Knit Along

Please come join us at the WWMDFK group on Ravelry (please click for immediate link) as we begin a Knit-Along based on my Comfort of a Friend Shawl​. A Knit-Along is a virtual knit group.  Knitters from all around the US, or the world, can meet on this site, talk about their projects, ask questions, upload and share pictures. If you are not on Ravelry, a knit and crochet community, you can join it. All you need is an identification name. Warning: there are three million members. All the good names are taken.

The What Would Madame Defarge Knit? and What (Else) Would Madame Defarge Knit? are the brainchild of Heather Ordover, Craftlit podcaster, and woman extraordinaire.  Seriously, I don't know when she sleeps. Every week, Heather posts both Craftlit and Just the Books podcast, and has just started Just the Benefits feed. Each presents a book of literary merit, read aloud by a reader, after which she talks about the book, teaching the chapter to come or the points we need to pay attention to. ​In addition, she writes multiple patterns, does tutoring, substitute teaches, and raises her two boys. It makes me tired just to think of it all.

As for myself, tomorrow is a full day with a big presentation a church tomorrow. Next week, I prepare some patterns for publication, and prepare myself for short trip to visit a ill friend.​ So glad the KAL is virtual and will travel anywhere!  

I look forward to seeing you there!​

Back to the Drawing Board

Today, I rewrite patterns for new formats, wrestle to get the Shawl pattern available to a clammering crowd, and work and rework an un-vented cast-on for a new design.  But first, the last set of obligatory beauty from both the Vesterheim:​

​The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the largest museum in America dedicated to one immigrant people group.

​part of the Sámi Alaska exhibit: woven Sámi bands

Sámi ​tin bracelets

​cuff from a Sámi mitten

​woven wall-hanging

​the edging of a lace knit petticoat

beautiful ​thumb from a Norwegian mitten

On non-Sámi fronts, the Vesterheim has other Norwegian artifacts as well!​ The three pictures just above are from the Norwegian majority, or recreated in America by Norwegian-American immigrants.

While in Decorah, I also really enjoyed walking around the town and visiting some stores.  What a beautiful small town!  Luther College is, of course, its lifeblood.  Students huddled in the streets.  Crazy students were jogging in the near 0F weather.  ​

Decorah is about 8,000 souls -- just larger than the small town in which I live -- but, it is oh! so alive.  Main Street had only one closed store front among 5 or so blocks.  The place I stayed, Hotel Winneshiek, was a fabulous oasis in the sea of corn.  And, even on a quiet, winter Sunday night, Mabes Pizza was a jumping joint. The public schools are walking distance from downtown.  The houses nearby are charming and sweet.  The town even had a tall bluff and a beautiful park overlooking the Upper Iowa River, and the college campus.

But, all good things must come to an end, and mine did dramatically as 5 inches of snow blew through and made the roads nearly impassable.  My ride back to the family took over double the time it took to get there, but all was well.​

​Since then, I have sketched, written and knitted up one of the mitten patterns I viewed. But now I must get back to the hat I am currently working on, and the pattern corrections.

Good day, all!

Toodling along

Today I finished the interior square of a Shetland Shawl, submitted a pattern design, began writing a second and am knitting a third.

All is well.

We Interrupt This Blog to Announce...

It's heeeeeere!​

The book has been released!  To say it, makes it sound like it is a wild ravenous bear.  Perhaps the keeper left the barred door unlocked -- by mistake -- and the bear escaped without notice.  This is the way it feels, too.  I've been tending these essays and patterns for a year, and been tending to migraines the last couple days.  The last few days have also been spent fending emails, tweets and fb notifications.  And all to this effect:   ​It's here.

What (else) Would Madame Defarge Knit?—It's Here! »

If you've pre-ordered—the eVersion will arrive in your inbox later today.* If you haven't ordered yet there are release day goodies and discounts to entice you, but only until 3pm EDT on Saturday (of ...

​http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10602622.htm

Until 3pm EST Saturday, free goodies will arrive with the download.  After that time, they will disappear.  The chief goody is another of my patterns, The Comfort of a Friend Woman Shawl, also called the Cross-My-Heart/18-hour Shawl.  Starting April 16, I am leading a Knit-Along with this Shawl, and YOU, if you will join me!​