MY Blog

This weekend Kristen & I are off to see the wizard Columbus for the semi-annual yarn trade show. Known by its acronym TNNA (the national needlearts association), TNNA happens twice a year, once in Columbus, the other in January in San Diego. Yes, there is a bit of a discrepancy in the two locales, but. . .I am not one to question the ultimate wisdom of the choices. Except that San Diego in January is great (or so I’ve heard), while Columbus in June is slightly less so just as great!

The Columbus show is larger, cuz that’s when all the fall/winter yarns are introduced. There’s tons of excitement throughout the show, with a Fashion Show the first night, get-togethers thrown by publishers, and every once in a while a fantastic sample!

Kristen & I will not only be there are retailers (and for shopping purposes), but we’ll also be hawking our MY tees, necklaces, and magnets. Wish us luck.

I don’t think cameras are allowed in the exhibit hall, but we’ll be taking plenty of photos of the great wall of yarn, plus the sample skeins we score. We’re also going to the Vogue 25th anniversary party (woo-hoo) and they’re are sure to be plenty of knitting celebs on hand!

Meanwhile, looky at what came in yesterday:

500+ yards of lace weight bambu bamboo from Haboo Habu! This is gorgeous stuff and the price is right ($15 for 500 yards people!!) talk about an easy buy.

Paige

We are certainly enjoying the lovely, if a tad warm, weather here in Montclair. Friday, Robin was in to ask some collar questions about this:

Robin works locally in Montclair, and I guess there’s been a baby boom at her office of late. She’s been working on many, many projects using the Blue Sky Alpacas colored and organic cotton, and lucky for me, I finally got to see one of the finished products. Yeah Robin!

And more fish:

There’s no contest involved this time around. This is tuna. About 1/3 of it turned into sushi for Saturday night’s dinner. Let me just say, it melted in our mouths. The knife is a bit scary, though, isn’t it.

In my knitting news, I finished the first razor shell and started again the 2nd Hedera (it will match the single sock I gave my mom on her birthday in March–I will finish this by the 4th of July when I see her again). Photos will follow.

Paige

Yes, this is turning into a frequent title for me.  Here’s an update on my sock:

Lest you think I’m miss Speedy Sock Knitter, I’ll have you know that this is, in fact, sock 1. Yup, it shrunk.  The entire foot.  From the toe back to the heel.

Why?  Wrong number of stitches dammit.  arg.

For the past few days it may have seemed as though I’ve been too busy to knit.  (GASP!?).  Nope, I’ve been cruising along on several projects.

First, my sock for my sock pal.  I’ve started right away because I’ve got a serious case of SSS and have yet to make a second sock.  I think this is because I really never make the same project twice, which is sort of a requirement for socks.  So I figured I’d make one sock right away, and then leave the 2nd for the absolute last minute (typical of me) and get a project or two done in the interim so that it would seem like a brand new project when I cast on for #2.  Anyways, here’s sock 1, and I’m slowing down a bit because my sock pal has tiny feet (but not as small as Risa’s) so I need some SNB help on Thursday night for a small foot reference.

And maybe I should have started with this: my finished picovoli.  Completed in about 10 days using four skeins of The Fibre Company’s Savannah.  And when I say 4 skeins, I mean four skeins.  I had maybe 2 yards left.  I cannot shup up about this yarn.  Absolutely delightful.  And Ms. 40s Mannequin just looks exquisite, don’t you think?

Ms. 40s Mannequin is also modeling our new fish-feed messenger bags from gekko trading.  Available in lovely summer colors and eco-friendly as well.

Last but not least is the blue sky cotton baby blankie I’m making for the store.  Lots of customers want a simple baby shower gift, and here it is.  It’s knit on the diagonal with an eyelet border making it look slightly complicated, but it’s not.  With 2 skeins of the cotton, you’ll get a 24″ square (approx) receiving blanket (that will transition nicely into a filthy lovey by the time the kid’s toddling around); four skeins will make a great crib quilt. The pattern is free at the shop and when all’s said and done, it’s just a lovely gift.

Paige

but I’ve got some mid-week eye candy. Last Saturday was the Glen Ridge art show–showcasing student art work. This is something my kids excel at–every year one or the other of them gets a piece chosen to be in the show–there are only a few pieces chosen to represent each grade, so it’s a pretty big deal, at least to them. This year both had pieces chosen, although (in the interest of full disclosure), every 3rd grader had a piece in the show (but I’ll save the “why does everyone have to be made to feel special” rant for another day).

So here’s our family’s eye candy:

That’s a self-portrait of Thing 1
And here’s Thing 2’s:

Thing 2’s piece made it home unharmed yesterday, and it’s off to the frame shop today. Thing 1 is not as diligent about getting things home from school in one piece, so fingers are crossed.

BTW, I have been knitting. Finished picovoli, almost done with sock pal’s 1st sock, and making progress on cherry. pix later.

