tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68839895380462791282024-02-18T20:40:52.971-05:00Anne, Now from KnitTraders of KingstonNow: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.comBlogger217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-85529678415003996062012-10-11T20:56:00.003-04:002012-11-09T13:50:38.188-05:00How to find the NEW KnitTraders Blog.<div style="text-align: center;">
We have begun a completely new blog for <strong><a href="http://knittraders.blogspot.ca/2012/10/cooking-in-siena.html">KnitTraders of Kingston</a></strong> and will be posting class information and updates about our <strong>Knitting Tours</strong> as well as other bits and pieces that are of interest to our customers. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please find the new location at </span><a href="http://knittraders.blogspot.ca/"><span style="font-size: large;">knittraders.blogspot.com</span></a></div>
Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-37612553797900573062012-04-01T22:55:00.000-04:002012-10-11T19:36:17.162-04:00New Name - Kingston's same great knitting (and more) storeFirst of all, for all of you good Catholics out there, you will recognize the slightly amended formula: <strong>"Bless me readers, for I have sinned by slacking off. It has been 4 months since my last Post."</strong> <br />
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But I really can't claim that it has been slacking off at all. I've just been busy with the most exciting thing to happen to our store since opening day: September 12th, 1996. As of <strong>April 1st, 2012</strong> (and no, it is not an April Fools joke) <strong>WOOL-TYME Kingston</strong> will become :</div>
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It's a simple story that, like so many other aspects of our life, can owe its origins to the internet. The fact is that for the past 15-1/2 years we have had, and continue to enjoy a wonderfully close and friendly relationship with our sister store: <strong>WOOL-TYME</strong> in Nepean, just outside of Ottawa. But as our Kingston store's internet presence began to grow we were having more and more confusion about the WOOL-TYME website, which is solely owned and operated by the Nepean store. </div>
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It was embarassing to us and confusing to many customers, especially out of town shoppers, explaining how 2 such stores could exist in relative proximity to each other with the same name yet not carrying the same products nor offering necessarily the same services to their customers. So between us: Theresa de Vries - the original franchisor, and I- Anne from the Kingston store, we decided that the time had come to make things clearer for everyone by having us adopt a new name. </div>
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6964181099_77e1ec67bc_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7205/6964181099_77e1ec67bc_s.jpg" /></a>And might I add that I <strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>love</em></span></strong> the new name, the logo and the icon which can be seen on our Ravelry pages. I can credit Alana - my long suffering and wonderful manager, for coming up with the name, and our friends at DigiGraphics in Kingston for the fine-tuning of the logo. </div>
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But the down side is that with all of the extra tasks that we want to accomplish to spruce up the store with the new branding, I am sadly going to have to put the blog to bed. We will however have a blog type feel to the<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.knittraders.com/"><strong>new website</strong></a>, and you can continue to follow what is going on at the store by <a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=001nkQbX5l1Qs-nn2wMx7M4VpwB2N4fw46z7hgA-d8XIBUNogjzVoO7haqAvaooDfKCcQ2edHrN8KOwsOWxmyZlb5IenGMy99-L"><strong>signing up for our e-newsletter</strong></a><strong>.</strong> </div>
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</a>So, don't forget us at<a href="http://www.knittraders.com/"> <strong>KnitTraders</strong></a>: New name, same great store. And be sure to visit us often at the new website where you can follow the birth of a fun new on-line home for <strong>Kingston Largest Knit and Crochet Centre. <a href="http://www.knittraders.com/">www.knittraders.com</a></strong>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-39336676326775866992011-10-10T16:41:00.002-04:002011-10-11T11:29:00.609-04:00Dublin - Part two and finale.<div style="border: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6049/6234228963_02523d1243_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6049/6234228963_02523d1243_m.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6221326861_d37e12219c_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">ee</a> One could be excused for wondering if any actual knitting got done on the <b>Irish Knitting Tour</b> when reading these blog posts. Well the answer is that yes, some of us got a fair amount accomplished but there were also games of bridge, pints of Guinness, glasses of Jameson's, shopping and just some good ol' chin wagging that had to be accomplished as well. </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">Here are some pictures to prove that I did take my knitting quite seriously while I was there. This is the lower body of a jacket that I'm making for my sister-in-law who turns 50 next summer. Those of you who follow this blog may remember that I have committed to knit each of my siblings and their spouses a sweater for their 50th birthday. As my youngest brother turns 50 in Dec. 2012, and he is 6'5", I decided that I would try and get a head start on his wife's sweater as his will probably take me a good long time. </div><br />
<div style="border: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6234754244_263fe7952f_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6234754244_263fe7952f_m.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I also brought one of the kits that we had in the store for one of my favourite patterns: The Ridged Baktus Scarf. I chose this one because the colours were just so darn Irish. It is made of 2 different bamboo yarns and I had not have much chance to knit with bamboo. I'm loving it, and although I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this particular scarf I might just keep it as a souvenir of these 10 days on the Emerald Isle. </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6221463821_a7413a9d20_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6156/6221463821_a7413a9d20_z.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><div style="border: medium none;">On our last morning in Dublin <b>Abbey Tours,</b> who had done such a wonderful job of organizing all of our travel, had set up a fabulous workshop at <b>Winnie's Craft Cafe</b> with Pauline Gallagher to teach us the basics of Irish/Aran knitting through her pattern for the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/oisin-owl">Oisin Owl</a> (pronounced Osheen owl) which can be found on Ravelry. </div><div style="border: medium none;">Pauline's handout has an absolutely fabulous history of the Aran sweater, showing how inaccuracies and creative interpretation of half known facts lead to a world of "Blarney". It is so good and concise that our guide, Gerry asked at the front desk of our hotel to make a copy. The front office manager was so impressed that he also made a copy for himself, as he said he was never sure what to tell people when asked about the truth about these gorgeous but often misrepresented garments. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6221983788_76dbab72a3_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6221983788_76dbab72a3_z.jpg" width="200px" /></a> Although all of our members look like are very dilligently at work in the picture here, what you may not notice right away is the EAT sign in the back. Just to the left of this picture is actually the most magnificent array of baked goods that you can imagine, and we were all treated to a tea/coffee and traditional scone as part of the workshop. We just felt so spoiled. After all of this wonderful knitting activity everyone got to go into the store part of <a href="http://winniethewoolwagon.com/index.php/home">Winnie's Craft Cafe</a> to do a little shopping. </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6100/6221982874_c17e76893d_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6100/6221982874_c17e76893d_m.jpg" width="200px" /></a> </div><div style="border: medium none;">Marina Hand (in white) is the owner of <b>Winnie's</b>. An accountant who, by virtue of the recession, was forced to make some life changes and difficult choices and now finds herself having the time of her life greeting people and helping lots of young mom's and others who come in to sit at the cafe and work on their knitting projects. </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">I had assumed that there was a human Winnie involved in this story somewhere but was surprised to learn from the website that Winnie has an interesting history herself: </div>Meet <a href="http://winniethewoolwagon.com/index.php/about">WINNIE, the Wool Wagon.</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6102/6221462915_382384b0d2_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6102/6221462915_382384b0d2_m.jpg" width="200px" /></a>Winnie lives outside the Craft Cafe in Booterstown district of Dublin. Winnie, the wagon originally came to help Marina in her effort to bring beautiful wools and other yarns to the masses in local fairs and markets. She and Marina have now found a lovely home together, serving the knitters of Dublin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6221326861_d37e12219c_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6221326861_d37e12219c_m.jpg" width="150px" /></a>Before I leave my tales of Dublin and Ireland, I must tell you of my most amazing discovery. On the first day of the tour I heard someone mention Tim Hortons. Gerry, the guide asked nonchalantely: "Oh, do you have Tim Hortons in Canada?" I couldn't understand the question, it seemed so odd. Then we discovered that "SPAR", the Irish equivalent of Mac's Milk, has a coffee service in many of their stores that is supplied by Tim Hortons. This one happens to be in the SPAR store just next to Winnie's, and having been so royally treated to goodies at their cafe, I didn't get a chance to try it, but I'm told that it's just like home. </div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">So on Wednesday evening we were driven to the Abbey Tavern for an evening of traditional Irish food and entertainment. We returned to the hotel with way too much packing and organizing to do. But all got attended to and somehow all 32 of us managed, with our guide, Gerry and our faithful bus driver, John to line up for one last group picture. I'm almost reticent to see that picture as it was such a bittersweet time of parting. </div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It's funny. My nature and my personality is that I'm always up for the next thing. I love change, I love new things. Yet, this was a hard goodbye to a land that is struggling in the face of grave economic uncertainty with a brave and willing smile. It was an honour to have spent this time in such a wonderful land and with such a rich and resillient group of people. </div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-50842188810445468152011-10-10T15:21:00.000-04:002011-10-10T15:21:38.203-04:00The last days in Dublin - part one.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6223837775_2369e54f91_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6223837775_2369e54f91_m.jpg" width="162px" /></a>I've decided to share a bit more of the non-knitterly lore that we absorbed while in Ireland, and this is one of my best finds: <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.co.uk/recipes/banoffee-pie.html">Banoffee pie.</a> As you can see, it is a pie formed with a biscuit crumb crust topped with Dulce de lece or cooked caramel pudding, then a layer of sliced bananas and finished off with meringue or whipped cream. It is truly a work of genius (and this from the woman who isn't even that fond of bananas). </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If you link to the recipe above, you will not come to the one pictured here, but I chose this illustration because it looked most like the piece that I had at Moll's Gap, an absolutely amazing gift shop and tea room deep in the heart of the Killarney National Park. The ingredients to make this particular Banoffee pie were a bit too foreign for what we could find here in Canada, so I opted for a more achievable recipe that I found on the UK Food Network. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/6223899429_7675e72bea_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6045/6223899429_7675e72bea_m.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> I will now share with you some of the Irish Gaelic that we picked up: </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As you have probably learned by virtue of repetition each St Patrick's Day, a very popular term and one of the only Gaelic words that most of us know is<span style="font-size: large;"><strong> slainte</strong></span>, which is actually pronounced a lot like the French: "sante", both of them meaning about the same thing - a good wish with which friends toast each other when sharing a drink. (You will excuse the lack of accent marks as I'm not sure how to make them work on this keyboard.)</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We were also told that if 2 friends meet each other, the first would say to the second: (phonetically reproduced here) <span style="font-size: large;">Dia Gwich</span>, or "God be with you". The respondant, not to be outdone, would say (again, take my Gaelic with about a shovel full of salt) <strong>Dia Maire Gwich</strong>, or "God and Mary be with you". A 3rd person joining the group would be greeted with the addition of St Patrick or one of the other saints being added to the list, and on it would go. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As the daughter of two Cape Bretoners, I've been exposed to a fair amount of Scots Gaelic on trips to the maritimes and immediately recognized <span style="font-size: large;">Failte</span><span style="font-size: small;"> as meaning "Welcome", but I'm embarassed to say that I never learned how to pronounce it. I now believe that I wouldn't embarass myself too much if I were to say "Falcha" to a Gaelic speaker who came into my store. </span></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">And easiest of all, <span style="font-size: large;">Galore</span> simply means "lots".<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6114/6221845232_e97043889a_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6114/6221845232_e97043889a_m.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6221324349_8d8829167e_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6221324349_8d8829167e_m.jpg" width="200px" /></a>While planning this trip, I had made contact with members of the Dublin Knit Collective through Ravelry. We were going to join them at their regular Tuesday evening meeting at the Moda Cafe in South Dublin, not too far from the Mespil Hotel where we were staying. When they heard how many of us that there were, they offered to come to us. So at 8pm on Tuesday, October 4th, about 35 knitters swarmed the lobby of this relatively classy hotel, moving furniture, bringing in chairs from the bar, chattting, laughing and generally having a great knitting sharing session. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>We met Ger, Olive, Mary, Anne and many others. It was absolutely fabulous. The most amazing thing was that although we were planted right in front of the hotel's relatively busy front desk, people checking in just simply went around us, all the while trying to figure out what this gaggle of women of all ages was doing. We actually had several other women who were staying at the hotel with other tour groups, join us too. Knitting...the universal language.<br />
