The knitblog community has a viral nature -- things catch. Like Fetching. How many pairs of these fingerless mits are there out there right now all wrapped up and waiting for cold hands? They number in the thousands I'd guess. It's a relatively easy, elegantly-written, free (don't forget the free part) pattern. Why look, here are (nearly) two pair right now!
On the left is a pair done with Odyssey and Kid Silk Haze, on the right is the first of a pair (now finished and wrapped) made from some of the leftover Follies. So quick -- each glove is an evening's knit really -- and really pretty. The Ambrosia/Kid Silk Haze scarf alongside is finished and ready to gift as well. The number on the present? In the past, my kids have been way too involved in present sorting for my taste -- as were my brothers and I before them. This year, I've implemented one of my mother's tricks -- she used to number packages. So now, the kids are fixated on figuring out the code. Ho, ho, ho....
Anyway, viral nature of the knitblog community, right... And speaking of that viral nature, Socks That Rock should be in the dictionary next to "viral nature". I wonder what percentage of their business is bloggers or those who read blogger's raves about the stuff. Kudos well deserved I think. Here is the last of my Sock Club selections. The pattern is by Sivia Harding, one of my favorite designers. I guess I might knit it, but sans beads (which I guess is the reason the beads didn't come with the kit but are called for in the pattern... hmmm.)
I knit exactly one of the six patterns they sent me... and gave away two of the colorways, three maybe, I 'll have to look. In the literature that came with this last kit, that earns me the label "Sock Challenged". Grrreat. Love the yarn, but frankly didn't get smitten by the patterns. Which is fine. And why I'm sticking to simply ordering the colors I want this year.
The Rare Gem colorway on the left is a bonus and has an interesting story. In the enclosed flier, Tina says that she and the other STR dyers made about 600 dying mistakes this year. She tried over-dying the flubs and came up with these one-of-a-kind skeins. I think we all got one and they may all be different. I really like mine -- it's kind of Carbon Dating without so much purple.
A new friend Kate (I've known her family for ages, but met her via 40 Days for Others last year and we figured out the connection) is in town for the holidays and she took me to shopping at an Internet business, Loopy Ewe. Hi Sheri! It's located here in St. Louis, and open to locals from 10 'til 2 on Tuesdays. Tons of sock yarn in this basement -- needless to say I came home with some and I don't even feel guilty!
Actually, some of it's getting wrapped up for sock-knitting daughter's Christmas, but the rest is for me... see the sheepy sock blockers? The Candy on the right is from a local knit shop and is for a baby hat (gosh, my friends and relatives sure are fertile right now... hope it's not catching!)
And here is the connection. Wendy just received an order from this shop and blogged about it. Rabbitch blogged about Wendy's Challenge/Stash along thing. I've been seriously considering joining the stash along thing. There's been a little controversy over it apparently -- although I missed it somehow. There is apparently a LYS owner/blog commenter who wants Wendy to use her powers for good, not evil. Said commenter apparently created such a kerfluffle that Rabbitch is somehow not wearing pants or buying yarn, with various exceptions. And so, viral nature of the Internets being what it is, neither am I! The yarn part. Pants, I'll need to stick with those, thank you.
I've seen lots of Fetchings being knit up around my part of the world, too. The Knit From Your Stash controversy is interesting - maybe if those yarn shop owners weren't such enablers to begin with, we wouldn't have this problem, no?
Posted by: Zarah | December 21, 2006 at 06:43 AM
I think it really shows the power that bloggers have when the yarn shop owners get nervous.
I haven't tried STR but it is very pretty. The sock blocks you got are great!!
Posted by: Karen | December 21, 2006 at 06:45 AM
Just before I read your post I was reading Margene's and she has a link to The Loopy Ewe which I had never noticed before. Then I come over here and you're talking about it. Very weird, eh?
I missed the controversy about Wendy's stash thingy. But last year when I did the "buy more yarn" thing I got some crap from people about it. Silly stuff but annoying as hell.
Posted by: Carole | December 21, 2006 at 06:46 AM
Yeah, said commenter also posted a seriously nasty entry to her blog about how I am out of my mind to be encouraging people not to buy yarn, et cetera. I removed the link to her blog from her comment on my blog when people started going over there to flame her.
