Tatting my Doilies

Manhattanhenge

2009-07-07T21:51:00.001-04:00

Because Manhattan island is tall, buildinged, and crooked (we made it flat, but we didn't make it run north-south), there are two days a year when you can look down the street and see the sun setting into the river. This weekend is one of those times. New Yorkers, go watch the sun set! It's pretty!

Mammatus over Manhattan

2009-06-28T14:14:00.004-04:00

The was crazy Friday evening. First it was 90 degrees and everyone at the Trans March wilted in the heat. Then we had a freakish thunderstorm that lasted half an hour. Then it cleared up into a gorgeous evening and my sweetheart and I walked down the street looking at our long shadows and she taught me the word alpenglow, which is for the sun hitting the mountains, but it's also for the sun hitting tall buildings. Then we looked up and the sky was bonkers. Backlit blobby low clouds that looked more like cartoons of clouds than cloud clouds. The pictures I took with my fancy new telephone don't do it justice, but there are more over at Gothamist.

I thought it looked like something out of Rockwell Kent, and googling around this weekend "rockwell kent clouds" I found out it's a special kind of cloud formation called mammatus or mammatoculumulus. From the latin mamma, same as mammary and mammal, because meteorologists see bosoms in the sky.

From Rockwell Kent's illustrations of Moby Dick

Martin Van Buren is Rolling Over in his Grave

2009-06-25T20:53:00.000-04:00

Martin Van Buren (and Tippecanoe) from Forty Four Presidents by Maria Sputnik & MZA

I don't usually blog politics here, but New York has become completely BONkERS!

Some really important stuff has already passed the state Assembly and is waiting on the Senate for approval. Like the marriage equality bill, which will extend the right to marry to millions more people. And the bill to repeal vacancy decontrol*, which when passed will be the biggest victory for New York tenants in decades and preserve affordable housing in New York City.

But instead of doing their work, the Senate has been throwing a hissyfit. Two Democrats went over to the dark side on June 8 and the Republicans grabbed power. But then one of the two defected back again, so now the Senate is tied 50/50 (actually, 32/32). And since the majority party sets the agenda and there's no majority, nobody will vote on anything. The regular legislative session ended and Governor Paterson called the Senate back into a special session, and said he'd keep forcing them to show up until they voted on everything they are supposed to.

Yesterday I joined a group of folks from Housing Here and Now to lobby the senate to repeal vacancy decontrol. A group of about 40 of us in red "Real Rent Reform" tee shirts kept up a presence in the halls of the Capital, holding signs, handing out flyers to Senators and staffers, chanting, and generally reminding the senators by our presence that they should set aside their doofusness and folderol because there are real people depending on them. Housing advocates plan to maintain a presence in the capitol and keep showing up day after day until our bills are voted on. And showing up is making a difference - at first, the agenda governor Paterson set for the special session didn't include the housing bills, but the next day, it did.

But how much work did the Senators actually do yesterday? None. The Democrats snuck into the Senate chamber at 6:30 a.m. and maintained "control" by sitting in the big seat at the front and locking the Republicans out. At 3 pm when the special session was to begin, the Republicans didn't show up. One Democratic senator raised a "point of order" that they didn't believe the governor was empowered to call them into special session unless the Assembly, which didn't have a melt-down and is legitimately done for the year, was called back, too. Then, since the Republicans had boycotted and there wasn't a quorum, they closed the session. Here's a New York Times article on the day's events. My favorite quote is Governor Paterson's non sequitur: "Martin Van Buren is rolling over in his grave."

Five minutes of work. Forty or so of us who care about affordable housing took a three hour drive to Albany, and spent four hours lobbying in the capital. Instead of watching our bill come to the floor, we got to watch the Senate remain in session for five minutes. Boo on the New York Senate for wasting everyone's time. Maybe we'll get lucky and be colonized by Italy.

So please, New Yorkers out there: if any of the issues that you care about are in limbo, please call or email governor Paterson and your Senator. Tell them not to go home until they save our homes.

In writing this post, I went looking for a day's events article in the Daily News. All today's political coverage is about South Carolina governor Mark Sanford's affair. It seems political turmoil is much more interesting if it happens in another state. Oh, and also: crop circles have been caused by drunken wallabies.

