Can you get to Toronto? Here's why you wanna...

Starting with the fall issue, we're adding virtual yarn tasting to Knitty. In the spirit of Knitty, this will be a social, collaborative project where a group of us will gather around a huge basket of yarns from just about every yarn company on the planet, and get to touch, swatch, fondle and tell the world what you think of the yarn. We want to share our favorites with our readers and let them know about surprises that knit up much differently than the average knitter would expect from just looking or squeezing a ball. As is the custom with Knitty, stuff we don't like won't appear in our pages.

I'll be there as secretary and social butterfly for the evening, gathering your comments and evaluating which yarns will end up in the Yarn Roundtable feature each issue. We'll be holding the Yarn Roundtable nights at Alterknit -- a great and great-big space that's much nicer than their website [sorry, Terri, but it's true :-)]. They've got room for as many people as I hope will come [up to 20 per evening], and they also have refreshments available.

You want to come, don't you? We hope you'll join us! I've started a group at Facebook which you'll find here. Just click the link and join! Everyone is welcome. We'll probably hold two nights per quarter...maybe more. We'll see how it goes! If you're in Toronto or close enough to drive here, it's easy for you. For non-locals who occasionally drop in, sign up anyway just in case we cleverly [accidentally] schedule an evening when you'll happen to be here!

I'll be posting on the group's discussion board on the Facebook site about our first event, so join now!

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P.S. First event scheduled: Friday, July 20, at Alterknit. 7pm -- RSVP here!

Thank you.

I hope the last post didn't sound like it was fishing for compliments, because I certainly got many as a result. Really, I just needed to say out loud what has been on my mind for a long while.

Thank you for being a supportive group who didn't make me regret being forthcoming. I hug you all.

pride spreads

Been thinking about Pride a lot lately. I'm extremely proud to live in a country where people of every sexuality feel comfortable being themselves and have the same rights as everyone else in the country. Their pride is rubbing off on me.

Now, I'm not going to usurp Pride [with a capital P] for my own purposes, but as it's been half of my inspiration for a little shakeup in AmyKnitty world, I needed to mention it.

On Friday, AmyBoogie posted a link to this: A Fat Rant. A beautiful thing, created by Joy Nash, about something close to my heart [and muffintop]. This was the other half of the inspiration thingy. Joy says a lot of good stuff in this video, and if you haven't seen it yet, you must go. Now. Watch it all, and listen carefully. Because she's right.

Don't lecture me about how I co-wrote a book with Jillian about this stuff already. I totally believe in it, know it's right and can see it clearly for others. I just have trouble seeing this clearly for myself.

So screw it. Today I've been going around the web and updating my icon. Because although I am very fond of this picture, which shows me the night before I launched Knitty in 2002, full of optimism, excitement and much less muffintop...

...it hasn't looked like what I see in the mirror for a while. It's been almost 5 years since that was taken and life goes on, dunnit?

This is me now.

I like this picture, too. I think Karen took it for me at the Knit Out in NY last fall. It was a good hair day and I'm smiling. This is me.

I heard the part about the fitness thing, too, Joy. Went kayaking yesterday. Working on it.

Okay, enough already. Back to work.

Happy Pride, Everyone!

a cupcake lived in Minnesota. then i ate it.

red velvet with cream cheese frosting.
Originally uploaded by amysinger

Look. Cover girl London came to the guild meeting in Minneapolis and brought me a red velvet cupcake...with cream cheese frosting. London, it was delicious! Thank you! I enjoyed it back in my room post-Annie [see her stellar recap of our day on the twin towns here].

I will honestly say that I was surprised to instantly fall in love with the twin cities as I did. I had zero expectations, except that I knew I was going to teach and speak and I wanted to do well at both. Maybe it was driving around with Annie, who glows with the love for her new home, but it really felt like it could be home to me, too. Keep in mind that I lived the first 6 years of my life in New Jersey, and St Paul feels like the best of that, but even nicer. More charming, well maintained, without a stitch of pomposity. I love 1930s-40s-50s houses, and except for one short stretch, every neighborhood was more charming and cozy and real than the one before it. If I ever moved back to the US, I'd put St Paul at the top of my search list.

The people of the twin cities are similarly charming and likeable. Summary: I had a hell of a good time in a short time. Thank you and huge hugs to Annie, the best tour guide the midwest ever had, and to Karen at Needlework Unlimited where she made sure I had everything I needed to run a lovely class [and it was, too!] and more.

Speaking of teaching, it's a fascinating thing. I have no dreams of ever coming near what Annie does in terms of mileage and endurance, but I do want to do a good job every time I stand up in front of a new group of knitters. I'm very happy to say that teaching the Tuscany class is a joy for me -- more than I expected it to be. I get a real rush when the students' lightbulbs turn on, maybe because I remember how much it meant to me the day I finally understood how to read my lace and stop agonizing over charts. Is good.

I'm now blissfully home until the end of July, when I head out west to visit three cities I've wanted to see my WHOLE LIFE. The Threadbear pajama party has been rescheduled for sometime later in the year -- probably Novemberish. I'll let you know when we've got a firm date.

