Cyber Sale!

Happy Thanksgiving! 25% off all patterns this holiday weekend.
On Etsy:  Sale starts today!!! Use coupon code BFCMYAY to receive discount on all patterns. Sale runs through Tuesday, November 27, 2012.
On Ravelry: Sale starts tomorrow! No coupon code necessary. 25% discount will show up at checkout.
Have a fantastic holiday!

Every Now and Then

Every now and then I get homesick for Los Angeles. The nostalgia usually comes unbidden. This morning it came in a wave when I was writing down my thoughts, a daily practice that is my mental version of sweeping the floor. I thought about how my mind felt like a change machine from a city bus, the kind they used to have in the 60s. This took me to youtube looking for footage of the machine because I wanted to hear the music of it again, how it sounded like a combination of a washing machine full of change and the crank of an old fashioned gumball machine. The only time I ever got to hear it was when I would ride the bus with my grandmother. She didn't drive and so we would catch the bus on St George to Franklin then on to the shopping center at Vermont and Hollywood Blvd near Barnsdall Park. We had to transfer twice, so we'd pass the change machine every time we got on the bus. I found the sounds and smells of the bus intoxicating.

Before I could find a youtube of the change machine, I found this little snippet from Hollywood in the 40s. The camera is moving west on Sunset Blvd to turn south on Highland Ave. You can see Hollywood High on the right as they come to a stop in the left turn lane. It's the big white building behind that thick row of palms. In 1960, we lived on Citrus Ave, one block off Highland between Melrose and Beverly. That's about a mile south of this intersection. My father's animation studio was less than a mile behind the camera on Homewood off Sunset and Vine. We traveled this particular strip of Sunset regularly. But what I'd forgotten was the sign you see on your left in the first half of the clip, the upright for "auto service".

My brother and I had a game we played on Saturday mornings while our parents slept though I can't imagine how they could have slept through this game. We called the game "Auto Service". That sign must have been quite an impression on my brother, cuz he named the game. Our house had a curving staircase that arrived on the second floor just outside our parent's bedroom. It had a two inch-thick rope railing with brass end fittings that looped from brass hook to hook up the perfectly curved wall. We would take turns at the top of the stairs. The one at the bottom (usually me) would call out "auto service", then the one at the top would send a ball bouncing down the stairs. We had a myriad collection, from teensy rubber balls all the way up to the voit rubber foursquare ball. Just the different sounds of each individual ball was enough to have us laughing. But the kid at the bottom would have to get that ball back up the stairs without leaving the lower entrance hall where the stairs began and the best way to do this was to roll it up the curve of the wall. Second best was to throw a perfectly placed bank shot at just the right point of the curve. A miss would send the ball bouncing off the walls and back down the stairs. The sounds coupled with the frustration level would have us nearly peeing in our pants. This would keep up until our parents got up or we heard dad yelling "goddammit" from the bedroom. In retrospect I believe they were unbelievably tolerant, because we played this game quite a bit.

I learned to knit in that house and remember knitting inside, outside, in the play house, on the front steps. It was a beautiful house, of old brick, kind of an English style, set sideways on the lot with a brick courtyard complete with a small goldfish pond (a rectangular pool where you could sit and look at the fish). It was shaded by a huge Chinese Elm under which were planted camelias, azaleas, impatients and freesias in season. My most vivid 60s knitting memory was sitting on those bricks cross legged with a needle wedged straight up and down between my crossed legs, my first attempts at stabilizing my left hand needle. I'd enter the stitch with the right hand needle, throw the yarn in an enormous arc to make the stitch, then lift the RH needle up and over the tip of the LH needle with the aid of my thumbs, then pull the just made stitch up and off. Once I was proficient enough to do this rather quickly, my mom taught me Continental style. This is the scene that always comes to me when I remember her saying, "Now dear, let me show you an easier way."

