There are some things that you can always count on -- in my case, yarn and books -- and their constancy can often keep the nasty, disappointing world at bay. I'm thinking about that comfort at the moment because I'm swatching up some yarn I bought at Stitches, and my fingers are dancing with joy knitting this yarn. It's Malabrigo, in worsted weight, and all the praise it's received still didn't prepare me for how obsessed I'd become. The color -- pollen -- is one of those soft, unwimpy yellows and because it's kettle-dyed new color variations appear as you knit. And it feels like b*u*t*t*a*h. Seriously. I don't know if I can wait to finish the swatch, I'm so eager to cast on the Petrol vest I've settled on.
Falling under the spell of a great yarn is just like falling under the spell of a good book. Or browsing in a great bookstore for a good book. That experience feels more and more precious to me, as drastic changes have struck so many of my favorite Bay Area independent bookstores. Cody's, which has had just a wretched year, is about to undergo another sea change -- giving up its perfect Fourth Street store because of a soaring rent increase. It's relocating to Shattuck St. at Addison, where an Eddie Bauer used to be. Less space, more parking hassles -- it feels like another body blow to a reeling fighter. I can't even get excited about possible sales to reduce stock for the new store because it will be such a big change.
I'm an old-fashioned girl in this respect -- no need to change what ain't broken. Which is a fine sentiment, until the real world intrudes. That's why my current computer woes are so discouraging. Once upon a time, I had a Mac semi-guru, but I'm so completely off his radar screen that I'm facing this system emergency on my own. And the news is that great business strategy of planned obsolescence. I've got so much going on inside my ancient Mac that I get an ominous instruction "your startup disk is almost full" every time I sync my iPod. So downloading photos onto my blog is out of the question, as well as any number of other projects I was figuring on.
A new Mac is not in the forecast, so I just keep plugging along, holding my breath as I type.
Alright, bore me later. I'm going to retreat into the Malabrigo and Jane Austen solution on this stormy night. And tomorrow night I'm attending the annual Oscar part on Ada St., where an added bit of entertainment is waiting for our elegantly sneaky canine friend Lucy to snag Paolina's cheeseburger. Old reliables -- you can bank on them!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Yarn . . . makes me happy
Have you missed me? I've missed you. I've written, but not posted because I'm getting ominous warnings from my computer. But today, I've decided to ignore my fears. Because today, I went to Stitches West.
I've skipped the event the last few years, and haven't missed it much. In part, due to an inevitable outcome of attending -- bringing home lots of yarn that I'll never knit. This year, I came with a plan. My confrere Nona devised an effective strategy in her blog last year -- set a dollar limit and bring cash. Only cash. No credit cards. When you run out of money, you're done. That worked for me . . . with a teeny modification. I brought a card, but only for an emergency.
Those of you familiar with the Stitches vendors, know about the Webs booth. Well, mega-booth actually. And you know that booth is a Noro emergency, waiting to happen. I succumbed. Who wouldn't, when faced with Silk Garden Lite at $5.50 a ball, and a bag lying there, whispering, "I'm a sweater, I'm the sweater in Last Minute Knitted Gifts you've been meaning to knit..."
And then my friends at Article Pract were having a market special on Malabrigo worsted in a luscious yellow... So, there was credit card damage but it was under $100. That's not soooo bad.
And the Malabrigo feels so good when you pet it.
With the cash, I planned on indulging my recent love for sock yarn. I've discovered a few patterns for sport weight sock yarn so *BAM*, there I was at the Socks that Rock booth. Iolite is the color I selected and it is a beautiful blue/green/purple colorway that should knit up into something special. I also popped for some Smooshy sock yarn in a light blue colorway that reminds me of the shades of ocean in the Caribbean. And to break my blue habit, I picked up a Pagewood Farm rust/toast/brown colorway called Mardi Gras. How could I resist a sock yarn "hand dyed in small batches in the USA?" Especially one from San Pedro in Southern California. Do you know San Pedro? Being the home of a cool sock yarn definitely enhances its reputation.
