Friday, September 30, 2005

Benefits of Blogging

Work continues to be a pain in the tuchus. But we will not muddy a lovely fall evening with chatter about that.

Scribble, Scribble

I think it's grand that you've been enjoying the little cartoons, because I like making them. As Birdfarm will tell you, I drew incessantly through college, which explains the marks I got on some of my papers. (She's no slouch in the sketching department, either. Some of her letters to me resemble the Book of Kells in terms of exuberant decoration. I will have to pull some out of safekeeping and post them.)

And yes indeed, even before you so kindly asked I had determined to work up a couple of knitting cartoon shirt designs. I have been working on them tonight. I'll let you know via the blog when they're ready.

There will also (thank you for asking, Linda) be a woman's version of the "Don't mess with..." shirt, as nobody ought to mess with a knitter of either gender, if you ask me.

Joanne is among those who have suggested a book of cartoons. I'm not ruling it out, though my puzzle at the moment would be turning the little I know about knitting into enough funny stuff to make it work. But we shall see.

Advice

I am completely floored by the quality and variety of suggestions for dealing with the recalcitrant lower edge of my sweater. I'm going to devote time this weekend to deciding which course to pursue. This is for Greg, Jove, Sir Edwin Pegasus, June, Selma, Kathy, Dianna, Irv, Uncle Joey, Anonymous (2), Margie, Marilyn, Lee Ann, Sean, Sahara, and Joe, who weighed in with suggestions. And it's also for all of you who just chimed in with sympathy, because sometimes that's just as good.



Good grief, I hope I didn't miss anybody. It's dreadfully late as I write this and my eyes are a bit wonky.

Recommended Reading

Sahara, who writes with authority and style, has just published the best blog entry on construction and finishing I've ever read. Go read it, particularly if you're a newbie like me.

I also found Jean Miles' words (part of a blog dialogue with Obscure) on lace knitting very inspiring. I've become very enamored of knitting lace but felt guilty about it because I can't use it after I knit it. I'm a combat-boots sort of guy, so mantillas and fichus are not going to blend readily into my wardrobe. And neither my mother nor my sister, the only women I have to knit for, are given to gadding about draped in shawls.

Then I read that Jean, a woman who has turned out enough lace singlehandedly to give Belgium a run for its money, finds herself in the same quandary. And she simply decided to go ahead and make lace because it is beautiful.

Ars gratia artis. With my fondness for Latin tags, you'd think I might have remembered that one.


Even boys can dream about lace.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, you are such a cutie! I made a very large lace piece - used it once (wedding veil) - and have no idea what to do with it now. It's currently crumpled into a pile sitting on the living room bookshelf. But it was fun making it - so go for it!

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to compliment you on the wonderful writing, drawing (love these! keep 'em coming!), photographs, and knitting. Thanks for being a joy to read!

Ann said...

I thought that by reading your blog we were seeing your personality shine through--little did I realize how much more the drawings would add. It's nice to take a break in the middle of a hectic Friday and log in to see what you are up to. When I finished reading your blog and enjoying the drawings I found myself smiling. (It's a good think no one wandered into my office at that particular moment--they would have wondered...)

Thanks for sharing, and thanks for the smile at the end of a challenging week.

:o)

Anonymous said...

Sofas apparently look nice in a shawl. And my partner always thinks I should hang them in the windows. (I think that's meant in a nice way.)

But I never was one to gad about in lace shawls either until I made one. Though sometimes they are nice for curling up on the sofa and watching TV, too. So maybe mom and sister would like one...

Susan said...

Sister would most definitely appreciate hand-made lace and find plenty of opportunity to wear it (maybe not to school where it could get stepped on, snagged by 9th grade backpacks the size of minivans, coated in copy machine toner, or sucked into the paper shredder, but Sister goes other places than school, nicer places, and it seems the opportunities are increasing by the week).

Anonymous said...

Start a new trend! How about lace scarves for guys? Or lace willie warmers? :-)

For a book, maybe you could collaborate. Your cartoons, someone else's experience. Just a thought...

LaurieM

Anonymous said...

