Archive for May, 2006

Posted by Stitchy McYarnpants 9 COMMENTS

Today I stand in solidarity with Stephanie. We are sisters in destruction. We are compatriots in chaos. We are the Divas of Debris.

Her conspicuous lack of a porch really strikes a nerve here at Chez McYarnpants. If you’ll remember (or not), I came home from vacation in November to this:

It’s what used to be our porch. Lovingly careened into by a carload of drunk teenagers, artfully rearranged to resemble the losing turn of the National Jenga Finals. Stephanie’s porch was removed through friendlier means, but it’s still pretty alarming to see your house with its two front teeth knocked out. She also has the added benefit of an air conditioned foundation. Neat! (here’s a cold compress, Stephanie dear)

So to help her feel not-so-crappy about her current situation, I’m posting some inspirational photos of our‚ front yard‚ as it was just days ago. I want her to know that it’ll get better, there is hope on the other side of the lumber heap.

See? Flowers can actually grow around the‚ loose chunks of house‚ in your yard! Isn’t that . . . just . . . great . . . ?

Stephanie? Stephanie, put down that bucket of gin and back away from the needles. You cannot just “knit a new porch”. I don’t care if you have a nice pattern for wrought iron crochet rails, it’s just not, well, wait. You do have an awful lot of yarn. Yeah, y’know, I think this could work. How about a porch swing, too?

Oh, hey. Check this out! I got an email from a fellow blogger named Jessica at More Than Many Sparrows. She did a double-take when she saw the Links button on my sidebar. (Yeah, I know, I really need to fix up the list of links) It turns out she actually MADE the earwarmers and gloves! How funny is that? Look, she even got the facial expression down. Apparently, these winter accesories make a gal feel rather coy. Fantastic!

And while looking for Jessica’s email, I found a few others that I meant to answer, but totally didn’t. I’m so sorry if you sent me an email in the past couple of week and I haven’t responded. I’m not a snot, I’m just really forgetful! I’m really trying to get better, I swear. It’s just that I keep forgetting that I’m trying to get better.

Just a few more days until NH Sheep and Wool! I’m looking forward to seeing all my peeps! I’m meeting my parents there, too, so make sure to give them a big blogger “Hello!” when you see us. I want them to think I’m cool. Work with me here.

Posted by Stitchy McYarnpants 5 COMMENTS

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Dear Mr. Etherknitter,

In the spirit of healing‚ and good vibes‚ . . .

This Budvisor’s for you!

Seriously, once we’re done with it in a couple of weeks, it’s all yours. Much like some people believe in Pyramid Power, I believe in Beer Can Power. You pop this on your noggin and you’ll have bones growing out of places you never thought they could! So for the love of all that is boney, Mr. E, concentrate. Think about your leg while you’re wearing it and all will be well.

May the power of beer cans compel you.

May the power of beer cans compel you.

May the power of beer cans compel you.

May the power of beer cans compel you.

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Patterns for the Budvisor‚ and San Pellegrino tote bag‚ are now available in the Tin Can Alley gallery! W00t! I tweaked the Budvisor (I just can’t stop saying that name) a bit, and came up with a pretty good solution‚ for the adjustable closure in the back. The beer can’s very own tab!‚ I haven’t tested it very strenuously, so it may need some reinforcement, or you may have to tear it off altogether and put a button (or a bottle cap) on there instead.

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And a side note on the handles for the tote bag. I used thin bamboo ones from the craft store‚ and they were holding up ok until someone (*cough*myhusband*cough*) kneeled on them. They snapped like twigs, which is essentially what they are. I was a little concerned with their sturdiness to begin with, so just keep it in mind. If you’re tough on your bags or have a husband, you may want to go for plastic. I think clear acrylic ones would look really cool.

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Enjoy!!

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Posted by Stitchy McYarnpants 2 COMMENTS

“My, what big gunshot wounds you have.” smirked Little Red Riding Hood as she skinned and cleaned the wolf, carefully turning his pelt inside-out. With her task complete, she kissed her elderly grandmother goodbye, packed up her basket and shotgun, and headed home with her brand new riding hood.

Posted by Stitchy McYarnpants 8 COMMENTS

Lately, my life has been reduced to a bunch of lists. It’s the only way I can remember to get anything done. Problem is, I often forget to add stuff to the lists. I remember for a second, but then, it goes away again. For instance, I need to make an appointment to get my hair colored, but I only remember for about 5 seconds about 2 or 3 times a day. I’ve been meaning to call for an entire week, but I can’t get it on the list. And it always seems to pop into my head when they’re not in the salon.

And so it goes with knitting. I’ve barely been doing any lately because I have so much else to do. I want to knit, I just can’t figure out what, when, and for how long. So I now must make a list of that, too. I’m going to‚ try to get to some‚ unfinished objects and try to tie up all those loose ends. And then weave them in.

1. First and foremost, non-blogable gift knitting. I know what it’s going to be, pattern, yarn, the whole thing. I just need to get the pattern, yarn, the whole thing.

2. Olympic Knitting. Yeah, I never finished it. Jon’s sweater needs another sleeve, a neck, and some seaming.

3. Charlene’s Scoop du Jour. I have the back entirely finished, just need a couple of sleeves and two front pieces. Buttons are the fun part.

4. Branching Out I started this and screwed it up a while ago. I need to either rip it out entirely or frog it to the section right before where I messed up. It’s fuzzy mohair. Either way, this is going to hurt.

5. Seamus. Sweet Seamus. I got a couple inches done on the cabley bit and that was it. Still love it, still want it. It will be done.

