Spiderman

Last night, my husband and I finally watched the first Spiderman movie.  If memory serves me correct, this movie was a RAVE with all the menfolk, but I don't recall much of what women thought of it.

All I can tell you is that each time Spiderman shot webs from his wrists, is that it was an endless supply of fiber.  I don't know if in the second movie they have him married off yet or not, but if not, then they may soon have more women swooning over him than anticipated if they all start thinking like me.

Imagine being married to a man that can "spin" up your fiber for you at a moments' notice.  No need to be worried about gauge; running out; dye lot ... yeah, and that would be another thing to investigate ... how to dye those luscious webs into a wonderment of color.

Have you ever looked at a freshly spun spider web?  It glistens and shines.  Think of that for the next garment you have in mind!  (LOL)

Now this idea of using the webs to create fiber out of did not entirely come out of my mind ... the movie makers did make the Aunt into a knitter and so, well, one thought leads to another, right?

                                                   ~.~.~

For those wondering if I went to yesterday's meeting or not, I did.  J

And a lot of it had to do with, besides the meds, Holly, who I mentioned in yesterday's post, who wrote back to me stating she took my advice! 

I took your advice and changed my Crochet Guild membership to a professional membership.

I just wanted to do cartwheels when I read that.  Then she gave me a dish of her own advice:  I think you should go to your meeting!!  It might just be the thing that will put you over the top toward feeling better.  And if it doesn't...it probably won't kill you.  Life is way to short to miss anything we don't have to miss.  I wish I had a crochet guild in my area.  I'm thinking of starting one but I really don't know how to go about it.

Thank you, Holly!  I took that advice and went to the meeting -- and it was a shot of happiness that really perked me up!  We had so much fun together; I'm really glad I went!

Holly is not alone in wondering about how to start a crochet group, so I think I'll address that in tomorrow's entry.  For now, I'll leave you wondering about what it would possibly be like to work with a fiber made by an insect.  Well, technically, we already do, if you think about it a bit more ... from a worm.  It's called "silk."

"Hook Crochet"

When we start to play with the vocabulary in our Crochet World, it's interesting of what we'll learn.

I have a page on my website dedicated to the way crochet is pronounced.  In a nutshell, it's a French word, and that means the "t" sound is ignored.  So it's really "croshay" that we're saying.

So, if we take the French word, Crochet and mix it with another French word, velour, we get (drum roll please!) VELCRO!

So in thinking in this line a bit more (hey, when you're sick & all you can do is just "be" it's amazing what the mind comes up with), I wondered if there was velour yarn.  So I hopped on the Internet this morning and sure enough, this website is offering a velvet yarn safe enough for babies to enjoy: kertzer.com/babyvelvet -- I'll have to make myself a note to see if I can get a skein of this locally to try.

Holly sent me a Get Well-Wish email and said, "I enjoy reading your blog and so have followed your back problems on top of the virus.  Poor thing. I'm amazed that you can keep up with your blog."   Holly, you're not alone in that thought.  Fortunately for me, my dear husband has abandoned his laptop.  Alright, he didn't abandon it.  I took it over.  It's mine, mine, mine, and he's not getting it back!  Ever!  (That is, unless he asks.)  The laptop has been a lifesaver for me, helping me keep in touch, and semi-productive for the past month.

Now today is my Crochet Club's monthly meeting.  I've never missed a meeting since we began it in 2001.  I am at war with myself as I so want to go!!!   I wouldn't be able to speak, so our Vice-Presidents would have to handle the aspect of running the business section of the meeting ... And it's such an important meeting, too,  as I have goodies I want to raffle off to members that couldn't make it to the Conference, there's voting for our upcoming Anniversary to be done, a presentation by Margaret Hubert about the Process of Getting Published, and one of our members will be going over how to create a designer scarf.  I am feeling slightly better; I think the antibiotics are helping (I know the pain meds are because I've resumed drinking & eating soft foods)  so my energy level is higher.  Do I dare go?  It's in 4 1/2 hours.  I mean, if something were to go wrong, I couldn't be in a better place as the meeting is held inside of our local hospital....  Do I dare go?  Hmmmmmmmmmm......

Thumbs, er, HOOKS UP: Crochet Fantasy

      As I'm still not up to par: still unable to speak, or swallow without being in sheer pain (the tylenol with codeine is now taking care of that problem, as the antibiotics attempt to combat this nasty germ I picked up from GKW! -- and to top it off, I'm still dealing with my two ruptured discs too -- I refuse to let these things beat me down!...), I got rather excited when I my husband handed me the latest issue of CROCHET FANTASY that came in the mail.

     Knowing Ponchos are all the rave, it was wonderful to see some variations in this edition, along with some gorgeous sweaters ... including a pattern for a man's sweater, all to consider trying.  But what got my heart pumping with the most excitement, was a new addition to the magazine that they're calling an "installment."

