One more time ... San Mateo County Fair 2009

It's been a while. Let's get straight to the knitting.

I entered my Paño de Portada (lace cover cloth) from the book Muestras y Motivos, Tricot Hogar No. 1, in the San Mateo County Fair this year.

This pattern is in Spanish, so my friend Laritza provided help with the translation. The "big doily" as my husband likes to call it, was knit from a no-name laceweight yarn, 70% merino and 30% silk, that was given to me by my friend Bill. I knit it fast -- it took about six weeks -- with the express intent of entering it in the Fair.

The pattern is not so much complex as it is tedious in some places. It was knit on size 0 needles. Some of the repetition tripped me up on occasion. You know, when you knit the same repeat 10 or 20 times, you start to lose track of where you are.

If I were to do this again, I'd switch to larger needles around Row 50 and again at Row 87, to get a better, more open effect after blocking. Importantly, there is an error in the pattern. I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere else. The pattern indicates the first double decrease on Rows 199 and 205 are knit using the last stitch of the previous row and the first two stitches of the current row. The row numbers are wrong. They should be: Rows 183 and 189.

When all is said and done, even with my complaints about the pattern, I'm happy with the final piece. And I won Best of Show in the Textiles Division!

The exhibits area was much, MUCH better than last year. In 2008, the space was cramped, and mainly taken by the quilters who have a great deal of support at the Fair each year. The knitting, crocheting and other needlework was all crammed together. The lighting in the big tent was dim, and it was difficult to see everything.

This year, the Home Arts took over one side of the Expo Hall. Quilts were hung on bars from the high ceiling. More glass display cases were added. The lighting was perfect. Home Arts shared the hall with Fine Arts on the opposite side.

A super, moving chandelier hung over some of the paintings that caused us to stare up at it for about five minutes. It was made of cardboard tubes covered in silver reflective paper and string, with a mechanism that made the tubes rise and fall in a sort of merry-go-round pattern. They even stationed a bench right under it, just for the gawkers to sit and marvel at it. Straight down the middle of the hall was the Green Expo, showcasing vendors mostly selling home improvement items, but also selling the usual Fair tchotchkes and food, including aloe vera miracle cream, fudge, cheap jewelry, etc.

I was surprised and excited to see my "big doily" in its own display case. This year I ♥ the Fair. Next year, maybe the State Fair in Sacramento?

Yes, I do knit

Okay, so I haven't posted any knitting in a while. I swear I have been knitting daily. Really. I'm not kidding you.

Posting here -- well, that's another thing. I've got a few baby gifts in the works that I can't show just yet because they are gifts.

Then there's the hanky I posted last week. That's for a wedding coming up, but it's not really a surprise.

Then there's the sweater I made for Teva Durham's next book. That's a secret project I cannot share; but it's lacy. That's all I can tell you!

However, I have no excuse for not posting about this shawl sooner. My knitting pal Bill was going to visit his daughter. He's a great costumer and knows quite a bit about knitting, but he didn't think he would be able to complete this shawl in time to bring it as a gift for her birthday.

At first I was a little hesitant about the woolly yarn, but Bill loved the color and thought it would be perfect for his daughter. Also, he thought she would appreciate a warmer shawl.

He was right. It just goes to show, a good design is a good design. The Paisley Long Shawl looks great in laceweight linen or in heavier wool. It's a winner, either way, in my book.

It took me a little over a month complete it.

More Hanky Panky

I finished this hanky for my friend's daughter who is getting married in a few weeks. The edging is in natural silk to match the silk shawl she will wear.

The hanky blank is hemstitched: it has holes stitched all around the hem, making it easy to add edging.

The pattern is from an old crochet book. It was designed as a fancy doily edging, but my friend wanted something dramatic, scalloped and elegant, and this fit the criteria.

I had to do a little calculating to make the edging fit this smaller square piece.

I used a size 6 steel crochet needle and the fine Henry's Attic undyed two-ply silk. The silk is fine enough to use with this hanky. However, even finer cotton cordonnet (size 30 or finer) would be a more traditional medium.

