Alpaca and lace vent

Went to "Stitches" today.

I did not know there was that much overpriced, super-soft yarns in the US;
much less that they could all be packed into one giant convention hall.
Every alpaca in the world must be as bald as a marine recruit this weekend.

The sponsor was launching a promoting a new book on "Victorian lace". So
there was lace everywhere. Much of it knit from exotic, super-soft yarns.So
that is the scene. Cashmere scarves with lots of open stitches and shawls
knit from alpaca hang in front of great bins of the yarns that were used to
knit the objects.

It was knitting as conspicuous consumption, and very much harkened back to
the Court of Queen Victoria, where ladies knit with jeweled needles made by
Faberge. My wife tells me that, I almost caused a riot when I suggested that
the finish on some $70 wooden needles was not very good. (Well the finish
was not very good and, nobody else seemed to be willing to call a "spade", a
"spade".)

What really amazed me was that with all that lace and exotic yarn around, I
could hand someone a swatch knit with a simple pattern knit from a cheap
yarn. And, it would stop them in their tracks, they would fondle it for 30
or 45 seconds, and say, "Wow! you are wonderful knitter!" I'm not! I am a
gardener and I know a spade when I see one; and, I know the faults in those
swatches. The primary virtue of those swatches was that they were knit
firmly. I was waiting for my wife and I was knitting on my gardening gansey.
People would come us and OOh and AAh over it. No!! It is just a sweater to
wear in the garden. Its real purpose is to clear out some space in the
stash, and the grape vines will not comment on the mistakes in something
knit hurriedly. It is a terrible thing that today we have "advanced
knitters" that mistake firm knitting for competent knitting.

The high point of the day was that I met the owners of Brittany Needles.
While that Needle Bitch was on her high horse over my comment on the finish
of her overpriced needles, and telling everyone how busy she was, the owners
of Brittany Needles were giving way needles that actually had a better
finish, and were really listening to their customers : ) They are nice
people.


Aaron
ps By the way, keep your Clover bamboo needles dry. They mold when they get
damp. They were in a bamboo case and the case did not mold.

wrote in
t:

Went to "Stitches" today.

I did not know there was that much overpriced, super-soft
yarns in the US; much less that they could all be packed
into one giant convention hall. Every alpaca in the world
must be as bald as a marine recruit this weekend.

only the South American ones. there's no US market for US
grown alpaca fiber.

The high point of the day was that I met the owners of
Brittany Needles. While that Needle Bitch was on her high
horse over my comment on the finish of her overpriced
needles, and telling everyone how busy she was, the owners
of Brittany Needles were giving way needles that actually
had a better finish, and were really listening to their
customers : ) They are nice people.

well, that's good. i love my Brittany needles, although i miss
the walnut ones & i don't see why they can't turn the fancy
top on the birch ones. just a slight aesthetic gripe

lee
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:47:57 GMT, wrote:

Went to "Stitches" today.

I did not know there was that much overpriced, super-soft yarns in the US;
much less that they could all be packed into one giant convention hall.
Every alpaca in the world must be as bald as a marine recruit this weekend.

*snort*

Probably not because as Lee said there's no North American market for
North American-grown alpaca. The things are "designer livestock".
When they first started getting popular people were buying them as
investments, of all things.


Faberge. My wife tells me that, I almost caused a riot when I suggested that
the finish on some $70 wooden needles was not very good. (Well the finish
was not very good and, nobody else seemed to be willing to call a "spade", a
"spade".)

Some people just can't take criticism. I mean really, she was
probably up in her hotel room until 3am whittling and sanding - surely
you don't expect PERFECTION from something that's handmade???


What really amazed me was that with all that lace and exotic yarn around, I
could hand someone a swatch knit with a simple pattern knit from a cheap
yarn. And, it would stop them in their tracks, they would fondle it for 30
or 45 seconds, and say, "Wow! you are wonderful knitter!"
It is a terrible thing that today we have "advanced
knitters" that mistake firm knitting for competent knitting.

That's because the groundswell of knitting's popularity has produced
so many mediocre knitters that anything not the product of their own
collective needles must surely be competent. On the bright side:
those very knitters recognize they have not yet reached the apex of
the art and perhaps you've inspired a few to do more than trendy
knitting using nasty nylon eyelash yarn on #17 needles.


The high point of the day was that I met the owners of Brittany Needles.
While that Needle Bitch

So who was it? Inquiring minds who didn't make it to Stitches really
want to know...

was on her high horse over my comment on the finish
of her overpriced needles, and telling everyone how busy she was, the owners
of Brittany Needles were giving way needles that actually had a better
finish, and were really listening to their customers : ) They are nice
people.

Yep, they are. I carried a Brittany dealership for a while, never had
anything but positive interaction with anybody there.

