Back when this whole Sock Summit thing started, everybody had their thing. While everybody on the team is really invested in all aspects of the Summit, we've all got facets of it that really sing to them. Mine was the teachers (Okay. I think everybody was interested in the teachers). I am a knitting teacher, and I had in mind the way that I always like to be treated, and have treated them accordingly. For me it's really about the process and techniques of knitting and who's doing it. Tina's special pet was the vendors. She is a vendor, she has lots of vendor experience, and the same way I have insight into the teaching experience, she's got it going on vendor wise. She's been a tireless advocate for all the vendors. (They got free wi-fi. If you've ever been a vendor at a large convention, that should impress you.) The people coming to sell yarn, the dyers who make yarn, the shops that stock yarn... not surprisingly, Tina being who she is, was all about the yarn - and especially (again, being who she is) about the dyers.
Tina loves dyeing fibre the way that I love knitting. While I was imagining all the wonderful little knitterly nuance, Tina's been busting a move to imagine all the wonderful ways that dyers could really strut their stuff at this conference. She came up with all sorts of ways to invite them into the community and show them off. There's the Colour me Crazy booth in the marketplace, where you can talk with dyers about who they are and what they do, and there's the demonstration area, and where all the vendors can show whatever they like to you, and then... then there's this.
Dye for Glory. Tina has already imagined many aspects of the Sock Summit in yarn (She has new colourways called SockGate, ST-1 and ST-2. SockGate is still cracking me up. ) and she got to thinking that this would be a fun idea for everyone. Now, my friends can tell you that I am the sort of person who, if I say "you know what would be fun" everybody runs for cover, and Rachel H gets out a clipboard. I specialize in big crazy knitting ideas, and Tina is the first friend I have ever had who does the same thing - so when she said "you know what would be fun..." and followed it with her plan for how we could have a cool on-line dyeing thing, and all the dyers who were going to have their yarn for sale at the Summit could come up with some sort of colourway, and we could put them on line and then everybody in the whole world could vote on them and look at them and see them, and we could ... like PIMP their yarn all over the place and build community and show it off and really connect with people about the dyers community and c'mon... dyers influence almost everything that knitters make, they're like... the heart of the thing and don't you think that would be great?
When Tina said that, all I could think of was ... YES. Yes. We should totally do that. Totally. Dude, we can have this huge thing and we'll have pages and pages of yarn and people will really celebrate dyeing and ...
It was about 3 hours before either one of us thought about the important stuff. What website? Who would do that? How would they do that? We would need a way to put pictures of yarn on line with all of its details. We would then need a community of knitters who could communicate how they felt about that.. .and ...that sounds really hard, and it would take someone like .. maybe Casey to do that and he's already got a job putting yarn up on Ravelry and having a community of knitters communicate about it and, really, I don't think he's got time to do that, which sucks, because something like Ravelry would really work...
That's when it hit us (Actually, not really right then, but we don't like to appear dim in public) and we dropped a note to Ravelry asking them if they could help and if they would help us host a really big yarn party, and Jess, Casey and Mary-Heather (who writes really funny emails some days) stepped right up and made a super beautiful on-line yarn party for the Sock Summit. It's a beautiful thing, just like yarn... and we're proud (so proud that we're simul-blogging. Check Ravelry and Tina) to announce Sock Summit's Dye for Glory event, brought to you by the lovely, clever and generous folks at Ravelry.
Go have a look here: Dye for Glory. It's very cool, and there's a brand new Ravelry thread about it here.
(Ps. Thanks Tina. Your ideas are pretty good. Just do me a favour, and slow down with them for 10 minutes.. will ya?)
(PPS:
Blanket Size Check '09
(Thanks Joe.)
(PPPS. The blanket totally looks smaller when given to a larger person. I'm swapping my model back to smaller daughters rather than a larger husband next time. Better effect.)
Posted by Stephanie at June 25, 2009 6:26 PMYeah, back to the smaller models. That's probably a good-sized blankie by now, but it is clearly not big enough for Joe!
