A Saturday catch-all post, including Coraline! Flutes! And other news

For those awaiting the upcoming Coraline movie, a few things:

1. My favorite Coraline news source: Evil Buttons. Read back to the beginning to learn about the Coraline keys [I purchased mine on eBay...wasn't lucky enough to run across it in the wild on my own] and all the other interesting ways Laika is publicizing this upcoming movie.

2. Those following my Twitter feed already have seen this: From Mr Gaiman himself, his favorite Coraline trailer so far...and it's deliciously creepy. Finally.

3. Last Coraline post [for today :)] -- I call all those within driving distance of Toronto to join me on opening night, February 6, to watch the movie! It's too early to find theatres with showtimes, so as soon as I have details, I'll post here. I'll pick a theatre that takes online ticket orders, so we can buy ours in advance and actually all get in to the same showing! [It'll be the 7ish pm show and I'll confess now that I'm rather partial to the Alliance Atlantis theatre on Queen East at Kingston Road.]

4. Were you thinking of joining Franklin and I on the Alaska Sea Socks cruise this year? I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you, but it has been cancelled. Franklin and I were informed of this news by the cruise operator last week.

4a. I love cruising and teaching on a cruise is absolutely awesome, so I am quite sure that I'll be doing another cruise one day in the future and really hope you'll join me. Will report here when there are details, promise.

5. I joined a Ukulele Jam last week and had a blast. It's very embryonic, and my noob skills are not useless there, which is really encouraging! It's led by two guys who have played in bands and know what the heck they're doing, and it's filled with people of all levels of experience. The ukulele spotting alone is enough reason to go! This has me thinking of my next uke...and the one after that. Being a gear ho™ is not restricted to my knitting, you know. If you've got a uke and can play, you're welcome to join! Visit the site linked above for all the information you'll need.

5a. As a result of finally picking up an instrument I've wanted to play for years and loving it, I've decided it's finally time to sell my flute, which has been carefully stored, unused, for about 20 years. I received it as a birthday present from my parents when I was in high school and loved it for a long time, but it's just not the instrument for me any more.

SO! If anyone is interested in an Armstrong Model 90 sterling head/body flute, closed hole, with original case, leave a note in the comments. It's in gorgeous shape [except for two tiny dents on the back of the head -- I was a teenager. Cut me some slack]. Pictures here. There are a lot of them and the defects I'm aware of [just 3] are marked with notes on the pics.
---

Okay! That's it for today. This post was kind of like a little brain burp, all the unrelated stuff in here.

I'm off to do Saturday errands!

A little skin for a good cause

Okay. So about a month ago [really, just a month ago], as I was getting ready to go to the airport and fly to Calgary to teach at the Make One retreat, a group of women came over to my house, stripped my living room [and me] bare, redecorated us both and had a little photoshoot.

Uh-whuh?? Yup. The genius women behind The Purple Purl, spearheaded by the insane fearless Miko [that's her in her redheaded glory on the right over there], decided at the 11th hour to do a naked knitter calendar to benefit an important charity. Yours truly was drafted to be Miss March.

The rest of the calendar is truly beautiful. [I'll let you decide for yourself what you think of my page, but I'll tell you that it's a rare picture of myself that I like, and I really like this one.] It's full of knitters of all ages and both genders. The mom of our Tushy Cushy model is featured in all her natural glory while wee Morgana was still tucked safely inside -- she was born a week later.

There is gorgeous knitting on every page -- though my page is more about yarn pr0n than finished objects -- and it's an absolutely beautiful and tasteful representation of our craft.

As the cover pic [above] and the little peek at my page [left] shows, none of our private bits show in this calendar. Carefully placed yarn and knitting did wonders for helping to maintain a minimum level of modesty.

Wanna see my pic bigger? BUY A CALENDAR! :-)

P.S. 90% of the yarn in this photo came from my stash. erp.