*What's vacancy decontrol? It's a gigantic loophole in New York's housing law that lets landlords charge whatever they want for an apartment that used to be protected under New York's rent control law as soon as the legal rent reaches $2000. You can learn more about it here. (pdf)

Vegetables for Dessert? Sugar to the Rescue!

2009-06-19T20:16:00.007-04:00

My CSA has started, so I got my first zucchini of the year on Wednesday. Since I'm not a great big zucchini fan, last summer's menu featured zucchini bread galore. But this year I'm going whole hog - Sugar to the rescue! Zucchini cupcakes!

For the cupcakes, I used Fab Food Friday's zucchini cupcake recipe. But the frosting? Carrot buttercream!

Here's how you make it: go to your favorite South Asian grocery store and find yourself a can of Carrots in Sugar Syrup:

Put the whole can into the blender or food processor and liquefy, syrup and all.

Cream one stick of butter with two cups of powdered sugar. Add liquefied carrots gradually, tasting until the frosting tastes just carroty enough.

Yum!

It Was Winter All Summer

2009-06-18T21:43:00.002-04:00

If you haven't seen it yet, the new issue of Twist Collective has an illustrated poem by Franklin Habit a la Wallace Stevens's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird"

Here's my favorite stanza, but you should go read the whole thing:

XIII

It was winter all summer
It was snowing
And it was going to snow
The knitter sat
In his favorite chair.

Nice work, Franklin!

Here in Flatbush, it's raining cats and dogs for the umpteenth day in a row. It's been raining cats and dogs forever. It feels like it's been April since April, and we're halfway through June. The sun mostly shows up as a vague blob of brightness in the grey. I've been thinking of the rainy chapters of One Hundred Years of Solitude, where it rains for five years and everything in Macondo grows mossy and perma-sodden and all the livestock gets washed away.

Blah.

Brain Coral Against Breast Cancer

2009-06-11T13:05:00.008-04:00

Last October I rode in the Tour de Pink, a 200 mile charity bike ride from Hershey, PA to New York City benefiting the Young Survival Coalition. It was an awesome, gorgeous ride full of friendly folks - any of you bikers out there should sign up. I'm not riding this year, but I'm still supporting the cause in my own special way. I've posted a new pay-what-you-wish pattern to the shop - Brain Coral against Breast Cancer!

When your ruffles have ruffles, interesting things happen! This is one of the simplest patterns you’ll ever follow, but the results will wow your friends with higher math. The resulting shape looks kind of like brain coral, kind of like a spiral, and is totally impossible to put down.

This is a pay-what-you-wish pattern.
100% of the proceeds (any donation you make minus Paypal/Google Checkout fees) will benefit the Young Survival Coalition, the premier international organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women and breast cancer. YSC works with survivors, caregivers and the medical, research, advocacy and legislative communities to increase the quality and quantity of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer ages 40 and under.

Skills Required:
* knit, purl, yarn-over, i-cord

Materials:
* one circ and two dpns.
* adaptable to any yarn.

My Reindeer Flies Sideways

2009-06-08T13:32:00.001-04:00

When I was a kid, my mom taught me a version of this Girl Scout song sung to the tune of Pomp & Circumstance. It's a great little number to sing at graduations - that march needs words!

(Sung to the tune of Pomp & Circumstance):

My reindeer flies sideways, she's better than yours.
My reindeer can cha-cha; she can open up doors.
My reindeer is purple; yours is a pea green.
My reindeer's a Girl Scout; she can dig a latrine.

My reindeer wears p-jays, yours sleeps in the nude,
My reindeer has manners; your reindeer is crude.
Your reindeer uses fire starters, my reindeer uses *just one match*
Your reindeer gets chilly; mine wears a scarf and hat.

My reindeer wears a poncho; your reindeer gets wet.
My reindeer is healthy, yours goes to the vet.
My reindeer flies sideways, your reindeer flies upside down.
My reindeer is perfect. Your reindeer is *dead*

World Wide Knit in Public Day is June 13!

2009-06-05T13:32:00.000-04:00

Join us as we knit with thousands of other knitters around the world on the same day!