I sent her a thoughtful response to her comment, saying that I wasn't encouraging people to stop buying yarn -- I simply stated my intention to attempt to knit from my stash for a while and said that anyone else who wanted to was welcome to do so. Judging from the number of comments about it I got, a heckuva lot of people were also thinking about it. And further, the concept of yarn diets has been around for a while.
Her response to this email? I quote:
"I hear Ya...and If my bank acct didnt (sic) depend on yarn sales, I'd be right there with you, my stash is so Sick!"
Ahem.
Posted by: Wendy | December 21, 2006 at 07:16 AM
I'm feeling the same way about the STR club, although I still haven't received my last package yet, so I guess I'm just bitter. That is a pretty good assessment of the colors on the bonus skein.
I was also wondering about how LYS owners and other people who have small web-based knitting businesses were going to feel about a mass yarn nonbuying movement on the blog scene. Knit bloggers have shown themselves to be quite a force in the past, so maybe people really are worried that a mass nonbuying effort would make a big impact. It will be interesting. . . and give me more to think about as I still contemplate joining.
Posted by: Susan | December 21, 2006 at 08:07 AM
Can people still buy Swag?? :)
Posted by: scout | December 21, 2006 at 09:14 AM
If the stores really knew how fast people fail at yarn diets they wouldn't worry! Plus, there are so many exceptions on this one...well, they really shouldn't worry! LOL
Posted by: margene | December 21, 2006 at 09:23 AM
I missed the kerfuffle, of course. (I am so out of it.) I'm still thinking about joining.
Truthfully I never did see what all the hoo-ha over STR was about... it's nice yarn, sure, but there are a zillion great sock yarns out there. I do covet that red, though.
Posted by: Lucia | December 21, 2006 at 01:18 PM
I LOVE The Loopy Ewe - Check out the Celtic Swan Sterling Silver DP's - I got them for my own special Christmas Present. Sheri is a Gem!!!
I am not JOINING the Knit from your stash - there are just too many temptations out there - but will be attempting to knit from my previously started but not finished projects!!
Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Julie | December 21, 2006 at 02:16 PM
I feel famous :) I got mentioned on Ann's blog! My theme song these days seems to be 'it's a small world after all.' Sheri was so gracious and all that sock yarn . . . . . Yummy!
Posted by: Kate Lathrop | December 21, 2006 at 03:22 PM
Hi Ann! So fun to have you all pop by this week. I love sharing the Loopy Room in person. My family is supportive - and very involved - in this whole business, but they are only good for a few "Ohhhh - isn't THIS yarn wonderful" comments before they go buggy. Once in awhile, I just need real knitters to ooh and aah with. Knitting Daughter fills the bill most of the time, but even she is ready to stop listening and just knit after awhile.
Come back soon!
Posted by: Sheri at The Loopy Ewe | December 21, 2006 at 05:52 PM
I must confess to knitting Fetching three times this holiday season. It's quick and oh-so-elegant a pattern that I couldn't resist.
I also would like to state that there is no way I am going on a yarn diet this year. In fact I will probably make up for the fact that all of you are knitting from your stashes. I plan to spend as much money as possible on yarn this year, and to spend every free minute I have (with a new baby coming I doubt I will have many) knitting with new yarn. So tell the LYS owners to relax. I will single-handedly support them all. And if any of you tell my husband about this I will hunt you down and spam you.
Posted by: sarahkate | December 23, 2006 at 08:27 AM
I figure ... if I decided to go on a food diet, would the local stores be justified in screeching about me putting them out of business? No, not at all, and if I bought extra food just to keep them going everyone would think I should be locked up.
The yarn stores will survive, and if any go under (very unlikely) then there wasn't a need for those particular ones anyhow. I certainly wouldn't have a problem with the commentor on Wendy's blog going under, but that would likely be from lack of customer service rather than lack of need.
Welcome to the "I'm-only-knitting-from-stash-unless-I-don't-feel-like-it" movement, even if you ~are~ wearing pants.
Posted by: Rabbitch | December 24, 2006 at 05:38 PM
So silly the controversy,isn't it. People should just play nice :-).
Great sock yarn!
Posted by: Kim | December 27, 2006 at 07:59 PM