Lotus Legwarmers

 I told you all it was pattern season! Yep, this is number 4 in so many weeks. But this is the last of it for a while. Except for...well...just keep an eye to the soon to be live Knitty Deep Fall 2012. Whew! So here's my adaptation of Heart of the Lotus for the Legs. I call them Lotus Legwarmers (such a stretch). The pattern is written for S, M, L with sizing tips for long, short, and multiple tiers (see the rust colored one below). It's a fitted, shaped legwarmer that stays put if you want it to, or scrunches without getting sloppy. It would be a cinch to make it longer to come up over the knee, to knit it on larger needles for a slouchy style, you know...endless variations. The merlot colored ones here are knit in Madelinetosh Pashmina in Venetian. Scrunched rust colored variation is in Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Sequoia. Just like Heart of the Lotus, this pattern is written for fingering and sport weight yarns. You can purchase this pattern here.

Straight from the Muse:

Sandy's Original Calertne mitts

Calertne is NEW in Knitty: Deep Fall 2012 

We're at it again! Sandy Sitzman and I have shared the creative process since 1989. We have dyed, carded, spun and knit together (our most famous example is in America Knits as the handspun, handdyed version of the Tree of Life Jacket), sometimes in a frenzy of excitement, sometimes at a belly crawl. We’ve shared our skills with each other until these skills have become organic, indelible. If you have ever used the cold pour dyeing technique from Twisted Sisters' Sock Workbook, then you are connected to Sandy Sitzman, because she is the person that taught me that technique.

We both begin working on an intuitive level but Sandy stays intuitive throughout. That’s where she is happiest. I’m happier melding kinesthetic with analytical, figuring out puzzles of construction and translating them into patterns. Sandy feels her way along, admiring, smooshing, cajoling. When I ask her how she constructed a piece she says, “I don’t know.” It’s this kind of wandering that gives her work a style all its own.

seamed entrelacs

So when I asked her how she knit Calertne, all she could tell me is, “Well, I worked the entrelacs flat and seamed ‘em, kinda messy, then picked up on the edges and finished the glove.” How’d you make the mate? “Just made another one before I forgot what I did”. I especially love Sandy’s whimsical “teapot spout” thumbs. Her answer to that? “I always make my thumbs that way.” Though not sleek, they are roomy and tres practical and most importantly easy peasy. Kind of an “afterthought thumb”.

It’s no wonder I couldn’t replicate their bodacious uniqueness in my own pattern writing style. My inner perfectionist fought me all the way and there’s defnitely something lost in the translation. So I thought it would be fun to write her original pattern in “Sandy Speak” for those of you adventurous enough to try it. And, if you are that adventurous, you won’t balk at sizing it for your own particular needs. Sandy used my entrelac class handout and accompanying chart as her guide but you can find all kinds of entrelac tutorials online. 

Calertne, Sandy style: 

teapot spout thumbs

Her size: small. 

Her finished measurements: length 9”, width of entrelac cuff 4 3/4”, width of hand 3 1/2”.

Her gauge: 21 sts over 4 inches.

Her yarn: cushy aran weight 2 ply handspun from pretty roving in her stash

Her needles: US #5/ 3.75mm

Her number of beginning triangles: 6

Cast on 36 sts and work a rectangle of 6-stitch entrelacs that looks like it is long enough for a 3 inch cuff following your favorite recipe for back and forth entrelacs. Seam the narrow ends of the rectangle so it looks like a bracelet. 

Using your favorite needles for working in the round, pick up and knit around one edge of the bracelet stitch for stitch. Join round and work 3 rounds in 1x1 rib. Bind off. 

Pick up and knit around the other edge, stitch for stitch. Knit 6 rounds plain, knit 6 rnds in 2x2 rib (to fit snugly at the wrist), knit plain to where you want your thumb (1 1/2 inches). Bind off 9 sts. Continue around to where you bound off and cast on 9 sts. Join round. This makes a hole for the thumb. Knit plain for as long as you want your hand above the thumb (2 1/2 inches). Bind off. 

Pick up 20 sts around the thumb hole. Knit plain till your thumb is long enough (1 1/2 inches). Bind off. 

Make another. Maybe add a little 2x2 fair isle just above the thumb on the second one, just for fun. Not enuf yarn? Spin more.