World Wide Knit in Public Day
Saturday, June 13, 2009
10am - 1pm
Brooklyn Public Library - Central Library
10 Grand Army Plaza

Learn to knit
Book Raffles
Charity Knitting
The Knit Doctor
Storytime for Children
Spinnng Demonstrations

Bring: Your project and a smile!

Non-knitters welcome - we will teach you how.

Nowhere near Brooklyn? Find a World Wide Knit In Public Day event near you here.

Antimacassar

2009-05-21T20:02:00.002-04:00

Last night my friend Shana taught me the word antimacassar. Her best fave sitting room chair had finally given up the ghost after months of spewing forth yellow foam and upholstery tacks whenever anyone sat on it or even gave it a stern look. The new chair is a fancy beige number inherited from Grandma Dora, and comes complete with armrest covers and an antimacassar. Antimacassar is the fancy word for the piece of cloth that goes over the top of an upholstered chair. Like this:

Netted Antimacassar from KnitHeaven.com

Or more recently, like this:

thanks, wikipedia!

Wikipedia tells me that Antimacassars were common in the Victorian period, and were commonly handmade, tatted, crocheted, knitted or netted of white cotton. Google a little harder and you'll find antimacassar patterns in all four crafts in Beeton's Book of Needlework, which is cram-packed with all kinds of old-timey goodness. I'm a total sucker for this stuff - like this knitted rosette pattern:I will hypnotize you.

So: what is this macassar that antimacassars are anti? Victorian hair goop!

Rowland's Macassar Oil

A Big Hat Book and an Australian Pole Cosy

2009-05-15T18:49:00.005-04:00

Autogyro from Knitty (by me)

Hey - re-posting a couple calls for entries here for anyone who's interested.

The brilliant and talented Annie Modesitt is putting together a picture-book of 1000 knitted hats. All knitted hats are welcome, and there are prizes for original designs. Get the skinny here.

Photos by Jake Dobkin in Gothamist

And if the 9th Street Fence outside ps122 or the yarnbombed parking meters of Montague Street in Brooklyn got you all excited, grrl+dog is organizing a massive stitch-up of the columns outside the National Gallery of Australia. Complimentary hand-made bling for all who participate. Find out how to play along here.

Knit the Golden Spiral at PS122 - Stitch 'n Bitch to follow

2009-05-04T11:11:00.007-04:00

Want your own spiral to love?

As part of the Yarn Theory exhibit at the PS122 Gallery, I'm hosting a free workshop on knitting the golden spiral. It's the same form used in the piece I made for the show and (if you've been tuned in to my work for a while) the top half of the "Seuss-y" Christmas Tree.

Knit the Golden Spiral with Daniel Yuhas
Saturday, May 9
Noon to 2 p.m.
PS122 Gallery - 150 First Avenue (corner of 1st avenue and 9th Street), NYC

Come learn to knit a three dimensional Golden Spiral. Spirals like these occur all over the place in nature, from the nerves in our eyes to the shape of our galaxy, not to mention seashells. There's all kinds of math going on here - the golden section and Fibonacci numbers and the greek letter phi, but in practice it's a simple, intuitive, and meditative pattern to follow.

Students should have some experience knitting in the round.

Bring your favorite yarn and a set of double-pointed or circular knitting needles a few sizes smaller than the yarn package recommends.

... immediately followed by:

Yarn Theory Stitch 'n Bitch
Saturday, May 9
2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
PS122 Gallery - 150 First Avenue (corner of 1st avenue and 9th Street), NYC

Come check out the show, and meet your fiber-y friends or make new connections. Come as you are, and bring whatever you’re working on to show and tell. Everybody’s also welcome to contribute to the ongoing yarn-bombing of the Ninth Street fence that’s taking place as part of the show. Snacks and coffee graciously provided by PS122.

Picture from an Exhibition

2009-05-04T10:53:00.004-04:00

The Yarn Theory opening last weekend was wonderful. Thanks again to all who came out!

Sneak Peek - Yarn Theory

2009-04-17T13:30:00.000-04:00

Here's a peek at the piece I'm working on for the Yarn Theory show at the PS122 Gallery. I'm thrilled to be showing my work along-side such a talented bunch of artists, crafters, and mathematicians.

