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...mystery solved! The perpetrator was my good friend Chris. Who figured I'd have records of who bought the yarn (true, though not easy to filter) and would enjoy a good detangling/winding sesh (also true).
Shameful that I didn't immediately know it was him. Totally shameful. Armin did.
I love, love, love the new Interweave Crochet.
The cover jacket is really cute. (Sorry for the small pic.) But that's not what's really brilliant about this issue. No, what I'm so impressed with is their section on combining knitting with crochet.
Which in itself, of course, is not a new idea. Knitters in particular often learn at least a little crochet, using it to finish necklines, add embellishments... and I have seen magazine features (even in IC a few years ago, I think) that emphasise how well they can play together. But I do think this mini-collection includes some of the freshest, most perfectly conceived designs that I've ever seen following this idea.
I love how the Pink Asters scarf uses woven stitch panels joined by crocheted flowers - what a perfect use of handpainted yarn! (I'm thinking this would be amazing in sangria Sea Sock.) And the Snowflake Sweater is all about the details - love those openwork crochet seams.
What strikes me as unusual about the whole angle, though, is that the patterns have been chosen as much for knitters learning to crochet as for crocheters learning to knit. And it's a crochet magazine. Now, I'm just guessing here, but I think this is something that couldn't really have been done pre-Ravelry.
For a crochet magazine to publish a whole chunk of patterns that seem designed specifically to hook in (sorry) an adventurous knitter might seem a bit too rash. After all, how are you going to get the knitters to see these designs in the first place? Okay, it's possible that a knitter who's already bi-curious (as it were) might pick it up at the newsstand, flip through, and get excited. But for the rest, you'd be relying on word of mouth, or perhaps a very expensive and risky ad campaign (unlikely for a regular magazine issue).
But Ravelry changes that. Suddenly, good patterns are enjoying a high level of exposure across both crafts - a Raveller is likely to see and admire something *before* they even notice which craft it is. If it turns out to include some of the "other" craft, but also some of their own, they're already halfway there. If they then read the pattern notes (or comments in the forum, or whatever) that this is specifically intended for a novice crocheter, but has a cable or something to keep a practised knitter entertained - well, hook me right up! (Again, sorry.)
What do you think? Am I way off base? Is this not so new after all? Whatever. I still find it exciting. And am dead keen to make Pink Asters.
So this arrived in the post.
Only, I... sort of don't. At all.
I can think of three possible explanations here.
1. Unhappy customer found yarn all tangly. would like refund. In which case... who?! (A number of people have bought this yarn. I can't easily find all their details, and as for which of them is sinister enough for this... well, I wouldn't like to presume.)
2. Someone is threatening to tangle the rest of my yarn, unless I meet their demands. In which case, where are my instructions? They didn't entrust them to Parcelfarce, did they? Because that never goes well.
3. This is a fiendish puzzle. In which case... I fail. I just totally fail.
Help me, dear readers! Does anyone have any knowledge of this dastardly plot?
ETA: Mystery solved! I know who it is. And I know that he knows that I like to untangle yarn. And that's what he wants me to do. Yay!
I seem to have been suffering with a woolly version of writer's block lately. (As well as traditional writer's block I guess, going by the lack of activity both here and on my sprog blog!) Theoretically, I have (or had) a whole heap of projects on the go. Theoretically, while time is very short, I do get to knit in front of the telly for about half an hour every evening. But as the economist Keynes is supposed to have said - "In theory, there is no difference between practice and theory. In practice, there is."
It seems that I am not very productive when I only have small chunks of time to be productive in. This is a problem for work as well as knitting, and having a small child in my life, it's a problem I'd better get to grips with pretty sharpish. Claudia is a delightful creature and pretty good at entertaing herself - but if I look like I'm doing anything interesting, naturally she wants to get involved. "Interesting" includes anything at my computer (mouse and keyboard both fascinating, apparently), knitting (yarn! can't fault her there), packing orders (she's very helpful) or cooking/baking (the second I set foot in the kitchen, she runs over clutching the sling so that she can watch, and claim nibbles as we go). So, I don't get a whole lot done while she's awake. And she's not a great napper.
