From the offbeat files

More images from the weekend:



And sure enough:



I mean, how often in your daily life do you see a parade of alpacas walking down the street?

Those of you who celebrate Christmas may want to look into a purple metallic tree with felted ornaments of your own:



It's the other white meat.



Please note the socks on this patient carder/spinner:



I do have a penchant for encountering frightening, Cabbage-Patch-like felted objets d'art:



Here's the hurdy-gurdy man, who was about one-fifth as annoying as the magician-slash-comedian who was terrorizing entertaining the children:



In case you're wondering about the food -- Marilyn wasn't joking about the fried pickles:



But don't worry, there were other choices:





Dolores, this one's for you.



Ewe go girl!

Feast your eyes

I'm tired, I'm achy, I'm sunburned and I'm a bit poorer, but I'm also very happy. Rhinebeck was wonderful and I'm thankful I was able to go. Tonight, before I collapse into my bed, I'll leave you with this set of photos. One of the overwhelming things about a festival like Rhinebeck is the constant barrage of input to your senses. It's inspiring but also exhausting. This will give you a flavor of the kinds of images that one sees and remembers.

Close-up of angora sweater by Jamie Harmon.

Lace shawl.

Handmade baskets.

Prize-winning entrelac scarf.

Section of chullo.

Lace sampler.

Woven cloth.

Camel-silk blend roving from Spirit Trail Fiberworks.

Needlecases.

Prize-winning handspun.

More Spirit-Trail yarns.

Behold: the gaint pumpkin!

Update

I'm going to pack a back full of Black Bunny yarns that are ready to go. So if you're interested, find me. I'll open my raincoat and let you have a look. (Wait a minute, maybe I better rephrase that....)

Pre-Rhinebeck Post

Okay, I think I mentioned before that I'm going to be a square for Rhinebeck Blogger Bingo. For those of you who don't know me, I am about 5' 6", chin-length dirty blond hair and a big round Polish moon face. I will probably be carrying a large LL Bean tote bag with my initials in red (CJS). I will also try to remember to wear my Lyme Disease vinyl bracelet - it's lime/lyme green, har, har. I will probably have a Canon camera around my neck. I am highly likely to be in the company of other bloggers, particularly The Knitting Curmudgeon, KnitterGuy, NorskyBear, and QueerJoe. Please say hi. I am always so surprised and happy when people who read my blog introduce themselves. (Of course, at Maryland Sheep & Wool, I had the very humbling experience of going to the blogger meetup, and every time I told someone what my blog was, they looked puzzled and said "I've never heard of it.")

Finished the languishing red vest project and although it's quite simple, I'm very pleased with it.



Good thing, too, because it won't fit N. much longer.

I'm also working on 2 little kid sweaters for Dulaan or Afghans 4 Afghans. This vest is done in Nashua Wooly Stripes; it's a free pattern that is knit sideways.



There were a few things about the pattern I didn't like; the angled fronts of the vest curl, and the pattern suggests a crocheted edging, which I wasn't crazy about and ripped out. (May be more my lame-ass crocheting than anything else.) But I am in love with Wooly Stripes. It would substitute very well for Noro's Kureyon, as it's a 100% wool, loosely spun, self-striping yarn at around the same gauge. However, it has some distinct advantages over Kureyon (which, p.s. I'm not denigrating because I'll always love Kureyon -- those color runs!), namely it's uniformly spun (no stretches that trickle out to a thread, then get slubby a few yards later); the color ranges only span 3 or 4 colors, instead of the 8+ colors you can get with Kureyon (easier to match stripes and easier to tell what the finished color will look like); and it's softer than Kureyon. And I found no knots in any of the skeins.

The second is with Nashua Julia, a worsted-weight wool/alpaca/mohair blend. This is a very nice worsted weight yarn. It has a slight halo but shows great stitch definition and comes in lots of good, rich colors. I picked up the Julia at a long-ago Stitches and figured I'd play with it since I liked the Wooly Stripes so much.



Also a free pattern recommended by the Dulaan Project: it's a T-shirt-styled sweater. I knit the bottom in the round up to the armpits, then cast on stitches on either side for the sleeves. Very simple and quick to knit; also very warm.

I am working on another juicy post about the seamy underbelly of the yarn world, but I doubt it'll be ready 'til next week. In the meantime, you can be sure I'll take many photos this weekend so that those of you who can't make it to Rhinebeck will feel like you did.

Okey-Dokey

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Shannon Okey again (we'd met earlier this year) and of meeting Kim Werker. Shannon and Kim are, collectively and individually, writers of knitting, crochet and/or spinning titles like KnitGrrl and Teach Yourself Visually Crochet and some others (having messed up who wrote which with whom once before, I'm gonna let you figure it out). Kim and Shannon were finishing up a book-signing tour, promoting Shannon's Spin To Knit, from Interweave Press, and Kim's Get Hooked, from Watson-Guptill.