For blocking, I washed the hanky in cool water with a drop of soap and then rinsed. I anchored each hanky corner in place on my blocking board with pins and pinned out every single little picot point.

After letting it dry completely overnight, I unpinned it, gave it a light spray starch and steam ironed it gently. I also steamed in the quarter folds to make it lay nicely.

Before storing, it's a good idea to repeat the blocking process but omit the starch, as it would cause yellowing with age.

I was certainly channeling my great grandmother while I was making this!

Extreme Sheep

If you love sheep, dogs, fast-motion video, LED's, and/or the Welsh countryside, this video is especially for you. (Thanks, Judith!)

Stitches West 2009

Stitches West 2009 was held at the Santa Clara Convention Center last week, so I made a trip there on Friday, February 27. Last year, on three trains (BART and CalTrain and light rail), I knitted the whole way, making the journey enjoyable. This year, I decided to drive. I didn't have much time to shop, so I wanted to make it there quickly.

When I arrived at the Santa Clara Convention Center, I made a right turn into the parking garage. A flagman waved me around a corner, then another flagman, then another, until I was outside the structure facing Great America Parkway where I had entered. No flagman. I looked around and didn't see any signs or directions, so I zipped around back into the garage, and drove through the little maze again, waved through by several people dressed in yellow. I got to the last flagman, who again pointed toward the street exit.

"Has no one left?" I asked.

"No, they're going to be here all day," he said.

"So, where do I park?"

"Go across the street, " he mumbled, "someone will show you."

I zigzagged out to the curb and, again, found no one to direct me. I was about to circle around again, when I looked a half block down and across the street and saw many cars parked in a dirt lot. I had come too late in the day, and now I would have to park the Mini in the dirt. (Muffled expletive.) I drove across all the lanes of traffic over to the left turn lane and went into the overflow parking lot. I told the guard that no one was outside of the garage at the curb to direct me across the street. He smiled and said he'd get someone out there by the street. I felt somewhat satisfied. Later on, I didn't see anyone out there. Hm. I had the typical thought that if only I could run the world, things would work properly.

At least my preprinted ticket worked like a charm -- no waiting in line. My secret was to use the $2 off coupon I found and print the ticket online before I left the house.

The market seemed a little bit smaller this year, maybe just a tad more condensed than last year. Fewer vendors? Maybe so. I didn't count them. But it felt just as crowded as last year. I bumped at least as many elbows and skirted the same number of aisle collisions as last year.

Red Fish Dye Works made the list of hot stops on my Stitches yarn tour. They have an online presence, but trust me, the elation of being in the presence of all that color must be experienced firsthand. Red Fish is a small dye shop in Acton, CA. They attend Stitches every year. This year, I indulged my desire for color with a capital "C" and bought some deliciously dyed silks in the superfine cobweb weight of 2/60. I know, I know -- I must be crazy. Crazy in love with beautiful silk yarn! I couldn't help myself. I've long been a fan of knitting lace with silk yarn. I made the Swallowtail Shawl with Kaalund Silk and the Gracie Shawl with Schaefer's Andrea.

I dropped by Galina Khmeleva's booth, Skaska Designs, and picked up her Design Collection of Three Orenburg Shawls to Knit. She was signing books at the time, so I asked her to sign mine, and she did so in Russian. Afterwards, she kissed the man sitting behind the table taking credit cards.

I said, "That's good pay!"

He laughed and said, "That's about all I get!"

Galina's designs preserve the Orenburg tradition, and this book includes three patterns with charted and written instructions.

I was happy to see many of the vendors I saw before, and a few new ones. I popped in to the KnitWhits booth to see Tina and her mom, and I picked up a kit for making these adorable Elfin booties. The kit comes with the non-skid sole fabric to cut and sew in place. Nice detail! Of course, Tina's patterns and kits are wonderful. I've made some of her socks and hats as store samples, so I'm a bit biased. However, I can tell you that working on her patterns is always fun. The techniques are explained well, and you don't feel like you're out in the woods without a flashlight. Plus, Tina is very accessible to answer questions.

