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In other news, my apologies for the lack of pictures this summer; our computer experienced total hard drive failure. If all goes well, and I can reinstall Photoshop on Windows Vista, there should be photos soon.
Show your KG pride with our new logo merchandise! All designed by our artist-in-residence, Kate Altman. :)
http://www.cafepress.com/kellygirls
Photos from early February KG meetings:
And some slightly older finished projects from Kelly Girl Jodi G. (sorry it took me so long to post these!):
Sorry I've been remiss in posting recent Kelly Girls photos. Here we go:
From the January 3rd meeting:
The Baby Bobbi Bear for our niece Tessa turned out quite well, thanks to input from my KG ladies; here's Tessa and her daddy with her new toy!
I recently worked with urban quilting space Quiltology to have my wedding quilt completed by a local crafter, using her more advanced skills and her long-arm quilting machine. Here are some photos of the breathtaking final results:
It's been too long since I posted some KG pictures, so here's a retrospective of recent meetings. Fresher snaps are promised for the holidays!
Saturday is the DIY Trunk Show, so here's the schedule for those KG who want to make a day of it:
Brunch at Milk & Honey Cafe, just east of Damen on Division, around 9:30am.
DIY Trunk Show post-brunch, maybe 11 or 11:30.
KG teaches knitting from 2-4pm, on the auditorium stage at the DIY.
Nina's birthday party after 4, for drinks, snacks, and discounted yarn.
See you there! More details on the Kelly Girls Yahoo Group!
The Kelly Girls will be knitting at Stubbs Coffee, not at the Cosmicafe, until further notice. We're so excited to try out our new digs! You can join us there at 3827 N. Lincoln, just south of Berenice. You can take Ravenswood south from the Irving Park brown line el stop, and Berenice west, or take Irving Park west and Lincoln south.
Here's a map, for you visual learners!
Kelly Girl Laura passed this on to me a while ago, but if you're still hunting a Halloween costume and are a quick knitter, you could be Princess Leia next weekend!
Crafty party at my place, for Kelly Girls and other crafty friends! If you'd like to attend, please RSVP to the evite!
World Wide Knit In Public Day will take place on June 10, and many Chicago knitters plan to participate. They will be gathering at Millennium Park's Boeing Gallery South, from noon to 4pm. Bring a lawn chair and your sticks! You may also want to order one of these t-shirts to celebrate your participation.
Kelly Girl Julie has spent much of the last year sewing a wedding gown for a dear friend. Here are some photos of the incredibly beautiful dress:
The blue baby sweater is finally complete, and has been delivered to Colin's mom and dad!
Kelly Girl Rachel has a blog now, called Craftistic Endeavors! Go check out her terrific pictures.
Images from the most recent Kelly Girls meeting!
Kim's nearly-complete summer tank:
This looks like a Noro something; forgive my weak memory!
Sarah's working on a tank from Vintage Knits:
Karin's adorable new wrap sweater is complete...
... which gives her time to work on a yoga mat sling bag!
Rachel's baby blanket is taking shape:
Kim shows off a funky chain link scarf...
... and a sweet felted bag!
Last week's Kelly Girls meeting showcased many fine projects!
Nancy's gorgeous new yarn ... I believe this is for a sweater.
Julie's almost done with her knitted doll.
Mary Ann's first pair of socks! Nice short-row shaping. :)
Chris's sari silk wrap finally beings to take shape.
Rachel rocks our world with her crocheted baby blanket.
Some images from the 4/19 KG meeting, with a special guest appearance (with cross-stitch project) by Mary Ann's mom!
It's possible that I might perhaps maybe knit this sweater for Rudy. He gave it an 8 1/2 on a 10 point scale of excellence. He requested a trip to a knitting store (!) on the slim chance of a pattern he likes better and to look at potential yarns, and claims to like the idea of the yarn knitting up a bit tweedy (speckled, like in the pattern photos). Interestingly, it was a sweater from the Knitting Olympics that alerted me to this pattern, so thanks to the Yarn Harlot for starting the KO, and to Amy of Knitty for posting photos of Ken wearing his new sweater!
I finally finished (well, nearly) the Big Red Ribbon Sweater. Still needs some sort of closure. Suggestions?
Here's a detail view:
I had to highlight Mary Ann's amazing summer poncho. Not only did she work like a demon to get it finished for her trip, but it knit up beautifully and looks lovely on her. Congrats!
Sorry, couldn't bear to crop out that pretty smile!
She even worked on it on the beach!