You have to have one of these calendars, don't you? Of course you do! Here are the details:

The Purple Purl is looking to raise a whole lot of funds for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation -- Canada’s leading cancer research hospital. The calendars cost $20 Cdn each.

Thanks to generous donations from partners in the yarn world as well as the time, energy and expertise of the models, photographers and helpers means that 100% of the proceeds are going to the Foundation. Your $20 purchase of each calendar will go directly to the Foundation. We think that's kickass.

Are you in or near Toronto?
Get your copy at The Purple Purl - 1162 Queen Street E @ Jones. 416-463-1162.

Can't get to Toronto?
They're very glad to take phone or e-mail orders!

Within Canada: $20 Cdn plus $5.50 Shipping & Handling
In the US: $20 Cdn plus $9.50 Shipping & Handling

Phone: 416-463-1162
E-mail: thepurplepurl@gmail.com

The shop closes xmas eve and stays closed till New Year's day,
so if you'd like one, better take care of it today!

Let's sell out every last copy of the calendar and send a huge $10,000 check to the Foundation on behalf of knitters all over the world!

Dim Sum With 2 Amys!

Posted with LifeCast

Amy is here! She took me out for a dim sum lunch @ Bright Pearl and we had a blast, and an awful lot of squid and har gow.

She's got a new Blackberry. I've got the new iPhone. And the two of us were uploading photos of each other to just about everything. Facebook, Flickr, our blogs, you name it.

See? I told you I needed the iPhone for important business thingies! [No, really -- more on the businessy stuff for the iPhone after Knitty comes out. I have my priorities straight, really.]

---

Meanwhile, now that Amy's officially living in Toronto, we're not showing our best weather manners. It couldn't decide if it wanted to rain or snow as we picked up a small supply of groceries for her new place this afternoon, so we just got cold and wet.

But it's okay. She's got a fabulous attic apartment [the kind Rhoda had, except without all the beads and most of the furniture] and it's all good.

I'm glad she's here.

You thought I was kidding?

We really do have a lot of shops that specialize in down products, many of them started by European immigrants to Canada in middle of the 20th century. Some are big chains, but I love finding an independent shop where they really understand their craft.

How do you find such luxuries in Canada? Why, simply visit the website of The Down Association of Canada. That's where I found Daniadown -- the company I bought the twin duvets from earlier this year. I'm not sure where I'll be taking the two-pillow project, but that's what the whole winter is for.

---

Meanwhile, it's quiet around the blog and you guys know why. We're on the new server now and, knock wood, all seems to be as promised. Hub is going happynuts with programming things he was unable to on the old server. My happy geek boy.

Speaking of my geek boy, question: I've blindly cast on [after swatching and getting gauge] for a pair of kilt hose. I have 4 balls of Bulky Fixation and I'm wondering if that will be enough for his size-10 feet. Does anyone have any feedback for me?

[He doesn't read the blog. He's very much NOT a blog boy.]

---
I'm picking up a special present at the airport today. I'm selfishly excited to have my good friend moving here. I know the next few months will be a challenge for her and Sandra, but I'm hoping I can help a little.

---

Okay, head back down!

if you don't know this guy, you need to

Keri and I got to see Jason Mraz last night in concert in Toronto at Massey Hall. It was, without question, the best concert experience I've ever had. I don't crush on Jason. It's just that his voice hits the exact frequency in my body that makes all things good and possible and right. You must have a singer who does that for you. Jason Mraz is mine.

The video above is from some brilliant person who was also there last night. The quality is EXTRAORDINARY. If I did this right, I've embedded the high-quality version.

I could gush all day about this guy, but I've got to get ready for Rhinebeck, and besides, his music speaks for itself.

blog local

just found Sarah's blog through a post on Facebook -- Diggin’ the Dirt. and she's only got 2 subscribers including me? that's nuts. go read her!

there are great bloggers all over the world, but all of a sudden, i'm discovering really cool Toronto-based crafty bloggers. which means when they write about resources, i have access to them too! Sarah's one -- she writes about knitting, gardening and cooking [canning especially caught my attention]. Another is Karyn at Make Something who writes as cool a crafting blog as any i've ever seen, and she's local. she also runs a cool sewing studio in town which i've been meaning to check out.

so there. you can eat local and shop local. i say you should also blog local! :-)

keep *$ out of Kensington Market, please.

