Knitting Tips for Non-Knitters #1

Last night the world was simply becoming too much for me, so I took a ball of yarn that originally wanted to be a sock, but changed its mind, and cast on for the now-ubiquitous Knitty "Branching Out" lace scarf. I've got something like nine hours of lace classes coming up at Stitches Midwest and I am not going into them cold.

I did two repeats, after four false starts, and then it was bedtime. I think I will like lace knitting.

This morning, I showed the swatch to C.

"It's lace!" I crowed.

"Wow," he said. "It looks like macramé."

The expression on my face must have been telling.

"No, no, I meant in a good way," he said, moving out of striking range.

Non-knitters, just so that we can avoid further confusion on this matter, there is no "good way" that a person's knitting can look like macramé.

Girls, Girls, Girls

The big event of my weekend was a long-awaited reunion with Birdfarm. We hadn't seen each other for some ridiculous number of years. Our friendship had been yet another casualty of Mr. Ex's isolationist social policy.

She and her entourage (charming wife, charming friends) came into town Saturday and I met them Sunday morning at the Marshall Field's flagship on State Street. Hilarity ensued, and did not end until we said goodnight around 10 p.m.

In between, details blur, but I know there was a lot of food. And shopping. Especially yarn shopping. Then more food. We actually shut down Arcadia Knitting, where the wonderful staff waited patiently past closing time for us to finish dithering over what to buy. (Note to male knitters: this is the place in Chicago for attitude-free service.)

(And Susan, just wait until you see the yummy merino I got for your hat and scarf.)

Mrs. Birdfarm (aka Sir Edwin Pegasus) kindly demonstrated for me the method of sock kniting on two circulars and you know, I rather liked it. It has much going for it, particularly the lower likelihood of stitches going AWOL off the end of the needle. I'm just going to have to try both ways and see which I like better.

I must also mention that watching Sir Edwin's graceful fingers fly as she knits is enchanting.

Birdfarm and Sir Edwin brought me two lovely presents, a gorgeous variegated yarn whose name I will fill in here later because I forgot to write it down and I'm at the office (shhhh), and a fragrant bath bomb from Lush, one of our city's finest spoil-yourself-in-the-tub shops.

I didn't give them a darn thing, but I think a Chicago-to-Wisconsin care package will be in order. Life in a small town seems to leave them deprived of certain comforts. We can remedy that.

Birdfarm my dear, I missed you so much. It was short visit, but it was lovely. I can't wait to see you again soon.

A Man Knows What a Man Wants

And finally, a big ol' man-sized thank-you to Colorado Jon, who sent me a t-shirt I have had my eye on for ages - the one from menknit.net that says "Man Enough to Knit, Strong Enough to Purl."

I love it, and I have decided to accept it even though Emily Post says I haven't known him long enough to accept gifts of clothing or jewelry - they might suggest he is keeping me.

The shirt is definitely going to be worn at Stitches, though of course I'll have to coordinate with Jon and make sure he's not wearing his on the same day. People would have a hell of a time trying to tell us apart.

Maybe I'll wear it to bed tonight. Just the t-shirt and a pair of knee socks. Comfy!