I’ve been working on my stamp collection again. Well, actually, I’ve created a whole new one that is much more humungous. I guess model railroading and saxophone playing weren’t taking enough of my time away from knitting. Sigh. So many UFOs. . ..
MFKR 2018
Back in the Seattle again!
Has it really been two years since I last wrote anything here? Why, yes it has been! Tomorrow is mine and Dani’s 5th anniversary of marriage, although in gay years we’ve been together 15 years. (We counted when we met as our anniversary until marriage finally became an option.) Anyway, days go slowly and years pass quickly and here we are.
My favorite lambkin, Paul, is with us this trip. Well, his name is Michael but he also goes by Paul and I’m not sure what he’d want to be called in a blog post.
We’re having a great time. We got to Seattle on the 25th of August and spent last night, the 28th, in Victoria. We’re staying downtown in Seattle again tonight before heading down to Dumas Bay for the retreat tomorrow. But we’re not going down there until I get me some Ivar’s chowder!
YARNY! (Unravel Game)
My wonderful hubby got me this game for Valentine’s day. Check it out! (I really should see if I can get a deal promoting things on here. But I don’t have one so whatever I ‘promote’ here is just my own enthusiasm for whatever the item may be.)
Awesome clip from Jimmy Kimmel
Of course he had to make a comment about 95-yr old ladies but otherwise this was a great clip from down time at Jimmy Kimmel.
Unto you this day, a knitter is born.
I taught a friend of Dani’s (now a friend of mine) to knit a few weeks ago and sent him on his way with the promise that we’d get together again soon. Well one thing led to another and the next thing I knew it had been weeks since I met Koty and yet I was hearing that he was turning up all over town with knitting in his hands. He’d even taken a few spins on the drop spindle. Tonight we decided that as he began his first sock, it was time to bestow upon him a great gift to recognize his transition from a knitter to a Knitter: A set of Addi turbo-clicks. I had an extra set and decided to give it to him, as I’d never find anyone worthier. Welcome to the family, Koty!
And lo and behold, the angels did sing again and smile upon the land as Mike, another friend of ours, has begun the journey in earnest. He had done some knitting before but never felt the tug that the rest of us feel toward knitting. This week he has blossomed and has stopped worrying that every stitch is not perfect. He has learned to get those stitches moving and he’s making some great progress. I think we have another Knitter on the horizon. He’s definitely getting into the knitter stage. (I knew the alpaca would get him! W00t!)
France, je t’aime!
Well here I am in France again and loving every minute of it. I keep meaning to do a blog in French but I rarely blog on this one so . . . maybe one day.
I’m going back to Les Petits Points Parisiens. I’ll let you know how it goes. If it’s anything like it was the last time I was there, I’m sure I’ll love every second of time spent there and will buy mucho yarn. I mean, beaucoup de yarn, of course!
Ravelry . .
Ravelry lets us keep track of things. So far the only thing I’ve been faithful about on Ravelry is keeping track of my books and patterns. As of today the count is 3,914. I guess that’s all I wanted to say about that. Haha.
MFKR 2015
At last we return to the MFKR, Men’s Fall Knitting Retreat! We had to miss last year because I’d taken off too much work around that time to feel comfortable asking off more. 2015 was a great retreat with kudos to Michael and Alexander for all the work they put into it.
Gooseberry
Annual Kilt Parade at Men’s Fall Knitting Retreat 2015, Federal Way, Washington
Tom’s Sweater
Paul’s sweater
Men’s Stitches
Shawl
Show and Tell
Passing around works
Is Nigel insane?
Typical Scene
Yoth Yarns
Knitting
Hanging Out
Sit and Knit
We had a great time. I just wish I could go to more of these!
The Rain in Spain
One thing I think I must make plain,
If you are driving in the rain,
Or if you’re learning ’bout sugar cane,
Perhaps you’re doing this in Spain,
And if you think you’ll go insane,
Then do the same as Auntie Jane,
They’re selling yarn just down the lane,
So go down there and buy a SKEIN!
I wrote this simple refrain to encourage everyone to remember that a title like “Skein of the Crime” is silly. Perhaps something like “Skein Pain” or “Take the Last Skein from Clarksville” or “The Skein in Spain is spun mainly in the plain” would be fun little phrases. But if you try to force me to see “skein” as “skeen” then I’m afraid I’ll hit you before I know what I’m doing. It’s a reflex, you see. I can’t help it. It’s downright autonomic, it is. “Skine” would make sense, etymologically, but “skane” is the proper pronunciation of this word in English and no amount of twisting it will convince me otherwise. Don’t take this personally. I do the same thing when people say, “I seen that!” *shudder*
Stop the Presses!! Paris Yarn Store with Sofa!!
I just got back to my room in Paris after visiting Petits Points Parisiens. (24 rue Véron in Montmartre – Metro Abbesses) Wow. Finally.
THIS is it. I finally found a yarn store in Paris that welcomes knitters and crocheters to come and sit a while. It’s something we often expect in the USA but it is no doubt difficult to do in Paris where space is at a premium and where the concept is rather new. The woman in charge today fills in occasionally and was there today because of the Créations Savoir-Faire expo in town. The owner was at the expo and was thoughtful enough to ask an English friend, Ellen, to keep the shop open for her.
It is a very welcoming shop with many choices of yarn not easily found outside Europe. The skeins I bought were from a co-op in the Alps. Of course they have Cascade 220 and other yarns as well as hand-dyed yarns from Europe and Canada. It’s not a big selection but it’s nice. (I’m always on the lookout for souvenir yarn.)
It was nice to find a shop in Paris where I could sit and knit for a while. They have coffee, many teas, and juice available and a restroom if needed. The shop is also guy-friendly. (Believe it or not, not every shop is.) I hope to go back soon and meet the actual owner, Anne.
(L’il Weasel is also excellent but does not have seating.)
There was no compensation from the shop for this blog entry. No llamas were harmed but some sheep were annoyed.
