Posts filed under 'Entertaining Articles'
Ravelympics due to start at Ravelry
Ravelympic logo by zzwhitejd
Today the Winter Olympics start in Vancouver, BC. and the Ravelympics will start at Ravelry.
What is the Ravelympics you ask? The event is online at the social knitting website called Ravelry. The website started out with knitters and has evolved to include fiber fanatics of all kinds – spinners, weavers, crocheters and pattern developers, not to mention all manner of suppliers including yarn manufacturers and magazines.
Ravelympics is two weeks of focused, intense personal & team challenges to tackle while watching the Olympics. Ravelryites picked projects to start or complete, joined groups and posted projects. The fun begins with “casting on” at the opening ceremonies of the games and ends when the torch is extinguished. This mad group is composed of over 8,711 participants from around the globe that have one goal in mind – to complete the projects they posted while watching world-class sporting events.
By the time this is over there will be a large mass of projects completed, personal goals achieved and hopefully Gold medals for America!
Add comment February 12, 2010
Saturn V Moon Rocket wrapped in fiber
Photo copyright The Dream Rocket
The goal of the Dream Rocket is to wrap a Saturn V Moon Rocket in art. The website writes ”The Dream Rocket aims to connect art and education through a global collaborative initiative. It will inspire participants to consider, express, and explore their dreams for a better future using Dream Themes such as Energy, Space, Peace, Science, Recycling, etc .This will be a collaborative effort to reach out to students, teachers, schools, individuals, groups and organizations to create and submit over 8,000 “Dream Theme” or “Visionary” panels that will be sewn together in Huntsville, Alabama. This historical 30,467-square foot quilt will represent dreams from all over the world. During May and June of 2010, (60 days) this quilt will completely wrap the 363-foot vertical Saturn V Rocket which stands in front of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center® in Huntsville, Alabama.”
Who started this project? The International Fiber Collaborative (IFC) was founded in 2007 by artist Jennifer Marsh. It is a non-profit organization that promotes global collaborative public art initiatives, a marriage of art & education. The IFC prides itself in being a grassroots organization, reaching out to students, individuals, groups and organizations all over the world.
How do you get to participate? Go to the website now and reserve your space, then create and submit a Dream Theme Panel or a Visionary Panel. Make sure to mail the panel with the Entry Form between: August 1, 2009 – February 1, 2010. (no later than February 1, 2010). The cost per panel is $100. If you require a sponsor, this page tells you how to find sponsorship.
Add comment November 17, 2009
Estate Sale Finds
My husband is a garage sale junkie. I prefer estate sales. On most weekends you can find us hitting the estate and garage sales found in the newspaper or posted on the internet. Sometimes I get really lucky and find some good knitting material – old needles, magazines or acrylic yarn that I use for charity knitting.
This past weekend, however, I hit a gold mine! This sale had knitting pattern books from the 1970’s and 1980’s. I randomly packed three cardboard magazine holders and negotiated for a bulk price. Bonus, the magazines did not smell musty! I also scored some Anny Blatt mohair yarn at this same sale.
When I arrived home and started going through the boxes, I found not only the old knitting patterns, craft magazines and torn-out patterns; but I found the first and second published Woman’s Day Crochet Annual. Did I mention that the first Woman’s Day Crochet Annual was printed in 1947 and the second in 1948? These magazines are in very good condition – no rips or tears but the covers are a little worn at the binding edge. The pages are yellowed and the pictures are in black and white, but I am very excited with the find. Each booklet is marked with a price of twenty cents and contains over 70 patterns.
I can’t wait for the weekend to begin; I’m sure there are more treasures waiting for me at the next group of estate sales.
Add comment November 11, 2009
Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival
Need I say anything more than “Rhinebeck” to make knitters and spinners swoon? Most knitters and spinners have heard of the festival and have set this as a “one day I will attend” goal. Those who have attended use word like “Wow”, “Amazing” and “Sensory Overload” to describe the festival know as ‘Rhinebeck’. The festival is held every October and this year will be held October 17-18, 2009 at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, New York just north of Poughkeepsie, New York, during the peak fall color season
This is a large gathering of fiber-arts enthusiasts (knitters, crocheters, spinners, and fiber lovers), growers of natural-fiber-producing livestock and vendors of the materials and tools associated with each. This is a true showcase for one of Dutchess County’s first (and still viable) industries; the Sheep and Wool Family Festival is now in its 37th year at the fairgrounds. Sheep, llamas and alpacas will be on display, with craft and fiber artists presenting the wonders of wool and sheep related items. The show is family orientated with activities for all ages, including a pumpkin chucking contest, a Hay Maze, cooking demonstrations, and Border Collies showing off their shepherding skills.