In addition to getting a lovely dedication in my personal copy of the book, we got to see Shannon's Ashford Joy, which was amazingly portable and adorable, and we got to see Shannon spin on the Joy,



barefoot (you'll be happy to know she reports no problems with fungus),



and we even got to see Kim spin on the Joy



(for only her second time ever spinning, she did amazingly well!).



There was a nice assortment of Rosie's customers who stopped to meet Shannon and Kim and get their books signed, including Sherry, who is knitting with some Black Bunny merino in this photo:



and who already knit up one of the patterns from Spin to Knit, called Orangina (and available on Knitty.com).

And we got to watch and listen as Wendy interviewed Shannon and Kim for Knitty D and the City's podcast.



Silent Auction Win

As promised, here's a photo of the quilted block I won at the silent auction last weekend.



Now I'm wondering whether, before hanging it, we really ought to get around to repainting the hallway like we've been meaning to do for quite some time. (Due to some mishaps with a child gate, we've had to spackle and patch a few large holes in the wall, and eight years of kids and their grubby fingers has also taken a toll.) Yeah, like I need another project....

Happy National Coming Out Day!

It was called to my attention this morning that today is National Coming Out Day. This day is part of an "on-going campaign to empower gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied Americans to live openly and honestly about their lives."



I always feel a little bit goofy getting on my soapbox about the need for respect and equality for GLBT folks in this country and world, mainly because I'm a soccer mom, suburban-living heterosexual and I don't want to come across as a poseur. But I strongly believe that the fight for GLBT rights is the civil rights struggle of my generation (well, okay, we need more work on civil rights, too but today people generally give at least lip service to racial equality, and it's enshrined in our laws).

So to my gay, lesbian, transgendered and/or bisexual friends and readers, I say "Rock on." This heterosexual, suburb-dwelling soccer mom is behind you 150%.

Field trips

Today's theme is field trips. I took one this weekend, attending a quilting show in northeastern Pennsylvania, close to where I grew up, to sell knitting wares on behalf of Rosie's. I'll wait until I have photos to give you the full flavor of my weekend, but the quilting ladies were incredibly sweet to me. I had the unexpected pleasure of winning a silent auction bid for a quilted piece which I'll use as a wall hanging of some sort (question for the quilters out there: how should I hang this on my wall?). I was told that the pattern is modeled after an Amish crib quilt that the maker saw in a magazine. It was a gorgeous weekend for leaf-peeping in the Poconos, too.

This morning was my second field trip. The twins' preschool went to visit the firehouse in honor of Fire Prevention Week. It was a hoot to see all these four- and five-year-olds completely discombobulating the firemen simply by asking them questions like "What do you do if this firehouse catches on fire?" and "What if my house is on fire and I scream out the window but you don't hear me?"

Tomorrow's field trip is to my Lyme doctor in Jersey, about an hour's drive but well worth it to know that I've got a doc who knows what he's doing. I've had some recurrence of symptoms which has greatly concerned me.

And the next big field trip, in a week and a half: Rhinebeck! I can hardly believe it's so soon. It'll do my heart good to hang with my knitting pals, fondle fiber, visit some sheep and hopefully score some undyed yarn and rovings for Black Bunny Fibers. And for those of you who'll be playing Rhinebeck Blogger Bingo, I am a square on Saturday and Sunday. I'll have a Black Bunny Fibers tote bag with me, or you can comb through the archives for photos of my big round moon face.

How does it offend me? Let me count the ways.

It's just so darn hard to figure out what is the most disgusting and offensive aspect of the Mark Foley/Congressional page scandal. But what the heck, I'll give it a try.

