cthulhuPod
Fledermaus felt her iPod was lacking in the knitwear department, so she created it its very own fetching Cthulhu case.
fledermaus's photos — flickr
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October 2005 Archive
29 October 2005
Spider Cat Toy
Fledermaus knitted a rather nifty, purple spider toy for her cat.
The pattern is an adaptation of Catherine Hollingsworth's Crocheted Halloween Spider.
fledermaus's photos — flickr
28 October 2005
Crochet Grocery Bag Tote
Here's a fun way to recycle those pesky plastic grocery bags that are piling up in your kitchen. Instead of recycling them back at the supermarket, make yourself a cool tote bag.
Here's the full step-by-step on how to take regular old plastic grocery bags, cut them up, and crochet them into a tote. Find bags with a variety of colours for cool stripe patterns.
Some of the craftster's have been at it already.
Plastic Bag Tote — Marlo's Crochet Corner (via MAKE: blog)
27 October 2005
Woven Mario
Burny Cucumber's brocade weaving project saw him weaving Mario and his gaming pals, woven directly into fabric.
mario and friends — burnt cucumber (via Boingboing)
Knitted Digestive Tract
On Craftster, a knit replica of the human digestive system.
Knitted Digestive System - what every girl needs! — craftster.org (via Boingboing)
Weaving a Global Partnership
She might be an American by birth, but Shalini Devi Holkar is attached to rural India.
In the news once again for Almond Eyes, Lotus Feet
, which she co-authored with Sharda Dwivedi, she is not one to rest on her laurels. Already working on another book and taking forward her organisation Women Weave, Shalini Devi Holkar or Sally as she is better known, has her plate full.
Sharda and I worked for many years collaborating on a food column and in the process, we uncovered lifestyle-related material,
comments Sally on how the current book was conceptualised. Since everyone is interested in being healthy and well, we decided to document it.
Having been in and out of journalism for more than a decade, writing this book was fulfiling for Holkar. We need to record Indian oral history, otherwise the next generation will be clueless,
she says.
Mostly known for her work with weavers, Sally is eager to talk about her three-year-old organisation. I am no longer with Rehwa society,
she clarifies about her link with the society patronised by her and former husband Richard Holkar. There are changes in life that are difficult, but you move on.
Her association with the weaving industry came by default and not by plan. Her current mission is to focus on women in handloom weaving. What we wear is how we feel,
she says, it is important to recognise weaving as an important profession in rural India.
Three trustees and 11 committee members have come together to take forward the dream of Women Weave. We deal with weavers in Kota, Chanderi, Kerala, Orissa and West Bengal. We are now looking at Yewla in Maharashtra,
informs Sally. Bringing together weavers is no easy task. They are sceptical due to repeated aborted plans.
Teaching weavers to deal directly with buyers she claims helps in controlling quality and prices. Our sarees range from Rs 800 to Rs 3,500 at an average,
she says in response to queries of handloom sarees being expensive.
Dreaming of a global partnership with weavers across the world, Sally believes that the opening up of the Indian economy will aid this. While she is busy sourcing funds for her projects, Sally is also planning another book with Dwivedi. Penguin has already approached us for a book called 'Zenana'.
A collection of stories about women living and raising their children in a harem-like situation, Sally is already eager to begin writing. As to why she chose Mumbai as her base, she says without hesitation, Mumbai is my home. It is where my children were born.
26 October 2005
Knit a DNA Model
Kimberly Chapman knitted DNA models have been a hit among her friends. Now, Kimberly shows you how you can make your own knitted DNA models just like hers. Perfect cuddy science gift for toddlers and kids.
If you're a stickler for accuracy, it's worth pointing out that DNA twists to the right.
Baby's First DNA Model — Kimberly Chapman's Website (via MAKE: Blog)
25 October 2005
She was Allergic to Inactivity
A knitted chair is a second object in a series of sculptures entitled Idle Work
. The yarn is hand-dyed 100% wool and is sewn around the chair like a skin. You can view the whole process online, from the yarn skein hand-dying to the final end result.
sharkseason's photos — flickr (via MAKE: Blog)
24 October 2005
Personalised DIY a Dress Form
One of the hardest parts of sewing is making sure patterns fit to your body shape.
