Yellowbird Yarn Room

A quick reminder

I just wanted to remind everyone that this Wednesday, May 5th, is the start of the Pool Bag Experiment craft-along.  I will be in Judy's Ice Cream with my handy crafting and ironing supplies and a stash of plastic bags.  Come on in, sit with a cup of coffee and watch, play with plastic strips, whatever strikes your facy!

Registration is not required, but let me know if you plan to participate so that I can be ready for you!

Shhhh...don't tell the kids!

Ask them what their mom thinks about cheating, and their eyes will roll as they drone "I'd rather you fail than cheat".  I tell them that learning is a process, and that it is through our mistakes that we learn. 

Such is the point of a knit- or craft-along, right?  To work through a pattern or craft together, finding creative solutions to any problems that may arise.

When I wanted to try needle felting, I waited.  I had bought the needle and the pad and I had my wool ready and waiting for weeks.  It was torture, but I did not even open the packages until the day that I said I would, the day of my Grand Opening.

Then I wanted to knit socks.  I had never really been interested in knitting socks before, but my curiosity began to get the better of me last fall.  It took a few months to work that one out, but I finally did it!  And the one sock I have (almost) done turned out better thanks to the input of my knit-alongs friends.  It was a joint effort, and the accomplishment is sweeter because of it.

But the Pool Bag is different.  It's an experiment.  Uncharted territory.  No set pattern, no written directions to follow, so much potential for problems!  And what if it didn't work?  It's only a four week craft-along, what if there were too many problems to solve in that short amount of time?

So I cheated.

Last weekend, I broke out my iron and ironing board, my parchment paper, and my stash of plastic bags.  I sat down and watched a video on fusing plastic bags together to make fabric and got to work.

The result of my labor (as seen in the YB Pictures album) is now in the shop, ready for you to taste test yourself!  I have already tried it on size 10 needles, but that didn't work out so well.  The "plarn" (plastic + yarn) kept breaking on me.  Switching to size 11 seems to have solved that problem, though, so that is the size in the shop.  If you are considering doing this craft-along with me in May but you're leary of knitting with a strip of fused plastic ribbon, come on in and try out a row or two.  Take it for a spin, see how it feels!

Now, a word about the tasting...

Ever since I moved into River City Gift Shoppe, I have had this idea to keep a sample yarn on the table at all times.  The Plarn became the perfect motivation for me to finally get this ongoing Yarn Tasting up and running!

Every week or two I will be changing the yarn available for tasting, and I will keep you updated on the current "flavor" with the convenient little page link up there on the right.  You can come on in, knit however much you like, in the style of your choice, making it wider or thinner or lacy or solid stockinette.  Knock yourself out!  Just remember to write down at least your first name and the number of rows you finished in the book on the table.

I like to think of this as an open art project.  A physical documentation of the happenings at Yellowbird.  Something we can look back on and say "Oh, yes!  I remember that yarn!  That was from the _______ knit-along!  Ahhh, good times..."  And anyone who can knit can come on in and be a part of it. 

To kick the whole thing off with a homemade recycled bag yarn created for an experimental knit-along just seems fitting, don't you think?

So there you have it.  I confess.  I cheated.  And you know what?  I'm glad I did.

We interrupt this Sockcast...

Okay, remember when I had strep and thought I should have stuck with my mindless scarf?  I tell you I'm working on a basic garter stitch scarf, sounds boring, right?

Wrong.  So very wrong. 

Have I ever mentioned how much I love to embelish?  Done in the right way it can add such depth of texture that boring stands out in a crowd.

Pictured in the Projects album over there is my new favorite scarf, Nature's Highway.  It was knit from Mango Moon's silk Dharma on size 15 needles to give it a nice lacy look.  The open weave helped me to pull a ribbon randomly up the middle of the length of the scarf.  Increases and decreases give the ends the perfect points for homemade polymer clay beads to hold the single tassels.

I have worn this scarf at least half a dozen times already, and I absolutely love it!  The only drawback is that the longer I wear it, the more it stretches out.  And chokes me.  Not attractive.  So, I have to keep messing with it which makes me look a bit self-conscious about wearing it.  Which I'm not.  Because I love it.

Wrapped around my neck once, it hangs to around my knees and looks all flouncy.  I pull the ends up so I don't sit on them and they drape sweetly in my hand.  I rub it on my cheek and it's all silky soft.

Sorry.  I digress.

The forecast for the week is looking a bit on the cool side...

Yay!

Calling all pros!!!

I find myself in a bit of a pickle and thought I might post a plea in the hopes that there is someone out there who is willing and able to help a girl out.

You see, I have been coming into the shop every Tuesday for Open Knit for a few months now and haven't missed a one.  However, this Tuesday, April 13th, I am signed up to chaperone my son's school field trip.

He is very excited about this one.  Apparently there's a chance he might get to eat a bug.  Or get me to eat one.  Not under a pound of the world's best chocolate...