1. Congressman sends icky, sexual emails and IMs to underage kids working as Congressional pages.
2. Congressman claims he was drunk during all the email and IMs sent. I was curious about this and checked the time stamps (some were blacked out, some were not): one message was sent in the middle of the day, and another shortly after a war appropriations vote that Foley participated in. This suggests to me that either he's lying or he's pretty much spent the last five years in a constant state of intoxication. Guess which one I think it is?
3. Congressman also happens to be head of committee in charge of missing and exploited children. (I guess it's a great way to score free child porn. "Honestly, Officer, it's research!")
4. Republican pundits repeatedly invoking Clinton/Lewinsky scandal, when Lewinsky was 22 years old, well over the age of consent.
5. Republican pundits equating homosexuality with pedophilia. In fact, statistics show that most pedophiles are heterosexual.
6. Republican leaders and at least one newspaper were made aware of these messages but did nothing.
7. Republican pundits blame Democrats for timing and "orchestration" of the scandal, when ABC News, which broke the story, has said Republican sources disclosed the emails.
8. Dennis Hastert refuses to resign, and continues to deny his role in overlooking the scandal, even though evidence is rapidly mounting that he was, in fact, told of it and did nothing.
9. President Bush defends Hastert.
10. Repeated characterization of emails as merely "friendly," despite explicit talk of orgasm, etc.
11. Right-wing pundits blame the victim, saying the page "wasn't coerced" and "egged" Foley on (e.g., Matt Drudge, Michael Savage).
12. Republican pundits blame "tolerance and diversity" for fostering pedophilia (See CNN Situation Room broadcast) and claim that if they had disclosed the emails and taken action against Foley, they'd be accused of "gay-bashing." (See No. 5 above)
13. UPDATE: After reading today's paper, I had to add Dennis Hastert's comments Tuesday, that forcing his resignation would aid Islamist terrorists. ("We are the insulation to protect this country, and if they get to me it looks like they could affect our election as well.")

It's an embarassment of riches, it is.

Hypnotized

I'm hypnotized by the Koigu Log Cabin project. The colors, the butteryness of the yarn, the frequent changing of colors (perfect when you have a short attention span)....



In other news, if you live near me, best beware of the great "Doo-rag" bandit:



Oh yeah, the September book report:

1. The Restless Sleep: Inside New York's Cold Case Squad, by Stacy Horn. Insider look at a real cold case squad -- which, of course, is nothing like TV but compelling nonetheless.

2. The Epicure's Lament, by Kate Christenson. I lost interest in this about fifty or sixty pages in; my guiding rule is that when I start to think "oh, I really ought to read more since I started it" -- it's time to move on. The book is written from the first-person point of view of a 40s-ish wastrel with a terminal disease, and instead of finding his rambling funny and eccentric, I found it simply boring. So I moved on. (I should have known better, since I disliked In the Drink.)

3. Breakfast with Tiffany, by Edwin Wintle: I heard the author on NPR and thought the book sounded charming. It is and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Describes the culture shock of a forty-something, single man in NYC who agrees to become guardian to his fourteen-year-old niece. Omigod, I know, right?

4. The Partly Cloudy Patriot, by Sarah Vowell. Collection of essays about history and politics that makes you laugh but also has great resonance.

5. Take the Cannoli, by Sarah Vowell. Liked the previous one so much I read this next. Several priceless, read-out-loud-to-husband parts, although not quite as good as no. 4.

No-Bull Book Review: Modern Classics

I had the great pleasure of meeting Louisa Harding at TNNA in June. My first reaction was how young she seemed: I mean, this woman has already had an illustrious design career at Rowan, has her own yarn line, and is putting out two books this year. My second reaction was how charming and personable she was. She radiated enthusiasm for her yarns and seemed thrilled to be following her own creative muse, designing yarns that would exactly match her mind's eye view of garments knit in them.

Hot off the presses (from our old friend Martingale, no less) is Modern Classics (Martingale MSRP$31.95 but the current Amazon price is $21.09*).

I quite like this book and I have the feeling I'll be making many of the patterns over the course of the next few mon years.

First, let me get this out of my system: I absolutely loathe this model:



Okay, now that the petty is out of my system, I feel better. Overall, the book is stylish and nicely put together: lots of color photos, good schematics, photographs that let you get a pretty good idea of what the finished garment is supposed to look like. I might have chosen a slightly darker ink (the patterns are printed in a taupe color that might require a good reading lamp for some) but this is a minor quibble. There is a brief how-to-knit section but it doesn't monopolize the book, and since many of these patterns are user-friendly for beginner knitters, this seems appropriate. There are also brief sections on finishing, how to read charts and other skills beyond knitting and purling which will help a newer knitter achieve more professional results.

On to the patterns. The patterns are organized into three sections, by yarn weight. The first set of patterns use DK-weight yarn (5.5 sts to the inch), the second worsted (5 to the inch), and the third use aran-weight yarn (4.5 to the inch). All the designs in the book are shown in Louisa Harding's yarns, several of which I've seen at Rosie's and look to be quite nice. But since these are probably the three most popular weights of yarn, substitution should be very easy and I'd be surprised if you couldn't find at least one pattern that you could readily make from your stash. I never really thought about categorizing designs by weight but I like it. It saves you the bother of flipping through each section trying to remember which pattern might match the gauge on which yarn.