Want more Sandy? Follow her blog here.

Flip Side

 Another new pattern in two days. Can you believe it? This is Flip Side. These fingerless gloves are totally reversible. Knit it on the dot side (top left, bottom right) and flip to the nubbin side (bottom left). These are quick to knit...or at least I should say that they go fast. And they feel so good on. Of course that could be because I knit them from Madelinetosh Pashmina sportweight merino/cashmere/silk yarn. This color is called Curiosity...such a soft lavender. The pattern is available here.

Cloudland Socks

I have been a pattern writing fool this season. I started with Cloudland fingerless gloves, and loved them so much I had to knit socks in the same pattern. So here they are, released today. Just like the gloves, the cloud pattern, a nifty lacy faux cable, spirals in opposite directions on each foot. I've written it with an afterthought heel, though it should be called and "afterthefact" heel instead, cuz it is definitely well thought out ahead of time, tee hee. This is an easy to work, easy to understand, easy to size heel. You can find tips for heel sizing on Cloudland's ravelry pattern page. This pair is knit in Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in "Denim".

This pattern is available for sale online in my Ravelry store. You can buy it here.

Labor Day Pattern Sale

All patterns in my Ravelry Store are 20% off this weekend only. Today through Monday, Sept 3. 2012.

Buy Now

Sunrise Moonset detail

Yesterday I received a lovely letter from Interweave with a printout of their new ebook (check it out) "Spinning for Crochet". I was delighted to find that my Sunrise Moonset Vest was included in this collection of articles from Spin Off. So I went back into my photo archives and selected examples of works by friends, participants at my workshops, and a few things of my own. You can find this gallery here. Thank you Interweave for keeping this beautiful technique alive in the minds of your readers.

click to enlarge

 Also! Gotta brag on Becky Cook, who sent me this photo of her Best in Show skein at Michigan Fiber Festival 2012. Inspired by Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook, Becky dyed her fiber with the hot pour technique and spindle spun this gorgeous skein of sock yarn. Way to go, Becky!!!

Cloudland

Cloudland

Last spring I stood on the bluff at Cloudland Canyon and watched the thunderheads billowing in the updrafts. It was tornado season and after the crazy twisters of spring 2011 I had my eye to the sky. I could feel the cool mist from the updrafts cutting through the warm, humid air and they were blowing the lightest strands of hair from my face as effortlessly as they threw cabling strands of cumulus heavenwards.

Then I discovered Malabrigo Finito on a trip to Haus of Yarn in Nashville. I fell in love with the cloudlike softness and the delectable colors. Paloma was the first one in my basket.
It wasn't surprising then when I had the urge to knit spiraling cables.

my newest offering

I tried various forms, but I wasn't happy with the feel of the fabric. Cables tend to bind, draw in. I wanted this glove to feel espansive, like a second skin, totally pliable, like clouds for the hands. So I came up with a lace pattern that looks like cables. Now this pattern is available for purchase and download on Ravelry as Cloudland.

Although the Cloudland Canyon State Park website doesn't talk about it, this was once Cherokee land before the Removal and Trail of Tears. It was more than likely sacred land and unpopulated. I wish I knew more about its history, more about the woodland era in Southeastern Tennessee and  Northwest Georgia. I'm glad Cloudland is still wild land, with the few trails that were once built in the '30s falling to rack and ruin. It's such a contrast, this place, to it's commercial sister Rock City on the eastern face of Lookout Mountain and I hope it stays this way for a very long time to come. In an era where it seems more and more difficult to preserve land from development, this is still sacred land in that regard. These gloves in a very small way are my blessing to this land.

Nostalgia

New blood is a good thing, and I am very lucky to have found the web assistant I have needed for some time. Kelly is a recent Sewanee grad, new to but excited about knitting, an embroiderer, artist, and historical preservationist. Welcome to the fold, Kelly!