Posted by: Mary de B at June 25, 2009 6:29 PMWheeee! :)
Posted by: Mary-Heather at June 25, 2009 6:30 PMJoe rocks!
Posted by: Doreen at June 25, 2009 6:30 PMBlanket looks good!!
Posted by: Barbara S. at June 25, 2009 6:34 PMIf you could find a small cooperative child, the blanket would look huge!!! How tall is Hank now? :) I'm liking the blanket a lot. I wonder if I would survive the garter stitch, though.... At least Four Seasons changes just about the time you're heartily sick of the stitch you're doing! But I do love the look of that blanket you're doing...
Posted by: samm at June 25, 2009 6:36 PMYou're right. It looks like a biggish washcloth when Joe holds it. LOL
You guys are doing a great job on Sock Summit"09"
Posted by: Barbara S. at June 25, 2009 6:38 PMI was just wondering who would hold the whole thing in the end just before I read the PPPS...I think that findind someone even bigger (though a challenge) would keep the pattern nicely ;)
Posted by: ola at June 25, 2009 6:40 PMOMG - LOVE ST1 & Stargate - I know what I am using my STR discount on! Brilliant idea. Maybe next year you could have an amateur dyer's site or contest for those of us who just do it for our own pleasure.
Posted by: Donna at June 25, 2009 6:41 PMToo funny! I'm making the baby moderne log cabin, and I'm on exactly the same stripe right now! I'll have to get on the stick (it's been my "between projects" project for awhile now) and see if I can finish my teeny one by the time you finish your big one!
I now have a better understanding of why the gansey is on hold!
Posted by: Christy at June 25, 2009 6:53 PMI count 7 blocks, so you're more than half done. Congratulations!
Posted by: Linder at June 25, 2009 6:56 PMWow! It's looking great! And yes, Joe makes it look tiny. I'm certain he makes you look like a pocket fairy so I bet the blanket already covers you down to your ankles! :D
Sock Summit goodness strikes again! :( I can't make it and couldn't even before the sign-up....
Posted by: remclave at June 25, 2009 7:02 PMTotally unrelated comment. My husband went to Prince Edward Island last week for the annual snowmobile congress. So, the prime minister shows up. That should probably be capitalized. Prime Minister. Being an American, my husband was stunned that the PM came in shook hands and nobody had to go through a metal detector or anything! He could see Secret Service, but not many and it wasn't a big deal.
He had other general comments about the non-argumentativeness of the Canadians, which reminded me of a tweet you had the other day.
Posted by: Monica at June 25, 2009 7:09 PMOkay, I have to admit that after reading all of this my brain is still trying to figure out what the Dye For Glory is (but it sounds awesome), but I NEED one of those ST-2 colourways! Aaaagh, the reds and purples all together that is the BEST! Must have!
Posted by: Glenna at June 25, 2009 7:14 PMRachelH must've been involved at some point, because there can be no truly grand ideas without The Clipboard Of Power.
I dunno, I'm thinking even the largeness of Joe comparatively to both the daughter-models and the blanket shows not only how big the blanket is, but also how much you've done since the last update.
Also, if the blanket is that big next to a big guy, imagine how big it would be next to a wee baby!
I look at things a bit oddly though, so. :)
Posted by: Jae at June 25, 2009 7:20 PMOK - I am not saying this just to win favors but I LOVE how your mind works. You have such a creative and intuitive sight to really get knitters and other fiber artists really geeked out.
I hope and pray that the Sock Summit will become a yearly thing because next year I am coming.
Blanket beautiful. Nice to see a pic of Joe. :)
Posted by: Lissa at June 25, 2009 7:37 PMSpecial Sock Summit yarn! Eeeee... the quantity of cash I know I'll have to have on hand for the vendor fair just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger...
Posted by: Hissy Stitch at June 25, 2009 7:45 PMSeriously...I hate cleaning bathrooms, but given the amount that you have to go on this blanket thing and how much time you've spent on it...ALL USING ONE STITCH...I would probably choose cleaning over knitting as a distraction from the stitch boredom. You've shown an impressive force of will to keep at this.