I also stopped by Carolina Homespun and found Morgaine and Jane hard at work. I didn't see Nina, who was out for lunch. They always have the coolest new gadgets at Carolina; whether it's a yarn meter, a swift, or wool wash, you can get it from Morgaine. Nice spindles, too! I got my first spindle from Carolina Homespun, a real beauty in exotic wood made by Adam at Mielke's Fiber Arts. Morgaine gave me a quick lesson and put together a nice beginner spinner kit so I was all set.

To be perfectly frank, I was ... excited ... to find this highlighter tape from Chappy's Fiber Arts and Crafts. I got two rolls, one in purple in and one in green. For years, I've been using Post-It notes to mark my place on lace charts. I had heard about the highlighter tape but had never found it in a store or online. Chappy has a website and also sells on eBay.

The great thing about highlighter tape is that it's semi-transparent, so you can place the tape anywhere on your chart and read the previous row as well as the current row. With Post-Its, I was always looking to see what was underneath. Also, Post-Its lose their stickum after moving them over and over again, so you have to keep replacing them. The tape seems to have a longer life.

You should have seen my face when I came across it. It was like I had discovered gold in my backyard.

" ... The tape ... you have THE TAPE!"

"Yes, and we have it in several colors. It's one of my best sellers. What colors would you like?"

" ... I can't believe I'm seeing it ... I've never seen it in person before ... "

"We have it in purple, green, orange, yellow ... "

"You have the TAPE!"

"Yes. I have it. What colors would you like?"

She must have thought I was nuts.

At Discontinued Brand Name Yarns, I picked up a couple of Suri alpaca beauties. These colors are Misty Moor and Old Rose.

I like Suri alpaca yarn for it's shine and strength.

Most alpaca fiber comes from Huacaya alpacas. Huacayas are the soft woolly alpacas that you see most often. The Suris are more rare and have longer locks, which are more shiny and slippery, and slightly curly. Most Suri yarn is blended with another fiber like wool, silk or cotton. This Cherry Tree Hill yarn is 100% Suri.

I was on my way out the door, feeling pretty good about my judicious purchases, when I spotted Yarn Place. I've purchased their yarn Gentle in the past at Lacis in Berkeley. This time I was in Yarn Place heaven, with all their beautiful yarns surrounding me. So what did I buy? Why, Heaven, of course. Heaven is their cobweb weight 45% tencel and 55% merino in hanks of 3100 yards, 120 grams. And the colors are insanely beautiful. This deep teal and rich charcoal were impossible for me to resist.

It may end up becoming this Jojoland swirl shawl that enchanted many knitters and was seen in a few booths around the floor.

Considering the number of people shopping (and buying), the recession did not seem to dominate the minds of this year's Stitches attendees. In fact, at least a couple of vendors I spoke to said this year's Market was a positive and enriching experience, both in sales and in the unwavering exuberance of knitters.

Stitches lives on!

Enjoying the Process

With Stitches West coming up this week, I'm interested in all things new and yarnie. But right now, I'm working on three projects that are not new, and are taking all of my knitting time. One is secret -- and very pretty. I can't tell you about it, but I can tell you about the other two.

One is a shawl for a friend that is coming along quite nicely. It's the Paisley Long Shawl again, but this time in a warm, fuzzy blue yarn. It's wool and mohair with a bit of a nylon binder.

"What?!" you exclaim. "Moose lace! Make it not so!"

At first, I was averse to knitting a lace shawl with this yarn, but as I've made progress, I've begun to enjoy the interesting texture of this garter lace. After all, it's Filatura Di Crosa Cambridge -- who can say no to Italian yarn? It's an experiment in lace for me. Because of the mohair, it is difficult to rip, so I'm knitting carefully.

The third project is the Princess Shawl. My main objective after the above two projects are completed will be moving this one ahead. The yarn from Colourmart is lovely, and I have a ton of it. I ordered six cones -- 7,500 yards each of two colors: deep teal and claret. The Princess is my deep teal beauty that calls to me every day when I sit down to knit. I so wish I could spend every knitting moment with it!