Yarn Theory: Knitting, Crochet, Math, and Science

Curated by Martha Lewis

Ted Ashton, Emily Barletta, Sarah-Marie Belcastro, Nancy Cohen, Rita Cohen, and Anschel Schaffer-Cohen, Christine Domanic, Kate Fenker, Amanda Gale, Miyuki Kawamura, Martha Lewis, Margaret Oomen, Gail Rothschild, Daina Taimina, Daniel Yuhas

With Robyn Love's The Knitted Mile
and the 9th Street Fence organized by Karen Eubel.

RECEPTION: April 25, 5 – 7pm
150 First Avenue
(Entrance on 9th Street between First Ave. and Ave. A.)
New York, NY

I hope to see some of you there.

Book Review - Ethnic Knitting Exploration

2009-04-16T07:18:00.000-04:00

Donna Druchunas's whirlwhind Blog Book Tour is stopping here today. Here's a peek inside her latest book, Ethnic Knitting Exploration.

Focusing on the fiber traditions of Lithuania, Iceland and Ireland, you'll find here designs drawing on each country's traditions - beautiful Lithuanian colorwork motifs, Icelandic yoked sweaters, and Irish Aran cabling. The book provides a plan for a sweater drawing on each country's traditions, as well as simpler items like fingerless gloves, a capelet, and a poncho.

Donna takes an unusual approach in writing this book - rather than a photo-heavy book with a bunch of projects and line-by-line instructions telling the reader how to make what they see, all delivered in our special knitter's shorthand, each pattern is given three different ways - using a visual plan, using planning worksheets, or as a step-by-step project sheet.

This unique approach is great in a lot of ways - for starters, every pattern starts by measuring the wearer or her favorite garment, giving knitters all the tools they need to guarantee a perfect fit. You simply measure and plug the numbers you've gathered into one of the worksheets (or a combination of multiple worksheets) and off you go!

Don't let the simplicity of the line-art illustrations fool you - complicated moves are explained here in great detail - everything from cables to steeking, with a wealth of tips and tricks.
Instead of a "do what I do" approach, this is a much more useful, engaging way of putting a project together. Each project is geared towards helping you make the perfect garment for you. Say you've got the yarn in your stash - You know it wants to become a classic european sweater... you can almost see it if you squint your eyes... but how to do it? ... Donna's written a great book that will walk you through it and get you there.

Calling all Yarnbombers - PS122 Needs You!

2009-04-10T16:35:00.005-04:00

As part of the upcoming Yarn Theory exhibit at the PS122 Gallery in New York City's East Village, we're inviting knitters and crocheters of all stripes to tag the big old wrought-iron fence that rings the building with knitted or crocheted "knit-fiti". The building has been scaffolding-ed up for years, and it needs people like you to pretty it up. Please join us in festooning PS122 with yarn!

The fence-decorating has already begun... we hope to have a lot more done before the show opens on April 25. All are welcome to participate any time between now and May 17, when the show closes. If you'd like to join the fun, please contact organizer Karen Eubel, keubel(at)hotmail.com, or Daniel Yuhas, daniel.yuhas(at)gmail.com.

Yarn has been graciously donated by Lion Brand for this project - thanks again to Lion for their generous support!

Wouldn't I look prettier in my new fence-cosy?

Join us at the Pittsburgh Knit-Treat this Fall!

2009-04-07T21:33:00.002-04:00

Since Spring is finally almost upon us, it's time to think about Fall!
I'll be teaching the Oh Christmas Trees pattern November 5-8, 2009 at the KnitTreat at the Summit Inn in beautiful Laurel Highlands, PA. It promises to be a wonderful time ... a relaxing weekend of knitting with your fiber-y friends at a fabulous resort with panoramic views of gorgeous fall colors ... what could be better?

I'm honored to be a part of this year's teacher lineup along with Candace Eisner Strick, Kathy Zimmerman, Nancy Premoshis and Barbara Grossman.

Candace Eisner Strick's class on Strickmuster, the Beautiful Twisted Stitch (samples below) looks pretty tantalizing, too, I must say!

Click here for registration - there's an early bird special through April 2oth. I hope to see some of you there!

Yarn Theory

2009-04-02T19:18:00.002-04:00

I'm thrilled to let you know that I'll have work appearing in a show at the PS122 Gallery this April-May! I'm making something new just for the show and it's coming out gorgeous!

