Best Quote I Heard All Day
Fashions have done more harm than revolutions.--Victor Hugo

GQ IQ

Is this not everything you ever wanted to knit for that special "manly" man? What an ensemble.

I lost the eBay bid on this book to Robocat75. I really wanted it for my collection (or perhaps to give to Joe for his birthday). It's a "vintage" Columbia-Minerva book, probably from the '70s, although the seller never stated the date of publication.

I guess that makes me "vintage" as well.

However, I have won some very good bids on eBay for vintage knitting books. You may argue that buying on eBay not only diminishes the thrill of the find but also takes business away from antique/collectible dealers. And I would agree with you.

Nonetheless, it's the easiest way to find specific books at reasonable prices. I just bought a lot of fifteen Mon Tricot magazines from the '70s and early '80s for $35.00 to replace those of mine that are MIA. I found an old Spinnerin book from 1972 that I owned when I first started knitting as an adult--wonderful Aran patterns. Cost? $5.00 and that includes the shipping. I got it in two days and it's in great condition. Can't beat eBay for that.

Of course, there's no way I'd pay $200+ for Principles of Knitting. Such an overvalued book.

Loominescent
Just to keep everyone up-to-date on my gyrations with the loom, I finally got the warp chains done. Actually, not a huge deal--yet.

Getting the warp threads into one neat package requires a warping board and a specific method of winding the warp threads so that you can remove the warp from the board keeping all the threads together.

And then tying them in strategic places. Then you pull the warp package from the board and actually make a crocheted chain of it, so that the threads stay put.

Of course, the pesky part is coming--getting the warp onto the loom. Stay tuned.

You Asked
I generally try to answer questions from the Comments there so I don't have to do it here. But wasn't able to do so yesterday. Thanks to everyone who appreciated the shawl and the blocking procedure entry. I will try to put that into a .pdf, as I did the lace tips, so you don't have to Google, ya lazy bums.

So onto the questions. And there were a lot of them this time around.

From JoVE: Your striping yarn came out well. Who is discouraging Joe from trying this?
Not to speak for Joe but probably nothing. Hey, he's in Albany most of the week, away from his wheel. I'm home. That's why, I'm sure.

From Loopy: I know what the ends are for--so you can tie the shawl around your neck! Wha'doI win? Wha'doI win??
My undying gratitude for all your weaving help, ya skank.

From Franklin: Now that you're done, Marilyn, can I interest you in a quick trip to Chicago to hold my sweaty hand while I block my sweater?
I love Chicago. My favorite city, hands down. But we've only got a week, so e-mail me and I'll hold your hand electronically.

From Laura Gayle: Oh, and yes, you left weaving in those ends until last so it wouldn't pop apart... right?
Half right. I wove in the ends prior to blocking and then left them uncut just in case the weaving wasn't sufficient after stretching.

From Katherine Valentine: What is the yarn fiber content?
50% wool, 50% silk.

From Michelene: Mar, when you pin, do you get better tension when you face the point away from the shawl, or into the shawl?
I start the pin as vertically as possible to the shawl. It takes a bit of maneuvering to get the pointed end to grab. I then lever the T back to produce the tension. Hard to describe.

From Purlpower: Meant to ask if you had seen this site:http://www.heirloom-knitting.co.uk/
Many, many times. It's Sharon Miller's site, who is the author of Heirloom Knitting. Great site.

From June: Just curious, why not thread more wire through the teeth and just pin that out?
Because I'm a masochist and flagellate myself every possible opportunity. Seriously, I could have done but I think it's more precise to pin each point individually.

From Isabel: 1) Why Icelandic over silk and wool lace weight yarns?2) What kind of nylon cord for blocking? Would a heavier fishing line work or does it need to be thicker/thiner?3) I wonder what sort of finish needs to be on the blocking wires (or perhaps type of metal used) to avoid rust?
1) Personal preference, because I prefer a slightly heavier shawl. 2) I have not used nylon cord to block but I imagine that a slightly heavier jewelery cord would be OK. Wouldn't use fishing line because I always made a mess of it when I went fishing with the late husband. 3) Stainless steel.

Enough. I have to get back to work. I'm still swatching lace designs but I may have some pictures after the weekend. Designing lace is a trip. I find it easier than designing an Aran, that's for sure. I'll leave you with a picture of the ever-accommodating Liz modeling her new scarf (which she had to give back so I could weave in the ends).

I jokingly suggested that if she were a foot taller, she might consider professional modeling. Aghast, she said, "Never. I have a reputation to maintain."

That's my rare and handy partner-in-crime.