If you're interested in the backstory, here's a column in the National Post: Venti battle brews in Kensington. I don't like the Post, and I disagree with the conclusion of the columnist, but I link to it on purpose here.

Backstory: I drink Starbucks. I am very fond of their summer drinks and when it gets cold, one of their flavored lattes makes me happy. I know what good coffee is having had the real stuff in Italy, and I know that Starbucks isn't it. But it makes do, and it's consistent. I can count on it.

I've written each of my 4 books in the Starbucks at Hammersmith on Queen St in Toronto. I can concentrate better there.

Clearly, I'm not anti-Starbucks.

But I am anti-Starbucks-in-Kensington-Market.

Kensington Market is about individuality, small business and history. It's not about chain shops of any kind, imo. I don't think of Second Cup as a chain shop, even though it is. I'd rather it not be there, but it is. I suppose it's pretty telling that no one considers Second Cup a threat, but people are paying attention when Starbucks wants in.

If you want a Starbucks beverage while knitting at Lettuce Knit, you can get one by walking 5-10 minutes in any direction. But maybe you want to try I deal Coffee instead. Or Moonbean. Or that new juice bar that's a few doors south of Big Fat Burrito. Or have a fresh juice blend from Rice in a biodegradable cup that might start melting as you drink it [but the Digestive blend, despite the name, is worth the risk of drippage]. There are a lot of choices, and none of them bring worldwide baggage along.

I don't want a posh cafe in Kensington Market. A few chairs outside, a great espresso machine + someone who knows how to use it inside -- that makes good coffee that suits the neighborhood. But, see, we've already got that several times over. We don't need Starbucks there with piles of their corporate glossy signage, and I for one hope they go elsewhere. Or maybe be content with their shops on almost every block in the city center.

are you going to one of Neil Gaiman's upcoming signings? and more about all sorts of yarn!

He's not coming anywhere near Canada, but he IS going all over the US and onwards. Does anyone who reads this blog plan on going and getting an autographed copy of the new Graveyard Book? If so, would it be possible for you to buy a copy of his book for me and have it signed, too? Of course I'll pay the cost of the book, postage and I'll send you some beauty yarn as a thank you.

For those who love Neil, but didn't know about the tour, here is a post with all the dates/times/locations:

Neil Gaiman's Journal: The Graveyard Book Tour

---

We are just a few days away from the next Yarn Roundtable and we have a few spaces left. If you're going to be in Toronto this Thursday night, we'd love to have you join us! Visit the Yarn Roundtable blog and leave a comment to the September post to RSVP.

I have heard rumors about a home-baked chocolate cake making an appearance. It would be criminal to miss it.

Wanna get your mitts on some yarn?

There's no better way than to attend one of our Knitty Yarn Roundtable Nights! I've just announced the next cycle of openings -- September, October and November. You can RSVP for one of the events in the cycle...this is the fairest way to give everyone a chance to play. Instructions on how to RSVP are on the Yarn Roundtable blog.

Did you know:
- Everyone gets to knit all 5 yarns at each event
- Many of these yarns will be new to you, some will be old friends
- The Purple Purl -- our hosts -- makes great coffee, tea and has amazing baked goods.
- Everyone goes home with a little something...and sometimes a big something. There are always door prizes at Knitty events, you know!
- It doesn't matter where you live; if you can get to Toronto for the event, we would love to have you! We've had guests from all over the US and Canada!

Wanna see the results of previous Yarn Roundtable nights? Peek here and here!

It's very freaky, Bowie.

It really happened. Baseballic proof above. Below, video proof. The first clip is hysterical -- they drove me out on the field in a van! If you listen, you can hear the announcer saying something about "Amy Singer, editor of Knitty..." and then a whole bunch of stuff I can't make out.

