a northern summer night
September 16, 2010
today was bad.
i woke up very very late
to the sound of roofers and their nail guns.
later on, i had rage. much rage.
thanks to the power of email.
i muddled through somehow,
came home to my very clean house
and veronica let me know that mo peed in her room.
perfect.
so rather than dwell on the bad day,
let’s talk about a good one.
picture it,
monday:
six and two people were coming over
to block my northern summer shawl.
while i am technically able to do it myself,
i’d never blocked a triangular shawl that curves.
any shawl that is worked top down with six increases
(rather than four) every two rows will curve thusly.
so i thought,
why not make a night of it?
but if you’re going to convince people to get on their knees
you need to pay them somehow.
for pinning wet wool,
a feast is best.
menu:
-soul twin salad.
-panko breaded chicken cutlets,
fried in bacon grease,
served with mushroom gravy
-the famous mac & cheese.
-peanut tofu and broccoli,
served with white rice
-roasted asparagus
-chocolate tart with almond whip cream
(provided by the lovely veronica).
the characters:
nancy
yvonne
david
lee
(anna was in charge of the camera
so there’s no picture of her)
and then there was me,
whose sole contribution to the pinning process
was hovering occasionally over my friends
then dashing back to check on the chicken.
they pinned,
we feasted.
and watched steel magnolias with dessert.
it was lovely.
i didn’t even mind the mess.
it was so
worth it.
so remember bitches
don’t block,
cook!
*note – i had no one else to model for me
and while noon is the worst time to do a photo shoot
i love how this photo came out.
an open letter to tina newton
September 15, 2010
dear tina,
today i got my shipping notification,
and my yarn will be here soon.
i think i have a crush on you.
(which is more than a little confusing).
sincerely yours,
steven
p.s. (to the readers) my friend jen is demanding photos of my blocked northern summer shawl. keep your eyes peeled later ok?
an open letter to adrienne martini
September 14, 2010
dear adrienne,
i feel that, even though you don’t know me,
i owe some apologies.
i’m sorry it’s taken me three weeks to blog about you.
i have problems with priorities and procrastination.
i’m sorry it’s taken me so long to read your book.
i bought it forever ago, but am just now getting to it.
i find it to be enchanting.
you’ve kinda inspired me.
thanks.
i’m sorry i wasn’t friendlier at your reading/signing at the shop.
i had a random bout of shyness, and decided to focus on taking photos.
i see now that i missed an opportunity to befriend someone cool.
which makes my final apology that much more necessary;
when it came time to take a group shot with the staff,
i’m sorry i said the picture looks “great!”
clearly, i was only looking at myself,
and was oblivious to the fact that you blinked.
sorry.
sincerely yours,
steven
*sigh*
September 10, 2010
i love fall.
i love the chilly air,
the sweaters,
the jeans,
snuggling under down comforters, my dog as the only source of heat.
i love that i get to leave lace behind,
pick some seriously wooly wool,
and let cables hurt my hands.
and while this weather may be a bit unseasonable,
let’s pretend it’s going to last shall we?
and no that’s not my rhinebeck sweater;
i haven’t cast that on yet.
why?
so my procrastination-induced stress can amuse you all later,
obviously.
a hat
September 8, 2010
i don’t get the appeal of knitting for babies.
besides that fact that it’s cheaper and faster.
i have done it since,
being a knitter,
it’s just one of those things we do.
but i don’t desire it.
i don’t fawn over baby patterns,
cooing at the über cuteness.
most of the time i think people make babies look silly
and i just feel embarrassed for both baby and parent.
but then there’s this:
once again the knitting gods have made me their bitch
because i knit that. i knit a silly hat and kinda forgot that i did.
now the little shit finally fits into it . . .
. . .and it’s fucking adorable.
*sigh*
anyone know a good baby sweater pattern?
i may have a problem, but i’m ok with that.
