Purl 'n Hurl Blog

OK all, you’ve cast your votes, and it looks like we have a date for this year’s CHRISTMAYULESTIVUSOLSTIKWANZUKKAH Holiday Yarn Exchange: DECEMBER 4! (That date received the fewest ‘no’ votes + the most ‘yes’ votes from our members on Ravelry.)

We will structure the swap like we have in the past. Here are the guidelines:

Each person attending should bring a gift-wrapped NEW yarn gift valued at $15-20 (enough to cover a high quality, natural fiber yarn but not be so expensive as to discourage people from participating – NOT a white elephant exchange of something you don’t like and want to unload). Like last year, it is OK to ‘shop’ from your stash; needles/patterns/notions are also acceptable. The rule-of-thumb we developed last year is: try to make your gift enough of something fiber-y that: a) you would like to receive yourself; and b) is enough for a small project, like a hat or gloves. You should be able to get something nice for the suggested amount (we’ve used the cost of 2 skeins of Noro Kureyon or Malabrigo Worsted as our price-point, because we know you can make a hat using only 2 skeins of those yarns; but don’t let that limit you - use your imagination!)

At the Gift Exchange, we will do a ‘blind’ swap where each person draws a number and then in numerical order we each will choose either a wrapped gift from the pile or ‘steal’ one that has been opened already; in the case of the latter, the ‘stealee’ then gets to re-choose (again, either from the pile or from someone that has already chosen). It is lots of fun, and sometimes there is a flurry of ‘re-gifting’.

Please leave your RSVP here or send me an email ( velma (underscore) occam (at) yahoo (dot) com) so I can let Mazzotti’s know how big a table we need; last year we had our biggest turnout of the year for the Gift Exchange!

I hope to see everyone there, even some PnH ‘lurkers’. ;) Here’s wishing everyone a Happy CHRISTMAYULESTIVUSOLSTIKWANZUKKAH Season!!

First thing to note about our Nov. 27 gathering is that it happened on Nov. 26! ;) Since the 27th was Thanksgiving, most decided that was out, but a few people got together the night before for some knittin' and chattin'. Not too many details, as I wasn't among the PnHers in attendance, but I heard that Edie, Bea, Lena, and Jen enjoyed the jazz and a good meal while newborn Samantha slept. Good times!

A foray to Everett's on Turkey Day itself was planned by Bea, the other Jen, and Velma, but that fell through. Edie ate huckleberry pie while Velma had her knit/drink experience at home. Word on the street is that much turkey was consumed all around (except Elena; what did you have?).

More next week... It will be our annual CHRISTMAYULESTIVUSOLSTIKWANZUKKAH Holiday Yarn Exchange! Hope to see you there...

Back to our regularly scheduled updates! Last night was a fun group of five: regular attendees Bea, Elena, and Velma, plus a surprise visit from Jennifer who can't make it often due to her work schedule, and new member Kristy. New blood meant lots of good conversation and good times, as evidenced by these photos.


Elena played show-and-tell with her almost-complete Autumn Wrap-Up, which she got to the blocking stage last night by finishing the last few sleeve stitches. She's using the Indigo Playmate pattern from Custom Knits and yarn from Beaverslide Dry Goods to make the shawl-collar cardi. It is gonna be one warm sweater when she's done, and I for one can't wait to see it modeled. These pictures show her working on it last night, and if you are a Ravelry member, you can read more about it on her projects page.

Jennifer, who was showing off something of her own: her blinged-out new cell phone, complete with rhinestone-encrusted cover. The easily-impressed Velma oohed and ahhed appropriately, as did everyone else.

She worked on 2 different projects over the course of the evening; she started out with a fair isle kid cap with icy flames for her nephew, but when she hit a snag in her pattern transcription, switched to the Trinity Stitch Hat in a scrumptious handpainted bulky merino yarn (that's what she's working on in this photo). If you are on Ravelry.com, check out her projects page for all the details.