This must be the most patient cat ever, garbed in a handknit hat (with ear-warmers, natch) and scarf. Either that, or the kitty-mama has some impressive Photoshop skills. Thanks to Jennifer for the link!
Some recent Kelly Girls pictures for y'all! I'm currently going for that blurry "action shot" look, as you can see.
Chris works with her challenging yet gorgeous recycled silk sari yarn.
Jodi's ruffled yellow baby sweater is sweet!
Katie continues work on her yummy fuzzy sweater.
I believe this is Minh's baby sweater in progress.
Sushanah is making another green item -- sorry, didn't find out what it was!
I think this is Heather with another work in progress.
Sara is also in the midst of a project.
Karin is knitting Clapotis! No doubt someone else will jump on the bandwagon next.
KG loves tea!
I fell so immediately in love with several patterns in Jodi's copy of Scarf Style that I ran out and bought myself a copy. I know I wasn't the only one at Kelly Girls lusting after it, so here's a fix: the Scarf Style/Wrap Style Knit-Along.
Several Kelly Girls came over this weekend to knit and scrapbook. An enjoyable time was had by all!
Scrappy scrappy girls
Hardcore knitters Jodi and Mary Ann resisted the siren call of scrapping
Carrot cake, monogrammed for KG
Julie saves the day--and my wedding guest book--with her powerful wrenching abilities
Kelly Girls knit on Wednesday nights in Chicago, at the Cosmicafe. Come join us!
Mary Ann nears completion of the first half of her summer-weight poncho
Minh works on a self-striping baby sweater
Chris's sweet and soft two-stranded scarf (with coordinated hat)
Sarah begins a pair of legwarmers to go with her retro popcorn hat
Barbara's darling baby bonnet
Jodi's making a scarf ...
And so is Marie!
More photos -- please e-mail me if I've failed to identify your project -- or misattributed it!
Last week's Kelly Girls was great fun! Looking for a place to knit in Chicago? We welcome new members!
Krissy's SnB Skully sweater, in process
My current baby sweater project, a Debbie Bliss pattern with twists and cables
Elizabeth's Noro poncho makes another appearance
Julie finishes the edging on another beautiful baby blanket
Action shot!
Sushannah explained this technique twice at least, but I still can't remember what it is. But it's in gorgeous rich brown and gold, and creates a kind of stained glass effect. Yummy!
Rachel's knitting Skully, too!
Minh's stunning beaded lace wrap--wow
Yesterday my new blocking board arrived, in tip-top shape. Shipping took about two weeks, and the price was reasonable. This vendor is highly recommended! The only complaint I have is that I wasn't notified when it shipped, so I couldn't droolingly track its progress to my door. But I survived. See my adventures in blocking for some action shots of the amazing Sew EZ board.
Before heading to Kelly Girls yesterday, I stopped at Scrapbook Source where I finally scored the epoxy wedding stickers I've been hunting for, and also managed to find the elusive Making Memories Instant Setter! Much quieter than the metal hammer method. My throbbing skull couldn't take it anymore. They had sold their last MM Tag Maker, so I'm still longing to play with one, but I might allow that passion to remain unrequited. I did put my name on the list to be notified when they receive more stock, though.
I also popped into Blick Art and picked up a box to store all our wedding-related cards. The large Kolo Havana was just perfect, and in my favorite shade of red.
The Kelly Girls have a lot of terrific projects on the needles ...
Rachel's scratchy but fetching first sweater
Elizabeth's still knitting on the Noro poncho
Mary Ann's sparkly & lacy poncho, meant for warmer climes
Jodi's efforts on the baby blanket continue
Jennifer makes more mary jane slippers
Rachel's tiny & sweet baby bootie
Laura works on some hand-embroidery
Roz's poncho is nearly complete
Julie completes another adorable baby hat
A lengthy article just appeared in The Oregonian on the Knitting Olympics!
Lately Kelly Girls have been asking a lot of questions about blocking techniques. My favorite is wet blocking. Essentially, once you've finished the pieces of whatever you're making, and woven in all your loose ends, you dampen it, then pin it to the desired shape and size. You can use this technique to flatten curling edges, increase measurements, and just generally even out your knitted item. Here's a play-by-play of blocking the green aran baby sweater I've been working on. Karin's blocking board is making a guest appearance in these photos.
Get yourself a high quality blocking board, preferably a big one. It can be difficult to block things that don't fit on your available surface. You can also block on anything that can be pinned into and is unlikely to buckle under the strain (carpet, some heavy rugs, coated cardboard, etc.).
