twinset.us

Hi, Jan,

Actually, I knit pretty much every day this week, and many of them with friends.

Monday night was our regular knitting group, this month at Cafe Latte.  CL’s turtle cake comes with a statement from the surgeon general on it, it changes your blood chemistry that fast.  I managed to resist, getting my indulgence from the rich knitting going on around me.

Lisa literally took the sweater off her husband’s back to show it off to us.  I saw P in it the other night, and if you think it looks good on her, you should see it on him!

Kathleen finished her entrelac stole - wow!  It was worth the wait.  I think she has been working on this, in between other projects, ever since I met her over a year ago.  It blocked out to a wonderful fabric and the colors are perfect for her.

Gail is close to finishing her Hanne Falkenberg kit.  She reports that HF was extremely helpful when she ran short of a color and even sent her another skein - for free.

I paid for Thursday’s knitting adventures - a charity knit at Lisa’s house.  She raises scholarship funds for food science undergrads by doing a silent auction  item of knitting and fellowship, supplying wonderful nibbles and yarn - Lion Brand cashmere blend.  So far I like it - nice to knit, fast-working Aran weight, and it will be soft and washable - perfect blend of luxury, economy, and practicality that makes it exceptional for gifting.  I don’t like the project I started - improvising to fit a pattern this wasn’t meant to fit - so that will be frogged without note.

Saturday brought my work club’s outing to StevenBe: A Yarn Garage Workshop.  This joint was created out of the passion of Steven Berg, aka the Glitter Knitter, who not only runs one of the most entertaining yarn stores in the Twin Cities, the Yarn Garage, but is one of the most knowledgeable people I know about yarn and design.  AND one of the most giving, socially-concious people I know, too.

Steven located his new endeavor, StevenBe, right in the heart of one of the rougher neighborhoods of Minneapolis.  He is hiring people from the neighborhood to help him out with maintenance, gardening, repairs.  He caters his events from local, not chain, eateries (yesterday’s lunch - Turtle Bread’s artichoke soup and pesto salad - Dr. K knows what I’m saying).  He is creating a space for artists - fiber, musical, literary - to come and enjoy each other and knit.  He overtly states he isn’t expecting people to only knit on yarn from his stores or to pay for advice - what a breath of fresh air.  There are fee-based luncheons and classes, but anyone can stop in and browse the yarn at any time and relax and knit a bit.  You’ll meet Steven when you are here for Yarnover.

The only bad thing I can say about Steven is he has a streak of enabler in him.  I’ll let you figure this one out, and then you may mock me.  (Just like a drug dealer, the first one is always free.)

That’s the spin around from here,

Love,

Ellen