Rhinebeck Report: part one

It was a very fun and somewhat mellower-than-years-past trip to Rhinebeck this year. As usual, faithful traveling companions Laura and Jim

Jim at the entrance to the show Saturday

were ready to go midday on Friday. (I have to thank them for planning their work schedules so that they could take Friday off -- it's much easier to do the driving during daylight, especially since I'm a morning person.)

Lovely Laura, shivering Saturday morning

We arrived at our hotel, and they did not raise an eyebrow or make any kinky jokes when Jim checked in with his two attractive sister-wives in tow. No, they merely gave us a room with two double beds, and even had thoughtfully labeled the pillows for us.


(Go on, Joe, I bet you've got something to say about how important firmness is.)

Jim, Laura and I are creatures of tradition, and first stop on Saturday morning was Dorchester Farms, to see Jim's friend Ken.


(I am sure you can understand why, given how handsome Ken is, Laura and I are happy to make his booth our first stop...) After visiting for a bit -- and admiring Ken's weaving and knitting projects -- Laura and I began. We proceeded directly to Mindy, at the Kid Hollow booth:


and Mindy-napped her. All too soon she got a call from Goat Boy, so we followed her to the show ring where she turned into the Goat-Wrangler




and then the Goat-Whisperer:



Meanwhile, Laura and I peppered her friend Melissa with questions about raising goats, showing them, and goat-farming in general. (I won't tell you what they do with rubber bands.)

It would not be a Rhinebeck without looking for men in kilts, and sure enough, here's a specimen with glorious gams:


Why, it's GKIYH Pal, Dr. Mel:


Mel is handsome and charming; his husband David is also handsome and charming; their Red Maple sportswear is teh awesome; and (bestill my heart) I can now assure you that Mel gets his good looks and charming personality from his parents. Yes, I got to meet Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Mel and they were wonderful. (Is it any surprise that Uma Thurman -- yes, UMA effing THURMAN -- purchased multiple pairs of Red Maple socks on Sunday?)

It was a stroke of great luck that I then got hit on the head with a sack of roving (literally) because when I turned around to open me a can of some whup-ass see what was going on, there were crochet goddess Kathy Merrick and silky-voiced Selma of public radio (and grrll band) fame.


Kathy was right near the booth called "Babushka" but I am positive that is just a coincidence. We continued on our merry way, browsing -- although our purchasing was, unfortunately, rather restrained -- and seeing people like Somebunnyslove and her adorable friends:


We scoffed at this sign:


we petted fuzzeh bunnehs



long-lashed alpacas



bebeh goatehs



and couldn't decide which was more adorable, Halo the llama or his cowboy. Please feel free to vote in the poll over at the sidebar on the right if you've got a strong opinion on the matter...



To be continued....

Whew.

What a weekend.



Full report tomorrow.

No-Bull Book Review: More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson

A few years ago, Joelle Hoverson, she of the wonderful NYC yarn shop Purl Soho, brought us the charming Last-Minute Knitted Gifts (STC 2004). This fall, she has written a sequel, called (appropriately enough) More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts (Stewart Tabori & Chang 2010; MSRP $27.50; available as of this writing via the link for $18.15). Let's take a No-Bull peek inside...


More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts is, like its predecessor, a hardback book, full of gorgeous color photos by Anna Williams. Like its predecessor, it contains a selection of projects organized by how much time the project takes to knit (approximately, of course). And like its predecessor, you'll find projects that, generally speaking, are approachable rather than complex, the basic made beautiful by being knit in gorgeous natural yarns like Koigu, Spud & Chloe and Jade Sapphire.

