Knitting Not Blogging and Not Blocking
Just because I haven't written an entry does not mean I haven't been knitting. The holidays and attending a Christmas wedding (which canceled our winter trip to the tropics - very sad but I bought new furniture with the money I saved) did take up a load of time and energy, but now that it's mid January life is back to it's usual activities.
In the last week, on a whim, I bought light green alpaca bulky from Plymouth Alpaca on a whim. I went into my LYS, Stitches East (53rd St. bet Park & Madison, inside the lobby) for cable needles and walked out with yarn.The elderly woman who works there and may be the owner is really nice.The week before I asked for cable needles. She was out, but immediately ordered them for me. A few months ago she must of spend an hour helping me find the right sweater pattern and special ordered the yarn for. I always find something there. Now I have a fab new alpaca scarf.
I felt guilty about the cost of the yarn, about $14 for a skein. So when I stopped by Borders to peruse their knitting books and spotted the perfect pattern I memorized it instead of buying the book. Is that copyright infringement? I mean I didn't write it down anywhere, not even on a scrap of a paper.
On the other hand hte author has published the pattern on her web site so I guess it's OK. It's called the co-worker scarf. She recommends blocking it to open up the pattern. I've never tried blocking, but I don't think it's too late to try it on this piece. I even have cats like her to sit on the wet wool.
In the last week, on a whim, I bought light green alpaca bulky from Plymouth Alpaca on a whim. I went into my LYS, Stitches East (53rd St. bet Park & Madison, inside the lobby) for cable needles and walked out with yarn.The elderly woman who works there and may be the owner is really nice.The week before I asked for cable needles. She was out, but immediately ordered them for me. A few months ago she must of spend an hour helping me find the right sweater pattern and special ordered the yarn for. I always find something there. Now I have a fab new alpaca scarf.
I felt guilty about the cost of the yarn, about $14 for a skein. So when I stopped by Borders to peruse their knitting books and spotted the perfect pattern I memorized it instead of buying the book. Is that copyright infringement? I mean I didn't write it down anywhere, not even on a scrap of a paper.
On the other hand hte author has published the pattern on her web site so I guess it's OK. It's called the co-worker scarf. She recommends blocking it to open up the pattern. I've never tried blocking, but I don't think it's too late to try it on this piece. I even have cats like her to sit on the wet wool.
wool is hair (a characteristic of mammals is hair!)
ReplyDeleteits a specific kind of hair, but hair.
blocking is sort of like 'setting hair'
you wet (wash or not) the wool, and the stretch (or not!) the wool into the shape you want it to take.
then you let it dry.
sometimes, you use pins (or other tools) to hold the shape (just as you might use rollers or hair pins in your hair)
Blocking isn't permenent, but semi permenent (the knitting itself helps hold the 'set'.
Wet Wool, (like wet hair) is somewhat fragile but if you lay it out flat (which supports it) you can stretch it, or other wise 'deform/reform' it --with no danger.