Wanna Meet Jonny Lee Miller, the hottie from the 90s film Hackers?

Well, I may not be able to get you him exactly, BUT I can probably get you somewhere close. On Facebook this morning I got the idea for this post from a very unlikely source, but that's neither here nor there. I also saw that my ex finally joined the dark side and got a Facebook account, Yuck. BUT that's also neither here nor there. What is HERE AND THERE is knitting machine hacking. "What?" you may ask? Yes, that's right. Knitting machine hacking!! I just felt like kind of a huge geek right there. seriously, who knew right? Some of you out there may be thinking, I don't even know what a knitting machine is/ how to use one/ where to get one. Allow me. A knitting machine is/ faster than hand knitting / user friendly / and readily available on Ebay. And if you're still scared I do offer lessons... Now that I've got those initial fears out of your way there is nothing left to say but CHECK THIS OUT:

Here are some more links that better describe how to do all this jazz via Craft Magazine.

Hacking Your Electronic Brother Knitting Machine Part 1

Hacking Your Electronic Brother Knitting Machine Part 2

So friends, grab your nearest hottie hacker, someone who can make sense of this the directions at this Wiki link (eek.) or here at the Brother Liberation Front and get to making your own knitted painterly masterpieces. Maybe you two will start the next (and hottest) knitting movement. 

x

Charlotte

I like to count alpacas instead of sheep...

I'm not sure why it's 5:19 am and I have yet to go to sleep. But as I lay here, surfing the internet, (read: spending way too much $$ I don't have on Etsy) and updating my website, facebook, and twitter, for the umpteenth time (who am I even talking to, everyone's asleep!), I contemplate the past week and think of where all this is headed to in the whole grand ol' scheme of things. My big dream is to one day own a working alpaca farm, knitwear label, and knitting school. It'll be like a knitting holiday retreat, where people can come and learn about knitting from the very beginning of the process, from shearing the wool off the animals to spinning to dyeing to knitting.

Well crap if someone isn't already doing this.
In my perusal of Etsy I came across this listing for a month in Hungary learning how to weave, knit, dye, be green, and just be generally friggin' AWESOME. All for $5000. Sounds pretty steep, but then again:


you get to:
-learn to spin wool AND MILK A COW!
-the price includes 3 meals a day including fresh baked bread, duck eggs, cow's milk, HOMEMADE CHEESE, fruits and veggies from their organic garden.
-learn how to identify and eat plants from the WILD!
-bring another person for the same price, so if you bring a friend it's $2,500 for all the above jazz.
and after all that:

*** After you pay for your stay with us we are happy to send some goodies from the farm such as herbs, spices and dry sourdough yeast, as a gift before your vacation with us!


Clearly these are the nicest people ever. And that's just the start.


So, who's with me? You can check it out at: http://www.etsy.com/listing/77159502/a-month-with-the-magyars-september-2012

And this is why I want to move to France...

because people do things like this...

As If I Ever Needed ANOTHER Excuse to Knit...

I love knitting and yarn, thank god right, because that's my job. But seriously, Cara and I went into Flock, the only true yarn shop on Nantucket Island, and I totally had to rescue this defenseless ball of angora because of Cara's overwhelming desire to assault it. As you can see, Cara ended up buying it anyway.

Well, in addition to cute little balls of yarn that you want to take home and feed because they look like wee animals, my other love is wooden knitting needles. Sure I got really annoyed that I somehow managed to lose one needle of a pair size 19 massive needles. It reminded me of the time I was flying home from school and I got stuck in Detroit on a layover because Southwest Airlines had "lost our plane." Everyone was like how do you "lose" a plane? This was clearly well before September 11th. So yes I lost one of biggest needles, but upside was that I got to go buy a new set of WOODEN size 19 needles! Very exciting. Not the spending $$ part, but the new needle part.

Now I was on Twitter this morning, and what do you know that I found? COLORED WOODEN KNITTING NEEDLES. I didn't even realize that wooode needlses coudl ... get EVEN better!?!?! See I was so excited, I missplet all those words. I left them there intact so you could see the affect that colored wooden needles have on me. I have scoured the internet (a cursory glance really, as I am SO BUSY) to bring you my top 3 favorite kinds of novelty woodel neesdles.

NUMBER THREE:

So these aren't technically colored, they are just different types of natural woods, but the added rosebud at the ends made me love them all the more. You can find them at Winter Rose Needles.

NUMBER TWO:

Harmony Wooden Needles come in straight, double pointed and circular and look like gelato heaven on a stick!

NUMBER ONE:

This etsy seller, Tikimau, makes vintage needles into jewelry, but sometimes she sells the uncut variety. I bet if you asked her nicely she'd make a pair for you. She just seems like that kind of lady.

Honorable Mention:

These are actually mini shawl pins I found on Etsy, but if they were standard sized needles, they'd be AWESOME!!!

Happy Knitting!

x,

charlotte

The life of a shameless knitter.

I went camping with my family.

My poor clan is no match for the knitting monster into which I inevitably transform.... even on the vacation I took AWAY from knitting. It's an illness. You would have thought that camping in the great woods of New Hampshire would ease me of my ailment. But, no. In fact, it is in situations like this very one that the beast is strongest.

Appointments? None.

Responsibilities? None.

Bathing? Optional.

And not much else to do but blissfully sit, and stoke the fire.... or not.

Jeeeeeezzzz... what is a textile Jezebel to do, I ask you???? oh ya, good thing I packed my portable WORK!!!! Hope my husband doesnt mind...

Canoeing? Nah.

Rope swing? Nah.

Hiking? Thats ok, I'll just sit here and knit.

This is a fingerless glove that I knit while neglecting my family. But, the problem with gloves, is that you have to make two and I was totally ready to move on after I finished it... but hopefully, when I go camping next year, I'll make the other one.

We had to go to the grocery store a few times, about 30 minutes away from our paradise in the woods. On the way back, we stumbled upon this unforgettable farm, and needless to say, my favorite part of the whole trip.

Charlotte and I often fantasize about owning and operating an Alpaca farm and retreat where we will host crazed wool fanatics, much like ourselves, and sheer, spin, knit, and weave ourselves silly... every day. And just think of the unrealized possibilities for side business! Could you imagine a better conversation starter??? This poo farm is the ticket. I really hope your all with me on this one.

Its not that I wasnt in the spirit of camping. I just had found such euphoria in the notion that I literally had all the time in the world to park my butt in that folding chair, and MAKE STUFF. And nothing satisfied me more than feeding that beast.

However, it was pointed out several times that I may be spending too much time with my yarn, and not quite enough time with my..... marshmallow.

Yes. That is a knitting needle.

Well, I guess I did spend a little time with my family after all. I taught my Mumsie to knit! See how happy she is?

And even though my hands were in a constant state of knit, purl, knit, purl, I was able to still enjoy the sound of tall trees, the crystal clear lake lapping at my toes, wood smoke, and the company I keep. As for the knitting beast? Well, she is curled away for now and patiently waiting for the next time I find myself on a relaxing vacation.

I will leave you now with the words of Charlotte,

"knit fast, die warm."

~Cara

Can you use Quid Pro Quo in a Sentence?

Like this Wrap-round? The person who comes up with the best and most correct use of the phrase "quid pro quo" in a sentence wins it! And we're not giving it to any sub par entries! It's gotta be good people!!! You have till Sunday, winners announced Monday. Post your answers at Charlotte's label's Facebook page.
x,
Charlotte