Certainly, I'm a process knitter, since the act of knitting gives me great pleasure, and I'm usually not in a big hurry to finish. However, I know that when Princess is completed, I will feel a loss, as if a dear friend was moving away. I imagine it is similar to the relief, melancholy and pride one feels when sending a grown child out into the world. Not handling it daily will be a little disconcerting. So why is it that, now, envisioning the magnificent deep teal Princess (MDTP) completed makes me want to press forward? Do I have an approach-avoidance conflict? Those of you with degrees in psychology may wish to provide further analysis.

See you at Stitches West! I'll be wearing a purple BAWDies (Bay Area Wool Divas) ribbon, and ACKD (Adult Children with Knitting Disorders) button and a TKGA pin. Bejeweled I shall be. Look for me fondling lace yarn. What happens at Stitches, stays at Stitches.

Back in the Saddle

Progress! I can't believe how long it's been since I posted. Now, I'm back in the saddle, knitting lace, and ready to face 2009 like a cowboy at the start of a trail ride. I admit it: I've been watching way too many westerns this holiday season.

This year, the holidays have been a little different for me. I've been on vacation -- that's a big difference. Usually, I might take a day or so to recover from all the cooking, shopping and visiting. But I had so much vacation left on the books at work, I took December 20 through January 4 as my own personal holiday. On the other hand, hubby had no time off, working every single weekend and holiday, through New Year's Day. Bah!

So, what did I do? What will I do with the days remaining?

1) Watch movies. We turned in our Netflix at least three times this month. It must be a record. We also watched dozens of holiday movies, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood movies, and two Viggo Mortenson movies. Movie time is great for knitting. I made some serious progress on a few projects.

2) Make rum balls. These turned out great and will probably be a holiday staple in years to come. While making these does not allow for any knitting to take place, the resulting treat makes knitting (or anything else, except driving or playing paddleball) a pleasure.

3) Drive down to Princeton Yarns. This lovely new store is in a new mall in the harbor town of Princeton, just south of Pacifica, where I live. The owner is a very pleasant and knowledgeable woman. Even though the store has only been open for a couple of weeks, she has a very nice, select inventory. You won't find shelves stocked to the ceiling, but if you're looking for Hiya Hiya needles, she's got a bounty of them, as well as a wide selection of Addi Turbo needles. She only had a few of the Addi lace needles, but she will probably get more in the future. The yarns are beautiful and high quality. The indoor mall is bright with a glass cathedral ceiling through the center. I was surprised at the size of the mall and the adjacent Oceano Hotel and Spa. Princeton has always been a quiet little fishing harbor, with a few good restaurants. Barbara's Fishtrap, the mainstay local fried fish hangout, was buzzing with people. Half Moon Bay Brewing Company was busy, too. With this new mall and resort, the town hopes to attract more visitors.

4) Work on The Princess Shawl edging. If you've heard me talk about this shawl before, you're probably wondering why it took me so long to get started. I've actually had the pattern for a YEAR. This may not surprise you, if you know a lot about this pattern. It's one of the most advanced Shetland lace patterns currently available from Heirloom Knitting. And it will probably take me another year to complete it. Over these past months, I've swatched and debated on what yarn to use for this mother-of-all lace shawls.

I thought about it, researched it, read what yarns others were using, read about the errors in the pattern, and probably made a mountain out of a molehill. For gosh sakes, it's a shawl. It's not like I'm attempting to build the Eiffel Tower out of toothpicks or something. I made a decision to use some terrific Colourmart merino that I had swatched and liked. It's not cobweb, but an extra fine 2-ply laceweight, finer than Jaggerspun Zephyr. I'm going to have a really big shawl, but I don't mind. I like how it looks. See if you like the edging so far in the photo. I'm okay with it. It's going to be beautiful.