Threads Magazine has an online article that shows four quick, easy, and cheap ways to make your own dress form.
With a few pins, some muslin, and 20 minutes, you can explore more pattern tweaks (and learn more about fitting) on a custom form than you could in hours of flat-pattern investigation on paper.
These DIY dress forms can be made out of duct tape, moulded papier-mâché or paper-tape.
Clone Yourself A Fitting Assistant — Threads (via MAKE: Blog)
Handwoven Laces
According to the Needlecraft Book Service, which is a mail order company specialising in craft books Handwoven Laces by Donna Muller is back in print. Their blurb reads: Pretty lace weaves have been polular for both fine linens of all kinds and for art weaving
.
Donna starts with basic interlacements to show how unrelated structures can be developed in a logical way to give you the power to design with confidence. In-depth chapters explain how to use traditional pattterns (spot lace/Bronson, Swedish lace, basket/canvas weave, 4-shaft/multi shaft huck) or create new ones. Charts and colour photos aid identification and understanding. Save $15 with Member's Price of $19.95.
The catalogue also offers Knitting with Wire by Nancie Wiseman, The Art of Fair Isle Knitting by Ann Feitelson, Handmade Silk Paper by Kath Russon and many more.
Telephone 03 9596 8743 or email info@bookservices.com.au for a catalogue.
To Unshrink a Jumper
Mix together 4.5 litres lukewarm water, 1 cup ammonia, quarter cup baking soda, 1 cup vinegar.
Soak jumper in it. Pull into shape and leave in mixture 3-4 days.
Rinse and wash with vinegar and ammonia (the same as given before). Rinse again. Lay flat to dry.
This came from Fran Webb and is originally from HGA
Meet the Makers at Society of Arts and Crafts of NSW
The Society of Arts and Crafts of NSW is a not-for- profit organisation. Its members design and make unique and beautiful craft objects. They work with media such as silver jewellery, glass art, ceramics, art to wear, basketry and timber or the fibre arts of weavers, spinners, knitters, nuno felters and textile designers.
Their Meet the Makers programme offers groups and associations the opportunity to explore the world of the craft artist, giving intimate access to the process of human imaginative skill in the making of handcraft.
Each month they will be exploring a new medium through conversation and practical example. The 45 minutes sessions consist of demonstrations and discussions with one or more of their artists. The galleries are just a short walk from Circular Quay and Wynyard stations at Metcalfe Arcade, 86 George Street, the Rocks.
Sessions are from 11.00 - 11.45am, or by appointment and are free. They are small for comfortable viewing, so bookings are essential.
To book (or for more details) contact Helen Frostell, 02 9451 9278 or email Helen at gallery@artsandcraftnsw.com.au.
Wrap With Love
Wrap with Love is a mission of mercy
not a charity. They craft personal wraps/rugs, hand knitted, machine knitted, crocheted, woven, patchworked or quilted.
Approximately 25,000 Love Wrap workers around Australia are volunteers. Wrap with Love is non-racist, non-denominational and non-political. Wraps must not be bought, sold or traded. They are a gift of loving work from the people of Australia to show that we care.
Wraps are made of 28 squares of 25 cm each to be 178 x 102 cm as required by the Aid Agencies they support.
Wrap with Love started in 1992. They would like cash donations for expenses. Mail to PO Box 882, Edgecliffe NSW 2027 or phone 02 8399 3000. Register as a volunteer.
Knitting Suggestions
Knit in any stitch but not stocking stitch as it curls up.
When knitting in garter stitch, join the squares alternately so the lines are at right angles.
Keep joins as flat as possible and on the same side.
Join in yarn in the middle of the row by overlapping the yarns. Do not join yarn with knots. Please sew in all loose ends.
Completed wraps are preferred.
Instructions for Diagonal Squares
Cast on 3 stitches
1st row: K1, inclrease 1, K1
Only at the beginning of next and every row: K1, increase 1, knit to end of row
When side edge measures 10 ins (25 cm) *K1, K2 tog, knit to end of row
Repeat from * to last row (4 stitches)
K1, K2 tog, K1
Cast off 3 stitches
Fun and Easy Pattern Idea
This cuts down on sewing up time as 4 or 7 squares can be knitted in one strip.