Posted by: Kirstin Sandaas at June 25, 2009 7:52 PMNo! Keep using Joe! While your daughters are undoubtedly adorable, there are not nearly enough big hairy men on the kniternet. And I'm a bit of a fan.
Posted by: eclair at June 25, 2009 8:05 PMOoh! Ooh! *waves hand furiously while jumping up and down* What about those of us playing along at home? Can we hold a "sympathy dye" in our kitchens to support those taking part in the Sock Summit? Or maybe it would be "dyeing of envy"...
Posted by: silfert at June 25, 2009 8:07 PMI agree, small models are in great demand for any number of products. Joe wouldn't qualify. (Sorry, Joe.)
I have finished knitting my first pair of socks, started so that I could go to the Sock Summit and have some idea of what was going on. Probably it's good that someone more experienced than I gets to go and make better use of the event.
But, still, my first pair is done, fits beautifully, and has been given to my darling husband who said, "No one has ever made me socks before." He's worn them every night since for TV watching. I think I've started something.
Love the dyeing contest. I've been trying to find undyed fiber that has some nylon in it to dye and spin (spinning is another activity I can blame on the Yarn Harlot).
Now, you must all take a moment to catch your 2nd wind or you'll be burnt out by the Sock Summit.
Posted by: Maureen at June 25, 2009 8:16 PMI totally get about the game. I just discovered Hatchlings, and haven't knit a stitch all day.
Posted by: Marina Stern at June 25, 2009 8:19 PMThank you for the great pics on picking up stitches. I agree I prefer your method but I always felt "wrong" doing it that way. It's like I now have permission because you've shown you do it that way as well.. how odd that at 46 I still need validation for my own ideas. The pics and explanations were great. You've given a little tutorial to anyone who may have needed it AND entertained the masses as well. Thanks Again!
Posted by: Michelle at June 25, 2009 8:31 PMLOL. Love Joe holding the blanket. I can tell it's grown bigger. It doesn't matter who holds the blanket, it just keeps on growing. I love the look on Joe's face, too. How big is that blanket going to grow? It's huge! Loveit. Thanks for all your Sock Summit work! It's to dye for.
Posted by: Erica at June 25, 2009 8:43 PMHow about using Hank? Now if the blanket is for Joe, you do have a way to go........
Posted by: Jo-Anne at June 25, 2009 8:45 PMOoh, Ooh! I don't have anything to say, I haven't even read the post yet, but I had to jump in and be in the top 50 commentors! Yeah, so there's that.....
LOVE the blanket, LOVE the pick up/pick up and knit tutorial. It was v. helpful. I have seen this done both ways, but with no one ever explaining the difference, or when it was appropriate.
I love the yarn you are using, but I am hesitant to go to all the trouble of knitting a blanket that can't be thrown into the wash (I just made a felted vest out of eco-wool for my son and it felted like a DREAM). Is it really no big deal to you to hand wash something as big as a blanket? What about pizza stains and beer spills? What about having it for 15 years - won't it eventually felt in spite of your best efforts? Do you have some magic Harlot thing you do that would keep that from happening? Please don't say your blankets don't get pizza stains because the people in your house never spill, or the errant baby never pukes, or they are never flung onto a sticky floor and covered with cat hair...I couldn't take it.
Sincerely,
Trapped in a House With Slobs
It is always nice to see Joe. No reservations on that. I have confidence in the blanket.
Posted by: twinsetellen at June 25, 2009 9:34 PMI so wish I could attend. All I can say is there had better be lots and lots and lots of photos and maybe an East Coast Summit next year. The generosity of all of you involved in this just overwhelms me. Thank you.
Posted by: catspaw at June 25, 2009 9:56 PMI think you're great. Thanks for blogging- I enjoy it so much.
I haven't been bitten by the sock bug but l.o.v.e sock yarn. Lace.