Aaron
ps By the way, keep your Clover bamboo needles dry. They mold when they get
damp. They were in a bamboo case and the case did not mold.

So will the birch needles. So far no moisture issues with my
rosewoods...

WoolyGooly wrote in
:

On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:47:57 GMT,
wrote:

Went to "Stitches" today.

I did not know there was that much overpriced, super-soft
yarns in the US; much less that they could all be packed
into one giant convention hall. Every alpaca in the world
must be as bald as a marine recruit this weekend.

*snort*

Probably not because as Lee said there's no North American
market for North American-grown alpaca. The things are
"designer livestock". When they first started getting
popular people were buying them as investments, of all
things.

sadly, they *still* are. i wish there was more truth in
advertising about that pyramid scam
that said, i saw a couple gelded males for sale for $500, for
both. at least one local breeder has some sense.
me? i have llamas. the younger 3 have very fine fiber & the 2
"old ladies" are soft but have guard hairs, but it all needle
felts beautifully. i haven't tried spinning any yet because
i've been felting it, but i think Perl at least will make a
fine yarn. a friend of mine spun up a couple pounds of Sally
(one of the old ladies) & she said it was lovely. but it was
the same color red as her daughter's hair, so i think she was
biased
lee not currently breeding llamas, but the boy wants a
cria...
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 15:20:18 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:

sadly, they *still* are. i wish there was more truth in
advertising about that pyramid scam
that said, i saw a couple gelded males for sale for $500, for
both. at least one local breeder has some sense.
me? i have llamas. the younger 3 have very fine fiber & the 2
"old ladies" are soft but have guard hairs, but it all needle
felts beautifully. i haven't tried spinning any yet because
i've been felting it, but i think Perl at least will make a
fine yarn. a friend of mine spun up a couple pounds of Sally
(one of the old ladies) & she said it was lovely. but it was
the same color red as her daughter's hair, so i think she was
biased
lee not currently breeding llamas, but the boy wants a
cria...

A gal near me has llamas and alpacas. She's been crossing them to
produce "pocket llamas", and people are buying THOSE too, including
people who live in town and want their own fiber animal.

I mean really, if I want a fiber animal small enough to keep in my
back yard I'll get a Sheltie or go back to keeping angora bunnies.

WoolyGooly wrote in
:

On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 15:20:18 +0000 (UTC), enigma
wrote:

sadly, they *still* are. i wish there was more truth in
advertising about that pyramid scam
that said, i saw a couple gelded males for sale for $500,
for
both. at least one local breeder has some sense.
me? i have llamas. the younger 3 have very fine fiber &
the 2
"old ladies" are soft but have guard hairs, but it all
needle felts beautifully. i haven't tried spinning any yet
because i've been felting it, but i think Perl at least
will make a fine yarn. a friend of mine spun up a couple
pounds of Sally (one of the old ladies) & she said it was
lovely. but it was the same color red as her daughter's
hair, so i think she was biased
lee not currently breeding llamas, but the boy wants a
cria...

A gal near me has llamas and alpacas. She's been crossing
them to produce "pocket llamas", and people are buying
THOSE too, including people who live in town and want their
own fiber animal.

that's just wrong on so many levels... she's breeding
unregisterable animals. do her buyers know they're getting
animals that shouldn't be bred?
the other issue is that llamas & alpacas are herd animals &
just keeping one in a suburban backyard is cruel to the
animal, & also has the possibility of it getting Berserk
syndrome, where they become aggressive towards humans. even
something as small as an alpaca can kill a person...

I mean really, if I want a fiber animal small enough to
keep in my back yard I'll get a Sheltie or go back to
keeping angora bunnies.

i agree. i'm still boggling over suburban 'pocket llamas'...
lee
--
Question with boldness even the existence of god; because if
there be
one, he must more approve the homage of reason than that of
blindfolded
fear. - Thomas Jefferson

You all have had me in "stitches" with this conversation. Was it the one in
Santa Clara, CA? I will get the scoop from someone in my knitting group who
went. She has been helping me along on my 'odd-ball' sweater. I think it is
because there isn't an actual 'pattern' for it. I've made some other more
complicated sweaters in the past. I am about half finished with a
scarf--first experience with lace work--made of cashmere and silk. The
thread is so thin, I thought I would never get it wound up into a ball. But
it is really beautiful, and has a pattern to it (with a chart). The
unfortunate thing is, the colors of the yarn (green and purple) take away
from the actual knitted pattern, but it will still be lovely.

Merri

wrote in message
t...
Went to "Stitches" today.

I did not know there was that much overpriced, super-soft yarns in the US;
much less that they could all be packed into one giant convention hall.
Every alpaca in the world must be as bald as a marine recruit this
weekend.