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Next post will be the about the lovely time that we had at Winnie's Craft Cafe. What a home away from home. Everyone on the trip was trying to figure out how I could incorporate such a cafe in our store. </div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-88618559647906481112011-10-07T22:01:00.000-04:002011-10-07T22:01:41.583-04:00Connemara and StrokestownIn the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I am writing these last 2 posts about our <strong>Irish Knitting Tour</strong> from home. I've been telling people that I'm being dragged back into the real world kicking and screaming, not at all ready to let go of the magic of these 10 days. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6238/6221843548_a27d7566a9_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6238/6221843548_a27d7566a9_m.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just look at this picture taken in front of the <a href="http://www.sheepandwoolcentre.com/">Leenane Sheep and Wool Centre</a>. It was an absolutely stunning drive north from Galway through sparsely populated countryside. The steep hills on either side of the road (with but a mere 4" of shoulder on either side of a single generous lane) were marked with traces of "lazy beds", the completely inappropriate name for the hand built furrows in which potatoes were traditionally planted before the <a href="http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Irish_Potato_Famine_(1845%E2%80%931849)">famine of 1845-49.</a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6221321337_4823758472_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6174/6221321337_4823758472_m.jpg" width="150px" /></a>As we arrived at the centre, we were met with the great news that all merchandise in the store was <strong>20% off</strong> as an end of season clearance incentive. This call to retail action did not go unheeded. And although it was not a very sheepy treasure, I did buy myself a bracelet of silver and beautiful Connemara green marble. I love it!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Patricia, our guide at the museum, gave us a great demonstration on everything from shearing to weaving the wool from local sheep. <a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6223/6221843172_fa9d37cbc0_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6223/6221843172_fa9d37cbc0_m.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Don't you just love this magnificent piece of fabric art. It was made by a French artist for a local woolen mill from pieces of "jumpers" made by the company. When the mill closed, they asked if the museum would like to purchase the piece, and it holds a prize place at the museum's entrance. Too bad you can't see much of the detail in this less than adequate photo, but the aran fleece on the ram and the texture in the rocks can give you an idea of the detail of execution. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6232/6221843848_e46f82b022_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6232/6221843848_e46f82b022_m.jpg" width="150px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The next day, we made one final stop on the way back to Dublin at the <a href="http://www.strokestownpark.ie/">Strokestown Park and Famine Museum. </a>This is a picture of Deirdre. I don't think that it's an exageration to say that Deirdre pretty much ran the whole show while we were there. As we arrived, she was working in the gift shop and setting up displays. She led us on the tour of <strong>Strokestone House</strong>, a faithful preserving of a way of life that was coming to a shabbyish end for some of the great families of Ireland in the 20th century. It was fascinating to see, not just a hint of the oppulence of their glorious past, but the sad decline as times and resources changed. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After the house, Deirdre introduced us to the only museum in the Republic that houses the few remaining documents of the years during and after the great famine. What was particulary impressive was the link that was made between the conditions that led to the famine in the mid 19th century and its dire consequences, and the famines that plague different areas of the world today.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Then we went to the centre's <span style="font-size: large;"><em>most excellent</em></span> cafeteria where I had a tuna salad with real fresh tuna, that was definitely the product of false advertising...they absolutely should have noted that it was <strong>Salad For 4! </strong>Amazing. Oh, I forgot to mention that Deirdre was on the cash register in the cafeteria and then ran back to the gift shop when all were served. She was a wonder, and a beautiful one at that. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6238/6221844776_eac57df3d3_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" kca="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6238/6221844776_eac57df3d3_m.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">After lunch I took a walk through the walled garden of Strokestown House. Since reading <strong>The Secret Garden </strong>as a child, I've always wanted to see a real walled garden, and this one is a prize. Again in keeping with Strokestown House's commitment to portraying life as it really was at the end of the era, the garden has been allowed to grow beautifully wild around the perimeter while the croquet lawn in the centre is immaculately groomed by the full time gardener. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Just before leaving for the airport, we found out from our very favourite bus driver on earth, John, that we had completed 1800km of driving in the 10 days in Ireland. Now you must realize that only about an hour of that was at our habitual North American speed of about 100km/h. I figure that the distance of 1800km probably represented about 30-35 hours on the roads. That which kept us cheerful and sane were the stories that our guide, Gerry, shared with us as we passed different points of interest. History, geography, botany, geology, current events, all manner of Irish lore and a good crash course in Gaelic were what we were treated to. Gerry knew it all. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
So we were a little surprised when we drove through Longford later in the day and Gerry commented: "Ah, yes, the town of Longford...What can one say about it?...Not much actually." But then he remembered about a lovely young woman from the town who moved with her new husband to Chicago (I think) and had a son before they moved on the Australia. They named their son after the patron saint of the Longford: St Mel. You guessed it. Mel Gibson's mother came from Longford. Unfortunately, St Mel's church burned last year and they are in the middle of a campaign to rebuild it. You would think that it's namesake would foot the bill. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The last post will cover our wonderful time in Dublin before we headed back to Canada. I'll try and get to it tomorrow, before my brain gets too pulled back in to the swing of the old life and loses touch with the magic. </div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-20865727215103026812011-10-05T06:50:00.000-04:002011-10-05T06:50:48.018-04:00A knitter's Mecca: The Aran IslandsThis was one of the days that we were all awaiting with great anticipation, the Aran Islands being the birthplace of traditional Irish knitting patterns. But it really must be said that the Aran knitting tradition must be one of the most myth surrounded types of knitting ever. We really weren't sure what to expect on Inis-Mor, the largest of the 3 islands steeped in Gaelic tradition.<br />
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A few interesting details that we learned from our local guides:<br />
-It isn't too difficult to buy land on the Island but in order to receive a permit to build on the island, you have to have lived there for 7 years and be a fluent Gaelic speaker.<br />
- Unlike many of the areas of Ireland, they recycle and reprocess almost everything that can possibly be recycled right there on the island. The small amount of waste that doesn't fall in to that category has to be transported to the "mainland", which of course is the island of Ireland.<br />
- <a href="http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/West/DunAonghasa/">Dun Aengus</a> is the largest of the <b>prehistoric</b> stone forts left on the Islands. Our guide helped us situate it in time by saying that it predated the "Braveheart" area.<br />
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As we drove by that former pub, we were told that it was now the local KFC outlet.<br />
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This picture shows what appears to be a palm tree in the front "garden", as they call it here, but it's actually a form of Australian Yucca tree which flourishes in this weather but does make a rather odd sight <br />
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As for the shopping part of the journey, there were a few sweater outlets, including <b>An Tuirne, </b>where we met Rose (how I wish I had had the presence of mind to take a picture of her)<b> </b>who is one of the youngest traditional knitters left on the Island. We may have left our mark on the Aran tradition of knitting by introducing Rose to<b> Ravelry </b>and showing her a few of our Canadian interpretations of the Aran traditional knitting. It might be a portal through which young Aran residents can be enticed to become knitters.<br />
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Down by the ferry docks there are a series of shops, including the Aran Sweater Store where Jen displays what appears to be a replica of our Block Afghan back at WOOL-TYME Kingston. We were amazed!<br />
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There is no question that one has to be very careful when choosing a sweater to buy. Like in any other tourist centre, there are different levels of authenticity and quality offered in some of the shops, but without question, the real McCoy is easily available on the Island.<br />
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Anyway, all in all it was a "grand day", as they would say, and we had a "good crack", mixing with folks from all over the world on the ferry and on the walk up to the fort, then lunching with the locals at Ti Joe Watty's pub , with the best seafood chowder that I have ever had.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-50960382701191005692011-10-03T10:21:00.000-04:002011-10-03T10:21:05.945-04:00Bunratty to Galway<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6207678602_512fa0479b_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6169/6207678602_512fa0479b_m.jpg" width="200" /></a>The problem with having more fun than you believe possible is that it leaves very little time to get on the computer to blog about all the fun that we're having. </div><div style="text-align: left;">Here we're at <b><a href="http://durtynellys.ie/">Durty Nellie's pub,</a> (est. 1620)</b> just outside of <a href="http://homepage.eircom.net/%7Enaughton/bunratty.htm"><b>Bunratty Castle.</b> </a>The unusual thing about Bunratty is that unlike most of the ruins of ancient castles and forts that we passed along the way, this is a fully restored "tower home" which shows how the family would have lived over 500 years ago. Most of the furniture is actually from that period, and unlike many curated exhibits, most of it is still in use and fully available for visitors to investigate. The concept of sitting at a 500 year old table really boggles our relatively young North American minds. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6207678990_13e40a0565_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6177/6207678990_13e40a0565_m.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Making our way towards <b>Galway</b>, which we will use as a base for the next 3 days, we stopped off at the <a href="http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/"><b>Cliffs of Moher.</b></a> Absolutely stunning, and the "access ramp" that was along side the 300 odd steps to the top was a bit of a joke. I couldn't imagine any electric wheelchair or human pusher who could make it up those hills. We did however see a fellow with a golf cart, which explained that what we took for a "ramp" was more likely a small track for the few motorized vehicles on patrol. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6207680426_ca6ed29a5d_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6207680426_ca6ed29a5d_m.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Besides being distracted with exciting activities that keep me away from my blogging duties, the only other problem that we are encountering are that our guide, Gerry and our bus driver, John have completely spoiled us for any others who will ever try to fill their shoes on future tours. They have both gone way beyond the call of duty when it comes to being flexible about changing routes and plans. And add to the mix that they're both as funny as can be, well, we're trying to figure out how we can kidnap them and bring them home with us. It was particularly wonderful to have them join us for a REAL Medieval Feast in a 17th century castle where <b>King Jason and Queen Tammy </b>presided over the company.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6159/6207168005_80c76d1b7d_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6159/6207168005_80c76d1b7d_m.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-18607486049035372522011-10-01T03:14:00.000-04:002011-10-01T03:14:48.724-04:00The Ring of Kerry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6199132414_072fbcb2cf_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6164/6199132414_072fbcb2cf_m.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>Killarney</b> is a wonderful city for tourists: it's small and gentle enough to feel wonderfully welcoming and authentic, populated with locals who love to meet people from away, yet it offers everything that you could imagine. Here we are visiting <a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6145/6199132806_469c4a0188_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6145/6199132806_469c4a0188_m.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://s/">Muckross House</a> , a typical grand home where Queen Victoria visited for 2 days in 1861. It took 6 years of work to complete the preparations for her visit, including the weaving of 2 rugs for her bedroom suite. <br />
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The <b>Ring of Kerry</b> is Ireland's version of the<b> Cabot Trail in Cape Breton,</b> but as I mentioned in an email back home, the road through <a href="http://www.killarneynationalpark.ie/">Killarney National Park </a><br />
