SistahCraft

The Home Twister is Back!

Go, Go Gadget––Twist!

(You can even twist outdoors; all pics enlarge.)

A New Generation

Originally named the Daruma Home Twister, I sold beaucoup of these in the eighties, as a sales associate at School Products Co. Its popularity spawned a mélange yarn fad, prompting a few shops to even offer a twisting service for their customers.

Then a decade later, the capriciousness of fashion precipitated a decline in the home knitting market, and the Daruma was cast off by its original producers, the Yokata Co., Ltd..

Hey, nothing lasts forever.

(Mélange magnifique; twisted balls)

Or does it? When my own appliance started approaching its end last year (its housing now glued together), I started searching for a replacement. Ancestors! I learned that interest in this device had attained cult status among fiberphiles. Sightings on Craigslist and Ebay were but a blink of an eye, being snatched up. Vintage sewing and needlework sites, who knew the value of this doohicky, listed prices as high as $100 (for serious collectors, the Daruma in it's original red housing, can be purchased at the fabulous site for vintage housewares,  Pinky LaRue. )

Well, I posted about my own, in the hope that the laws of attraction would bring one to me––and it did. Now, I bring it to you!

KrisKrafter To The Rescue

(It's jim dandy; the new Home Twister)

My girl Kris is now manufacturing and selling the Home Twister! It's a fraternal twin to the second iteration, the only difference is the casing's coloring. It still holds several strands of yarn in a slit in the cone's top, enabling you to create marls and mélange's in weights from lace to bulky. Simple to assemble (just 2 parts), it stores easily.

Now, some of you may find the price of $70.00 not very frugally fabulous. Check this out.

If you're a machine knitter with cones of yarn that are too thin to hand knit with, the twister can extend your creative range. Ply together small amounts and knit mini swatches until you arrive at a pleasing color combo; it's how I came to knit my V neck. I wanted to hand knit a sweater, looked at all of the cones of yarn I had, then said "Gee' maybe I'll twist some strands together and see what happens"; it's like painting!

(Happily twisted; for details see my projects on Raverly; there's a tutorial in the sidebar too.)

Now, if you're not inclined to spin yarn, this is the next best thing; experiment, throwing in lengths of yarn to catch in with ones being twisted. Ply together different weights and textures. You can create blends just as nice as many handspuns; this super device, is designed to ply your yarns together evenly, no matter what weight or type.

The Home Twister is a great way to extend your stash, and to create new fabrics. And it won't fall apart on you. There aren't any parts to break, and trust me––mine has lasted 23 years. How frugally fabulous is that?

Ready everbody? Let's twist with Kris!

Bouyed By Benevolence

The Seamen's Church Institute

(A scale model of a Gloucester fisherman; unidentified American schooner from late 19th-century to early 20th-century; weight, 50 tons or more. Property of the institute. All pics enlarge)

The One That Got Away

Recently one evening, weaving through the homeward bound Financial District's worker bees, en route to a Sit n' Knit meetup, at the Seamen's Church Institute, I was shook by a memory. I was a little girl, sitting in the kitchen, my mom telling me about her relationship with Frezel, an African merchant seaman who was in love with her, before she met her husband, my father. Back in the day the myth was, that seamen were prized marriage prospects. They made good money, accumulated from long voyages (if not disposed to gambling), and they brought back beautiful gifts. Indeed, I loved visiting my aunt C.'s house; it was a museum of Oceania, filled with the souvenirs of her former marriage to one. My mom however, surface dweller that she was, went for my father's looks instead. Frezel it seemed, bowed out with dignity, returned to the sea, and later married.

Suddenly, I considered Frezel's reality––spending weeks, months even out to sea, it's actually a hard and dangerous life. Did he come here? 

A Vision On Land

(Beyond macramé; a homage to the old church)

The institute, now inhabiting a new building is awesome! Designed inside and out to resemble an ocean liner, it sports a collection of old and new marine artifacts that are marvelously juxtaposed.* The upper floor, which make up the roof deck are perfect for a fab event (hear that, Florence?), but provides unpretentious comfort to the visiting mariners––its primary purpose.