This year the workshop schedule includes Lily M Chin, among a host of other wonderful fiber artists.
Link s you may be interested in:
General information
Index of events
This year the Book Sigining and lecture events will feature Clara Parks, Lily M Chin and Kristen Rengren, the author of Vintage Baby Knits.
Also featured is The New York State Make it with Wool Contest. This contest will be held Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 10am to 2pm . The Make It With Wool prizes are sponsored by the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival. Contestants must select, construct and model their own garments.
Add comment October 2, 2009
Bernat® knit and crochet for Breast Cancer
There are many ways to “Race for the Cure®” to support the Susan G. Komen foundation in bring awareness to this disease that primarily affects women. Michigan had four affiliates sponsoring races this year with the Grand Rapids, MI race scheduled to take place Saturday September 26, 2009.
The Susan G. Komen Foundation is the leader in the breast cancer movement by supporting the research to cure this disease. The foundation is constantly finding new partners and sponsers to generate funds to support their cause. The Susan G. Komen Foundation is the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world.
The knitting community is no exception in supporting breast cancer sufferers. Pattern designers and Charity knitters have long supported breast cancer sufferers by knitting and crocheting Chemo caps.
The September newsletter from Bernat® introduces the new Knit & Crochet for Breast Cancer collection. This collection is available at participating ACMoore, JoAnns, Michaels, Walmart Canada and Zellers – while quantities last. Bernat® is contributing $10,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® through the purchase of the yarn in the Knit & Crochet for Breast Cancer collection from August 15 – November 15, 2009.
Bernat has also made available 4 new free patterns featuring their new yarns. There are two knit patterns and two crochet patterns available for download. These patterns are not available through the normal free pattern search.
Easy Gift Scarf Cabled Hat & Scarf Prayer Shawl Crochet Chemo Cap
It is important for us as a community to acknowledge the many men and women that have fought breast cancer. The best way to honor their heroism is to work towards a cure and to make a difference. A purchase from the Knit & Crochet for Breast Cancer collection will make sure the total amount of $10,000 will be given to the to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® foundation.
To find out more information about breast cancer research, breast health, or any other breast cancer issues, visit the foundation or call 1-877-GO-KOMEN.
1 comment September 7, 2009
Knitting needles could be classed as weapons in Scotland
2 comments August 28, 2009
Sock Summit knitters aim to set Guinness World Record
The organizers of Sock Summit decided to have an event to break the Guinness World record of people knitting simultaneously. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and Tina Newton booked the Oregon Ballroom of the Convention Center to hold this event. The ballroom was limited to 1600 knitters. The Knitters at Sock Summit, all 935 of them, attempted to set the world record for simultaneous knitting. The previous record, set in June in Australia, was 256 knitters
On Friday, the 7th of August at 12:15 p.m., the knitters started knitting, following the Guinness World Record rules. The Guinness World Record rules were that the attempt must be made by knitters knitting for 15 minutes, using “traditional needles” which they define as “two needles”. This means that every person that participated used two needles, and not circulars or four needles. The attempt was a success. The record was broken, but no official word yet.
There are many blogs detailing this event, and also a video from K2TOG at The Oregonian.
Add comment August 15, 2009
Old Yarn Company creates New Brand
[tag]Blue Sky Alpacas[/tag] started out importing luxury alpaca yarns, and then added cotton to its line. When it came time to add other fibers to their line, many people just could not get past the Alpaca tag, and never expected to find any other fiber offered by this company. To get around this marketing problem without changing the name of the company, or remove focus from the Alpaca yarn customers, Blue Sky created a new line of yarns and patterns with a different name and brand. This new line of yarns are made of natural but machine-washable fibers and is called[tag] Spud & Chloe[/tag]. The yarns are made of wool, silk and cotton.
[tag]Clara Parkes[/tag] , author and blogger, reviews the new line of yarns from Blue Sky Alpacas at her[tag] Knitter’s Review[/tag] site. According to Clara, this yarn brand, Spud & Chloe, was the hit of the recent TNNA.
