Happy Easter!

This little peep tried to escape his fated duty as centerpiece sentinel, but he was unsuccessful.

Paul gets excited about decorating for holidays, and he always comes up with something creative. He suggested a vase filled with peeps after seeing something like this online. We did it our own way with daisies and tulips.

I am a bit of a peep fanatic at this time of year -- they just make me smile. We got a little carried away and dyed Easter eggs and filled some plastic ones with candy.

On the more traditional side, I found this very old glass egg-shaped candy dish tucked away with some of my mother-in-law's teacups and glasses. I cleaned it up, added a ribbon, and filled it with M&Ms. Paul thinks these treats are just for him, so the egg may be empty by Sunday.

Krokus - Row 64

I'm at Row 64. Only 182 more rows of increasing size to go! Yikes. Thanks to Yenju for the translation help. This Yubina cashmere/silk is lovely.

"Who Is Marjorie Bruce?"

With curiosity piqued, I contacted Name Maker regarding the identity of the famous yet mysterious Marjorie Bruce. As I mentioned in a previous post, Marjorie Bruce has been the name printed on the company's sample labels for many years. Knitters, quilters and others sew the labels into handmade garments, etc. I remember seeing the name Marjorie Bruce on their catalog sample labels as a teenager (way back when).
I received an email reply to my question from Name Maker's Vice President of Sales and Marketing:

The original owners of Name Maker (in 1938) always used this name. We don't know if she was a real person, or if it was a made up name!

Thanks for asking!

Stephanie Sklar
VP- Sales & Marketing
Name Maker, Inc.

A mystery for the ages.

Krokus ... New Yarn, New Day

After knitting Krokus for about 40 rows or so, the stripes were evident. Even though I love this Almaza tencel from Just Our Yarn, it doesn't work for this intricate doily. I'll save it for a shawl with an all-over stitch pattern. I was hoping for a more subtle, watercolor effect, but it wasn't happening.

I switched to my blue Yubina cashmere/silk. This is the same yarn I reviewed a while back, when I was swatching for the Princess Shawl. The Yubina is a little shiny and springy. It's superfine, a lot more delicate than the tencel. I'm still using size US0 needles. The start was a bit fiddly, but these Darn Pretty Needles made it much easier than my old steel DPNs.

Krokus, the beginning

I started a new Herbert Niebling doily, Krokus. This one can be found in Anna Burda, Feb 1989, and probably in some other books and magazines.




Just Our Yarn's lovely Almaza tencel yarn (10/2) is a very pale blend of light blues and teal. I'm using my new doily starter needles, called Darn Pretty Needles -- they are darn pretty, and the stitches don't slide off. I have always used steel DPNs to start doilies, out of habit, no other reason. These are great, but I'll need to change to a longer set shortly, and then to a circular.

Woven Labels (and who is Marjorie Bruce, anyway?)

While I was wandering around at Stitches last week, someone asked me where to get woven name labels, the kind your grandma used to sew into clothing. Usually, they look something like this:

I couldn't think of where I had bought mine, because it was so long ago. When I bought them, I was very pleased. And wouldn't it be great, I thought, if my handknit sweaters lived a long time, and got passed along, and some day, someone would ask, who is this person who knit my favorite sweater? My ambition: perplex future generations.

Well, it was a silly notion, but name labels are still pretty popular. The company that made mine is still in business: Name Maker. They have many different designs, and you can even have your own design custom printed (not woven). The basic designs, however, are woven.

This is the design I chose (stock photo, not my actual label):
They started in 1938 -- your grandma probably used these labels! From their website:

Name Maker, Inc. was established in 1938 as a fabric label company in New York City. Bernie Bryan, president of Notions Unlimited, bought the company in 1950 and rebuilt all of the original machinery for an Atlanta plant. Bryan’s transformed brand first offered mass produced personalized nametapes, sewing labels, and custom made labels. Bryan’s daughter Cheryl Dorrell joined the business in 1990, working her way from marketing to president. She added and developed several new products along the way. In 1996, Bryan semi-retired to Las Vegas and Dorrell assumed direction of the company.

As president for over a decade, Dorrell has become the driving agent for corporate growth at Name Maker. The company continues to generate exciting new personalized packaging concepts including a wide selection of personalized gift wrap, personalized ribbon, gift boxes and a new line of sewing labels. Media coverage has created increased awareness of the product line and attracted celebrity customers such as Reese Witherspoon, Julia Roberts, Dakota Fanning, Katie Couric, Tricia Yearwood, David Copperfield and Marcia Gay Harden. Name Maker is extremely proud of all its unique brands and strives to create only the highest quality products for its customers around the world.

And who is Marjorie Bruce? Well some of the labels on the website identify a needleworker named on the labels as: Marjorie Bruce. In the old days, ALL of the labels had that name. I really don't know why, and would love to know. If you know, please tell me. If I do find out, I'll post it.

And now for something completely different ...

