They won!!
Making a name for themselves
This article is from the Washington Post on Feb. 21st.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Obama and the sock
There is no end to Knitters for Obama making wild links between their favorite activity (knitting) and their favorite candidate (Senator Barack Obama).
Here we have an "insane" knitter who got a photo of Obama with her sock-in-progress. What a good sport!
http://stringativity.blogspot.com/2007/12/yarn-harlot-ness.html
The other great find via the Knitters for Obama group is this great t-shirt.
And this beautiful yarn called Audacity from Black Bunny who designed it especially for Knitters for Obama (she is currently out of stock!).
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Knitters for Obama
I found a Knitters for Obama on Ravelry.
There is a fundraiser with raffle of knitting related things - skeins of yarn etc.
You make a donation, and be sure to follow these instructions:
How it Works
Knitters from all over the world have joined forces to host to the Got Hope, Ravelry? online raffle, offering an array of delectable prizes. For every US $5, the donor receives a virtual raffle ticket toward a prize of their choice. The drawing for all prizes will take place April 1, 2008. To win, all you need is $5 and a little luck. Absolutely 100% of the proceeds go to the Obama presidential campaign. ...
How to donate: “buy” tickets by making a donation in the size of your choice to:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/maingroup/RavelryKnittersforObama
(Click on the little thermometer to donate!)
Then send your confirmation email/receipt to:
obamaknitters@gmail.com
For each $5, you get one raffle ticket. You can choose different prizes- e.g. 2 tickets towards one prize, and 3 tickets towards another.
If anyone does NOT write in the notes line, their donation will automatically buy tickets to the drawing for the Grand Prize Afghan.
Note: you MUST send the email to obamaknitters@gmail.com and you MUST send an email noting which prizes you want. I forwarded my donation receipt email and included the desired prizes in that mail.
See the prizes at the Ravelry Knitters for Barack Obama/discussion board /RAFFLE FOR BARACK - PRIZES UPDATED!
I am trying to link to this awesome YouTube video....see if it works.
Yes We Can!!!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Latest music obsession
I do like knitting blogs to stick to fiber topics. But sometimes bloggers need to go off on slight tangents. I feel though that I should be forgiven for this because on Ravelry we have many forums that bring together knitters who have other interests in common. I am on 4 book/reading related forums, (Red) Sox Knitters, and Popular Culture.
I tend to get on music jags - wanting to hear the same CD again, and again. My latest music jag is The Swell Season/ The Frames / Soundtrack from Once
During the summer I saw the film in the theaters three times, and declared after the third time, "I could watch this movie everyday !
Last July, I saw The Swell Season at the 9:30 club in DC. My 20-something son came with me. It was only my second trip to the 9:30 Club, a venue that most people my age don't go to. I missed them when they came to the Lincoln theater in DC on Nov. 18th because I was in England.
In the meantime, I have bought 5 Frames albums, as well as the soundtrack of Once, the enhanced soundtrack (with new tracks, and DVD) and the DVD of the film Once.
I share much of my son's musical taste - Alternative. My love of things Irish is a big part of why I got into this music, but I never got into the Cranberries (too pop), nor Sinead O'Connor (can't sing, and too pop).
Thursday, January 24, 2008
England Part III and more
Google map of Yarn Stores in UK. UK Knitting Stores map by littlelixie - this map was last updated 01/20.2008.
This interactive map allows you to search for LYS in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. It is very cool.
One place I have been is Shilasdair on the Isle of Skye. In December, now extended through January), Shilasdair was doing a residency at Stash in London demonstrating dying etc. If you have seen any of the British knitting magazines, Stash ads mention the Shilasdair residency.
In 2002, I visited Shilasdair while spending a few days on Skye. I bought several skeins of their Aran weight in one of the Braes colors - a green. I knit the Aran Pocket Shawl from Folk Shawls.
The same 'mapster' has created a map of NY knitting stores.
So many yarn stores, so little time (and money),
This interactive map allows you to search for LYS in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. It is very cool.
One place I have been is Shilasdair on the Isle of Skye. In December, now extended through January), Shilasdair was doing a residency at Stash in London demonstrating dying etc. If you have seen any of the British knitting magazines, Stash ads mention the Shilasdair residency.
In 2002, I visited Shilasdair while spending a few days on Skye. I bought several skeins of their Aran weight in one of the Braes colors - a green. I knit the Aran Pocket Shawl from Folk Shawls.
The same 'mapster' has created a map of NY knitting stores.
So many yarn stores, so little time (and money),
Sunday, January 20, 2008
England Part II
I still have more to write about yarn shopping in England.
I liked this blog posting from Big Pink Cookie about the London yarn shopping experience which inspired me before I left on my trip to try to find these shops in London (it turned out I didn't have time).
Last spring, Dalis Davidson of Dancing Leaf Farm spent several months in Cambridge England. When I came back from my trip, I had a conversation with her about British wool (during the Countryside Artisans Tour). She described much of the British wool as not high quality, when compared to American wools. I think many people would find this surprising (I'm not an expert in sheep raising, fleeces, etc.). There is a British Wool Marketing Board which oversees the quality of the product. I noticed when seeking information, including reading British knitting magazines, that most of the wool producers are in the north of England, though there are a fair number of alpaca farms throughout the country (while I like alpaca, and even buy locally produced alpaca yarns, I tend prefer sheep wool, or alpaca from South America).