The yarn comes in 3 weights to complement one another, and in a multitude of colors. The yarns can probably be found at your favorite store by now. A google search (my favorite search engine) found many hits yarn stores, including kits at[tag] Jimmy Beans Wool.[/tag]
In addition to the new yarn, [tag]Susan B. Anderson[/tag], blogger and author of Itty-Bitty Hats and Itty-Bitty Nursery, is now working for Blue Sky Alpacas. Susan was hired to write and create the Spud and Chloe blog and to design and write free patterns for the blog,with new and fresh free patterns every month.
Add comment July 5, 2009
Self Publishing your Ideas or Patterns
Have you developed patterns that you would like to compile into a book, or perhaps offer on the internet? Many people dream of the great American Novel, and would like to someday write that novel. Now,there are ways to get a book published without hiring a publishing house or an agent. You can self-publish your ideas without mortgaging your house!
The term “self publishing” produced over47,000,000 hits at google.com. Here are just two that I looked into, including one that is use by blogger and knitter [tag]Nanette Blanchard[/tag]. Nanette blogs at [tag]Knitting in Color[/tag].
One self-publisher is[tag] Lulu.com[/tag] The Lulu website offers many options for the self-publisher, including templates, methods of binding, and marketing if you so desire. You also can set up a storefront to sell your books or patterns electronically.
Another company that offers publishing services is called, appropriately,[tag] Self Publishing, Inc[/tag]. Self Publishing offers different services than Lulu, including packages that use the help of Graphic Designers. Self Publishing also has an online book store for the self published authors called[tag] Just Bookz[/tag] where your book is listed for sale at no cost to you after you use their services.
Whatever choice in publishing you make, I hope it is both profitable and enjoyable for you.
Add comment July 2, 2009
Stranded Knitting Reprints
Stranded Knitting describes the process of carrying two colors of yarn in your hand while knitting a color pattern. One color strands across the back while the other color is being knit. This is a great way to produce a double thickness of knitted material, while still only having to knit the stitches to produce one layer. When you use lofty yarns, this traps body heat without producing bulk . The firm gauge produced by this type of knitting, and the way that the yarn runs cross ways to the openings in the fabric, help keep the body-warmed air trapped instead of losing it. In countries where the weather is extremely cold for half the year, it’s pretty important. Stranded color work is pretty and practical due to it’s warmth without weight.
Even if you are a new knitter you can do this. Mastering color work is more a task of training yourself on how to hold the yarns and how to read a chart. There are several stranded knitting experts, such as [tag]Alice Starmore[/tag], [tag]Anne Feitelson[/tag], [tag]Carol Rasmussen Noble[/tag], [tag]Joyce William[/tag], [tag]Charlene Schurch[/tag] and [tag]Anna Zilboorg[/tag], to name a few.
Anna Zilboorg is a renowned knitter and designer. She was educated at Harvard, taught at MIT and then left the teaching world to become a hermit on a mountain, in love with wool. She is a teacher of note and experience, and the author of Magnificent Mittens, Knitting for Anarchists, 45 Fine & Fanciful Hats to Knit, Socks for Sandals and Clogs and Fancy Feet: Traditional Knitting Patterns of Turkey
Several of her books are out of print, but the reprint of Magnificent Mittens will happen in November. This book had some of the best knitting photography ever. Anna Zilboorg is one of the teachers at[tag] Sock Summit 2009[/tag].
Charlene Schurch learned to knit before she could read. She is also a spinner and dyer, and is fascinated with what can be created with needles and yarn. Charlene Schurch will also be teaching at Sock Summit 2009. Charlene Schurch is the author of Mostly Mittens, Hats On!, Knits for Girls and Dolls, Sensational Knitted Socks, More Sensational Knitted Socks and The Little Box of Socks. Charlene Schurch’s mittens book will also be reprinted in November as well so there is no need to pay high prices for these books used.
For other beautiful examples and patterns of stranded knitting, I suggest you look at [tag]Nanette Blanchard[/tag]’s work. Nanette has patterns at Knitting in Color, her personal webstore, that she self-published. You can order a book or an electronic copy at her Lulu Store. Nanette’s patterns are also available at Ravelry as well as [tag]Amazon[/tag]. The individual patterns and technique booklets are available in PDF format at [tag]Ravelry[/tag] and you can purchase the 3 technique booklets in print at Amazon.
Add comment June 7, 2009
Knitting Daily Waist Shaper
Ravelry
Yarn Harlot
