Potholders
By chance, I found out that Metro Meals on Wheels were asking for donations of handmade (knit, crochet, or sew) potholders. They would be used by drivers or given to clients. They are looking to collect 800 by this coming holiday season (deadline Dec 5), but have an ongoing goal of 8,000. Look for the "Feature: Knit and Sew Potholders" pdf file listed under the Volunteer section on the website for more information.
After browsing Ravelry, it seemed like many potholders were cotton, acrylic, or felted wool. I know from experience that I didn’t want to use acrylic. (Acrylic would be fine for decorative purposes but not for actual use, since it melts.) It’s been a while since I knit with cotton, so I scrounged my dishcloth cotton stash for some possibilities. more »
Fair-ly Good
Last week, on opening day, I popped over to the MN State Fair to check on my entries. The first one I found was the Ryan hat
The Peace Dove Project
These pictures were taken the day before Memorial Day, when we found these statutes at the Mall of America. I planned to blog right away but got sick.
This page has information about the project, and this one tells a bit more, and offers a slideshow.
Enjoy! :) more »
Du Nord
Late in April, my parents and I went up north to visit family. I asked to stop at the yarn shop previously missed in last year’s somewhat local yarn shop crawl, Unraveled in Pequot Lakes. (The address is listed at the bottom of the linked post; I can’t find a web presence for the shop.)
We got there too late, and the store was closed for the day. Rats! It looks like a cute shop, here’s a picture. more »
Nada
I have absolutely nothing to show you all. How depressing! I have been in a state of limbo since finishing the Logan wrap and English Crystal square. I’m in the middle of several secret projects. Thus far, it’s been mostly “hurry up and wait.” Yarn has arrived for only one project, which I’ve swatched; but before I can continue, I need the paperwork and further instructions. This waiting wreaks havoc on my nerves.
Check out these two pictures from 1918 I found at the MN Digital Library. more »
Beribboned
A couple weeks ago, Mom and I took a quick trip to the State fair. We checked out the knit entries at Creative Activities building, stopped in at the new MN wine booth, looked at some sheep, and ate a couple of delicacies unique to the fair.
I found the two hats I entered hanging in a far corner of the main knitting display.
A yellow fifth-place ribbon was attached to my backgammon board. (But I noticed the board was showing the wrong side, oops.)
And these socks? They got third place. I’m excited!
Cute sheep we saw:
Somewhat Local Yarn Shop Crawl
In July, my family went up north for a quick visit and to bring Grandma down to the Cities. She was to stay a while with my parents before visiting the Michigan branch of her family.
I persuaded my parents to make a few stops on the way, so I could check out some of the yarn shops in the Brainerd Lakes area. (ETA: These shops are included in the upcoming Yarn Harvest Shop Hop, Sep 15-22! Information about this event can be found at the MN Knitter’s Guild website or at At Loose Ends.)
a guy, his ox, and a bed
Many people are familiar with the Paul Bunyan legend. As a Minnesota native, it has been one of my favorites.
In this picture above, I love the view of Lake Bemidji beyond. Most postcards for these statues avoid the lake view and use the trees to reinforce the lumberjack in the woods theme. Also, I wonder how much yarn we would need to knit sweaters for Paul and Babe.
I have an exclusive, never-seen-before picture of Paul Bunyan’s bed for you all. Yes, really!
Jurassic Cities
Local residents and visitors will no doubt have noticed strange sights here in the Cities this summer. How did dinosaurs, long since extinct, come to be parading the streets of St. Paul and Minneapolis?
The answer: Diggin’ Dinos was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Science Museum of Minnesota! 60 dinosaur statues were decorated and then displayed all summer long. After Labor Day, they will be auctioned.
I was able to capture a few on camera, mostly at the State Fair. You’ll notice signs on some of them, usually with “No climbing, or my mom’ll stop on you.” Heh.
Click any thumbnail below to embiggen or for a manual slideshow. Or, if you like, a complete list is available at the Diggin’ Dinos website. Have fun! : )
Crafty stuff I would’ve liked to take home
Many thanks to everyone who read and commented last week! I apologize for being unable to reply to comments individually; they were all much appreciated. Especially your comments on the book binding issue. : )
Saturday was the Craftstravaganza Rogue Art & Craft Sale. While I didn’t buy very much, I found new artists/crafters whose products I really liked and have listed them below. I was hoping to get some buttons but the only ones I saw had been converted into pins or other wearables.