The sponsor was launching a promoting a new book on "Victorian lace". So
there was lace everywhere. Much of it knit from exotic, super-soft
yarns.So
that is the scene. Cashmere scarves with lots of open stitches and shawls
knit from alpaca hang in front of great bins of the yarns that were used
to
knit the objects.

It was knitting as conspicuous consumption, and very much harkened back to
the Court of Queen Victoria, where ladies knit with jeweled needles made
by
Faberge. My wife tells me that, I almost caused a riot when I suggested
that
the finish on some $70 wooden needles was not very good. (Well the finish
was not very good and, nobody else seemed to be willing to call a "spade",
a
"spade".)

What really amazed me was that with all that lace and exotic yarn around,
I
could hand someone a swatch knit with a simple pattern knit from a cheap
yarn. And, it would stop them in their tracks, they would fondle it for
30
or 45 seconds, and say, "Wow! you are wonderful knitter!" I'm not! I am a
gardener and I know a spade when I see one; and, I know the faults in
those
swatches. The primary virtue of those swatches was that they were knit
firmly. I was waiting for my wife and I was knitting on my gardening
gansey.
People would come us and OOh and AAh over it. No!! It is just a sweater
to
wear in the garden. Its real purpose is to clear out some space in the
stash, and the grape vines will not comment on the mistakes in something
knit hurriedly. It is a terrible thing that today we have "advanced
knitters" that mistake firm knitting for competent knitting.

The high point of the day was that I met the owners of Brittany Needles.
While that Needle Bitch was on her high horse over my comment on the
finish
of her overpriced needles, and telling everyone how busy she was, the
owners
of Brittany Needles were giving way needles that actually had a better
finish, and were really listening to their customers : ) They are nice
people.


Aaron
ps By the way, keep your Clover bamboo needles dry. They mold when they
get
damp. They were in a bamboo case and the case did not mold.

"WoolyGooly" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 25 Feb 2007 08:47:57 GMT, wrote:

Went to "Stitches" today.

I did not know there was that much overpriced, super-soft yarns in the
US;
much less that they could all be packed into one giant convention hall.
Every alpaca in the world must be as bald as a marine recruit this
weekend.

*snort*

Probably not because as Lee said there's no North American market for
North American-grown alpaca. The things are "designer livestock".
When they first started getting popular people were buying them as
investments, of all things.


Faberge. My wife tells me that, I almost caused a riot when I suggested
that
the finish on some $70 wooden needles was not very good. (Well the
finish
was not very good and, nobody else seemed to be willing to call a
"spade", a
"spade".)

Some people just can't take criticism. I mean really, she was
probably up in her hotel room until 3am whittling and sanding - surely
you don't expect PERFECTION from something that's handmade???

They were elaboratly turned - the most elabroate wooden needles that I
have ever seen. Very suitable for tucking into a fancy basket of alpaca
yarn as a decorator piece in the living room.

I expect excellence for the intended use from handmade. If they were just
decorator objects then they were excellent. But, if there was a bin of
Bendigo waiting for them at home, then they need someone staying up till 3
am sanding and polishing.


What really amazed me was that with all that lace and exotic yarn around,
I
could hand someone a swatch knit with a simple pattern knit from a cheap
yarn. And, it would stop them in their tracks, they would fondle it for
30
or 45 seconds, and say, "Wow! you are wonderful knitter!"
It is a terrible thing that today we have "advanced
knitters" that mistake firm knitting for competent knitting.

That's because the groundswell of knitting's popularity has produced
so many mediocre knitters that anything not the product of their own
collective needles must surely be competent. On the bright side:
those very knitters recognize they have not yet reached the apex of
the art and perhaps you've inspired a few to do more than trendy
knitting using nasty nylon eyelash yarn on #17 needles.


The high point of the day was that I met the owners of Brittany Needles.
While that Needle Bitch

So who was it? Inquiring minds who didn't make it to Stitches really
want to know...

Michri Barnes and I chatted for 3 or 4 minutes. Her husband and I talked
for a a few seconds but I did not catch his name. Turns out that they live
just up the coast and have a very close relationship with the Mendocino Yarn
Shop in Mendocino, CA.Brittany is looking at diversifying its product line.
For example, they are testing other woods.


snip
They are nice
people.

Yep, they are. I carried a Brittany dealership for a while, never had
anything but positive interaction with anybody there.

Aaron
ps By the way, keep your Clover bamboo needles dry. They mold when they
get
damp. They were in a bamboo case and the case did not mold.

So will the birch needles. So far no moisture issues with my
rosewoods...

There were several other kinds of wood and bamboo needles in the case. Only
the Clover molded.

