First time for everything...

Tomorrow morning I'll be hopping on a plane bound for San Jose, CA.  This trip will be full of firsts:
1. First time flying into San Jose
2. First time visiting friends Dennis & MaryLouise since they moved from Virginia to California
3. First time in the Bay area for fun, not work or flying through on the way somewhere else
4. First time attending a big knitting event

I really miss not living near Dennis and MaryLouise so that is the most important part of the trip.

The reason for making the trip now though is to attend Stitches West.  The prospect of all the yarn shopping and knitting classes is exciting.   The prospect of spending 3 days with thousands of other women is a bit ..... daunting. 

Let me explain that a bit.  I'm an engineer working in a male dominated field.  In my office of 60 people, there are about 5 other women engineers and another 3 women total in the office.  The proportion at my customer site is about the same.  It's been that way for all of my career starting with college (ratio 4 men to 1 woman).  For one project I managed, the usual meeting attendance was me and 15 guys with occassionally another woman. I'm used to it and most of the time I don't even think about it.  I'm just one of the guys.

So the thought of going to an event that will be more like 90-95% women attendees is a bit odd.  Will I fit in?  How do you make small talk?  How bad will the bathroom lines be?  (At most of the meetings I go to for work, unlike your average public event, the lines are for the men's room not the ladies.)

This will be an adventure!   I'm signed up for 3 classes to learn some new knitting techniques and will probably take an extra bag for carting yarn home.    And one more first... I finally signed up for a Twitter account.  I don't know how much I'll tweet from Stitches West, but one of my favorite yarn brands will be tweeting short term specials at the show.  Oh, well, into the Twitterverse I go.

As much as I'm excited about all things yarny, what I'm really looking forward to is Dennis's cooking!

Giving it away.....



I give much of my knitting away.  I can only wear so many scarves and cowls and shawls. And I haven't gotten into the production of sweaters and socks yet which I would be more likely to keep for myself.

 

Garter stitch scarf in Hair of the
Rare loopy boucle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lacey Baktus in Fleece Artist Seawool

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of my family has now been the recipient of some knitted item, mostly scarves.  I'm not even sure they like what they've received so far, so I don't think I'll push that avenue of product distribution much more. I don't want to be the "crazy old aunt who gave us a scarf every year for Christmas."

Scotland Scarf in Mochi Plus
 

Fan & feather scarf in Debbie Bliss
BabCashmerino





 

 

 

 

I want my knitting to be used and I want it to go to someone who will appreciate it.  A couple years ago as my knitting production increased,  I started looking for some way to support charitable organization.  There are plenty of appealing organizations - Project Linus, afghans for Afghans, Afghan Square for Pine Ridge, and many more.  

One organization that was particularly appealing is the California based "Handmade Especially for You."  It is a non-profit charity that organizes knitters and crocheters to provide comfort scarves to women entering shelters from a domestic abuse situation.  A few people jumped on the idea and started similar organizations in a few places around the country.  I was interested in participating close to home or at least close to my hometown.  Comfort Scarves Southwest Pennsylvania was founded around the time when I was looking to start sending donations.  It started out  as Comfort Scarves Pittsburgh supporting just a couple shelters but has grown to support 10 shelters in 8 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.  Sad to say but about 135 scarves per month are need to support the shelters.  The organization was founded by Barb Kochuba and is run out of her house.  She has partnered with local churches, synagogues and other organizations to wrap and deliver not just scarves but washcloths, slippers and children's items to the shelters.  Some charity to charity exchanges have also extended the circle of giving.  I've sent several batches of scarves and some fingerless gloves, and washcloths In addition, Barb is now stocking yarn craft boxes at the shelters for those women who would like to knit or crochet. I've donated a few things from my sizable yarn stash and am ready to send some more.

Please check out Comfort Scarves  on Facebook or Ravelry.  The website - www.comfortscarves.org is available, but is somewhat out of date (anyone want to volunteer to be web master?)  Or refer to www.handmadeespecially.org  to find a partner organization near you.    Here are a few of the items I've donated:

Chile for the holidays scarf



Kid's diamond
puffball scarf



Loopy puff ball scarf

One row cotton scarf

 





Teal mohair bias scarf

 

 

 







Aqua puff ball scarf

Saturday night I spontaneously gave away one of my triangular scarves.   I was out to dinner with old work friends from out of town for the second night in a row.  I wore a different hand knit scarf each evening.  My friends commented on them both, but the one last night was particularly colorful and exciting. It was a simple pattern made from a single skein of Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn. It was cold last night and know that Kim, originally from South Carolina, is not a fan of the cold, I thought it might be of good use to her. She loved it and posted a picture of it on Facebook almost immediately. Now that makes a knitter feel good. 

