Skip to main content

Leopard print mittens, because I can

My favorite columnist, Mark Steyn, has a bit of advice proffered when speaking to classes of aspiring writers. He tells them, in addition to becoming writers, they should aspire to do something else as well. What doesn't really matter, as long as they do something. It's been a while since I've read the column, but the gist is, it's a more fulfilling and useful life when one is capable of actually doing something beyond thinking about how to write about things being done.

I would agree, capability is a wonderful thing. I've been surrounded by capable people my entire life. Need something built? The boards are in the shed; nails or screws? Need to replace a faulty light switch? I know a guy. Need something turned on a lathe? I know a guy — or three. Have a craving for handcrafted candy? Well, there is a secret family recipe for that. Just stand at the stove for a few hours, stirring to soft-ball stage.

Being surrounded by so many people better at everything can be humbling, to say the least. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if I'm the only nincompoop in the bunch. However, I've unlocked a secret of life. You don't have to be good at everything, you just have to try everything until you find the one thing at which you can excel (or love enough to blind you to your lack of skill).

Which brings us to last week. After a nice birthday lunch, my mom and I headed over to Yarn Harbor, quite possibly the best yarn store ever, where I found… leopard print yarn! I wish I could remember the brand, but all I can tell you is it was awesome and, being 100% alpaca, prohibitively expensive. Staring lovingly at the tiny skein, wishing I could wish the price tag away, realization hit. I knew how it was made! I could spin my own leopard print yarn using something a little less exotic for a fraction of the cost.

After some serious internet recon comparing colors and prices, the order went out today. Some Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Merlot Heather, Persimmon Heather, and Bare. I can't wait to start spinning for my new mittens — leopard print: because I can!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evergreen asymmetry

This is a chart I've been meaning to get to for a while. The Christmas before last, I was making a whole bunch of Christmas ornament gift toppers . I wanted each to be unique, so some of the miniature sweaters were adorned with duplicate stitch in traditional knit motifs. I hit a snag with the tree. A row of perfect triangle trees is cute. A single triangle tree is not so cute. A chart for a small tree is not hard to find. One which is not symmetrical is. Enter the sketch pad. My goal was a scraggly tree, which was small, but was still recognizable as a tree. This is the result. As a matter of personal preference, I think this looks best when the chart is turned upside down and is used on a piece being worked from the top. That way, the top of the tree comes to a nice point.
Post a Comment
Read more

This is what I've been working on leading up to Christmas

After all the last minute rushing and prep, Christmas finally arrived! I hope yours was merry. We enjoyed time spent with family, and it was a happy holiday, indeed. With the gifts safely delivered, I can show you what I've been working on. The big knitting project which claimed not one, but two of my interchangeable cables was a baby blanket for my nephew, Cooper, who will be arriving this spring. The pattern by Marie Grace Smith is one I've been wanting to make forever, but I allow Darren's input on a lot of my baby projects, and he kept vetoing this one. One day, though, I walked into Jo-Ann Fabrics and these yarns just called to me. The pattern recommends a solid color, fingering weight. Of course, the yarn I chose is worsted weight, not even close to the same, but they were the perfect neutrals; it just seemed right. The nice thing about blankets, they are a simple shape, so the yarn weight really doesn't matter. Just knit until it is the right size. This blank...
Post a Comment
Read more

A project 19 years in the making

Just how does an obsession start? Sometimes even an offhand mention can cast an inextinguishable spark. I just finished one of the coolest projects. Ever! The Icicle Hat , knit from yarn I spun myself. The goal was to utilize a plying technique to produce well defined cables, and it seems to have worked. Exciting! The wool for this project was purchased in January, but it's origins go back a little further than that. An elementary school friend of mine lived on a farm. In second or third grade, her mom spoke to our class about farm life, and she brought with her a drop spindle. It was huge! A couple feet long with a whorl 6-8 inches across. While she knew what it was for, it was clear hand spinning was not this woman's passion. She probably had more important things to worry about. Like, raising her kids and running the farm, for instance. Most likely, she wanted some type of visual aid and the spindle was easier to manage than a goat or some other livestock. I ...
Post a Comment
Read more