Lost Knitting

I got off the plane but my knitting didn’t

On the trip from New York to Los Angeles my knitting stayed on the plane when I got off. I didn’t pick up on this until I was sitting at the gate waiting to board the next flight to San Francisco and sensed a disturbance in the force. Husband ran off to investigate, but the line was too long. So I continued my journey knittingless and very cross with myself.

The thing about travel knitting is it doesn’t need to be some spectacular project with the best ever yarn; for me it is more about just having something to do while waiting in airports or on that huge long flight to and from New Zealand. It needs to be smallish in size and not too simple, but not too complicated either in case of slow working brain. Unfortunately, I broke the cardinal rule and my project of choice was rather significant.

I had decided to start working on a new design of hand warmers for Stitch Bone Studio and they had worked out just as I had hoped. I had one arm completed and the other well on the way.

So that was what I lost. One whole arm, complete with pattern notes and spare needles.

The good thing was that the approximate pattern was still in my head and not lost to oblivion, and has subsequently been rewritten and a new set completed (Admittedly not once but twice, as I ended up accidentally redoing them with a larger needle).

Also, as an added bonus (or consolation I suppose), it gave me an excuse to visit two yarn shops in San Francisco to get more yarn and needles:

Atelier Yarns provided me with replacement Cascade Yarn in a wonderful purple. They also had a handy ball winder set-up on site which husband took to task with my new yarn.

I sourced some needles from Greenwich Yarn, and while there couldn’t resist these yarns by Freia Handpaint Yarns and Handwerks.

All in all, not a total disaster. Although I can’t shake the feeling that some TSA agent is busily finishing off the first pair from my notes, whilst sporting their completed Bender Arm.

One more sleep

So as I mentioned previously, I am heading to New York tomorrow with my husband. Subsequently I have spent the last few weeks building up my wardrobe. Through sewing and scouring second-hand sources I feel like now I have a wardrobe with lots of options that didn’t cost a lot. It has made packing a bit tricky though, as I am no longer devoid of options, it is more about what I leave out than what I put in.

I certainly feel that when it comes to clothing it is more about determining what you really feel comfortable and happy in than what is fashionable. So as it is, here is a cross-section of what I feel comfortable in:





September Update

Over the last year I have been very frustrated with not being able to knit for long periods. Arrgh so many things I want to knit! I have been battling a completely frozen right shoulder and part frozen left and, for the last couple of months, knitters (tennis) elbow in my left arm as well. Of course I am left-handed. Le sigh.

I have been enjoying working on some smaller projects in collaboration with my daughter. Stitch Bone Studio is coming soon.

My wardrobe has undergone a major revamp and now, for the most part, my clothes are made by me or have been found second-hand.

I have great difficulty buying clothes. Not because I have a third arm which needs catering to, but because I have become increasingly concerned at the ethics of buying clothes.

Shopping stresses me out.

I can’t look at racks of clothes without thinking about where it was manufactured, working conditions, middlemen, and markups. Then of course the actual fabric bothers me: where was that produced? were harmful dyes used? The list goes on and on!


So I end up buying nothing, apart from the occasional NZ Made garment, and make the rest myself, using organic fabric when I can.

Every little bit helps.

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