Who do you give your knitting to?   Do you support any charitable organizations by giving handmade items?

The Great Cowl Along....

I did it!!  I managed to complete a Knit ALong (KAL) in the alloted time.  I frequently have really good intensions, but manage to either not get started or get distracted half way through.....

KALs (Knit ALong), CALs (Crochet ALong), and swaps are an interesting cultural phenomena. There have to be several PhD topics for sociology majors in it somewhere. For my non-knitting and crocheting friends a KAL or CAL is an event sponsored a local yarn store, a magazine, a yarn supplier, a Ravelry group, a designer, (or anyone else with a public forum) during which they select a pattern or type of project to work on during a designated time period. In this case the forum is Ravelry.  Anyone else who wants to work on the same pattern can sign up and craft along.  The idea is to compare notes, learn from what others have done with the same pattern but different yarn, and get help when you're stuck.  In this case the knitting was easy, but it is fun to see what kind of yarn other knitters are using for the same project and how their projects turn out.  Sometimes the sponsor provides prize incentives as well to encourage participate and completion of the project. 

The Great Cowl KAL is hosted by designer Feministy (aka Liz Abinante).  For this year's KAL, she published one free pattern.  If you complete the project and provide proof, she gives you a second pattern for free for the next phase of the KAL.  (Usual cost of the pattern would be about $6, so it's a nice perk for participating.)  Now I just have to pick the yarn for the second project.  It's a cable pattern.  I love cables...     

Do you particpate in "alongs" or other social events that encourage you to complete a project?

So, sew....

Since I've started knitting, I've been working my way through the usual projects - scarves, shawls, mittens, hats, baby sweaters and the like.  One of the projects I really enjoy is making bags and purses.  You can make something more more interesting than you can ever buy in a store.  The only problem is that purses really need to be lined. It's the best way of keeping things from poking out even through felted fabric and it allows the creation of non-bulky interior pockets.

The problem is I don't sew.  Well... I haven't sewn in 30 years.

As a kid, I was in a sewing and crafts 4-H club.  My best friend Sandi's mother was one of the leaders.   There were usually about 8 or 10 girls in the club at a time.  The age range was from about 5th grade to about 10th grade.  Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Rice did a great job trying to pass their skills and love of sewing and crafts onto us. Most of us stayed in the club for several years, so they were doing something right.

No knock on their teaching ability, I didn't take to sewing as much as the crafts. At that time I was more interested in cross-stitch and needlepoint. I made the obligatory first 4-H project, a tote bag.  Then another couple simple projects, but my attention span and motor skills were not quite good enough for me to enjoy sewing. With high school activities getting started, band, choir, cross-country, and theater, I lost interest completely.

So, I want to sew, but how do I get back on that horse.  I bought an affordable Singer on sale at Jo-Ann a year or two ago, but after I did I realized, I really didn't remember what the heck I was doing.  A friend at work mentioned that she wanted to learn to sew, too.  Now I have a buddy, but where to start.....

Luckily, Albuquerque is home to Hip-Stitch.  It is a small fabric shop and sewing lounge.  Fabrics and notions for sale in the front of the store, work and classroom space in the back.  We signed up for Hip Stitch Basics, which is just that - how to thread your machine, how to wind a bobbin, how to adjust stitch length, tension, stitch width, etc.   When I say "your machine", you can use a machine provided or bring your own.  It's a two hour class - perfect for and evening after work.  I did review my machine manual before I went, so the class went pretty smoothly and I remembered much more than I thought I would.

Between Hip Stitch and a couple of the easy classes on Craftsy, my skills should quickly progress enough to make the simple things I have in mind.  Maybe I'll take a purse with me next time I go back home  and drop by to show Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Rice.  Hopefully they'll be proud.

What skills have you acquired or re-acquired?  Have you let any skills go that you wish you hadn't?