Arachnid Exchange/Intercambio Aracnido

I am involved in the Intercambio Aracnido Mujer Araña, It’s a swap among Spanish-speaking knitters, crocheters and weavers on the American continent as well as Europe. The name literally means the Spider Woman Arachnid Exchange. Why arachnids? Because we are like crafty little spiders weaving our webs. Anyway, there are about 50 of us participating. We each received a questionnaire detailing the preferences and dislikes of our secret pal and then had to get to work on our gift packages. Each package must contain the following:

• A hand-knit, crocheted or sewn purse or tote bag
• A craft accessory
• A surprise gift
• Something with a spidery design (an amigurimi or something knit with a stitch that resembles a spider web)
• One ball of yarn
• A knitting/crocheting tool or gadget
• A knitting/crochet magazine

It’s very exciting to be putting together a special gift package for someone I’ve never met and only know through her blog. I’m also very curious to know who pulled my name. I suspect she might be from Mexico or Chile because those two countries have the most participants. However, it can also be someone from Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Perú, Sweden, Costa Rica, Spain or Argentina. We shall see!

Small World

Yesterday I went to a charity knitting event at a local yarn shop. As each person walked in, she was handed a small ball of yarn and a pattern for a preemie hat (we brought our own knitting needles and crochet hooks). We sat around talking, knitting and munching on the snacks that were provided. Here are a couple things I overheard:

On perfectionism ...
Knitter A: Oh, no! I’m one row off [in sewing up the hat]. Should I pull it out and redo it?

Knitter B: I was a preemie and I don’t remember what they put on my head. Only a knitter would notice that mistake.

On UFOs...
Knitter C: There’s a sweater I started making for my son when he was ten years old. He’s now in college and it’s still not finished.

Knitter D: I can do you one better than that. I have a sweater I never finished for my husband and he‘s been dead 13 years!

***********************************************************************
One hour before the event was over there was a contest (which was really a fashion show considering almost everyone who entered won gift certificates). When it was over I chatted with the two women who were seated on either side of me. They mentioned Ravelry and I told them that until recently I thought one had to have a knitting blog in order to qualify for Ravelry. Then one said, “My sister and I have a blog together.” Just two days before I had been reading a blog written by two sisters. It was all so fresh in my mind that I remembered their names. “Are you Cici and CJ?” Yes, they were! I was so excited. I felt as if I should get their autographs or something. It was like bumping into someone whom you previously only knew from television.

Then they asked if I had a blog and what was the address. I told them the address, but since I know it sounds quite foreign, I offered to write it down. A quarter of an hour later I hunted down a pen and wrote the address down for them. When Cici read it her eyes became wide. “I was just reading your blog this morning! I left a comment on it.” Then turning to CJ she said, “Her blog is the one I was telling you about on the way over here!” For a second I had trouble believing her, but then she told me things she had read on my blog and I was blown away. “We should get your autograph!” They remind me of my aunts. When I was leaving I wanted to give them each a hug, but I didn’t want to weird them out, so I didn’t.

In the end the event netted over 30 preemie hats to be donated to the neonatal unit of a local hospital, but meeting Cici and CJ was the coolest thing to come out of it. I was really wishing my friend Cabbie had been there (she had to work) because she’s the only one who would fully understand the total coolness of this meeting.

Knitting Resolutions 2008

Since I’m in a resolution-making mood, I’ve made a fiber-related list.

1. Purge my stash. My clothes are having a turf war with the yarn stash. The clothes won the hall closet, but the stash seems to be winning the bedroom closet.

2. Knit a lace shawl/stole. I’ve wanted to do this for months, now. I have the yarn and recently found a fantastic pattern.

3. Knit something from a pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman. It’ll be nice to try something new.

4. Knit something from a pattern found online. I’m one of those renegade knitters who rarely uses patterns, so this one is to keep me a little disciplined.

5. Attend at least two knitting gatherings per month. I really enjoy these, but whenever I get really busy, I stop attending. This year I plan to attend no matter how busy I become.

6. Finish six unfinished objects by the end of February. I’ll feel relief and accomplishment and have some new things to wear.

Cough, Sneeze, Sniff, repeat

You haven’t heard from me in a couple of days because I’ve had a cold. Nothing serious, but enough to knock me down for a couple of days. Yesterday I spent the day in bed. I find it difficult to sleep in the daytime, so I basically just lay there half awake thinking a billion thoughts. One thought that came to mind was that I should capitalize on this down time and knit the remaining sleeve of my black cardigan, but I felt so weak, that I couldn’t make myself get up and grab my knitting. My knitting was one meter away from the bed.