Oh, and pictures? There are many. and you will find them by clicking on the little cupcake at the top of the post, or here, if you want the full MSP set all tidylike.

Had a hell of a time. Very glad to be home. Happy sigh.

Going to pet the bunnies now.

I got me some Zuluknitty

You know Scout? You know she dyes yarn, right? Beautiful yarn. Fat lot of good that did me. Until today, she didn't dye silk.

She does now. And I get the first skein...544 yards of delicious mulberry silk in a brand new Scout's Swag colorway, designed by Scout and I. We used my favorite Zulugrass bracelets as the inspiration, and voila...Zuluknitty!



To see how she did this amazing thing, check out the dye party pics.

Scout has ordered some uberdyable silk [even nicer than what I have] and will soon be making her colorways available on this gorgeous stuff as well as the yummy [so I hear] merinos and tencels and bamboos she already offers. That includes Zuluknitty. No, I don't mind sharing with y'all. I'm a generous soul, ain't i?

Scout, you rock. Thank you for turning my colors into my colors on silk. I very happy.

A little taste of New Mexico

I'm staying with Scout and we're having a great time! Ignore picture #3's obscene gesture -- it was staged. :-) Adorable features include Supergirl and Superboy [Scout's kids], their dog, Gus, and the high desert. There's a lot of ambience shots, mostly taken with my camera positioned on the steering wheel as I drove from Albuquerque to Santa Fe on my own. I finally put the camera down when I realized going over a cliff was becoming more likely every shot.

Also, YES, it is hot here. But without humidity, it's not stifling. It's just paralyzing. :-) Still, it's incredibly beautiful.

Where are the pics? Flickr is being annoying today -- better you should visit their site [if it's ever up again] and see them there.

One more day with Scout and her fam [and a yarn dye party today!] and then I'm off to Minneapolis tomorrow! What a great adventure!

West coast! Really!

Finally! I've hoped to get out west for many years to meet all the great knitters whose blogs I read and those I've yet to meet. It's now going to happen!

I'll be in Seattle/Bainbridge Island July 24-25, Portland OR on July 26, and in the San Francisco area over the July 27th weekend. I'll be teaching, signing and knitting with y'all. Woo hoo!

Full details are on the tour page. Spots have been known to fill up fast. :-)

Silversmithy update: we have (almost done) ring!

I missed last week's class -- we attended a cool Luminato event. [Hub is a foley artist, and one of his friends was doing live foley to accompany the movie on stage. It was a brilliant show.] Anyway.

Back last night, and as usual, had a blast and love Sarah and her classes. Also big props to Jen who brought popsicles for all of us [it read 38c on my car's thermometer, for god's sake] -- salvation in ice + sugar. Yum.

Here's the progress from last night:

bezel wall attached to the base, sawed out [not badly for me], sanded for a billion years and then soldered. oops.


see that little dip in the bezel wall? it's at the front on the left. that's where i melted it. never mind. sarah says we can feex, so we are moving on.

we tried to set the stone, but after i'd sanded the bezel down to get rid of the melty evidence, the bezel wall was too shallow to hold the stone in place. so sarah feex for me by grinding out some of the bottom of the bezel.


she did this because, if i slipped [very likely], i'd have had to start all over again. na ga da*.


and her work allowed me to set the stone! it's in! it's in solidly! it's on my finger! i love it!

as you can see, there's still some finishing work to do. the edge of the bezel has to be sanded and smoothed and then i have to buff the ring. but i'm wearing it now anyway [oh, such a surprise! :-)] and will show you the finals when it's really really done.

meanwhile, i'm now in trip-prep mode for Albuquerque and Minneapolis [two more different cities? not possible] and must dash. however, i will say this...

Seattle (Bainbridge Island) -- July 24 & 25 (Churchmouse Yarns & Teas)
Portland -- July 27 (Knit/Purl)

Classes with these shops are almost finalized, and I'm hoping to add a date at Nathania, Sandi and Chloe's shop (Purlescence) in Sunnyvale, CA, that weekend. I'll be doing either the Tuscany shawl class or the No Sheep class [or both at some shops].

I'll have my laptop with me while I'm gone, so as soon as dates/times are finalized, I'll let you know. This is my first west-coast tour, and I'm ecstatic to come and hang with you guys on the left coast!


*you get this, yes? dana carvey doing gb senior in the late '80s.

post-issue randomness

Ah, the relief of another issue gone live without accidental amputation [it could happen, you know. one must be careful].

Here are the latest things on my mind:

1. When will I hear a yes or no from the SOAR people? I am on the edge of my seat with the waiting! Certainly no one would argue that I need me some serious spinning lessons. Today, maybe? Perhaps I'll hear today?
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2. Chiao Goo makes one hell of a small-gauge crochet hook. For some reason, above a size E [like I even know what that is yet], they change from this loveliness...



to a solid bamboo crochet hook that looks just about like every other. A plain ole bamboo round stick with the hook on the end. Why? I think they did the smaller ones in metal because they couldn't do them in solid bamboo, and as a result, have come up with something magical. The metal/bamboo hook is light, comfortable to hold and ridiculously affordable (suggested retail is below $4 a hook!). If they came in a full range of sizes, I'd buy a whole set. You may quote me on this.