makes our Canadian trail look like the 401. This is a picture of one of the wider stretches of road. As they don't have snow to plow here, there are barely any shoulders to the roads, perhaps 18 inches. This view shows cliff rock on either side, but just around that bend is a sheer drop of hundreds of feet on the outside of that tiny road edge. And remember, this is a wide section of the Ring's roadway. <br />
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One of our group asked the guide if there was anywhere to camp in the National Park. He was completely perplexed at the question; what on earth would possess anyone to want to pitch a tent on this land?<br />
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<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6199152500_841722954d_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6199152500_841722954d_m.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Kinmare</b> is the home of the world famous <a href="http://www.kenmarelace.ie/">Kenmare Lace</a>, a tradition established by a convent of nuns who spent a good part of their lives learning and creating these beautiful details. The curators of the exhibit found a prize book with a note to the Mother Superior, who was astute enough to recognize that to promote the sale of their magnificent work, it was important that it be seen in competitions around the world. The note in the book said that as the sisters were not interested in receiving the prize medals for their work , would they accept this commemorative book.<br />
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While in <b>Kinmare</b> we did some shopping in a wonderful Irish craft store. I was speaking with a lovely young lady there who told me that she had come to Canada for a visit when she was ten. She went on to say that they first arrived in Hudson's Bay at Churchill, Manitoba. I was thinking: "How sweet, but she must have made a mistake." She then went on to explain that they were on a "cruise" that went from Iceland to Greenland into Hudson's Bay, then they "paddled" (she said) on to Vancouver. I was amazed by visions of this little 10 year old with her family, paddling voyageur style through the waterways of Canada to the West coast. I was relieved when I realized that she must have meant that the cruise ship brought them around to Vancouver. What an experience either way.Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-84404448053869986722011-09-30T13:06:00.001-04:002011-09-30T13:07:14.439-04:00Waterford to Blarney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6197314432_9ae428f886_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6197314432_9ae428f886_m.jpg" width="128" /></a></div><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6197314704_5e1b9f73e7_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6197314704_5e1b9f73e7_m.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
After leaving Dublin, our bus driver was a real trooper in accepting to do a little detour to <b><a href="http://www.cushendale.ie/">Cushendale Wollen Mills.</a></b> Well, actually it was more than the bus driver who was a bit inconvenienced. Imagine the mill owner receiving a call at about 4:55pm to warn him that a bus load of Canadian knitters was on its way for a visit...when he generally closes at 5:30!<br />
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I bought some of this interesting fibre. It's cut from the edges of the woven mohair blanket/shawls from <b>Cushendale's. </b>I'm not sure what anyone else would do with it, but I made a scarf in literally 10 minutes by making an open chain stitch of the entire 140g of it, then I cut the chain in 3 equal lengths and tied the ends in to a large knot and braided it very loosely. Voila!<br />
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<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6197314950_2f476b6699_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6178/6197314950_2f476b6699_m.jpg" width="150" /></a>In <b>Waterford,</b> we toured the showroom of the <b>Waterford Crystal factory.</b> When I first saw the details of the tour that our travel agent, Pam had put together for us, I was thrilled to see that rather than being a retreat, exclusively for knitters, there were many quintessentially Irish attractions that had been built in that would appeal to anyone, the tour of the crystal factory being one of these activities. Consequently we have enjoyed the company of 4 non-knitting spouses and a non-kniiting sister, all of whom seem to be enjoying themselves tremendously.<br />
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Here is a picture of one of the prototypes of pieces being worked on at the Waterford plant, which will be used as gifts during the<b> 2012 Olympics in London. </b><br />
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<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6196800075_2aae3c548c_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6196800075_2aae3c548c_m.jpg" /></a>At<b> Blarney Castle </b>a good number of our stalwart gang actually climbed the 140+ stairs up to the top of the castle to hang upside-down over the side in order to position themselves to do the requisite kissing. I took pictures from below looking up at their gymnastic efforts but they didn't turn out very well. I decided to share instead this nice picture of the castle (which, through the magic of digital photography and photoshop, I was able to straighten the towers so that they would be perpendicular to the ground, and not leaning as they seem to do in real life. )<br />
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<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/6196799663_18036de2b3_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/6196799663_18036de2b3_m.jpg" /></a>This beautiful garden on the grounds is deceptively peaceful looking. In fact it is the <b>Poison Garden</b> with signs like the one below posted everywhere describing the poisonous properties of each of the plants featured, including Mandrake of Harry Potter fame.<br />
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My favourite part of the <b>Poison Garden</b> was the giant iron web which enclosed but 2 little poppy plants. I was confused, especially when I read the horticultural sign, which identified the exhibit as <i>cannibis</i>. Then I read the other sign that said that the marijuana plants had been confiscated by the Garda (police) and they were hoping to replant the exhibit next season when the licensing issues had been taken care of.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6196799961_b331a502c4_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6196799961_b331a502c4_m.jpg" /></a></div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-20967047722674249862011-09-28T18:44:00.000-04:002011-09-28T18:44:12.438-04:00In Dublin Fair City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/6193483744_546aebf9df_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6011/6193483744_546aebf9df_m.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Here we are in Ireland on the first day of the<b> 2011 WOOL-TYME Kingston Irish Knitting Tour</b>. 32 of us from Montreal to Hamilton are on the tour, with Gerry, our guide and John, our bus driver. <br />
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A lovely flight and a busy first day, especially considering that most of us got minimal sleep time on the overnight flight, but we had a great time today anyway.<br />
<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6189615957_fcd43de89f_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6163/6189615957_fcd43de89f_m.jpg" width="200" /></a> First of all, let me tell you about the serendipitous situation that happened with <b>Lisa</b>, from <b>This Is Knit,</b> the only and loveliest yarn store in central Dublin. I had made arrangements several weeks ago for us to see Lisa and her staff in her shop then on Saturday, she emailed me to say that due to some odd circumstances they would be moving their store on the very day we would be arriving, but that we would still be welcomed and she would keep the traditional Irish section of her "old" store intact for us to visit, which we did. We also got to stick our head into the new digs which opened at noon today. It's absolutely wonderful and happens to be next to a fabulous tea room which we also visited. What a feat to have accomplished their move all in just a few hours. Link here to <a href="http://www.thisisknit.ie/blog/?p=1509">their blog</a> to see more pictures and read about it. <br />
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<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6024/6192952341_8ec36718d2_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6024/6192952341_8ec36718d2_m.jpg" width="200" /></a>Here are a few other things that we discovered about Dublin on this first day:<br />
They LOVE beer, which is synonymous with Guinness here. <br />
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<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6193460704_3dec719ef4_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6162/6193460704_3dec719ef4_m.jpg" width="200" /></a>They are a bilingual country, with the Irish Gaelic appearing everywhere above the English on their signs. <br />
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<a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6193468976_ee35ee7d41_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6193468976_ee35ee7d41_m.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6193461858_d2eebabd16_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6171/6193461858_d2eebabd16_m.jpg" width="150" /></a>They love their stories and folklore here, as seen in the statue of <b>Molly Malone,</b> of song fame, and the street musician sitting at her feet, and in this other beautiful sculpture at the <b>Garden of Remembrance</b> where the Queen, during her historic visit to Ireland earlier this summer, laid a wreath to remember all those who died in the conflicts with Britain in the past. <br />
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On to Waterford.Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-80536519999981727442011-09-21T17:31:00.000-04:002011-09-21T17:31:14.077-04:00MAGGIE JACKSON is coming soon to ONTARIO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6170594536_544796f2ea_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="200px" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6161/6170594536_544796f2ea_m.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><style>
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</style><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: -0.25in;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://www.rosehavenfarm.net/index.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></div>For those of you who aren't able to join us this year on the <strong>2011 Irish Knitting Tour,</strong> here's a great way to console/treat yourselves and get a bit of a taste of what the new Irish Knitting is all about. <br />
Linda from <strong>Rose Haven Farm</strong> has arranged for a whole weekend of activities and workshops with Ireland's knitting queen, <strong>Maggie Jackson</strong>Three days of immersion into Maggie's world is a very special treat.<br />
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The following is the full scoop and registration form. Don't miss out. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">...Big news for knitters and fibre artists. We have Irish knitting diva, <strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Maggie Jackson of Maggiknits</span></strong>, here for a Fashion Show and 2 days of workshops in October from <strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">October 7 - 9.</span></strong> Mark these dates if you wish to have a fun knitting experience. This is her first time in Eastern Canada. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See <a href="http://www.maggiknits.com/"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.maggiknits.com</span></a>.<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"></span></strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Maggie will be coming to our shop in Picton for 3 events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can come for any or all them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All will be held in our shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who wish to stay over night we can offer accommodation ideas, although we have tried to schedule the events so you have options.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Maggiknits Fashion Show & Wine & Cheese ~ Maggie Jackson, October 7</span></strong><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Fashion Show with Wine & Cheese: Friday, October 7, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.; Fashion Show at 5:30 sharp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wonderful opportunity to see and try on many kinds of Maggiknits garments and to share time with Maggie herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check out the books, materials, kit options and which work for you!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Cost: $20.00 including wine & cheese. Max. 50.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">See over for the 2 days of workshops.</span></strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-element: para-border-div; padding-bottom: 1pt; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding-bottom: 0in; padding-left: 0in; padding-right: 0in; padding-top: 0in;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Registration Form</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> (pre-registration by phone, email or email is required)</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Name:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>________________________________________________________</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Address: _______________________________________________________</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Phone #: _______________________________________________________</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Email: _________________________________________________________</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Please indicate which event you wish to attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Payment can be by VISA/MC, cheque, or if in the shop, debit or cash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The 2 workshops will have a $30 deposit on each required to insure attendance</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Should you wish to attend all 3 events there is a savings, as the package fee will be $200.00.</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Fashion Show with Wine & Cheese<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$20.00<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>____________</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Workshop 1 Oh No Not another Scarf with materials<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>$100.00<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>____________</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Workshop 2 Wearable Art with materials $100.00 <span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>____________</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Package – all 3 events $200.00 <span style="mso-tab-count: 5;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>____________</span></strong></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Please make </span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt;">cheques out to: Rose Haven Farm</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and mail to Rose Haven Farm Store, 187 Main Street, Picton, ON K0K 2T0.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call for VISA / MC 613-476-9092.</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" /></span></strong><br />
<strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">Workshop 1 ~ Saturday, October 8 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong><em><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14pt;">Oh No Not another Scarf</span></b></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Garments will be available during the day. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">10:30 - 4:30, ½ hour lunch break </span></div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Cost: $100 includes class materials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Max 20</span></div><div style="margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">By the end of this class Maggie hopes the piece you will make will NOT go towards a scarf but one of the other design options she shows in a table runner, a pillow, a purse, a shawl, a wall hanging, etc. Maggie will have you thinking "outside the box" by making holes in your work, joining her renown tubes and working a Ladder stitch. She will show some finishing techniques for the project and give advice on what she learned from being a Fashion Designer doing Ready to Wear for 25 years selling to emporiums such as Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom and having 45 knitters. Samples of these stitches will be shown on garments to stretch your creative thinking.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Needles 4.5 - 5 mm, preferably wooden, bamboo or plastic to work with the linen and others (as metal needles are slippery). Scissors, darning needle. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Workshop 2 ~ Sunday, October 9 </span></strong><em><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Wearable Art</span></b></em></div><div style="margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Garments will be available for viewing during day.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">10:30 - 4.30, ½ hour lunch break </span></div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Cost: $100 includes class materials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Max 20</span></div><div style="margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">This class is a combination of various small squares which can be put together after class to make a scarf or towards a larger project. We will make knitted and fabric bows on a square, a ruffle stitch with a tube and 2 coloured picot tube, knotting yarns to make a loopy stitch, to name a few. Samples of these stitches will be shown on the garments to stretch your creativity. </span></div><div style="margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Needles 4.5 - 5 mm, preferably wooden, bamboo or plastic to work with the linen and others (as metal needles are slippery). Scissors, darning needle. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 11pt;">Please note that refreshments will be provided but lunch will be at the cafe of your choice in Picton. We will provide a list of nearby places. Food may be brought back to the shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All events will be held at the shop. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-9238044338635335152011-09-07T16:59:00.001-04:002011-09-07T17:03:18.205-04:00EXTRA EXTRA, Read all about it.<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Who says that summer is a slow time for knitting? We've been busy all summer with new customers discovering us, tourists and cottagers making their annual pilgrimage to see us, stocking up on some of their favourite yarns. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/5567418083_77ab3e4aa7_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" nba="true" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/5567418083_77ab3e4aa7_m.jpg" /></a>The press also seem to have caught on to the impact of knitting. Or could it be that it has just been a slow news summer? Of course not, it's because the most important thing happening in the world during the week before Sunday, Aug. 7th was the <strong>2011 Sock Summit</strong> in Portland Oregon, which found its way to the front page of the <strong>Toronto Star</strong> on that day. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Quoting people like <strong>Stephanie Pearl-McPhee</strong> and <strong>Anna Zilboorg</strong>, reporter <strong>Kenneth Kidd</strong> proclaims that sock knitting is dorky, absurd and silly, but 6000 knitters still showed up at the convention to share their love of sock knitting with others. Designer, <strong>Cat Bordhi</strong> had a cute way of expressing it. She sees sock making as the sports car driving of knitting: "A sock is like a curvy mountain road. You can't see around the corners."</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6199/6124988664_971d21849d_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" nba="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6199/6124988664_971d21849d_m.jpg" width="177px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Then we have the rather odd situation of the duel going on between <strong>Margaret Atwood</strong> and <strong>Mayor Rob Ford</strong> about the relative importance of libraries to Canadians. At one point the author suggested that she would knit a likeness of the mayor as a form of protest, I believe.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I wasn't quite sure what the meaning of knitting a person's likeness was, but it did seem significant in the way that she phrased it. That being said, you can <a href="http://www.canadianliving.com/life/community/interview_with_author_margaret_atwood_2.php">link here</a> to the interview she gave to <strong>Canadian Living</strong> some time back where she speaks a bit about her knitting. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6066/6124398771_c0f0abdb82_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" nba="true" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6066/6124398771_c0f0abdb82_m.jpg" width="147px" /></a>A bit later in the summer, we had a chance to take some holidays out west and upon arriving in Victoria, my brother gave me a copy of the <strong>Monday Magazine</strong> that he had just picked up, which featured a cover story about the coolness of knitting.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The pair in the photo are <strong>Ryan Davis</strong> who I met on my trip out west last year, and <strong>Stephanie Papik</strong>, co-owners of my favourite knitting shop in Victoria: <strong>Knotty by Nature</strong>. (Don't you just love that name?)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The article included something that I've never seen in print before...a list of tips for those who are hoping to continue being on the receiving end of a knitter's gift. Here they are:<br />
-<strong>Treat the gift with the utmost respect</strong>- Don't lose a mitten or get a hole in the sock. (I would add, being the fallible sort myself, that you should act at least as horrified as possible if you do misplace or overuse said gift.)</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">-<strong>Thank the knitter profusely for their time and effort.</strong> I asolutely agree that only people who appreciate the real time cost should receive such gifts. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">-<strong>Don't look at knitters in public like they're lost and can't find their way back to the nursing home. </strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now, here I take exception. The author of this statement, a cute little 20 something who is pictured knitting in a local cafe, goes on to say: "I think the biggest misconception is that knitters are all 50-year-old women. There's this stigma attached to it. It's really fun and it's modern and vintage at the same time."</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">WELL! I can only hope that there was a typ0, and that she was not suggesting that 50-year-olds aren't cool and belong in the nursing home. I knit in cafes, I can be cute, if I try. These young'uns...</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I must leave you know, my walker needs oiling and my dentures need a bit of polish too. </div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-46848600306238715202011-08-05T10:02:00.000-04:002011-08-05T10:02:57.780-04:00Fit to Flatter - Amy Herzog<div style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzGXxH5m6Ob6yyDKn8xtykGxDC1UvfPHTP3iOoIl8c7yOc2MXN9yZPeTXkae1RG1CHtxVbPqufE5ctXu4OWjUrRHr53DGR3bvW60Yrh2doYCx4Vw7P5EfqtONnbuvt5e7cmnc7RAJFq0/s1600/Fit+to+Flatter.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzGXxH5m6Ob6yyDKn8xtykGxDC1UvfPHTP3iOoIl8c7yOc2MXN9yZPeTXkae1RG1CHtxVbPqufE5ctXu4OWjUrRHr53DGR3bvW60Yrh2doYCx4Vw7P5EfqtONnbuvt5e7cmnc7RAJFq0/s1600/Fit+to+Flatter.bmp" t$="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to <a href="http://www.amyherzogdesigns.com/f2f/">Amy Herzog</a>, my very own <strong>Oracle at Delphi</strong> when it comes to choosing styles that look good on a given body. Doesn't she look marvelous in this lovely blue deep V-neck sweater with the elbow length sleeves and the subtle horizontal striation in the colouring. There's a reason why Amy looks great in a garment incorporating these design elements, and you too can discover these secrets and make them work for you. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy160jPb0MDYI7CMij1uCqz6C18wuwgRMHkCegH4BX-51O7_TjPBTN_2o61zwIJ0jMtQBpuiG72C3yOC_hTIgtK3yIrnWqV7UNYzgHGhOB-4UPzXazQ0XxiZkQuv8L3-hOsjMcZa7tok/s1600/Fit+to+Flatter2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>So, before I end up sounding too much like a late night info-mercial, let me explain that I was introduced to Amy's on-line tutorial, <a href="http://www.amyherzogdesigns.com/f2f/">Fit To Flatter</a>, through the latest edition of <strong>Knitscene Magazines</strong>. I was hoping to, once and for all, eliminate some of the styles that I shouldn't even look at when clothes shopping. What I found was the true motherlode of fashion sense, and 123 pages of how to feel good about and work with your body, whatever its shape and/or size.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>In Amy's words, these tutorials cover basic principles of knitting to flatter your figure:<br />
<br />
•Determine your body’s inherent shape<br />
•Discover how the visual elements of clothing alter that shape’s appearance<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">•Choosing patterns and making modifications to those patterns that will change the appearance of your shape in the ways you desire</div>•Achieving a custom fit.<br />
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy160jPb0MDYI7CMij1uCqz6C18wuwgRMHkCegH4BX-51O7_TjPBTN_2o61zwIJ0jMtQBpuiG72C3yOC_hTIgtK3yIrnWqV7UNYzgHGhOB-4UPzXazQ0XxiZkQuv8L3-hOsjMcZa7tok/s1600/Fit+to+Flatter2.bmp" t$="true" /><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This is a comparison picture of Amy wearing her good sweater and a bad sweater, which looks a lot like one of my choices over my knitting career. Read on:</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Having developed my own "fashion sense" based on my adolescent shape, which was more like a bottle of Perrier than a bottle of Coke, (look them up, you'll see what I mean) I resolved that my image would be best served by covering everything up with an army jacket, a poncho or very loose fitting tops, which - I kid you not - sometimes had fellow passengers on the subway looking at me sympathetically, and asking when the "little one" was due. At 23, I lost 40 lbs but never did develop the bust or the curves that most people consider desirable when choosing their fashionable wardrobe. <br />
<br />
At 12 when I knit my first sweater for myself, I was probably not as big as I felt that I was, but the concept of fashion was way down on my list of goals for this project. <strong>Completion, cost</strong> and <strong>coziness </strong>were prime. Every Saturday I would take the bus to Freeman's on Rideau St in Ottawa and purchase another skein of bulky royal blue pure wool to complete the next segment of my sweater. I can't remember how much wool went into that sweater all together, but it did take up most of my babysitting money for several months. The result was that I achieved all 3 of my goals, but it was obvious that fit had not made it onto that list. I would guess that the finished chest was close to 55" and my brother and I could easily have fit in it if we were standing back to back. But that was of no consequence...I wove a long red shoelace through the cast on edge to give it some sturcture, and proudly wore my sweater whenever I was cold in the house. (I think that I realized that it was not a design worthy of sharing with the public, no matter how proud I was of its completion).<br />
<br />
This experience taught me 2 very important lessons that I've used both in life and in knitting over these past 35 years: Go head first with what motivates you. And don't ever be disappointed - there is always a way to fix results, or at least perceive them, even if it isn't in the manner that you expected. <br />
<br />
Well, that led to a life of knitting for other people: family, friends, and eventually for the store. As recently as last night at knitting class, I justified this situation by affirming that I prefer to knit for others because I get to see the finished project more than I would if I was wearing it. I believe that is probably a cover up for the fact that in the venn diagram of my knitting life, what I like to knit and what I like to wear have very little overlap. <br />
<br />
I can justify the time that I'm spending learning these fashion precepts by calling it professional development. At the store, we are often asked for opinions as customers choose patterns that may be gorgeous on the model, but it would be nice to have some sense of confidence in discerning whether it will suit the intended recipient.<br />
<br />
But truly I just want to feel a bit more confident in my own choices. I don't have time to be knitting sweaters that I don't want to wear once they're finished. <br />
<br />
<strong>A word of warning...</strong>You will notice that I mentioned that the full tutorial runs <strong><span style="font-size: large;">123 pages</span></strong>. I have been studying each of the first 30 of those pages that I've printed off to carry with me to review and ponder as I stop for a coffee, or go through the car wash for a couple of weeks already. <br />