Surreal? You can't even imagine. If there weren't pictures, I'd swear it didn't happen.

[For the full photo thread, click the baseball pic above. I captioned them, even.]





Yes, I threw it respectably well enough. The ball made it all the way to the mascot's catcher's mitt, no troubles. But my favorite thing was the huge cheers I got from the knitters in the 200 section. The roar was clearly coming from my people and there were a LOT of them. 900+ tickets sold. You guys make me proud to be a Toronto girl.

Oh, I hear there was knitting afterwards. I tried to knit two rows, frogged both, and spent the rest of the game chatting with friends and, at the end, finally watching the field. We won, and it was a great win -- last hit of the last inning kind of thing. Love baseball when it's good.

brunettes, not fighter jets!

In honor of this, and with much trepidation and also the strapping on of some very large balls, I present my online ukulele debut.

Groupies may apply to peoplewithverylowstandards@knitty.com



This song is not in my key vocally [I'm sort of high-alto], but I could play all the chords, so I left it as it was. And the reason I decided to put the video up despite all common sense is that I'm quite proud of my uke playing after just over a week of practise. The singing-along is a necessary evil.

All other knitter/ukulele players, raise your hands! Bring your ukes to stitch nights! Amuse your fellow knitters, and have everyone sing along! I'll be bringing mine to Rhinebeck and encourage all of you who are coming to do the same!

Seriously, though. I just sang for you on teh interwebs. If you're in Toronto tomorrow night, you'd better come out and represent for the knitters when I throw out the first pitch. No coming in late. I will likely never be on the pitcher's mound in a huge stadium again in my lifetime. You don't want to miss that, do you?

you can't take me out anywhere, but someone's gonna try.

hub brought me this last night as a little present.

a pink baseball.

for what reason?

why?

i guess it's well-known enough that i am fond of pink, but that's not the main reason.

it's a baseball, after all. what is it doing in my house?

perhaps a closeup might make its purpose more apparent:


dudes. i'm gonna throw out the first pitch at the Toronto Stitch & Pitch game on August 5th.

i am simultaneously thrilled, horrified, terrified, excited and a little giddy. the baseball is in our house because i don't just throw like the stereotypical girl. i throw like a 4-year-old girl. hub says we're gonna train before it's time for me to stand on the pitcher's mound in the middle of SkyDome the stadium in front of, like, lots of people, and try [desperately] to at least get the ball as far as the catcher.

meanwhile, my friend Dawn tells me this Training ball is the same type of ball 5-year-olds use to play t-ball. and i bet they can all throw the ball better than i can.

---

garden update!

so the fence was in when i last wrote about our troubled backyard.

last fall, we planted two apple trees and lots of shrubs in the border to begin filling it out.


well, the lawn is scraggly and there are tons of weeds, but there is also a brand new raised bed! we bought a raised bed kit from Lee Valley Tools, and i searched out patio stones that weren't butt-ugly for the sidewalls. these look like slate. hub built the thing with great care, ensuring there was anti-weed cloth under the box and sifting the soil to get out as much of the wild violet roots as possible.


foody things are now growing in there! we transplanted the tomato, and planted arugula, parsley and endive seeds for the buns -- everything but the parsely sprouted in 2 days! we're too late in the season for much else, but i will go seek out some overgrown seedlings at the garden centers that are still open around here.

Knitty Yarn Roundtable nights -- June, July & August dates announced!

Do you know about Knitty's Yarn Roundtable evenings? If you're in the Toronto area, or will be in the next three months, you could join in!

We've added virtual yarn sampling to Knitty. In the spirit of Knitty, these events are a social, collaborative project where a group of us will gather around an assortment of yarns from just about every yarn company on the planet, and get to touch, swatch, fondle and tell the world what you think of the yarn. We want to share our favorites with our readers and let them know about surprises that knit up much differently than the average knitter would expect from just looking or squeezing a ball. As is the custom with Knitty, stuff we don't like won't appear in our pages.

