Dear Ann,
A few treats landed in my inbox this morning. My first thought: 15 minute blog fodder!
FANCY DOG COAT ALERT
Emma sent me a link to the kit for this dog coat, based on Kate Davies’ wonderful Rams & Yowes blanket. I have to agree that it would look smashing on my earth-toned Olive. It is hard to make much of an impression at our local dog cafe because so many of the dogs are so very well dressed. I think this might be the ticket.
3 RMS, EIK, MATCHES YOUR KNITTING
Tammy sent me this knitting-related real estate article in the New York Times. Yes, Tammy, I’ve met Christine Lavin! “Met,” as in “said hello to her one evening when she was singing at my LYS, Knitty City”–of course she was! Christine Lavin wrote the anthem of rueful 1990s single women: Attainable Love. Christine’s the best. I’m glad she found an apartment. I’ve been doing it all wrong, knitting to match my apartment. Next time, I’ll look for an apartment that matches my knitting.
IN WHICH KNITTERS ARE SCHOOLING TOM FORD
Belinda sent this image from Tom Ford’s latest collection.
Make a note: pink lopapeysas are going to be all the rage in menswear this spring. Get on it.
WHAT I’M KNITTING
Using lopi leftovers, I am whipping up a quick Thorpe hat for Afghans for Afghans’ super-fast campaign for teens in Afghanistan. They are looking for warm woollen hats, socks and mittens to fit students age 14-21. They need to receive them before the end of January. I love this organization. I can do a hat. Join me!
Behind the hat is the Bowling Avenue tribute blanket–so, so, so close to the finish. I am grateful for the patience of readers who occasionally check in to see when the pattern will be ready. SOON, I hope. SOON.
ALMOST FORGOT
Ann. We’ve been neglecting our duty as Jack White’s Foremost Middle Aged Knitter Ambassadors. Breaking news: Conan O’Brien just released a fantastic hour-long conversation with Jack White.
I like the dark, Charlie Rose-style set, in which White appears as a pale, floating head and hands (this may be accurate). Even if an hour’s too long for you, watch the first few minutes, for the discussion of White’s upholstery career and its influence on his work today. His precise memory of a specific fabric made me smile — textile people, he’s just like us — and the “three staples” story really resonates. (I have got to eliminate some staples.) Another tip: if you’re authentic, you wanna stay away from the word “authenticity.”
Happy weekend everybody!
Love,
Kay
Loving the lightning!
Ohhhh, I was just LOOKING FOR something an hour long that would be good to go with my knitting, preferably something with Conan O’Brien and Jack White. BINGO! Thanks for the linky!
And I think Olive will rock that dawg coat. I like the flap thing up top. Nobody wants a cold backside.
I liked the penguin sweater from yesterday better than the pink, but that’s just IMHO. I already have a hat ready to ship and cast on for mittens as I was also reading your post. Hopefully a lot more knitters will find time for a quick project!
tell that boy on the left in the turtleneck to stand up straight! be proud of the knitwear, son!
We’re on the same wave length this morning as I just took a break from my knitting project for A4A, one half a mittens pair so far, I’m a slow knitter! Always happy to get a glimpse of the Bowling Ave tribute blanket, I’m one of the knitters that keeps checking on it’s progress.
Just the thing for my son who got a pained look on his face when I said I would knit his puppy a sweater. I will knit him an incredibly chic puppy sweater. Hah!
I just wanted to let you know that I am loving the 15 minute blog! And if my 21 year old will wear a pink lopapeysa, I am totally making one right away!
I’m a middle-aged lady who watched the Conan interview last night. I think Jack could totally dig middle aged ladies who spend hours knitting authentic socks.
I’m a middle-aged lady who watched the Conan interview last night. I think Jack could totally dig middle aged ladies who spend hours knitting authentic socks.
Pink lopapeysa were routinely worn by the young women on my campus back in the early 1980’s. What a fascinating resurgence!
Christine Lavin! I used to go hear her in Santa Cruz. Still have a cd of hers. . .
I have a vintage pinky/peachy lopapeysa I knit for myself in my youth, in the super-oversized colorful sweater days of the 80’s. Then I intentionally shrank and felted it, in the cropped and boxy sweater days (and thinner body days) of the early 90s’. It looks like hell now but I wore it to the gym the other day , and got compliments out the wazoo. Power to the pink lopapeysa!
must admit that i knew little of Jack White before today and after just 15 minutes of that interview, i am intrigued by the man.
and the pink fabric with silver? the three staples? he is definitely one of us.
Okay, reading too fast, thought it was a 4 hour conversation with Jack White, I was like “seriously????”. That said, my husband’s response to the pink lopapeysa would be somewhere between “not a prayer” and “over my dead body”!
Dear Ann and Kay, I am loving the quick posts. Keep it up! Thank you!!!
I love the frequent blogs!!!
I love the frequent blogs!!!
I love the frequent blogs!!!
I love the frequent blogs!!!
Love the frequent blogs!!!
Love the frequent blogs!!!
The Tom Ford guys all look like Barbie dolls. Not just ’cause of the pink sweater . . .
I might have meant Ken.
I adore Jack White. I remember a session on John Peel’s radio show on Radio 1, years ago. Jack White and John Peel for 2 hours talking about their joint love of music. Jack White is such a music geek. It was wonderful listening to two such passionate and knowledgeable music fans talk. At the end of the show I imagined their chat continuing long into the night after the tape had stopped recording.
that’s not pink….it’s mauve…remember? Quilts made in pale blue and mauve…absolutely drab!
I love Christine Lavin! She used to have pre-concert knitting sessions, too.
I thought Hannah, my Yorkie, needed one of those sweaters until I found a currency converter online and figured out the price in dollars—Seriously?
Christina Lavin! Must read the article. Love her. Even Mr. Handsome, who claims not to like her, cannot help but quote her catchy tunes. Ahhhhh. Perhaps we’ll get him in touch with his inner bitch and knit him a pink Lopy.
I love Christine Lavin, too! We saw her first at Passim in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Ma, when she opened for Bill Staines. Then later we saw her as the main act…and then she got too popular, and she played at Sanders’ Theater, produced by the owners of Passim. Passim is under new management, and we have seen her the, again…
We loved it when she used to twirl the baton at Sanders…what a riot!
I just finished my son-in-law’s birthday hat (1×1 rib watch cap, charcoal grey Ella Rae ultrafine heather, 2 balls purchased for $2.49 each in the clearance bin at Ross. I know!) which my middle daughter is dropping off on her way back to college- she’s a senior, classes start up again tomorrow- along with his turkey fryer (my SIL fried the Christmas turkey this year- YUM!). Since I love to knit hats and mittens (hats to me are as garter is to you- always gotta have one on the needles) and since my oldest boy is back in Afghanistan (8 mths into tour #3- this time as a civilian contractor running a military outpost), I’ll unearth some wool from the stash and see how many hats I can put in the mail by the end of the month, and will whip up at least one set of superfast Lovikka mittens a la Robin Hansen too. I also downloaded the horse and penguin patterns from your Lopi link. Thanks for the tips.
I can do a hat. I have stash that needs to be used up. Two weeks till the 31st. I’ve got time! Thanks for the heads up.
Olive would look good in anything.