In other words, this is not the on-line version of a little magazine article. There is information there that I'm sure is spread out over semesters of design study at any good college. But for me, and I'm sure for many others who would like to take the time, it's time and $10US very well spent.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Don't have time for the full "kit and kaboodle"?</span></strong> If studying 123 pages of excellent but intense concepts is a bit overwhelming, come and join <strong>Deb White's</strong> class, <strong>KNITS THAT FIT</strong> <strong><u>YOU!</u></strong> at <u><strong>WOOL-TYME Kingston</strong></u> on <strong>Wed. Sept. 28th,</strong> from 6:30-8:30pm<strong>.</strong> Deb will be teaching how to make the knitting pattern that you choose work for you with particular attention to "tweaking" the original to make it fit the way that you want it to. <br />
Call the store at 613-384-3951 to register.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy160jPb0MDYI7CMij1uCqz6C18wuwgRMHkCegH4BX-51O7_TjPBTN_2o61zwIJ0jMtQBpuiG72C3yOC_hTIgtK3yIrnWqV7UNYzgHGhOB-4UPzXazQ0XxiZkQuv8L3-hOsjMcZa7tok/s1600/Fit+to+Flatter2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-22876886697488813862011-07-13T10:41:00.009-04:002011-07-13T11:39:05.355-04:00The Creative Process<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihU_clO0WOJF8YyFt0dlpr6qReE4gtsXYUBXyFMlncAGc5o92oSCwXj44OgF44vnTmSvaqPS6_UVUWTFfzzSYXd8MO4On7GipFnV2X99_jJ9IlgAKgPzGoNqKLkYfu62D-bhlCfGQjWC4/s1600/ondaatje_kim.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 160px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628856403671798866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihU_clO0WOJF8YyFt0dlpr6qReE4gtsXYUBXyFMlncAGc5o92oSCwXj44OgF44vnTmSvaqPS6_UVUWTFfzzSYXd8MO4On7GipFnV2X99_jJ9IlgAKgPzGoNqKLkYfu62D-bhlCfGQjWC4/s200/ondaatje_kim.jpg" /></a> <strong><em>THE CREATIVE PROCESS</em></strong><br />at Blueroof Farm</div><br /><br /><div align="center">Showing works of the past 50 years by Kim Ondaatje</div><br /><br /><div align="center">Until Oct. 31st, by appointment: 613 374 2147</div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">My blog and what I write is not just about knitting. It's about what I find interesting in the world around me, and what motivates me to keep searching for the best possible way to enjoy my life. This task obviously includes running my knitting store with the most fun, enthusiasm and creativity that I can muster. </div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="left"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">I don't know about you, but every now and then I look at my life and have a sense that everything that I've lived has led me to this particular situation. All my experiences (well, those that I can remember anyway, being in my 50's) are feeding how I see the world, how I respond to it, and what I bring to it creatively. </div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">This is exactly the point of Kim Ondaatje's exhibition at her magnificent <strong>Blueroof Farm, near Verona.</strong><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">Kim is one of our faithful customers, and she is the first to tell you that her patronage has nothing to do with her skill or love of knitting; we, at <strong>WOOL-TYME Kingston</strong> just happen to be the logical source for her most recent medium of choice...yarn to knit <strong>afghan blankets</strong> based on the colours of the four seasons, the collection of which is on display during the show. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">This is how Kim describes the presentation now on at the farm until Oct. 31st:<br /></div><br /><div align="left"><strong><em>The Creative Process</em></strong> </div><br /><br /><div align="left"><em>Certain experiences - even moments - in our lives cling to us like burrs. They drop into memory, a storehouse for our imagination and inspiration. If we are creative, they find their way out into our music, writing, performing or visual work. We are often unaware of this process. </em></div><br /><br /><div align="left"><em>Years may pass before we realize where the inspiration and feeling in a particular work originated. As an octogenarian, I realize that the longer we live, the more we understand what we did and why...</em></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="left">In the 2009 Kim was honoured with the <strong>Governor General's Award</strong>. In the awards catalogue, then <strong>Governor General Michaëlle Jean</strong> states, ”It is that collection of signs left by artists and artisans, both tangible and intangible that constitute the timeless heritage of humanity”. </div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 131px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628848749285499954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOH_YbvZj781klv0mQUjajB553bv88n7AN2xxGdGud7O2v2JXgz15LZ1UadtSYYhsOHziraCxwID0_TFp-mE-7z-CHV9YcU-NFwqqANMKFkeAhKRoNfoB4h0QDBQLFGZUm2iBjNlAFMyA/s200/Blue+Roof+Farm.jpg" />Now if that wasn't reason enough reason to head out up Hwy 38 to Bellrock Rd to immerse yourself in the beauty of all that you too can be, once you get there you are surrounded by the magnificence of Kim's greatest work of art: <strong><a href="http://bluerooffarm.donmacpherson.com/intro1.htm">BLUEROOF FARM.<br /></a></strong><br /><br /><p>Acres of beautifully landscaped terrain, with the greatest respect of an artist working with nature. Any of you who are willing to own up to a creative bone in your body, owe it to yourselves to make the short trek. Link here for details of a VisionTV feature episode of <a href="http://www.recreatingeden.com/index.php?pid=8&season=05&episode=66">Recreating Eden,</a> featuring BLUEROOF FARM.</p><br /><br /><p>When Kim first told me about the show she said: " Don't come alone. Find an artistic friend with whom to share the experience. But do come." What a great idea. Furthermore, as Kim notes, she is of a certain fine "vintage", and recognizes that she isn't likely to be on the farm for many more years. This is an opportunity of great value that we have been offered. I can't wait to get out there in the next couple of weeks. </p>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-15447886558300135372011-06-24T07:47:00.010-04:002011-06-24T09:02:31.362-04:00Only in Anchorage, Alaska you say?...Pity.<div><a href="http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01289/photodesk22lf1__1289259cl-8.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 459px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 302px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01289/photodesk22lf1__1289259cl-8.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>"Three-year-old Stevie Primera hangs onto a sheep during the <strong>Mutton Busting event</strong> at the 2011 GMC Truck Rodeo Roundup presented by Rodeo Alaska at the William Clark Chamberlin Equestrian Center in Anchorage, Alaska." photo by Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News/AP</em></div><br /><br /><div>This is an example of why I now love the <strong>Globe and Mail</strong> newspaper.<br /></div><br /><div>A couple of years ago we received a call from the subscription office at the Globe and Mail in Toronto, extending an offer that we couldn't refuse. They were reaching out to small businesses as a way to increase their distribution numbers and looking for a wider readership per newspaper delivered. Since then, we've been getting the paper at the store every weekday morning. By the time I get in to work, bring the paper home and get to read it the following morning, most of what's on the front page is old news but there's still lots to read that is current.<br /></div><br /><div>One of my favourite features is a daily photo pick (backed up by on-line notes of why the photo editors picked that particular picture). Mutton chops, pictured here, was Wednesday's feature that I had to share with you. Don't you love the kids face? Can't you just picture Sarah P. off to the side?<br /></div><br /><div>Here's another picture that I have spoken of previously in this blog but until recently Icouldn't<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsKzjeLIS-ENuS4AGbXirAzCinskonk22OPOVQApzKOFohLE15456UabGXvop1Wx_174LnmHfF9SBTONDl6d-GK7cvIULFLqSpDe4mcDigD4EaSKVLyCxOc_DPiGtHauGkQqTchaEl3A/s1600/a1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 152px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621755031120889586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsKzjeLIS-ENuS4AGbXirAzCinskonk22OPOVQApzKOFohLE15456UabGXvop1Wx_174LnmHfF9SBTONDl6d-GK7cvIULFLqSpDe4mcDigD4EaSKVLyCxOc_DPiGtHauGkQqTchaEl3A/s200/a1.jpg" /></a> find. Well here it is - a picture from October of 2000. That's me with my "little" brother and my Mom. I'm wearing a Kaffe Fassett inspired sweater that I made during the <strong>1994 Winter Olympics</strong>. (It just goes to prove that knitting Olympics was around long before the Yarn Harlot so cleverly turned the idea into an international avalanche of mutual supporters) I remember one of the actual events as my 3 1/2 year old commented while she watched Tonya Harding performing one of her figure skating routines, that she didn't like <em>her</em>, as she pointed to the television. "She looks mean." From the mouths of babes... You will remember Tonya resorted to some pretty nasty tactics to lessen the competition from her team mate Nancy Kerrigan. </div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Needless to say that Tonya and Nancy's spat has little to do with my sweater, or does it? It is a rather strident looking garment, don't you think? </div><br /><br /><div>In my defense, I remember that we didn't have a real yarn store in Cornwall, where we were living at the time and I had to resort to cobbling together yarns and colours that were available to me in a chunky weight. I also remember that winter I was feeling a need for BRIGHT colours as the winter dragged on. In hind sight, I believe that one of the reasons that I wore the sweater sparingly over the years was that I had to feel in a very out-going mood to sport it as it was the kind of garment that had people looking at you. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>You will notice that my mild case of ADD is apparent in that I seldom knit the sleeves to match the body of a sweater in those days. My point being that I was usually bored with the body pattern and wanted something easier and/or more interesting for the next part. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>As for fit, well, we did like our clothes baggy in those days, but that one was a bit excessive. I loved the coziness of it, but I do believe that it measured out at 62" chest. (I filled out about 40" of it.)</div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2qA_sfzgjcFNHzUxudVv6qZEzfTwV56mwgafU3Uq9stI_tLQGl30zoIwGClqQQmJgJvdeh_AVhk8OXQbY840uFftO7iVE62lT5Etk7dDSwgMHEKPdFn-K0ww3iUbwoLXj5MW5x-yZIA/s1600/block+afghan+project+003.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621764837819195618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2qA_sfzgjcFNHzUxudVv6qZEzfTwV56mwgafU3Uq9stI_tLQGl30zoIwGClqQQmJgJvdeh_AVhk8OXQbY840uFftO7iVE62lT5Etk7dDSwgMHEKPdFn-K0ww3iUbwoLXj5MW5x-yZIA/s200/block+afghan+project+003.jpg" /></a> As for what I've been doing lately in knitting, I'm having a great time assembling first the actual afghan for our upcoming <strong>BLOCK AFGHAN PROJECT</strong>, which is going to be a sort of on-going Knit Along, featuring a series of knitted squares of different stitch patterns. The squares were knit by a couple of my faithful knitters, then I got to put it all together...all 25 squares. I love it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>The kit will be available (for delivery beginning Sept 1st) in 3 sizes from shawl/baby blanket dimensions to a full 25 square double bed size. It can also be done in <strong>CASCADE 220</strong>- pure wool, in Cascade's brand new <strong>PACIFIC</strong> 40-60 wool/acrylic blend (which they say absolutely cannot pill), or in Patons <strong>DECOR.</strong></div><br /><br /><div>It's a big project - even now that the assembly is complete I'm working at putting the pattern booklets together and organizing the promotion for it, but this is all part of what I really enjoy of having the yarn store (and a good example of what I'm doing when you don't see me in the store.) </div></div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-90525333736640959672011-06-08T10:42:00.005-04:002011-06-08T12:48:51.465-04:00A little support?You know that the really nice summer weather is here when the halte<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2100/5811553745_b70657e53a_m.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2100/5811553745_b70657e53a_m.jpg" /></a>r tops come out.<br /><br />I found this one on a walk through downtown Kingston the other day, near Skeleton park.<br /><br />And while we're on the subject of support garments, although they may be the same colour, these socks below are definitely not your granny's support hose. They are featured in the latest edition of <a href="http://www.vogueknitting.com/vk360.aspx">Vogue Knitting Magazine</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/5812148706_f020fd92a6_m.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 153px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/5812148706_f020fd92a6_m.jpg" /></a>Designed by <strong>Alexandra Richards</strong>, these toe-up knee socks with brioche stitch designs are absolutely exquisite but I would definitely need some support if I ever decided to take on such a project - the kind of support that we get from friends and family when accepting the challenge of running a marathon for instance.<br /><br /><br />By the way, this edition of VKMag has been designated "early fall". I sure hope that they mean that they are offering suggestions for knitting projects appropriate for the early fall, because after the month of May that most of us in North America have just lived through, I for one am prepared to protest forcefully if we are suddenly jettisoned into early fall before we get our due summer. <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2419/5811812163_8cc484d668_m.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 160px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2419/5811812163_8cc484d668_m.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br />And as we await Game 4 of the <strong>Stanley Cup finals</strong>, how can we possibly talk about support without mentioning <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ultimate-canucks-fan-scarf">Tonya Raworth's Ultimate Canucks Fan Scarf</a>, available on Ravelry. To be fair, I tried to find an equally committed project in support of the Boston Bruins, but alas, Ravelry didn't have anything. I did however find a vintage Bobby Orr pom pom toque on Amazon for $27 but it seemed like a poor subsitute for the real thing from the fan's hands.<br /><br />By the way, we often have customers coming in to the store looking for a scarf pattern that shows off team names. I love how Tonya has done this one, using garter stitch for most of the scarf then graphing the letters to be knit sideways. She uses stocking stitch to work the graphed stitches, but I'm sure that the garter stitch could be used for most of it, employing the few purl stitches necessary to hide colour changes yet keeping the scarf from curling at all. Way to go <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/Hydrangel">Tonya!</a><br />By the way...<strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> Go Canucks!