A Wikipedia entry tells the tale of another Marjorie Bruce:

Marjorie Bruce or Marjorie de Brus (December, 1296 – 2 March 1316) was the eldest daughter of Robert the Bruce, King of Scots by his first wife, Isabella of Mar, and the founder of the Stuart dynasty. Her marriage to Walter, High Steward of Scotland united Clan Stewart and the royal House of Bruce, giving rise to the House of Stuart. Her son was the first Stuart monarch, King Robert II of Scotland.

Her mother, Isabella, a nineteen-year-old noblewoman from the ancient Clan Mar, died soon after giving birth to her. Her father was then the Earl of Carrick, and her mother died the Countess of Carrick; she never became Queen. Marjorie was named after her father's mother, Marjorie of Carrick.

According to legend, her parents had been very much in love, and Robert the Bruce did not remarry until Marjorie was six years old. In 1302, a teenage courtier named Elizabeth de Burgh became her stepmother. Elizabeth was about thirteen, only seven years older than Marjorie. On 27 March 1306, her father and stepmother were crowned King and Queen of Scots at Scone, Perthshire, and Marjorie, then nine years old, became a Princess of Scotland.

If you want to read more, go here. Oh, and if you find out who the Marjorie Bruce is on the labels, please comment.

Surviving Stitches West 2010

I’ve attended enough times to know that I must psychologically and physically prepare for the ordeal that is Stitches West, the annual knitapalooza event produced by XRX (the Knitting Universe) and held locally at the Santa Clara Convention Center for the last few years.

Classes are held behind curtains in various areas around the perimeter of the Stitches Market. The Market, however, is what draws me each year. Market vendors number nearly 200 and their wares comprise an overwhelming, wondrous mix of yarns, needles, notions, books, software, spinning accoutrements, and things you never knew existed.

A few truths about Stitches West:

Theorem #1:
You will see and/or meet a famous, or nearly famous, designer or knitting luminary at Stitches West.

Proof:
Besides the goods, you’ll find the knitting glitterati – authors, teachers, artists, icons, movers and shakers of the knitting world – wandering about unawares. Yes, you can assault them with your praise, questions and complaints, if you’re not standing there awestruck and silent.

Remember the scene from the movie West Side Story when Tony first sees Maria in clear Technicolor at the dance, and everyone else is blurry? That’s sort of how it feels the first time you see Eugen Beugler, or Anna Zilboorg, or (insert name of favorite designer) wandering around with the regular people.

My advice to you is to prepare a few questions ahead of your trip, so that you won’t find yourself face-to-face with your favorite designer with nothing to say but: “You’re amazing … I … uh … love you” … followed by the blue-blazered security guards promptly carting you off to the stalker holding cell to await the authorities.

“She didn’t have a handstamp, and she said ‘I love you’ to Galina. You just don’t do that.”

At least, when I met Gracie Larson from the Lacy Knitters Guild of Mountain View, I was able to discuss Marguerite Shimmons’ doilies. Whew.

Theorem #2:
Preparation is necessary and manifold.

Proof:
The night before the trip to Santa Clara, I ritually gather the following items:

BAWDies badge and traditional purple ribbon – identifying me as a member of the Bay Area Wool Divas – my SF knitting group

ACKD badge – identifying me as a member of Adult Children with Knitting Disorders – my San Bruno knitting group

TKGA pin – identifying me as a member of The Knitting Guild of America

“Knitting takes lots of balls” pin – because it does, and you never have enough

Ravelry badge – bearing my Ravelry handle: OceanKnitter

Stitches Market ticket – purchased online and printed hastily at work the day before (get the coupon from Knitting Universe for $2 off admission)

Directions to Santa Clara Convention Center – because no matter how many times I’ve been there, I forget which way to turn in Santa Clara

Bottle of water and a snack – because the food and beverages sold in the Convention Center are not worth the price

Compact rain jacket – because it always rains on the day I go to Stitches West (guaranteed)

Money – because some vendors only take cash

Credit cards – because I need to buy things (many)

Cell phone – because there are no pay phones in the Convention Center or the adjacent Hyatt hotel, and your friends may be in classes and not around to loan you theirs, and then you will have to walk out to your car, across a busy street, in the pouring rain, to look for your cell phone which you forgot you left at home on the kitchen table (I found this out the hard way)

Theorem #3:
It is wise to shower, wash your hair, and move the car from the garage into the driveway the night before attending Stitches West.

Proof:
On the morning of Stitches, I awoke to a brown-out in Pacifica. The lights were dimmed and brown, and I could not turn on any appliances. This was a strange event, one I had never experienced in my home. I could not make a piece of toast or fry an egg – my breakfast had been planned the night before, of course. Instead, I had cold cereal. I waited a half an hour for full power to return. No luck.

Oh well, I decided to get ready using the limited lighting. I took a shower and brushed my teeth. I did not have enough power for my hairdryer. I continued to reason Pollyannaishly. That’s okay; I’ll just be a curly girl today.

Then I remembered: the garage door. The lights were still browned out, and the garage door would not open. I had never pulled the red emergency ripcord before to open the door manually. In the garage, I stood on a stepstool and attempted to read the instructions on the red tag attached to the ripcord.