The patterns are indeed classic in the sense that they don't feature excessively trendy design elements. These are the kinds of basic sweaters that may not be the most challenging knitting, and may not have the masterpiece cachet of an Alice Starmore fair isle or an intricate lace shawl, but I suspect they will be the garments you reach for time and time again, the old faithfuls. I see armholes that are nipped in, some patterns with body shaping while others are straight, and design touches that will add some interest to the knitting while not requiring superhuman powers of concentration, such as a single cable that runs down the front of a sweater, or a band of stranded colorwork (especially lovely) that runs across the bottom hem and sleeve cuffs like so:



The size ranges are excellent: Harding gives a whopping six sizes for each pattern, to fit bust size 32 through 42 (even numbers). Rock on, Louisa. The patterns are rated on a scale of 1 to 3 for difficulty, which will also help newer knitters select a suitable pattern.

Another feature that I like about this book, and which will increase its utility, is that different variations are given for some of the patterns. For example, a fairly simple fitted sweater is shown in three versions: turtleneck in a mohair blend multicolor, a V-neck in a multicolor angora blend, and a short-sleeve version with a scoop neck in a merino/cashmere solid-color blend. Even some of the patterns that don't feature variations in the neckline or length are shown in two different yarns, e.g., one solid and one multi. This creates a bit of extra work for the designer and her staff, requiring the knitting of a second version of the sweater for photographing, but is a nice touch for knitters who have trouble envisioning what a garment will look like in a different style of yarn.

If these sweaters are not especially cutting-edge, if they don't push the boundaries of knitting like, say, Teva Durham's Loop-d-Loop or Norah Gaughan's Knitting Nature, well, that's okay with me. These aren't meant to be boundary-busting garments; they're meant to be user-friendly, versatile patterns that you can make over and over, in different variations and with different yarns. Seasoned knitters who like designing their own stuff may want to check out the book before purchasing to see if it's worthwhile for them, or if they feel that they could whip up their own similar garments without a pattern. Knitters interested in extremely trendy looks or who want challenging garments to test their knitting mettle will also be advised to look before purchasing. But if you're like me, and sometimes you just want to turn your brain off, watch "Law and Order" and knit along with someone else's pattern, you may find this book a useful addition to your knitting library.

*Okay, what's with the MSRP of thirty-two bucks for a paperback book with twenty patterns? Hmm? Luckily, you can find it way cheaper if you look around. Don't piss me off, Martingale.

Really Rosie's

The weather was weird yesterday -- sunny one minute, cloudy the next, then drizzly -- so it was a good day to be at Rosie's fondling the yarn. It was a particularly fun day for me. Several of my favorite customers came in; working with Ed and Tina is always fun; and Tina & I did the window display in a Halloween motif. We love doing window displays. It's amazing how much fun we manage to have with ten bucks of seasonal crap from Target. We had really hoped to do a kind of installation piece including a small TV screen running an endless loop of "The Life and Death of a Pumpkin" (search for it on YouTube; it's hilarious) but we thought that might scare away too many customers. "Free-e-e-e-do-o-o-o-m!"

I got sneak peeks at two new knitting books, both by male knitters, that the shop had been sent as part of promotional materials. One is Brandon Mably's new book and the other is Tricky Tricot's Knitting with Balls. Both should be out in a few weeks and each looks quite promising in its own way.

I also had the pleasure of meeting a fellow Philly-area blogger, Purlewe, who I'd not met before in person. I knew Purlewe from Knitter's Review's forums, many moons ago, and will always love her for dropping off an extremely kind note for me at the shop right after my dear kitty died. Purlewe stopped by yesterday, wearing a cool sweater knit in Noro Yoroi, and I learned something else fun: she has had her photographs featured in Interweave's KnitScene magazine. Yep, the last issue features some of her knitter-on-the-street photos, taking shots of people in Philadelphia wearing handknit garments. She was taking some more photos for the next issue, so of course all the Rosie's regulars had to show off their stuff. (We are shameless muggers.) Even Ed consented to have his gorgeous legs photographed in their handknit socks.

Also in the shop were the inimitable Knitty D and the City, podcasters extraordinaire, who've developed quite a following in a very short time. They are moving to their own URL and planning lots of fun, on-the-spot reportage, like broadcasts from Rhinebeck and Stitches. I've been really lame about updating my sidebar links, but I'll have to do it soon to add some of these faves.

In knitting news, I've been chugging away on the Hopalong vest for Nick



finished the neckband on the poor abandoned vest (which I believe is knit in a wool/cotton blend from Goddess Yarns that I bought at Stitches a while back)



almost finished a very basic rollbrim baby hat for a new baby boy (Artful Yarns Serenade, my new baby cap yarn of choice because it's so damn soft and snuggly)



and began a completely fun modular project using up some of the teeny skeins of Koigu I scored at Maryland Sheep & Wool two years ago.



It's essentially the Log Cabin style knitting that is discussed in Mason-Dixon Knitting. I'm not sure if it will end up as a scarf or a shawl or a throw; I'm going to see where it takes me and go from there. I've only finished the first piece and the next ball I'm going to use is shown in the photo.