<br /></span></strong>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-89984799200505572012011-05-31T15:55:00.008-04:002011-05-31T17:17:05.281-04:00Doing what you do best...then combine it with something else<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeqJCGI45n6iHXb3njZ7nHVebsqfBPnLGQNdsSsl9feifyF46gkrNiYPnyxXqfbDfKOPuze8gcY99NCjV7twO2c7F5LN9-TmUpcvXMWYibKd3rRjsN9mpPel6RuRxBsIRmmpYW1hsweOI/s220/Robins5Avatar_edited-5.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 177px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPeqJCGI45n6iHXb3njZ7nHVebsqfBPnLGQNdsSsl9feifyF46gkrNiYPnyxXqfbDfKOPuze8gcY99NCjV7twO2c7F5LN9-TmUpcvXMWYibKd3rRjsN9mpPel6RuRxBsIRmmpYW1hsweOI/s220/Robins5Avatar_edited-5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />A couple of months ago I was contacted by Robin Hunter, whose blog: <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://knittingrobin.blogspot.com/">How to Become a Professional Knitter</a> has been gaining popularity. One of the features of Robin's blog is that she does interviews with people in the yarn industry, asking a series of questions about their attitudes towards the present and the future of knitting as well as about how they came to find themselves in this field. I was happy to be asked to participate- and the interview and my answers can be <a href="http://knittingrobin.blogspot.com/2011/05/interview-withanne-woodall.html">found here</a>.<br /><br />Robin subtitles her site: <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">a knitting blog about career tra</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">nsition, personal development and the search for fulfillment.</span> I love it.<br /><br />When I was teaching school, I spent most of my career telling my Grade 8 students to prepare for a world that is unlike their parents' world. There will be very few single career lives anymore, they will have to be flexible, creative, open to change and able to see value in unexpected situations. Although I had had many different jobs before coming to teaching, I really assumed that it would be my career for the rest of my working life. I never suspected that having joined those ranks at 30 that I'd be getting out at 42. But truly, as I look back on it now, I AM A TEACHER. No one will ever be able to change that about me. It just happens that a lay off notice in 1996 pushed me to follow the lessons that I'd been passing on to my students for 12 years: Be flexible! Embrace Change!<br /><br />So it would appear that Robin, like so many others including me, has done the career shift and has realized that it's not a matter of exchanging one hat for another, of wearing many different hats - sometimes simultaneously - sometimes in succession.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5226/5652942625_7a9b06caef_m.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 151px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5226/5652942625_7a9b06caef_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maria-Offin-Photography/186832824691000"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maria Offin</span> </a>approached me this winter to do a photoshoot at the store. Maria is a knitter who was wanting to expand her photography portfolio at this new stage of her life. And like so many of you, Maria recognizes the beauty of fibre and she was wanting to incorporate it into some of her photographic business. I was thrilled and have some great shots of the store to use including this one of me, that I must say, I quite like.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5765072540_477818105c_m.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 180px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5765072540_477818105c_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.kingstonfibreartists.ca/#%21__members/frankie-le-monde"><br />Frankie LeMonde-Meunier</a> is one of the featured artists from the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kings</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ton Fibre Artist</span>s on display at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">WOOL-TYME Kingston</span> store this month. Don't you love her crocheted garden? Frankie's Fibre Art is usually more of the needle-and-thread-and-fabric-and beads type. Here, she let herself go into another whole world of crochet crazy colours grouped together in a giant wild and wooly bouquet.<br /><br />Finally, let's hear it for Alicia Peltsch whose knitted brain was a very special gift, incorpo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/5762388389_0605d037ac_m.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 166px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/5762388389_0605d037ac_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>rating her grounding in neuroscience and her love of knitting. Here's how she describes it:<br /><div style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" class="notes markdown"> <p>When I graduated with a PhD in neuroscience I wanted to give my supervisor a non-traditional but special gift that was more “me” than the traditional bottle of scotch.</p> <p>Since I basically knit my way through my PhD to keep my sanity intact, I thought it would be only fitting to knit him a brain. He LOVED it! He even brought it to work the next week to show everyone.</p> <p><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dream-factory">I’ve finally attached the free pattern - enjoy!!</a></p><p></p></div>Each of us, Robin with her knitwear design and blog writing, Maria with her developing (pardon the out of date pun) career in photography, Frankie with the beauty of her crochet bursting into her other artistic media, Alicia with her statement of combined commitments, and me - taking the plunge all those years ago to opening the store into a world I love, have had to spread our wings over new territory, incorporating several aspects of ourselves that we know we're good at and developing a link between them. How lucky we are to be able to play in the same garden where we work!Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-83519570796350037462011-05-11T15:12:00.006-04:002011-05-11T15:58:51.589-04:00The Knitted Legacy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpQQGdcHs48ObA1mIPd5GtmPeMMkOYa95-Pmlpdq9VtRSpg8dx-_I5s6QIpUI2K7zk7J_9jy5X6ZHSAqyVTgUh_RLc2UQ3KlRhWphVcAMwgwKe4TU43WQnHSNYv8X9zSZwD_TXnCEcqw/s1600/baby+blanket.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605548552070187586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpQQGdcHs48ObA1mIPd5GtmPeMMkOYa95-Pmlpdq9VtRSpg8dx-_I5s6QIpUI2K7zk7J_9jy5X6ZHSAqyVTgUh_RLc2UQ3KlRhWphVcAMwgwKe4TU43WQnHSNYv8X9zSZwD_TXnCEcqw/s200/baby+blanket.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div>A couple of weeks ago I was listening to a noon hour call-in show on the radio and the question was: <strong>"How have you kept the legacy of a loved one alive after their death?"</strong></div><br /><br /><div>There were lots of calls about recipes, treks through mountains and so on. Then a call came through that had me nodding to myself. </div><br /><br /><div>The caller's mother had begun a knitted baby blanket for the first grandchild who was expected within a few months. This soon-to-be grandmother's terminal condition made it difficult for her to work on the blanket for long periods of time but she did what she could. Predictably, the caller told us that her mother died before she was able to finish the blanket.</div><br /><br /><div>I thought back to all the similar stories that I've heard at our store. Seldom a month goes by without someone bringing in a project left unfinished by a loved one. Sometimes the pieces arrive ...well, in pieces, moth eaten, dust worn. Sometimes they're wrapped in a tea towel, sometimes in a plastic garbage bag, sometimes in blue tissue paper. The bearer sometimes just wants more material to finish it themselves. Sometimes they would like to pay us to do it for them. And seldom does it work out.</div><br /><br /><div>As any crafter knows, it's almost impossible to pick up someone else's project and complete it to anyone's satisfaction. Often there's a very practical crafting reason why the person stopped working on it: the pattern got lost, torn or was just too complicated or boring. Sometimes it becomes painfully obvious that there won't be enough yarn to complete the project: try finding yarn to match a 30 year old product or colour! And even if everything is in place to complete the project...who has the precise tension of the original person or the time to develop it in order to achieve a beautiful finish? </div><br /><br />And let me tell you, it's heartbreaking to have to tell these people that there is very little likelihood that we can help them achieve the finished product that will live up to their hopes and expectations. I have a personal reason to feel bad for them as my grandmother, the one who taught my brother and I to knit by creating those great Mary Maxim sweaters for us when we were little, and who made beautiful hats and mittens galore for us, left as her knitting legacy to me but a single pair of really ugly socks in a crystal blue plastic-like worsted weight acrylic yarn. She never knew that these would be the only things that I still had of hers that fit and hadn't worn out - probably because I never wore them.<br /><br /><br /><div>All this was going through my head as the caller relayed her story...which then took an amazing turn. After her mother's death, her father decided to learn to knit in order to complete the baby blanket. His skill was that of a beginner, but he did finish it and the baby has a wonderful momento of a grandmother that he never met and a grandfather who went above and beyond the call of duty. I think that as a knitting teacher, I would have been so proud to help this man in his quest. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I do not, however, plan to take up woodworking in order to complete any of my husband's unfinished projects in his shop. I value my fingers too much to put them that close to something sharp that is whirring that fast. </div></div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-9330012301381354292011-05-04T09:51:00.009-04:002011-05-04T16:36:31.654-04:00Presenting WOOL-TYME Kingston's IRISH Knitting Tour 2011This time last year, I was on the train heading for the west coast, trave<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g_2arT06wo7Uep9zBRH0exqzyMfkiRXrxtBb_0AOOM_2QKydcF7VeaW7d1JFmuSZIQbZHBZsnmYGUOIr6GnuoN7OnKy_TvCjzXwZMBk5O2v4HiYQR8lKEZrjqPnHNfKroNDoahv4QOY/s1600/day+1+train+trip+001.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602867595084309042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2g_2arT06wo7Uep9zBRH0exqzyMfkiRXrxtBb_0AOOM_2QKydcF7VeaW7d1JFmuSZIQbZHBZsnmYGUOIr6GnuoN7OnKy_TvCjzXwZMBk5O2v4HiYQR8lKEZrjqPnHNfKroNDoahv4QOY/s200/day+1+train+trip+001.jpg" /></a>ling through northern Ontario on the only rainy day of the whole trip<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyF7BBBG8yd7DXq48i9rBDAyYYKY-wFUgkUrCNkYXCiJ0kHOpSiEBJ-mEJhHcZoZka4EpXS7OUtknZ7tyjSfQ3PhLxDbBvb_TJD0yfw61nEB5F2pIer9_9Vs-DEwQlHKr6Jp0g22K7pA/s1600/day+1+train+trip+002.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602858686592156930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyF7BBBG8yd7DXq48i9rBDAyYYKY-wFUgkUrCNkYXCiJ0kHOpSiEBJ-mEJhHcZoZka4EpXS7OUtknZ7tyjSfQ3PhLxDbBvb_TJD0yfw61nEB5F2pIer9_9Vs-DEwQlHKr6Jp0g22K7pA/s200/day+1+train+trip+002.jpg" /></a>. But what did the rain matter, I was watching the amazing wilderness roll by from the comfort of the club car, knitting on my first toe-up sock. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the whole experience, and every time I hear the sound of a train I reaffirm my resolve to make travel a part of my life for a long time.<br /><br />On the right are a couple of young ladies that I met in the observation car. T<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3f7N6GVriNXY19gZvS9WSoP038a4NTaz3vC0BXQSUiqvHqAhCk09UQLas-FoxBuoLlsYsTnniE-v883dZnuNQ6SdoLm4FPWjDCAAQJHcRJmwO-ZgBEETzIarTx_CRVwEFAEPFLCQLba8/s1600/keeping++busy+on+the+train.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602859055309588386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3f7N6GVriNXY19gZvS9WSoP038a4NTaz3vC0BXQSUiqvHqAhCk09UQLas-FoxBuoLlsYsTnniE-v883dZnuNQ6SdoLm4FPWjDCAAQJHcRJmwO-ZgBEETzIarTx_CRVwEFAEPFLCQLba8/s200/keeping++busy+on+the+train.jpg" /></a>hey too had brought handicrafts to pass the hours, showing off their model airplane. It was all just too much fun for words.<br /><br />And in just a few months, I get to strap on my traveling shoes again and head to Ireland with <a href="http://wooltymekingston.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-projects.html"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">WO</span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">OL-TYME Kingston's </span></a><span style="font-size:0;"><span style="font-size:100%;">very own tour, organized</span> </span>in conjunction with <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Service Guaranteed Travel</span>.<br /><br />From <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sept 26th to Oct 6th, 2011,</span> you can join us on a tour of that most fabled land of glorious knits, visiting <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Hb6k2yn8GhHPhnbYdY3wzcsSdxY-cmKihlXrcsgoMVsBt6iYeBw_PVaCftPSDWjUNANUSy3HxBheU_lirZG0IkwNan4LzVqulK3aUh6cNpUI_IMlDSEim5tSL0gtxjAuI1rkWd-KwTM/s1600/irish+knitting.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602862650038126786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Hb6k2yn8GhHPhnbYdY3wzcsSdxY-cmKihlXrcsgoMVsBt6iYeBw_PVaCftPSDWjUNANUSy3HxBheU_lirZG0IkwNan4LzVqulK3aUh6cNpUI_IMlDSEim5tSL0gtxjAuI1rkWd-KwTM/s200/irish+knitting.jpg" /></a>castles, cathedrals, pubs, abbeys, a sheep and wool museum, capped off with an authentic Irish knitting workshop which will include learning all about Aran knitting.<br /><br />You will touch down in Dublin, Waterford for the crystal factory, Cork, Kerry, Killarney, Limerick, the Aran Islands, Connemara, Galway and back to Dublin with lots of time in each location to gain a sense of the flavour of the area. All this in the luxury of a modern motor coach with driver and a guide, offering a half day tour of Dublin, a ferry trip to Inishmor (and back, of course), breakfasts each day, a medieval banquet, and 4 other dinners along the way. And all of this for the very sensible sum of about $2500. Truly a travel bargain.<br /><br />With a local guide to shepherd us around the country, my job will be to act as your knitting support, on deck to answer any and all knitting questions, help with patterns that befuddle, pick up stitches that escape and generally be your knitting "auntie" for the trip so the experience will be as fulfilling as possible in all ways.<br /><a href="http://wooltymekingston.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-projects.html">Link here </a>or on the tab at the top to go to <a href="http://wooltymekingston.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-projects.html"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">WOOL-TIME Kingston's IRISH Knitting Tour 2011 page</span> </a>to keep abreast of new information and to get further details.<br /><br />For just $250 you can reserve your spot for this wonderful knitting experience of a lifetime.<br />Don't miss out.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center">TICO 50013205</div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-79567033709752641602011-04-15T10:53:00.006-04:002011-04-15T11:45:19.078-04:00Let's hear it for the Volunteers!