Kelly introduced me to about.me yesterday. I chose this photo for my page, one of my New Mexico creations from 1985, the beginning of my fiber art career when I knit exclusively with La Lana Wools yarns. Back then Luisa, owner and mastermind behind La Lana called her famous Potpouri Forever Random Blend simply "floor blend". BTW, La Lana closed the doors of her brick and mortar Taos store in February of this year, but you can find them now on Etsy. Anyway, If I remember correctly, the yarns in this sweater could have been "floor blend" or they could have been "Florence's Blend" (where did that name come from...come on...) and of course I sat on the wood floor of La Lana to chose my skeins from a pile of rapturuous color, mulling over each skein till I found the perfect ones, a definite sit-down job. This singles yarn was handspun from a carded blend of naturally dyed wool and mohair locks. You can definitely see madder, cochineal and logwood here, with a crocheted edging in cochineal dyed handspun tussah silk. The background? A natural adobe wall mudded with native clay. I loved the way every skein was different,  the way the colors lived in the natural surroundings of Taos like native denizens. Knitting this yarn was a total experience, sitting in an adobe house by a huge window in a foot-thick wall that let in waves of radiant New Mexico light and wafts of cedar, sage and chamisa with posole simmering on the stove and Pat Metheny playing on the stereo, in vinyl no less. Getting up to flip a record was a great way to stretch, to keep from sitting too long. This photo brought it all back to me in a wave, so I just had to use this as my avatar for Facebook, Ravelry and Twitter.

Mooney's

 Mooney's is the new happenin' place around Sewanee these days. It's the store you always dreamed about...a little of this, a little of that, and yarn! Joan Thomas has made her dream come true by resurrecting a dilapidated old local market and creating this fresh, new, imaginative store. Perhaps you've already seen the "virtual tour" on Mason Dixon Knitting's July 7th post. Ann Shayne, who summers at the Monteagle Assembly, came by and really did the place justice. So go check that out, then come back here for more. And, you can like Mooney's on Facebook here.

Claire at her wheel

Lucca Dot Yarn

Heather's Felted Cats

Mmmm

One of the star attractions of Mooney's is Claire Cabe's Lucca Dot Yarn. Claire spins in the shop on odd days, cranking out bangola bright artsy yarns with her charismatic flair and style. How many times have you wished there was a store that carried OOAK handspuns, indie yarns, sari silk and handpainted fiber? New things show up every day, such as the new handpainted spinning fiber from Daily Fibers. Yarn stores don't often carry these kinds of yarns in any quantity because their bread and butter comes from popular commercial yarns that come with tons of pattern support. But at Mooney's, their bread and butter really is bread and butter! Fresh garden produce brought in daily, organic yogurt, local cheeses, health foods (even Bobo Bars!!!). And...AND...it's the only place on the mountain where you can count on finding decent dark chocolate from such purveyors as Equal Exchange, Chocolove and Endangered Species.

yard art

There is tons more art at Mooney's than just yarn. You'll fall in love with Heather's Creations...felted animals loaded with personality. Yard art at its whimsical best graces the face of the adorable awninged storefront. And there are several rooms full of beautiful antiques, including some gorgeous vintage crossstitch samplers, furniture and glassware.

Mooney's is on 41A between Sewanee and Monteagle, TN. It's open 7 days a week from 10 - 6. Stop by next time you come this way.

Ode to Dahlia

AKA Dahlia

 On this eve of Dubose I am excited for the retreat to begin. This year it's more of a retreat than a class. Learning happens, and it will always happen. Sometimes we just need time to birth our ideas and practice our skills, maybe with the support of friends. Friends who offer suggestions, help with techniques or problems, friends who simply hold space for one another to keep us from going off and doing something else with our time, something that keeps us from realizing our dreams, our creations. I know that every time I have "taught" a class I have learned countless things in return. So many have come to my classes who are amazing fiber artists in their own right...people whose class I should be taking. This always honors me no end. But it also makes me wonder why they are taking my class. I have come to believe that it's not so much what I teach, but how. I'm a facilitator. I hold space. I create an atmosphere in which people feel free to express themselves, feel free to succeed, feel free to fail, and best, feel free to try.