Hooray for knitting groups!

Last night I went to the Silver Spring Knitters (SSK) group. I hadn’t been in several months, so it was nice to see old familiar faces as well as some new ones.

I really enjoy attending knitting circles. Three or four years ago I knew when and where all the DC area groups met and attended five or six per month. Yes, I was obsessed, but soon realized that I simply couldn’t go to everything.

There are tiny and huge groups, groups made up of people in their 20s and 30s, groups made up of middle-aged women. They meet in homes, cafés, libraries, bars and parks. They can be socially, racially, ethnically, economically homogeneous or heterogeneous groups. Some are all female, mixed-gender, all male…. In short, there is a group out there for any type of knitter.

Although the groups made up of younger people are fun and hip, I prefer a more mature group because older women are a treasure trove of skills and experience in both knitting and life. Besides, older women also tell the best dirty jokes. Yeah, the sort that will make you blush then roll around on the floor laughing. Their company can’t be beat.

The best sort of venue for a knitting group has good lighting, food that is inexpensive and tasty and comfortable seating (preferably sofas). Even when a venue doesn’t have all these things, the people who attend are what make it good.

There are very few knitting groups I wouldn’t visit again. One such group is held at a yarn store whose pushy proprietress tries to sell you something the minute you walk through the door. I’ve been to a few places in the world where pushy sales clerks are the norm, but in this woman it’s something bordering on desperation. Leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

One other type of person that can be a downer at a knitting gathering (or any social situation, really), is the one who takes over the conversation. He or she usually speaks much too loudly and deems him/herself an expert in every topic. These tiresome jabberers seem so have some sort of self-perceived lack that they feel must be camouflaged by incessant talk to the point that others don’t get a chance to participate in the exchange. With these people I usually just try to be patient, because they’re not being malicious, they just have unresolved issues that manifest themselves in an obnoxious way.

Even when you run into a person who lacks social graces at a group (and that’s not often, since knitters tend to be some of the nicest people around), you can still end up having a good time. I must make an effort to attend more often. I always go home feeling inspired by other people’s projects and invigorated by the conversation.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It snowed all morning. Only three inches fell, but it was enough to transform the drab winter landscape beautifully. It’s slightly amusing (and irritating) how the people in this area react whenever there is snow in the weather forecast. Yesterday, when the meteorologists predicted yesterday that 2-4 inches of snow were expected to fall, half the people ran out, mobbed the supermarkets and bought up all the bread, milk, bottled water, et cetera. One would think that the blizzard of the century had been predicted. They act as if 2-4 inches is going to keep them housebound for days. And even if we had a substantial storm coming, does this mean that nobody had basic staples in their refrigerators and cupboards to hold them of a couple days? Man.

Some time during tonight’s rehearsal with the Let Freedom Ring Choir at Metropolitan Baptist Church, I saw a fur coat walk in. When it unwrapped its owner I realized that it was our soloist, opera singer Denyce Graves. To his credit, our choir director did not act like a fluttery sycophant the way some of the others did. We (the choir and Denyce, that is) practiced together and sounded great. Since there was a lot of down time in certain parts of the rehearsal, I had my knitting. I was a bit nervous that the director would tell me to put it away, but he didn’t. Maybe he didn’t say anything ‘cause he didn’t know my name or maybe because I never took my eyes off his face while we were singing (it was plain stockinette). Whatever the reason, I got half a sleeve done!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, however there won’t be any celebrations until Monday because the Powers That Be took it upon themselves to move that day’s observance so that they could conveniently have a three-day weekend. They also do that with a couple other holidays. The result of this practice, which began sometime in the mid-90s, is that many people can’t tell you the date of these holidays because they are now celebrated on the nearest Monday that will produce a longer weekend, thus the date changes every year. Although I enjoy three-day weekends as much as the next person, I also enjoy a day off in the middle of the week. If King Day were celebrated on the original day, we’d still get two three-day weekends in every seven-year cycle. Why not do that with Independence Day or Christmas? Things are probably not going to change, so should I even waste my time talking about it?

Anyway, every year the Kennedy Center, in conjunction with a local university, organizes a program in tribute to the civil rights leader. This year I was among those invited to sing in the choir. It’s very exciting because when I was a kid I used to listen to classical concerts on the radio in which the announcer would often say, “Live, from the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC…” And next week I will be singing there! Tonight I went to the first rehearsal. We must learn four pieces well (and by heart) in less than a week. We will be singing two of the pieces with mezzo soprano Denyce Graves. How cool is that?

