I just have not had any knitting time for the last couple of weeks; my usually-reliable time (on the subway to/from work) has instead been spent gobbling up the book I’m reading for my book club (Veronica by Mary Gaitskill, quite spectacular). So I’ve been posting all those other things, because (a) I can’t show any photos of the wedding shawl since the bride-to-be reads the blog and I’m surprising her with the specific pattern (hi Marnie!), and (b) how many more posts can I write about the other small things I’m working on, for heaven’s sake!
Continue Reading–28 words totally
I just have not had any knitting time for the last couple of weeks; my usually-reliable time (on the subway to/from work) has instead been spent gobbling up the book I’m reading for my book club (Veronica by Mary Gaitskill, quite spectacular). So I’ve been posting all those other things, because (a) I can’t show any photos of the wedding shawl since the bride-to-be reads the blog and I’m surprising her with the specific pattern (hi Marnie!), and (b) how many more posts can I write about the other small things I’m working on, for heaven’s sake!
But finally, I have a post that’s related to the ostensible theme of this blog. A woman on ravelry was selling a bunch of her yarn and fiber, and I scored this:
color: 'tobacco'
It’s 70% merino, 20% cashmere, and 10% silk, and the combination of colors is really beautiful. The photo above is pretty plain and straightforward because I wanted to show all the colors it contains. She originally bought it from Pigeonroof Studios, and my fingers are itching to spin it. Not literally, of course, because this is incredibly soft and lofty fiber.
The next time this appears on my blog, it’ll be yarn. I hope that happens soon.
spinning wheel, got to go round
A long time ago, in a life now far away, I had a 48″ 4-harness floor loom, an 8-harness table loom, an upright Navajo loom, and a spinning wheel. My wheel was a LeClerc, and that baby and I went everywhere. It wasn’t good for traveling, because of its size, but that didn’t stop me from wedging it into the back seat and hitting the road. I went to a weekly spinning group in Austin. I spun at the Pecan Street Festival, at Aqua Festival, and other places and events around Austin. And I loved it. This isn’t my picture, but here’s what my wheel looked like, to give you a sense of it:
my wheel looked EXACTLY like this
I miss it. I miss spinning, it’s so relaxing and meditative, and you just press that pedal and go…go…go…go…
But no using crying over lost wheels. I wouldn’t have room for it here in NYC, anyway. Instead, I’ve gone back to the beginning for a little drop spindle spinning. I bought a beautiful bunch of Lorna’s Lace wool top, in a multitude of blues, aquas, and purples. Here’s what I have, after a bit of spinning:
my baby.
You can easily tell that I’m out of practice, and haven’t yet found my spindle legs – wait, that sounds strange. Haven’t yet found my spindle rhythm, that’s better. But it’ll be so much fun getting it back. I wonder what I’ll make with this yarn?
My NY people aren’t makers. They look at me with bewilderment. What are you doing? Why are you doing that? Why are you making yarn, is it cheaper or something? Such a huge gulf between makers and non-makers. 
Oh! I almost forgot to show you today’s “stash enhancement” (as I just saw someone euphemistically call it – I love that. I didn’t spend money unnecessarily, I enhanced my stash!): Madelinetosh pastoral, in a colorway she calls terrarium. It’s olive green, and brown, and gold, and little flashes of pale blue. REAL PURTY.
lush, in that madelinetosh pastoral way
If you met me, you’d see a tall 53-year old woman with a big smile and bad posture. You’d hear my deep Texas accent, which people up here in NYC describe as a “cute southern accent.” (oh.no.it’s.not!) You’d also hear about the people I love, my husband and kids: my husband goes unnamed here to respect his privacy, but he’s there in everything I do; my oldest daughter Katie and her husband Trey, who live in Austin; my 2nd daughter Marnie and her husband Tom, who live in Chicago; my son Will, who lives here in Manhattan and who is a dashing man about town; and my stepdaughter Anna, who is a college junior at a fancy school far away. You’d hear about social psychology, since I have a PhD in the subject and until very recently, acquired books in social psychology for a famous university press, the one that published the very first book. Now, I am a writer and editorial consultant.