So on this eve of Dubose, since I feel so exuberant, I'd like to share something that gives me great joy. Delilah belongs to our neighbor to the north. We call her Dahlia because she is a flower. She comes to visit every day and we love her visits, look forward to them, but we are very glad she isn't our dog. Why? She is beautiful, she looks like she is strutting around in a chiffon gown, but she smells like a carniverous plant. So much so that we have decided she should have her own line of parfum. It's called "AKA Dahlia". Her signature scent is a complex blend of all imaginable and unimaginable smells. Others include Eau d' dead4days, Just Ripe, and her newest, Dung!, (also in roll-on). If I leave my recliner unattended, I'm liable to find her ensconced. All I can say is, I'm glad it's leather.

Dahlia ensconced

Bliss

Bliss. A continuance of the green theme. Sitting in a green kayak on glass-green water, knitting purple and green yarn (entrelacs in the round). What a beautiful morning. Shiny young watersnake swimming right beside the boat. Violet Dancers riding on the prow. Turtles popping up to watch me, so silently all you can hear is their subliminal intention. Life is good  amazing.

Verdant

Check out Verdant Gryphon @ Maryland Sheep & Wool.
Ask them for a coupon code for 20% off my pattern
Heart of the Lotus.

 I recently bought this gorgeous skein of Bugga! from Verdant Gryphon. Fell in love with this yarn when I designed Heart of the Lotus in Alderfly. This one is Carpathian Blue Slug. Mossy green rocks beneath bottle green lake surface w/fish in sunlight. Sublime. Woods now glow in these colors in the last hour of the day. Thematic of deepest comfort.

iphone drawing

More on the verdant theme... a phone drawing after the zebra grass on a visit to Rita's.

See this and other Superfluity Kits at the Three Waters Farm
booth at Maryland Sheep &Wool this weekend.
Main Exhibition Hall B-23

A TWF Olive Brittle Superfluity Kit.

detail Alice W

Alice W

Closeup of a favorite (left hand corner).

The favorite. It hangs in my studio...a print of an actual frame from the movie...had it since the movie came out...treasured possession, my Alice W.

Original Work On Display at Maryland

Original work is a hard copy, one in the hand. What it's not. "Wouldn't that look good in..." "What if I tried this..." "Wow, nice photo...gotta pin that". Original work is the actual piece (yippee) spun and knit by the designer. You can touch it, feel it, wrap it around you. You can see two of them at Maryland Sheep and Wool this weekend.

The only thing I didn't do is dye the fiber. But I did design the colorways, and Mary Ann Pagano, master dyer, took it from there. We both decided how great it would be to have an example of her fiber spun up...to answer the question "What if I tried this." So I took two of my most popular patterns and worked them up in some of TWF's new colorways. To have it there so you can feel it, touch it, squeeze it, and, if so inclined, even buy it. Yep. We wanted you to be able to answer the question, "What if I tried this..."

And, they are both for sale...a rarity for sure.


Charlene in Starry Bangladesh is a jewel-in-the-crown version of Starry Nite. Colorways: Charlene, Bangladesh, and Mary Ann's Black Zinnias from her new Black Floral series. I couldn't help but touch it with a couple whiffs of Hurricane and Olive Medley. Think of red wine under a deep purple night sky with city lights reflecting in a calm bay. Storm clouds build on the horizon, but for now all is still, dark, rich, radiant.





















Olive Bamboo Justify showcases my new colorways Olive Brittle, Olive Blossoms and Bamboo & Dogwood in an old standby, originally designed to Justify your Stash. Imagine a marriage of olive orchards (muy mediterranean) and blooming dogwood trees (so southern) with benches made from bamboo upon which to take in the beauty.

Both pieces are spun from the fold, lofty and soft, in 100% BFL wool. You can buy the fiber in the Three Waters Farm booth (B23 in the Main Exhibition Hall) at Maryland Sheep and Wool, or online at their website or Etsy store.