Cast on 100 stitches
Row 1: K 48, K2 tog, twice, K48
Row 2: 4: knit
Row 3: K 47, K2tog, twice, K 47
Row 5: K 46, K2 tog twice, K 46
Continue decreasing 2 stitches in the centre of each alternate row until 2 stitches remain, K2 tog
Pick up 50 stitches along one line of row ends and cast on 50 stitches (100 altogether.) Repeat the block as above. Make 4 or 7 blocks in one strip and sew together.
Anne Field
The September guest speaker was weaver, spinner, writer and teacher, Anne Field.
Anne shared with us her recent study trip to the UK and the subsequent samples she produced.
Last year Anne applied for a grant from the New Zealand Arts Council to study abroad. She won the grant and was scheduled to go in October but only a month before her departure, was diagnosed with cancer of the stomach. Consequently she had to wait two months to see how things would pan out, and so delayed the study grant 'til April this year.
Initially she applied to a number of places to study — the US, England and Australia. She decided on the Ann Sutton Foundation (ASF-Weave) in Arundel, UK, and spent nine weeks exploring the technique of dévoré on hand woven cloth.
Anne told us a little about the ASF-Weave organisation. It has been going for four years and gives scholarships to three graduate students a year to help the transition of students from educational institutions to the workplace. Each Fellow gets paid a small salary. Two of the three Fellows in this second intake got good positions in the textile industry before their two years were up. Anne felt that there wasn't much sharing of knowledge with the Fellows as they considered their work confidential.
The studio has four AVL computer assisted looms and does a lot of work within the industry. When she arrived at the studio, despite being told only to bring towels, there were no accessories for the 24 shaft 20 inch AVL loom she had use of, not even shuttles. Anne found that it was a great opportunity to get away from her usual routine, to not be preoccupied with daily clutter but to have a clear head while she was working.
Anne first saw the method of dévoré in hand weaving several years ago on curtains in the home of a friend in Switzerland. The technique captured her interest, but lay dormant in her brain until last year where she saw it used again in a winning entry in a competition held by Handwoven magazine. The technique uses cloth made from a combination of synthetic, wool and plant fibre yarns, to which a solution called Fibre Etch
is applied that burns out
the plant fibres leaving a transparent
effect.
Anne set to weaving samples to explore which yarns worked most effectively with the technique. With each sample she would weave a length, mostly plain weave, cut it off the loom, paint on the solution with a paint brush, let it dry overnight, iron, then wash it off the following day. When the dried solution is washed out of the fabric, so too are the plant fibres, quite like velvet dévoré. She found that some fibres dissolved more readily than others, and some of the samples needed quite a bit of friction in the washing process to get rid of the fibres. She also learnt in the sampling process that polyester was a good yarn to use as a supplementary warp and that fine detail in the dévoré pattern is difficult achieve.
Anne spent the first six weeks experimenting with samples which she fixed to windows around the loom she was working on for inspiration. The last two weeks were spent creating pieces. One of these pieces was a length of fabric using white cotton covered polyester which had two layers joined at various points in the weft. She then painted on the solution with the pattern on the front layer being different to the one on the back. To separate the layers she used aluminium foil and freezer paper (the type quilters use). The foil was then removed, the fabric ironed and the dissolved fibres were washed out. She found that the nice thing about the technique was that works well in scarves, wraps and wall hangings.
Anne says that the solution Fibre Etch isn't too expensive to buy, is available from Silkpaint, (although you can make it up yourself), and although she recommends using gloves, an apron and a well ventilated area, it doesn't seem to be too toxic.
Most of her samples were plain weave. Some had a fine wool warp and tencel plus rainbow coloured polyester weft, the tencel dissolved and left the rainbow polyester and wool. Anne used the high twist woollen yarn (one similar to that used in a collapse weave) to see if it would squiggle
up, and the effect it might create once the solution was painted on. It did squiggle a bit, but the weft kept most of the high twist yarn in place.
She also used a cotton/wool mix yarn called Colana, which she bought from the Guild Yarn Corner a couple of years ago. When the solution was washed it left a yellow stain, which after dyeing created an interesting section where the stain had been.
Anne said, The more I weave the simpler my patterns and designs get
. And she says that although dévoré isn't a new technique, it has a new use in weaving. Particularly with new yarns, there are so many possibilities!