Beg, borrow, or steal a good supply of t-pins. They come in packs of 20-40; I've got about 100 now, which was more than enough to block the baby sweater. It's nice, if your board is big enough, to block everything at once, since wet blocked items can take 18-24 hours to dry.
Get a clean pan of water in which you can immerse the knit items and place it near your blocking surface. You could choose to wet them in the sink instead, as long as it's nice and clean. I just prefer to have everything handy.
Lay out your knitting and make sure you've got enough space to block what you intend to get wet, and make sure you have your pattern nearby to help you figure out what measurements you're blocking to.
Wet one piece at a time. I try to get the piece wet through, then gently squeeze out the excess water till it's just damp.
Pin the knit piece to the desired size and shape. Your pins should be along the edges, and should try to achieve the edge look you want. For instance, this sweater has a rolled edge on every piece, so I pinned just inside that, so that the rows just before the rolled edge should lay flat. If you have scalloped edging, or some other fancy edge, you'll need to use more pins to make sure it looks, as it blocks, the way it should look when it's dry.
Block all the pieces you can fit! Blocking is a pain, and takes up all kinds of floor space, so why not get it all done in one night?
Leave knitted pieces blocked out with pins till they are completely dry, if you can. If you can't, such as when you need to return your blocking board to its owner in a hurry, gently unpin pieces and carefully transfer them, trying to maintain the correct size and shape, to a clean towel where they can finish drying. If you let the pieces dry, and they still don't look like you wanted them to, you can block them again!
Scenes from this week's Kelly Girls meeting ...
Jennifer of Piddleloop; note her fabulous zippy pouch!
MaryAnn's lavender scarf
Katie displays her puffy ball of yarn (this will eventually be a sweater; have faith)
Jodi's checkerboard baby blanket
Here's Rachel; not sure what she's knitting, but the yarn is adorable!
Susan's short rows Noro scarf
Minh's gorgeous (and challenging) lacy scarf; check out the beaded edging! I might have to make one of these ....
Another shot of my new favorite accessory that I don't yet own; also, Jennifer's sweet little mary jane slippers
Nelly displays a portion of Henna's sexy crocheted wrap, in sparkly black yarn
Jennifer of Piddleloop joined us for knitting last night, and since I happen to own some of her adorable Scrabble stitch markers, I thought I'd give her a shout-out here. She also had with her a project pouch that I am now in love with. It has all kinds of nifty features, including a yarn hole. Sounds obscene, but very useful. Check out the other images to see for yourself!
I'm sure by now every knitter on the web is aware of the Knitting Olympics. Over 2500 knitters have notified the Yarn Harlot that they intend to take part! They even have an official librarian now, which pleases me no end. If you're in the Windy City and intend to participate, there's a cute Team Chicago button.
As for me, I belive in Superbowl knitting, and expect to be chugging away between commercials. No, not during commercials, between. BTW, Google superbowl knitting, and you'll notice I'm not the only one (besides several Kelly Girls) who would rather knit than watch.
Chicago crafters, take note! I stumbled across Sister Arts Studio a few weeks ago while taking a shortcut on a long walk. A beautiful space, this studio "carries an abundant selection of high quality craft kits for all ages," plus they do classes and parties! Crafty parties! My favorite sort. I'm also pleased to see that their knitting classes that come with supplies furnish you with bamboo needles, not lame-o plastic ones. They have weaving classes, which are hard to find in the city, and if you throw a party there you can bring your own munchies and drinks! Here's a cool article about the studio.
Of late, questions have arisen about knitting charted patterns (like letters) into projects. This page that generates custom pdf graph paper is ideal for this sort of thing, and way cheaper than packs of not-quite-right grid paper from the office supply store (much as I adore shopping at the office supply store).
The Chicago Craft Mafia is having a special Valentine's Day Craftsacre with lots of fun crafty items to buy. 20% of the profits will go to 826Chicago, a writing and tutoring center. The sale will be this Friday, February 3, from 7:00-11:00 pm, at 1331 N. Milwaukee. [via Gapers Block]
From the KG field trip to the Book Cellar, in the welcoming environs of Lincoln Square. Thanks to those terrific folks for their hospitality! Great cupcakes and high quality European tea!
Elizabeth's Noro poncho
The front of the cabled baby sweater, in progress
Sushanah's camo legwarmers
Obligatory artsy photo
Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I believe these are Minh's socks in progress on 2 circular needles
The red ribbon sweater, blocked on Karin's generously loaned blocking board and nearly ready to be seamed.