It's funny; I'd hoped when the kids were back in school every day I'd get more done, but it seems that merely recovering from the chaos of the summer -- overflowing messy closets, kids' outgrown clothes and toys that need to be weeded out and passed on, some overdue gardening projects (like the shrubs that didn't make it and need to be replaced) -- is eating up that extra time.

Not to mention dipping my toe in the water of school volunteering. While being "trained" how to word-process "books" written by the kids at my eldest's school (it's really sweet; the kids write a story and we print it out for them on nice paper, like book pages; they illustrate it; then we bind the pages into a little book for them & their parents as a keepsake), I was introduced to the wacky world of PTO moms. Hoo-boy, some of these ladies drink coffee just to mellow out. (I think I stole that line from someone but I can't remember who.) My meeting was with a woman that I hated on sight (mainly because she was wearing a complete Lily Pulitzer ensemble, in hot pink and kelly green no less, from head to toe, including matching bag with embroidery that matched the skirt. The logistics of color-coordinating one's entire outfit, down to changing handbags every day, still has me reeling.) but who turned out to be quite nice (okay, my bad, judging someone on the overweening preppitude of their clothing). The PTO does great work for the school and they sponsor a lot of activities that are really fun for the kids, but some of these Alpha Moms scare the crap out of me.

Coming this week: Louisa Harding's new book reviewed, and maybe a ribbing primer (didn't somebody ask for that a long time ago?)

Various and sundry

The winner is:

Miranda H., who bought a skein of Berripalooza sock yarn. She will receive an official Black Bunny tote bag. (The drawing was done by able assistant, J., who didn't peek one bit. I added the names of people who'd asked for special orders that I haven't finished yet, just to be fair.)

Thanks to everyone who participated in the drawing! We'll do another one before the holidays.

Comment-ary

Doing a blog is fascinating for a lot of reasons. One of them is the little snapshot of human nature you get from reader feedback. I am regularly gratified and surprised at the intelligent and downright nice commenters I have. I learn stuff, I see things in a different way, I chuckle at your anecdotes, I appreciate your encouragement and support.

Of course, there is a flip side to this. One of the quirks that you are quickly introduced to is the willingness of readers to take offense. My previous post apparently offended one such anonymous commenter, who found my description of Martingale models as "midwestern" to be, well, offensive. I've noticed this before, here and elsewhere, that no matter what one writes, eventually someone is going to find something to seize upon and be offended at. And my knee jerk response is to roll my eyes and think "Just read what I actually said! You're projecting!"

Wouldn't it be a more productive dialogue if the commenter had said simply "What do you mean when you describe the models as 'midwestern'?" Instead of heaving an annoyed sigh, my response would have been "Well, some of it is tangible, like the fact that they are predominantly white women of Western European or Scandinavian descent, shown in decidedly non-urban settings. Some of it is intangible, like the studiously classic styling a la Talbots." I might have even gone on to wonder whether describing Vogue as "very Manhattan" would offend New Yorkers, or saying that Rowan's models are "English country waifs" would offend slight Englishwomen who live in the country. Maybe I would have wondered whether I do, in fact, have some stereotypical notions of what midwestern women look like.

But she didn't. So I didn't.

On Book Reviews

This takes me to book reviews. I enjoy writing them, and as I've said before, I like to think I'm helping people get a better feel for whether a book is right for them before investing in it. FYI, here are some of the things I think about in reviewing a knitting book (in no particular order):

• Production quality: is it nice paper? interesting or well-done photography? all black and white or color photos (the latter show garment details more clearly)? drawings and explanatory material?
• Is it predominantly a pattern book, or an instructional book, or a mix, or essays?
• Style: floaty, or classic, ethnic inspired, folk, formal or casual, etc.
• Patterns: if I've made any of them, were they well-written? are schematics included? good photographs that show you what the finished garment looks like and any special features?
• Number of patterns included and for what kinds of garments, and for whom
• Easy, medium, hard patterns, or a mix? special techniques used, like colorwork or lace? are they fitted or flowy? boxy or shaped? Are they practical? Are they expensive to make using the specified yarn, or any suitable yarn?
• Does the book contain basic how-to-knit instructions? or does it assume the reader knows the basics? does it elaborate on any special techniques?
• Are they new patterns? or is it possible you already have some or all of them in your knitting library?
• What is the size ranges for the patterns provided?

If there are other things you would be interested in me adding to book reviews, drop me a comment.

On sizes and hostility

One of things I often comment upon about a book is the size range of the patterns that it contains. I think that knowing whether the patterns are likely to fit you can be an important thing for many potential purchasers to consider. If you've got a limited budget for knitting books, and you like to follow patterns instead of designing your own, why buy a book filled with patterns that won't fit you?