Casey, Jess and Mary-Heather, it don't get better than them for on-line community type stuff. They are the kind of folks the rest of us love to think we know.
Also, Joe, while a handsome blanket model, does make the progress look difficult to see.
Posted by: Dorothy at June 25, 2009 10:36 PMTina's brain always amazes me:) Who knows what you two will cook up with 6 more weeks until SS!
Posted by: Debaccuardi at June 25, 2009 10:41 PMAhhhh... so this is Joe. I feel like this is my first time really seeing him, considering how much I have read about him (and now I feel slightly stalkerish).
Hi Joe! *waves* Nice blanket you got there!
Posted by: Crystal at June 25, 2009 10:51 PMI don't think anyone would complain about seeing more Joe pictures.
Posted by: Heather W. at June 25, 2009 11:15 PMThe size of the gathering, the number of rock-star teachers, the magnitude of the vendors ... I keep being bowled over by how the collective mind (& will) of ST-1 and ST-2 just blow past all expectations like -- well, not even speedbumps. More like those normal expectations are about the size of mites. Grains of sand. Or dust. And now the Dye for Glory event? Holy Toledo folks!!!
You all know that you're being written into the annals of fiber/knitting history, yes? I DO SO HOPE that there is adequate press coverage of this!
Posted by: Sarah JS at June 25, 2009 11:25 PMI live in Toronto and I think you deserve some sort of 'knitting in extreme heat' award. Of course, I'm knitting too but not a blanket. Kudos to you!
Posted by: Nan at June 25, 2009 11:35 PMDo yourself a favour and stay away from Ravelry for a while... the whining has already started. Can't people just read the rules --- particularly the one that says this is supposed to be fun and to PLAY NICE! --- and then bite their tongues if they aren't thrilled?!?
Anyway, I think it's a great idea. And it's your convention and your contest and you can do whatever the heck you feel like. SO THERE!
PS - I didn't notice what the prizes would be... maybe it could be an offer to sell their yarns on the sock summit swag webpage after all is said and done for all of us non-attenders to stock up on???
Posted by: Jen at June 25, 2009 11:37 PMCould it just be that the blanket is in the Black Hole of Knitting? Cause I could swear it was bigger earlier!
But anyway, Joe looks great! I mean... uh... the blanket looks great! :)
Good plan about Sock Summit and Dye for Glory. I can't attend, but this way I sorta feel like I can participate too!
Posted by: Michelle Fobbs at June 25, 2009 11:38 PMMaybe it's Joe, or the way he's holding it, or maybe it's the stage that the knitting has reached, but suddenly I can comprehend the pattern. And it's lovely! What fascinating garter stitch!
Posted by: Evelyn U at June 25, 2009 11:53 PMHaving a husband who's 15" taller than me, I had to explain to my sister who's visiting why I was cracking up so hard. She asked, So you can relate? YES!!!
And go Joe!
Posted by: AlisonH at June 26, 2009 12:11 AMUm, I have a 2 yo I could loan you to hold the Blanket.....
;)
Wow. You're totally right about the blanket looking smaller. That's hilarious. So if you had two small children hold it, would it look huge?
Posted by: Convivialiddell at June 26, 2009 1:33 AMWhen I saw that photo, all I thought was "hm, he's really nice-looking". Sorry, blanket!
Posted by: Laura at June 26, 2009 4:41 AMLooooooking good!
Posted by: Jody at June 26, 2009 6:11 AMYou're doing a super job of keeping us-all interested while the blanket grows. Wish I could be with you in Portland, my #2 hometown.
Posted by: SylvanB at June 26, 2009 9:02 AMMust. Have Sock Summit Yarn.
Must. Make. Blanket.
Must. stop. reading. influential posts.
So you're just sitting around getting bored so you thought another major project would fit nicely here? Sounds about right!
Posted by: Dianna at June 26, 2009 10:07 AMI think there should be a yarn/colorway named for you and Tina. Suggestions? Dye for Glory sounds ab fab, what a fantastic and creative idea among all the others!