     It's called "Kids' Corner" and it's for "...getting the word out and [to] attract a new generation to the craft of crochet, [they] decided to dedicate a section of [their] magazine to the designs that will appeal to a younger audience."   I showed the section to my young daughter, who dabbles in crochet, and she got so excited!  She couldn't believe that a publication had thought about kids crocheting and she said, "This is MY section?!!"  -- isn't that great!!

     I'm looking forward to flipping through the pages some more, but thought, if you are a subscriber, or would like to become one, then you might want to know where I get my subscription from.  I get it through magazinevalues -- through this link I only pay $6.97 for my year subscription, and I help my Crochet group raise funds that permit us to travel the tri-state area, teaching and promoting crochet while helping our local community.

     In the meantime, I'd like to thank all of you who are sending me email well-wishes.  That means so much to me!  I promise to personally respond to each and every one just as soon as I can.  J

Toying Around

Who was I trying to kid yesterday when I said I'd wait and finish the knitting project I started on the wooden needles before going to my new Denise interchangeable set?

I must have been delusional with my 103 degree fever (no joke, I'm actually not feeling well, and think I got some sort of "Summer Flu") when I made that statement.

I was awake for a total of about three hours yesterday, and it was in the morning that I had the longest stretch of "functionality."  So I picked up the wooden needles that are said to be a size 9.  Then I put the cables together and set it up with a size 9 too.  But before starting, I opted to roll the wooden and the acrylic needles between my fingers.  Are they the same size?  No!  They didn't feel like it.  The acrylic felt a bit smaller! So I grabbed the acrylic 10s and rolled them between my fingers with the wooden needles; they felt to be the same in diameter as the wooden.  (It is true that I could have actually measured them, but that required more strength & energy than I had at the moment.)

So, I worked the little piece I already started off the wooden and onto the acrylic.  Wow, I actually saw an increase in speed as the yarn and the needles seemed to enjoy each other's company!  Since I started running low on energy I let my thoughts drift into what I could create with this little experiment I was toying with.

I settled on a poncho for my daughter's Barbie.  When it was about 2 1/2 wide I cast off, and inserted my hook, joined the ends and at the bottom I crocheted a border using the Loop Stitch.  For the top, I crocheted a ribbing (3 stitches high).  It came out quite cute; my daughter loves it as she can use it as a poncho, skirt, or top for her Barbie.  I didn't have enough strength to sew my ends in -- that will have to wait until I'm feeling better.

Again, today, I've slept most of the day away.  But as was true yesterday, I had more strength in the morning ... so I decided to knit another little sampler ... six rows in size 10, six rows in size 9, six rows in size 8 ... and so on.  I only got to the size 8 and had to put it down.  My goal here is to see how the sizes of the needles effect the drape/texture of the yarn.  I do want to note that the yarn says to use a size 2 needle ... but yesterday's little experiment with the 9/10s made for a very soft fabric.

I want to urge others who are curious to toy around too.  Make swatches with hooks/needles too big, or too small as what the manufacturer recommends.  You'll learn a lot about the yarn/thread characteristics, and might stumble upon one that you just love the end results of! 

My New Toy

Yesterday, I did it -- I returned to work!  It felt so good to be back in the store, teaching.  And buying!  (lol)

From reading Maggie Regetti's book, she highly recommended cabled needles (I still have such a hard time of saying needles ... I keep calling them hooks!), and I had a gift certificate I've been sitting on for the past 8 months (eight months!  I know, I know -- I just wanted to be sure of what it was that I wanted to spend it on!)

So, this is what I decided upon.  I choose the Denise Interchangeable Needle system, along with four skeins of various yarns that I'll be using to design a crocheted ponco with.

Each knitter in the store took a look at my knitted scarf, and acknowledged I had some "trouble spots" but declaired it "...good over all" and that "...the tension looks good, except at the end where it looks like you lost interest and wanted to just get the project done."  There wasn't much laughter, either, as I had expected.  Just a "chong" of the gong they hit in honor of my scarf.  They were impressed with my edges ... I smiled and said, "Thanks, they're crocheted!"

At the end of my first class a lady came and sat at the table ... she was knitting.  I was discussing with one of my students that I seem to enjoy twisting my knit stitches.  I must be reading Maggies books too much as I would have sworn, based on the image in the book, that this lady was Maggie.  She was just as sweet as can be, taking the time to show my (crochet) student and I the magic of using twisted stitches and "untwisting" them.  She declaired the technique as faster, and of course I was all ears.  She then introduced herself to us -- Barbara, it turns out, is her name, but in my mind, I'm thinking "that's Maggie!" 

So last night I took my new toys, the Denise needles, out of the case and just toyed with assembling them and such.  I want to finish the fabric I have on my wooden needles that I started first.  I don't want to end up with a zillion knitting projects as I do with crocheting!  J

 

PS: If you'd like to learn more about the Denise Interchangeable Needle system, just click onto the image above.