I then anticipated what would happen once the garage door was open. I would have to pull it down. AHA! Why didn’t the tag say to attach a rope or some apparatus to the garage door handles so that a shorter person can reach said handles to return the door to the lowered position? I got a belt from my husband’s closet and attached it to the handle. There, I was ready.

And I did it. I moved the car outside, noting the cold and fierce wind, and smiled at my ingenuity. I lowered the door, but it was not locked. Why didn’t the tag say it wouldn’t lock until the cord was reattached?? I retrieved the stepstool and after a minute or two figured out how to reattach the cord.

Whew. What a relief.

Ten minutes later, the power came back on.

Theorem #4:
It will rain at least one day at Stitches West.

Proof:
It did rain, and I was prepared with a tightly rolled rainproof jacket in my totebag. (See preparation list in Theorem #2 and note fierce, cold wind mentioned in Theorem #3.)

Theorem #5:
You will find many exciting things at Stitches West Market.

Proof:
What you’ve been waiting for … the LOOT!

I finally found some yarn to finish up the Spring Blossoms Shawl. What do you think? It matches well, doesn’t it? I’m crossing my fingers.

This lovely Pygora (goat)/Merino is from Humanity Handspun. Five dollars of every purchase goes to charity (this time to Haiti). The stuff is magically soft and evenly spun. I’m in love with the stuff.

These circulars from Deborah Doyle of Asciano Fiber Arts Tools in Sausalito are, by far, the most wonderful circulars I’ve ever seen or owned. The photos are not yet on her website, but you can see them right here. The cord is pliable and soft, and the wooden needles seem to flow right out of the ends – no sticky, jaggy spots. Her website describes the cord:

“… these will not kink dervishly – they lie quietly at all times like exhausted puppies …”
The wood is renewable cocobolo – Central American non-rainforest rosewood that is very hard. She has two tips: regular and lace. I got the smallest size (3) and the nice sharp lace tips. The wood is not oiled, lacquered or varnished. Pricey, but absolutely worth it. If one breaks during normal use, she will replace it.

The little doily-starter needles are from Ellen’s Half-Pint Farm and are called “Darn Pretty Needles” – I think that’s about right. They are US0 and perfect for starting all those lace tablecloths and doilies.

Last but not least, I purchased the Intwined Pattern Studio software so that I can start making my own charts. In the past, I’ve always used Excel with a knitting symbol font. This is so much better. I tested it at the show, and was quite impressed.

See you all next year at Stitches!

Distraction

I finished this in two weeks -- because I needed to FINISH something! (I don't get no sa-tis-fac-tion.) It's from a leaflet called Intermezzo by Coats. Looks a bit Niebling-ish; I'm not sure of its origin. The pattern is in German, translated for me by someone on the Laceknitters Yahoo list.

Unusual doily shapes intrigue me. Inspired, I completed it just in time for Superbowl. It's a little longer than an NFL football. Or maybe it's a lime -- Margarita time?

The yarn is Zephyr. Size US0 needle. The finished size is about 18" from point to point.

Edging Forever

Edging mania. Edging everywhere. I'm in edging hell (or heaven, depending on how you think about it), and it's not going to end any time soon.

This is the edging and start of the border for the Shetland Lace Shawl by Hazel Carter. The pattern is in A Gathering of Lace. My lace knitting pals and I decided to knit this pattern as a group project, and I've mustered quite a bit of enthusiasm for myself to keep this one moving.

So far, I'm pleased with my yarn choice: Yarn Place's Heaven, in the color Glorious Blue -- a tencel and merino blend in deep turquoise that is truly glorious. This cobweb yarn has a bit of shine, good stitch definition, and will make a feather-light Shetland shawl.

Since the shawl will be knit in the traditional Shetland style favored by Hazel Carter, I'll be finishing this border, then knitting the center, then knitting three more edging+border combos to graft onto the center square. Like I said, edging forever.

Since I've been stalled on The Princess Shawl edging, I've been knitting other diversions, like the Figure 8 Fantasy Shawl, by Kristin Omdahl, which has now turned into something a little different.

I've knitted four figure eights, and am crocheting them together, with the desire to make a more rectangular stole. Knitting those figure eights is a bit addictive, I must say. I probably could have knit four more.

The yarn is Malabrigo SuperSock in the color Stonechat -- a very interesting mix of red, burgundy and a sandy stone color.

This crochet edging is my own, and I'm winging it to get to that elusive rectangular shape. I'm a bit fascinated by freeform crochet, so depending on the outcome of this experiment, I may do more.

The sad truth about Spring Blossoms: it's still unfinished. This one has been lingering in my knitting basket for many moons, unfinished because ... I underestimated the yarn needed to complete the wide edging.

It's truly lovely, and I will finish it, but I need to decide how to complete the last corner. It will either be with a flashy motif in a different yarn, or maybe a similar yarn. I refuse to rip out all of that gorgeous eding. I found a slighter duller color that I may be able to finesse into something, but it remains an idea at the moment.


There you have it. Four projects with entirely too much edging for one person to complete swiftly. I shall persist.

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?