Posted by: Eve Linn at June 26, 2009 10:53 AMWe need more men holding knitting on the internet as role models for other men/boys.
Posted by: Judy B at June 26, 2009 11:11 AMI don't know. Using the more robust model gives you a better of idea of how it would work for snuggling under (with or without a more robust model). I am not a large woman, but I would identify with the blanket size held up by Joe more than Meg. Probably because I still think of myself as a larger woman.
Posted by: Seanna Lea at June 26, 2009 11:13 AMHaven't seen a pic of Jo in awhile - love it! Good luck with your latest project - I greatly admire your energy and ambition.
Posted by: tiah at June 26, 2009 11:26 AMAaaack! Sooooo cooool!!!!
Posted by: kashurst at June 26, 2009 11:44 AMThank you, thank you for helping make the Dye for Glory idea come into glorious, color-filled life! It's a challenge that may keep me awake more than few nights as I mull over colorways, but it'll be grand to see what everyone comes up with.
Posted by: Astrid at June 26, 2009 11:54 AM1. Please bottle your pep and energy. All you Sock Summit planners and idea-thinker-uppers ROCK! (What is it - five weeks until S Day? I'm not packed yet, but I'm working on the yarn list. I already purchased kiddy round-tipped scissors for the carry-on.)
2. Knitting a large garter stitch blanket in the summer without airconditioning is possible only in legally minimal clothing in front of several fans with iced drinks at hand. Stopping occasionally to douse head and hair with cold water in the shower is suggested but optional.
Posted by: LisaDinPA at June 26, 2009 12:17 PMYour blanket is looking good! How big is it so far? I just switched to circulars for mine and I can almost have the whole thing laying to the side while knitting on it.
You go girl!
Posted by: Barbara from Nova Scotia at June 26, 2009 1:08 PMThat blanket is looking great, but yes, you need a smaller model. Although the larger Joe model brings to mind a question -- how's the gansey?
Posted by: Shel at June 26, 2009 2:26 PMI laughed when I thought of poor Joe trying to huddle under that tiny blanket. Keep knitting! :)
Posted by: ClaireWinlo at June 26, 2009 3:24 PMI can sure see Joe in your girls!
Posted by: Maria at June 26, 2009 4:49 PMAww but we so rarely see Joe on the blog!
Posted by: Mags at June 26, 2009 5:22 PMUm...what blanket? So nice to see Joe again. It's been a while.
I am just speechless about Dye for Glory. It gets better and better.
You're a genius in so many ways.
Yeah-- but he's such a keeper!
Posted by: shanny mac at June 27, 2009 12:13 PMWow..THAT is Joe? He is a big dude! Cute though!! It is nice to see that he is not at all bothered by holding this largish washcloth that his wife calls a blanket! Seriously, this is the first picture I have seen of his face and I am pleased that he is so cute. (Ridiculous that I feel pleased, but I do...you deserve cute.)Blanket is nice and I am glad to know that I have been doing the pick up and the pick up and knit correctly! Thanks for all the photos.
By the way...made the donations just now.
Actually, it's covering him nicely, so I think it's more impressive if Joe holds it.
Posted by: Ranger Susie at June 29, 2009 11:22 AMI'm working on the same afghan (11 months and counting) - almost finished the 8th block. I find it easier, in the summer, to knit at the table. I put the afghan on the table, and put my elbows on the table (I'm not eating, so I shouldn't get scolded by my Mom!!) and knit away. Works for me. Your afghan looks wonderful in those colors. Mine is black, brick, brown, and off-white, a kind of African feel to it.
Posted by: Joanne at July 1, 2009 12:54 AMIf you're that tired of knitting garter stitch, could you not do the horizontal strips in knit stitch and the vertical ones in purl? That would make garter in both strips, but would give you some variety. My mom used to purl when she only needed to do one stitch, because she found it easier.
Posted by: Tine at July 5, 2009 9:35 PM