World Wide Knit in Public Day

World_Wide_Knit_in_Public_Day 
is coming up this Saturday, June 14. This coincides with Flag Day, so be patriotic & knit outdoors where you can be seen by many others doing what we love best!

Sideways Corey!

This is sideways Corey & her new spiral hat! She lost her old, favorite one, so I emailed her the pattern while she was traveling in Australia - The blue strand is Rowan, 100% alpaca; the green is Zealana Rimu, 60% fine NZ merino, 40% brushtail possum, something she bought in Nelson. Possum yarn is made only in NZ. Very soft! They are an introduced species, and a pest, so this is their answer.
(if someone out there can tell me how to rotate a photo & have it stay rotated when copied to Blogger, I'd love to know how)

AhHa Moment w/first row of KAL!

So...the first thing I did was circle my size "directions" all the way thru the pattern. Not so fast, Ann. Once the pattern splits into Sz 29-1/2 - 36 and then 37-1/2 (me) - 34-1/2, my directions switch from 4th in from the parenthesis, to FIRST. Will now cast on again & start again.

"Knitting" crosses over to a commencement speech!

Fired New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson just gave the commencement address at Wake Forest University. Abramson closed by citing a commencement address given by Robert Frost in 1956, in which he described life after graduation as “pieces of knitting to go on with.”

“My mother was a great knitter, and she made some really magnificent things, but she also made a few itchy, frankly hideous sweaters for me,” Abramson said. “She left some things unfinished. So today, you gorgeous, brilliant people, get on with your knitting.”

Telluride Aran KAL - 1st posting

ok, here's my gauge swatch for the Telluride Aran KAL that is just starting this month @ Needle Rock. Due to my avid listening to knitting podcasts, I not only knit the 4" to see if 27 rows was correct (it is!), but then did nearly another 4" of the honeycomb cable pattern to check stitch count there. & then, & then, & then, I BLOCKED it! Can you believe it!

(sorry the color is so off - this really is a lovely middle gray colorway). 
& for those who are not doing the KAL - this is Findley DK from Knitting Fever, a 50/50 merino/silk blend that is positively dreamy to work, to touch, to wear. Who else is ready to cast on?

Woman Knitting Painting

This is a photo of a painting that Corey saw during her travels in Australia. I would love to have something like this on my wall!

Podcast Recommendation

KnitFM Blog - All About Yarn
I haven't even finished listening to this entire episode yet & I am so enthusiastic to share it with the Rockers. The girls really do address the knitty gritty of our craft, from hoof, root, plant or synthetic to how different yarns will work in various projects. Get out your knitting, get your earbuds on & review what you think you already know!

Some finished projects!

This is a close-up of the Gambit Unisex Scarf I "built" from 4 charts.

 

Made up in Theodora's Pearls "Foliage" 100% bamboo, hand dyed by me!

Crocheted Crusher - a Fiber Trends pattern - cute in Mirasol "Hacho"

This is definitely a 4 season hat here in Colorado. I'll be making more of these!

Work in Progress Tubes

Weird photo, I know. These are Work In Progress (WIP) tubes that hold double pointed needle projects, so you NEVER lose a single, important stitch while your work resides in your knitting bag, basket or pouch. Every DPN knitter needs these & Needle Rock Fiberarts has 'em!

Involving your Feet in your Knitting!

Unusual Cast-On
After watching this short video - there was no way I could not share it with my fellow Rockers!

Finished! Cathy's Weekend Baby Blanket

A gorgeous baby blanket, knit up by local firefighter & knitter extraordinaire. She used Viking Balder yarn, a superwash wool that is, oh! so soft & easy care for the new mom. Love that proud smile, Cathy!

Arm Knitting - Stash Busting!

Arm Knitting 
follow this link to see this new phenom! We have a few bulky yarns that would work, but what a great stash buster to use several yarns together!

Ann's Block of the Month Afghan: It's done!

We nearly captured the whole thing - what a great feeling to be DONE! It's on it's way to California & its new forever home.

totally cool hooded cowl

This is Ciara (I think that's how she spells it) modeling her new hooded cowl. I snapped this photo when she & her mom, Denise came in for the buttons. This is worked up in Plymouth Baby Aire - a gorgeous baby alpaca yarn that is cabled or braided. I'll bet she stays toasty this winter!

Slow Clothes - I LOVE it!

This is an article sent to me by a non-knitting friend & I think the message is fabulous. I realize it is "preaching to the choir", but I wanted to share this perspective. Thanks, Nancy!

I’ve started knitting again after a year-long break. I bought some beautiful hand-dyed, locally spun yarn in a brilliant mottled fuchsia, and then I got to work, knitting furiously for two days straight until I realized that my new infinity scarf was disproportionately huge. I had to undo everything and start over, my enthusiasm somewhat dampened.

When I took my knitting to a friend’s house, someone asked an interesting question: “Why would you bother knitting a scarf? It’s so much work and you can buy a great scarf for cheap anywhere.” It’s a good question. If it’s easy to buy a decent scarf for $10 at H&M, why would I spend $50 on handspun yarn and another week of knitting in order to get a finished product? It’s hardly economical.

But there’s more to it than that. The act of knitting is a strange combination of relaxation and activism, of protest and tradition. My urge to pick it up again started last month after reading Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion by Elizabeth Cline. The author pushes for a “slow clothes” movement, the fashion equivalent of “slow food,” in which consumers start paying attention to the background of their clothes and what has gone into their production. Knitting is my small contribution to the slow clothes movement for the following reasons:

I’m creating a product of high quality. Because I’ve invested money and time into this scarf, it is far more valuable than anything I could buy for $10. I will care for it and it will last for many years, keeping its shape and colour long after cheaper scarves have fallen apart. Clothing is devalued in North America to the point where it’s practically disposable. It would be far better for the Earth if we stopped buying cheap items that don’t last and invested in fewer, higher quality items that do last.

Knitting is a way to reclaim independence. We live in a world where we depend on certain individuals and companies to perform highly specialized tasks for us. There’s something satisfying about taking on some of the responsibility for clothing production and sending a message to the industry that I don’t need them to make my scarves.

Knitting can help a local industry. It wasn’t cheap to buy two skeins of that locally produced yarn, but at least I’m making a statement with my consumer dollars to a nearby farmer, endorsing his or her decision to make a living raising sheep. According to Cline, if every American redirected 1 percent of their disposable income to domestically-made products, it would create 200,000 jobs. Cheap imported clothes become a lot more expensive when you calculate the loss of domestic jobs.

Finally, it feels really good to make something by hand. There’s something very peaceful about performing a simple, repetitive act with my fingers that results in useful yet beautiful things.

Do you knit or have another ‘slow clothes’-related hobby?

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-should-you-knit-a-scarf.html#ixzz2qUEP14ry

Block of the Month - FINISHED!

Our loyal local knitter, Peggy Sue Richards has completed her Block of the Month afghan, in lovely Liberty Wool Raspberry. We think she did a very creative thing with the November block - see photo below...recognize the I-cord?

I haven't seen push pins used to such advantage in a long time!

Christmas is over...

This is how Santa greeted me this snowy Saturday. I guess he's done for the season...long live Santa.

& Happy New Year to all our blog followers! A day like today is SO perfect for finishing all the holiday knitting you did not get done. It is not fit for man nor beast outside, having just walked down to the shop from the Chateau.

I am getting closer to completion of the Block of the Month afghan, that was supposed to be finished at year's end. I got a bit bogged with November :-)

Happy Birthday wonderful Ginger!!