

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee,
aka the Yarn Harlot
in Edmonton, October 2014

This year, the Yarn Harlot was a tad late with her Annual Canada Day post...but as usual it was worth the wait.

If you don't know of her...you can read THAT POST and more on her blog...and look for her books on indigo.ca and amazon.ca or amazon.com and probably other places too.  I have them all and have read them all...and had a 'bucket list' item crossed off when a few years ago she came to Edmonton, and I was able to meet her, get her to sign one of those books, and knit on my sock.

In knitting circles, she's one of Canada's best and brightest for her wisdom, her humanity, her humour and her skills.  A yarn-lover's treasure -- and I'm grateful she's ours.

That Thing That Hand-makers Face

I make stuff by hand.  I sell some, and I give a lot of it away.  Last weekend, two people "stole" my artwork at rock-bottom prices at a silent auction ($30 and $35 respectively) because they figured they could get away with it (they were within what had been set as minimum bids -- not by my recommendation), and still get Brownie points for donating something -- however paltry -- to a non-profit organization.  And they did get away with it (the framed, editted* photograph nearby got bids over $200).

I chalked that one up to experience.  Not happenin' again any time soon.

Listen, fellow textile artists.  Knitters are textile artists too.  Sometimes they make original designs.  Sometimes they "just" knit socks.  Plain Vanilla Socks.  With great yarn.  And they run into the same thing.

Thought you might enjoy what my favourite knitter, Stephanie (The Yarn Harlot) had to say today...Hint: the title of her blog post?  "No, I won't make you a pair for $10".  Go, Steph!

*editted = beautifully and skillfully altered by a photo-editting program.

Steph Does It Again

I rarely re-read other bloggers' posts more than once, but THIS ONE warranted a re-visit today, and I just might save it as a PDF.  It makes me grin every time I read it -- and there are photos, too.  Hint: it's the story of The Yarn Harlot and the Astronaut.  Enjoy!

1300!

My next Blog Anniversary -- 12 years of blogging -- is exactly a week from today.  Who'da thunk it?  Certainly, I'd not even thought of how many posts I'd make between then and now...and yet today marks my 1300th post!  That's an average of 108 posts a year...or just about one every 3 days for over a decade.

Blogging has completely satisfied my 'writer's itch', and given me both a way to share my life and work...and an abundance of new contacts, some of whom have become fast friends.  Thanks to all of you for following and reading and commenting, laughing, crying, comiserating, and sharing cyberspace with me all these years.

I began this blog as "The Lady Who Knits on the Bus", and my original URL, 'knitsonthebus.blogspot.com' will still direct you here, to a blog that began with knitting from a blogger who still has knitting in her life every day.

And...as promised, this morning I used a random number sequence generator  to pick the winners of the yarn I'm giving away in celebration of another long-time blogger, the Yarn Harlot.  Congratulations to Christina V., Rhoda F., and Rav's GeneHunter!  These Gentle Readers have been contacted by e-mail and their yarn will be sent out to them later this week.

Now it's February...and in my books, that mean's only about 6 more weeks of winter, regardless of what the groundhog has to say about it tomorrow!

Yesterday marked the deadline for the latest "Reveal" from my friends at 15 x 15.  Do drop

over to their website to see the beautiful work and varied
interpretations of the challenge theme, "Monochromatic".  Even though I'm taking a year off from the group to do my EBMC, I felt right at home with my first EBMC assignment which was...um...yep -- a monochromatic value study!

EB's e-mail with the February assignment has arrived...so stay tuned for another adventure as I work it through...

My 15 x 15 friends have also been experimenting with snow dyeing.  Many of them live where snow is a rarity, and recent aberrations in weather have found some of them out in their yards with plastic bags, scooping snow into them to keep in the freezer so they could do some snow dyeing!

I'd wondered how this would work out, as I'd only ever done snow dyeing with powdery fresh stuff.  I figured the stuff in the freezer would get hard and crystalline....just like the "old snow" that was in my yard.  Until Friday, we hadn't had fresh snow for several weeks, and what we had was now hard-packed, with an icy crust from rain and freezing rain on top of it.  I decided to dig out some and see results I'd get with it.

I was gob-smacked!

First, I needn't have piled on the amount of snow I usually use, because this hard, crystalline, icy stuff takes longer to melt than the powdery version. I ended up dumping a lot of snow because I wanted to avoid a mess.  Even though my fabric was on a rack in the bottom of the tub, the amount of snow melt would have resulted in "mud" instead of beautiful mottled colour.   Second, "old snow" has bits of leaves and twigs in it, as these close-ups of the tub of dye-on-snow show (look carefully).

     

And the results?  I was delighted with these "sunrise/sunset" cottons and muslin:

But my favourite piece is the silk:

I have nothing specific in mind for these pieces yet, but I'm glad I found the delights of dyeing with "old" snow...and now I better understand why artists in warmer climes go to the trouble of dyeing with ice or freezer-kept snow.  The results can be spectacular!

Happy February, everyone...have a lovely Sunday!

Happy Blog Anniversary, Steph! (A Give-away...for the Knitters)

Stephanie Pearl McPhee -- The Yarn Harlot

One of my Very Favourite People  celebrated a Blog Anniversary yesterday -- 11 years since she "cast on" in "Fibre Space" (with apologies to arlee)...

In the above photo, she's knitting on the ribbing of a sock I made for my daughter's friend P -- a Christmas 2014 commission.  The location?  The Hilton Doubletree Edmonton (formerly the Mayfield Inn).  The event? "Comedy Night" -- the Friday night opener of the "Stix in the City" weekend event back in October 2014, sponsored by River City Yarns.  