Entrelac Baby Blanket

Hoverson begins with a few introductory notes. She sets out what is essentially the mission statement of the book: "[T]here is nothing more satisfying than creating something beautiful and thoughtful without having to labor over it for an extended period of time." She suggests that knitters use yarn choice as a means to personalize the gift for its recipient, briefly discussing color, fiber, texture and embellishment as ways to do so. The last chapter of the book covers ways to wrap your handknit (and other!) gifts -- using a simple premade pouch, opting for a simple box then using strand after strand of leftover yarn, using buttons on gift tags and as part of the wrapping.


In between these sections are the patterns, a total of 30 (not counting variations). First up are "Less-than-two-hour gifts," six projects that are quick to knit and are certainly good choices for less experienced knitters. You'll find a coffee-cup sleeve; a holiday ornament; a pointy elf hat (conveniently sized for the whole family, so that Mom and Dad can wear an elf cap, too); a pyramid-shaped sachet holder; a seed-stich bracelet with button closure; and a linen-stitch bookmark.

Reusable Coffee-Cup Sleeve

Next are the "Two-to-four-hour gifts," again six of them. These items are a teeny bit more complex than those in the prior chapter, but still fall on the basic side: knitted baskets, a small scarf with an opening for one end to pull through, itty-bitty baby socks; a baby bonnet; a chunky lace scarf; ribbed hats sized for every member of the family.

Big Lace Scarf

The "Four-to-six-hour gifts" -- once again, six projects -- may take a bit longer than previous chapters, but are still pretty basic in skill level: fingerless gloves knit sideways, a set of simple coasters, a stuffed toy house with embellishment; mittens with a brioche-stitch cuff; a seat cushion made of I-cord in bulky yarn; a charming baby cardigan.

Easy Baby Cardigan

"Six-to-eight-hour gifts" features a simple beret; a child's vest with duplicate-stitch initial on the front; fingerless gloves shown in a plain and cabled version; a floaty scarf, knit in the round with mohair yarn; a baby blanket knit from the center out, with colorful nesting squares; and a simple roll-neck pullover sized for the whole family and knit in the round.

Very Pretty Lace Scarf

My favorite projects are definitely found in the "More-than-eight-hour gifts" chapter (you guessed it -- six projects total). The yoke-neck cardigan knit in a delicate shade of Koigu is one of those simple-yet-elegant patterns that beautifully matches the subtle color variations of semi-solid Koigu with clean lines and just enough detailing in the yoke without overwhelming the yarn.

Leah's Lovely Cardigan (designed by Leah Mitchell)

(If I ever have time to knit myself something again, this is at the top of the list.) The trio of cowl patterns combine ribbed patterns with elegant cashmere yarn and the men's zip-up vest is classic enough for a man's taste (although it would look great on women, too). The first pattern in the chapter, an entrelac baby blanket featuring bright colors of Lobster Pot bulky yarn, cheerfully reminds me of geometric quilt motifs. The chapter is rounded out by ribbed toe-up socks and another colorful blanket (this one much larger than baby-sized), knit with vivid stripes in the middle.

Bright Stripes Blanket

For those of you who like statistics, of the 30 patterns, I counted approximately 8 home items; three kid's items; five baby items; one men's garment; three items sized for the whole family; and the remainder (approximately ten items) for women. Of the women's items, the breakdown looks like this:

• one sweater (the Koigu cardigan)
• three scarf patterns and the cowl (three variations of it)
• two fingerless gloves (one with 2 variations) & one pair of mittens
• one bracelet
• one beret.

Leah's Lovely Cardigan

The family items include roll-neck sweater, ribbed caps and socks, and possibly the men's zipped vest if you want to wear it as a unisex piece. Kids will make do with the elf hat and pullover vest, while babies can be clad in a bonnet, socks, cardigan or tucked under one of the two blankets.

Sideways Fingerless Gloves

As usual, the book is beautifully produced, with clear and elegant photography by Anna Williams and all the amenities we usually find in a STC book: schematics where necessary, charts where necessary, close-up photos of some of the embellishments & design details; photos that show off stitch patterns as well as give the overall look of an item; a section with how-tos for skills like duplicate stitch.

