Yellowbird Yarn Room

Silly me

You'd think I would have learned my lesson.

You see, I am not a fast knitter.  I'm a thrower.  I plan to teach myself how to knit Continental at some point, with the right project, to speed things along a little bit.  But for now, I just enjoy the process as it is.

So, every night I wait until the boys are in bed and I either read or knit until I can't keep my eyes open any longer.  This doesn't always last very long.  And every year, about the time the first leaf hits the ground, I start to plan my annual knit Christmas gift.

Note the lack of "s".  Gift.  Not gifts.  Again, not a fast knitter.

Last year, I spent over two months knitting a scarf for my father-in-law before Christmas came.  The scarf was still on the needles.  It was a little over half finished when the in-laws left for Florida.  I finished it just in time to give to him when he came home in the spring.

It was a great scarf, though.  A 2x2 rib on size 8 needles, with just randomly placed x's where I twisted the ribs.  Some were twisted to the left, some to the right.  Some close together, some twenty rows and ten ribs apart.  I was really quite proud of it.  A very sophisticated, manly look in charcoal grey.

Sure wish I'd gotten a picture.

This year, it was my mother-in-law's turn to be the recipient and I decided it was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at a lace pattern.  I'd seen a fair number of lace patterns done with chunkier yarns that I really liked, and I had some Tahki Shale in grey and black that reminded me of her.

I found the pattern for Mermaid Mesh, and it worked up surprisingly quick on size 11 needles.  It was a little wider than I would have liked, so if I had it to do over I might have used a 10 or 10 1/2, but it was quite nice none the less.  An excellent showcase for the yarn, and not too bad for my first lace pattern.  I only had to start over once, early on, and I learned to pay a bit more attention to what I was doing.

And I actually finished it in time.  It was hand washed, blocked out, dry, and wrapped up for Christmas Day.

Sure wish I'd gotten a picture.

Maybe there will be a little photo session at their house one of these days.  They'll be leaving for Florida again soon.  Can't imagine they take their scaves with them.

Wishing you a merry

May you enjoy the hustle and bustle this time of year provides, and find your moments of bliss along the way.

Happy Holidays!

 

 

 

The Thong's the thing

It's times like these that I wish I had the wherewithal (yes, I looked that up and it's right) to get my pictures into the posts as opposed to the albums in the sidebar.  There's a progression here, in what I've been doing, that would be best understood visually.

You see, here is where I would show you the book I acquired some time ago that I have no intention of ever reading.  While I am sure it is a wonderfully written book, it is not subject matter I wish to subject myself to. 

So I'm tearing it up.  Page by page. 

Picture, if you will, many strips of paper.  Many, many strips of paper.  Torn into various widths.  Some pointy, some squared.  These strips are wrapped around the bottom of a wire hanger, smoothed over with white glue, and hung from a dining room light fixture to dry.

It may not have to be a light fixture. 

Add a layer of watercolors, a layer of acrylic (though I like the consistency of fabric paint for this), a couple coats of varnish...and you've got yourself a bowl of fantastically colorful and fun beads!

Okay, yes, that was fun.  Now what?  What shall we do with these beads made from the pages of a book?

Why, use them for something to mark the pages of the book you are reading, of course!

I have been whipping up a batch of book thongs for my friends during these last few weeks, and I hope to have a couple more for the shop by the weekend.   What is so fabulous about the book thong is that a person is significantly less likely to lose their place when the book carried around, maybe in a travel bag or backpack.

Or when the book is dropped, which my eight-year-old will tell you I do all of the time.  (What was that noise?  Oh, it's just mom dropping something again.)

I made some for my book club a few months ago, and I loved handing them out and saying that I made them their own thongs!  A couple of them requested a total of nine to hand out as Christmas presents, and at last they are done.  While the beads take several days to make, and it takes a lot of beads, the actual thongs are a very quick and easy crochet chain with a tassel.   

If you go looking for your own thong at the shop but they appear to be gone, contact me and I'll see what I can do for you.  After all, everyone needs at least one.

Happy valances!

There were several weeks here recently that found the poor windows in my little room sadly bare.  When I first started moving in during the early fall, they had been decked out in some little lace numbers that the previous tenant had left behind.  At some point, however, that tenant decided that if the windows were to be with someone else then they no longer deserved such adornment.

It's okay, though.  I get that.  And it was rather rude of me to take such liberties with someone else's lace.

So I took a little time to think.  To figure out where we stood, and where we were headed.  Finally, I realized that those windows needed me.  And I needed them.

Enter Laura from across the hall.  She was exactly what the windows and I needed.  She listened to our problems and offered the perfect solution. 

Happy valances!

Laura is a wonderful seamstress who fills the room across from mine with table runners and pillows and something I never knew I loved, framed fabric.  So often I will be there, knitting or felting at my little table, and I will hear someone come up the stairs and enter Laura's room first.  Gasps.  Oohs and aahs.  Shouts to the friend who has lingered at the bottom of the stairs, admiring the silverware windchimes (which I will have some day, no matter what my husband says).

I left it up to Laura, to do with my windows as she saw fit, and she really came through for me.  For one thing, they couldn't match my tags any better!  And on a typical northeast Ohio day they offered a bit of sunshine that my picture does no justice.   They are for sale, though, so I must prepare myself for the day when they will leave me and my windows behind.  But in the meantime, they look so happy.  They're bold and cute and fun and they make me smile when I look at them.

Fabulous Craft Akron!

I simply must tell you about a new place that just opened:  Craft Akron.

You'll find it down in the valley in the Parkwood Plaza, kind of behind the FirstMerit.  I stopped by the Open House yesterday and I am just so excited about all they have to offer!  It's just a question of which class to take first.

Let's see, I have an impertinent sewing machine that could use a bit of taming.  The mixed media artist in me wants an excuse to try my hand at a personalized journal.  And I love the idea of making my own buttons for my handknit pieces!  And, hey, while we're at it... why not start with yarn I dyed myself?

I was able to speak with Ms. Martha, the owner of Craft Akron, and this is one fabulous lady.  I picked up a skein of superwash that she dyed herself (for use in a project to be announced later, but suffice it to say that this yarn will be taunting me for another month yet!  Arg!).  She was gracious and fun, and I'm glad to have met her.  In fact, I'm glad to have met all of the fine ladies gathered yesterday (one of whom, it appears, will be of great help with that future project I wish I could tell you more about now!  I just want to get a few more details hammered out...). 

For now, however, I have a little one with the sniffles who wants to play a board game and his wish must be fulfilled.  I will be in the shop for a few hours Monday morning, starting at 10:00, in case you want to say "hey"!