On the bus home from choir rehearsal I was working on my black cardigan. An older gentleman sitting across from me asked what I was working on. Then he asked, “Why not red?” The truth is that I already have a red cardigan and what I really need is an everyday black cardigan that goes with everything. I didn’t want to get into all that, so I told him that black yarn is what I had, so that’s the color the sweater will be. Then I asked him if red was his favorite color. He said, “No, but I like red on women.” At that point I thought to myself, “Well, I’m not dressing for you. Am I, Gramps?” Then he asked my name and what I had studied at university. Just as I was about to pull the cord to notify the bus driver of my stop, he told me his name and that he wanted to invite me to a French restaurant in Georgetown. When he saw me get up he said, “We’ll talk another time.” This little exchange illustrates the story of my life (or the story of my last ten years or so). The only men interested me tend to be under the age of 22 or quickly approaching retirement age. Those in their thirties and early forties seem completely oblivious to my existence.

On the upshot, if I were to take him up on his offer, I’d know what color to wear! ;o)

Says Marnie, Not Me...

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Goddess. You are constantly giving and are unconcerned with reward, you simply want others to love knitting as much as you do. If someone wants to knit miles of novelty yarns, you are there for them. If someone wants to learn short row shaping, you can help. There are no taboos in knitting, only opportunities to grow. Everyone should have friend like you around if they want to learn to knit, and there's a good chance that your passion has rubbed off on a few others.http://marniemaclean.com
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Knitting Goddess?? Short rows? Not even! If you ask me, I’m somewhere between advanced beginner and intermediate (or tangy and piquant, for you Knitty-philes). I may have goddess-like qualities, but not necessarily in the knitting realm.

25 Things About Me (fiber related)

1. Taught myself to crochet at age eleven from a library book.
2. Bought a pair of knitting needles ten years before I actually learned to knit.
3. Tried to teach myself with a library book, but couldn’t get past casting on.
4. I finally learned at the Washington, DC Knit Out & Crochet.
5. I really enjoy attending knitting circles.
6. My favorite casting on method is the knitted cast on.
7. My favorite yarn to crochet with is worsted weight cotton.
8. Yarn snobs (and snobs in general) really irritate me.
9. Ditto for knitters who snub crocheters
10. Rarely knit at home. Mostly knit in public (bus, train, grocery line, etc.)
11. Taught my six-year-old nephew how to knit (upon his request).
12. My niece was uninterested.
13. Have never used the yarn specified in a pattern.
14. Thus, I almost always make a swatch before beginning a project.
15. I knit for pleasure and relaxation.
16. On the one occasion I knit for money, I did not enjoy the process.
17. I like working with mohair, but don’t like to wear it.
18. I like the smell of sheep.
19. The first non-accessory I knit for myself was a cabled top in cotton.
20. Don’t know how people write lists of one hundred things about themselves.
21. Have never knit mittens or socks (would like to soon).
22. Have never knit on double-pointed needles (might, at some point).
23. I have a spindle that I forgot how to use.
24. Need to relearn so I can at least spin all the roving I bought in 2004.
25. Was taught English style, but switched to Continental style two months later because it felt more comfortable.

* Today is the last day of a glorious four-day January thaw (73F/23C!).

What I Did During My Winter Vacation

1. Flew to Michigan. I used to LOVE flying. I used to get happy just going to drop someone off at the airport. Homeland Security has totally ruined the experience. There is no joy or excitement about it. I just grit my teeth and wait for it to be over: surly TSA workers (most of whom seem to be a hybrid between automatons and a trained monkeys), the three-ounce rule, taking off your shoes, half a dozen checkpoints before boarding the plane, the mentality that every passenger is a potential terrorist, et cetera. Travel used to be a complete experience comprised of the journey as well as the experiences at the destination, not anymore.

2. Dealt with pressure. I have mixed feelings about visiting Novio because about 90% of his friends are married and have children. When I visit him we spend time with his friends, who are nice people, but I feel this (usually) unspoken pressure to hurry up and join their club, which I will do when I’m good and ready, not because they’re in a rush to see us hitched and procreating. Novio is of no help either. He wants it so badly, he can taste it (he tries valiantly to seem nonchalant about it, but it’s too obvious to ignore). Furthermore, some time ago I had made friends with the possibility that I may never marry or give birth to a child. I was cool with that because, as they say back home, “Mejor sola que mal acompañada.”

