Ever since the Yarn Harlot sent the “Knitting Mafia” over here, I’ve been feeling a bit guilty for not blogging often enough about knitting. But in order to blog about knitting more, I kind of have to knit more. So I’ve been knitting up a storm lately to assauge my guilt over not blogging about knitting. And now I’m going to blog about knitting, and afterwards I will feel guilty for boring those of you who have no interest in knitting. Okay?
It took me three years to knit the last sweater, but with the bizarre and largely imaginary perception that the Knitting Mafia is nipping at my heels, I finished the next sweater in just three weeks. It’s knit, blocked, and the seaming has begun.
I’m just having difficulty figuring out how to sew in the set-in sleeves. My knitting guru, Penelope, who is doubling as my adversary in collective bargaining this week, says to bring it in tomorrow and she’ll show me.
It’s a bit weird, really. I’m on the union’s negotiating team and she’s representing Management, and during a break in today’s all-day bargaining session, everybody else went out for a smoke and Penelope and I pushed aside the collective agreement and drew pictures of sweater parts.
We also oohed and ahhed over a delivery which arrived for me today. Yarn!!! Years ago, when Penelope was first teaching me how to knit, I saw a pattern that I loved and wanted to knit. It was a hoodie vest in Nashua Equinox Stripe yarn, knit in a basketweave pattern, and I loved it with every fibre of my soul. This was when I discovered that my local yarn stores could not meet all my knitting fantasies. They did not stock Nashua. I bought a substitute that did not live up to the fantasy yarn for which I yearned, and I never went beyond knitting the swatch (which, incidentally, is still thumbtacked to my bulletin board at work).
Meanwhile, I found the yearned-for yarn online at Ram Wools in Winnipeg and I calculated how much it would cost me to knit the vest. It was $15 a ball, and a size small vest calls for six balls of yarn, plus delivery – the vest would be a little over $100 total. I thought that was insane (remember, I was new to knitting – I knew nothing!).
But patience is indeed a virtue. I got myself on Ram Wools’ mailing list and waited three years for that yarn to go on sale. Three years! And last week the email finally arrived informing me of the sale. Nashua Equinox Stripe Fiesta on sale at 67% off regular prices, now $4.95 a ball. I freaked! I ordered!
Today, during a strategic moment in collective bargaining, the yarn was delivered. And Penelope and I, who had only moments before been gasping in disbelief at the audacity of one another’s proposals, gathered around the box from Ram Wools, and ripped it open and oohed and ahhed and stroked the yarn and for a brief period, we both understood what truly matters in life: our mutual love of yarn.
Tonight I cast on that hooded vest, and knit the first few inches. I hate my only 9mm needles because they’re clackety-clack metal needles, but I love everything else.
Tomorrow we’re starting a knit-along at our Wednesday lunchtime knitting circle, and we’re all making Saartje baby booties which are adorable. The pattern is available free here.
I seem a little fixated with babies’ feet at the moment, so last night I purchased a pattern from Bekah Knits on Ravelry and Etsy, for the cutest damned baby footwear ever: Moc-a-Socs. I haven’t bought the yarn yet for these, but they’re queued up behind the seaming of the Erika cardigan, the hooded vest, and the Saartje booties.
There! I hope this post satisifes the knitting mafia without alienating the rest of you. Because, you know, I love you all.
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Aww Duncan helps you block the same way Tux helps me! It took a little figuring to sew the set in sleeves on the sweater I did for Dave. I foudn it was easiest to pin at the top, pin at the front at the under arm, then pin between those two pins, and repeat for the back. Your knitting won’t be laying flat, and it’s a little tricky. (this was only the second sweater I’ve ever sew up, so maybe that was it)Those mocca socks are awesome!
I love to read knitting blogs and knit too. But the blogs I love to hang around most are generally people posting about their daily lives, musings and interests.
Oh and having a fluffy, large and lovable orange kitty named Duncan does not hurt either.
Mo
“I’ve been feeling a bit guilty for not blogging often enough about knitting.”
I don’t know.. myself, I’d prefer to see a lot more political blogposts 😉
Wow! Congrats on the sale! Sometimes procrastination really does pay…
Good luck with the negotiations… I was on strike (striked? struck?) with OPSEU in 2002. It’s an experience I NEVER want to repeat.
I LOVE those booties. You MUST post yours when you finish.
