join us for kxkp!

As if there wasn’t enough happening in Austin for SXSW … stop by Hill Country Weavers on Wednesday, March 14th from 3–6pm for a knit-along with live music and snacks!

The wonderful Kelley Deal—member of The Breeders and R. Ring, and author of Bags That Rock—got in touch with the shop to arrange a yarny hang-out! So we’re planning on getting things rolling around 2pm or so. There will be yarn to choose from, quite possibly some cool giveaways, some refreshments, and live music from:

Kelley Deal

And local artists Schmillion

And Southpaw Jones

We’ll be knitting mic stand cozies and other fun knit graffiti to yarn bomb Kelley’s gig!

So come on down on Wednesday for our:

KXKP Party!
(knit by knit purl)
MARCH 14th
3 pm – 6 pm
Hill Country Weavers
Kelley Deal
Schmillion
Southpaw Jones

Pass it on!

ek

knit graffiti, yarn bombing, and monster feet

An interesting phenomenon has developed over the last few years. In our undying urge to knit and crochet for everyone and everything, fiber fiends have taken to the streets to make the urban jungle a bit more cozy.

Knit graffiti, or yarn bombing, is quite possibly the coolest thing ever. Take inanimate object, decorate, make infinitely more interesting.

It completely changes the perception of the object. Because we typically see knit and crochet items on other people, putting fiber crafts on inanimate objects helps humanize them.

It can also provide commentary. When I see monster feet on a light post or street sign I can’t help but feel like it is a big monster blocking the way…

This coming Wednesday we’re having a knit-a-long party with live music featuring Kelley Deal, and my plan is to make some monster feet for mic stands. Which will make me want to knit them for everything around me, I’m sure.

If any of you out there have some particularly cool/inspiring yarn bombing to share, please share!

ek

zuzu's petals

There are many reasons I love this pattern:
- it’s a cowl and a shawl in one
- the name is a pop culture reference
- there is a business in Austin called Zuzu’s Petals
- it’s lacey but not super femme
- it’s made by one of my favorite Rav people, Carina Spencer (who I met due to my old Ravelry name being a title of a song her husband wrote while in one of my all-time favorite bands, The Casket Lottery)

I’ve made two so far, both were yarn splurges. The first is with Alisha Goes Around Pulchritude of Peacocks DK in “Helios”.

The second is in Lang Yarns Sol Dégradé, a slow-change dyed cotton.

I loved working with both yarns, though I have to say that the Sol Dégradé bled like CRAZY when I soaked it. The water was solid blue after sitting for 20 minutes in Eucalan. I’ve already work the Alisha Goes Around cowl; put it on with a cropped black blazer and wore it while I taught on Monday. Loved it. I made the cotton one so I had a cooler cowl to wear in Austin’s perpetual anti-wool weather.

I definitely recommend following her bind-off instructions.

twenty eleven

Well well well. Here we are. 2011. The year of Eleven.

So, I figure I should set some goals for myself. Things I can do. Keep myself on track. etc.

1. Make and keep a budget. Oh my god, this will be painful. I may even meet with a financial adviser at my bank to help me out.
2. Use my damn stash. And here’s how.
a. I can only cast on something new when I finish a WIP.
b. I only get one extraneous purchase a month. Either clothing, yarn/fiber, or stuff for my new PS3. It has to be under $100. If I buy yarn I can’t buy a new game, movie, or clothes. And vice versa.
3. Spin at least once a month. I want to sit down at least once a month and use my spinning wheel. If I can’t justify having it I’m going to sell it. I’ll use up the fiber I have, and then fiber gets included in 2 above.
4. Re-commit to C25K. The curve was just a bit too steep for me, so I gave up on it. Also, this past semester was kind of crazy. So when I get home next week I’m giving it another go, and I’ll spend 2 weeks on each week of the program. I’m not interested in killing myself, and I’m not doing it competitively. I am doing it for myself, so I’ll use my own pace.
5. Eat out only once a week. I need to stop eating out. It cost me a fortune this past semester. So I’m going back to eating out only once a week. Exceptions: birthdays/parties/celebrations. Which, trust me, I don’t participate in often.
6. Be less of a flake. I have a tendency to commit to something, then when the time comes back out because I’m tired or I don’t feel like putting forth the effort. I don’t get much time to myself because I am working or going to school every day of the week. So I either need to commit to less, or be less flaky. We’ll see what happens.
7. Stick with the 365 Project. Damnit. I’ll make this happen.

I think these are good, realistic goals.

Austin: see you Tuesday.

To the rest of the Internet: happy new year. I hope it’s a good one.

winter knitspiration – accessories