Anne's book on collapse weave will be out next year. More information can be seen at Anne's web site: Anne Field.
21 October 2005
Lego Ball Winder
If you're sick of treading on the kids Lego and have been hankering after a ball winder, why not solve two problems as one clever craftster did by building a ball winder out of Lego.
Home-made winder (Now with more pictures) — craftster.org (via Boingboing)
Crocheted Yoda Ears for Toddlers
If you're looking for a way to turn a baby into a adorable mini version of Yoda from the Star Wars movies, then you could do worse than to whip up a set of crocheted Yoda ears, as one crafty parent did.
Halloween Hat/Costume : Star Wars — craftster.org (via Boingboing)
20 October 2005
Brother USB Sewing Machines
Brother Japan has developed a USB sewing machine that will be powered by the PC.
The two models, Innovis M200 and the Innovis N150, both come with preset designs of traditional Chinese and Japanese characters as well as Disney characters (The N150 has a special embroidery add-on for more complicated designs).
Newer designs can be downloaded from the website, and there's a colour touchscreen on the machine which you can use to select designs, and will also display the instructions. The M200 will cost US$2,375 while the N150 will cost US$1,800. They'll be available in Japan in November, and seeing as they're using Disney-copyrighted images, they probably won't be seen outside of Japan.
USB sewing machines from Brother the Innovis M200 and N150 — Newlaunches.com (via Gizmodo)
Artist Sews Full-Size Replica of Childhood Home out of Nylon
Do Ho Suh is a Korean artist who recreated his entire childhood home, including fixtures and furniture, out of fabric. The whole thing can be packed away in large suitcase.
Do Ho Suh — David Winton Bell Gallery (via Boingboing)
19 October 2005
Bluetooth Sewing Machine
Itay Potash's prototype sewing machine, Flat Mode, blends high-technology with modern form and function. The compact machine folds up and closes like a laptop for easy storage. Flat Mode makes it easy to whip out the sewing machine to hem a quick stitch. The simple minimalist digital interface and four main buttons take out the overwhelming guesswork of today's computerized sewing machines. Bluetooth technology is available so the foot pedal can control the sewing machine. The Flat Mode prototype garnered Potash top honours by the Manufacturers Association of Israel and he is currently working on mass-producing his sewing wonder.
Sew Slim — Metropolis Magazine (via MAKE: Blog)
Junebug's Softy Sculptures
Jess Hutch creates deeply appealing soft dolls and pillows. She knows every trick in the book for exploiting your parental instincts when you look at one of her creations. According to her bio, she is inspired by Mary Blair, Japanese toys, world's fairs, and her sister Kate
.
If you're taken with her work, she also has a free bunny pattern on her web site.
junebug's photos — flickr (via BoingBoing)
16 October 2005
Cladia Tanner: Rag Rug Weaver
Claudia Tanner owns five looms, including one that is 110 years old. She uses them to weave old, traditional rag rugs.
Traditionally, every type of fabric was saved,
Tanner said. Old fabric pieces and clothing were taken to a weaver to be woven into rugs.
Tanner often uses mill ends — cloth that is left over from fabric mills.
Tanner, 35, started weaving about two years ago. Her husband's uncle felt like he was going crazy with nothing to do after retiring from a mill in Pennsylvania. His wife solved the problem by buying him a loom. Tanner took over the loom, including a weaving business, when the uncle's health failed. She brought the loom to Florida 10 years ago and now weaves from her home.
Rug widths depend on the loom used. On the old loom, they can be 42 inches. On the other looms, they can be 30 inches wide down to placemat sizes.
I believe that people are returning to the simpler things in life and that's one reason the rugs are gaining in popularity,
Tanner said. Clients bring sheets or material to me which is shredded prior to weaving. Even towels can be shredded to match their decor.
Depending on the length and weight of the rug, fabric is shredded by cutting it into strips using scissors or a rag cutter.
Some rugs are planned so each strip goes across the width of the fabric. On others, known as hit-and-miss rugs, the ends of the strips fall within the width.
The leader on the loom has a comb, which strings run through to tighten up the fabric and hold the ends in place. Tanner has a variety of colors of string available.
Tanner has made a rug in the colors of Southwest Airlines and another one from neckties. One client brought her deceased son's clothing to Tanner to be made into a table runner.