September 6, 2010
this entry is dedicated to my good friend in yarn, anna.
i couldn’t have done it without you babe.
today is labor day.
today i rest.
i will not knit.
i need not knit,
not today.
for yesterday,
i tasted victory.
the summer has been a battle.
a knitting battle of wit and stamina.
the battle known as socks and lace.
toward the end it became clear
that my only competition was anna;
my friend,
my coworker,
my sworn enemy.
the competition was fierce.
some might even say we lost our minds.
to them i say, you didn’t want it bad enough.
we did.
the speed with which anna finished projects was staggering, even scary.
she churned out socks and shawls like the yarn harlot on crack.
never before had i met an opponent as worthy as she,
one who forced me to be a better competitor,
someone who craved victory as much as i.
but i had something that she did not,
something that intensified my already sick need for glory.
it was a certain sweater,
a supreme public mocking,
and the thousands of calls to “man up and knit real lace.”
i admit that i asked for it. i invited scrutiny,
and was taught the lesson of post midnight emails.
the people of the knitting world spoke,
and commanded me to follow the rules,
to stay inside the box.
so i did.
i made the rules my own.
i owned those rules.
i followed the letter of the law, and in doing so,
eviscerated its spirit.
so today i rest,
allow my fingers to recover,
and i wear my stole of victory*.
for in knitting it,
i secured my win.
(i recognize that i may have a problem. i’m at peace with it.)
*the “stole of victory” was my ace in the hole. i held cascade 220 quadrupled knit on size 15’s (10mm) lengthwise. i bought the yarn at natural stitches so it then counted double, and threw in a lace chevron that i messed up somehow. but it doesn’t have to be good lace to count.
how does your garter grow?
August 30, 2010
i’ve been pretty quiet lately,
and there’s a good reason for that.
i’ve been lucky enough to test knit the xeriscape,
ms. mary-heather of rainy day goods’s latest design.
“Inspired by the richly textured rock and low-water gardens of the American southwest, Xeriscape is a shaped, scalloped scarf knit in a drapey and luxurious hand-dyed yarn. Worked in garter stitch, Xeriscape looks great in solid, semi-solid, and variegated yarns. The long, narrow shape makes it easy to wrap, tie, and wear in a variety of ways.
Xeriscape is perfect for beginners who are ready to work on shaping through increases and decreases, and still has the thoughtful details needed to make it a breezy, meditative knit for more experienced knitters.”
let me tell you,
i
was
STOKED!
there was something about the design i loved immediately.
and i knew i needed to have it when the pattern came out.
but to be able to test knit it? to be one of the first people to ever knit it?
that was special.
since this was going to be my first time test knitting a pattern, (officially)
i vowed to be swift and thorough.
but it wasn’t easy.
first, i had a week deadline.
mary-heather said i could take longer if i needed,
but the pattern was getting published in a week.
being bred from overachieving stock,
everything else got pushed aside.
but when it came time to cast on,
i could not for the life of me find a yarn i liked.
there was just nothing i had on hand that would work,
at least not the way i wanted it to.
and i needed the yarn now.
so i began knitting one in a yarn i thought might work,
but it just didn’t.
i hated my yarn choice
and it killed the design.
the end result was completely unworthy of the blog,
and it’s has been properly shamed and put away.
then, out of the west,
ms. tina newton,
dyer,
teacher,
queen.
saved.
my.
bacon.
which is ironic i think since she’s a vegetarian.
she had paula tackle the postman,
threaten him with a size q crochet hook,
and sent me this little lovely in record time*
it’s the lovely new yarn marine silk sport in the “spruced” colorway.
(isn’t it crazy how differently silk takes color?)
i wish you could see the beautiful iridescence
the subtle navy hidden beneath the calm green.
it’s beautifully soft and made knitting garter stitch worth it.
it is simply divine.
in fact,
take a few minutes to stop reading,
and order a sweater lot.
go ahead.
i’ll wait.
back?
ok.
then, as my friend michael would say,
the flames were coming off my fingers as i finished the real xeriscape,
the one i could be proud of,
the one worthy of the blog.
isn’t it lovely?
and in honor of the spirit of mary-heather
and her lovely pup charlie,
i had my mo model the xeriscape
it’s very rare for me to knit for myself,
but this one’s all mine bitches!
jealous?
go buy the pattern and knit one!
* this version of events may or may not be exaggerated. i can neither confirm nor deny if a postal worker was tackled/threatened.
but the truth is out there.
if there was ever any question
August 28, 2010
that you must be crazy to work in a yarn store,
this is all the proof you should need.