Audio entry

Yesterday, late in the evening, I found my missing needle.  Mysteriously, it lay not far from where I placed it, and next to it lay a shiny blue crochet hook.  Hmmm, I wondered, how did that get there?  Of course, I let my imagination wonder:

     There, in the corner, he stood.  He wasn't pleased with the coo and decided to step forward.  "I think we owe Woody an apology," he said quietly.
     At first the hooks didn't hear him, so he repeated himself as he gently pushed through the crowd.  "I said, I think we owe Woody an apology," and added, "and I think we should return him to his twin." 
     The boyes looked over towards this hook that was now speaking up.  "What's this," quipped Milward, "why should we?!  Because of him and his twin, we're being ignored!" 
     Clark chimed in, "Yeah, but Ms. Dee paid the ransom.  Didn't we each get a skein of yarn like we asked?"
     Members of the Balene Battalion smiled at each other, as this meant that their mission was successful.
    The hook that first spoke up was now standing next to Woody, working on turning him loose.  Woody looked at him and wondered why he was helping him, being his hero.  Once freed, he said to Woody, "Go to your twin, and help Ms. Dee learn your ways.  Show her that although your speed may be slow, it's technique that she wants.  She'll appreciate hearing that from you as that's her creed." 
     Woody looked at him, as did all the other hooks.  He continued, "There is room enough for the both of us -- and in time I'm sure we'll be working together."
     Susan Bates stood and decreed, "Let it be known today, on behalf of this great hook who stepped forward, that the rivalry between us and needles is no more!  Let it die here, and let it be known throughout all the land, that we can work in the same owner's hands!"
     Bones slapped his knee and said, "Well, I'll be golly!  That's the way it should be!"  They all laughed at this, and cheered. 
     During this time, Brittany looked over to Aero and asked, "Who was that shiny blue brave hook that spoke up?"
     Aero looked over towards him with respect, and replied to her, "Why, that was 'Hero!'"

Now I want to add, that my husband inquired, after reading yesterday's Journal Entry, if, after paying the randsom, I was setting myself up for more needle kidnappings.

I told him that I don't think so, as there seems to be a slow understanding emerging between the two groups.

And sure enough, I finished that scarf last night. I finished knitting it, added a simple crochet border going around, and then added some fringe.  It may not be perfect, but that's OK.  My first crochet pieces weren't perfect by any stretch of the imagination either. J

 

NOTE:  All the names used in this imaginative story of mine are all actual names of Crochet Hooks, and that no needles were hurt in any way.

Fiber Art Rivalry

As a passionate crocheter, I've long known about "rivalry" between us and knitters.  And I've come to the conclusion, based on my new knitting experiences, on why:

1. Knitting is ssss  llll oooo wwww.  I mean, come on already, five days into working on this scarf, and it's still not done?  If that were crocheting, it would have been done in five HOURS!

2.  Crocheters use more raw materials.  About a third more.  This means when we shop at our local yarn shops we buy more leaving less behind for the knitters.

3.  In reading Maggie Regetti's book, she says there is only two stitches in knitting, the "knit stitch" and the "purl stitch."  Oh, I think that's the root of the problem right there as there is so much more to crochet!!

4.  Knitting needles are susceptible to kidnappings.  I think this is what happened last night when I set my knitting aside to assist my husband with some DSL trouble shooting (don't ask!) ... when I came back to resume my knitting, one of the needles was missing.  I swear I think my crochet hooks banded together and kidnapped it.  I can only imagine the scenario...

     "What's your name and rank?" yells Silver Goose.
     "Mmma-my name is "Woody" and my rank is size 9" whimpers the needle.
     "Are you aware, Woody, of the grief you're giving our Ms. Dee?!" shouts JPR.
     "I swear, I don't know what you're talking about.  Whhhat did you do with my twin?" asks Woody.  "Where are you holding him?"
     It's been a long time since the boyes have seen any action, so they all gather around, they sense the questioning is just starting to get good. 
    "Our Ms. Dee has been working on a scarf for days now, why isn't it done yet?!" barks Clover.
      "It's not my ffffault, really!" replies Woody nervously, "it's Ms. Dee!  Sssshe just doesn't 'get' it!  I can sense with my twin that she really misses you guys!"
    "Is that a fact now, Woody?" replies Grafton.  Grafton looks at Susan Bates, the ring leader who gives a simple nod, upon which they start exiting the room to have a private conversation.  But before leaving the room, Grafton looks back at Woody and replies, "Don't even think about going anywhere or we'll turn the Graydogs loose!"

I hope you read this lightheartedly, as it was written, I'm still a newbie to knitting and reserve the right to change my opinion(s) ... what's this? excuse me just a minute ...

     hmmm, what's this note?

Give us each a skein of yarn, and we'll turn the needle loose.  You've got five minutes to respond before we convert him into a tunisian hook. 
                                   Signed, the Balene Battalion

Oh dear!  Wish me luck ....  J