And remember, TWF will be having a raffle, with three awesome prizes to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

Maryland Sheep and Wool

This is how Yarn Noir Superfluity Kit knits up

It's less than a week until Maryland Sheep and Wool. Are you going? There is so much to see and do. So remember to check out the Three Waters Farm booth in the Main Exhibition Hall, booth B-23.

This week I'll be adding previews for things to see in the TWF booth, so keep checking back.

TWF's customers at Maryland will receive a coupon code for 10% off all my pattern PDFs (20% off Heart of the Lotus, my newest pattern). Purchase any of the beautiful fibers and yarns in the booth to qualify for the discount, good May 5-8, 2012. Use the coupon code to buy the patterns in my Ravelry Store Lynne Vogel Designs from your mobile device and download them on the spot.

Mary Ann will have many new and exciting colorways available in Superfluity Yarn Kits. See previews here. 

I'll have two original pieces on display in the booth. More later.

Heart of the Lotus

delicate, scrunched

 My newest pattern! Fabulous armwarmers with three variations: Ornate (bottom left), Delicate (top left) and Sleek (bottom right) written for both fingering and sport weight yarns.

Ornate is shown in Verdant Gryphons gorgeous merino/cashmere blend "Bugga!". See it as a project (Bugga Heart) on Ravelry.

Delicate is shown in Malabrigo "Finito". Project here.
UPDATE: Heart of the Lotus is featured in Malabrigo's Online Patterns . What a great resource!

Sleek is in madelinetosh "Pashmina". Project here.

Want the pattern? Buy it here.

sleek, worn long

ornate

two versions

I wanted to see the difference between the Sleek and Delicate versions in Pashmina, a gorgeous sport weight merino/silk/cashmere yarn. If you look closely in the bottom photo (two versions), you can see the Sleek version on the bottom half and the Delicate on the top. My friend Amy fell in love with these and had to have them, and since she preferred the Sleek version, I just ripped out the extra tier. Couldn't even tell it was gone. I want to try it with three tiers next.

Dubose 2012

HANDS ON COLOR: A SPINNING RETREAT

June 1-3 (June 4 optional) 2012

Have a special project you want to spin and knit or crochet? This year, Hands on Color is “pick your own project,” a true retreat where you can spin your own special yarns for your individual project and take advantage of Lynne’s expert guidance throughout the weekend. If you don’t want to work on a project, you can just come and join us for a weekend of spinning and relaxation. In addition, we’ll have a bonus day, Monday, for a bit more spinning, friendship, and project work.

We’ll start with a wine and cheese snacking dinner on Friday. On Saturday, midmorning, Lynne will lecture on how to plan for a project, from spinning the right amount of yarn to thoughts on pattern ideas and more. On Saturday afternoon, Sunday, and Monday (if you choose), you’ll be able to work on that special project, with expert help from Lynne on an individual basis as you need it, and with lots of sharing of ideas with others at the retreat. Come with your project pattern and materials or buy some beautiful colors at our market.  You may want to chose one of Lynne’s patterns, available on Ravelry, or bring your own. Work at your own pace throughout the weekend, taking advantage of the quiet walks and good food Dubose offers. Where else would you find such a wonderful mix of fiber, friends and hours of project time just for you?

For those of you who haven’t come to Dubose, we have a wonderfully large workroom, the Upper Room, to play in. There is room to spread out, so feel free to bring what you need. Know that the workroom is up a flight of stairs; so just don’t bring what you don’t want to haul up there. Those of you, who have a hard time carrying your wheel upstairs, know that we will help you carry your wheel.

Room and Board

The Dubose offers comfortable, clean and reasonable lodgings, meals, and plenty of space to meet and work. We’ll be staying in Bishops Hall, a motel style building. Rooms are either single or double occupancy, double beds with private bath. Local workshop participants may chose to come to class only, or class with meals (see meals package below). Those who are traveling from a distance and prefer more sumptuous accommodations are welcome to stay at any of the other motels or B and B’s on the mountain and just join us for class and meals. We just need to know by May 1, 2012 whether you will be staying or eating with us at Dubose.