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB_UycuVwRKmiFQdYWZSvlof_7dM1NufsLOKjQcWp8ANRiRfSogOFJu2snthSyzScCB82dH2wpXyGZMwC-BZkg1ganWI-CHnQo7-TVM7aNxYr_gg0eHeAmVThRWEvxRH7u3d3M8f-SbM/s1600/project+linus.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 96px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 95px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595835028654681538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB_UycuVwRKmiFQdYWZSvlof_7dM1NufsLOKjQcWp8ANRiRfSogOFJu2snthSyzScCB82dH2wpXyGZMwC-BZkg1ganWI-CHnQo7-TVM7aNxYr_gg0eHeAmVThRWEvxRH7u3d3M8f-SbM/s200/project+linus.jpg" /></a> When I heard that <strong>April 10th-16th</strong> has been set aside to recognize the work that volunteers do in our community, I naturally thought about <strong>Project Linus</strong> and the thousands of blankets that we've distributed to children in the greater Kingston area, blankets that have been kindly made and donated with yarn that is often donated too. When <strong>WOOL-TYME Kingston</strong> took on the role of coordinating the local chapter of <strong>Project Linus</strong>, we were collecting about 10 blankets a month. Now, through the generosity of so many contributors, we are up to about 50 blankets each month! <br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Then that got me thinking about volunteers in general. </div><br /><div>In sorting out the yarn donations that we receive regularly at the store, there is some yarn that isn't of use for the purpose of making children's blankets so I have a list of about 7 or 8 other charities who are always ready to accept the baby yarn, the Phentex, the fancies to make projects for their own fundraisers. Furthermore, each location to which we deliver the <strong>Project Linus</strong> blankets: <strong>Children's Aid, Almost Home, Interval House and Dawn House</strong> and many others, all have their own group of dedicated volunteers who are committed to their own work. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Being a business, we frequently receive requests for donations to fundraisers. This week alone we were privileged to receive a request from the <a href="http://www.cw4wafghan.ca/node/346">Canadians for Women in Afghanistan </a>for their upcoming Gala and the <a href="http://andrewtrudeaugolf.weebly.com/">Andrew Tru</a><a href="http://andrewtrudeaugolf.weebly.com/">deau Memorial Golf Tournament </a>raising funds for the Mental Health Assoc. and for projects working against impaired driving. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnjv2guEp09E1SHJYmUzsCjYM_3vZrmXnvVuXZDhyphenhyphen1j1REIRO9NnPfhNK8GcbuzE7sc8_74QA_0gmUI5gQ5mg3cZncdpPabQ9Nb6FykUKIsYTvprWRjNY_BaDJ2Jf2zbR8rOfnqFI_jQ/s1600/izzy+dolls.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595826813523369570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVnjv2guEp09E1SHJYmUzsCjYM_3vZrmXnvVuXZDhyphenhyphen1j1REIRO9NnPfhNK8GcbuzE7sc8_74QA_0gmUI5gQ5mg3cZncdpPabQ9Nb6FykUKIsYTvprWRjNY_BaDJ2Jf2zbR8rOfnqFI_jQ/s200/izzy+dolls.jpg" /></a>Then my friend who is a nurse working in palliative care sent me a copy of an article about the <a href="http://www.icross.ca/pattern.htm">"Izzy Dolls"</a> ,which originally gained popularity being made for children in war torn areas, but from her perspective, my friend says that they are invaluable for calming people who are stressed and/or suffering from dementia. In an upcoming newsletter, we'll be offering the <a href="http://www.icross.ca/pattern.htm">link to the pattern</a> and a bit of encouragement to our customers who would like to make some to be distributed locally.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Finally, I started thinking about my own humble volunteer cap that I wear (figuratively speaking) and I'll let you in on the secret that I've discovered to feeling great about any volunteer job that you choose to do: <strong>BRING FOOD!</strong> Every time I show up at the local shelter fo<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0pYhb3HYJGlIHCCHBMVB0bWsTju82XdQSfEA1hOscxKXDhK6TRTQ6lCsK-2bDJ1fYpFwjLPrrjrBTECeiaOmKKdzn4hGb4nql3QA29yFJIJXidaXcDgk73pQOkcWfTxyEgc-z3B_yn0/s1600/sandwiches.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595824511576369650" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0pYhb3HYJGlIHCCHBMVB0bWsTju82XdQSfEA1hOscxKXDhK6TRTQ6lCsK-2bDJ1fYpFwjLPrrjrBTECeiaOmKKdzn4hGb4nql3QA29yFJIJXidaXcDgk73pQOkcWfTxyEgc-z3B_yn0/s200/sandwiches.jpg" /></a>r which I've been making sandwiches for at least 8 years, I'm greeted by staff and residents alike with appreciation and actual joy (especially when there are some cookies or other treats accompanying the sandwiches).</div><br /><div>Twice a week I deliver these sandwiches made of white bread, margerine, processed meat and mustard (at their request). Except for the mustard, we wouldn't probably have any other these other products on our regular shopping list, but although salami sandwiches are not my cup of tea, I DEFINITELY understand the value of comfort food to someone who is going through a rough patch. So I started calculating the output and by my estimation I've buttered <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">16 000 pieces of bread </span></strong>to make <strong>8 000 sandwiches</strong> over the past 8 years. And of course my only wish is that they weren't needed but while they are, I plan to keep it up. </div><br /><div></div></div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-19866342343450937752011-04-08T10:55:00.005-04:002011-04-08T11:32:13.462-04:00ARANWARE POTTERYSo this is my new <a href="http://karairishpottery.com/Aranware.htm">Aranware</a> pitcher. Don't you just love it?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_5sjHgjA1yhZjia5r8A1mK7_0WtE1LoiZnhENCqJp-V65dJpII3159djllXxOF4G_FqzKkAEOaoq7spwFU1e_LutaZy4ypCsHkTr4TG9CWF9G85tIOlb29JvrV6BmCE8e6tdGz7-KhA/s1600/aran+pitcher.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5593226769333838450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_5sjHgjA1yhZjia5r8A1mK7_0WtE1LoiZnhENCqJp-V65dJpII3159djllXxOF4G_FqzKkAEOaoq7spwFU1e_LutaZy4ypCsHkTr4TG9CWF9G85tIOlb29JvrV6BmCE8e6tdGz7-KhA/s200/aran+pitcher.jpg" /></a> One of the things that I find particularly fun about being a yarn store owner is that you get to be official Head Cheerleader for absolutely anything that has to do with knitting, sheep, fibre, and just about anything else of interest to our customers. When I was researching Irish knitting for the March newsletter I came across <strong>Ann Mullan-Karakatsanis</strong>, the creator and designer of <a href="http://karairishpottery.com/Aranware.htm">Kara Irish Pottery</a>, inspired by Aran Irish traditional sweaters with patterns that reflect elements of Celtic art. I loved the pictures of all the pottery so much that I had to get a piece to show off at the store, as an example of how beautiful knitting can inspire so many other art forms. When I picked up my pitcher last week, in the box I found a copy of a magazine article from <strong>TEA, A Magazine, Spring 2003</strong> which featured an interview with Ann. They explained that one of the greatest challenges of the production was that the pieces originated from a factory in Derry, in the predominantly Protestant Northern Ireland AND the only other Irish pottery, in County Cork in the Catholic South. Derry however is predominantly Catholic and the home of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland so an accord was forged and we are the beneficiaries. Also included with the article was the following side bar. It sounds relatively authentic and dependable but I'm always suspect about any "definitive" stories about traditional origins of any kind. For what it's worth, here it is: <em><strong><span style="font-size:85%;">"The true story of Aran knitting was discovered by knitwear designer, Rohana Darlington while in Aran during the summer of 1984. She searched for Mary Dirrane, said by the islanders to know more about knitting than anyone else. Mary told her the tale of when her mother, Margaret, and her friend Maggie O'Toole had gone to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1906 with the intention of emigrating. They stayed on "some islands off Boston" and learned from some "foreign immigrant woman" how to do cable, moss stitch and trellis or lattice patterns. In 1908 they returned to Ireland, blending their new knitting skills with what they saw sailors wearing, and experimenting with patterns."</span></strong></em> Now that I have you all gung ho about getting your own piece of <strong>Aranware pottery</strong>, the bad news is that at this time, Ann has difficulty shipping to Canada as the products, being from offshore, are not covered under NAFTA and consequently are subject to duty and all the shenanigans that that implies. But if you have friend or kin south of the border who can accept your order (as I do) Ann is happy to do that for just $5 shipping charges. karairishpottery.com 1-800-430-2008Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-74398878986190132682011-03-21T16:14:00.007-04:002011-03-21T17:16:40.172-04:00The Mag Browse<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KKMt4pojElHO4Tt3iSL3A0ndalh4Bb23eqfyYRlxf8ZsQDISXOmRivaqMp9XMYhF2B-ico3Yii7dnbMSGbBl84rthtOL4uRJr1GnRc3UIZUJS-5kpITtuH8nfRwYGs5p7Iqkn_hFl6A/s1600/love+of+knitting+magazine.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586632986255431730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_KKMt4pojElHO4Tt3iSL3A0ndalh4Bb23eqfyYRlxf8ZsQDISXOmRivaqMp9XMYhF2B-ico3Yii7dnbMSGbBl84rthtOL4uRJr1GnRc3UIZUJS-5kpITtuH8nfRwYGs5p7Iqkn_hFl6A/s200/love+of+knitting+magazine.jpg" /></a> </div><div>My own knitting life is sadly quite boring at the moment. </div><div><br />I've been going through physio to put my shoulders back in some sort of sensible condition after 40 years of knitting several hours per day. All is progressing relatively well, but it means that while I'm knitting, every time I feel any sort of twinge from mid back to the top of my head, I drop the needles immediately and take a break, walk around the living room, stretch limbs and neck, then try and figure out where I left off in my pattern.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjqlnrB_faU4R6e117QFnySGhcAOFiDIjjZ7L5irRdjzlcAyg3fnxnzoK5ILuYcDqAS3alg9n_BJ78WDMMVkvfzCvfZyQRpegXa3-AGsO7DWS3z1EZTB3vGc1EFBiFpek8oXQyiTrdT4/s1600/yarn+forward+magazine.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 117px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 167px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586632877151088898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjqlnrB_faU4R6e117QFnySGhcAOFiDIjjZ7L5irRdjzlcAyg3fnxnzoK5ILuYcDqAS3alg9n_BJ78WDMMVkvfzCvfZyQRpegXa3-AGsO7DWS3z1EZTB3vGc1EFBiFpek8oXQyiTrdT4/s200/yarn+forward+magazine.bmp" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Needless to say, this little exercise protocol every 15 minutes or so doesn't lend itself to any sort of fancy work, nor to much knitting at all. So to keep inspired, I have turned to my other great love: reading. And in this case I've been specifically reading some of the knitting magazines that I don't have regular access to at the <strong>WOOL-TYME Kingston</strong> store. </div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Last Saturday before going to work, I brought my mags to Starbucks and was greeted by the barista who exclaimed as I paid for my tea: "Oh wow! You have knitting magazines. I love knitting, I do it all the time with my friends." It's not often that women of a certain vintage inspire such a reaction from a girl in early twenties. My selection included the most recent edition of <strong>Love Of Knitting</strong> (a newish American publication), the Spring/Summer issue of <strong>Vogue Knitting</strong>, which sold out at the store before I got back from my week away early in March. The last of the magazines, which at $13.75 CAD was quite an investment but I'd heard good things about the publication, including the fact that one of our customers had recently sold them a pattern, so it was worth a closer look: <strong>Yarn Forward</strong> a monthly magazine from the UK.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>What a quality publication! I wouldn't say that I'd be lining up at Chapters for the next issue each month, but as a knitter I certainly felt that I got my money's worth for the information, techniques, innovations, and excellent variety of patterns. </div><div><br />So here is what I discovered about what's hot on the knitting scene both here and across the pond: </div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-J1v_qo4kh_0YlP3KzrUS7JCfYNA0wR27beuycOlaANDkNqCsWIfeN3WuNuraeVR9yZHU6ClV9gL4uITuI5B-dFYpGvzz3NjzLRIe7ewSJdWNnTRKGdTrI8vWV0fPeNNuHgW1F_janI/s1600/cabled+top.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 145px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586638128006226322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-J1v_qo4kh_0YlP3KzrUS7JCfYNA0wR27beuycOlaANDkNqCsWIfeN3WuNuraeVR9yZHU6ClV9gL4uITuI5B-dFYpGvzz3NjzLRIe7ewSJdWNnTRKGdTrI8vWV0fPeNNuHgW1F_janI/s200/cabled+top.jpg" /></a>-Citrus colours...and blue, especially soft blue with a bit of green. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZOTJY3KcSG4w78Y7UcEfyC7YJXpy9lCEACjZV4c34e9MyOsIG88EMjTZXvrrdrwXdY_EsZWe-N86aR1TLgj7C-r2okPAfJca4Dfy36upySsWHGz1fSOaiHXGPuTauSshGRdCe2tmBpM/s1600/yarn+bowl.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 186px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 139px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586638249914166130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZOTJY3KcSG4w78Y7UcEfyC7YJXpy9lCEACjZV4c34e9MyOsIG88EMjTZXvrrdrwXdY_EsZWe-N86aR1TLgj7C-r2okPAfJca4Dfy36upySsWHGz1fSOaiHXGPuTauSshGRdCe2tmBpM/s200/yarn+bowl.bmp" /></a></div><div>-Cables everywhere, in pillows, throws, bags, and in garments, to accent the shape: <em>"Vertical cables are very flattering for most body shapes. They help to create han hour-glass figure, drawing the eye down to the waist." <span style="font-size:78%;">Anniken Allis, designer of the <strong>Selina Jumper</strong> in <strong>Yarn Forward.</strong></span></em></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-J1v_qo4kh_0YlP3KzrUS7JCfYNA0wR27beuycOlaANDkNqCsWIfeN3WuNuraeVR9yZHU6ClV9gL4uITuI5B-dFYpGvzz3NjzLRIe7ewSJdWNnTRKGdTrI8vWV0fPeNNuHgW1F_janI/s1600/cabled+top.jpg"></a></div><div>-And the latest trend in knitting "must haves"... Yarn bowls. I saw them featured and advertised in all 3 magazines. How cute, but is it really a "must have"?</div><div></div><div> </div><div>I also learned that in the 1940s, women incorporated the finest of lace or cable patterns into their knitting to perk up the dreariness of the colours that were available, but they would only add these at the yoke, to save precious yardage. In the 1950's with the end of rationing, knitwear designers seemed to have gone hogwild, with dolman sleeves flared and lacy knitted skirts and swing jackets of the widest proportion. </div><div></div><div>I learned that <strong>Alice Starmore</strong> has a new book called <strong>Fishermen's Sweaters</strong> which I have serious doubts about the number of fishermen who would get a chance to wear these magnificent and intricate Aran designs, especially to work on a smelly boat.</div><div></div><div>Finally Nicky Epstein has come out with a smart thing to do with the miles of "corking" that kids can produce, using it to embellish store bought pillows - we'll have to do up a sample of this fun and easy craft for the store.</div></div>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-76628873728679010712011-02-02T19:12:00.004-05:002011-02-02T19:51:25.314-05:00Snow Day.