sheepless in suburbia...

Earth Hour 2009 ...

I confess, I knew nothing about Earth Hour 2009... until 8:25 last night. That's when Youngman 2 ran up the stairs and inquired, "Are we taking the challenge?"

"The challenge... what challenge?" (These days, taking "the challenge" usually involves pledging to consume copious amounts of high fibre material).

"Hmmm ... right now my challenge is trying to keep this lace pattern on track."

Yes, I am still working on my beginner lace project.

Meanwhile Youngman is flicking lights off. All over the house. Everywhere. Moments later we are in darkness. Youngman announces he has signed us up online. The Sheepless household has been committed (and I mean that in a good way).

Well, this is interesting. Needles stop clicking.

Enters Youngman 1 (aka Older Brother). "What are you doing?"

"Your father is trying to see if he can read the braille bumps on the remote..."

"But what are you doing?"

"Me? ... Oh, I'm just sorta sitting here. Not knitting. You know..."

We all pause and reflect.

We decide to look out the window to see how black it is.

"Wow, everyone's turned off their lights."

"That's because nobody's home..."

"Aha!" Old Guy has found the "play" button.

I could knit by the electronic glow of the boob tube...

What did you do when the lights were out?

MORE snow ...

May the wee  fibre  folk and fairies kiss your stash with colour...

Beginner Lace...

 

I want to knit lace. I admit, I'm not a "lacey" kinda gal, but that doesn't mean I can't change - does it?  I am fascinated by the lace shawls and scarves that people pull out at show and tell. And when I remark, that I too would love to knit lace, they say... "oh it's just a bunch of yarn overs and knit togethers".

I have a few lace projects under my belt. A hemp shawl, that I never wear (though I think in approximately 65 more washes it will be soft enough) and a single handspun walking away sock . After each effort was complete, I pitched my needles, licked my wounds and said "never again..."

And yet here I am. Yarn, needles, and charts in hand. This time, I am letting Meg Swanson hold my hand. To coax me along. I am knitting the "reversible stole". It is Day 4. I have finally figured out the provisional cast on. This is only because I've had plenty of opportunity to practise it ... as in rip it! rip it! rip it!  (All together now...)

I am having a ton a few problems with the chart. Which I have carefully transcribed into a larger format, so I can actually read it.

Hmmm, apparently after 40 + years of knitting, just a bunch of  yo's and tog's are beyond me.

In honour of the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009 I have decided to set myself a challenge (with a few modifications of course). I love natural fibre. In fact, I love natural fibre so much, I have tons of it. Fleece, roving, top, yarn, noils, caps, bells, skeins, balls. I have silk, quiviet, cotton, soya, hemp, flax, angora, cashmere, buffalo, camel, alpaca, llama, and way too many sheep breed samples to even list.

Last summer I attended Fibre Week, with Lucy Neatby as our guest speaker. And one of Lucy's comments has stuck with me. "... if you truly want to make your stitches happy (and contented) you must absolutely use up your yarn. Buying yarn and then banishing it into the bowels of your Rubbermaid totes in back of the closet, is definitely not the way to go"'.

I stand accused.

And so I am taking up the challenge (with modifications of course).

This year, (three months in - and only nine months to go) I will work on using up my fibres and yarns. The fibre I already have. The fibre that is languishing in the totes, and boxes, and baggies .... oh those evil little 50 grams of sample smack that every vendor dangles from baskets . 

"Oh come on now... you know you want it..."

Okay...  so now for the modifications.

Swaps and barters are okay. And I am okay with restrained tool and accessory enhancement (I have just purchased a set of addi  turbo lace needles, and I defy anyone to tell me knitting lace is just as easy without them).

And, I am going to cut myself some slack at the few (3 actually)  "fibre weekends" I  plan to attend this year. But this supports my local producer friends. And I promise to view the wares with a  discriminating eye. I will not shop with gay abandon.

And books ... well second hand books must by okay (I have a substantial in store credit). And before I hit the online bookseller, I will visit my local library website.

Let the destash begin...