If I had any quibble with the book, it might be that the projects seem a little too basic but it's hard to tell if that is predominantly a function of me being obsessed by immersed in the knitting world rather than a more casual stitcher. It sounds like Hoverson's target audience for the book includes newer knitters, as well as knitters looking for less-stressful projects that can be completely quickly and with a minimum of agita. In that regard, the projects succeed admirably, and are no more difficult than they have to be.

Huggable House

In sum, then, we've got another good-looking book from our friends at STC, filled with gorgeously-photographed, do-able patterns just in time for you to whip out a few for holiday gifts. These patterns beg to be knit in some of the gorgeous yarns in your stash, so bring on the cashmeres, the handpaints, the uber-soft cottons and the exotic alpacas. After all, there are only 70-some days until Christmas!

Happy National Coming Out Day

Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood.

--Coretta Scott King

To all my GLBT friends and readers, Happy National Coming Out Day. I honor your courage in living an open and honest life. I cherish your friendship and can't imagine my life without you in it.

What he said.

A post from Franklin that made me cry, first with rage and sorrow that people treated him like that, then with joy and gratitude that he survived and is my friend.

Franklinapalooza 2010!!!

Yes, the Very Special Guest who will be visiting us in Philadelphia in November is the inimitable Franklin Habit. Author (of It Itches: A Stash of Knitting Cartoons), cartoonist, designer, raconteur and all-around bon vivant, Franklin Habit, will be joining me for a very special weekend at Loop in Philadelphia.





There will be classes:

• I'll be teaching "Yarn Substitution Made Simple" on Sunday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Franklin will be teaching "Introduction to the History, Methods and Styles of Laceknitting" on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Franklin will be teaching "Lace Edgings" on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• and Franklin will be teaching "Photographing Your Fiber" on Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m.

All of the specifics are on Loop's blog here.

Franklin and I will be at the shop Saturday afternoon and please feel free to bring your books for us to sign or you can purchase copies at Loop. There will be oodles of BBF yarn and patterns and sample garments, too. So please stop by and hang out with us!

Rumors that Dolores will be on-hand to jump out of a cake made by the Cake Boss are, as yet, unconfirmed.

No-Bull Book Review: Entree to Entrelac, by Gwen Bortner

I will begin this book review with a disclaimer: I am not an expert in entrelac, nor do I play one on teevee. That means that I'm approaching this book review at a slight disadvantage, since today's book review focuses on a book devoted to entrelac. However, I'll do my best to give you an overview of Entree to Entrelac: The Definitive Guide from a Biased Knitter by Gwen Bortner (XRX Inc. 2010), one of two new books devoted to the topic (Rosemary Drysdale's Entrelac: The Essential Guide to Interlace Knitting, is scheduled for an early November release). XRX was kind enough to supply me with a review copy of this book, which is hot off the presses, and has a MSRP of $19.99 (available for $13.57 as of this writing through the link above).


Author Gwen Bortner describes herself as someone initially hired by her LYS to help customers with math-related knitting questions -- until she became fascinated by the entrelac technique and immersed herself into learning everything she could about it. "Entrelac," as Bortner explains, is a French word meaning "interlaced," and is used to describe a knitting technique in which a piece is worked "in small sections that are joined as they are worked." Entrelac knitting has a distinctive appearance resembling basketweaving with blocks or diamonds that run in diagonal lines.

Cables & Lace Throw

Bortner has set out to help the complete novice learn the skills needed to create entrelac. The book -- a paperback, about 160 pages--begins with introductory material intended to help with the conceptual background needed before tackling this new method of knitting. One of the skills that Bortner explains is knitting backward: working a row as usual, from right to left, but then instead of turning the work and purling (or knitting) back with the wrong-side facing, knitting the row backward by moving stitches from the left-hand needle to the right. Since entrelac involves a lot of knitting in small sections, knitting backward rather than turning the work make the process, according to Bortner, more efficient.