In the past, Tanner has traveled to North Carolina to sell rugs. Most are sold by word of mouth.
It would be great to be the 'local weaver' — the one people know is there and the one who can make special things for them,
Tanner said.
She says weaving is just cool
, a lot like gardening.
People have been weaving for thousands of years,
Tanner said. Weaving is noisy and has a click of a clock. It puts one into a calm state of mind.
Weaver creates rugs from fabric — Orlando Sentinel
Secrets of the Deng Weaver
Weaving deng is a closely kept secret among ethnic minority people in the mountainous commune of A Luoi in Thua Thien Hue Province. Deng is a traditional cloth with special designs and decorations. Parents present it to their daughters as dowry when they marry. For a bride, a great amount of deng indicates love and respect.
Many A Luoi girls dream of one day mastering the art of deng weaving, a difficult form that some ethnic women spend 20 to 30 years practising. The process requires not only know-how and talent but also aesthetic taste. Rendering the colours and patterns of A Luoi is the most difficult step.
When Bui Thi Hoa, a girl from the northern province of Ninh Binh, married Nguyen Trung Y, a young man from A Luoi, she knew nothing of deng. However, after three years observing friends and neighbours weaving the cloth, Hoa managed to learn the technique on her own.
When her husband saw Hoa's deng, he stood in disbelief. It was beautifully done, superior to the work of many other women in the village. The news of a Kinh ethnic woman capable of weaving deng swept through the small village.
Secrets of the deng weaver — Viet Nam News
15 October 2005
Knitted Zombies
cakeyvoice is a crafy Flickr user who has knitted a series of characters from George Romero's classic Dawn of the Dead, then staged photos of yarn zombies chasing yarn defenders. Brilliant and twisted and brains, more brains.
cakeyvoice's photos — flickr (via BoingBoing)
13 October 2005
Make:Blog Craft Archives
Make Magazine has started a new crafting sub-blog, kicking off the venture with an adorable knitted robot.
Make:Blog Craft Archives — Make Magazine (via Boingboing)
12 October 2005
Long-Held Textile Jobs Axed
The Feltex carpet plant at Braybrook turns fleece into floor coverings, a true survivor of the era when Australia rode on the sheep's back.
On Monday workers in the factory's yarn spinning mill learnt that 205 of their jobs had gone elsewhere — across the Tasman to the cheaper, deregulated and largely non-unionised labour market in New Zealand.
For Tony Piscopo, a textile mechanic who is losing the only job he has known, the revelation was all the more bitter. A couple of years ago he helped set up one of the NZ factories that will throw him on to the job market just before Christmas.
Feltex is the biggest carpet maker in the South Pacific region, with nine factories — six in NZ and three in Australia. It sells 75 per cent of its product in Australia.
Some of its employees have worked at the Braybrook yarn mill for almost 50 years and were in shock yesterday.
Done Najdovski, who has been at the factory for 26 years, got his job not long after he migrated from Macedonia. He has been a machine operator most of that time and trained new employees.
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He is 61 and does not think he will work again.
I've never been unemployed, never taken government money, but I will probably have to go on the dole until I am old enough for the pension,
he said.
The blow is particularly bad for Mr Piscopo's family. He has three brothers at the factory and all will lose their jobs.
Mr Piscopo is 37 and wondering whether to retrain or to look for a handyman job.
I've worked here all my working life,
he said. I don't know how to go about applying for a job, about being interviewed. They say they will give us counselling.
I've got two kids, a new house in Deer Park and a $200,000 mortgage.
Feltex spokesman John Walsh said the company had been hit hard by a recent downturn in the market plus competition from imported finished carpet, particularly from China and India.
He said it was unfortunate that the workers had lost their jobs at the same time as the Federal Government was introducing its industrial relations changes.
It would have been inefficient to run all our plants at reduced capacity, so we realised one had to go,
Mr Walsh said.
Costs such as labour and infrastructure are cheaper in New Zealand and the wool we use for carpets is all imported from there anyway because Australian wool is too fine.
Textile Clothing and Footwear Industry Union secretary Michele O'Neil said she believed the decision to close might have been made to help push up the company's share price amid rumours of a takeover bid by rival Godfrey Hirst.
When people lose work in this industry, we find half of them never work again and only a fifth find a comparable job,
Ms O'Neil said. That was before the federal IR reforms.
11 October 2005
Knitwit Gravity Stitch Counter
An English design graduate has created a device to help knitters keep track of the number of stitches they have knitted.
Rebecca Spender's KnitWit
device automatically counts the number of stitches in each row by detecting the movement of the knitting needles.
The project was her final-year assignment for a product design degree at Brunel University in west London.
Inspired by her grandmother and aunt, both of whom are keen knitters, Spender wanted to create something to help eliminate mistakes, which can ruin a design.
The knitting needles are fitted with a tiny 5mm x 5mm accelerometer
motion sensor chip, which uses the Earth's gravity to monitor the tilt or angle of the needles.
Manual counters currently on the market can monitor the number of rows knitted but because a button has to be reset after a row is complete, the knitter can forget and the device becomes useless.
Spender says that because knitting involves the repetitive action of wrapping wool around a needle, the sensor automatically detects when a stitch is complete and when a new row is being started.
It sends the information to a handheld wireless device, about the size of a cell phone, which records the data on an LCD screen, measuring the number of rows completed and number of stitches in each row.
The base station was designed to be lightweight and portable, which would make it ideal for using while commuting on public transport, Spender, 22, says.
It is battery-operated and can be recharged in the same way a cell phone is charged, with the needles being placed in two tiny holes in the base device.
When you are knitting a pattern, there are different numbers of stitches in each row. It's really hard to try and keep count when you're knitting, especially when you're learning to knit, and to have to go back and count what you've done is really time consuming,
she says.
And if you don't keep track of what you're doing you end up knitting a jumper two sizes too big.
At this stage, the invention is a prototype but she says it has the potential to perform other functions, including memorizing a pattern so it can tell the knitter when it is time to change wool color, whether they have dropped a stitch or if they need to increase or decrease the stitches in a row.
Spender is not sure whether her invention will become a commercial reality, but already knitting enthusiast Web loggers from all over the world, including in the U.S., France and Japan, have given her idea the thumbs up.
This handy little thing will keep track of your stitches and rows while you mindlessly knit during 'Law & Order',
says one blog.
Spender will soon take up a year-long post as designer in residence at prestigious boys school Eton College in England.
Needles pick up stitches to help knitters — CNN (via Improbable Research)
Knitscene
There's a new magazine out from Interweave Press — Knitscene
Knitscene — Interweave Press (via knitting in public)
07 October 2005
Knitters who Blog
Knitters have woven their way into the Internet tapestry, spinning yarns among legions of like-minded, but distant, friends.
When a woman known as the Yarn Harlot
arrived on a Friday evening, the excitement in the crowded knitting store was palpable. Needles furiously busy with colorful projects stopped, mid row. Is that her?
The question swirled like steam over a mug of tea.
Of course, most knew the answer — yes — because they recognised Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, who writes humorous essays about knitting from her home in Canada. The dead giveaway was the sock she carried. They had seen and read about the sock's adventures online. They had shared with her their own stories of misshapen buttonholes and sweaters with too-long sleeves. But until now, they had never shared real space
, and in some cases, their real names.
Meet knitters who blog.
Tucked away in a corner of the Internet like wool mittens in August, knitters have been quietly spinning yarns in cyberspace. The scene in the Boston store is just one example of a phenomenon that's woven its way through the blogosphere. Widely considered the domain of news junkies and political pundits, blogs — or online journals — are actually dominated by the apolitical set: sports fans, cooks, even jugglers. Through these blogs, and the communities they create, enthusiasts have been discovering a world of fellow devotees with whom to share their wit and wisdom, exchange tips and life experiences, or just commune — even if half a world away.
As a result, Ms Pearl-McPhee's US book tour to promote her new collection of essays, At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much, has become part knitting session, part blogger meet-up.
When you read a blog, you are really being invited into someone's living room,
says Pearl-McPhee, who spends an hour a day reading other people's blogs. You get to learn about them when they aren't on their best behaviour. But if you don't meet these people you start wondering if you just have imaginary friends in a pretend knitting universe.
Small but sturdy
There are more than 900 knitting blogs online, as shown by one Web ring directory (a Web ring is an online community of similar websites with links to each member). They are a tiny but sturdy band in the blogosphere which has more than 18 million bloggers worldwide, according to Technorati.com, a web site that tracks blogs.