So people...do you crochet? Do you agree with me that the bamboo/metal is an amazing thing? Write the company! I told them this on the floor at TNNA, but if a lot of you write them, they might actually add larger sizes to their metal/bamboo line. Here, this is their parent company's web page -- with an e-mail addy right there for you to use! Their sales manager's name is Juliana -- write and tell her what you think!
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3. My feet. Longtime readers know I've got crappy feet and Birkenstocks have been my salvation. A few good friends have been raving about the superiority of Danskos, so I finally sucked it up and bought a pair. In PINK leather.

Seriously. It's fuschia leather.

The arch is noticeably higher than in Birkenstocks, but not uncomfortably so. I find the height of these shoes amusing [I usually wear flat things] and have worn the shoes twice with socks with absolutely no discomfort. Early verdict: love.

For those who need similar footy gratification, see ShoeDawg.com.
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4. No one prodded about the Americo, but don't tell me you didn't want a little yarn pr0n with your Tuesday coffee.

Cotton wrapped in silk in charcoal and ice green-blue. 1 each. Yum. Don't ask what they're for yet. I don't know. That's half the fun.

Why I love Americo so much

Me at Americo during the TTC Knitalong on Saturday. Yes, I bought. Just a little more cotton/silk. Yummy.

Photo scoffed without asking [but with sincere thanks] from Michelle's flickr. You must click for big to see the yarns. Michelle took great photos of the day. Hopefully she'll blog with the stories soon.


[New Knitty is coming soon. Very, very soon.]

more excited plotzingness

Go. Go see what's on my schedule. See specifically October.

I believe I will explode now.

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eta:

Still crunching...so here, meet Eunny!

I got the pleasure of meeting the new editor of Interweave Knits at TNNA -- ms Eunny Jang. Giddy with the cleverness of having brought my little iPod recorder mic thingy, I asked if I could chat with her and share it with Knitty readers. She nicely indulged my out-of-practise interview skills and now you can learn more about the woman who is now at the helm of one of our favorite print mags!

Listen here.

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P.S. Jillian and I were insane, gushing fangirls again at this show. Why? Because we got to meet Amy Butler. Herself. We totally fawned all over her, and she was so sweet and didn't even call security on us. She is tall, lithe, blonde and totally charming. And she's introducing a new line of knitting bags made from her fabrics in her characteristic style. [i.e. irresistable]. I'll be reviewing them in a future issue, but mostly, I just had to say this: AMY BUTLER! Eeeeeeeeeeeeee!

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Want some new Knitty? Take a break over the weekend and we'll see you early next week. Rock the casbah!

drive-by update

So much! TNNA was great! You'll want to read Clara's recap, because she does it right. This time, TNNA was about Knitty-building [adding content, etc] and a few other thingies for me. Just you wait. :-)

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Meanwhile, you all know what I need to be doing now instead of writing a flowery blog post, so a few quick pics will have to hold you while I go back to work!

pic 1: the secret present I was working on in silversmithy class:


Yes. Those are sterling silver brains, handcut out of sheet silver, BY ME, for my beloved Jillian. Anyone who's ever seen us work together knows that we share a brain and are just better together. Her birthday is this coming Saturday, and I wanted to formalize that. So now we share two brains [we each have one of the silver ones]. She loved it. :-)

pic 2: the accessory I wear all the time now that everyone at the show loved:


Those are beads OF GRASS. Seriously. Read this site to learn more about who makes them, why they're cool and how great it is to be able to support a group of crafting women on the other side of the world as we decorate our bodies. I bought mine in Toronto at the UofT bookstore. You can find links to shops through the Zulugrass.com site -- it's all over the place, but without the backstory, I don't know that I would have noticed these.

[for those that care about such things, this is 6 strands, colors chosen by me, twisted three times around my wrist.]

pic 3: a big shoutout of love to Amy O'Neill Houck and Kim Werker. Girls, looky what I did on the plane home!!


That, my friends, is a granny square. CROCHETED by me. In, get this, Alchemy Silk Chenille. Could you plotz? Thanks to Gina and Austin who enabled me into a skein of this gorgeous stuff [colorway Red Run] when I had the best crochet teacher ever [Amy] at my disposal. You need to see how Amy wields a hook [I didn't see Kim's techique, but it's probably just as sexy.] Amy makes it look like hand ballet. And unlike crocheting straight rows that are boring as hell, doing this, once I got the hook size right, was [dear lord, help me] F.U.N.

No, there will be no Crochetty. No, I am not giving up my beloved knitting. But I do want to make granny squares and ripples. And now I can. Thank you, crochet girls!

And now, back to Knitty. Head down, see you soon!