The highs and lows of knitting in the classroom.
I went into the school last week to help with the show and um, block some lace since there is no floorspace at home. After forming a knit and crochet model universe for the show 2 years ago and faux armour for last years play the kids kindof trust that I'm going somewhere with things when I curse in the corner and tangle set pieces in the yarn that seems to sprout organically from inside my high heels so when I had to wind 220m of wet wool around the tv stand everyone was pretty cool with it and even helped.

I don't know how it got wet. I know it happened at the Golden Rooster downtown, but I don't know how. (Golden rooster, not Purple. Long Story.)

So the flipside of working on things at the school is that it sometimes results in some premature steeking. How could I have knit colour work (and more than 2 colours in a single row at that) for this long and not have realized that I was making a mobius strip? Serves me right, trying to squeeze knitting into every available moment. That's me, always takkin' my makkin'.


Ah well, crochet steek to the rescue. The sweater will have a split yoke anyway so I only have a few inches to stitch back up. The crochet steek is my favorite, and not just because of my crochet bias. It's the most demonstrative steek and the easiest to use if your cutting was...unplanned for. If you weren't purposely knitting bridge stitches to be steeked and so couldn't have used colour to indicate your stitching and cutting lines, than the crochet method, with it's tall single crochets is the easiest to see. Also, the action of picking up stitches either side of the cut line can not help but show you how the stitch is formed and prove to you that you are not loosing any ends but are locking each stitch in place. But maybe that's just me?


In other news, I've been getting some emails in regards to the famed "Come as Your Madness" Party which I blogged about this winter. I still have no footage of the party itself, but if you look atn the tv screen in the photo above, I'm watching "Anais Observed" which contains a brief excerpt from Kenneth Anger's "Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome", inspired by the party. Anais doesn't have a birdcage on her head though, so if that's what you're after, no dice. I'm still looking though.

Soundtrack: Check out the new youtube feed I added to the bottom of the blog. I gave it many different topics to choose from, so if you don't like what you see wait or click refresh for more. Remember that the video will play up at the top of the page. I love this thing but sometimes it gets it wrong so watch out.

Last week I took myself down to the Frontenac Library and was overwhelmed by it's craft section. I had not visited the Library since I was in school (and so was landed with a hefty fine on The Amazon and The Page)and was not prepared for the El Dorado I found.

I discovered some great historical accounts of Fair Isle patterning and a valiant attempt at charting the famous Prince of Wales sweater. (Not Chuck's-although he was presented with quite the jumper himself when he and Di visited Kingston in the 80s). Wasn't Edward fashionable pre-Wallis? My Granny has many interesting tales about Mrs Simpson and the lurid ways in which she seduced the throne. I don't believe any of them even though a few of them came from "glossy" magazines (not common paper ones,so it's true, says Granny)

HRH The Prince Edward, Duke of Rothesay by John St Helier Lander c.1923

I think I might give it a go, or at least swatch the pattern repeat. HRH Edward wore the sweater golfing at St. Andrew's. Granny once golfed there as well so she should get a kick out of it.
If I do try it out then I feel it's only right that someone make the following. This is the most amazing thing ever!!! It is a bat wing sweater...with bat wings on the bat wings!!! Don't you get it? This is way more ironic than the tuxedo tshirt and it is simply begging to be made...by Cathy. Please urge her to cast on in Warani asap.

HRH The Prince of Darkness, c.1986

Read a wonderful vintage article about Edward VIII's influence on Fashion atDandyism.net

Here's a very funny article on irony in men's fashion...eerily reminiscent of my brief stint in conventional high school.

Soundtrack: "Landslide",Stevie Nicks w/ the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. The one off the new bestof. The one that ends "Thank you Andrew."

google

Despite being all alone for Beltane, Outraged Rabbit bids you a Happy May Day.