Our classroom is on the second floor. The classroom is huge and well lit and we’ll be able to easily accommodate up to 30 people and their wheels. There is no elevator but there will be plenty of help to get your wheel up to the classroom Friday afternoon and back down at the end of the retreat. Motel rooms are on first and second floor walk-up levels. We’re sorry everything isn’t ground floor as this workshop is not handicap accessible, so apologies in that regard.

The classroom is convenient to lodgings and restrooms and there is plenty of parking and convenient drop-off for lodgings and class. Weather should be nice then and there are many nooks both inside and outside where we can retire to knit or just relax. Dubose has a swimming pool, but it is unheated. Sometimes it’s warm enough to swim by mid May. We’re not promising a warm pool, but you never know.

Workshop participants should plan on arriving Friday evening, June 1. We’ll have wine, cheese and other noshes to graze upon, open market and a casual spin-in on Friday night beginning at 7:30 p.m. If you don’t think the wine and cheese event will be substantial enough, there are other dinner options in Monteagle, from McDonalds to High Point, including 2 good barbeque restaurants and great local pizza/Italian at Papa Ron’s.

The retreat starts at 9 AM Saturday and Sunday mornings and goes till 4 PM with an hour break for lunch. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions, as the kitchen is happy to accommodate. Participants who would like meals must purchase entire package. Options for food on the mountain are expanding somewhat, but it’s really nice to have the option to eat at Dubose.

Deadline

Deadline for Registration is May 1, 2012.  A non-refundable deposit of $25 is required upon registration. Balance of class fees is due two weeks prior to class, May 18.  Those of you who wish to pay by credit card may do so through PayPal ahead of time. I will send you an invoice upon request.

We’ll follow up with reminders of what to bring and other information on Sewanee and Monteagle. If you would like to register, or have any questions, please contact:

Lynne 

or her assistant:

Jan Quarles

Bertie and the Purler

I learned a new word this week thanks to Bertie Wooster, P.G. Wodehouse’s famous character of Bertie and Jeeves fame. I just had to reread Code of the Woosters again, considered by many to be one of the all time greatest comic novels. As Bertie would say, “and it did not disappoint.” It’s a veritable Gordian knot of plot twists and it shakes me loose of all encumbering baggage. Good medicine.
In C of the W, Bertram is a guest at Totleigh Towers, country estate of Sir Watkyn Bassett, father to “God’s Daisy Chains” Madeline Bassett, betrothed of newt fancier Gussie Fink Nottle. The betrothal is in jeopardy, along with another upcoming union between Stiffy Bing and Stinker Pinker and Bertram has gone to save the day. But Sir Watkyn suspects Bertie of intentions to purloin his newly (but unjustly acquired) antique silver cow creamer. Sir Watkin turns the thumb screws on Bertie to the degree that Bertram reflects:
Life at Totleigh Towers had hardened me, blunting the gentler emotions, and I derived nothing but gratification from the news that Constable Oats had been meeting with accidents. Only one thing could have pleased me more -- if I had been informed that Sir Watkyn Basset had trodden on the soap and come a purler in the bath tub.

And here’s the word.
purler
noun Brit. informal
A headlong fall: the horse went a purler at the last fence.
ORIGIN nid 19th cent: from dialect purl ‘upset, overturn’.

Of course, the image of Sir Watkyn possibly coming a purler is so incredibly delightful because he’s really asked for it and one can’t help but fall into the soup with the possibilities. But purler?
Remind you of something? It’s even spelled like the purl stitch.
I did a web search to try and find more about the word, but the origin is murky at best, it being a colloquial expression. So if anyone has any light to shed here, please come forth. I did find that Aussies consider a purler to be something mighty fine, but that is about all I could really find.
Meanwhile, when I overturn a knit stitch to make a purl, I will be thinking about Sir Watkyn slipping on the soap and falling oh so ingloriously headfirst into his bubble bath in his dressing gown and doing a slippery, blubbery somersault in the drink. And since everything always comes out well in the end of a PG Wodehouse, I can be confident that no injuries will be sustained, only the sublime indignities so justly deserved.

Check out the newest post on lynnevogel.com