5) Make progress on the Hydrangea Scarf. I've had this scarf pattern since Stitches West 2008. It's a beautiful design from Eugen Beugler. One day a few months ago, I started working on it, and it just flowed from my needles. It's one of those addictive patterns that keeps you moving through it, without getting boring. However, when I started adding beads, I slowed down. I guess just the stopping and starting to add the beads was getting to me. At first, I thought I would just bead the hydrangea flowers in the pattern. Then I decided I wanted to mix up the colors of beads in the hydrangeas. It's still a bit nebulous in my mind, but I think I've got it to where I like it now. See if you do, too.

6) Visit with the ACKD (Adult Children with Knitting Disorders) group. This is the group that meets at Starbucks in Bayhill Shopping Center, San Bruno, on Tuesday nights. It's a great, fun knitting group that seems to grow bigger every week. Projects range from basic beginner scarves to the most advanced lace to dolls to sweaters and everything in between. The group is on Yahoo and on Ravelry.

7) Meet with the BAWDies. This is my long-time knitting group in the City. One of the members gave me a nice gift of some melon colored wool and silk. It's gorgeous stuff, and I can't wait to start something with it. The BAWDies meet on Sunday afternoons, from 2-4pm at Arlequin Cafe on Hayes Street in San Francisco. BAWDies group is on Yahoo.

8) Order the book: Shetland Lace, by Gladys Amedro. I was so excited to hear this book had been republished in November 2008! It was out of print for many years, and when copies would turn up on eBay, they invariably sold for very high prices. Now, Unicorn Books has released it again, and I'm getting my copy ASAP. It's a great reference for anyone interested in Shetland Lace knitting. If you just want to try one of her patterns, Jamieson and Smith in the UK sells some individual kits and patterns, like the Gibbie Shawl and the Woman's Own Christening Shawl.

Happy New Year! What's your resolution?

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving ...

New flowers in the windowbox ...









Why I don't use my good lace tablecloths on Thanksgiving ...

Gorgeous tulips! Californians put tulips and tangerines on the table in November ...

A favorite doily on a side table ...












Thanksgiving tradition: a handpainted folk art turkey made of reeds. I've cooked Thanksgiving dinner for the last 18 years for my family, and this turkey has been on the table every year. (A new fixture: Mr. Monk reminds me of my knitting OCD every day ... )












We found this tiny dish among my mother-in-law's china. I didn't quite get it with my limited Italian. The translation: "far from the eyes, far from the heart" -- an Italian version of "out of sight, out of mind." I wish I knew the story behind this little dish. I'll make one up and tell you later.

Like mother, like daughter

My family is big and prolific. My grandparents' progeny and future descendants alone could populate a small town. Nana was one of seven brothers and sisters, and Tata was one of fifteen. That's just one branch of the family. From all of those great aunts and uncles, cousins galore have been born, been fruitful and multiplied, filling many houses in the Bay Area and beyond.

About 20-something years ago, I knit a sweater in lavender and pink for my cousin Janet's new baby Alexis. The pattern was from a Bernat baby book, and the yarn was a machine-wash acrylic, easy for a new mom to wash and fold with the rest of the baby's laundry.

Alexis is all grown up now. When she announced she was pregnant more than a year ago, I knew a baby shower would be coming up fast. I wanted to make something for the baby that Alexis (and her mom) would like, would be fun to make, and easy to care for.

I rummaged through my patterns and found ... the old Bernat baby book. I looked through it and considered making a lacy cardigan, or maybe some coveralls. But then, I looked at the striped sweater pattern I had made for Alexis more than 20 years ago and thought, why not! I found the same colors of yarn and made a duplicate of the lavender and pink sweater and a matching hat.

Aidan Evelyn has big, beautiful, twinkling eyes and a smile to melt the polar icecap. She's turning one next month. These are photos of Aidan in her lavender and pink sweater, just like mommy wore when she was a baby.

Motoring to the Fair

Yesterday, we planned to visit the San Mateo County Fair. Our idea was to check out the Home Arts exhibit area where my Paisley Long Shawl was entered for judging and then go to the evening concert featuring KC and Sunshine Band and the Village People.

The best laid plans of mice and and men often go awry.

A week ago, I ordered a new car from a Mini dealership. Since that time, we've been hunting around the Internet for information on our new baby, soon to be built at the factory in England. We found a local group that meets once a month for a "Mini run" to various locations in California. On Saturday, they met at Tesla Motors in Menlo Park for a run to Half Moon Bay.