Argyle Bolero

The remainder of the book builds from there, using a kind of workshop approach. Each chapter starts by explaining certain technical skills, then gives the knitter patterns that use and build on these skills. The idea is that even if you've never done entrelac before, you can study the material at the beginning of the chapter, then use the projects to practice and master the skills. I will tell you straight out that I have not had time to sit down with the book and try out any of the instructions or patterns; if you're really interested in delving into entrelac, it makes sense to take a look at the book yourself to see if the book is a good fit with your own individual learning style.

Joined Points Hat

What specific topics are covered in the book? Well, the first chapter gives entrelac basics, including basic shapes -- entrelac uses rectangles and triangles knit in different directions as building blocks. Several stitch patterns are also introduced, with diagrams and photos to help you parse out the technique. (Note that the diagrams explaining how to create the stitch patterns go from the bottom to the top, rather than top to bottom, tracking the direction of the knitting.) Scarves and other small items are given for the first projects, then difficulty and size increases a bit with some sweater patterns.

The second chapter is devoted to "Simple Shapes and Zigzag Seams," in which Bortner explores the design possibilities presented by the natural zigzagging lines of entrelac. She explores how changing the size of the units or stitches in each tier or row of shapes can create shaping while preserving the inherent basketweave lines of the entrelac, and pairs entrelac patterns with other stitches (like ripple stitches).

The third chapter looks at "Intriguing Construction" -- using provisional cast-ons, how to join multiple layers of fabric, using the structure of the entrelac to create gussets and other shapes. "Color, Texture and Other Creative Units" are the topic of the fourth chapter. Bortner explores ways to add color (self-striping yarns, adding stripes with a contrast color to entrelac units, switching colors from unit to unit); uses mosaic and other stitch patterns to add texture (and in some places, texture and color); and incorporates lace stitches and cables for a slightly different look. Finally, Bortner addresses design issues relating to entrelac in the last chapter.

If you're keeping track, you'll find a total of approximately 35 projects in the book, roughly broken down into 12-13 women's items, 1 men's sweater, 1 unisex vest, 4 children's items, 6-7 items sized for the whole family, and 12-13 small accessory or home items. (Since several of the patterns have variations, coming up with an exact count is tough.) Sizing runs the gamut from adult women's size small (approximately 32-inch finished chest) through 2x and sometimes 3x, with chest circumferences in the 52-56-inch range. The items sized for the whole family would fit an average elementary-age child through a men's size/women's 2X or 3X size. Given the way entrelac works, sometimes sizing is done by changing the needle size and/or the thickness of the yarn. I liked that the sweater patterns contained a description of how they were intended to fit: standard fit, close-fitting or loose-fitting, which is helpful when deciding what size to make.

Market Scarf

As for the individual items, I counted the following:

• two scarves (one contains a stockinette stitch and a garter stitch variation; one is also shown in a large throw version);
• one unisex vest sized for the family;
  
• one unisex yoke sweater sized for the family;
  
• one sweater for men shown in button-front long-sleeve cardigan and v-neck vest form;
  
• two hats (both sized for the whole family);
  
• one pair of slippers and one pair of mittens (both sized for the whole family);
• six bags of various shapes and sizes -- a messenger bag, drawstring, a felted purse, a clutch, a small bag with attached wooden handle, and a small backpack;
• approximately ten or so women's sweaters (short-sleeved cropped bolero; two sleeveless tops; one long-sleeved trapeze shaped jacket; one short-sleeve tunic; one long-sleeved jacket; one crew-neck shown in short-, 3/4-length and long-sleeve versions; one short-sleeve sweater with matching skirt; one long-sleeved cardigan);
• one child's hooded sweater,
• one baby bunting, one baby blanket (with matching stuffed block) and one baby sweater;
• and a mishmash of small projects -- business card case, cell phone case, eyeglasses case, felted "cups," coffee-cup sleeve -- that allow the knitter to try a new technique without a big investment of time or yarn.

