It's really hard to keep up--a new word and a new knitting stitch

The new word is 'aleatoric', in a blog by Tom of Holland--thanks Barb for mentioning it. In this case, it was aleatoric rhythms used in Fair Isle patterns.

http://tomofholland.com/2013/09/04/aleatoric-rhythm/

There was also the reminder of Wool Week in Shetland next month. I went last year and enjoyed every minute--hard to believe another year has just about passed. http://www.shetlandwoolweek.com/ Have a look at the activities for this year's event. It just gets better and better.

Also, came across a new knitting stitch--well, new to me. It was in a pattern for a tea cosy in a kit which I bought at Wonderwool Wales this past May. The instructions were to "k2 tog-b, and then k the same two stitches tog. again through front loops". I struggled and struggled and finally went to see my friend Anna, who figured it out. The instructions were part of a four-row repeat to give the appearance of fleece on a lamb.

It's hard to keep up

No sooner did I post that the British knitting magazine, Yarn Wise, was going cease publication due to the proliferation of (British?) knitting magazines, than today I learned of a new one from Britain.

Fabulous Knits has announced their first issue. It appears to be published by the same British company which issues Homes and Antiques.

I am trying to restrain myself and do not buy nearly as many knitting magazines as I once did--it just gets too expensive and I find they are frequently of limited interest. Although, saying that, my favourite continues to be The Knitter. I find that I keep every issue.

Libraries and Iceland

A close friend sent this link in Facebook and I think the photos speak for themselves. I love libraries, even if they don't occupy "breathtaking" buildings. The first thing I do once I move to a new place is to get a library card.

http://ile/49-breathtaking-libraries-from-all-over-the-world

The newsletter for Iceland has been renamed and is now called "The Icelander". Lots of information in this issue:  www.icelandnaturally.com

News from Yell and beyond

Andy Ross, of Yell, is a prolific poster and I marvel at the frequency and wide content of his blogs.  www.globalyell.org. I had the opportunity to meet Andy this past July during our day trip to Unst and Yell while we were on Shetland. He is a musician, originally from Zimbabwe, and has established an art gallery and weaving centre on Yell. Although I'd been reading about the site for several years, I wasn't prepared for the two modern and attractive buildings, which were essentially 'in the middle of nowhere'. The centre is also the place where the community gets together to hear concerts, view film nights and generally as a place to gather.

As I've indicated before, I'm not a weaver but like many people, am interested in all things textile. The weaving centre is bright, with a number of looms and supports weaving students. I bought two beautiful scarves there.

I read a number of newsletters. I sometimes feel that my time would be better used elsewhere, however found the following interesting and pertinent, especially the part about people who rustle around in their baggage stored in the upper bin. The fact that they are completely oblivious to those waiting to reach their seats is both irritating and hard to believe. The actual article is much more detailed, but the following gives you an idea:

<<Now Boarding: Airlines Continue To Experiment

Loading an airplane quickly and efficiently isn’t easy, though it should be and could be. Mathematicians and scientists have yet to come up with a definitive answer, which is why there are almost as many boarding procedures as airlines. But we may finally be nearing the day when we’re not all waiting for 17D to jam his overstuffed suitcase into the overhead bin.
Wired>>

More news

I received the September newsletter of the Textile Museum of Canada, www.textilemuseum.ca. I encourage anyone who lives in the Toronto area, or who will be visiting Toronto, to be sure to visit. It is centrally located in downtown Toronto, close to subway and streetcar stops.

Also, I received the book which I bought in the Hebrides in July. It was not inexpensive, but worth every page! It is titled, From the Land Comes the Cloth, with photos and narrative by Ian Lawson. I haven't gone through it page by page yet, but what I've seen is wonderful. It's also a treat to see photos of people who we visit during the Scottish tour.

Wonder if this is a sign of the times

Last month, I bought the previous issue of this British magazine. It isn't my favourite magazine, but was slightly interesting and did have a shawl pattern which I plan to knit. I was surprised to learn that the next issue of the magazine, #63 will be the last. Their announcement said: "Tailor Made Publishing has decided to close the title because the market for knitting magazines has become too crowded." I wonder if that will happen to the American knitting magazines. There are so many in print at present.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Postcard from Shetland

I've just received the September issue of Postcard from Shetland. As always, it's full of interesting news and a calendar of events this month. http://visit.shetland.org/september-2013-newsletter .

Also, learned that there is a special embroidery project called the Great Tapestry of Scotland. http://www.scotlandstapestry.com . The section which the Shetland Needleworkers were assigned is entitled: 'Orkney and Shetland ceded by Denmark to Scotland 1469', and is one of 150 panels. For any of you who have seen the Bayeux Tapestry, it will be similar to that wonderful creation, and I'm assuming also the Welsh 'Last Invasion Tapestry. The languages featured are English, Gaelic, Latin & Scots.

Read the website of the Tapestry--it lists all the panels, the history of the idea, embroidery stitches used--very interesting.

I've behind on this announcement and just learned of it from a past newsletter of the Shetland Guild. Apparently, the completed tapestry was due to be hung this month in the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh. That's where I'm going the next time I'm in Scotland!