3. Did some knitting. At the last minute I decided to make a hat for Novio because the machine-made ones he wears are so…let’s just say they insult my eyes. Then I worked on a cardigan. Yes, I know I had promised not to embark on any new significant projects until I had halved the UFO pile, but I really do need a black cardigan.














4. Gawked at random strangers. I spotted an interesting scarf on an airport escalator. The man wearing it thought I was checking him out and got all happy. A few minutes later I caught myself trying to figure out the zigzag design on another man’s hat. Had to look away before he too thought I was checking him out.

5. Met up with an old acquaintance. It just so happens that Fola was going to be spending a few days in Indiana--about 35 minute’s drive from where I was in Michigan, so we met up. It was very nice to see her. She has developed quite a British accent, which I don’t remember her having ten years ago. It’s cute. As I left she said, “I hope it won’t be another ten years before we see each other again!” I promised that it wouldn’t. And what do you know? I kept my promise sooner than expected because I’d left my cell phone behind, so the next day she came by to drop it off (yay!). While separated from my phone, Em-hijabi, whom I haven’t spoken to in months called (boo!) from England. I hope she calls back soon.

6. Did something green. I finally bought rechargeable batteries for the greedy little digital camera. I’m pleased to discover that I can charge my new NiMH batteries in my older NiCd charger. The downside is that it’ll take 63.6 hours to charge.

7. Smiled. Brief comic relief was provided by a flight attendant who was a chubbier, effeminate version of Philippe Noiret. Also, another flight attendant cracked me up when she said, "If you are sitting in an exit row you may be asked to insist the crew." Insist?

8. Felt grateful and hopeful. A year ago I was miserable, stressed out, sleep-deprived, frustrated, irritable and just plain unhappy. All because of the incompetent, inexperienced, manipulative administrators at my job. I made more money than I ever had before, but that did not do anything to make me want to stay there. I feel sorry for those who are so deep in dept or are living such a life style that forces them to stay. Live within your means people! Not making much money now, but thank God I no longer work there. My life has improved markedly. Here’s hoping that 2008 is all the more better. I wish the same for you.

There is Only One Way to Do Things (NOT!)

A pet peeve of mine is when certain knitters insist that there is only one way to do things (such as cast on, purl, hold the needles, etc.). It usually means that these people only know one way of doing things and therefore believe that it is the only way. These people of limited scope do nothing to encourage beginners. Often, they’ve been doing things their way for years and years, so they feel justified to run around telling others that they’re doing things wrong.

For example, I was once teaching a student how to knit. A math teacher (who’d learned how to knit in Eastern Europe in the 1950s) saw the girl working on a garter swatch during lunch and undid everything. “You’re supposed to slip the first stitch, why are you knitting the first stitch? To hold the yarn in the right hand—how bizarre! That’s not how to knit.” Of course, she offered no help, only criticism. She only succeeded in confusing and frustrating the girl and making my job more difficult. I wanted to knock her down and step on her neck.

Since then, whenever I teach anyone how to knit, I always tell them, “There are a dozen ways to do this. I’m teaching you one way to do it. You may come across someone who does it differently. Your way is not wrong, it’s just different. As you become more experienced you will learn different methods. Try to learn as many as you can so you’ll have more options to choose from.”

As deBolsillo said in her knitting podcast:

“Una de las grandes verdades del tejido es que el tejer es una cuestión cultural. Se hace de diferentes maneras en diferentes sitios. No hay una manera correcta de hacer las cosas. Simplemente hay un resultado correcto. Pero a ese resultado se puede llegar de muchas maneras. Se teje en muchísimos lugares del mundo. En cada lugar se teje de una manera.”

Translation: “One of knitting’s great truths is that knitting is a cultural thing. It is done differently in different places. There is no correct way to do things. There is simply a correct result. One can arrive at that result by many different ways. People knit in many parts of the world. In each place they knit a certain way.”

If you understand Spanish, I especially recommend the first two episodes of her podcast.

P.S. Check out knittinghelp.com, an excellent resource, and proof that there are a multitude of ways to approach certain tasks (for example, they demonstrate 14 ways to cast on--seven English and seven Continental).

Motivation

I’ve been wanting to make a lacy shawl for a long time, but just hadn’t found a pattern that inspired me enough to jump in. This summer I fell in love with Rachael’s shawl and started scouring stitch dictionaries at home and at the library so I could make my own. When I finally found what I wanted, I started swatching. Before I could go any further I stopped myself and said, “Since you’re so fascinated with this shawl, how about finishing the unfinished projects? Then you can begin work on the shawl as a reward?” So that’s what I’ve been doing.

