Yellowbird Yarn Room

Yesterday. Really.

It happens to me all the time.  I see something about an upcoming event that sounds cool, so I keep the paper with the info in one of my more prominent needs-immediate-attention piles so it doesn't get lost.

And I think about it.  Quite often.  I think "Hey, that's gotta be coming up here pretty soon.  Better check on that and make plans.  Soon."

I see the paper as I shuffle through the pile looking for something else, and make a mental note to look at it again another time.  You know, when I'm not already looking for something else.

Eventually, I go back and check it.  At which point it's already happened, I already have other plans, or I no longer care to bother with it.

Well, I've done it again.  And the event was yesterday.

The Hower House of Akron hosted a Gallery Talk on "Embroidery During the Victorian Age".  Ach!  I would have loved that!  But, good news...the calender on their site says there will be more!  I don't know what the other talks will be about, but I have a chance!

Not only that, but it looks like they are hosting a couple of Make-it & Take-it events!  Seriously.  Three hours of Victorian-style crafting in a historical house with "light refreshments following workshop".  That all sounds just lovely to me!

These events all tie into their exhibit entitled Pieces of Life:  Quilts & Needle Arts Across Time which will be on display through September 25th and apparently includes something for every type of fiber enthusiast.  They have items that are knitted, crocheted, sewn, and embroidered.  From clothing to quilts.  Hundreds of pieces dating from the 1800's to the modern age.

I will see that exhibit.  If I have to put sticky notes all over my house and on the top of every pile to remind me.

Luckily, I have a little time.  The kids are stuck with me for the summer and I just can't see them having much interest in such things.  What do you think?

Yeah.  No.

My hope is that in writing about it here, I will be forced to remember to go come August or so and then to report back.  Or that someone with the gumption to make actual concrete plans will read it and express an interest in going together.  And then remind me when the time comes.

But it's okay if you go without me.  I'll let it slide.  Especially if you take notes.

Thoughts on a theory

I took a class on crochet at about the same time that I took knitting, some six odd years or so ago, but I just never took to it.  I never found a good hold with my left hand and it would always cramp before I could do more than what was necessary.  Knitting was much more comfortable, so it became my focus and my passion. 

Maybe a little obsession thrown in there, too.   

It's always bothered me, though, that inability to master the technique.  I knew I just needed to keep working at it, and eventually I would find that perfect hold.

But how do you find the motivation to keep working on something you don't enjoy, especially when you have something similar to occupy your time that you do so thoroughly enjoy?

So I kept hearing things about Tunisian crochet and decided to check it out.  I found it so intriguing...crochet that is worked a bit like knitting and can end up looking woven.

Huh.

Enter the theory.  The "Transitional Method Theory" as I like to call it.

Maybe...just maybe...if I worked on an easy Tunisian project I would find that elusive perfect hold.  By the time I finished my project (we'll say, maybe, a placemat...), crochet would feel like second nature.

Why, that sounds just crazy enough to work, doesn't it? 

That's what I thought.  And I have reason to believe I was right.

I will finish my project be the end of next week, easily, and while I cannot say that my hold is yet perfect I can say that it is almost downright comfortable. 

To quote my mother...well, glory be!

Now, I'm not promising anything here, but I may be just about ready to try my hand at an actual crochet pattern one of these days.  We'll see.  After all, there are still so many knitting projects out there, just waiting to fly off my needles! 

One more reason to love Ravelry!

As if I need another one, but look at this!!!

Sock before the frogs got it.

YAY!!!!!  Pictures IN my posts!!!  I'm just sooo happy!!!

So, here's what happened.  It's bugged me for quite some time now that I haven't been able to download patterns on Ravelry.  I'd click all of the necessary links and buttons, but nothing would happen.  I searched the forums on occassion, hoping to find someone else had the same problem, but everything I found suggested things that either I had already tried or that didn't apply to me.

Finally, the other day, I found the wiki page for people just like me!  I did what they suggested, and boom!  It's like a whole new Ravelry!  Yay!

So I gots me to thinkin'...maaayyybe...if it worked for Ravelry, it would work for Typepad...

YES!!!

Okay, so it may still need a bit of tweaking in terms of positioning and captioning and all that, but, hey!  Progress is good!

Yellowbird is re-nesting!

When is a Room not a room?  Why, when it becomes a wall, of course!

Starting next Monday (the 21st), this Yellowbird will be re-nesting.  I'll be taking a few days to get everything out of my little room, revamp those rough display boxes, and settle into my new home across the parking lot.  By the following weekend you'll be able to find me in the room right next to Judy's Ice Cream, along the shared wall.

You see, Judy's Consignmet has been doing so well that she's already run out of space!  She's decided to move it to the building where I have been so that she can give customers some room to move around the racks.  This is a wonderful plan for her, but it does give people less reason to come see me.  So, she offered me this new spot and I.  Am.  Thrilled!

Yellowbird will be much easier to find, especially for those who have trouble climbing stairs.  Not to mention the fact that when I am there for Open Knit, I won't have far to go when I want to show someone an item I carry or to get them one of my cards.  So convenient!

But, alas, I hate to move.  All the trips up and down those stairs!

So, I was thinking.....how would you like to make this move a bit easier on me?  I will be showing up to WWKIP Day this Saturday with a stack of 20% off coupons, ready to hand them out.  All you have to do to get one is come say "hi"!  These coupons will only be good for Saturday, and I will have a limited supply, so come early to increase your chances of getting one!  They will be good for your entire purchase of anything in Yellowbird, with the exception of the IK mags (which are already marked down) and the aforementioned Tunisian Crochet deal.

Whether you're in the mood to shop or not, I do hope you'll come join us on Saturday for WWKIP Day.  I will stay as long as I can, and as long as I have company!  Bring along your latest project, and if you have a bit of that yarn to spare I would LOVE it if you added a row or two of it into the yarn tasting project...just to prove you were there!

How cool would that be?  To come back to Yellowbird, time and time again, and say "Hey!  That's my two rows from that beret I was working on during WWKIP Day 2010!"

Yep.   Very cool.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Have you seen this yet?

Okay, so I may be a bit behind the times here.  This video was apparently put up way back at the beginning of March and has (at the time of this post) close to 14 million views.

But, hey.  It's never too late to share insane creativity.

Tasting the blues again

I'm not doing it on purpose, I promise!  I mean, sure, I get in color ruts all the time...though, normally I lean toward the greens and browns.  But something has had me deep in the blues when I've picked out yarns for the tasting. 

Maybe because it's been spring in Ohio.  If I can't have blue in my sky, maybe I can make up for it with yarn!

I'll have to do something about that.  Shake things up a bit.  I did get in a bag of Cestari cotton blend sock yarn in natural.  Hmm.  When is the last time I played with Rit dye?  Grade school?

I'll have to do something about that.