Continue Reading–71 words totally
knitting in croatia
If you met me, you’d see a tall 53-year old woman with a big smile and bad posture. You’d hear my deep Texas accent, which people up here in NYC describe as a “cute southern accent.” (oh.no.it’s.not!) You’d also hear about the people I love, my husband and kids: my husband goes unnamed here to respect his privacy, but he’s there in everything I do; my oldest daughter Katie and her husband Trey, who live in Austin; my 2nd daughter Marnie and her husband Tom, who live in Chicago; my son Will, who lives here in Manhattan and who is a dashing man about town; and my stepdaughter Anna, who is a college junior at a fancy school far away. You’d hear about social psychology, since I have a PhD in the subject and until very recently, acquired books in social psychology for a famous university press, the one that published the very first book. Now, I am a writer and editorial consultant.
Obviously, you’d have to listen to me prattle on and on about knitting, and other handwork. My Aunt Meecie taught me to crochet when I was 5 or so, and I specialized in skein-long chains of acrylic yarn. I took up embroidering pillowcases in kindergarten, and generally made shit throughout my growing-up years. I took up knitting when I was 23, followed by spinning and weaving, quilting, bobbin-lace making, sewing and smocking. And woodworking. I’ve never met a type of handwork I didn’t love. Yet.
And now, me by the bullets:
- I’ve been to 612 cities in 20 countries (that number is constantly getting bigger).
- I’m 5’10″ (that number is consistently getting smaller).
- I have 2 graduate degrees (that number won’t be changing, though I do periodically toy with the idea of going back for a 2nd PhD [philosophy] or taking creative writing classes).
- I’ve moved 80 times. I’m done now.
- I have more than 15 tattoos (changing? perhaps).
- (I love parenthetical comments; also, semi-colons.)
- I love Cap’n Crunch and Pop-Tarts.
- I am a social psychologist. Before I started college, I thought it was just like 13th grade or something. My family did not have any education.
- Inside, I’m poor white trash. Outside, I’m fancy. Kinda.
- I am a photographer.
- I love odd-ball instruments like the accordion, banjo, and bagpipes.
- I’m pretty cool if you get to know me.
- I’ve suffered. A lot.
- Places I’ve lived: [texas] Graham, Tyler, Kilgore, Abilene, Austin (back and forth lotsa times), San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Richardson, Irving, Wichita Falls; [connecticut] New Britain; [virginia] Fredericksburg; [alabama] Huntsville; [arkansas] Fayetteville; [new jersey] Ramsey; [new york] Rochester, Manhattan.
- Cinnamon toast makes me happy.
- I started college at age 36, and grad school at age 40. NOT EASY, when you have 3 little kids.
- I didn’t get out of Texas until I was 29 years old. (Mexico doesn’t count, when you’re a Texan.)
- I am a baker.
- Learning new things makes me happy.
- I have an intriguing relationship with light.
- I used to think of book ideas and find people to write them.
- I am a jealous person, and it makes me suffer terribly. I wish I could not be jealous. Ideas?
- I love clouds and big skies, they make me feel like I can breathe.
- My favorite places in the world are Manhattan, Santa Fe, New Orleans, Paris, Hanoi, Cusco, Arequipa, Vancouver, Luang Prabang, Phnom Penh, and San Francisco. That list is not in order of favoriteness.
- Annie Lennox is my favorite singer and songwriter, and so is Lyle Lovett.
- I love live theater and modern art.
- Singing and dancing make me so happy I cry.
- I love to sing, but only do it privately these days. I used to be that girl with a guitar in a bar.
- I’m an 8th generation Texan. You read that right. My kids are 9th. My grandkids (some of them, anyway) will be 10th.
- I have a sweet tooth. Duh, given the food faves above. I love Easter because of Peeps. (PEEPS!)
- I am writing a memoir of my father.
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