Posted on 10/12/2005 6:35:50 AM PDT by Knitting A Conundrum
Good question, common problem. I finally got bold and claimed the entire basement for my 'messes.'
My kids are in their 20's, still mostly living at home, but they each have a good sized bedroom to call their own. Sadly, I'm the slob of the family, but I can keep it confined, finally.
I don't 'sneak' things in, but I don't make grand announcements, either. lol I just keep reminding them all to be happy I'm not addicted to furs, jewlry or alcohol. And I make them sweaters, quilts and blankets periodically. ;-)
Pinz
That sounds awesome! Your own little fiber retreat! :-D
Pinz
I should introduce myself.....
I do most fiber stuff, spinning, weaving, knitting, crochet, embroidery, sewing, quilting, etc.
I play with a Medival reenactment group, and do most of my research in the years between 1000 and 1600. I can tell you alot about knitting in the Middle Ages. ;-)
I'm determined to get to work on my looms this winter, a 60" Cranbrook countermarche, 24" Leclerc rigid heddle and assorted inkle and small box looms. I've got a $200 bid on a 60" Macomber loom for doing Colonial overshot coverlets. The bids close Saturday, my fingers are crossed.
I quilted my first vest during the first round of Clinton banking hearings, way back in the early 90's. I try to have an engrossing hand project to work on durings hearings and big political scandals. I don't know if Free Republic has saved my fiber art, or just warped it a bit. lol
I've been known to Freep while making socks, especially through long political threads. Actually started hard core sweater making during Carter's administration because it was a way to get through EVERY article in Newsweek to try to make some sense of National politics. I was in my early 20's then.
I made my mother a set of 4 needlepoint chair cushions during Nixon's Watergate hearings.
When my 4 kids were little, I would read knitting and weaving books while I nursed them at naptime or at bedtime. Now I'm free to use that information, just got to make the time. Hence the need to Freep and knit.
Thanks for a wonderful thread, Knitting a Conundrum, I've enjoyed your comments and webpage since the Laci threads last year. :-)
Pinz
Have you ever gotten on the Historical Knitting list at Yahoo groups? Most of the hard core users are medieval reenactors of various stripes...although they tolerate us 18th and 19th century types (I reenact the Federalist period...persona is centered on about 1790. I wanted a period with no war going on...just heading west. Hubby's getting too old to play soldier and he hates drill. Hubby's got a secret wish to reenact the 900s, but he just can't leave the black powder alone).
But the knitting I like best is probably the 1840s-1880s...lots of cotton work!
Yes, I am. I'm Mistress Susanna, in Atlantia. ;-)
There are some amazing minds and talented fingers on that list. I'm pleased when I can keep up, and ecstatic when I find an opportunity to actually make a contribution. lol
Pinz
It is an amazing core group of knitters...It's been awhile since I posted last, but I do like to sit back and watch.
I mostly make afghans to give as gifts. Here's one I made for a friend's son.
Not that I know of unless you can sort the names out in a word program. I just made a second copy and used that to sort. I started with the first two names and went down the list.
Morning, fellow crafty ones...
Want to trade some favorite sites for reference and patterns?
What I know most is knitting.
There are some great places out there.
here are some I really like:
Wool Works:
http://www.woolworks.org/
(has some nice free patterns)
The main index for the Knit List Gift pattern index. (The Knit List has been collecting patterns that people donate as christmas gifts to each other for years. Some great patterns!)
http://www.knitlist.com/ListGifts.htm
Knitting Techniques. She has created animated gifs that go through various hard to explain techniques
http://www.dnt-inc.com/barhtmls/knittech.html
Fiber Link from the Fiber Gypsy
a collection of files and links that are very useful, especially the one about "Charts and other helpful resources"
http://www.fibergypsy.com/index.shtml
The Socknitters home page - very important for us socky tyeps.
http://www.socknitters.com/
And although about.com drives me crazy sometimes, they have a great knitting page:
http://knitting.about.com/
There are a lot more but these are some of my favorites.
I'm left handed and was my grandmother's only daughter. She grew making all her own clothes and tried to teach me. It was frustrating for her though since I "commenced" the opposite of where she did but I did learn to sew and was making my own doll clothes when I was nine. I did a lot of cross stitch until my eyes got weaker. Now I knit and crochet and applique. One of my life ambitions is to make a quilt but I have six of my grandmother's masterpieces around the house so am not terribly motivated.
I first discovered Rush while weaving in my studio on dark winter afternoons in Vermont. I guess my craft was instrumental in my politcal progression.
A friend of mine knits right handed and crochets lefthanded...figure that one out...
Jellybean, I like that!
During the 19th century, things we call afghans were often called quilts, These were always as far as I've seen, made of blocks like pieced quilts.
Them is cute babies!
Thanks for all the links - bookmarked it!
OOOhhh, beautiful pattern.
I think early scarves were woven. Knitting takes a long time to create fabric that weaving can do in a flash.
I'm going to pass along your scarf pattern to my youngest daughter who is well on her way to becoming a fiber fanatic, bless her heart. She's already asked me if she can have my fiber tools and books when I die. I said, "Of course!" The rest of my kids said, "Good, we don't want that junk!" lol
Off to weave 14 yards of trim for edging on 7 sideless surcoats...
What hand candy do you all have planned for Harriet Miers' hearing?
Pinz
One advantage of not watching TV is that I will be getting my info from FR, which is one level less intense...but I will either be knitting a sweater (nice and lacy, a pattern someone wanted me to help debug for her, and done on BIG needles (size 13!) instead of my usual fingering yarn and size 1 or 0).
There is a hat pattern I knit. It is done in the round. It has 8 decreases in it. So I use 9 needles to knit it...why do people give me such strange looks when they see me knit one?
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