I am fascinated with the idea of rare breeds and yarns made from their fleece. I have noticed these yarns tend to seem scratchy, but perhaps soften up. Flying fibers, who have a booth at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, sell organic rare breed wool from England.
Before I went to England, I got Beth Brown Reinsel's book
Knitting Ganseys
I found an online source for 5-ply guernsey yarn Frangipani.
Unfortunately her very reasonable prices just went up as of Jan. 2008 because of increased costs.
I liked this blog posting from Big Pink Cookie about the London yarn shopping experience which inspired me before I left on my trip to try to find these shops in London (it turned out I didn't have time).
Last spring, Dalis Davidson of Dancing Leaf Farm spent several months in Cambridge England. When I came back from my trip, I had a conversation with her about British wool (during the Countryside Artisans Tour). She described much of the British wool as not high quality, when compared to American wools. I think many people would find this surprising (I'm not an expert in sheep raising, fleeces, etc.). There is a British Wool Marketing Board which oversees the quality of the product. I noticed when seeking information, including reading British knitting magazines, that most of the wool producers are in the north of England, though there are a fair number of alpaca farms throughout the country (while I like alpaca, and even buy locally produced alpaca yarns, I tend prefer sheep wool, or alpaca from South America).
I am fascinated with the idea of rare breeds and yarns made from their fleece. I have noticed these yarns tend to seem scratchy, but perhaps soften up. Flying fibers, who have a booth at Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, sell organic rare breed wool from England.
Before I went to England, I got Beth Brown Reinsel's book
 |
I found an online source for 5-ply guernsey yarn Frangipani.
Unfortunately her very reasonable prices just went up as of Jan. 2008 because of increased costs.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Yarn shopping in England, Part I
I went to England in November for 9 days. I spent most of the time in Oxford, which doesn't have a LYS, though apparently there is a place that sells yarn (but I didn't find it). The closest LYS was in a nearby town, but I had no car most of the time.
It seems that there are LYS's along the southern coast in a few seaside towns, several in London (which is HUGE), and a cluster in the north of the country where knitting is a long tradition, and sheep are a way of life.
One recommendation I got was to go to Liberty in London, which specializes in Rowan yarns. With the very weak dollar, I found that the Rowan yarns were the same price, or even a little more expensive there. I wanted to go to Stash Yarns in London, as it was mentioned in several blogs as a favorite. But the trip into London from Oxford via bus (the affordable option, though not cheap) took 2 and a half hours each way the day we went (normally 1.5 hours), and because my son had already experienced rush hour on the Tube, I promised we wouldn't be on the tube after 4 PM. Soooo, I didn't get there. Like many US LYS's, yarn shops in England tend to be in out of the way places, that aren't easy to get to.
I am adding some links below.
Stash Yarns London
Stitch n'Bitch UK
London Yarn Shops
There is an awesome UK Google map of yarn stores. To have to track it down and will add it later.
I did find some good magazines in England in the Borders in Oxford.
Simply Knitting
Knitting
The British magazines come in a plastic bag and always include cute give-aways. I got stitch markers, 2008 diaries, patterns for a Shaun the Sheep mobile, etc.
The Simply Knitting Issue 35- December, 2007, has a wonderful Seaweed Scarf .
To get a better idea of what it looks like - click on the picture to make it bigger. Also, for some reason, the blogs I found with knitters working on it showed it in colors different from the color called for - which is Rowan Scottish Tweed 4-ply in Apple (00015).
It calls for 6 balls which I ordered from Webs
I also got a cute book Knitted Icons.
It seems that there are LYS's along the southern coast in a few seaside towns, several in London (which is HUGE), and a cluster in the north of the country where knitting is a long tradition, and sheep are a way of life.
One recommendation I got was to go to Liberty in London, which specializes in Rowan yarns. With the very weak dollar, I found that the Rowan yarns were the same price, or even a little more expensive there. I wanted to go to Stash Yarns in London, as it was mentioned in several blogs as a favorite. But the trip into London from Oxford via bus (the affordable option, though not cheap) took 2 and a half hours each way the day we went (normally 1.5 hours), and because my son had already experienced rush hour on the Tube, I promised we wouldn't be on the tube after 4 PM. Soooo, I didn't get there. Like many US LYS's, yarn shops in England tend to be in out of the way places, that aren't easy to get to.
I am adding some links below.
Stash Yarns London
Stitch n'Bitch UK
London Yarn Shops
There is an awesome UK Google map of yarn stores. To have to track it down and will add it later.
I did find some good magazines in England in the Borders in Oxford.
Simply Knitting
Knitting
The British magazines come in a plastic bag and always include cute give-aways. I got stitch markers, 2008 diaries, patterns for a Shaun the Sheep mobile, etc.
The Simply Knitting Issue 35- December, 2007, has a wonderful Seaweed Scarf .
To get a better idea of what it looks like - click on the picture to make it bigger. Also, for some reason, the blogs I found with knitters working on it showed it in colors different from the color called for - which is Rowan Scottish Tweed 4-ply in Apple (00015).
It calls for 6 balls which I ordered from Webs
I also got a cute book Knitted Icons.
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