(we have no shame)
i think i have a learning disability
August 25, 2010
it’s all about life lessons lately here at bitches get stitches.
as i move ever closer to my third anniversary of knitting,
i notice just how far i’ve come in my knowledge of the fiber arts.
i’ve even come to realize that
the really important life lessons are not about knitting itself;
they’re about dealing with the knitting community.
after almost three years, you’d think i’d have gotten it:
don’t mess with knitters.
they will cut a bitch.
(i know i would)
and for the most part,
i have learned this lesson.
yet somehow,
i still cant get it through my thick skull that,
after midnight,
sending knitting related internet communications is unwise.
(we all remember the great lace debate of 2010 do we not?!)
but last night,
in a moment of weakness,
i sent an inappropriate tweet:
dear @twistcollective. really? only one men’s pattern and its a dumb grey vest?! this is why i don’t read you
immediately followed by:
@twistcollective luckily though, i doubt i’m your target audience.
obviously, this was immature and foolish.
while twitter (and other sites) are obviously spaces to give your opinion,
one must always remember that people will read what you write.
so while in the dark of the night in my bedroom,
it didn’t occur to me that i’d get a reply,
it’s not unexpected that i did:
@Faiche_Stiabhna We prefer “understated” to “dumb” and actually, there’s more than 1 men’s pattern this issue http://ht.ly/2uA3t
it’s true, i was wrong;
there is more than one men’s pattern in the fall twist collective.
there’s a pattern for a grey zippered cardigan you can knit as well.
and while each of us is entitled to our adjective of choice,
i will work on not throwing my adjectives at people via twitter.
learn from my mistakes people.
keep your opinions where they belong!
on your blog.
p.s. everyone should go to the twist collective right now,
and purchase mary-heather cogar’s new sweater, promenade. it’s the perfect mixture of simplicity and design detail. it’s what knitting should be.
in tomorrow’s issue: “why sending crazed emails after midnight can save your ass”
project ten: take two
August 20, 2010
my next guest for project ten comes to us from that magic country above known as canadia
er . . . i mean canada.
she is one of those people plagued by a need to create, to make,
to turn nothings into somethings.
she learned the basics of knitting at age 12,
but abandoned it soon after, as she thought it was far too fiddly.
a decade and a half later,
her friends showed her the socks and shawls and arm warmers they were knitting, promising that she too could learn to do this.
she balked at this;
she thought that it might be nice to be able to make things like socks,
but was sure that she would never be able to.
a year passed.
one night she decided that she was going to teach herself how to knit.
she did.
ladies and ladyboys,
bitches of all genders,
i thrilled to present to you,
miss spillyjane!
Hello!
i have to say thank you, not only for being here,
but for being so patient through this process.
Not a problem! I didn’t mind at all.
trust me bitches, she’s been a doll.
when i was an unreliable flake,
jane was my rock.
which is ironic since this is supposed to be my gig.
so jane, you ready to do this?
Definitely ready.
then let’s go.
ten questions for spillyjane
1 – we’ll start where i always start, with the most important question: english or continental?
English! I taught myself how to knit out of an old book and — though I didn’t know it at the time — it was English. I’ve since taught myself Continental so that my colourwork would go faster and look more defined. When I’m working with one yarn only, it’s English all the way.
2 – i first heard of you at the yarn harlot’s talk at the detroit public library, and everyone seemed to refer to you as the mitten lady. it took a while to get the name “spillyjane” out of someone to figure out who they were talking about. how does it feel to be known, if only by some, as “the mitten lady”?
Really? I always figured that “Jane” was easy to remember and that “Spilly” was weird enough to stick. I suppose that’s my work speaking for itself. While I do have a bunch of sock patterns out there as well, I suppose the mitten patterns (at least mittens the way I do them) are a slightly rarer commodity. Regardless, being “the mitten lady” isn’t so bad — at least people are talking! I do love mittens, and it’s nice to have a niche.
3 – which brings me to the next obvious question, why mittens?