Envelope Clutch

As I often say, you'll have to take a look at the patterns yourself to decide if you like them enough to want to make them, although this book is certainly intended to be as much an entrelac resource as it is simply a selection of patterns. Patterns come with schematics and most have multiple drawings and diagrams to assist with construction; there are also columns containing the individual units or "modules" that the pattern uses.

Arlis' Sweater

If you're looking at the patterns without having done entrelac, keep in mind the many challenges that entrelac presents the designer with. The fabric has a tendency to bias; it tends to be stretchier than regular knitted fabric; it features a very distinctive textured look; the surface of the fabric isn't completely flat and won't drape the same way other knitted fabric can, given its structure; and it can be harder to accurately measure gauge. Bortner does address many of these issues throughout the book, particularly in the last section which focuses on design. But the challenges presented by the technique, and the way entrelac fabric behaves, may affect your opinion somewhat of the finished designs. (For example, if you don't like basketweave-style patterning or checkerboard motifs, you may not be that enthused about a book full of basketweave-y patterns.)

In sum, then, you'll find comprehensive technical background and a generous selection of projects intended to help the new entrelac-er to master the intricacies of this unique style of knitting. Bortner's love of entrelac shines through on every page, and her enthusiasm is bound to entice many more knitters into giving entrelac a try.

All photos copyright 2010 by XRX, Inc. & taken by Alexis Xenakis

September Book Report

And another month flies by. Here's what I read:

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann, was an interesting look at a British explorer named Percy Fawcett who made extensive trips mapping the Amazon of South America. Fawcett was a colorful character, and at the age of 57 -- a bit old for the physical hardships of trekking into the jungle in 1925 -- he began what would be his last expedition: a search for a lost city of gold that he was convinced lay hidden in the rainforest. Fawcett sent bulletins updating his family (and the public) on his progress, but then one day, the bulletins stopped coming. Fawcett was such a larger-than-life figure and had survived many dangerous treks before, so it was some time before his family and friends began to truly worry. He was never seen again, and exactly what happened to him remained a mystery.

Fawcett's disappearance led many subsequent explorers to attempt to follow his trail and either "rescue" him or discover exactly what happened to his expedition. None were successful, and over time, many others disappeared too. "The Lost City of X" is the attempt by the author, a New Yorker writer, to follow in Fawcett's footsteps and conclusively answer the questions surrounding Fawcett's disappearance.

I enjoyed reading this book, not the least because I knew nothing about Fawcett, and am completely ignorant about trekking through the Amazon. Grann alternates in the book between telling Fawcett's story and telling of Grann's own journey in Fawcett's footsteps. An interesting read, especially if you are interested in explorers, the Amazon, or man-against-nature struggles in general.

A few weeks ago, my oldest kid was looking for some new books to read. He was flying through the Lemony Snicket series and wanted some other books to intersperse with the various books in the Snicket series. He'd read many of the books I remembered loving as a kid, although some of them were less appealing to him since they featured girl protagonists ("Anne of Green Gables"?). So I started looking around for more recent preteen and young adult books that he might like. One of the books that kept coming up again and again was Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I love reading and rereading children's books and had never read any of this series, so I decided to give it a go. "Inkheart" tells the story of a book repairer who is able to read books to life. By reading a book aloud, a character in the book may appear in the real world, or an inanimate object from the story may appear. The book repairer and his daughter embark on a series of adventurers when a villain from a book who has been released into the world seeks out the book repairer, wanting him to call forth riches and other powerful things by reading them out of books. I really enjoyed the book, and am giving it to my kid for his to-read list; in the meantime, I'll probably tackle the sequel (Inkspell) at some point soon.

