Another machine knit done

Recently, a lady came into make 1 yarns where several of my shawls are on display. She said she wanted to make a wrap so Bess suggested that she look at the many shawls that are hanging around the store and that perhaps she could fine inspiration in one of them.

The reply? "Oh well, yes, but they're not very inspiring because they are all machine made."

My automatic response when I heard of the conversation was to laugh. When I relayed the story to others, I got different responses.

Some people also thought it was funny.
Some people thought it was insulting to have hand knitting compared to machine knitting.
Others thought that I should take it as a compliment that she thought my tension was so even that it could only be knit by a machine.

I actually had a knitting machine for a period of time. I bought it at a friend's garage sale, tried it a couple of times and hid it in the closet. After it collected dust for four years, I sold it to another friend. *

The only way I enjoy knitting is with two needles (or 1 or 4 as the project may dictate) not with a hundred hooks in a frame.

I'm not sure how I feel about the individuals who can't tell the difference between hand and machine knitting.

Creideamh (cre-div is the Gaelic word for Faith) designed by Renee Livingstone for Woolgirl Embrace the Lace Club

Hand knit in Miss Babs Yearning in the Sandstone colourway.



*The knitting machine is in a new closet. It still isn't being knit on.

Okay, I've been home for over a week so it's time to post something about Sock Summit 2009. It was AMAZING. It was well organised with tons of activities and classes. We were surrounded by friendly knitters for Five days. We knit.

We knit for the Guinness book of World Records. (900 knitters continuously knitting for 15 minutes straight) That's the Tsarina of Socks sitting beside Trish.

We did the Stroll at the Sock Hop while wearing our Poodle skirts, and had our picture taken with The Yarn Harlot.

And of course, we shopped. We bought yarn. We bought more yarn. And just in case our stashes suddenly disappeared while we were gone, we bought more yarn.

I also found some other treasures.


The perfect project bag.


The perfect stitch markers. This is a great idea for markers. They also had markers for the left and right decreases.

And just for fun, I bought a bracelet.

It's almost as hard to get a good picture of your hand as it is to get a good picture of socks that you are wearing.

There have been all kinds of rumours floating around for the past week or so. Mainly, that there will be another Sock Summit but not next year. The location may be moved...to Toronto?

Portland was the perfect location. The Convention center is huge. There are many hotels nearby. There is a direct flight from Calgary to Portland and driving home was the perfect length of time to get one sock knit.

The only thing that was missing? Next time we have to convince a few more friends that they need to join us.

I don't believe in Conspiracy Theories.

I don't believe that there was another shooter on the grassy knoll on that November Day in Dallis back in '63.
I don't believe that Neil Armstrong took his "giant leap for mankind" on a sound stage in Hollywood.
And I don't believe that 9-11 was an inside job.

I am, however, becoming very suspicious that there is plot against me. People from near and far are conspiring against me in the most nefarious way.


Anyone who knows me, even for a short period of time, realises that I don't like the colour purple. I don't wear purple clothes. I don't knit with purple yarn. I don't even put grape jelly on my toast. It's just too purple.

But is there really a plot against me? The evidence will prove it.

March - My STR sock kit arrived. Fraggle socks could have been red or lime green.

Nope...purple.

My favorite size of needles to knit socks with has always been 2.5mm. Sure, Signature Needle Arts makes wonderful needles and I love knitting with them.
but did they have to make the 2.5mm needles purple?

I heard that the Plucky Knitter is a wonderful indi-dyer. In June I decided to join her lace club so I could see for myself the goodness that is Plucky. Just last week the skein of 'Vintage Glass' came to my door. 900 yards of purple single ply.


Perhaps it's all a coincidence.

Not when the people that I see often, in my own city, are in on the plot too.

I finally got my hands on an elusive skein of Wollmeise in a lovely shade of green. It was gorgeous. I was asked if I would trade it and since I was trading a superwash yarn for a 80/20 yarn I thought it would be a good trade.
Who knew that Petit Poison #5 dark was ...you guessed it ...purple.

I gave up. I ran away to Sock Summit where I avoided any and all yarns with even the slightest hit of lavender, violet, or aubergine.

But the mailman had delivered a package to my door while I was gone. The first sock from the Peanuts sock club had arrived.

Happiness - Schnappiness. The purplest yarn that I have ever seen. It couldn't be more purple. If there was such a thing as a neon purple this is it.

I will not give up. I will not fold. I will continue in my quest to keep my stash purple free.

But maybe, just maybe, 'Men in Black' really do exist.