Elizabeth's lovely new niece, Mira, wearing the booties her aunt knit for her!
Lots of crafty projects in process for the holidays ...
Karin's gorgeous fairly easy fairisle (it's orange in real life, not pink, sorry for the digi-stortion):
Julie's baby blue baby hat (adorable!) and lined tote:
Rachel's little angel--just WOW:
And some projects for the new year from other KG knitters ...
The evite for the KG holiday party is up! If you haven't RSVP'd yet, just head to:
http://www.evite.com/h-subs@craftylibrarian.com/kg
I've been looking all over for a shopping guide to sites with hip baby gear. Not necessarily $1000 Hollywood strollers, but cool onesies and the like. Finally! Dutch's Holiday Shopping Guide for the Anti-Materialist* Indie Sonofabitch Parent. My hero. Many items handcrafted for your wee one.
I feel a bit out of the loop, but I just discovered Etsy, an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade. Etsy lets you shop by color, place, time and material. It's a few months old. Oodles of neat handcrafted stuff at great prices. For those of you getting hitched, they also have a big wedding section with lots of stuff you'd like to make yourself, but lack the time, skills, or supplies.
Am I the only person who thinks the postal rate increase for first class stamps is a huge freaking scam???
Yes, good little boys and girls, go buy your holiday postage stamps to send cards to all your beloved family and friends. But be sure to buy only the exact amount you need, because 14 days after Christmas the rates will be going up!
However, as if by a miracle, the online postal store finally added a section on additional postage, so you needn't actually visit your local PO to obtain 2 cent upgrades for your sad 37 centers during the holiday madness. Choose from Navajo Jewelry or a cute woodpecker.
Or just buy a roll of 3000 1 cent Tiffany lamps and prepare yourself for the next postal apocalypse. (Who buys 3000 stamps at a time? That aren't even self-adhesive?)
Advice for librarians who want to start knitting groups at their libraries!
Garrison Keillor and friends knit on the range in Lives of the Cowboys (Segment 1, 10:47).
I've started cross-stitching, and pointed out to KG that there aren't a lot of funky cross-stitch patterns. Well, I stand corrected (thanks for the link, Rachel!).
The generous folks at maranGraphics sent me a review copy of their new book, Maran Illustrated Knitting & Crocheting, and it has a lot to recommend it.
The book covers the basics, from yarn weights (with a picture of each weight, so you can see the difference in width), to reading a yarn label, to reading a pattern. As various skills are taught, beginning with the basics of making a slip knot and casting on, simple patterns using those skills are interspersed. Often the patterns in beginning knitting books are, shall we say, dated, but the ones included here aren't too bad; the best of them are standards, like a rollneck raglan sweater, which nearly everyone will make sooner or later. Crochet is covered in about 60 pages, 1/5 of the book, but everything necessary to a new crocheter seems to be there. Other notable features of the book include a basic glossary, an abbreviation list, and a solid index.
Maran Illustrated's Knitting & Crochet is certainly not as comprehensive as, say, Vogue Knitting's The Ultimate Knitting Book, which every knitter should own. However, it's much more accessible for a beginning knitter, and covers enough to get someone started without overwhelming them with minutiae. maran illustrated, for example, includes a single and two versions of the double cast on; Vogue offers 15 different cast ons. But let's be realistic: does a beginner need to know 15 ways to cast on? How would she choose which one to use? Vogue is a reference tool, while Maran Illustrated is fundamentally a teaching tool.
The thing that really sets Maran Illustrated's Knitting & Crocheting apart is the illustrations. There are many fine "learn to knit" books out there, but I've never seen one that was so replete with clear and useful illustrations. Color photographs and drawings of how to execute a knit or purl stitch include simple arrows to indicate direction, inset images of intermediate steps for those who need a more detailed view, and answers (with pictures) to common questions, such as "Why is there an extra stitch on my needle when I finish knitting a row? (answer: your yarn may be lying over the top of the needle, rather than hanging straight down). I would recommend this book quite highly to anyone trying to teach themselves to knit, especially those who learn best visually but lack access to knitting classes or teachers. That's not to say that those who prefer textual explanations will be disappointed, as each set of illustrations is accompanied by a few paragraphs of exposition on how to execute a technique. Still, what makes this book truly special is its visual clarity. Bravo to maranGraphics for crafting an excellent book for the beginning knitter or crocheter.
KG's own Barbara will be appearing in the Village Players' Chad Morton's TV Christmas Miracle.
