Stitch and Pitch 2007 at Dodger Stadium

Knitting at a baseball game is difficult but is certainly worth a try!!

I went to the Stitch and Pitch event at Dodgers Stadium with my friend Debbie on Tuesday May 22, 2007 - it was awesome - check out the Stitch and Pitch website here and you'll find the information about the program and if it's going on in your area - it's where all types of fibercrafting folks get together and go knit at a baseball game! we were WAYYYYY up in the boonies but it was a great time - had a dodger dog, some nachos and I actually got some knitting done although not much knitting because all the neat folks there were just too distracting - It was neat to hear from the ladies around me - how two of them joined forces together to grow each other's yarn stash - the husband of one lady said she can't have any more yarn, so now she stores her recent stashes at her friend's house! - I thought that was hilarious!

I also got a flyer about a contest at the LA County Fair for men knitters - called "Real Men are Knitting" - and while I don't know if I'll enter, I'm sure that I'll attend - (at least I want to) - I guess that while I think I'm pretty good for a beginner, I don't know how I feel about being judged... I'll have to look through my finished objects to see if I have anything worth entering and see what happens.

We're off to Palm Springs this weekend (Memorial Day) to visit with family - it'll be a nice weekend getaway. I hope everyone stays SAFE and has a good relaxing weekend. My favorite part of trips like this: the drive (knitting time) of course!

Kyle

Shearing my Sheep

I have been saving my cat Winky's hair for about 1-1/2 years now. I know; it's an odd thing to collect. She's a rescue kitty that I got 2 years ago this past Valentine's day from a shelter in Los Angeles. She's very special - and was rescued from a high kill shelter - saved because she had already been through so much. We don't know really how she lost her eye, but the story I was told is this.... apparently she ended up on someones doorstep, with her eye torn out of her face, bloody and beat up from a fight - clinging to life. I don't know the details, but I do know this caring person took her to the vet, where they apparently sewed her eye closed and saved her. Somehow, she ended up at the pound where she was rescued by a group who kept her at their facility for over 6 months until I found her and took her home. By this time, she was very depressed and not really social, however, she's doing GREAT now. I don't know for sure if the details of the story are correct (or true!) but I do know she's missing her eye and it doesn't bother her at all. She's a very sweet cat, loves to get pet and scratched under her neck and behind her ears - and she keeps me company while I knit at night. She's not a lap kitty; but she does love to lay by my leg and *almost* touch me while she rests.

Winky has a long coat of hair that I love but my partner is kind of allergic - and the hair (in the summer) gets to be pretty warm... so, to keep her comfy (and Gregg from sneezing) I get her shaved a few times a year. I found a company about 1-1/2 years ago called VIP fibers based in northern California that takes pet hair, cleans it, then spins it into yarn! I thought it was the coolest thing and had to try it. I did this with my dog's hair (Dakota) and it turned out neat, so I started to save Winky's hair. 3 shavings later, here's the result:

I know it doesn't look like much, but the bowl that the fiber is in measures about 15" across - it's also very deep! I mailed this off to VIP fibers this morning and can't wait to get it spun up. I asked them to make a dk weight yarn for me, similar to Sirdar's Snuggly. I am thinking it'll end up as striping or accents in a sweater - but who knows... I need to see what it looks like to get final inspiration.

The process is explained on their website, and they're very friendly folks. If you love your pets and want to try something totally different, check 'em out - it's not much different than wool, alpaca, or even quiviuk - it's an animal fiber that's being spun - it just happens to come from the most beautiful long haired kitty in the universe (Willow would be the most beautiful short haired kitty - while she's no good at donating fiber, she's very good at cuddling and sleeping in the crook of your arm at night. Willow is also a rescue, with 3 legs - I have had her about 4 or 5 years now.)

Quiviuk Splendor from Knit Cafe

I have been WANTING this amazing yarn for a while; ever since my trip home in January to see my dad for the last time - I think I was in Memphis in the airport waiting for my next flight, when I was digging through a magazine and discovered a plethora of classified ads raving about this fiber. I knew that surely I'd be able to find some of this stuff in Los Angeles when I got home, so I ripped out an ad and stuffed it into my backpack. I called one of the suppliers in the magazine to try to find out the cost... it's expensive! I HAD to at least see and fall in love with the fiber before buying it - so I waited.

I went to see Suzan Mischer of Knit Cafe after that trip and asked her about a ribbed hat pattern I have been searching for - she was really helpful (and she has the most beautiful store I think I have ever seen!) but we weren't able to come up with a pattern. It's OK though; I have put that project on the "back burner" for now... too many more exciting things to think about!... Anyway, I also mentioned this fiber, and not only did she know about it, she had seen it at the recent show and ordered it! It was going to take a while to arrive, she mentioned... so I waited.

Time passed till yesterday, when I was looking for the Debbie Bliss Sublime Baby book - I'm working on something out of the book and decided I want to own the book instead of just borrowing my friends copy.... and I thought that Knit Cafe might have the book... they didn't.

but they DID have my Quiviuk!

I didn't spring for the 100% pure yarn for two reasons - first, it was REALLY expensive - ( I think it was around $75 per ball) and it was really "fluffy" - I wanted to be sure that I loved the thing I made out of this yarn if I was springing for something this rare... I bought the 45% Quiviuk, 45% Extrafine Merino, 10% silk - and it was about $50 a ball - I wasn't going to say anything about the cost because I didn't want anyone to admonish me for spending so much on yarn - but I decided that I had a tiny bit of extra money from the second job I just left, and that this would be the thing I was buying as a reward for my hard work and efforts. I'm sure it will be a one time thing; this purchasing way over the top yarn - while I'm a huge fan of fine materials for my knitting, I can't be spending money like this!!! eek.

Anyway, I got a pattern from Knit Cafe as well - the mock cable hat pattern from www.windyvalleymuskox.com - which I will use to help figure out gauge - I was thinking this morning that maybe I'll use the pattern on knitty.com for the "halfdome" by Jesse Loesberg - (www.yarnboy.com) - the pattern can be found at: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATThalfdome.html

I haven't figured out if it'll work yet, but I think the little cables in the pattern I got yesterday may be a little too much for my style - I love the simplicity of the yarn and the fiber itsself should be the "star" - so I am most likely to dive into Jesse's pattern before doing cables with this stuff.

I promised Suzan that I'd bring in the hat when it is finished - I didn't think I'd be diving into the project very quickly, however, I'm already hankering to get started! :)

Go to www.knitcafe.com and if you're in the area, swing by Suzan's shop - it's beautiful and stocked to the brim with amazing yarns and supplies.

:)

Kyle