Jacquie B. [goddess of all things organized and fun] and I will be there as secretaries and social butterflies for the evenings, gathering your comments and evaluating which yarns will end up in the Yarn Roundtable feature each issue.

We'll be holding the Yarn Roundtable nights at the fabulous, friendly The Purple Purl [1162 Queen St. E. Toronto]. 30 knitters are welcome at each evening, and in order to let as many people as possible have a chance to participate, you can RSVP for only 1 event in every cycle [that's 3 months]. We hold these events monthly (or almost) so there will be lots of chances for everyone to swatch the good stuff!

There's a lot of organization involved in keeping this event tidy and making sure it can run smoothly. Your assistance in following all instructions is very much appreciated!

We've set up a blog just for RSVPs. Each event has its own blog post. To RSVP, simply read the instructions for that evening and if you're eligible, leave a comment to that post. The blog is here. Go forth and be orderly, but with amusement!

Dancing Squids!

Guess who went to her college reunion last night? [Ryerson, Radio & Television Arts] This is my favorite part of classmate Tim Burns' epic production, Fuzzy Dice. My favorite moment is at 1:15.

Spread the word. Everyone needs more squids in their life.

It's time to party!

Okay. So the Knitter's Frolic is in two days. Saturday, if you knit and you're in Toronto, you're likely going to be there. It ends at 4pm. What will you do with yourself afterwards?

Why, you're going to offload your new goodies, have a little dinner and then come down to Lettuce Knit to celebrate with us! [70 Nassau Street in Kensington Market]

Yes, the More Big Girl Knits book launch party is this Saturday at 7pm.

We will have cupcakes from Life Is Sweet [come early. they'll go fast.]
We will have a ton of door prizes.
We will have JILLIAN in person for the first time in Toronto in ages.
We will have a live Irish all-woman band playing us into the evening [we <3 the Polka Dots!]
We will have all the garments from the book for you to try on and feel great in!

And much more. Denny has promised, if we get her drunk enough, to do a nice jig.

Shannon Okey will be there. Oh, yeah -- I'll be there, too.

Please come!

And since we've spent nearly every penny of our advance actually producing the book and what was left on the cupcakes, we hope you will BYOB. Thank you.

Bring your knitting! Wear a sweater [it will get cool when the sun goes down and you won't want to go home that early]! Bring a folding chair if you feel like it!

See you Saturday!

p.s. Yup, I was on BT again this morning. When I can get my laptop to talk to the Tivo, I'll get the clip up. Wait till you see the kickass models I found for the sweaters this time!

um, wow.

This is Tracey. This picture pretty much sums up yesterday's launch party at Threadbear. People walked in as normal folks, tried on sweaters, and turned into coquettish vixens of Big Girl bounty and beauty. Click on Tracey's name above to read her account of the afternoon. She's not on our publisher's payroll, promise.

It really was a beautiful thing to see everyone stripping in the middle of a yarn store [down to t-shirts, people -- there was no nudity :-) ] and trying on all the sweaters from the book. Some were quiet. Some were squee-machines. All were smiling at one point during the day [for some, it was ALL DAY]. Here, look:



And here is Jillian, getting a huge, long hug from a knitter [I'm sorry I don't remember your name!] who tried on Cable Love, walked right over to J and thanked her for making her feel beautiful. We all welled up. It was a seriously beautiful moment, and she DID look super fabulous, too. So many smiles. So many women surprised at how they could look in a sweater that was designed to fit them and flatter their figure.

We laughed, we gave advice, we picked colors, and then picked new ones because the selection was so big it was hard to choose! We ate cupcakes without apology. We had an absolutely fabulous day.