Anyway. So I have about half an hour a day to knit, and I'm usually pretty fried by then, too, therefore lacking in concentration and so on. I think I could be extremely productive with that half hour... as long as I just had masses of stocking stitch to be getting on with. That would be fine.
It's mildly hilarious (to me) that I should be saying this, as I cordially loathe boring old stocking stitch. In theory. But apparently it's all I can handle right now.
I've just finished a baby dress (hurrah! finished! ...yes you'll see it soon, I promise) that consisted of mostly stocking stitch, no shaping, very occasional colour changes, and then a simple honeycomb stitch bodice. Under normal circumstances, the skirt would have draaaaaagged out for ages, then the fun part (stitchery! shaping! action!) would be over in no time. Of course it was quite the reverse. Stocking stitch tube? Can do, no PROBLEM. Ever so slightly interesting bodice? Uh, no, apparently not. It crawled and crept along with a positively ridiculous amount of ripping as I made stupid mistake after stupid mistake.
Anyway. It's done now. And not before Claudia outgrew it either, which I am claiming as a major victory.
ANYway. So that's done, and I need a new TV project. I also need a handbag project. Would you believe it's been about three weeks and only tonight do I feel I've finally got to grips with what I'm doing next?
I started by going through my pile of WIPs. A number of them have been ruthlessly consigned to the frog pond. Not that there was anything at all wrong with them - but they hadn't made it past the very early stages, for similar reasons to the above (lack of time, need to concentrate beyond what was possible), so I felt the need to de-clutter my task list. As it were. That was a relief. I tried focusing on one of the remaining projects - I just have about one and a half sleeves to go, that can't be that bad surely? But. But. It's a top-down raglan; I chose this construction quite deliberately on grounds of it being enormously popular and I should really make an effort to get behind this technique. However... we don't have chemistry, the top-down and I. And more to the point, in this particular case, it turns out I really don't like working narrow stripes in the round; four balls of yarn get terribly tangled! Especially top-down, because I have the whole blasted pile of sweater in my lap to manage. No. Not liking this. I'll grit my teeth and get through it (which would be a whole lot more exciting if I weren't pretty damn sure it'll be too small for my now post-baby body, anyway - yes, it was started that long ago), but it's yet another thing that doesn't really suit being picked up for just a few minutes. It seems to take me five minutes just to untangle everything.
So then I thought I'd make something for Claudia - taking some of the yarn I'd just freed up from previous baby-intended projects, but using a simple published pattern, rather than designing my own. This hit the wall too, though. I found a number of patterns that would have worked with what I had in mind, but put the brakes on when I realised I was planning yet another stripey in-the-round sweater! Uh, lesson learned, so recently? Admittedly this would be just a titchy little thing, maybe three colours rather than four - but still. No.
And then I remembered that I had a project planned that I actually need, before winter: a Mamaponcho. I'd even gotten as far as buying the yarn (Debbie Bliss Donegal Chunky Tweed, grabbed at a bargain price from Black Sheep). It's stocking stitch and everything. (Originally, I had planned to chuck in some fancy cables or something to liven it up. Ha. Now I'm thinking I might embellish after the fact. Maybe.) I finally cast on tonight (having spent two whole evenings on the swatch and initial maths). I might actually have a new project in hand. Astonishing.
Oh, as for the handbag project? We'll see. I have managed to cast on for a Little Sister Dress, but thus far, that's about all I've done. Wish me luck.
One of my personal highlights of Knit Nation - and one that had nothing at all to do with knitting - came after we'd packed up on Saturday evening. You see, my aunt kindly came to babysit for the weekend, so Armin and I decided to take advantage of this and go out for a little supper on the way home; a rare date. We didn't have any big plans and certainly weren't going to stay out long - so tired! - so the plan was, quite simply, to stop the van as soon as we found a convenient parking spot and go to the nearest reasonably promising bar or restaurant. Since we were driving through South Kensington and Knightsbridge, it seemed we'd have a reasonable shot at finding somewhere pleasant.
