Velma's World

Back by popular demand, PURL & HURL RECAPS!

Yes, you asked for it, you got it: Wednesdays will once again feature Velma's post-purling recap rants, describing all things related to our Tuesday night Stitch 'n Bitch sessions. Your source for all Humboldt knittin' knowledge, know-how & knerdliness. On with the show!

So, last night, being Tuesday, saw another gathering of Purlers & Hurlers at Plaza Grill in Arcata for our weekly Stitch 'n Bitch. Had a great turnout, which is to be expected considering what a delicious mix of minxes we've gathered here on the North Coast. Ten Bitchers, comprised of 9 Stitchers and one guest, graced our table. So much fiber, so many cocktails, such great banter: we were all atwitter!

What was everyone working on, you ask? Tamara and Anna continue with their scarves. Velma dubbed Anna's the 'Gay Pride Scarf' because of the lovely rainbow effect of the #13/17 Noro Kureyon color combo she's using. And many P&H'ers are moving out of the 'My First Scarf' stage of knitting, and into a myriad of other projects. Cheri seems to be the quick-study of the group; she not only finished her scarf and started her first hat, but finished the hat, made another one, and is well on her way to a completed baby blanket! Newcomer Suzanne is winging her first hat, sans pattern -- like the MIA Natalie, she prefers the serendipitous surprise of pattern-less knitting. Having finished her second scarf, Kat is busy wielding her crochet hook, as she practices up while waiting to scrape together enough dough to afford more yarn so she can complete her lovely cotton creation with a crocheted border. Kathleen returned this week, six skeins of the teeniest fingering yarn to wind into balls in preparation for knitting a shawl for her mother-in-law straight outta the Folk Shawls book. Jenny, with her non-knitting but very knit-friendly pal Bruce in tow, was knitting another scarf. Velma brought another completed piece to share and show off: the "Poodle Scarf," knit in the softest black GGH Esprit with a hot-pink, eBay-acquisition crocheted border, her first attempt at crocheting. Now Velma is working on yet another scarf, this one christened "Shag" for it's resemblence to a well-known '70s floor covering (formerly called the "Let's Mambo! Scarf" becasue it is knit in Gedifra Mambo #1976, it underwent a name change by popular vote). And our "embedded knitter in the field," Simone, brought back stories from her excursion to Oregon for a sheep-shearing at a friend's farm. Next week, she'll bring show-and-tell items from her visit. Her experience was a good segue to:


The Black Sheep Gathering -- Let's do a field trip! June 20-22 at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, Oregon. It's time to take Purl & Hurl on the road, meet some of our stichin' sisters (and brothers) from Up North. With three days of spinning, dyeing, knitting and animal-husbandry Workshops (the most Velma-like being "Colors: The More, The Merrier"!), free presentations, a Sheep-to-Shawl competition and a Trade Show (read: SHOPPING!!), there's something for everyone at the 23rd Annual event. Contact Velma to get in on the trip-planning action. (Pictures from 2002 here and here.)

For those of you that couldn't make it, you missed out on some great yarns (heh heh, as in 'tall tales') last night! What did we learn? That Steve is NOT a woman, despite Kat's funny penis story; that Anna wants to do a 'heroin-style needle swap'; that Tamara knows exactly which items in the Marshall Fields catalog will appeal to Velma; and that a good way to gauge how a guy will treat a woman is how he treats his mother and may or may not include how he feels about cats. As you can see, these little anecdotes fall into the 'you had to be there' category; incentive enough to come next week, methinks.

On a more serious note, Steve will be subbing for Kat next week, as she will be undergoing a health-necessitated hysterectomy this Friday, April 11, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Eureka. Please send her your good thoughts as she undergoes this difficult surgery, and consider visiting her over the weekend as she feels up to it.

So, Purlers, Hurlers and hangers-on -- until next week, keep on knittin.'