Some blogs can be influential, like the one that sounded the alarm that CBS used forged documents in a report on President Bush's military service. But the majority have only a handful of readers interested in similar topics, such as skeins of wool. For most bloggers, [the experience] is like a conversation among friends,
says David Weinberger, author of Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A unified theory of the Web.
Friendship plays a large role in fostering online communities, and many bloggers reveal their innermost thoughts — no matter how mundane or risqué — in a Dear Diary
fashion.
And, like any good exchange of ideas, the online comments often drift to other topics. If you discover a person sitting on a bench knitting and you strike up a conversation with that person, your conversation is going to range beyond knitting,
says Mr Weinberger. That's what is happening in weblogs.
The abundance of knitters in the virtual world is a natural offshoot of the craft's renewed popularity. There are 50 million knitters in North America spurring record yarn sales, with the fastest growing population being between the ages of 25 and 34, according to the Craft Yarn Council of America. A proliferating number of knitting salons — part café, part craft store — draw hipster crowds across the country.
And since fashionable people are knitting things such as slinky halter tops while doing tech-savvy things such as downloading music, it's only natural that the Internet has become an oracle of sorts for someone stumped by a Fair Isle pattern. In fact, 1 of 10 knitters uses the Web to find patterns and seek out advice, according to the Craft Yarn Council.
Think of how freeing this is as a knitter,
says Pearl-McPhee, whose blog can be found at yarnharlot.ca/blog. Up until blogging, if you knit a [bad] buttonhole you might be stuck until you can get to a knitting store. Now, I can take a picture of the buttonhole, put it up online, and in 10 minutes I can have someone from Atlanta writing to say, 'I did that last week. You need to do a yarn over.' I'm definitely a better knitter because of it.
Most knitting blogs contain what's called a blog roll
, or a list of links to other favourite knitting blogs. Pearl-McPhee, who has been a blogger for the past year and a half, has a list of about 38 links on her website.
Some blogs ask readers to vote on the direction of a project: How should I knit these Christmas stockings?
asks a blogger at somecallthemsticks.blogspot.com. Sixty percent told her to use good wool and do the best job that she can. Others seem to have an almost competitive spirit: The knitting Internet seems to have some kind of a lace obsession right now. I seem to have been bitten by the same bug,
confesses Beetle Blog at beetle.cbtlsl.com, a 30-something father of four living in Arizona. Others have arranged sock swaps since many have never received a knitted gift of their own.
Meeting in person
But what really solidifies the online friendships is the chance to meet in person. At Circles, the knitting store in Boston, there were continuous moments of recognition between the bloggers nestled among soft chairs. Aren't you the Subway Knitter? (subwayknitter.typepad.com) someone asked her neighbour. One blogger (happyfroggyknits.squarespace.com) who had traveled several hours from upstate New York, elicited clucks of concern when she revealed her town did not have a knitting store. Potluck dishes were gathered in a back room. Pearl-McPhee perched on a stool, legs crossed, fingers busy, and told a funny story or two. Soon the awkward social lines dissolved.
These blogging knitters — gleeful in their shared obsession — will go to extraordinary lengths to maintain their new-found friendships, even if it means putting the computer keyboard so that they can scroll through pages with their toes while they knit.
A year ago I'd never been anywhere alone, and now I've been to 45 cities in the US,
says Pearl-McPhee. Everywhere I went I had connection to someone I know. Really good for the soul, that.
Knit-wits — The Christian Science Monitor
Passion for Knitting
During the Tuesday night knitting and spinning group, sometimes the only sound is the clicking of needles.
But, most of the time, giggles and chatter ring through the air.
At first, the women, mostly members of the Southeast Idaho Fibre Arts Guild, say there are quiet times and chatting times. Then, with a smile, they admit that a lot of tales are told over the fleece and yarn.
I'd say there's chatting all the time,
Eldri Gray says.
At the weekly gatherings, the women learn about new projects, new wool and the latest in each other's lives.
The Fibre Arts Guild meets monthly, but smaller groups gather every week at friends' homes for an informal gathering. Sometimes there's only two people; other times eight or more come.