This original holiday musical set in the TV land of the '60's. The network is threatening to cancel Chad Morton's holiday special unless ratings improve dramatically. Can Chad, the “has-been” star of many Christmas specials in the past, become relevant to a new TV audience with the help of his Hollywood friends, some old and some new?
Don't miss it!
I've been remiss in uploading images of recent crafty projects, but here's some shots from the last couple of KG meetings:
Roz works on a crocheted afghan.
The Cosmicafe experiments with a new vegetarian option: The Sunrise Sandwich--yum!
A popular time of year to knit scarves.
Julie crafts the uber-bag.
I have no idea what Karin is knitting here. Sorry!
My first foray into cross-stitch. Just before I drop the needle on the floor, and have to quit for the night. Note to self: it's worth investing in more than one needle.
Karin's fairly easy fairisle takes shape. (Update: It's already complete. That chick is quick!)
Rachel knits a fab scarf, while modeling her mother's beautiful wrap sweater. Delish!
Lately we Kelly Girls have spent a lot of time shopping at the pre-holiday craft fairs.
The DIY Trunk Show was well worth the wait, the long Ashland bus ride, and the half-mile walk to and from the ATM. We entered the raffle (tragically, no winners among us) and bought lots of presents for our family, our friends, and--ahem--ourselves. We met some very cool members of the Chicago Craft Mafia, and fell in love with funky stitch markers made from Scrabble tiles (they take custom orders!). I couldn't bring myself to leave without this drop dead gorgeous needle case, crafted by the lovely ladies of Pixie Rolls (placeholder site only, so far):
We also had a good time drinking wine and noshing on snacks at the Bizarre Bazaar, hosted by the IIDA. While we shopped, we chatted with an artist promoting a calendar called "The Living Breast," which apparently was conceived to raise funds for breast cancer research. Very cool images. Unfortunately, it's only a 2005 calendar, but maybe they'll produce one for next year, too.
If you're seeking more ideas for holiday gifts, may I suggest a handmade purse crafted from a cigar box? Very cool.
knit1, at 3823 N. Lincoln, has apparently opened. The owner's name is Karen. I haven't been there yet, so if you have news to report of its yarn goodness, please e-mail me!
Also, Rachel of The Needle Shop e-mailed me, and mentioned that she teaches all kinds of classes in needlework at her place in Bucktown. Sounds like fun!
Another weekend afternoon of quilting madness! I spent most of the day cutting rectangles for flying geese, and doing math problems. This led us to determine that, the last time we went to purchase fabric for the square geese parts, math failed us (again) and we bought too little. My sister and I made a little emergency trip to Quilter's Palette for more speckledy fabric, as well as a new blade for Mom's rotary cutter. It was getting a bit dull after so much use.
Mom & Jenny sewed like crazy, completing the last of the patchwork squares. I tried out Mom's sewing machine to do one, and realized I'd better not use it anymore. I'll get spoiled, and then I'll want one just like it. YUM.
One of Jenny's first squares.
chopchopchop
More lovely Kelly Girls pictures for you to enjoy!
Nancy picks out gorgeous yarn for a pumpkin-colored baby sweater. 
Larissa's drop stitch scarf is coming along nicely. 
Jenny loves socks! (Plus, check out the beautiful spangly yarn Ramona is using for her scarf.) 
Angie is on her second pretty pink warming device. My mind is playing with me, but if I remember correctly, these will be legwarmers this time, as a follow-up to earlier armwarmers. 
Ramona's sparkly scarf is taking shape! 
Some belated pictures from recent Kelly Girls gatherings:
Nissa's hand-warmers
Jenny's nifty purse
A sweet little hat for Mary's future little one
My mom and I had our first big quilting day during the weekend's blizzard. We took over the kitchen, made a huge mess, ripped out seams, and sewed like mad. Here are some documentary shots of our day:
Our dueling sewing machines:
Artsy sewing machine photo:
Mom's nimble fingers sewing a square:
Tiny ironing boards rule!
I love this shot of my mom, looking so focused as she works:
Some finished squares, on very bright beige carpeting:
Some shots from the last two meetings of the Kelly Girls:
A patriotic scarf:
A preemie hat:
A hand model for a lovely crochet case:
Not a hand model:
From the first 2005 meeting of the Kelly Girls, some works in progress and finished projects:
Leila's lacy cotton knee highs, from Interweave Knits:
And her adorable baby wrap sweater:
Chris's purple shrug, which is coming along well:
Future felted mary jane slippers (Susanna's, I think):
Angie's sweet little hand-warmers for our (finally!) chilly January weather:
Don't you wish you had as cute a pair of baby circulars as Leila does?