You didn’t post the pattern! I need to see the pattern. The demands never cease!
Isn’t Ram Wools fabulous? They’re my LYS, and they know me, and what I’m knitting, though only because I actually bought the yarn for my latest project there after much debating with the owner about what I wanted to knit. I’m making a clapotis, which I pm’d you about in Ravelry, and I had to *gasp* alter the pattern to make it work in the yarn I wanted. The owner was surprised that I was willing to *shudder* change the pattern to suit my specifications, so I obviously had to impress her by telling her all about the next pattern I was planning on making where I am going to insert darts to create a waist.
Anyway, I’m going to stop now, not because I’ve run out of things to say, but because I feel that a comment shouldn’t be longer than the post, after all, I don’t want to subvert your blog just becuase I don’t have one of my own.
Maybe I should just get one….
Oh, and we love you too.
I rather liked the posts with all the snow. It’s nice to know it’s winter somewhere. Besides, too much knitting is not a good thing either. It gets boring after a while. It’s all much more interesting with a little politics (although I’m not Canadian, so it doesn’t always grab me the way it might other readers) and a lot of Duncan thrown in.
Those Moc-A-Socs are the cutest thing ever!
love the Moc-A-Socs too!
Hé, Zoom! Knitting is fun, but it’s also cool to have that mixture of politics and daily facts. I had first started to read you because of the knitting…and then became hooked on the “politics”… I suspect the new crowd will come for that…
That yarn is available, I suspect, at Wool’n Things in Orleans (or just at the beginning of Orleans, on Youville…one doesn’t have to go too deeply into Orleans…).
I want to see the hoodie pattern too, I’m off to stalk you on Ravelry.
Carmen, you still have to go beyond the split on the Queensway. *shudder*
What about blogging makes us so guilty? I haven’t posted in forever, but I really don’t have anything interesting to say. And I found out about you from the Harlot, but I wouldn’t have voted for you had I not read and liked your posts.
In other news, set in sleeves are pure MAGIC! And I did see that equinox on sale and strongly considered it. I will instead live vicariously though you.
That Nashua yarn is Lovely. You have excellent restraint and self-control to have waited 3 years for it to come on sale!
I love the idea that a love of yarn can bring together unions and management… I work in HR, so maybe I could try and introduce this practice in my own organisation (collective yarn agreements) – ha!
I don’t feel alienated, but always love to read about that huge orange furball sitting on your beautiful blocked sweater.
I came for the knitting but I stay for the whole enchilada.
What a beautiful story about how, even in the midst of difficult negotiations, knitting and incredibly gorgeous yarn on sale can bring people together. Thank you for slaking my knitting story thirst! But, as your other readers have said, maybe we CAME for the knitting, but we stayed for the hilarious Duncan stories and everything else you write about. Huzzah!
Congratulations on the yarn score! Glad to see such patience rewarded. Also, thanks for the heads up on the two baby bootie patterns. Cutie-patootie, they are.
Thanks everybody!
Valerie, every sweater needs some extra weight on it while it’s being blocked, right? Cats understand that.
Scott, for what it’s worth, I sometimes feel guilty for not doing more political blogging too. They’re actually my favourite posts to write; they practically write themselves if I’m sufficiently incensed.
As for the negotiations, we’ll see how it goes. The yarn was enough to soften the first day; I doubt it’ll be sufficient in the event of protracted or difficult negotiations.
Rhiannon – lucky you, nice LYS! I will update my ravelry page with all the new projects.
Carmen – without a car, Orleans is like halfway to Montreal!
Heather: “What about blogging makes us so guilty?” THAT is a very good question!
Duncan is pleased that so many of you have indicated an ongoing desire for More Duncan, and asks me to tell you he will be happy to oblige.
You guys can all have the slippers and wool, I want Lotte.
DROOL…when you visit me – and you must!!! Well go to the Gaspereau Valley Fibres shop together.
I like buying fibres online for variety but there’s nothing like being in a shop that caters to spinners and knitters. Its pretty close to heaven.
Call mom’s, we’re coming in to town (ominous voice on) tomorrow for that Kenya fundraiser – its supposed to be formal but I’m wearing my snowmobile boots…we’re carving a turnip to take with us for a certrepiece. I still have that present for you – if we can’t hook up tomorrow I’ll leave it with mom to give to you.