Yes, the BIG Santa Clara convention Center, in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Knittinguniverse.com

They had "Sheep shearing " demos by having someone in sheep costume get
sheared by someone running a clipper over them and making a noise with their
lips. All very clean, with no lamby smell, and no actual wool clipped. The
nearest sheep or alpaca was miles away.

A.
"Merri" wrote in message
...
You all have had me in "stitches" with this conversation. Was it the one
in
Santa Clara, CA? I will get the scoop from someone in my knitting group
who
went. She has been helping me along on my 'odd-ball' sweater. I think it
is
because there isn't an actual 'pattern' for it. I've made some other more
complicated sweaters in the past. I am about half finished with a
scarf--first experience with lace work--made of cashmere and silk. The
thread is so thin, I thought I would never get it wound up into a ball.
But
it is really beautiful, and has a pattern to it (with a chart). The
unfortunate thing is, the colors of the yarn (green and purple) take away
from the actual knitted pattern, but it will still be lovely.

Merri

wrote in message
t...
Went to "Stitches" today.

I did not know there was that much overpriced, super-soft yarns in the
US;
much less that they could all be packed into one giant convention hall.
Every alpaca in the world must be as bald as a marine recruit this
weekend.

The sponsor was launching a promoting a new book on "Victorian lace". So
there was lace everywhere. Much of it knit from exotic, super-soft
yarns.So
that is the scene. Cashmere scarves with lots of open stitches and
shawls
knit from alpaca hang in front of great bins of the yarns that were
used
to
knit the objects.

It was knitting as conspicuous consumption, and very much harkened back
to
the Court of Queen Victoria, where ladies knit with jeweled needles made
by
Faberge. My wife tells me that, I almost caused a riot when I suggested
that
the finish on some $70 wooden needles was not very good. (Well the
finish
was not very good and, nobody else seemed to be willing to call a
"spade",
a
"spade".)

What really amazed me was that with all that lace and exotic yarn
around,
I
could hand someone a swatch knit with a simple pattern knit from a cheap
yarn. And, it would stop them in their tracks, they would fondle it for
30
or 45 seconds, and say, "Wow! you are wonderful knitter!" I'm not! I am
a
gardener and I know a spade when I see one; and, I know the faults in
those
swatches. The primary virtue of those swatches was that they were knit
firmly. I was waiting for my wife and I was knitting on my gardening
gansey.
People would come us and OOh and AAh over it. No!! It is just a sweater
to
wear in the garden. Its real purpose is to clear out some space in the
stash, and the grape vines will not comment on the mistakes in something
knit hurriedly. It is a terrible thing that today we have "advanced
knitters" that mistake firm knitting for competent knitting.

The high point of the day was that I met the owners of Brittany Needles.
While that Needle Bitch was on her high horse over my comment on the
finish
of her overpriced needles, and telling everyone how busy she was, the
owners
of Brittany Needles were giving way needles that actually had a better
finish, and were really listening to their customers : ) They are
nice
people.


Aaron
ps By the way, keep your Clover bamboo needles dry. They mold when they
get
damp. They were in a bamboo case and the case did not mold.

Aaron wrote:

Yes, the BIG Santa Clara convention Center, in the heart of Silicon
Valley.
Knittinguniverse.com

They had "Sheep shearing " demos by having someone in sheep costume
get
sheared by someone running a clipper over them and making a noise with
their
lips. All very clean, with no lamby smell, and no actual wool
clipped. The
nearest sheep or alpaca was miles away.

Okay, now that's pathetic. If anyone hasn't seen a real sheep shearing
any summertime county fair has demos. Heck, even here in OC we have
sheep shearing done at the OC Fair.

I considered going to Stitches West this year for the first time but
opted not to. One of these years I will if there are classes and
instructors that interest me.

In regard to your initial post, lace seems to be the "in" thing right
now. Doesn't surprise me, since it seems to get the most "ooh, ahh"
reaction, and done well it is rather impressive looking. With more and
more beginner knitters around it looks even more impressive in a "See,
I'm way better than you" way (although that's not why I knit lace, and
it's not what I think when someone compliments me on it: I think I'm
good but not *that* good). I did buy the book you mention, but I'm not
going to spent hundreds of dollars on yarn to make one of the patterns.
I am planning on springing for enough Helen's Lace by Lorna's Laces for
a nice shawl for me, but I'll wait until next month; two of my
not-so-local yarn shops give a 10% discount in your birthday month.
Time to increase the stash g

And $70 for needles?!?!?!?! Sheesh, no way. Maybe there are enough
beginning knitters out there who think that expensive means better, but
I'll stick with my Addi Naturas and Crystal Palace bamboo DPs for now.
I also like the Brittany birch DPs but tend to break them when knitting
socks; maybe if I didn't knit socks on 2-mm needles this wouldn't happen
as often, ya think? g

The Other Kim
kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom