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Spill Guts Here. It's gotta go somewhere, know what I mean? Can you stand it?
purls before swine
Geek Knitting
West Indian Parade
West Indian Parade
Dog/Cat Wrestling
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9.30.2003
Days off consisted of: trade show all Monday, errands, cleaning. Decided to re-arrange/deep-clean the shop this afternoon, it's been needing it for a long time, got started, and luckily Luciano was available to help with the heavy stuff for a few hours. Have a ton more to do before I open up tomorrow, got rid of an old '60's orange desk and an ugly '70's wooden table, brought the weird silver double-layer table I got recently in, that opened up the whole tiny space, I love it more now! By chance found an extra-wide full length mirror in the antique shop right across the street for a song, and actually was able to make room for it. Took away 2 grannie carts of extraneous stuff I'd accumulated, probably will have one or two more tommorrow am to wheel away to the studio after meeting with the plumber at 8am, the point being:
Glitten pattern will resume tommorrow late day. 9.28.2003
Think you have what it takes to be a production knitter? Try this horror story on for size, first. I have to add my $.o2 here... I think this is the extreme rock bottom of experiences you can have as a production knitter, however the knitter wasn't experienced enough to knock those hats out, it's a (not very funny) comedy of errors. If you take a look at the hats on E.K.'s site , they're very easy to knit, (not to mention REALLY overpriced. Jeez. $285. for a knit hat? It better do the dishes/laundry when you're done wearing it, too).
A production knitter generally already has any needles/tools you would ever need, and definitely can do intarsia in his/her sleep. They didn't have it together on either end in this situation, and this gives the whole enterprise a terrible reputation. I started out as a hand finisher for a women who made couture sweaters for James Galanos about 20-odd years ago. I got paid fairly because I was fast (seems like a snails pace, now). You can not have any ego, except pride in your handiwork, when you're doing production work, no-one cares what your design ideas are, nor should they. It supported me while I was was busy being a rock star, a great part-time gig I could do when I felt like it. Also an important learning experience for me, that's were I honed my couture sweater finishing techniques/skills. That being said, I ordered some snakeskin cigarette barrettes for the shop. At least no-one has to knit them! 9.26.2003
 Change to the size 9 needles, start the main body by knitting 2 rounds. 9.25.2003
A huge Thank you to Mr. Roth, who has ensured that my juiced keyboard problem will soon be history, therefore allowing me to post from home in the am again without a timewasting trip into town.. *kisses*
Glittens!!!! If a glove married a mitten, and they had a baby, you'd get a Glitten. Thumb and pointer fingers are articulated, while the pinkie, ring finger and middle finger live together. It's a happy, warm family! The pattern that will be posted here is for a women's medium hand, and is pretty easy to make larger or smaller. It is a simple pattern, open to all types of textural or color interpretation once you've got the basics down. In general, that's how I work every year, starting with a basic pattern, then every iteration afterwards is a variation on the theme. The idea is for you to view this pattern with the idea of CHANGING it, and making it your own. The pattern will be posted in segments, a new section every day. Please use the comments to discuss, if you like, for everyone's benefit. Feel totally free to jump in with different techniques, etc. The sum is greater than it's parts, eh? It's a group thing, your input is welcome. The pattern isn't that long, we should have a completed glitten in a week or so. It will be posted in it's entirety on a permanant page shortly after we're done here. Copyright is as follows: You are free to knit as many of these as you like to keep, give away, or sell if you are a private person, not a company or professional designer. If you are a commercial entity, please contact me for info. This pattern may be printed out for personal use, but not for commercial use. No hard copying without my written permission, please. If anyone plans to make these and sell them in any shops near me in Brooklyn, be assured I will find out, kick your butt, then talk endlessly about it here. :-> Don't do it. Thank you. If you knit a pair you like, email a picture, and I'll start a gallery. Needles: 1 set # 8 US double pointed needles for cuff. 1 set # 9 US double pointed needles for body of glitten. Yarn: I'm using a lovely blend of merino, alpaca and silk, an industrial yarn I got on the cone from School Products, not generally available. It makes 10 wraps per inch PREWASHED, it blooms after washing. The correct needle size for this yarn is an 11 US. I believe glittens need to be knit tight and windproof, hence the smaller needle. Use any wooly yarn that will give you the correct gauge after washing. Gauge: After handwashing and airdrying, I got 3.5 stitches X 5 rows per inch in the jersey section. Let's Make a Glitten: Using size #8 US, cast on 26 stitches, then join, making sure not to twist. I used a cable cast on, not too tight. The cuff consists of this knit/purl pattern:  Easy way: K2, P1 round and round until you've completed 14 rows. DO NOT restart the stitch sequence at the beginning of the row, ignore that. Just K2, P1 until you have 14 rows. How do you know? Count the purl bumps on the diagonal. To Be Continued...... 9.23.2003
The Artwalk was a huge success, and I now know dozens more of my neighbors. Two artists sold work, the building looked great, the lemon tarts and black olive cornbread were excellent, and the wine was exactly enough, and we did plenty of inhouse drinking. I don't want to look at any more art for a while.
Spent the last two days resting mostly home in very comfortable yet unattractively baggy grey sweatpants, handknitting glittens. Lost the pattern from last year, but wanted write a more streamlined one anyway (less ovenmittish), so I did. I thought it might be fun to do a "serialized" pattern for them here, with the next steps posted on a somewhat daily basis. I don't have the time or interest to do a proper page and pattern (maybe later, with a gallery). It might take a while to finish one, but at each step, if someone is confused about an operation, we could discuss it in the comments. When you finish it, you'll really understand it, as well as participating in a group knitting event. Anyone who reads my angst-ridden drivel on any ongoing basis deserves a treat! Glitten pattern to commence in the next few days. Too tired to go into town to get a new keyboard, so only posting from the shop. 9.21.2003
I'm so exhausted I feel like crying, then vomiting. Something's got to give, and I'm afraid it's going to be my health. Instead I'm finishing up my piece,and getting the building and wine and refreshment table set-up, then talking to dozens of strangers with a smile on my face for 5 hours.
THEN YOU CAN ALL GO FUCK YOURSELVES WHILE I SLEEP FOR 2 DAYS STRAIGHT>, especially the 3 artists who dropped out at the last minute, thereby not leaving room for 3 others who are really serious, and not simply clowns. I've totally lost patience with people who claim to be "artists", but never do anything, and always have an excuse why. Plenty of them, and they are the real lightweights of this town. Shitheads. On the plus side, Anna, Ina, Katie, Luciano, Ellen and Alexa, and Joseph, my faboo caterer...you are my heros today. This day can't be over quick enough. I don't even feel like I have the strength to brush my teeth right now. I'm at the shop (closed today) getting my mannequin head, etc. Spilled juice in my keyboard at home last week, so it's out of commission till I get a new one. Enjoying not wasting time on the net at home. It's been a drag when I need to do research, though. 9.20.2003
Been ridiculously busy, consequently very tired. Even pulled an all-nighter day before last, not fun at my advanced age. Prospect Heights Open Studio Artwalk is tommorrow, organizing all my guest artists, mounting the show, and trying to finish my own piece (a knitted Mexican Face Hat, yes, as sick and appalling as it sounds, if anyone knows where that very obscure reference came from, you win a prize! :->)
Was invited to a fashion show in Bryant Park Thursday night, took my young lawyer friend, Ian, it was his first show. He was shocked at how skinny the models were in real life, yet with strangely large breasts. it was fun. Too crowded, took no pix. Shops been very busy. I'm FUCKING TIRED> No more events for a while. Got a new tattoo for my 45th last week. Love it. Pix when it heals up a bit. |
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