Of course, another great motivator is this blog. Lest you start believing that all I knit are scarves and blankets, there are some pretty fabulous sweaters (if I do say so myself) that just need sleeves to be attached or seams to be sewn. I hope to post them soon. ¡Manos a la obra!

Gatita Bonita (Pretty Kitty)

Somehow the subject of cats came up one evening at our monthly Savory knit meet-up and we discovered that almost everyone present had at least one cat (we also noticed that about half of us were wearing Dansko clogs). Also, it seems that the vast majority of knitting bloggers out there have cats and/or dogs. I often browse knitting blogs from around the world (even if I can’t read the language) and have discovered that the same is true in Finland, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Canada, etc.

So I shall now post the requisite pet picture. This is Duquesa. She is a ten-year-old tabby. I got her when she was 1.5 years old. She’s a wonderful, if occasionally crazy, companion. After my first cat died at two years old from liver cancer, the apartment (my first) felt desolate, so I waited six weeks and then went to the Connecticut Humane Society in Newington and adopted Duquesa. She had some unimaginatively generic name, so I asked Mami (my mother) for help and she came up with ‘Duquesa.’ Of all the cats available at the Humane Society I chose her because she was female, she purred and she was really friendly.


She enjoys El Bosque because there are plenty of birds and squirrels there to keep her entertained with their comings and goings.

Picot!

I’ve always liked the look of picot (pronounced pee-COH) edging, but hadn’t found simple instructions for it. Recently, while browsing through knitting books at a DC Public Library, I came across Domiknitrix: Whipping your knitting into shape, and found some easy-to-understand instructions. I borrowed the book and made a swatch. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of glee and accomplishment I felt. For days I would pick up the swatch from my dresser and admire it. It was too ridiculous. What can I say? Some people get high from drugs, others from maxing out their credit cards. I get high from learning new knitting skills. It's safe to assume that mine is the healthier way to go what with no financial or medical consequences.

“On the road to nowhere…”

Since it had snowed last week, my good friend, Toad, decided that it might be a good weekend for the first ski trip of the season. So on Sunday he packed his car with the necessary gear, picked me up at my apartment and we hit the road. It was a drizzly day, but we hoped that, as we neared higher elevations, the drizzle would convert to snow. The entire three-hour trip was foggy and drizzly. No conversion took place. Shows how much we know about meteorology.

When we got to the ski resort it was still drizzling and the snow was slushy. Although they were having deeply discounted prices ($7 for all-day ski lift tickets, $17 for ski rentals) it just didn’t seem worth it. Surprisingly enough, there were lots of people on the slopes. The miserable weather just didn’t put us in the skiing mood. I’ve skied in snowy and sunny weather, at night and in the daytime, but rain just didn’t inspire me in the least. To make matters worse, we were supposed to meet up with our friends, the Baltimore Crew, but since neither of our cell phones were getting any reception on the mountain, we weren’t even able to contact them. So we hung around for a little while, then jumped back into the car and drove back home (yes, another three hours). Toad kept singing “On the road to nowhere.” Couldn’t tell if it was the heavy metal or country western version.

The only consolation was that Toad is great company, so we talked and snacked and knit (or I knit while he drove). Although the fog made for very poor visibility, some of the views were hauntingly beautiful. Sadly, I was unable to take advantage of that because the camera sucked the batteries dry after a mere five shots. Toad thinks that someone should invent an automobile charger for digital cameras . I agree.

“The time has come, let us begin…”

“The time has come, let us begin…” After years of lurking around other peoples’ knitting blogs and especially their finished object galleries, I’ve decided to do some sharing of my own. Actually, this autumn the yearning to have a blog became so overwhelming that I had to succumb. I do this with a bit of trepidation because there are so many knitters out there who are ten times better than I, but putting my knitting out in the public may actually push me to challenge myself and add to the skills I already have. I might/should have done this a long time ago, but I thought that one had to be the techie sort to have a blog. Not so, I discovered. So here I go! I’m giddy with excitement!

The purpose of this blog is to 1) talk about knitting and crocheting (and any other fiber arts I wish to dabble in) and 2) rant about various topics that may be rolling around my head. Another reason I thought it would be good to start a blog is because I have knitted/crocheted and given away so many things over the years. A blog would force me to document what I’ve made before it disappears out of my hands. (Photos will be posted soon!) Also, it might force me to tackle some of my Unfinished Objects (UFOs) once and for all.

I'm not always a consistent person. So I will try my best to post regularly (six times per month for starters). I hope to enlighten and entertain without boring you too much.