It was a "bucket list" moment for me...and one in a million  several thousand for Steph, I'm sure.  (grin)

But without that first connection...

• I'd have missed all the glorious books about knitting and knitters;
• I'd never have laughed so long and so well;
• I'd not found someone who so deeply understands what it is to be
• Canadian; and (simultaneously)
• A knitter... 

Happy Blog Anniversary, Steph -- and many more!

P.S. Thanks to Joe and 'The Girls' for enabling you to enable us all these years... ;-)

P.P.S. What would a knitting blog anniversary be without some YARN?

I have three (count 'em) lace weight yarn prizes to give away on a random basis:

• One skein of Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Lace - 100% Baby Alpaca - 800 m..847 yards in colour #21 (Lavender Blue);

• One skein of Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Lace - 100% Baby Alpaca - 800 m..847 yards in colour #03 (green mix); 

• And two skeins of Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud lace weight yarn:
• One 440 yards in CA07 - pearl grey; and
• One 440 yards in C740 - green mix.

So...If you are a knitter -- or you know a knitter that would like to have any one of these three lacy prizes...Please post a comment on the blog saying so, sometime between NOW (i.e. Saturday, January 24, 2015 at almost noon Mountain Standard Time) and midnight wherever you are on Saturday, January 31, 2015.  Three winners will be chosen by a random number drawing process when I get up on Sunday, February 1.

Happy knitting!

Practically Perfect Weekend - Part I

When I posted on Friday, I was headed to Edmonton to attend "Stix in the City", sponsored by River City Yarns.  It was a Big Deal for them -- and for those of us attending.  Many knitters and crocheters were able to attend the full weekend of events with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and Fiona Ellis...

I was just thrilled to be one of those at the Friday night "Comedy Club".  First, though, I had to pick up my entry ticket at RCY, the shop.  And of course, I had to browse...and though I recently protested to my daughter that I didn't want any more yarn (she gave me yarn for both Mother's Day and my birthday), this wee skein paid no attention and insisted on coming home with me...

"Wild Berries" - hand-dyed 100% merino
Indigo Moon Yarns, Gabriola Island, B.C.

What's a knitter to do?

I beat a hasty retreat!  Stashing the yarn in the trunk of my car, I dashed across the parking lot to Laser Quest and surprised my son at work.  Nothing like a hug from one's #1 son to start an evening off right.  :-)

When I got to the Hilton Doubletree hotel, knitters were already gathering in the lobby, waiting for the doors to open.  At 5:30 we trekked down the hall to the room, picked our seats, took up some wine and more knitting...

The Main Event was scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Just before that time, I made my way to the...ahem...facilities. Afterward, coming out into the hallway -- there she was!  The Yarn Harlot herself!  A typically inane, "I can't believe I'm talking to a celebrity" conversation ensued:

MB: "Hello!"

YH: "Hello!"

I put out my hand: "I'm Margaret." (smiling broadly)

YH (also extending her hand and smiling broadly): "I'm Stephanie".

MB: "I know." (grinning even more broadly) "Um...if you need the washrooms, they're right there." (pointing down the hall)

YH: "I'm okay...but am I going in the right direction [to get to the meeting room]?"

MB: "Yes...right this way." (pause; still grinning) "I have a gift for you."

YH: "I like you already." (grinning back)

By this time we were at our destination, so I ushered Stephanie to the hostesses for the evening and said something like, "We'll catch up later".  YH: "We sure will" (both still grinning).

Okay.  If' the Good Lord had come for me then, I would have been perfectly happy.

Blessedly, though, He didn't...and so I was able to enjoy Stephanie's anecdotes and laugh till my sides hurt and tears ran down my cheeks.

And to give her my wee gift, and  have her sign the book I brought, and tell me how please she was to see it had already been read (tell-tale dog-eared pages and a couple of coffee stains on the frontispiece...)

And to have her allow me to photograph her holding my sock..and to knit a bit on the ribbing...

That was the sweetest gift of all.  Thanks Stephanie.

 

 

Where I'll Be This Evening

I haven't a formal "bucket list" but if I did, seeing this woman would be on it -- and that item will be checked off tonight in Edmonton.

The speaker/author/knitter/teacher/humourist and proud Canadian?  Stephanie Pearl-McPhee -- aka the Yarn Harlot.  

I'm taking one of her books for signing, along with a wee knitting-related gift.  And a sock-in-progress.

More later.  A bientot, mes amis!

Be Still, My Beating Heart!

Oh! I'm so excited I don't know what to do with myself!  I knew this event would be happening in Edmonton in October, but today it was finally announced: "Stix in the City" at River City Yarns -- featuring Fiona Ellis and ---- Oh!  Breathe! -- the Yarn Harlot herself, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.  I have all of her books.  I follow her blog.  If she had a podcast I would hang on every word.  This gal is a) Canadian; b) a prolific and talented knitter; c) a spinner; d) a mom; e) a knitting humourist extraordinaire -- with a big heart (her major charity is Medicins Sans Frontiers, but there are others).



The event runs October 24-26 and includes several options.  I'm opting for the Friday evening "Comedy Club" event with Stephanie, as I have to be home on Sunday to sing at church.  That said, there is a Friday afternoon kick-off at the store -- a "Meet and Greet" where I'll be able to have a book (or two) signed and get to talk to these remarkable fibre artists of the knitting genre.  The evening event is at a nearby hotel, and includes cocktails, a reception and a talk by Stephanie, including time for Q&A.  At the end of the evening (8:30 or so) I'll have the option of driving home or driving to my daughter's for the night...I suspect the latter!

And yes...I'll be taking a sock-on-the-needles with me.  :-)  I can hardly wait!