May 19, 2004
Kare for More Kooky Krafts?
Time for another round of Kooky Krafts, which, for this go-round at least, will include Daffy Designs! Here’s one of my favorites which I found a couple of months ago, a bowl made out of half-melted green toy soldiers. It actually works in a way, doesn’t it? The whole MocoLoco site is interesting, in fact, since it features unique, modern architecture, furniture, fixture and accessory designs. Worth a few minutes exploring. (An aside to my sister Who Will Understand: Interesting company name, non?)
Along this same modern industrial design vein, here is some furniture made from corrugated cardboard which, just now and on a whim, led me to Google on “cardboard furniture,” which resulted in a surprising number of hits, including this and this and even an HGTV segment on how to make a cardboard table.
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Addendum: After I posted this entry, my sister sent me this link. The cardboard, yes, again, cardboard furniture on this site ranges in price from $345 to almost $2,000. Can you say, "we are all in the wrong business?"
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My haphazard surfing also somehow led me to to the site of a British company called Unto This Last which makes this table , which I think is astoundingly beautiful. Doesn't it look as if it could just float away at any moment?
Knitting Knews
A bittersweet Feral Knitters on Monday since it was the second to last one, I believe, for our Fearless Leader and (oh, cool! This is gonna rhyme!) Dear Reader Janine who is moving to California soon. Janine has provided us with so many “lightbulb moments” that, one the one hand, make you feel like a complete dork for not thinking of them yourself but, on the other hand, are so useful and helpful that you don’t care if you feel like a complete dork (right, MaryB?). In fact, I think that more than one of us will swear to the fact that after one of Janine's pronouncements, we actually hear heavenly music and angels caroling and a certain sun-like glow bathes the table. (There have been rumors of our all chipping in to buy a webcam to follow Janine wherever she goes in her new life, with, ahem, a few exceptions, of course. All in favor of the Janine-Cam, say “Aye!”)
Fortunately, we get a gratis bonus dose of Janine tonight since she will be our guest speaker at Guild.
I’ve finished tinking Baby Norgi, cast off the 15 neck stitches as I was supposed to, and am now completely befuddled. The instructions say "Break off yarn and move the left front shoulder sts from the left needle to right needle. Reattach yarn and begin working back and forth." First, do I reattach the yarn to start knitting from the right side (i.e., to knit the first row) or do I reattach the yarn to start knitting from the wrong side (i.e., to purl the first row)? Or—now here's an idea—does it really matter?
I also have to reconsider whether to continue the little green diamonds up to the shoulders because now I will be doing stranded knitting flat, not in the round. I have three ideas floating around in my head: (1) Keep knitting the green diamonds; (2) Go straight to plain yellow stockinette to make life easier; or (3) Knit one row of blue as a "divider" and then go to plain yellow stockinette. Any opinions? And any hints for how to deal with stranded knitting when you have to knit flat?
Gardening Gazette
A gratuitous picture of some of the lavendar in TMK's yard. We had a particularly hard freeze for Seattle this winter andTMK surmises that that is why this lavendar is unusually purple.
You're studying sign? I NEED an excuse to start again. Tell me what you're doing.... I think continuing videoconferences with Janine are a fabulous idea. All we need to do is talk Third Place into getting the equipment! Think they'll go for it? I have a snailcrow bead for TMK. That's a scarecrow for slugs and snails. It's one of my more frightening didn't-turn-out beads and it's SOOOOOO ugly (how ugly is it?) that I bet if she buries it in a strategic place in the garden, the little buggers (or snailzer) won't dare go near it. Ciao for now, Linda "K"
Posted by: Linda "K" on May 19, 2004 04:00 PMLinda, I wouldn't exactly call it "studying sign," more like "stumbling along in sign." Our network administrator here at work is deaf-mute and he and I and about four other hearing workers get together every Wednesday for a signing lunch. It's not a class, per se, just a regular lunchtime get-together; the only difference is, if you want to say something, signing is your only option. I've been doing it for three years. It's great fun and the participants are funnyfunny people. TMK signs also which we find very handy sometimes!
Love the idea of the snailcrow bead! Sounds like one of those things that's so ugly it's cute!
Posted by: Ryan on May 19, 2004 04:06 PMPronouncements, eh? Heavenly music? Who ARE you talking about????
At any rate, I don't care to do stranded knitting flat, so I would create a neck steek and just keep knitting around, making any decreases on either side of the steek. Just cut it open when you reach the shoulders and--voila--a curvy neck!
I'm a little nervous about tonight. I think I'll drink a pot of coffee now... Lovely lavendar, by the way--mine hasn't yet begun to bud, although the garden is fragrant with peonies and roses right now.
Posted by: Janine on May 19, 2004 04:09 PMYa' can't avoid it, Janine: I was talking about Y-O-U, you.
As for tonight, I remember one of my favorite presentations at Guild was by a lady who just "talked about herself," as you have been directed to do, and talked about how she went from being a secretary to making a full-time living as a dyer. It was a wonderful, straightforward, from-the-heart presentation that inspired a lot of people. Bet you're going to do the same thing!
Posted by: Ryan on May 19, 2004 04:26 PMI kinda like the idea of the single line of blue with the yellow stockinette after that. I also like Janine's suggestion about the neck steek though I don't know if I'd have the fortitude to actually do it. Maybe - knitting fair isle flat is a pain.
Posted by: Robbyn on May 20, 2004 08:12 AMRobbyn, you and I are of like minds. I decided to go ahead with the one line of blue and then plain yellow stockinette. So far it looks fine.
Posted by: Ryan on May 20, 2004 08:26 AM