January 26, 2004
Why They Don't Let Me Out of the Home Much
The Mysterious K and I decided last Friday night had to be a Pizza Night, diabetes be damned, since we were both seriously in need of some comfort food. I drove to the pizza store, picked up our Hawaiian (Canadian bacon and pineapple, for you Eastcoasters, many of whom seem to think this is an insanely freakish pizza topping combination but which is, in fact, delicious, all cheesy and tomato-y and sweet and salty). As I backed out of my parking spot, I carefully checked my rearview mirror, did a headcheck to the left, headcheck to the right and was confident I was good to go—until I turned my head forward and was startled to see another car driving right at me. Didn’t I feel the total eejit when I realized it was just my headlights reflecting off the plate glass window.
Reminds me of the time I was in a department store and tried to get around a lady in a narrow aisle. I smiled at her; she smiled at me. I moved to my right and she moved to her left, putting us right back where we started. I moved to my left; she moved to her right. We smiled at each other again and laughed a little embarrassedly. I moved to my right; she moved to her left. I moved to my left; she moved to her right. That’s about when I realized I was standing in front of a mirror.
Apparently, I should never have been given a license to drive—or to walk.
Knitting Knews
Not much in the Knitting knews department, due primarily to a lack of photos. I finished the first Catalina sock, the pair of which are promised to Big Sister, finished sewing the Aran pillow together, and finished all 5 frickin'-frackin' feet of i-cord for said pillow. Question: What would be the best way to sew the i-cord to the pillow? I tried using one ply of the 4-ply Cascade 220 but it promptly shredded apart after a few trips through the knitted fabric. Then I thought I would use two plies but thought it would look ugly and chunky. Then I thought of using thread but have read that thread will actually cut through yarn, which strikes me as slightly cannibalistic, nevermind the fact that I don't want to see an Aran pillow which has taken me almost five months to finish get sliced to bits in front of my eyes. Any suggestions, Dear Readers?
Dye Garden Dyegest
There are definite stirrings in the Dye Garden department, despite the fact that it is the middle of a gray cold January (compared to a Seattle January; not compared to what folks on the East coast are going through). Here, my Japanese indigo (polygonum tinctorium) seeds from Amber. I had no idea they would be so miniscule, let alone so cheerfully green and pink!
I also have some more on order from Elizabeth Merrill, a local indigo grower and dyer.
Natural dyers seem to speak of growing and dyeing with indigo with a certain amount of awe and yet also a certain amount of skepticism so I truly wonder what I’m getting myself into. The good news? You’ll get to come along on the journey as we start the seeds in peat pots and nurture them along, grow them into strong, healthy plants and then crush the crap out of them.
Further proof that we have dye garden on the mind:
I am so starved for spring that I really understand the need to start thinking about the dye garden. Very curious to see how the indigo grows in your climate and the dye effects!
As for the driving/walking issues....yeah, I know how you feel......all too well!
Posted by: Lisa on January 26, 2004 11:33 AMHi, Lisa! We've missed ya'!
Yep, very much looking forward to the Indigo Adventure. I know it works because on Amber's site (the site of the person who sent me the seeds), she actually had a little video of her fishing the newly dyed yarn out of the yarn pot and of it turning blue, the way it's supposed to when it is exposed to air. I think that video is what really inspired me to try.
Posted by: Ryan on January 26, 2004 11:42 AMOh, Ryan, you crack me up! Everytime I enter the freeway at one of those traffic-controlling red/green lights, I think of your entry about the woman who would keep stopping because she couldn't get through the light when it was green!
Warning, the following paragraph includes insufferable advice given after the fact: did you know that you can knit the I-cord directly onto the fabric, thus obviating the need to sew it on? Even better, I-cord can be used to sew two pieces together. I use the 3-stitch or 2-stitch I-cord bind off all the time. I will say no more about this subject in order to preserve your good will.