But before any of this, I must knit two of the ugliest ties you’ve ever seen. There’s a Book Expo in D.C. in a couple of weeks and the publishers want to kitsch it up a bit. The pattern I’m using is one of the two that Marnie actually created for the book. There’s also a granny square tote bag. For someone who designs and knits such beautiful things, she does ugly really well. A little too well, some would say. She said that‚ it almost ruined her knitting cred on the bus to work in the morning. Her fellow passengers weren’t used to seeing her with a crochet hook in one hand and a granny square in the other.

Once the ugly is over, it’s on to real knitting. No cans, no crochet hooks, no kitsch. ~sigh~ It’ll be good to get back. And just in time for NH Sheep and Wool! Anyone going? I’m taking my mom on Saturday, and I do believe my dad is coming as well. Wooooo!

Posted by Stitchy McYarnpants 18 COMMENTS

It’s an exciting day here at the Museum of Kitschy Stitches. We’ve been bringing you the worst that yarn has to offer since 2004 and at long last, you get to meet the staff members who make it possible. These are the folks who have been working somewhat tirelessly, but mostly sporadically, to meet your need for acrylic thrills. Their often half-assed attempts to amaze and amuse are the only thing that keeps them going between office birthday parties. Not since the great Yarn Sore Outbreak of ’05 has there been this much buzz (or fuzz) in the air. So get ready to meet the whole crew, from the hunky head of Security to the tumultuous Tammies in accounting and reception. Enjoy!

Belinda and Jane in Exhibits

The two are the go-to gals when it comes to thinky things. Their intelligence is directly proportional to the size of their glasses. They’re responsible for arranging and writing descriptive text about the images you see throughout the museum. Belinda loves to use her prose to highlight the creativity and uniqueness of the objects on display. Jane loves tearing up Belinda’s flowery dissertations about the artists who created these steaming heaps and replacing them with her own bitter admonitions.

Belinda’s overzealous use of stripes and large wooden anchors to release her perky inner pirate is matched only by Jane’s inexplicable need to direct your gaze to her chest with not-so-subtle knitwear. Yo-ho-ho, Belinda. Time for a boob job, Jane.

Ted and Jim in Acquisitions

Ted and his apprentice, Jim, are responsible for gathering the pieces that are displayed in our many galleries. They regularly scour estate sales, flea markets, and Ted’s elderly mother’s book shelf for new treasures. Ted really enjoys his job. Reeeeally enjoys it. So much so that everyone who works in the Acquisitions Department is required to wear a uniform knitted in his signature colorway €“ Red Hot Red Heart. Since he’s the boss, he gets the three-button pullover. Jim, being an entry-level assistant, must wear the sweater vest. No one has ever applied for the intern position because no one wants to wear the thong.

Gail in HR

Gail is a brave woman who has faced adversity and overcome great odds. She is truly an inspiration to us all. She suffers from a rare disorder that causes her to be convinced that common household items are to be worn on the body. Some days it’s a teapot hat, others it’s a sofa cushion skirt. On this particular day, her non-skid, suction-cup bathtub mat became a fetching poncho. She feels right at home here in the offices of the MOKS.

Vito in Security

Vito joined the team as head of Security after his hair product modeling career abruptly came to an end when it was discovered he was using follicle-enhancing drugs. Vito is the man. So what if he’s wearing a boatneck sweater made with green, purple, and maroon heathered yarn with dropped puffy dolman sleeves and a blousy fit at the waist!? Who else would have had the sheer strength to get Gail of the floor when she tripped and suction cupped herself firmly onto the linoleum? Notice that no one has ever stolen anything from the MOKS collection with Vito heading up security. Would you mess with this guy? No, I didn’t think so.

Tammy in Reception

Tammy is the light-hearted, fun-loving receptionist here at the MOKS. She’s on top of everything that goes on in the office and no ones’ personal problems escape her notice. If there’s even a hint of a special occasion, she wastes no time in festooning cubicles with theme-appropriate decorations. From birthdays to showers to settling out of court over troublesome harassment lawsuits, she’s got just the thing. Sometimes we have up to four cakes in a day. Having a bad morning? You can always count on her to remind you to turn that frown upside-down. Over and over and over, until you comply. Yep, she’s a real peach, that one.

Lately she’s been troubled because she keeps getting mistaken for Tammy in Accounting who has a bit of a . . . reputation. It seems that Recpetionist Tammy has been getting a lot of Accounting Tammy’s emails. Emails that are most certainly not fit for a beunicorned beauty. The water delivery guy has been giving her long, lascivious looks through the empty bottles. The snack machine guy keeps offering her free nuts! Who could have possibly caused this mix-up that vexes her so?

I haven’t the slightest idea. But perhaps next time it would be wise to allow one to do with one’s frown what one pleases.

Tammy in Accounting

Tammy’s her name and crunching numbers is her game. Much like Tammy in Reception, she’s pretty much on top of everything in the office. Or more accurately, everyone. Surprisingly, the only thing about her that doesn’t look like it’s spent the past three nights in a strange place is her sweater. Even her pearls look a little rumpled. That’s because she spins her own yarn from the wool of a very special sheep. Dolores is the dream fleece for hoochies everywhere; it’s gin-soaked and ready for action. Her sturdy fiber can stand up to one drunken, anonymous hookup after another, and washes free of any grime, grass stains, or guilt whatsoever. Rock on with your bad selves, Tammy and Dolores.

Board of Directors

Meet the Board of Directors, the Orlons. This influential family is the backbone of the Museum of Kitschy Stitches. They’re the deciders, the financiers, the ones with the eBay account. They come from a long line of well-to-do oil barons and their fondness for non-renewable resources inevitably led them down the path of knittable petroleum products. Generations of Orlons have ensconced themselves in the sweaty embrace of acrylic, leaving the family’s trademark rash on the scalps and necks of all. Hives truly are the mark of Orlon.