An Impartial Witness by Charles Todd. Regular readers know that I've read pretty much every book in Charles Todd's Ian Rutledge series of mystery novels, set in post-WWI England. Todd has begun a second series featuring a woman detective named Bess Crawford. I scored a free review copy of this book from Amazon Vine, and very much enjoyed this police procedural. Bess Crawford is a nurse on the front lines of France in WWI; while on leave, she sees a woman involved in an emotional scene at a train station. A week later, she sees the woman's photo in the newspaper; the woman has been murdered. It turns out that Bess has a more personal connection to the victim; Bess nursed the victim's husband on the battlefield, where he clutched a photo of his wife while in hospital. A quick read and although maybe not quite as intense as the Rutledge series, it was nice to enjoy a somewhat less angst-y read (although given the WWI setting, it isn't exactly Carnivale).

Charmed by "The Graveyard Book," I decided to read another Neil Gaiman book, and chose Neverwhere. This is a fascinating read, full of colorful characters with a real breadth of imagination. Gaiman creates a parallel world that exists in the underground of London -- the underground meaning "under the ground," in tunnels and sewers, but also in the London Underground as in the subway. Once again, I heartily enjoyed the book. Gaiman has amazing creativity in creating this underground world; I loved the numerous puns he created from various Tube station names, as well as his very direct and engaging style of writing.

Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout, won the Pultizer Prize for fiction, and I know Ms. Bridget Clancy enjoyed reading it a while back. This is another book that bridges the novel form with short stories, but it does so beautifully. Each story focuses on a different period of time, in which the main character, Olive Kitteridge, appears, either as a main character or occasionally as a minor character. Either way, we see a new side of Olive and learn more about what makes her tick. At the beginning of the book, I wasn't sure I liked Olive very much, but the book was so well-written that it kept drawing me back to read another chapter. By the end, I'd found that Olive had grown on me. Definitely worth checking out.

My kid's language arts class began their fall reading with The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Oddly, I'd never read the book, so I decided to give it a go and read it along with my kid's class. I dutifully read the first few chapters in tandem with him, but got quickly sucked into the story and ended up finishing the rest of it all in one night. The book is about a group of "greasers" in the 1960s who are picked on by the "socs" (the preppy rich kids), but it really touches on a lot of things -- adolescent yearning, family ties, bullying, social class, appearances vs. substance, what is heroism, the essential unfairness of life -- and I was shocked to learn that the author was only around sixteen years old when she wrote it. While the slang and certain aspects of the book feel a little dated (had to explain to my kid what a drive-in movie was!), the book still manages to have a lot to say.

An Advancement of Learning by Reginald Hill, is the second Dalziel and Pascoe mystery in the venerable British police procedural series. Again, I liked the book but didn't love it; I suspect the series will continue to grow on me and since it's so well-regarded, I'm going to continue on as soon as I can find No. 3. This particular murder mystery takes place at a college in England. When a statue is dug up to be moved as part of a construction project, the old corpse of a former headmistress is discovered underneath it. The book was written in the early 70s and does feel a bit dated with its look at the 70s counterculture.

So that's what I read this month; you know the drill: tell me what you thought of these books, or recommend some to me, or tell me what you've been reading lately.

Save the date

This time I really mean it: block out the weekend of November 13-14, 2010, for a special BBF extravaganza at Loop in Philadelphia. There will be lots of BBF yarn, all my BBF patterns with lots of samples to look at, kits, all the beautiful stuff you normally can find at Loop, a class taught by moi -- and as if that weren't enough, A Very Special Guest.

More details coming soon...

Oh dear. More fabulous yarn for me to covet.

You've probably heard already, but just in case you knit under a rock, Brooklyn Tweed (a.k.a. Jared Flood) has just released his own yarn line, with a beautiful tweed offering called Shelter. You can go right to his website for all the details, or if you live in Philadelphia, you can go to Loop to see the yarn in person (and, I have no doubt, leave with a big bag full). The colors are luscious, no? What a wonderful way to start the month of October.