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Quick updates:
Glass needles should be available within two weeks.
Full colour range of Lantern Moon origami bags and needle vases, ditto.
Lantern Moon circulars will take a bit longer: they tell me it might be as late as July. But rest assured, the order is in, they're on their way.
Craftistas spotted in the Grauniad.
Purlescence spotted on Glittyknittykitty (totally my favourite knitting blog evah).
And so we take over the world, one politically incorrect phrase at a time.
Thank you to my first two lovely commenters, who wasted no time in demanding information. It is my pleasure and my duty to provide this.
1. Everymoment asks: What am I working on now?
A sexy little wraparound top* with lace trim, in hot red Siena. Don’t be misled by that rather dull photo, the yarn is sheeny and the red is HOT. That would be why they call it Chili. Photos will be forthcoming, I promise, but not right now. Too busy to photoblog. Sorry.
2. Jo asks: Where can she get a pattern for a baby beanie in 4-ply?
Kate Gilbert has completely adorable designs, for hats in all sizes from baby to big person. Yarn weight not specified, but judging from the tension, 4-ply should do the trick. But they’re not free, alas, and $4.95 isn’t a negligible sum in South African rand.
Bagatell offers a free rib beanie pattern for adults — I reckon you could cast on in 4-ply and keep going till you have a baby-sized hat, then cast off. Hey, it’s only teeny weenie, you won’t waste too much time; so why not try?
Your other option is to compare your gauge using 4-ply to the required gauge for the DK patterns you’ve found, do the math and convert the instructions. Sounds like hard work. I’d try the Bagatell if I were you. ;)
PS. Sorry this response is a bit late. We have been trying to decide what to do about the remaining gremlins in the blogworks. Decision: ignore 'em. Nasty little buggers. They should affect only me, not you, Dear Readers; but do email if you have any trouble.
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* Of my own design. I have only followed a pattern once in my life (and even then “followed” is perhaps not entirely accurate!). I’m frequently tempted to knit a design I see, but it never seems to match anything in my stash, and I won’t go buying yarn for a pattern when I have so much fabulous stash begging to be used.
Three things I like:
I like knitting. (Okay. I love knitting.)
I like beautiful things.
I like blogs.
Because of the first two, there is Purlescence. And because of all three, there is this. This is a space for me to tell you about the shop, for me to write about knitting, maybe to share some cool knitting stuff I find on the web — and, I hope, a space for me to learn about you.
The great thing about blogs (as if you need me to tell you) is the comments. Comments are what makes these peculiar little personal corners of the internet live and breathe. Comments are where a throwaway remark becomes a passionate conversation. So that's why I've called this the Purlescence Café: because the whole point is to sit back, relax, and start chatting. Welcome.
(PS. You know those projects that refuse to be knit to deadline? You think a month, say, is plenty of time to make your sister that cute cardigan... but two months later it's still about 10% away from finished; and two weeks after that it's not much better. This blog was a bit like that. My indomitable and brilliant designer* had to struggle with learning Movable Type and all kinds of geeky stuff to get it off the ground. We're a bit late, but here at last. That's why this welcome message appears later than a bunch of older posts: I was in blogging mode a bit before the blog was in publishable mode. But wotthehell, archy, wotthehell; it gives you a little taste of what's to come.)
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* Who is doing this out of love, squeezing the hours in around his day job, so he has every right to be a bit tardy.
The AntiCraft's latest issue is up, and this is just so pretty, I only wish I had a Beltane celebration to attend. Maybe I should arrange one especially... bit late though.
Doll part gardening is particularly entertaining, although as they say, you don't really need instructions. Just be inspired.