Charitable Thoughts

I came across a blog that I wanted to share since we are always thinking of knitting for others,
http://25thingsforcharity.blogspot.com/
You can join this blog and make a committment (to yourself) to knit/crochet 25 things to give to a charitable organization.
Check it out!

Open Yarn Thursday

OK, ladies and gents...Thursday lunchtime poll is back in black! (well, in a pleasing shade of off-white, anyways...)

What have you always wanted to knit? Given unlimited time, skill, and resource...

I would like to make a fitted zip-front hooded sweater in cashmere...maybe a few little cables here and there...in cobalt blue or charteuse...and OF COURSE the sides would all be perfectly sewn together! Hey, a girl can dream...

Golden Gloves - Knit Style!

How cool is this? Nattygan and Cess came out to watch me at Golden Gloves! They were my crowd. There had been talk of coming, but it was really a such a lovely suprise when they showed up.

Here I am with Natty before my fight.

And with Cess showing off my fishnets. The officials proclaimed them against the rules, but I wore them before the fight. Then I just rolled them down and tucked them into my tall socks.

Here is a prebell shot. I had the red corner.

My opponent was shorter than I am and I had a height and reach advantage over her. But she was a "scrappy chihuahua" as Nattygan put it and she kept coming and coming. I got hit hard in the nose, eye and lip. And there was blood splattered everywhere -my own. The third round was really in the toilet for me. I got two standing 8-counts. I lost the fight, but it was a great learning experience and I had a lot of fun. And I got a little trophy!

Sip'N Stitch

Well the votes are in and the first Sip'N Stitch of the year is scheduled for Sunday April 22. So come on out and join the stitchin' gals at 6 Mile Creek Winery (only 2 miles out of town on 79 East) - rain or shine.

And check out The Secret of the One-Skein Shawl. Where Clara Parkes of Knitter's Review gives a lovely formula for making a simple triangular shawl. Wouldn't this be a great summer project?

Open Thread/Yarn Thursday

A recent trend in the World of Blogs has been something called 'Open Thread Thursday'. A question is asked, or a topic is brought up for gentle and ferocius readers alike to give input in the comments section.

I thus carry the torch of What the Cool Bloggers Are Doing along to our forum.

The premiere question...Where and what is your ideal knitting environment?

My answer would be at an outdoor cafe, preferably in a city, with a great view for people watching. Company would include one or three others...knitters or non-knitters, but definatly stimulating (or snarky) conversation. Add in there endless refills of hazelnut coffee, and a warm summer day with no plans.

Your turn!

Knitting Events on the Horizon!

Event #1 - Sip and Stitch!

The Finger Lakes region is full of wineries, but one of the nicest is right here in town: 6 Mile Creek Vinyards. And not only that, but it has one of the best balconies in greater Ithaca as it catches all of the afternoon sun. And if the weather is miserable, there is a brightly lit indoor area with tables and chairs.

Now imagine yourself amongst a group of friendly knitters, sitting in the sun, laughing and working on your latest project. Did you know it's BYOF? (bring your own food). So there is a lovely spread of hummus, cheese, crackers and bread to snack upon. And perhaps we've all chipped in and bought a couple of bottles to sample. Or maybe you prefer to taste a number of different wines and so you chose to buy by the glass. What ever the case, we've never had a bad time up at the vinyards. You should come, too!

Date: Undecided, but it's got to be a Sunday. Let's try for 4/14 or 4/8. Vote or suggest a date in the comments section.

Event #2 - Yarn Shop Crawl to Skaneateles!

If you haven't been there yet, let's go. Skaneateles is on the cutest towns in the Finger Lakes. And can you believe it? There are two yarn shops up there (at least that's what google says), and one on the way in Geneva. We could do a little shopping and grab lunch at one of those scenic waterfront restaurants.

A date has not been suggested, so start thinking about when you'd like to do a little traveling, eating, shopping and hanging with the gals!

Ithaca Knitters!

 

Wooly Bullies

I found this on my friend's blog. So hilarious!!!!

Proof of the Winding Revolution!

Thanks so much, Roxanne! Vive le swift!

My Very First Sweater!

A couple of months ago I made a baby sweater for my dear friend who gave birth in October to a beautiful baby girl named Ruby. She just sent me this photo of lovely Ruby sporting her new threads.

The sweater is made with Noro yarn and has a cute little hood. As you can see, it's a tad big on her but doesn't she look fabulous?!?

I'm currently in the process of making my first adult sized sweater for my husband. If only he weren't so darn huge in comparison to baby Ruby!

Is IT A BIRD? IS IT A PLANE?

