Danger! UFO's Are Upon Approach!

Knitting Resumed, Or, The Long Way Back...

It sounds dramatic, but that's how I feel. Since my last post, I recall brief moments, knitting on the train (thank goodness for public transportation) and on my lunch hour, generally spent correcting a mistake I made, while on the train.

The majority of my past week was spent at work, hence I had nothing to report (Fashion Week's  another post). The good news is, I am off for a week and a day; now, I can catch up and possibly win the race, against the week that passed me by. Well, maybe. In the meantime...

When Three Or More Are Gathered Together...A Festive Bus Ride...Swizzle Stick Technique...

"RO" reports that she had a fabulous time, knitting with the other members from Knit_Hop Remix ([email protected]) at the Copper Stitch Gathering, which took place at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Atlanta. If any of you sisters and brothers have come upon this post from the Atlanta area and are interested, check them out and join. There's strength in numbers.

My girl Michelle Bishop, the sister whose talented hands are never idle, is hosting a bus trip to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, on Sunday, October 16th. The bus departs from 135th and Fifth Avenue, in Harlem at 7:30 am, and will return at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $45US, plus a discount fairground admission price of $8US. Please purchase your tickets by September 30th. For additional info, you may email her, at [email protected]

Cocktail knitters, Snow Beverages is presenting their monthly social, this Tuesday, September 20th at Rock Candy (a tired name, so don't ask me, I've never been there), located at 35 East 21st Street, between Broadway and Park Avenue South, in NYC. The festivities start at 6:30 pm, until 9:30 pm. A recently opened yarn shop, The Point, will be providing knitting instruction and supplies for beginners, Bust Magazine will have product giveaways, and there will be a DJ.  This is a free event for women only–hmmph–and there will be cocktail specials on drinks made with Snow-K sparkling mint beverage.

Now, for the warning. If your knitting, matters enough for you to see your work in a well-lit space, this party is not for you. Or, you can bring a "hands free" magnifier, that lights. The presenters want to retain a "nightclub-like atmosphere" which, in their words "demands lower lighting than what is typically ideal for knitting."  Basically, they're saying that knitting will not be the primary theme of this event.

So, you've been warned. If you make a mistake 'cause you couldn't see what you were doing, don't blame them.

Now, that these announcements are out of the way, it's time for SAHARAWORLD...!

 

 

Many moons ago, I knitted like crazy for an upcoming profile. Well, it's on the DIY Network's DIY Women, a new, online monthly series devoted to women in craft  (the link's in the sidebar under My Work). I am sending a public "Thank You" to Philip S. Williams, director of DIY Network.com (he is profiled in this month's Black Enterprise Magazine). His innovative approach to the web medium, laid the groundwork for me to be recognized. A big thanks and a kiss, goes out to the prolific writer, Stacy Gilliam, who discovered me via the "electronic drum," and did the interview. And last, but not least, a big thanks to my girl, award-winning photographer and very stylish knitter, Regina Fleming, for putting my name out there. The increased traffic, has enabled me to continue to spread the message of "creation, not just accumulation."

Which seems like a damn lie, when I look around my studio.

Danger!  UFO's Are Upon Approach...

Earlier in the summer, I designed and started knitting a top, called "Sweetpea". Then I designed, and started knitting  "Rugged Lace Shirt". Making matters worse, I knitted a sampler for Mr. K's hoodie,  for his now belated birthday, back in September (hoodies are back in fashion for men, for fall/winter '05', but in luxury yarns, like Cashmere. This is a cashmere/wool combo,  from School Products Co., in NYC).

Still suffering from my attack of not enough to knit compulsion, I decided to finish a baseball jacket started last fall, to floss at the Knit Out & Crochet, next month. Then Katrina hit, Design and Beauty collided at work, and knitting got sidetracked.

Now, I am surveying the aftermath.

The knitting of Sweetpea is 90% complete, and by Wednesday I should be able to cross the picot line. My self-imposed deadline is Friday; hopefully the weather will hold out, so I can wear it then.

As for the Hood, I'm hyped up by the chance to design and knit a new garment! Here we go again!

I knitted a sampler, so the ever fashion-alert Mr. K could pick out the pattern he liked the most. Afterword, I knitted  a swatch of the winning stitch pattern (Seeded Rib Check, from A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, by Barbara Walker) for his final approval; I don't take chances using guesswork for the design of a garment for someone else. 

The body of the sampler, is knitted on size 9's; the ribbing, on 7's. It has been washed and dried to bulk up ever so slightly, in the dryer ( 6 min.)

Oh, while I'm at it, the names of the losing stitch patterns are, from the bottom: 1-a do-nothing 7 x 1, seed stitch rib, 2-Twisted Basket Weave, from The Harmony Guides: 450 Knitting Stitches, Vol. 2, 3-The Winner, 4-a tired Bee Stitch, from the aforementioned Guides (it came out too bad for a pic), and 5-Stockinette finishes the top.

Rugged Lace Shirt is going to become a UFO. I'm OK with that. I like to wear what I knit in the season I make it, and the season is over, or rather, it's ending. Sweetpea is more glam, and therefore, more important to finish.

Folks, it's late and I'm finished. Time to sleep. Look for more tomorrow.

See ya'.

 

Comments

[shobhana]

hey there! just discovered your blog and i wanted to say 'hello'. i'm looking forward to reading more.

[Wanda]

I hear you on knitting for the season. I did that with another summer knit a few years ago, ergo, the Sirdar Tango tank and then my gauge totally changed. Now I try to finish it, if I'm nearing completion before the season ends, even if I won't wear until the next season. But if it's got aways to go, then definitely best to pack it up for the next spring/summer season.

Mr.K's sweater will be fierce! Can't wait to see that working up. What other fall/winter UFOs do you have lurking from seasons past? Inquiring minds and all . . .

[Nick]

I absolutely love that seeded rib check. I'm gonna have to look that up for use later 'cause it'd be a great contrast panel for something in stockinette. I totally knit for the season too, but this year I've been trying to knit earlier than the season so I can wear the stuff for the season during the season, but I found it hard to work with wool during the summer (still did it, but I wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea).

[khahlia from cincinnati]

dear ms. briscoe,
you are a busy woman!! thanks for the pictures from Kevin Powell's Katrina event. I almost thought that was garbage, but I'm glad it was other materials. I'm also excited about Knit Out 2005 NYC. Although I will not be in attendance, my "crew" will be there representin'!! They are called YARN4MORE. But I will definetely be in NYC in November. You are truly an inspiration of possibilities....thank you!

peace and blessings,
khahlia

[nakachi]

look at you all on the diy site. you go, girl.

p.s.
my new mantra is "create, don't just accumulate." word.

[Michelle]

Your one busy lady! Mr.K is going to be one happy man when you finish his sweater. Love the swatches that you knitted up too!

[Tanya]

Congrats on the DIY profile. That's very exciting news. Glad to see you back after such a long break.

I love the color of the hoodie and can't wait to see it knit up.

Tanya

[Franklin]

Mamselle Sahara, just reading your blog gives me whiplash. And I think of myself as a busy person.

If hoodies are gonna be in, I'm going to snoop out a good pattern. I'd like to try making one.

Looking forward to a Fashion Week post, when you've had some time to yourself.

[Nick]

Me again, just wanted to respond to your post on my blog about the "jewelry"...

They call them moose nugget necklaces, or earrings, and since the tourist stores are usually full of replicas or commemorative objects about the gold rush era there's lots of gold nuggets nearby so I don't think people quite make the full connection that the moose nuggets weren't "mined" in the same sense as the gold ones.