Bea decided to leave the sweater she's working on for NaKniSweMo home (too complicated for knitting-under-the-influence, she said), and instead brought her Bobbled Tam. From the new Holiday 2008 issue of Vogue Knitting, this texture-ific stitch pattern looks like a fun challenge to knit. Velma thinks it looks like it's covered in wee nipples, but she was the only one.

Here's a little known Bea fun-fact: her favorite curse word is 'poo dar'. Who knew?

For more about Bea and her projects, Ravelers can check out Bea's project page.

Velma also left her NaKniSweMo sweater at home, with the excuse that it is too bulky to drag along, but in actuality avoiding picking up stitches at the bottom of the pocket of the Rogue Hoodie she chose to make. Instead, she brought her Stoner Socks, her first pair of Jaywalkers that she loves so much she almost peed herself a little talking about them. She is very enamoured with the screamingly loud pink and yellow zig-zag stripes they exhibit. Details available for Ravelers on her projects page.

Our newest member, Kristy, got short-shrift on the photo front, but had lots to share. She was working on a knit toy for her daughter, although she hadn't decided yet if it will be a bear or a bunny. (Velma wants some weird bear-bunny creature, but that idea didn't get much play.) Although there aren't a lot of details yet, be sure to stay tuned to hear more about Kristy's new venture, Hands on CRAFT, her crafting space in the Hilliard Building in Arcata. Her plan is to offer workshops, materials for sale, and a venue for Humboldt crafters to hang out and practice 'manual arts' like knitting, crochet, spinning, dyeing, and letter-press. Should be lots of fun when it opens, and you can say you heard about it here first. Welcome to the group, Kristy! Hope to see more of you and your crafty-goodness.

One conversation last night was about the field trip to Eureka planned by Bea, V, and Elena. On the itinerary: both of Eureka's newest yarn stores, Yarn & the Northcoast Knittery. Maybe there'll even be reviews here in the upcoming days...

In the meantime, it's that time of year again: CHRISTMAYULESTIVUSOLSTIKWANZUKKAH Yarn Gift Exchange. We have 3 options for the Exchange this year: Dec. 4, 11, or 18. If you have a preference on which date we choose, vote on Ravelry in the Purl 'n Hurl group, or leave a comment here. Then check back for an announcement and more information.

And, as always, there are more photos (viewable by all) in our Purl 'n Hurl photoset on Flickr. Go check 'em out. Hope to see you at our next gathering (which may or may not be next week, on Thanksgiving. Will post here soon about whether or not we'll be meeting.)

Cheers!

OK, so I'm not the most regular poster. But last night in my inbox I found something that motivated me to get back on board with Purl 'n Hurl updates: a message from the StitchnBitch.org admin announcing the new and (much) improved Stitch 'n Bitch website! (They even have a forum now, too.)

Now, entries for regional Stitch 'n Bitch chapters, like Purl 'n Hurl, can update their own listings. When I learned this, I immediately toddled off to fix the errors in ours that had been bugging me for the last year, plus change our meeting day. So we now have a brand-spankin'-new, updated, and most importantly accurate entry for Purl 'n Hurl in the master SnB database! Two, actually, because I listed us under both Arcata and Humboldt (although both listings are identical).

While editing our listings, I took the opportunity to delete the link to our very defunct Yahoo! group of the same name. When I get the once-every-four-months-or-so request to join that group of one (me), I just point them to this blog and our Ravelry group anyway, so saw no reason to keep it.

So, with our fresh, new online presence, and our NEW meeting day of THURSDAYS, I thought it the perfect time to re-establish regular blog updates. I edited the side-bar here to more accurately reflect our details, including adding a couple more member blogs and local yarn shopping opportunities, too. My goal is to return to regular weekly updates, plus member profiles.

Hopefully, these changes will excite more of our 'lurkers' to come out and join us for a fiber-filled and conversation-rich evening soon! Stay tuned for more...

'Til then, here are 2 pics from a recent gathering (that's Bea on the right and Violet on the left.


See you Thursday!