Janine
Posted by: Janine on January 26, 2004 11:55 AMSoooooooooo glad Janine beat me to the punch on that knit-it-on-to-join I-cord thing. HOWEVER, since we are doing sewing on for this project instead, I would think that a full strength Cascade 220 yarn will be fine to do the sewing with--not too chunky at all. Will be strong enough and practically invisible since the colors are exactly the same.
M
Posted by: Mary on January 26, 2004 12:39 PMMary, Janine, still love you both, even though you did make me frown and say petulant, childish things to my monitor. Will have to pick your brains at next Guild about how to make i-cord-on-the-go.
Posted by: Ryan on January 26, 2004 01:19 PMRyan, for the sewing up thing, how about embroidery thread? It comes in every color under the sun, is relatively soft but has enough strength to do the job.
I'm looking forward to observing your indigo growing and dyeing adventure!
Posted by: Robbyn on January 26, 2004 04:17 PMOne more thought on that I-cord: I know you've already done it, so you may not want to use this idea, but how about joining the pillow with a 3 needle bindoff with the seam on the "outside"? It would make a ridge for the edge--while not as nice as an icord--still more than just ok. (And a lot less work.) You'd have to pick up an equal number of stitches along each side of the pillow back and the pillow front to do it...would this make a flexible enough edge? I wonder....does anyone have any experience with this? Mary
Posted by: Mary on January 26, 2004 08:23 PMYou could try matching your icord color with tapestry wool and use that for sewing it on.
Posted by: Charlotte on January 26, 2004 09:59 PMum, hope you don't mind my butting in since you don't know me from Adam, but how about using matching colored sock yarn to attach the I-cord? With 25% nylon (or thereabouts) it should be thin enough and strong enough.
Posted by: Yvette on January 26, 2004 10:17 PMMary asked about using 3-needle bind off on the outside to join the pillow pieces. I've tried this with afghan strips and it was successful. I recommend knitting up every appropriate stitch (depending, as usual, on the usual ratio of pick up to fabric, which varies depending upon stitch pattern/gauge/etc) on the back piece. Do the same on the front piece. By the way, I say knit up rather than pick up because picking up (to some people) means inserting the needle into the edge stitches; knitting up means taking a piece of yarn and making a stitch through the edge--clear as mud, right?). At any rate, as you approach each side count up the number of knitted up stitches on each needle. If side A, for example, has 25 and side B has 20, you will exercise your wrists 5 times over the length of the side by executing a K2tog on side A while binding off. This is much easier to my mind than trying to knit up the same number of stitches on each side at the get go.
OK, enough arcane techno stuff. I wanted to add that I love your little red baby sweater!
Thanks for entertaining blog.
Janine
This post was the absolute CURE for my cabin fever feeling sorry for myself sadness....thanks for the giggles!
Oh, and embroidery floss is the way to go....IMHO.
How happy I was to check the comments this morning and see so many readers chiming in on various topics! So many great suggestions for the i-cord: "full strength" Cascade 220, sock yarn, embroidery floss, another way entirely of joining the two sides of the pillow together, and Janine's suggestion, which I've now read four times and am just beginning to wrap my head around. :-)
Hey, Yvette, none of this "you don't know me from Adam" stuff, you silly goose. I didn't know ANY of these folks 10 months ago! The more commenters, the merrier, so chime in anytime!
And Greta, visited your blog and read about your trials and tribulations with your doggie, so I'm sending positive thoughts your way...
Posted by: Ryan on January 27, 2004 08:33 AMRe: the I-cord, if you think you can stand doing it over, why not do the applied-I-cord? It really makes a lovely edging.
Posted by: Mary D on January 27, 2004 02:00 PMI have mulled over all the suggestions that I do applied i-cord and even did some web surfin' to find directions. However, given that we're talking more than five feet of i-cord here, I think I'll stow this valuable new skill away for my next i-cord project.
Thank you, Janine, Mary B., and Mary D!
Posted by: Ryan on January 27, 2004 03:25 PMWell, I have to agree: knitting I-cord is one way we mortals experience eternity...
Posted by: Janine on January 28, 2004 06:42 AM