Beauty for its own sake is a great reason for doing anything. Thanks for such a nice post (love the drawings!).

dragon knitter said...

here's a thought for you franklin. i don't have any babies to knit for (my youngest is 11, and SO's youngest nephew is 4), but it's something i love to do. so i knit/crochet for charity. i donate all my baby things. granted, there may not be as much of a need for lacey shawls, but i'm sure some battered women's shelter, or some such place might like them. a little beauty in what may seem an ugly existence sometimes gives more reason to live (and yes, it can get that desperate, i know from experience). and you still get to knit beauty.

Leslie said...

If I were rich I'd adopt you so you could just create your photos, your knitting, your writing and those glorious cartoons. Failing that I'll just keep reading your blog.

Anonymous said...

Franklin, I don't have much to offer as comment today, except to say that I am grateful that I know to come and read your colorful wise thoughts and absorb your lovely drawings.
Think seriously before you consider "charity" knitting.
The benefits would seem to belong solely to the knitter, and do not seem to be very charitable.

Leslie said...

Franklin! I finally went to sistahcraft and she has got JUST the lace project for you! Go to Lover Tank in her free patterns please. Lace, masculine and hot...

KiwiJames said...

Yes it's true some boys do dream of lace... after they've first finished counting sheep to get to sleep.

Anonymous said...

I love the Lover Tank. It wouldn't look right on me, so I need somebody to knit it for. Franklin, you really need to make one, too. I love your cartoon and it amuses me that your drawn persona is so... cuddly looking. I have only see pictures and it's not that you don't appear cuddly, it's just that you appear much edgier than your drawings. Much more even. Anyway, as soon as you have a t-shirt for us with girly bits, I will get one.

Anonymous said...

I love your cartoons... they capture the story better than pictures!

Carol said...

Um, hello, Franklin? How about knitter's notecards? Seems like your "thank you" cartoon would be a wonderful, well, thank-you card. Add a "happy birthday" or two, and maybe a "congratulations" and a sympathy card....I'd sure buy 'em.

Carol said...

Oh, by the way, I'd love a knitting bag with one of your cartoons on it, too.

Just in case you were wondering.

Unknown said...

Besides agreeing with Kathy on charity knitting, I would not make a lacy blanket for a baby. Those little fingers and little toes get caught in the holes.

Now I've got Talking Heads Stay Up Late running through my head.

Anonymous said...

Oh what a wonderful blog you have!! I love reading you and your drawings are fabulous. Too funny. You have a big fan. Keep it up, funny man.

Anonymous said...

Boys can not only dream about lace...they can knit it AND wear it. I have just received four Barbara Walker books that tell me so. I swear there are lace patterns in there that make me think of you.

:-)

Earl3d said...

I finally scrolled down and found the t-shirt link, very cool!

I like the cartoons very much, and definitely concur with the gathering mob that demands them on t-shirts!

Melody Johnson said...

Franklin, we met Saturday at Arcadia and I just found your blog through Emily's post, thank heaven!! I had forgotten that the title was >The< Panopticon and therefore when I googled panopticon it didn't come up.Now I have found you and will make you a daily read, in so much as you write, anyway.
I noticed that you have a cafe press site linked with your t-shirts. You may want to see my solution, a second blogsite, which I can make look less commercial and more me. First my regular blog though, www.fibermania.blogspot.com

erica said...

It was very nice to meet you on Saturday at Arcadia Knitting. We didn't really talk but you told me where to find your blog. I'll definitely add it to my list of reads.

Anonymous said...

Hi - I found you! We didn't officially introduce ourselves on Saturday, but we said "hi" and you were taking my picture, so I had to check out your blog. Consider yourself bloglined. :-) And your drawings are brilliant. - Tamara (from Austin) tamara.shaffer@sas.com

Anonymous said...

While I do indeed wear the lace I knit Ilove the knitting of it also (not just the wearing) and I totally agree with the idea of knitting it just because it is beautiful. I've seen several other male knitters who knit lace and I don't think they wear it either but they sure do a heck of a job on the knitting. I say go for it - lace knitting is satisfying in a way that no other knitting is.

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