This makes me smile

This news makes me smile. Check it out.

You might not be interested in equestrian events or mules but there is a lot to admire and be learned from this competitor.

On the subject of crowd funding - I can't tell whether this is a joke.

The value of a stash

My yarn arrived today. There was much more in the box than the supplies for the mystery knit-a-long. I also ordered what I need to create several Christmas gifts. I made a deal with myself that I had to start one of those gifts before I can cast on for the Stephen West shawl. So I immediately pulled out the four colours for one of my secret projects. One of the colours looked so wrong that I had to double check to confirm that my order had been filled properly. It was. It turned out that I was subject to the common phenomenon that a large skein looks very very different than a small sample on a card.

I hummed and hawed for a bit and then I went upstairs and rooted in my yarn collection. I came up with a different but related colour in the same yarn. When placed with my other choices the new yarn was just right. I have already incorporated it into the project and am very happy with the results.

New choice on top

But this experience got me thinking about the term 'stash'. All hobbyists need supplies. Woodworkers have drawers or bins of hardware and stacks of exotic wood, people who tie fishing flies own a huge selection of beads and feathers and colored thread, model airplane builders have bits of wood and plastic and electronics .... Most of the items in those workshops were acquired and stored without a specific project in mind. They are kept just in case they are needed.

People who work in fibre (mostly women) also maintain large collections of fabric and yarn and thread. Yet those collections are often disparagingly referred to as 'stash'. People who visit are not impressed by the forethought required to create the collections, but instead wonder if all of the supplies can be used before death intervenes. 

Is it a gender difference or a function of fibre-related activities being seen as a domestic activity rather than a 'proper' hobby?

Wonderful

Enjoy. I think this is pretty wonderful.

What is the attraction of a knit-a-long?

A couple of years ago I did my first mystery knit-a-long. For those you who have not participated in something similar (knitting or quilting or crocheting), a designer creates a pattern but does not release it immediately. Instead s/he announces a mystery a-long and states what materials will be required. Then a section of the pattern is released every one to two weeks. The final form of the project is not revealed until the very end.

Participants spend the weeks preceding the first release choosing their yarns or fabrics and they often share and discuss their choices on line. As soon as the first pattern section is released many people drop everything to work on it and post photos on line. Most knit-a-longs are carefully managed so that people who do not want to see the project until they have done the work can avoid spoilers. On Ravelry, there are separate chat and spoiler threads and moderators are vigilant and remove offending posts quickly.

Several designers have successfully made a knit-a-long into a major event. For example, last year I was part of Stephen West's third KAL. I don't know how many people bought the pattern but there are over 2000 projects posted on Ravelry. I'll bet there were four to five times as many purchases. I, for one, finished the shawl (and love it) but didn't post a photo. I did, however, lurk in the related on-line forums and enjoyed seeing the choices other people made and others' excitement as the project changed from clue to clue.

Based on that experience, I joined again this year even though at the time I made my purchase I could not knit because of damage to my thumb. Once again, there has been lots of chatter about colour choices. Yesterday morning the first part of the pattern was released. By the way, Mr. West does a great job with these releases. He prepares a video which walks people through the particularly tricky parts of the construction. Within minutes of the availability of the first clue people had posted photos of their own work in progress and a few hours later there were pictures of the completed first section of the shawl. As I write this, 24 hours after the release, there are almost 600 posts in the spoiler thread and close to 3000 in the thread devoted to yarn choice.

Why am I writing all of this? Because I feel left out. My thumb is better but my yarn hasn't arrived yet. I am itching to get started and be part of the group, even though it is unlikely that I will participate in any of the chatter. What is the attraction of working on the same project at the same time as thousands of strangers? What other activities could benefit from a knit-a-long type experience?

If you are curious, I am waiting for this yarn to arrive. I chose barnacle (main colour), syrah, mist and terra cotta.

A wonderful use for drones

The band OK Go never fails to disappoint with their music videos. They develop elaborate (and often unrelated to the lyrics) scenarios and visual effects which are well-rehearsed and often filmed in one take. I like the combination of humour and precision inherent in all of the productions. Their latest release is wonderful.




This article explains more about how the video was conceived and filmed. In case you were wondering the musicians are riding equipment called Uni-Cubs, made by Honda.

Wouldn't it be fun to be part of the band's creative team? It seems like the four musicians are willing to embrace just about any idea and work hard to bring the original vision to life.

Time and aging

Ever since my cancer diagnosis I have been much more aware of the value of time and the need to use what is available to me. Yesterday I was offered a senior discount in a store where I occasionally shop. I confess that my first reaction was not to say "Thank you." but to wonder if I now looked much older than I did two months ago. Then today I was part of a conversation about the various seniors' discounts available in my community.

I'm glad to have stumbled on this article from the New York Times as an antidote to the sudden focus on aging.

This and that

Life continues to return to normal. I am trying to fit in more exercise all the time - walking, riding my trainer and this week I will go to body rolling, Pilates and yoga classes.

Recipe review: Our CSA box last week had lots of leeks in it and I wanted to use them up before the new box came today. I was tired of the same old uses for leeks so I Googled and found a sauce for fish made from sauteed and pureed leeks (with a little cream). We tried it tonight and it was really good. It is so simple I wonder why I didn't think of it myself. I will now try the same thing with other veggies.

I had to go out to get embroidery floss for the Fog is Lifting piece. I also picked up a heat gun because there will be a lot of melted plastic in the "crevices". Here is a sneak peak that doesn't actually give you any idea how it will turn out. I can tell you this - it will consist of repeated elements, it will be large and it is derived from my personal experience. I have those three criteria taped to the top of my design wall. It helps to keep me moving forward.