Knitting and found knitting poetry

Finished this sweater for my 6yo this week.

And I love this description of a sweater (ESL) found on Ravelry:

As the old one couldn’t anymore
He asked me to make
a new similar sweater for cold days.
I couldn’t just make a total copy
and blended in my interpretation of the original
While he finds it perfect
I Think it fits
and does all the good
a sweater is made for.

Happy Independence Day!

okay I lied...

Here's a video blog for today after all...



ten minutes, part two is four minutes, and you need to turn your volume down because I laugh too loudly at this hilarious book on Asperger's Syndrome.

Everything is connected.

Spincycle Yarns in Bellingham carries panties with pirate sheep saying "knit or die," not dye.

Porn.

In the middle of the multi-orgasmic task of cleaning my house (oh don't you wish you were me right now?) I took a break to look at some yarn.

I haven't been knitting enough lately. And yet when I look at the picture above (yeah it's handspun doesn't THAT just make ya gag with envy) I think, sometimes a ball of yarn or a piece of writing or a room with an unmade bed is a beautiful thing. Just as it is. There's no fixing it or making it into something else. I could knit that stuff up there into some really great socks that would be technically perfect (I'm definitely a type A knitter), but would they be more beautiful or complete than the yarn itself? Except that I would have added a layer to their artistry, sure, but I could do that hanging the skein from a bulletin board, too.



Maybe looking at a beautiful painting, even with naked people in it, is enough sometimes. You don't have to turn that Picasso into a porn movie, take nakedness or yarn or housework to the ultimate "finished" level every single time, because that would just ruin it, you know what I mean?

Perhaps this is a little personal...

...but if you must know what kind of images give me an orgasm? This one did it for me. h/t to the lovely blog Knit Me, as in, knit me spank me do me and knit me again god oh god oh Damn Good.




The hand-dyed merino in the background would have been enough. The woman wearing this sweater calls herself Harlot, and we totally believe her. And if you don't think there's knitting in the bag she has slung over her shoulder, you don't know anything about anything, good bye.

update: here's the pattern. It's NOT fairisle it's two balls of varigated. Gawd.

Blue Gal Vlog 10/1

Yeah yeah file this one under "fourteen minutes of your life you'll never have again" and you won't be interested at all unless you're into

a. the knitting creative process,
b. my seamstress brain's reaction to Silence of the Lambs, or
c. what kind of bras I wear.

Salon tonight I'll have the link up later as usual. xoxo

UPDATE: If you think I'm making up this whole knit the bra cup thang I'm serious. Make your own bra online tutorial is here.

Crocheted thong and knit bra from Interweave Knits magazine, Spring 2007.

Ugliest hand-knit bra evah, but they do provide a pattern, ick, is here.

Great examples of what "fair isle" looks like in sweaters, here.

Up yours for stealing my thunder, Wapo.

Katrina Anniversary

Suspect Device posted this terrific image to commemorate today (and Bush's visit to NOLA, heh.) h/t Online Blogintegrity.

Anyone in this entire country and those in particular who type "everything's fine here" are liars. And Republicans who apologize to their constituents for admitting their guilt are demoted two more levels in Dante's hell, imho.

Oh shoot now I'm in a bad mood. Better go knit.

"Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises." --Elizabeth Zimmermann, 1910-1999. She wrote that during the Watergate hearings, which, I hear, was really good knitting time.

This is not a knitting vlog, really.

Okay this video is long and may not be worth nine minutes of your life you'll never have again, but hey, I'm knitting, and if you don't like it, read my coffee mug.



Other blogs mentioned in this video:

Crooks and Liars
Omnipotent Poobah
Knitting Curmudgeon
Yarn Harlot, who's also knitting a sock, go figure.


Salon is tonight 9 Eastern and I won't knit, I'll type. Download Skype here and it's just typing in live chat no special equipment needed.

Blue Gal's Salon -- link is here. See you then.

We interrupt this blog...

...for a brief knitting post.

Bought some new knitting needles yesterday. To knit socks, because I NEED to knit this summer and socks are very portable.

My new needles are...politically correct, natch:

Introducing Blue Sky Five Inch Double Points. Sets of five petite wooden needles come in a gorgeous collectible tin. Surina wood is from the Lal Kohla (Elegant Tree) in India. Highly trained and skilled artisans craft this strong, lightweight, flexible wood into exceptional knitting needles. A lustrous polish is given to the smooth wood, enhancing the superb grain without the use of any harmful chemicals.

[note from BG: The label on the collectible tin (looks like a cigar and I can't wait to see what Homeland Security says, aw hell I'm gonna check the tin.) says, "Made in India by people who are treated well and fairly."]


Which is why five long toothpicks cost, oh nevermind. Worth every penny. And what else would I use for socks I'm knitting instead of blogging, anyway?



I have no idea whose feet they are I found them on flickr but the socks will be in this same yarn. No it's not organic wool. Sue me.

Update: here's what the little cigar holder knitting needle things look like. Mine are size 1. That means they are 2.25 millimeters in diameter. Yes, I like them. Yes, I'm an insane yarn geek. Again, you could sue me, but I'm part of a very large defendant class.

I don't care how much you beg me...

I will not knit you an acrylic "disposable crew member" sweater from the Star Trek collection. (from Stitchy McYarnpants, of course.)

The sexiest picture you'll ever see of BG...

Yes those are my fingers and that sweater has a gobzillion color changes, predominantly blue. Yes I'm knitting with both hands and the back looks as good as the front. Get over it. I'll wear the Blue Gal sweater next year to Madrona in Tacoma, February 14-17. (Many thanks to my good twin for the pic.)

Many thanks to Mr. Blue Gal for taking good care of our kids and funding my once a year run-away from home. I don't think Queen Victoria enshrined Albert's shaving kit as well as my dear husband enshrined our dirty clothes hamper, though. Completely untouched for the entire time I was gone. But all three kids were still alive and kicking when I got home, and I get to go again next year. That's pretty much all I ask. Thanks, honey. xoxoxo

And to my readers, I promise no more knitting posts for quite a while. Spending time at the needles is just to sharpen my snark, promise. xo to you, too.