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJde4nacwoNpm4eIoH6yOio2Yz4gEdxn_qFZpec2N0ssIgwA9o4aWgVEAs7gu4Op1Jgr4abJgWNurdWN8gGHwJk9OpLfiSqFVJrKWJccRgKM0c__GFJeo9A2eGfjRx4dR1Ya_B_6xPHQ/s1600/snow+day+001.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569251113829719266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJde4nacwoNpm4eIoH6yOio2Yz4gEdxn_qFZpec2N0ssIgwA9o4aWgVEAs7gu4Op1Jgr4abJgWNurdWN8gGHwJk9OpLfiSqFVJrKWJccRgKM0c__GFJeo9A2eGfjRx4dR1Ya_B_6xPHQ/s200/snow+day+001.jpg" /></a> This was a snow day and I was at home all day.<br /><br />Actually most Wednesdays I get to spend a good portion of the day at home working at the computer, but somehow with all that snow blowing around outside, and my husband home from work, it felt kind of special. Like I couldn't do anything outside the house even if I wanted to, so I might as well have fun and finish up/get along with some of the knitting projects that have been hanging around for a while.<br /><br />The first project to tackle was the meter of I-cord that I had made over the Christmas Holidays, using some linen that we've had at the store which didn't seem to be saying anything to me. Then I saw an article in the winter <strong>Vogue Knitting Magazine</strong> that showed how I-cord could be twined into a beautiful celtic knot and worn as a necklace. Isn't it beautiful. Tomorrow I'm off to look for a clasp to sew onto the ends of it.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW8_WauikSbAfA001qNDOrNXvFZ7Rf_qNJ_kE0miM0reCJgzOXbGTWFR4yh0p9yEB3-BJofppNmxmsm209bWebideKs-cf8OzWKX6na83eipj_ehQ3JJ7y8x5iy_aZEr-OrkJJITt0AM/s1600/snow+day+003.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569251092211615666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwW8_WauikSbAfA001qNDOrNXvFZ7Rf_qNJ_kE0miM0reCJgzOXbGTWFR4yh0p9yEB3-BJofppNmxmsm209bWebideKs-cf8OzWKX6na83eipj_ehQ3JJ7y8x5iy_aZEr-OrkJJITt0AM/s200/snow+day+003.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Next was finishing the last few rows of the <strong>TUL</strong> scarf. <strong>TUL</strong> is the newest frill type scarf yarn from <strong>Katia,</strong> made of combed cotton and nylon. It's beautifully soft to work with and comes in lovely spring colours. I can see it for cuffs, neck trims, bag adornments as well as scarves. Now, that's project #2 down.<br /><br /><strong>WOOL-TYME Kingston's</strong> first ever <strong>Knit-Along</strong> featuring the <strong>February Lady Sweater</strong> got underway last night at the store with a great turnout despite the weater and sadly, without me. As I was backing out of my driveway to go to the event, I rammed right into a giant snowbank and there sat my car until it was too late to make any sense of heading in to the store. That actually doesn't have much to do with anything except the fact that I'm pouting a bit for having missed the kick off, but it also serves as a segue to the next project that I was working on today: an afghan square for next fall's proposed Knit-Along: a <strong>Blocks of the Month Afghan. </strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gZHGw3-0ICY5UJWZYAijG8kd8gZR1lzCYFXBjdr27aqdeyZZPdjqNBPaFIcSkskJxUor5ve7qhqGXqii3-yShefEj0Cfvy1KZk-Zgwq-4N5yYaG1G_W04oXVhw5qzwkPaFJf4FEn2w0/s1600/snow+day+002.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569251105175933874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gZHGw3-0ICY5UJWZYAijG8kd8gZR1lzCYFXBjdr27aqdeyZZPdjqNBPaFIcSkskJxUor5ve7qhqGXqii3-yShefEj0Cfvy1KZk-Zgwq-4N5yYaG1G_W04oXVhw5qzwkPaFJf4FEn2w0/s200/snow+day+002.jpg" /></a>Last week I wrote of how I enjoyed working on afghans so much, and although I've got 2 great knitters and friends working up most of the squares that we intend to incorporate into this project, both of them are working on their F. L. S. for this Knit-Along, so it seemed as if it would be a good opportunity for me to do a couple of the squares myself. This is called a Loop Stitch Rib and is really easy yet quite impressive looking.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQnUkHy1dBBX3JayJgWwbc5-bL7393408BMZb6lkVb5vLHTjCMcvqHkJ7ZTMCBxBna29gfpRiuPPGGwcyrgJ2o6veAPSs5cPcKgVb5Z6IakbiqjG2jaJZkKVw20hFtqsh4gNKioq1CiQ/s1600/block+by+block.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 160px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 187px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569251657951397074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQnUkHy1dBBX3JayJgWwbc5-bL7393408BMZb6lkVb5vLHTjCMcvqHkJ7ZTMCBxBna29gfpRiuPPGGwcyrgJ2o6veAPSs5cPcKgVb5Z6IakbiqjG2jaJZkKVw20hFtqsh4gNKioq1CiQ/s200/block+by+block.gif" /></a><br /><br />Later in the day I got a chance to go through some of the new books that just arrived on Monday. What a surprise to find that <strong>Nicky Epstein's</strong> new book: <strong>Knitting Block by Block</strong> was a perfect summing up of all that I got to do today.<br /><br />Nicky is known for her amazing creativity and for seeing knitting in a very 3 dimensional manner. This book of knitted blocks includes just about anything that you can imagine as shown on the cover: I-cord, beads, pieced work and good old stitch variations. Each of these blocks can be used by itself as a pillow cover for instance, or in combination in a shawl of an afghan. I particularly loved the applied I-cord squares. Perhaps I was just trying to figure out a way to use the rest of the linen I-cord that I have left over from my necklace.<br /><br />Anyway, it's a lovely book. Every page had me thinking of applications for each of her great designs. So many ideas...so little time. But it sure is fun to look at them and let them settle in my brain. Maybe one of those ideas will hatch a concept for Knit-Along 2012.Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-57952664888927216612011-01-27T10:08:00.003-05:002011-01-27T10:33:55.798-05:00The Season for Blankets<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04iE2hksMvSJneK2_PHLzujVgwOjiLcTnvr5gg9XGeog6Z_mgGsJwmwJFOjS_aG33lsuRypswSfEIDOL5knFNaj0PRc-ejHHGR9P8bmx_FKVAw8fveHn_Y88E5DE0AgtHOYU1OY9AaA4/s1600/sampler+afghan.BMP"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566883154076227346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04iE2hksMvSJneK2_PHLzujVgwOjiLcTnvr5gg9XGeog6Z_mgGsJwmwJFOjS_aG33lsuRypswSfEIDOL5knFNaj0PRc-ejHHGR9P8bmx_FKVAw8fveHn_Y88E5DE0AgtHOYU1OY9AaA4/s200/sampler+afghan.BMP" /></a> I've been seeing a physiotherapist for the past little while with some shoulder issues and she suggested that I take a 2 week holiday from knitting. I realized that the main problem was probably not the knitting when my immediate internal response was: "Thank God she didn't say 2 weeks away from the computer." But I digress.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm a good girl and always do what I'm told, so I've mostly put away the needles for a while and last weekend did some work assembing this sampler afghan that we're designing for the store. I realized very soon that it's been years since I've worked on a blanket. I had forgotten how much I like it and I really believe that it's one of the most therapeutic types of knitting. When my partner and I first got together back in the late '70's, he was in BC and I was in Montreal for the first 6 months. During those months we racked up some heavy phone bills, but on the + side, I completed 5 full sized afghans during that same time. (Would you call that therapeutically obsessed?)<br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2633/3968578207_760b6dfc88_m.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 96px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 95px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2633/3968578207_760b6dfc88_m.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At the end of Dec. the Ottawa Citizen featured an article about a group of hockey moms who have put their arena time to making blankets for <strong>Project Linus</strong>, an organization that many of you know that we coordinate locally, which provides hand made blankets for kids who are going through a difficult time. Then within a week, we received a <a href="http://www.bernatcares.com/">flyer from Bernat Yarns</a> offering support for <strong>Project Linus</strong> and free pattens for other fundraisers.<br /><p><strong>Project Linus</strong>, in addition to doing wonderful work, is one of the best organizations that I've ever been associated with. From their beginnings in 1995 it grew so much in the first year with chapters world wide that an executive decision was made that they would either have to expand to include paid staff...or...they could simply trust the goodness and integrity of the people involved and completely let go of the reins of power. Having chosen the latter way, each chapter is loosely associated with the larger organized non-organization, meaning that there is support but absolutely no paper work, no reporting, only proper and important work getting blankets to the kids who need them. </p><p><strong>WOOL-TYME Kingston</strong> has been involved since 1996 and to date, I think we have distributed, through the generosity of our customers, over 3 000 blankets in the Kingston area, extending to Napanee and Gananoque. </p><p>That being said, if any of you know of a local group who works with kids when they are going through a difficult time in their lives and would like to have some blankets to help make their time easier, please let us know. We'd be glad to share what we have with you. </p><p>So grap your needles or hook and work up a blankie for yourself or someone you love. (And considering that we just found out about 2 family weddings coming up this summer, I'm sure I'll be taking my own advice in the near future...as soon as I'm off the disabled list.)</p>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6883989538046279128.post-49379900583265173662011-01-19T07:46:00.004-05:002011-01-19T08:36:46.852-05:00Perfectionism and the Bull.<div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dp5bKa1KhzTpRu3fS9_x7a72ahHYuk-zV35dvD2lZxVYM5l5A5m7u_YtOQi9aGmVbulYsGlX8J-icBzPnTyUfIibSiPJA8mIegZh6DJ5dhSTWKBOtOQbXCnNIBrHRH7BG5K29ot135I/s1600/bull+on+wall+street.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 271px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563878168439687234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dp5bKa1KhzTpRu3fS9_x7a72ahHYuk-zV35dvD2lZxVYM5l5A5m7u_YtOQi9aGmVbulYsGlX8J-icBzPnTyUfIibSiPJA8mIegZh6DJ5dhSTWKBOtOQbXCnNIBrHRH7BG5K29ot135I/s200/bull+on+wall+street.jpg" /></a>You may remember a few posts back I mentioned about discovering work by Kingston's own yarn bombers on display on lower Princess St. Well as in everything else, NYC knows how to do it BIGGER. </div><br /><p align="justify">This is the <strong>Wall Street Bull.</strong> The underlying statue is itself a work of guerrilla street art as artist, Arturo Di Modica placed him in the centre of New York's financial district without permission in 1987. Zoom ahead 23 years and you have New York yarn artist, <strong>Olek,</strong> doing her bit to add some colour to the financial district on a cold December night. Isn't he beautiful? I remember when I first saw this picture I was awestruck at the perfection of the fit, especially around all those fine curves of the feet and the horns. How could anyone possibly accomplish such precision...in secret, no less? </p><br /><p>Then I watched <a href="http://www.instructables.com/community/Epic-Yarn-Bombing/">the video </a>of the assembly which took place this past Christmas Eve in the middle of the night in 20 F weather. (One must suffer for one's art). What struck me was that although art may look perfect at the end, it's creation involves a series of adaptations, decisions, reworkings, evaluations to achieve that illusion. </p><br /><p>Here are some of the things that I love about her process - in relation to the work of those who have learned to improve their knitting skills with me:</p><br /><p>-The artist was obviously well prepared in that she had all the pieces that she knew that she would need to cover every square inch of the bull, but from the way she has to tug and pull to make it fit, she proves that she is able to work with what she has, even if it isn't perfect to begin with. </p><br /><p>-She isn't shy about sharing her work and her adaptations with the passers-by, even if it means that they see it as a work-in-progress . </p><br /><p>-She takes huge delight in her work, especially when it's completed. We should all feel like doing a little "Rocky" victory dance at the end of a big job, knitting or any other task.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9WJ9KXCxJbsxjFYE0Q0Kx7JuYpZKZ_06s3iHFMKDazkL9FQTrJU1Zo5pPZR7MkJjoQRH7orTX2s8sj5E1EtqcijeZW_3g-msYiIb_cdhN6xWaJdyJdUuJWRRq8QInDyHHAULNK-WvEg/s1600/gifts-imperfection.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 134px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563885549650377426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9WJ9KXCxJbsxjFYE0Q0Kx7JuYpZKZ_06s3iHFMKDazkL9FQTrJU1Zo5pPZR7MkJjoQRH7orTX2s8sj5E1EtqcijeZW_3g-msYiIb_cdhN6xWaJdyJdUuJWRRq8QInDyHHAULNK-WvEg/s200/gifts-imperfection.jpg" /></a><br /><p>I have some issues with perfectionism myself. I think that I just don't have the make up to even pretend that anything that I do can possibly be perfect so I'm absolved of even trying.</p><p> Last week I was listening to the radio while working on my latest rug hooking project and heard<strong> Dr Brene Brown</strong> speaking about her book: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/tapestry/episode/2011/01/16/to-err-is-human/">"The Gifts of Imperfection"</a> and felt so relieved that I no longer needed to feel guilty because I wasn't prepared to tear out an entire flower because one section wasn't exactly as I planned it, or rip back the entire sleeve of a sweater because I saw a mistaken in the crossed cable near a cuff. </p><p>That being said, like Olek, I have learned that in order to maintain the quality of my work, I better develop the skills that I need to deal with the errors and issues that might arise that keep the work from being the best it can be. So over the years I have learned how to use sewing thread to camouflage small inconsistencies in tension; I have added bands of knitting on both sides of a sweater under the arms to give it a bit more room if it's too small; I have removed ribbed bands and worked down to lengthen a garment; I've knit the back a smaller size than the front of a sweater in order to give more ease for those of us who might need it in the front and have "fudged" or eased the armholes to make them work together. And most importantly, I have learned, as Olek knows, that a good tug, especially when doing the final blocking of a piece can make a world of difference. </p><p>All of these tricks and the confidence to use them have come to me over 40 years of knitting and being too lazy or practical to start over. When a class member comes upon a major stumbling block in her project, I will offer possibilities...some based on the "do it over" model, others based on my more random attitude towards fixing the problem. I totally respect that some people would abhor the concept of a mistwisted cable in their garment but I also appreciate when product and process find a good happy medium and can coexist without making the knitter a slave to either one. </p>Now: KnitTraders of Kingstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08435442011404237052noreply@blogger.com3