I was waiting for this one! Firstly, because I live in Canada, and we have long, long winters. Where I live it doesn’t get so cold that it’s totally unbearable, but a nice pair of mittens is also capable of adding a pop of colour to a dull, grey day. As a project they’re also small enough to make working them go quickly (they’re wonderfully portable!) but large enough (in stitch-count, at least) that I can inflict all kinds of interesting motifs and patterns upon them. Mittens are folky and rustic and homey and yet elegant all at once. It seems so contradictory — I like that combination.
4 – the next obvious question in my mind is what first attracted you to stranded color work?
Oh, it was only a matter of time once I started knitting! Once I had the basics mastered I immediately moved on to the more complex techniques like colourwork. I am totally infatuated with colour — in fact, I’m fairly sure that I don’t have a least-favourite one. The chance to play with them to create wearble objects was too strong to resist.
5 – as a knitter, i can point to the project i am most proud of (thus far), the project that i can honestly say is my best work. which of your designs are you most proud of or is your favorite?
My L’Amour et la Morte socks, hands down. They combine both colourwork and cables in one project and are an absolute delight to work and wear. And I say this after having knit no less than six complete pairs, five of which were sized to fit a men’s large, so you know I’m not making this up! They combine of quirkiness and elegance, which is what I aim for in my work.
6 – as a non-designer, the question i find myself asking all the time is, “how the hell did they come up with that?!” where do you draw inspiration from to come up with your designs?
The better part of my work is basically my response to things I love. Working a certain motif or pattern into a mitten or a sock is my way of paying tribute to a song, a city, an object — it’s the means by which I translate it into wool. I see my work as being part of a dialogue — carrying on the conversation with the person, place or thing that made me fall in love with it in the first place. I always say that if I were a “normal person” (and being “normal” is overrated, I assure you,) I’d paint or draw or write poems or songs or do something a lot less involved than working stitch after tiny stitch just to say how much I like something. But I’m not, so I don’t.
7 – as knitter dude, there are tons of beautiful patterns out there for me to knit, but i sometimes find it hard to find things i’d like to knit for myself. as a designer, do you find it difficult at all to design things for men?
Not at all! I love designing for men — it makes me feel like I’m spoiling them. I liken fancy socks for men to fine lingerie — you may not know what’s under there, but *they* do, and it’s breathtaking! When I design and/or knit for men I go all out with the little details: luxurious fibres; intricate flourishes; the finest finishing. As most men tend to be extremely selective about what they wear I always take it as a huge compliment when they opt for my socks. It makes me happy.
8 – the power of ravelry has meant anyone can self-publish their designs. sometimes they shouldn’t lol. but i’ve always wondered what the process of getting something published in knitty or a magazine is like. can you talk about your experience with publishing?
I haven’t really had that much experience with publishing — so far I’ve only been featured in one book (Cables & Stripes Mittens in 60 Quick Knits) and had one pattern in Knitty (Mystery + Manners, First Fall 2010.) I’m hoping that this is only the beginning! It’s really exciting knowing that your work will be published in an actual book or on a very popular website. The worst part about the publishing process is the waiting: waiting to hear that your work has been accepted and then waiting for the publication to come out (which, believe me, seems like forever until it does!) But when it is…it really is an amazing feeling when you see your work out there like that.
9 – living in windsor means you have the unique opportunity to hop in the car, cross a bridge, and come to the u.s. whenever you like. this made me wonder, other than the metric system, what differences if any do you see between american and canadian knitters?
I love living in a border city, especially since there are so many great yarn shops in the Detroit area. As far as the differences between American and Canadian knitters — I’ve met a lot of both, and knitters are knitters, as far as I’m concerned.
10 – a very diplomatic answer my dear. which brings me to the final question and the end of our time together here; if you could interview on person for project 10, who would it be and what would you ask them?
Stephanie Dosen of tinyowlknits. I’d like to know how she takes such simple knitted objects and imbues them with so much beauty.
well there you have it folks, ten questions for spilly jane.
and ten excellent answers.
thanks again so much for being here.
Thanks so much for having me.
i can’t wait to see what next!
*jane lives in windsor, ontario in a 97 year old house that she shares with her husband and her bird, pookie. you can find her on twitter, etsy, knitty, ravelry, and on her lovely blog
Bitches Get Stitches 