(A wall of warmth; and this is just the scarves)

 I ogled my way up the stairs at the  collection,  then entered the expansive yarn room. Folks, my photos would do it no justice; believe me, this room should be made a knitting heritage site. Nonetheless, the intimate group seated around the table were chatting and knitting away, with the nonchalance of––been there, felt that. Me? I was busy taking pics. Suddenly I felt bemused; Sahara, you're acting like a damn fool. Okay now. Regaining my cool, I joined the group to a cordial, but friendly reception, warming up considerably, as the evening progressed.

(L to R; Jeanette, Angela, and Vicky) 

 (Our host; Jeanette, with her lighthouse smile).

Guiding Light

Jeanette Devita is the manager for the institute's Christmas At Sea program. The yarn room (swoon) may be her office, but I can see why it wouldn't faze her; this sister works assiduously, coordinating the efforts of  thousands of volunteer knitters and crocheters across the country, who produce what looks like an ocean of accessories that are distributed to close to 20,000 seamen. Ancestors!

 (You are here; the volunteers)

But hey, it's not about the yarn. "I'm really fortunate to be able to reach out and connect with the knitters and seamen," she says. I ask her about the tallying of all those goods. There are volunteers who come in once a week to assist, but ultimately? The connection's in the touch for Jeanette. "Every stitch of every scarf I handle connects a knitter to a seaman." Damn. Damn. I wonder if the woman Frezel eventually married, knew how to knit or crochet. I hope so.

To learn more about this extraordinary organization, and get involved, click on the the link.

*Album pics of this beautiful building, are in the side bar.

  

Franklin Habit At Knitty City––The Itch Scratcher Book Tour!

You Know You've Hit The Big Time When…

(You Have Your Own Colorway! Companion yarn to the book, by Lorna's Laces; all pics enlarge.)

Franklin Habit's appearance at Knitty City last Sunday was definitely the place to be, as  you can see from the looks of this pic. In the midst of this crowd, the Lord of Lace himself was giving a presentation of the Print o' the Wave stole, that he knitted in a color so sexy––I wanted to stop any current knitting to completely devote all my attention to it, finishing in time to wear at a cool, summer latin jazz night at Willie's Steak House. I can't believe Franklin uses this stole as the project for his Intro to Lace class! But hey, once you can knit this, a night of dancing salsa Eddie Torres style in the back yard of Willie's, will be easy!

 (Franklin flossing the sexy stole; below, lace detail.)

The Hullaballoo, and The Hoi Polloi

Now you know what makes an event like this so much fun, are the knitters who come out. So let me not continue this post, without paying homage to the knitterati! Kisses and hugs to eternally fabulous Phyllis Howe, producer of the events at New York City's nicest yarn shop; yes this was definitely a biggie!

The ever-bouyant Pearl Chin  proprietor, holding it down. I heard on the Q.T.*, that books earmarked for Franklin's appearance, sold out 20 minutes before he arrived––talk about fabness! Many thanks to Annie & Co., the chic shop on the Upper East, for supplying more books.

(Right, a rouge spinner.) I always find it so––rad––when you see the one person at a knitting event, spinning.

Now Here's Where I Insert The Plug

Friends, do get this little tome, and then kick back with a cup or glass.  I tell you, Franklin had to be a fly on the wall, to create these cartoons. You'll know why they're funny––or you don't knit enough. And his essay on immortality as it pertains to knitting alone, is worth the book.

Almost Famous

Before I sign off to comptemplate whether to have Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Dominican, Pakistani, or Middle-Eastern take out (Mr. K complains about the lack of food choices in our neighborhood––talk about jaded), I'll leave y'all with this frightening pic of myself, in the company of the illustrious illustrator.  Maybe some of his fabulousness will rub off on me! LOL!

* Q.T. means Quiet Time, for those of you too young to remember.