Which we certainly did. In fact, I'd say we lucked out quite spectacularly.
In the block or so of Old Brompton Road that we ended up on, there were a handful of possible eateries. All looked quite full (this was, after all, 8.15pm on Saturday night). Full of off-puttingly trendy and glamorous people. (Bear in mind I'd come straight from the show. I can try to be glamorous, if not trendy, but I wasn't even half up to it at this stage.) But one little place had definite appeal, and wonder of wonders - they even had a table for us, as long as we were done by 9.30pm, which we certainly planned to be.
Cambio de Tercio, it turns out, is an awardwinning Spanish restaurant. Flamboyant paintings on the walls, featuring bullfighters and naked-breasted women, contribute to a gorgeous ambience. Service is friendly without being familiar, attentive without being pushy. And the food! Oh my. The food. We ate tapas-style, ordering I think five dishes, but this was a million miles from olives and chorizo; think, rather, foie gras-stuffed quail; ham and bechamel sauce croquettes; smoked eel and baked apple... everything utterly perfect, flavourful and well balanced, and beautifully presented. Even the calamari - which I don't usually dare order anywhere but Cape Town - was exquisite. Dishes were brought to the table one at a time - so we didn't have to squeeze it all onto a small surface - but with exquisite timing, each floating in just before we could start looking around for something else to eat. Heaven. Total heaven. We ordered coffee and a liqueur instead of dessert, but were brought fabulously dark, rich truffles to go with it. A perfect, perfect meal.
Now, I'm rather jaded when it comes to London restaurants. I know, I know. It's generally believed that London is great for eating out - well, I don't find this to be true. In my experience, if scoring on ambience, food and service, you can usually hope for at best two out of three - even when you pay through the nose! There are of course honourable exceptions, but they are few. And the overall standard is pretty low - when picking a place at random, as we did, you really might be letting yourself in for a miserable meal! I am spoilt, you see; Cape Town and Johannesburg really are restaurant heaven. Even the very ordinary eateries are pretty reliable, and the good ones are amazing.
So understand that I am paying a very high (if shockingly chauvinistic) compliment when I say: Cambio de Tercio reminded me of some of the best meals I've eaten in Cape Town. And you should go. It's just wonderful.
Is finally up. Phew. Now, as long as no one buys MY Artyarns, we'll all be happy.
I've knocked about 25% off a large pile of yarn, bags etc - as usual - but also on needles (some lines are being cleared out, plus some random overstocked sizes). A few items will only be marked down for a short time but most are on clearance. Go have fun!
(Now, if you couldn't make it to Knit Nation - this is your moment. Hey, at least you still have some yarn budget to burn, right?)
It's Innocent's Big Knit time again! And you know what that means. (Shh... it means autumn is in the offing, but we don't want to think about that yet.) It means we need to get out our needles and start knitting tiny, tiny little hats, the better to blanket the smoothies of Britain (and, not incidentally, warm some vulnerable elderly folk too). You've got two months, so better get cracking.
Back from Knit Nation, almost recovered too, and that means it's finally time for the summer sale. Phew! It starts this Sunday - unless you're lucky enough to be able to get to Open House on Saturday for the preview. (Email contact AT purlescence.co.uk for details if you're within reach of west London!) It should be a good one; unusually, there will be bargains on needles, as well as yarn and the rest.
Anyway. Knit Nation! Knit Nation was fab. (As we all expected, knowing Alice and her mighty ways.) Sadly I didn't get to go to the Ravelry party, or take any of the brilliant classes, but I did get to meet Clara Parkes (squee!) and Jess & Casey (double squee!). I gushed. They were very patient with me. Ahem.
View of my booth...
And partial view of Wollmeise...
Which did rather steal the show. And you can see why.