Yarn Theory
April 25-May17, 2009
PS122 Gallery
150 First Avenue, New York, NY 10009 (map)
Opening Reception Saturday, April 25 from 5 to 7
Gallery Hours: Thursday through Sunday, Noon to 6pm

Yarn Theory highlights the vibrant and deep interrelationship between the sciences, mathematics, crocheting and knitting. From mathematicians looking for clear and visual ways to model their theorem to home-knitters and artists looking to create unique sculptural objects, the world of contemporary yarn work is rife with cross-pollination between the disciplines. The explosion in the popularity of knitting and crochet has yielded an interest in using the medium to go far beyond sweaters, socks, and wearable items into the worlds of geometry, biology, natural sciences, and to push the medium’s sculptural boundaries.

Highlighting the work of some of today’s most interesting practitioners, Yarn Theory juxtaposes installations and art objects made with a scientific or mathematical basis as a starting point, and with mathematical models and items made explicitly to explain or clarify abstract concepts, which end up being compelling aesthetic forms unto themselves. Because of their incremental structure, the crafted shapes often mimic growth systems found in nature. Such correlations are being explored by today’s needle workers, many of whom are also scientists and mathematicians professionally.

The exhibit will include workshops, knitting sessions, yarnbombing, special talks, and even a musical performance! Stay tuned here or to the PS122 Blog for details as they emerge.

Participating artists:

Ted Ashton
Emily Barletta
Sarah-Marie Belcastro
Nancy Cohen, Rita Cohen and Anschel Schaffer-Cohen
Lisa Daehlin
Kate Fenker
Miyuki Kawamura
Martha Lewis
Robyn Love
Margaret Oomen
Gail Rothschild
Daina Taimina
Daniel Yuhas

Lace-y and Loop-y in Blue Bamboo

2009-03-30T23:28:00.006-04:00

Just a quick note to let y'all know that I've added the Lace and Loop Scarf that's published in the Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar to the Molting Yeti shop!

This complex scarf breaks the barrier from fancy into fabulous. Gravity-defying loops of I-cord wrap the neck, while a spreading bell of simple lace dangles below. It's as fun to wear as it is to make!

While you're over at the shop, check out the other site updates - an errata page (overdue, but hey), and a way-updated "about" page, complete with the most beautiful yeti drawing ever. Don't believe me? Here it is!:

Thanks again to the deliciously talented Maria Sputnik, who drew it!

The Starfish is on Knithacker

2009-03-16T11:54:00.003-04:00

I was scrolling through my blog reader last week and saw my own work go by, which was a suprise and a thrill. My starfish design got featured in Knithacker!

If you haven't seen it yet, Knithacker is a really great resource, scanning the interwebs for innovative, funky knits of all kinds - today Fuzzyjay's entrelac baby shape is on the home page. If you think I do mathy stuff, check this out! It's entrelac, which means this was made all in one piece without breaking the yarn:

Baby Shape by Fuzzyjay

Wow!

Want me to teach you to knit? Come to the Hot Pink Party!

2009-03-09T17:40:00.004-04:00

I'm doing some teaching for charity next month - The Glamour Gals Foundation, an organization that works to foster relationships between teen girls and elderly women living in senior homes, is having a Hot Pink Party! For a $25-$35 donation you get yarn, needles, and a beginning knitting or crochet lesson - a seriously sweet deal. I'm not sure why, but you've gotta be 21 or older for this event.

It'll be Friday, April 24 from 6:15 to 8:30 at 15 Central Park West in NYC. Register here. Sign up soon if you're interested - tickets are going fast!

Oh, and here's some pink to inspire you:

What's Wrong With This Picture?

2009-03-06T14:52:00.004-05:00

I saw one of these LOOK posters on a bus stop on my lunchbreak today, and finally thought I had to comment on it -

If you're squinting at the text, here's what it says:

"Avoiding a crash comes down to one simple action: Look. Last year over 3,000 cyclists were struck by motorists. To find out how you can make New York a safer place to ride, go to looknyc.org."