When I mention limited size ranges, I invariably get two types of comments or emails. One is "why should a publisher have to provide sizes for everyone in the world?" I don't think every book needs to have patterns that fit every person on this planet: that would be impossible, and expensive. But I do think it's odd when a book has an extremely limited size range. It seems to me that if you are publishing a book, you'd want to attract as many purchasers as possible. Excluding a significant proportion of sizes makes it less likely that you'll attract people who fall outside your size range, and therefore constricts the pool of potential purchasers. (Maybe your book is such wonderful eye candy it won't matter, or contains instructional techniques that go beyond the patterns. Maybe not.) And if a particular size is, statistically, the most common one among American women*, then it strikes me as odd that a book would stop short of this size.

The second type of remark was typifed by the commenter (Anonymous, of course. I'm really getting to hate that bitch Anonymous. She's always stirring up trouble.) who basically said that Americans are fat and eat too much, so tough crap if they can't fit into patterns. First of all, this assumes too much. Not all women who wear above a size 10 are overweight. They may be tall, or have a larger-than-average frame (what my mother calls "big-boned"), or they may have very muscular or broad shoulders, or God (or the local plastic surgeon) may have bestowed them with big tits.

But what is even more fascinating about this kind of comment is the hostility that underlies it. There seems to be an almost vindictive attitude: if you're fat, you have no business knitting these patterns. If you're overweight, you should be at the gym or puking in the toilet instead of sitting on your fat ass knitting. Plump people don't deserve to wear floaty romantic Rowan patterns: let them wear boxy sacks instead. Whassup widdat?

Feel free to discuss. And make sure you tell me if I've offended you.

*And, Brits, too. My Google search uncovered an extensive survey of UK women showing that their average bust size is 38.5 inches, with 40.5 inch hips.

No-Bull Book Review: Romantic Style

Rowan-aphiles will be familiar with Jennie Atkinson, author/compiler of Romantic Style: Knits and Crochet to Wear or Display (Martingale & Co.).

Atkinson is a frequent contributor to recent Rowan magazines, one of the newer faces in the current crop of designers favored by the British yarn manufacturer. Rowan fans will no doubt also recognize some of the other designers who've contributed to Romantic Style: Kim Hargreaves and Martin Storey, to name two. As you might expect, Romantic Style is very much in the style of current Rowan knits: floaty, ruffly, feminine, and, I suppose, romantic. There's a reason for that, which I'll go into later.

Romantic Style is the nicest book to come out of Martingale in quite some time. Instead of featuring those midwestern lady models and not-quite-contemporary-feeling photography, Romantic Style has the look and feel of a Rowan publication. More stylized photography, less Miss-America-ish models, even the layout is more sophisticated and fresh than most Martingale books I've seen. The book has lots of color photos, schematics for the sweaters, and the little photographic digest in the front showing miniphotos of all of the designs contained in the book. So far, so good.

As for content, the book is divided into three sections containing patterns (the first two knit, the third mostly crochet), and one containing techniques. The techniques section is not, however, a how-to-knit section; perhaps recognizing that many of the designs are pretty advanced for beginners, this section skips the basics, and is devoted to more specialized topics like how to crochet in rounds, different crocheted motifs and edgings, and how to follow patterns. Good stuff, all of it.

As for the patterns? The first section is called Out and About, and features seven patterns: a camisole, a beaded cape, a sheer dress, two lace sweaters, a beaded jacket and beaded shrug with hood. The second section is Home Comforts, including home dec items like a throw, two pillow covers (one square, one tubular), hanger covers, bed socks, a quaint bed jacket and a floor-length dressing gown/robe. The last section, Little Extras, includes jewelry, belts, shawls (one knit, one crochet), a cap, and two bags. For those of you who strongly prefer either knit or crochet, that amounts to sixteen knit patterns and seven crochet ones.

Whether you like the patterns or not is largely a matter of taste, but rest assured these are not boxy bulky sweaters made from rectangles. Lots of stitch patterns and lace are used, several designs are beaded, there are edgings and ruffles galore, and the shapes are generally hugging and body-conscious. There are not tons of items that I personally would wear, but again, this is more a matter of taste than anything else. As is always the case with predominantly pattern-based books, let the buyer beware by checking out the patterns beforehand.

A few things will, however, stop me from giving the book a vigorous thumbs-up.