Some of the women spin, while others knit or crochet, each working on a different project. Edie Arcand hosts the Tuesday night gathering at her home. She learned to spin several years ago at the Seattle Zoo and has since taken several classes.
It makes me feel good,
she says. It's a soothing thing.
Then she added, It's better than a psychiatrist, I tell you.
Throughout the year, the women attend classes and share what they've learned with the group. They're also there for advice on tough projects.
There's usually somebody here who knows,
Gray says.
They're also pretty good at recruiting.
Meg Downey learned to spin from her neighbor, AnnaLucy Keller.
Keller, who learned to knit from her grandmother as a child during World War II, also helped Arcand learn more about her spinning wheel.
I always thought what she did was neat,
Downey says.
Now, Downey is helping others with their knitting projects, and she enjoys spinning.
Gray was a weaver until she decided to try spinning 20 years ago after she saw spinners at a fair.
All the spinners were relaxed and calm,
she says. Spinning is relaxing.
In addition to spinning and knitting together, the women also travel together to different fairs, or on shopping trips to find new products to spin.
Sometimes, one woman will spin a new type of material, then trade with another woman, who will knit her something with it.
Then you get a surprise back,
Arcand says.
The women have seen a recent surge in knitting. Even the movie stars are getting in on the action, they say.
Keller has seen the rise in popularity previously.
It comes and goes, and people like us just keep plugging along,
she says.
And, regardless of trends, they plan on knitting and spinning together for a long time.
When you find someone with the same obsession as you do, it's nice to stick together,
spinner and knitter Becky Stevens says.
Passion for knitting — Pocatello Idaho State Journal
05 October 2005
Border Leicester Wool
Pegg Thomas, BellaOnline's spinning editor, has written an article on her love affair with Border Leicester sheep.
I owe my love for Border Leicester sheep to a lady from the thumb area of Michigan. Janet McPeck sold me my first Border Leicester fleece. It was a black lamb fleece that was so dark and so clean, I actually asked her if it had already been washed! I had been spinning for about eleven years by that time and had never held anything so wonderful in my hands. I was captivated.
Border Leicester Wool — BellaOnline
04 October 2005
London's Textile Recycling Scheme
TRAID is linking up with London Recycling Ltd to launch a new textile recycling scheme targeted at office workers.
The Suit into Loot campaign will encourage businesses in London to hold week-long events promoting the recycling of textiles, in which staff would be able to bring unwanted clothing or shoes to work for collection.
The two organisations are now actively seeking businesses or workers who may wish to hold Suit into Loot
weeks in their workplaces.
Sarah Jones, project co-ordinator & waste minimisation officer at London Recycling, explained: During a given week we will supply interested offices with jute bags in which to bring in their unwanted clothes from home, and will then return at the end of the week to collect them.
Throughout the week, London Recycling will deliver the clothing to TRAID's warehouse, where it will be weighed and hand sorted. It will then either be re-sold in one of TRAID's charity shops or recycled into new clothing to be sold. Money raised in the project will benefit overseas aid projects through TRAID, Ms Jones said.
At the end of the week, companies running the campaigns will be given certificates detailing the amount of clothing collected and an explanation of how money raised could help those abroad.
London office workers wooed for textile recycling scheme — Let's Recycle
03 October 2005
Dohler Introduces 2-in-1 Weaving Technique
Dohler USA has introduced a new weaving technique to its line of spa and hotel towels and robes called the 2-in-1 fabric. The new construction is also designed to withstand heavy and continuous washings.
This novelty technique is made of 100 percent cotton and combines two fabrics — waffle and loop terry — which are woven together. It is also preshrunk to avoid excessive shrinkage.
The 2-in-1 fabric coordinates with Dohler's spa collection of sculpted body sheets, bath towels, hand towels, wash cloths, bath mats, bath robes, shower wraps and institutional logo towels.
Dohler intros 2-in-1 weaving technique — Home Textiles Today
02 October 2005
Mario Brothers Quilt
John May decided that his videogame quilting homage would be based on the mushrooms from Mario Brothers.
3j0hn's photos — flickr (via BoingBoing)
Videogame Quilts
A crafty Kiwi makes awesome videogame-inspired quilts. This is the Space Invader, but don't miss the Tetris one.
elyofborg's photos — flickr (via BoingBoing)