Thank you to Rob and Matt, our beloved Threadbear boys. They give the best hugs, and the cupcakes were MORE than promised. We wanted to eat one of each flavor, but managed to top out at 2 or 3. We gave out new Big Girl and Knitty buttons and we mostly laughed until our sides were sore. More pictures can be found on my Flickr, but I leave you with this:



We're going to try to do it all again in two weeks at Lettuce Knit. Will you be there?

Toronto central/east-enders unite!

Help stop the possible invasion of our area by big box stores like W*l-m*rt by signing this letter, if you agree with its contents. The full story is here.

We've got enough of this stuff at Eglinton Avenue and further north. We don't need any more characterless shopping in an area that could be revitalized a hundred different -- and BETTER -- ways. Plus we know what happens to small businesses when big box stores open nearby, and losing the character of Leslieville and the Beach would be a disaster for this city.

Thank you for listening. :-)

Crazy go nuts day!

I can think of no better way to celebrate Harlot day in Toronto than by buying her book AND ours, which was just released this very day. Even.

Don't forget -- we're having launch parties in TWO CITIES for More Big Girl Knits, and everyone is invited.

More Big Girl Knits launch party, v 1.0
location: Threadbear Fiber Arts, East Lansing, MI
date: April 13th, 1pm
the boys know how to throw a big party and we can't wait!

More Big Girl Knits launch party v 1.1
location: Lettuce Knit, Toronto, ON
date: April 26th, 7pm [conveniently timed to let you finish up at the Knitter's Frolic and then come and join us in Kensington Market!]

Jillian and I will be at both parties, as well as
- samples from the book [possibly their only appearance en masse as we have to return them to the designers shortly]
- cupcakes
- the new Big Girls book in the flesh [both shops will have them for sale]
- DOOR PRIZES, people

what I did during Earth Hour

I was reading the latest issue of Spin Off by battery operated lantern light and realized that if I didn't pull out the wheel right then, I was clearly missing a strange anachronistic opportunity.

So this was me, spinning by candlelight [and a little battery-operated Coleman lantern], and it was very nice. I'm working on filling a bobbin with aqua-blue bamboo, and got quite a nice bit done tonight. Remarkable how much of spinning is touch-based, so not a lot of light was needed. Then again, I haven't really looked at what I spun in the dark. :-)

Have I mentioned recently how much I love my Schacht Ladybug? I do. I will elaborate in the next Knittyspin column.

p.s. in case you somehow missed it, Earth Hour details here. sure it's a gimmick, but anything that gets us to remember to turn off the lights is a good gimmick imo. our whole neighborhood is pretty much still dark and it's 10pm. really cool.

The Purple Purl is open!

IMG_3448.JPG
Originally uploaded by amysinger

I totally gapped that we were getting another new yarn shop in town. Since it's in my old hood and not far from the beach, I headed out there today and met new mama Jen and darling baby Fenner for a peek about.

They've got lovely stuff, a huge space and will be serving coffee and snacks soon.

I've taken a few photos. Wanna see? Yeah, I might have bought one skein of the Indigo Moon purple silk. Can you blame me?

nuit blanche Toronto 2007

a string of diamonds, zone A.

---

note to self: you don't like crowds. next time, go to bed at 8pm, get up at 2 and walk through a much quieter, still-cool experience.

---

favorite exhibit: the cool drums and percussion on queen, east of dufferin

favorite hands on: making boondoggle [gimp] weavy stuff at Camp Night Owl in Trinity Bellwoods Park

most disappointing payoff after a long wait in line: ghost station [the abandoned subway station under Bay]. it was spooky for about 15 seconds. then it was just loud and dark. hrm.

a few more pics at Flickr for those who also like blurry tiny lights in the night sky.

another reason you wish you lived in Toronto

This time, not knit-related:
The Queen West Art Crawl, which I missed due to aforementioned motorcycle school, and now that I've read the recap, I'm pissed! It looks amazing!

Things I most wish I'd seen:
- the Boychoir of Lesbos [not kidding]
- little sculptures of mushrooms hidden in windows
- the lady you could throw water on

Full details and pictures are on the Torontoist site above. Do click the link.