Anyhoo, I did update this fact on my Open Knit page (link on the top right), but I forgot to tell Judy.  And, apparently, myself.

I spoke to a lady last Thursday who has not knit for a number of years and is looking to get back into it for very important personal reasons.  I told her to please, by all means, come on in any Tuesday or Thursday between 10 and noon and I will be here.  It will all come back to you and you can spend some time knitting among friends.

It wasn't until I got home that night that I put two and two together and realized that she may come in on Tuesday and I won't be there.  I was terribly upset about this and agonized over what to do for nearly two days.  I finally decided to rely on her understanding, and spend the morning with my son and encouraging him to try anything he liked.  None for me, thanks.

However, if there are any seasoned knitters in the area who are both willing and able to come in to Judy's Ice Cream between 10 and noon this Tuesday to be the official on-site pro I would be highly appreciative!  So much so, in fact, that I will tell Judy that any such person who comes in for those two hours to fill my shoes will receive 30% off anything they buy from the Yarn Room that day!

How great is that?  Get a discount to come in and sit with a cuppa and your knitting, dispense some wisdom, and do a good deed.  I'll even throw in a loaf of my own homemade banana bread if you leave word when you'll be back!

The Recycled Bag Pool Bag Experiment

I am very excited to announce some new craft-along fun!

Now, stop me if you've heard this one before, but I am a knitter who loves to try out new techniques.  Each project I do likely offers some sort of new and different challenge.  This time, I'm going for making my own yarn out of nothing!  (No, I don't need any straw, thank you.  I'm good.)

There's been a bit of buzz here lately about fusing plastic shopping bags together to create fabric, and you know what?  I am in desperate need of a new pool bag.  Preferably something plastic so I don't have to worry about what those wet towels and pool toys are doing to it day after day.  That black Esprit bag I've had since middle school is looking pretty sad.

If I knew how to sew I could just make the fabric, cut out the pattern, sit down at my machine and walk away with something fantastic.  I've seen some really cool rain gear made that way!

But my machine and I are not friends.  I try on occassion, but it's just plain fickle.  Too many variables to consider.

What I do know is knitting.  So, I have a masterful plan to make a tubular fabric and cut a spiral that will turn out the perfect "yarn" for the perfect pool bag.  

And for free, no less!  Yay!

I cordially invite anyone in the area who is intersted in this technique to come join me at River City for every Wednesday in the month of May from 10:00 until noon.  You may come and watch, or work along with me.  You may knit, crochet, or keep the fabric and sew away if you and your machine have reached an understanding.  There's no charge to participate, but please send me an email (link up there on the left) so that supplies may be supplied.

I am very excited to try this out, it's something I've been wanting to do for a long time.  And I am a bit overdue for the new bag.  It would be good to have one before my oldest son starts middle school. 

Frogging for fun

Ah, spring.  Can you hear the froggies singing?  I can. 

For all you non-knitters out there (hi, mom!), allow me to explain.  Frogs sing.  It sounds like "ribbit".  Ribbit sounds like "rip it".  As in "rip out your stitches".

Bye-bye, sock leg!

I was loving the pointed leaf stitch pattern so much that all last week I had to force myself to put down my sock every night when I found it difficult to keep my eyes open any longer.  The boys were on Spring Break, after all, so I could sleep in a bit!  So, when we met up on Thursday for the knit-along I had worked halfway up my calf.  You can see a picture of it in the Project Pictures album.  I could have stopped there, but I'm goin' for some knee socks, baby!

Yes, I was loving the pattern.  On the needles.  When I put the sock on, though, I was disappointed in how much the pattern got lost in having to stretch around my calf.  I just couldn't think of how to increase within the pattern.

Then came the brainstorming.  And hand clapping.  And foot stomping.  Couple o' high fives in there.

It is so wonderful to talk to someone who gets it!  Who will get just as excited as myself about the idea of ribbing!

Ok, I admit that didn't sound right.  But there you have it.

Barbara suggested I increase between the columns of leaves.  This lead to the idea of increasing until I've added a rib.  Then that lead to ending the leaves in a way that they just turned into the ribbing at the top of the sock.  So cool!

I set the sock aside for a day or two to figure out exactly how to work it. Come Saturday morning, I frogged away.  I'm still staying up until I can't keep my eyes open any longer, only now I have no excuse for sleeping in!  I've caught up to where I was already, though, and still going strong.  Let's hope this design's a keeper!

Second time's a charm, right?

Changes to Open Knit

This Saturday, April 10th, will be my last Saturday morning Open Knit for a little while.

Soccer season is upon us and I have five weeks worth of Saturday morning games to cheer on.  This is likely to be my first grader's last soccer season and I don't want to miss one minute of it!

However, I will still be in on Tuesday mornings if you would like to come sit a while with your project of choice.  Check out the Open Knit page (link on the top right of this page) to know when I'll be there. 

And if you're looking for a knitting buddy and Tuesday mornings don't work for you, drop me a line!  I'm sure we could work something out.