With all of those delightful treats, I haven't mentioned my best deal of the day. (Bet you thought it was the Noro!) I picked up three pair of rosewood needles for a song -- 75% off. Size 0, 1 and 1 1/2 -- sum total $11.71. My shopping was done.
And, as an added treat, I caught up with my friend Darlene and heard about some new yarns she'll be introducing. And I got to meet (and thank effusively!!) the folks at ravelry.com. They truly rock!! I got a little button -- "where my stitches at?"
Okay, all you yarn fiends in the Bay Area this weekend, get your arses down to the Santa Clara Convention Center!! The temptations are not to be missed.
And for those who are immune to the charms of yarn, let me tell you about two authors who make me very, very happy. I discovered them both in the mid-1980's, when their debut short story collections came out. Lorrie Moore, who I heard read from her novel due out in 2009, is gifted, a genius, a national treasure (and way more talented than Tobias Woolf, who introduced her.) I don't know how I'll wait until next year, after the tantalizing piece she regaled us with. And she got off an amazing line about "our governor" to close the reading. And Peter Cameron, whose last two novels disappointed me, has returned to his brilliant, acerbic stride with Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You. Both are masterful writers who communicate so much, so well, so compellingly.
Enjoy.
I've skipped the event the last few years, and haven't missed it much. In part, due to an inevitable outcome of attending -- bringing home lots of yarn that I'll never knit. This year, I came with a plan. My confrere Nona devised an effective strategy in her blog last year -- set a dollar limit and bring cash. Only cash. No credit cards. When you run out of money, you're done. That worked for me . . . with a teeny modification. I brought a card, but only for an emergency.
Those of you familiar with the Stitches vendors, know about the Webs booth. Well, mega-booth actually. And you know that booth is a Noro emergency, waiting to happen. I succumbed. Who wouldn't, when faced with Silk Garden Lite at $5.50 a ball, and a bag lying there, whispering, "I'm a sweater, I'm the sweater in Last Minute Knitted Gifts you've been meaning to knit..."
And then my friends at Article Pract were having a market special on Malabrigo worsted in a luscious yellow... So, there was credit card damage but it was under $100. That's not soooo bad.
And the Malabrigo feels so good when you pet it.
With the cash, I planned on indulging my recent love for sock yarn. I've discovered a few patterns for sport weight sock yarn so *BAM*, there I was at the Socks that Rock booth. Iolite is the color I selected and it is a beautiful blue/green/purple colorway that should knit up into something special. I also popped for some Smooshy sock yarn in a light blue colorway that reminds me of the shades of ocean in the Caribbean. And to break my blue habit, I picked up a Pagewood Farm rust/toast/brown colorway called Mardi Gras. How could I resist a sock yarn "hand dyed in small batches in the USA?" Especially one from San Pedro in Southern California. Do you know San Pedro? Being the home of a cool sock yarn definitely enhances its reputation.
With all of those delightful treats, I haven't mentioned my best deal of the day. (Bet you thought it was the Noro!) I picked up three pair of rosewood needles for a song -- 75% off. Size 0, 1 and 1 1/2 -- sum total $11.71. My shopping was done.
And, as an added treat, I caught up with my friend Darlene and heard about some new yarns she'll be introducing. And I got to meet (and thank effusively!!) the folks at ravelry.com. They truly rock!! I got a little button -- "where my stitches at?"
Okay, all you yarn fiends in the Bay Area this weekend, get your arses down to the Santa Clara Convention Center!! The temptations are not to be missed.
And for those who are immune to the charms of yarn, let me tell you about two authors who make me very, very happy. I discovered them both in the mid-1980's, when their debut short story collections came out. Lorrie Moore, who I heard read from her novel due out in 2009, is gifted, a genius, a national treasure (and way more talented than Tobias Woolf, who introduced her.) I don't know how I'll wait until next year, after the tantalizing piece she regaled us with. And she got off an amazing line about "our governor" to close the reading. And Peter Cameron, whose last two novels disappointed me, has returned to his brilliant, acerbic stride with Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You. Both are masterful writers who communicate so much, so well, so compellingly.
Enjoy.
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