No, it's an umbrella swift that is now visiting the Ithaca Stich and Bitch meetings. Bring your hanks of yarn for it to wind!
It had a workout last Wed, wound 4 hanks in just a few minutes.

xmas ideas for knitters

1. DPNs (double pointed needles) for sock knitting in various sizes 1,2 ,3 ,4 . Buy your knitter 2 sets of 5 in one size so they can knit both socks of a pair at the same time.
2. Skeins of yarn from your local yarns store- find alpaca, cashmere, merino yarns at your local yarn store in beautiful colors and textures.
3.Tote to haul their knitting around to our stitch and bitch sessions.
4. Roll up yarn storage for needles- they look like travel jewlery bags made to hold various types of needles.
5. Pretty stich markers with beads or other decorations.
6. Gift certificate for the local yarn store so they can pick out their own patterns, yarns and supplies

Have fun shopping!

International Tote Exchange2

The International Tote Exchange2 ended Oct 31 and after and extra 4 weeks of anticipation I received my tote exchange from my secret pal in Singapore. The idea of the exchange is that you list your color, fabric preferences and you are paired up with someone to knit for and someone who knits for you (2 different people). Then you furiously knit away to meet the deadline and sendoff your tote.
Here is a picture of the tote I made.




























Here is a picture of the tote I received.

Wine Tour & Yarn Shop Crawl

Today started out as lovely day for a road trip...blue skies, puffy white clouds, nearly 60 degrees. Gretchen, Katie and I met up at Gimme and made our way out to Watkins Glen where found Sue at Finger Lakes Fibers, our first stop.




We found out from Nancy, one of the employees, that the store was only recently opened in July. It's a really sweet place with loads of locally spun yarns like Schaeffer, Bel Canto and our very own Kathy Halton's creations! We spent a lot of time wandering around just feeling everything. I think each of us walked out of there with at least one purchase.



The next stop was Graceful Arts Fiber Studio in Burdett where Karey, the owner, spins and hand paints her own yarn. The shop is located in her house and is just packed with many of her own yarns as well as some interesting commercial stuff. As promised, she had a pot of peppermint tea waiting for us upon our arrival.



In addition to spinning and painting yarn, Karey is also into tatting, a method of creating a very sturdy kind of lace. She gave us a little demonstration while we were there using two little shuttles that zip back and forth creating knots that when pulled together make circles, ovals and teardrops. I'm convinced it's some kind of magic and the finished product looks absolutely amazing! She teaches tatting in her studio so if you are ever in the mood to "tat" just drop her a line.


After a tasty lunch at the Grist Mill Cafe, also in Burdett, we ventured out for some wine tasting. Since it was a Saturday, most of the wineries were quite busy with large tour buses and stretch Hummers parked in the lots. However, Silver Thread, our last stop, was located down a long gravel road off Rte 414 and didn't accept buses! The winery grounds were beautiful and peaceful with a fantastic view of the lake from the back deck.


So basically we drove, we groped (yarn), we ate and we drank. All in all, a wildly successful Stitch n' Bitch early autumn road trip!

Fiber Festival Survival Guide

Well there has been some chit-chat of a road trip to the Finger Lakes Fiber Festival in Hemlock, NY on Sept 16-17. I just wanted to suggest reading the Yarn Harlot's "Sheep & Wool Festival: A Survival Guide" first!

The article is featured on knitty.com.
Here is an excerpt: Within moments of your arrival, you may experience, dizziness, nausea, the general sense that your stash sucks and the urge to buy a sheep even though you don't spin and live in an apartment. This is normal. (You might want to resist the sheep one though, and limit yourself to their fleece unless you have a really great plan for your balcony.)

Roxanne

A case of extreme knitting

Yes, we have discussed some extreme knitting projects before like the Gimme Cozy competition and the felted skirt extravaganza, but has anyone of us really thought of ceremonial knitting? As in a wedding ceremony?

If this idea piques your interest, then you must check out The Knitted Wedding at the Cast Off site.

If you can believe it, one of my non knitting friends gave me this link. How cool is that!

And look at that picture of Natasha. What a hottie!!!

A Fresh Start

Ah...fall is in the air. Nights are getting cooler. Thoughts of warm wool socks, cozy sweaters and funky yet practical hats lure many a knitter back to their stash after a brief summer hiatus. Stitch n' Bitch is starting to pick up again. New faces, new projects, new wacky stories becoming part of the rich oral history of an ever changing group.

Lots has happened since the early days when my dear friend Karrie and I hung up a poster at Wownet Digital Cafe advertising the very first Stitch n' Bitch and three people showed up. To our amazement, more stitchers showed up week after week and many of them actually stuck around! We've had knitters of all levels and abilities, crocheters, quilters, rug hookers and embroidery artists visit us. Children, grandmothers and dogs have joined our circle. Conversation topics have run the gamut from politics, marriage, and pop culture to piercings, road trips, and of course, sex!

All this and two solid hours of undisturbed knitting with no dishes in the sink calling out to me...how can I resist?