First is the relative impracticality of most of the designs. A floor-length bathrobe made from nearly 20 balls of worsted weight yarn will be pretty heavy, will cost you close to $200, and, since the specified yarn is a wool/mohair blend, is likely to make you sweat. The hanger covers are elegant, but at 7.75 sts per inch in an intricate pattern, is there anyone out there with the time (or desire) to make more than one knowing you're only going to cover them up by hanging clothes on them? The lace bed socks are lovely, but you better not expect to wear them when you're actually intending to walk around on a floor. As a suburban, time-crunched soccer mom, many of these designs just aren't gonna cut it for me, but again, this is largely a matter of taste. If you have a less wash-n-wear style, and regularly attend tea parties in boudoirs, then you may not care.

Second, and a bigger stumbling block for most of us, is the ugly reality of the sizing. Yep, you guessed it, this is a book with an extremely stingy range of sizes. The dressing gown has exactly two sizes, an "extra-small/small" and a "medium/large." Or to put it more accurately, "teeny" and "slightly less small." For the smaller size is for a 32 to 34-inch bust, and the other is for a 36 to 38-inch bust -- hardly "large." (Especially in this brave new world of breast implants.) Other garments only go as high as a 40-inch bust (with two inches of ease). If you are more amply figured, then you'll either have to modify or give up the sweaters in this book.

The last drawback to this book is the recycling factor. I'm all for recycling when it comes to aluminum cans and newspapers; I'm not so big on recyling when it comes to knitting pattern books. Astute Rowan fans will note that many of these patterns have already been published in Rowan Magazine. To wit:

• Butterfly Dress appeared as "Butterfly" in Rowan 37;
• Crochet Motif Bag appeared as "Heirloom Bag" in Rowan 37;
• Rose Button Cushion appeared as "Rosetta" and the Buttoned Flower Bloster as "Elsie" in (you guessed it) Rowan 37;
• Chevron Lace Top looks awfully like "Prue" in Rowan 35;

and I lost patience there, since that's already something like 25% of the patterns that I easily identified as having been recycled. Shame on Martingale and Rowan for not disclosing this, even in small type on one of the introductory pages. Why take the chance of tricking your loyal fans into buying patterns they already have?

To sum up, if you are a petite Rowan-loving woman who doesn't mind dumping $200 for a bathrobe that won't soak up bathwater, and you don't already have all of these patterns in your extensive Rowan collection, then by all means take a look at this book. If, however, like me, you already have most of them, and they won't fit you even if you make them, and even if you made them, you'd probably never wear them, then just go and buy some sock yarn with that twenty bucks instead.

You know what today is.....

the birthday of a very special bun-bun:



Happy 1st birthday, Charcoal!
And many happy returns carrots.

UPDATE: Apparently, Google is also celebrating Charcoal's birthday. Check out the logo.

We all have our dirty little secrets.

I mentioned last week that one of my projects, now that everyone's back in school, would be sorting through some closets and spending some time culling through my stash. Lookie what I found:



A simple little vest, finished except for the ribbing around the neck and arms, originally intended for J., but if I hurry, it might still fit N. Oh the drama one finds in a messy closet! The heartbreak, the shattered expectations, the nagging sense of shame at the unfinished project which has languished amongst stinky sneakers and dustballs.

Behold the instrument of my torture.



The dreaded plastic recorder, a staple of third-grade music education. J.'s class received theirs a week ago, and we've have been listening to the tootles and stepped-on-pig noises ever since. (On the bright side, I have a call in to Donald Rumsfeld to tell him I've found a surefire method of coercing information from terrorists that is fully consistent with the Geneva Convention.) Of course, J., being J., was immediately able to figure out such classics as "Jingle Bells."

Can the jazz flute



be far behind?

No-Bull Book Review: Knitting for Peace

I have to confess that I wasn't quite sure what "knitting for peace" was before reading Knitting for Peace, by Betty Christiansen (Stewart Tabori & Chang). Was it making afghans with intarsia peace symbols? Knitting protest signs with slogans added in duplicate stitch? Was it simply a serene state of mind?

No, no and no. The knitting in Knitting for Peace is what most knitters I know call "charity knitting" -- knitting for groups that distribute the items to people who are in need of them. I suppose some people aren't crazy about the phrase "charity knitting," since "charity" seems to have developed a not-entirely-nice context, a ring of condescension or "let them eat cake Red Heart." Whatever the reason, this book chooses to call it "knitting for peace."

Now I know that there are knitters out there who just don't like the whole "knitting for charity/peace" movement. Some of them resist the notion that anyone who knits or crochets has some kind of moral obligation to craft for others, particular others they don't know. (Do stamp collectors have groups where they, um, donate stamps to charity? Do scrappers make homeless people albums so they can remember all the warm fuzzy times in the shelter?) Some don't mind the idea of knitting for charitable organizations but they dislike talking about it, feeling that good works are best done quietly and anonymously. Still others question the utility of such groups; "I'd be more inclined to knit for a charity," one knitter told me, "if I was sure the recipients really wanted the stuff they were given."* But obviously there are many other knitters who enjoy the fellowship that these groups provide, who get motivated by sharing patterns and talking with others and playing "show and tell" with finished items. So recognizing that people in the first three categories might not be interested in the subject matter of this book, and recognizing that people in the last category will, let's talk turkey.