If you've been thinking about dropping by to visit us, please do! We welcome new members, regardless of skill level, we're very nice, and the cafe has terrific treats and coffee!
Here's the bunny baby gear I cooked up for a friend's new arrival. I hope the mommy likes them!
At long last, and much indebted to the lovely folks at Lorna's Laces, I have finally completed, blocked, and actually worn my shawl. Here it is!
My mom bravely agreed to help me make a quilt which will be used as our wedding canopy, also called a chuppah. Here's most of the fabric, before we chopped the majority of it into little bits. We were supposed to do that, you understand. More in-progress pictures to come.
Having trouble deciphering the pattern instructions from any new knitting books you may have received this holiday season? Look no further! Amy Finlay at KnittingHelp.com has posted dozens of videos with voiceover, teaching techniques as simple as purling and as complex as intarsia. An excellent resource.
Get an iPod for Christmas? Ok, first, I hate you. And second, don't forget to knit a cozy for your baby, to protect it from our fierce (60 degree?) Chicago January.
It seems a new yarn store has opened in Wicker Park! It's called Nina (not much info at the web site, yet, besides hours). If you check it out, drop me a line and let me know what you think.
I can't begin to express my gratitude to the inestimable folks at Lorna's Laces Within a few days of my desperate e-mail, they had contacted me, dyed me a tiny, lovely skein of yarn, and invited me to come and collect it.
Beth, and everyone at Lorna's Laces, you are superb!
Agony! Horrors!
You probably remember my lovely shawl, knit in silky-soft Helen's Lace, which I've been knitting since April. At first it looked a bit like a sheep, then it grew to a gorgeous flowered square.
Here it is today:
Now, only inches away from a beautiful shawl of my very own, the worst has happened! No, I didn't leave it behind on the el, or stab it with my scissors. This is much worse.
I've run out of yarn.
I have only nine points of decorative edging to go, and I don't have enough yarn left to finish it. I am desolate, and at a loss as to what to do. I could dismantle the hours of work I did on the edging, unravel a few rows of the shawl, and start the edging again, but I'm terrified I'll never be able to get the yarn back on the needles properly. I ripped back on the center square early on, as it had become more of center rectangle, and was shaking by the time I finished rescuing the stitches. I never want to go through that again.
Anyone have any ideas to share? If you think you can help me, please send an e-mail!
Even bears need to have fiscal responsibility. Which is why, when I balance our checkbook in Quicken, Stanley also considers his budget.
The Kelly Girls continue to knit up a storm. Projects range from tiny to extra large. Thank goodness winter is approaching, with its comfy evenings and laps full of wool. Time to start thinking of great snowy weather projects!
My leafy scarf, about half complete: 
Larissa's hat, beginning stages: 
Jenny's lacy sweater, I think, just starting out: 
Leila's basketweave bag, take 2: 
Kyla's big beautiful blanket, just before she finished it: 
DIY Chicagoans and those who admire them, please don't forget to attend the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend! Oodles of crafty goodness.
More commentary on the rules about flying with sharp objects, with special reference to knitting parapharnalia.
Or, for that matter, what about knitting needles?
TSA regulations specifically say knitting and crochet needles are OK as carry-ons, but the only scissors you can have are those with plastic or blunt metal tips.
Now which sort of hijacker would you rather confront? The one armed with the inch-long, pointy scissors, or the one with the foot-long knitting needles, the ends of which have been honed to a deadly point?
You could easily transform aluminum knitting needles to a weapon in a few minutes in the bathroom with a piece of sandpaper or a nail file. Nail files are on the list of TSA approved carry-ons.
For those of us who can't afford mega-sized cable packages, there's still hope. The archives for the new DIY Network's show Knitty Gritty are available online. Just click "View all episodes" at the bottom of the page.
Think knitting in a cafe is exciting? Try a bar!
Pub knitting – or Stitch 'n' Bitch as it is called in the United States – has now hit Wellington.
Knitworld's Trish McHardy is behind the latest craze, and has set up monthly pub knit meets at the Bristol Hotel in Cuba Mall for both new hip "urban knitters" and experienced hands like herself.
The Kelly Girls did try to have a knit-in at Hopleaf last winter, but we happened to pick the week they closed for remodelling. Ah, well. There was some concern about mixing alcohol and sharp pointy sticks, but I'm sure we'd have managed.
