The Cat Bordhi Experience

The shop owner of my local yarn shop is Marianne of Yarn Boutique. She also attends the same weekly SNB I go to. She suggested, rather convincingly, that I should go to the sock class that she had arranged with Cat Bordhi. It's been years (5+) since I took a full day class, and I thought what could I learn about socks, having knit in excess of 60 pairs at this point.

Guess what? I learned something.

I have had Cat's book New Pathways for Sock Knitters since it was published. Have I tried to knit one of the patterns? No. It seemed overly involved, and I don't knit socks to think. I brought the book, some supplies and an open mind.

I learned 3 new things that will make my life easier: heel turns, a new cast on method and different ways to bind off for a looser edge.

Was it worth it? Oh, yes.

Am I thankful to Marianne for coaxing me? Definitely.

This is what I accomplished during the class:



A lovely pair of baby socks that someday will have some use!

I learned more from Cat in a few hours than I thought possible and her teaching style is warm and open and giving. She is a remarkable individual and I hope that I can spend some time with her again in the future.

Next weekend - the Yarnharlot!

Saturday Night Movie

We went to the Drive In tonight. We're lucky we still have one, and it's a 5 minute drive from the house. With the penny pinching we have to do, a picnic dinner and two movies for $13.50 is a bargain.

We saw Speed Racer and Baby Mama. We thought we might hate Speed Racer, Rotten Tomatoes showing a less than 40% favorable rating. With all the seizure inducing flashing colors, like a neon festival on crack, we didn't expect much. But we were pleasantly surprised.

It borrowed enough of the original cartoon series to provide some nostalgic comfort (for Kevin) without alienating those who weren't fans, or watched infrequently (like me). At 2hrs and 15 min, it was a long movie, but didn't drag much. It was a popcorn kind of movie, though we ate fried chicken and broccoli salad. Popcorn came later, as did Scharffen Berger chocolate. Mmmmmm.

The movie was rated PG, and there were a lot of kids at the Drive In. There were a lot of people in general. The last time we were there, we saw half as many people. As the summer warms, we will go back, with camping chairs and more picnic food.

Decent plot, not too hard to follow. It's colorful, but not strobing. I would say this is a family movie, but little boys (size or disposition) may have a need for speed after this one.

Baby Mama with Tina Fey and Amy Pohler was a fun little movie, had it's moments. If not part of this double feature, it would have been a DVD rental for me. Movies that try to be funny and meaningful miss more than hit a home run. Steve Martin had a memorable role, but that's only because we live in the greater San Francisco Bay Area community and experience that kind of character in real life. Infertility is a sensitive subject, and I have mixed feelings after watching this. Probably because I'm childless and the whole subject is a touchy one with me already. The parts were well played, and the characters were interesting.

I wonder what we will see next week. Probably won't have time to see one, since we are visiting my mom. The weekend after that - watch out! Here comes Indy!

Yarn Review - Interlacements

I thought I would try something different. A yarn review seemed like fun.

I have had the opportunity to try 3 different yarns from Interlacements - the colors are gorgeous! I have made socks with Tiny Toes a 100% Superwash Merino, a stole with Arizona a nylon ribbon and the Einstein Coat with a chunky chenille/rayon/cotton blend called Santa Barbara.

The nylon ribbon was very cool. I loved the colors and thought that I had accomplished the look I was going for. It was easy to work with and handled better than expected.

I used a honeycomb stitch to open up the space. This would have made a very dense fabric, if completed in stockinette or something similar. It was colorfast and left no dye on my hands.



Heelless Sleeping Socks - great pattern - quick knit - truly comfortable sock. It pills like crazy and every time I wash them, they bleed. The amount of dye that came off on my hands was amazing. I was very disappointed with the fuzziness after washing. I use these as sleeping socks - not too much walking around and no slippers and shoes are worn. Pretty much, I put them on right before I go to bed. Personally, I wouldn't trust this for a daily wear sock. Again - the color was wonderful! Now I'm concerned that it will fade more and more. Yes, I did set them with vinegar.

The picture of the final item will have to wait for later this week, but it is the Einstein Coat from The Knitting Experience: Book One: The Knit Stitch. Lord, it took me for-ev-er to get this one done. It's heavy, it leaves dye residue on my hands and because of the cotton or chenille it generates sneeze inducing fuzz gnats. It smells funny too. I like the colors, but it is a very bulky coat. Of course, I finish it just as it gets to be too warm to wear it. The dye stained my hands and nails. A regular hand washing didn't help, even with a strong soap.

As I mentioned, I like the colors. I also like the texture of the fabrics these yarns create. The bleeding dyes are an issue, and will probably give me second thoughts in the future when considering a purchase.

If you have used Interlacements, I would love to know if you have encountered the same issue, or is it just me?