My first impression of Knitting for Peace was how the size (about 8 1/2 inches square) and the feel of the binding reminded me of a photo album or journal. Probably this was deliberately done to evoke a rosy, intimate glow. The second thing I noticed -- and this is a very tough one to overcome -- is that from a typeface standpoint, Knitting for Peace is one of the most difficult knitting books I've ever tried to read. The print is, to put it bluntly, microscopic.



Check out that footnote: I defy anyone except Superman to read that sucker without a magnifying glass or the zoom function on their monitor. It makes the words on the penny look big.

Unfortunately, two stylistic choices make reading the teeny text even more challenging: the ink isn't black but rather a lighter shade of gray, and many of the pages are not white but are colored. (Heavens, do I mean "pages of color"?) I have decent vision and don't regularly wear glasses, but I struggled to read this book in the evening, sitting right next to a good reading lamp. This is a real shame, because I think a lot of readers are going to find the optometric strain an insurmountable challenge to this book.

On to content.

The first chapter of the book, called "Peace and War," is devoted to wartime knitting, beginning with an historical overview of American knitters contributing to various war efforts. The author then highlights several organizations whose knitting mission is loosely themed around war: organizations that provide knitted socks for soldiers stationed overseas, a woman who uses tiny knit sweaters to create an installation piece memorializing the number of American casualties in Iraq, even a group which stages knit-ins to protest globalization. The chapter ends with a pattern for a felted messenger bag; though it's a perfectly serviceable pattern, it seems a bit out of place since there isn't any logical connection between knitting a bag for oneself and knitting for peace (at least not that I could discern).

The second chapter is called "Knitting on Earth," and looks at organizations that try to benefit needy or impoverished citizens across the world. It was an interesting choice to include two knitting-related businesses, Peace Fleece and Lantern Moon, due to their outreach-oriented business philosophies. (Peace Fleece sells yarn that is made by blending American wool with Russian wool, as well buttons and knitting needles produced by overseas artisans. Lantern Moon seeks to provide economic opportunities for Vietnamese women and their families by selling handmade needles, baskets and other accessories.) In addition, organizations like Afghans for Afghans, which provides warm clothing for Afghani citizens, and RwandaKnits, which seeks to create economic opportunities for African women by teaching them knitting skills, are profiled. Patterns for an Afghans for Afghans approved vest and a pair of socks made from Peace Fleece are included, as well as contact information and requirements for these organizations.

"Peace at Home" profiles such diverse organizations as prison-knitting programs, knitting chemo caps, knitting for native american elders, prayer shawl ministries, knitting snuggles for shelter animals and knitting for the homeless. Appropriate patterns, e.g., a prayer shawl, an afghan, a chemo cap, are included.

The next chapter is "Peace for Kids" -- highlighting, you guessed it, organizations that benefit children, such as preemie knitting and Caps for Kids. You can see where this is going, I'm sure.

The last chapter is "Knit for Peace," and provides some tips for finding charitable knitting groups either via Internet or locally. A basic mitten pattern and rolled-brim cap pattern are provided in this chapter. And I am pleased to say that there is no how-to-knit section in this book (at last!).

This is a perfectly nice book, and it is devoted to a topic that is near and dear to many (but not all) knitter's hearts. It is very much designed to whet the knitter's appetite for charity knitting and to provide some basic tips for how to get started. That's fine as far as it goes. You wouldn't buy this book for the patterns (and I mean no disrespect to the author); the patterns presented are extremely basic and a quick internet search would yield you free versions (in some cases, identical versions) of them. While the historical background of charity knitting is interesting and nicely written, reading No Idle Hands and a few on-line or magazine articles about charity knitting would net you most of the same information. And when it comes to specifications for the charities themselves, a conscientious charity knitter would want to check the organization's website anyway, to make sure that (s)he is following the most up-to-date requirements for the group, in case needs change. Perhaps the best result of the book is that some worthwhile organizations will get some publicity and some donations to further their work. Is that enough to convince you to buy the book? You'll have to decide.



*A propos of this, I can tell you that some charitable groups who collect knitted and crocheted items are regularly given items that do not comply with their specified guidelines, like scores of lacy pink hats for (mostly male) soldiers, or lightweight cotton caps that won't help in an extremely cold climate where all-wool items are requested. To add insult to injury, the donors sometimes say things like "Well, beggars can't be choosers," or "they should be happy with anything we give them." Real charitable, huh?