Paige

I got to take the train to Wilmington Delaware for the Ford annual meeting.  In my other life, I work for a non-profit that represents institutional shareholders to encourage companies to be socially responsible.  This encouragement comes in the form of shareholder resolutions.  So my boss spends a lot of time traveling to big companies to move her resolutions (when they make it to the proxy vote).  She had one on the Ford ballot yesterday, but also had to move three others (as a favor to a colleague), so she asked if I would like to come along and move the three add-ons.  Of course I did.

Not just because I had never been to a huge company’s annual meeting, but also because I thought “Hey, I’ll get a lot of knitting done on the train.”

Which, in theory, is true.  However, I am now in total awe of anyone who knits on trains.  I did more tinking than knitting, and in fact, my sock pal’s sock is actually smaller than it was when we started.  (see the photo below).  I was too depressed to take pictures.

Aside from this knitting disappointment, the annual meeting was a blast.  I totally recommend that if you’re a shareholder, you show up for one of these.  At this meeting Bill Ford, Jr., the company’s new president Alan Mulalley, and three other honchos sat on the dais.  There were introductions and remarks.  Then the fun began.  Each resolution on the proxy (and there were 10) had to be moved, and then there were comments from the peanut gallery shareholders in support or not of the resolution.  If you’ve got a resolution on the proxy you, or a representative, has to be present to move it.  So there were folks from all over the country representing their resolutions.  The first two were nuts and basically allowed a husband-wife team from Michigan to get up and totally slander Bill Ford.  I was so surprised to hear the vitriol come from their mouths.  Then came my org’s resolution on getting companies to set GHG (green house gas) reduction goals.  After the resolutions were moved, there was voting and votes were announced.  Then came the super fun stuff–Q&A.

Which, we all know, never results in actual Qs–it’s just a bunch of people wanting to get heard.  So we listened to an inventor ask the new president to install this great new glass that makes reds redder, and greens greener into Ford headlights and windshields. Even more intriguing than this guy’s invention was his choice of footwear–bright yellow wooden clogs with socks that were so close to the sheep they were bah-ing.  Too bad cameras weren’t allowed in!  Then an ancient guy spoke about his crown victoria which has saved his life, and as a result, he has purchased over 30 ford cars and trucks over the past half century.  Mrs. Garcia from Detroit wanted to thank the company for its social contributions to some down and out part of Detroit (isn’t it all down & out?), but she was hip-checked out of the way by crazy resolution 1 guy who wanted to continue his diatribe on Bill Ford’s “reign of failure.”  Such excitement.

The meeting finished, and I met some important peeps, and then hopped on the train home, where more tinking took place.

So, if you’re a company shareholder, and the annual meeting isn’t too far from your backyard, I would totally recommend showing up.  It’s very enlightening. And fun.  And crazy.  Just don’t try to knit on the train there.

(but eventually returned to me), so my story has no photo evidence. And man, oh, man, I would have loved to have taken photos.
And since I got up at 4am (yes, AM) to start my day, and it’s now 11:18, I may have to wait til tomorrow to explain.  But boy, what excitement I had today.

Paige

I was at home knitting on two things

1. my sock for my sock pal. Yup, I’m one of the over 1,000 people who signed up for sockapalooza 4. Here’s the sock I’m working on for my pal (who shall remain nameless):

I’m using Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in the Mountain Creek colorway. The pattern is razor shell sock from mimknits. I’m loving it. So much so that I think I may use it again on this:

Yup, some swag Christina scored for me in MD. Yippee!

And in the ever growing list of UFOs–my picovoli.

I started Picovoli (from Grumperina) because whenever I picked up Cherry, it would rain. Have you noticed how nice the weather’s been lately? Well get ready for some turbulence, since I plan to stick a fork in this one by Saturday and get cruising on Cherry again. I’m hoping Picovoli fits. I know, I know, you’re able to try these top down things on along the way, but I’m just not a fan of taking all the stitches off the needle, and then putting them all back on.

I’m using Savannah from the Fibre Co. I’M LOVING THIS YARN!!!! You’ve got to try it.

Paige

Today I put on some great espadrille platform sandals (no peep toe, but excellent espadrille platform height), and within a few hours I felt as though my feet were re-living some ancient Chinese foot binding experience.  Ouch!  My toes started to go numb.  And these were a 1/2 size larger than I normally go.

And  a few days ago, I had on some pumps, quite lovely, that I had bought this winter, exchanged (because there were too small) for a size larger, and not worn since.  So the other day, I put them on, and promptly walked right out of them. Huh?!
Of course I didn’t keep the receipts.

argh!

This is Caarin! Wearing her freakin’ awesome long cardi/jacket thing!  I think this is one of her first big projects, and what an undertaking it must have been.  Kristen & I are soooo proud of Caarin–she’s definitely a knitter with a can-do ‘tude!  She’s still searching for her rebound project–any suggestions?  We’ll be certain to pass them along.

And a note to Kristen & Hilary (contest winners)–I absolutely promise to get to the post office tomorrow.  Your prizes are coming!

Paige