|
Greetings,
Someone wrote they'd seen goldenrod and that was a sign autumn was coming. I know it can't be too soon for those having hotter than normal temperatures. Although I usually think of south Louisiana as being hot (where I live), it has been relatively cool by comparison to so many other places in the northern hemisphere! For example, when I was in Chicago last month, the heat index soared above 100 while the weather map showed only low 90's in New Orleans. Oh well, and I thought I was going north to cooler weather. Maybe next time.
Among other things while making excuses to stay in the cool of air conditioning, I have been revamping the HeartStrings FiberArts website. There's still some more to do but if you haven't stopped by the site in a while, you'll probably notice a new look. Let me know what you think.
On the knitting pattern front, Ahoy! Socks and Winter Solstice are two more republications from The Sock Calendar that are being released this month. Ahoy! Socks is Catherine Wingate's signature design — our republication celebrates her tall ship sailing adventure beginning this month. Read about this and more below.
Enjoy and stay cool!
Jackie E-S / HeartStrings FiberArts
Attention Newcomers - If you are receiving this newsletter from someone else and would
like to start receiving your own free issues, just sign up by visiting my website at
http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/e-news.shtm
Circular Needle Organizer — A Home-grown Solution
|
Before my collection of needles grew so large, I happily kept all organized in pockets within a huge zippered binder arranged by size.
When the binder got past the point of bulging and I was getting lazy about putting needles away (thus frustrating myself later with the wasted time to find what I needed for new projects), I devised a different plan. Now, I use a metal merchandiser clip strip and velcro to organize my circular needles. There is room again in the binder for my other straight and double point needles. Yay!
|
Click on the picture to enlarge. I also have a close-up
here so you can see how I simply labeled the needle size with a marking pen on pieces of velcro, the needles are inserted through the layers of velcro and held by their cables, and inserted under the clip of the merchandizer.
The velcro holding all needles of a certain size is easy to unclip from the merchandiser. That is handy for me because I like to try out a variety of needle compositions and lengths before making a selection to suit the particular yarn fiber and type of project I will be working on. When I have made my selection, I just return the velcro strip holding the remaining needles to the merchandiser clip.
I know a lot of people come up with there own organizing schemes, and likely some of you already have unvented this idea or similar. Not only am I feeling more organized — the wall hanging makes quite a decorative conversation piece!
Jackie E-S Featured in KnitNet Magazine - Silk Smoke
|
The summer edition of KnitNet is online now at www.knitnet.com. One of my new lace designs is featured — Silk Smoke, a versatile accessory you can wear laid on your shoulders as a dressy neck cowl or pulled over your head as a wimple.
|
For the sample model, I chose a fiery red rather than a more traditional subdued natural or grayed-down color. After all, where there is smoke there is fire!
Ahoy!
T305 Ahoy! Socks
|
Ahoy! Socks is Catherine Wingate's signature design in the now out-of-print The Sock Calendar book. Our single-pattern republication of this design celebrates her tall ship sailing adventure starting later this month.
|
Did you know?
- The tall ships featured in the photo of the Ahoy! Socks are all ones that Catherine has sailed or crewed on. These were the inspiration for the Ahoy! Socks.
- The handsome blue-and-yellow square rigger (left of sock) has since been used in the movie Master and Commander with Russell Crowe. The large 170-foot white barkentine in the upper right corner of the photo is the Gazela Primeira, the world's oldest and largest wooden barkentine still in operation.
- The cable stitch in the Ahoy! Socks reminded Catherine of old hawser cordage (real manilla rope) she saw at Mystic Seaport.
Catherine recently passed a tough Celestial Navigation course (congratulations!) and has been accepted to join the crew on the Gazela for a special voyage this month. What an honor. Let's wish her happy sailing.
T312 Winter Solstice
|
Also republished this month is Winter Solstice, a holiday stocking and companion mini-sock ornament. It's not too early to get a head-start on the holiday season!
|
A Gift for You - 3D Animated Screensaver
If you run Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/NT4/XP on your computer, please enjoy this gift to you from HeartStrings.
|
Simply download the free screensaver file and install. The tumbling cubes feature a sampling of 6 pattern designs in the Jackie E-S Design Collections to delight you and anyone passing by your computer while you are taking a break.
|
To see details of each of the featured patterns, click the title links below:
HeartStrings FiberArts / Jackie E-S Design Collections
From the classic to the uniquely appealing.
Skill-building, comprehensive instructions.
Yarn-generic patterns for your creative freedom.
Specializing in Knitted Lace and Beaded Knitting.
| 