Okay, so I'm pretty obviously in favor of the sentiment of this ad, and NYC's new Department of Transportation has been doing seriously wonderful things lately. But take a closer look at the picture. What happens to the bike lane after the intersection? It disappears! How New York! And what's the car doing? Why, it's making an illegal left turn against traffic onto Lafayette, course. So what's the implicit message of the ad? "Hey drivers, when you're doing something stupid and illegal, be sure to watch out for cyclists"? Or is it, "Hey cyclists, be careful out there, 'cause drivers do some really dumb stuff sometimes"? Hrmph.

P.S. I'm a huge fan of jaywalkers, and I'm glad this ad features one.

Helix aka the Pine Cone Blanket

2009-02-18T13:32:00.000-05:00

A gorgeous and sophisticated addition to the Molting Yeti pattern shop, meet Helix, aka the pine cone blanket.

This beautiful, substantial, sophisticated blanket mimics the natural spiral pattern found on sunflower heads and pine cones. Two sets of spirals emerge from the center, intersecting as they grow. Simple pinwheel construction with no piecing or seaming make this a quick and enjoyable knit.

This blanket was featured at the juried Mathematical Fiber Arts Exhibition at the 2009 Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC (it spirals in two directions - what's not for a mathematician to love?). But don't fret - there's some fussy counting in the beginning as the pattern establishes itself, but it's smooth sailing after that!

Gigantimon Site Update, and Look out Pittsburgh, Here I Come!

2009-02-12T13:54:00.003-05:00

I've been working like crazy over the last couple months preparing for the next big step in my knit-designing career - selling wholesale to yarn shops. I've updated all of my patterns with a simplified, professional, and consistent look, and with some downright gleeful formatting. My designs are all about having a gigantic sense of fun - I try to make objects that are fun to wear and fun to play with, and write patterns that are fun to make and even fun to read. Oh, and beautiful, too! I hope you'll agree.

Thanks yet again to my amazing crew of test knitters for helping make this magic happen! I couldn't have done it without you!

Full-color printed patterns on fancy glossy paper are now available in the shop, and at wholesale rates to yarn shops - If you'd like your local yarn shop to sell Molting Yeti patterns, don't hesitate to get in touch!

I also put together a help page with links to tutorials on all of the trickier moves used in my patterns. I hope people will find it useful!

...And, if any of you are in the Pittsburgh area this weekend, be sure to find me at the Fifth Annual Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Show! It promises to be an awesome time, with vendors galore and some really awesome classes. You can't miss me - I'll be the guy in the boa!

Math, Fiber, and Actual Tatting Content!

2009-02-08T15:28:00.006-05:00

In January a blanket I designed was featured at a juried Mathematical Fiber Arts Exhibit at the Joint Mathematics Meetings in Washington, DC. My blanket shared the same table as design hero Norah Gaughan's original for Celestine, which feels pretty great!

I'll gush more about that later, but here's something else from the show that I find totally awesome - a tatted fractal by mathematician Ted Ashton!

I love this. It's mathy and handmade at the same time, which means that Ted in making this piece was really doing the math by making smaller and smaller triangles. Plus I think it's really beautiful.

Thanks again to sarah-marie belcastro and Carolyn Yackel for organizing the special session and show!

Edit April 3 09: If you're in or near NYC between April 25 and May 17 and you want to see Ted's work in person, stop by the Yarn Theory show at the PS122 Gallery!

Pillbugs for the Popcorn School

2009-01-20T17:17:00.005-05:00

Hey folks - if you've been itching to get your hands on a MoltingYeti original and you live anywhere near Flatbush, Brooklyn, here's your chance! I'm donating one of my sample Doodlebugs (aka pillbug, roly-poly, woodlouse, armadillidiidae or the only known terrestrial crustacean) to the silent auction at my godson Silas's pre-school.

The party promises to be tons of fun too - There will be yummy food and dancing, lots of dessert, and auction items galore, all for one of the coolest pre-schools ever.

Next Saturday, January 31 @ 7:00
The basement of the Dutch Reformed Church
Kenmore Terrace and East 21st Street
(near the intersection of Flatbush and Church)
Brooklyn, NY
$15 cover includes dinner & dancing - all proceeds go to the Popcorn School.
It's a benefit for kids, but this party is for grown-ups.

Hope to see some of you there!