Tesla is the electric car that is making headlines throughout the motoring world. It can do 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, gets 220 mpc (miles per charge), and redlines at 13,000 rpms. (If you think knitters have a lot of abbreviations, just try to understand a few motoring enthusiasts chatting in acronyms.) The Tesla is a beautiful vehicle with a beautiful pricetag: $109,000.

The Minis were lined up outside the Tesla dealership, and we spoke to a few owners to gauge their satisfaction and to learn more about our Mini-to-be. Then, for a lark, we took off on a wild ride to the coast, following along behind a colorful caravan of Mini Coopers.

Instead of taking Highway 92, as we thought they might, they drove over Alpine Road, a winding, narrow, wooded byroad several miles south of 92. Let me tell you, these Mini drivers are escape artists who love fast cornering and zipping over hill and dale with aplomb. We kept pace in our Toyota, but it wasn't easy.

Hairpin turns through densely wooded glens with glimpses of impressive dropoffs -- what a trip! We took a sharp turn onto Pescadero Creek Road, another narrow, twisting path through Loma Mar and Pescadero. Nearing Pescadero, the cooler air signaled the proximity of the ocean, our homeland.

Our route through the trees ended at Pescadero State Beach. We turned right and headed north toward Half Moon Bay.

Not surprisingly, we were a bit tired from our Mini adventure, and we almost nixed the Fair in favor of the Olympics. We watched them a bit, but decided to take a short nap and head to the Fair later on in the evening.

We didn't perk up again until around 7:00 pm. We knew we might miss the beginning of KC or the Village People, but went anyway, speeding south on Highway 280, remarking about how fast those Minis scooted around tight corners.

We got to the Fair and were told that the concert was sold out. What?! No KC? No Sunshine Band? No Village People? The dream of reliving my disco youth, shattered?

I was disappointed, but not for long. We headed toward the Home Arts area to view the textiles and needlearts.

The Home Arts displays were in a big tent, rather than one of the buildings at the Fairgrounds as they were last year. The tent was the same one where I had dropped off my entry a couple of weeks earlier.

Although there was more room than last year, the lighting was rather poor. Still, the works displayed were lovely. I snapped several photos of items made by people I knew from the knitting groups.

And I found my Paisley Long Shawl displayed on a table with a Best of Show rosette!

I spoke a few minutes to Julia Curry, the Home Arts Department Coordinator, and she gave some insight into how the items were judged.

Julie is a quilter. None of her work could be entered under her name, but she had worked on at least 30 quilts in the exhibition. She said that some of the amateurs sent their hand-pieced quilts to her for finishing work.

As for the Paisley Long Shawl, she mentioned that the knitting judges remarked about the difficulty of knitting with linen and how my stitches were consistent and even. Cool!

I asked if she had a few pins to tack the shawl down to the tablecloth. Although chains were around the table, my shawl was just lying on top of a tablecloth. I liked that they chose to display it on a light background, but anyone could pick it up. She was very helpful and said that she appreciated hearing feedback about the displays and how they could be improved.

I walked around looking for some of the items that were entered by people I knew. Some won ribbons and all were beautiful.

Nancy's weaving won a 1st place blue ribbon. Gorgeous colors and inspiring!












Jane had several entries. This rose bag is luscious.












Jeannette's miniature sweaters are just perfect displayed on fingertips.












Patt's color choices are always stunning. This woven scarf is a miracle of color and texture.












Julie's blue scarf won a 3rd place ribbon! Congrats!












Jane's wool dickie won a 1st place ribbon! Way to go!












I'm embarassed to say I don't know whose hat this is, but it is a lovely one.












Another creation from Jane - a darling green child's pullover.












And Jane's afghan won a 1st place blue ribbon! Great color choices and the textures are wonderful!












Matthew's mermaid is a one-of-a-kind whimsical treat to behold.












And I had to photograph this leather tooled saddle that won Best of Show. Isn't it amazing?