 We started the weekend off bright and early with a little trip to Warner Brothers in Burbank, CA - After a few minutes of standing in line, we quickly realized all the amazing furniture had been sold the 2 days before (when it was employees only) - so we dove into a sound stage and dug through clothing, light fixtures, random photos, frames, etc. and found a few good things. total spent: $16 - for a fun morning and the opportunity to wander the Warner Bros. lot! We want to go back for a tour - to see more about the making movies business - it's fun and complicated and interesting!!!  After our shopping, we went to the famous Bob's Big Boy - it is around the corner, always hopping and even has a drive in area that they still use a few nights a week. We stuffed ourselves with breakfast (I had regular french toast although they do offer a "deep fried" version!) - then went to Santa Clarita to visit my friend Belle who had a booth at a local fair - After that, we were a bit tired... went home to nap, recoup, and regroup. I went out to the cup exhibit in Tujunga, CA - that evening... oh - I can't have a fun weekend without including ceramics, right?  The McGroarty Arts Center had an opening night of it's 6th Annual Exhibition and Benefit, "All Cups" which my friend Melody Cooper was in... as well as some other buddies, including Jim Heuston! I suggest if you have time and are in the area that you visit the show - it's free and open to the public, running for 2 weeks...   Melody's cups are amazing - she made 4 of them for the show - which all sold in a few hours... they were the same "boxes" she ususally makes, heavily textured, with little beads and even a ceramic teapot hanging from the top ledge - the cup lifted off the stand, then the lid of the box lifts up to reveal the interior... there was a little drawer in each one... they're just insane. she was so fun to walk around with and view this art... it made me want to get back in the ceramics studio and make cups!  Then I saw these cups by Cheryl Hoyt - yes, she draws and paints these portraits by HAND - I was in awe - such detail and so beautiful - she did 5 or 6 of them... I bought the "Democrats" cup - it's so gorgeous I couldn't stop myself - the execution of line on a ceramic piece like this I have yet to see done by hand... by HAND! - wow. I hope she can come to our studio and teach a workshop....  The weekend wouldn't be complete without some knitting - I spent the evening on Sunday scanning photos of my millenium trip to Paris - and making and adding to the Forest Canopy Wrap - it's miles from being done, but I learned that sitting in the office, tinkering with scans or playing on facebook online is a good way to help make this piece progress... knitting and crocheting bits, tossing them in a bowl, then from time to time picking a few out of the bowl and adding it to the work - it's growing (slowly) - I want my crochet abilities to increase... and need to take a class or two so that I can get more textures in it... but it's getting there :) I also want to find the "right" button for this piece... I have an idea ;) stay tuned!  Most of you know about the blanket - I wrote about it HERE when I first started to talk about the idea of making a blanket for him - the response was overwhelming - people posted on their blogs, printed flyers, shared the news by word of mouth to their local knitting family. It's difficult to accept the challenges Cancer has brought to our lives - I lost my father to Cancer - a coworker's mother is currently facing the battle... friends from all over spoke of their triumphs and tragedies relating to the disease - and all the while, we all wanted to do something for our friend, Jason, who is in his early thirties and has been told by his Doctors chances are he has less than the summer to complete his short life. We all are frustrated into action by this news - not knowing what to do, I made the decision to ask everyone to do what we do best... knit!  We carefully laid out each square - attempting to place them in an order that offered no defined pattern - paying close attention to the colors - trying not to put the same color next to itself - and not to put a similarly textured or patterned item near another... it took an hour or two of arranging but once it was finalized, the rows were stacked (1-9) and the squares in each row were joined - one by one - to each other - I did this with the help of Doug Laughlin (of West Hollywood, CA) and Ivar Asplund (visiting from Sweeden) - over the weekend we got most of the pieces assembled, then they took the blanket home to finish assembly, and create the crocheted border. I washed, blocked, and photographed the blanket and it will be mailed, Federal Express to Holland tomorrow morning - to hopefully arrive at Jason's door on Wednesday, June 10, 2009. According to Jonathan, Jason's family is scheduled to arrive at the same time, and while I know there is a lot to think about, with any luck, there will be some time for everyone to read our cards and admire the hard work and love that has been poured into this project. maybe they'll all take turns reading the cards and letters aloud to Jason - letting him just hear the love that's coming at him and his family from all over the world... Again - the idea that everyone just banded together to help is what makes me the most proud - not that we were able to do it, but that we all dove in, head first - selflessly creating beautiful pieces - trying out new techniques, ripping out and re-doing - making the best squares we could to contribute to this offering of love. It's there too - the love... the blanket just glows with the care and compassion we all have for not only Jason, but for everyone fighting their battles... I think we helped open avenues of communication for some knitters as well... and I know a few who are either fighting their own fights or supporting others who are... felt this was a good way to focus the love... Keep tuned for more blankets - remember, you gave more than we could use for one blanket - so the next one(s) will be made smaller, and I'm looking for organizations to donate to or sell to benefit for... If you know of somewhere - a Cancer charity... or center that needs the money - an organization that has an annual auction or benefit... get in touch with me. And if you have a loved one who you have lost to Cancer and wish to add their name to the comments, it'd be an honor to think of them as well while creating the next series of throws... I'm starting the list off with the memory of my father, William Franklin Kunnecke - who I lost to cancer just a few years ago - I know he would be proud of this blanket and to know that his son was able to organize what I believe is the first blanket knitted almost entirely by male knitters from around the world (with a few amazing women tossed in for good measure!) I'll close this post with images from the creation/assembly of this blanket - I hope that the idea catches on and we all can use our craft to help comfort others - I will continue to make blankets like these - if you'd like to help by contributing more squares, please email me- and again, thank you for being an example to the world - showing that love and compassion still exist. -Kyle ...and now a word from our sponsors! 05/26/2009
Most of the attendees of the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat are still reeling with emotion from the amazing event we were lucky enough to attend. It must be said, though, that without the generous support of the sponsors who helped make it possible it wouldn't have been the same. I invite you to download the attached file and take a moment to visit each of these vendors - they all offer amazing and unique products - and when you buy from them, please mention that you do so because of their support of the Men's Knitting Retreat! 
 Attendees of the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat, 2009 - Easton Mountain, NY As far as knitting goes, I have been working like a madman on my Men's Knitting Retreat Sock! (yes, we have our own sock pattern!) - beautifully designed from one of our supporters Marlowe Crawford (Marlowec on Ravlery) - the pattern should be available for purchase after the fall retreat. I'm almost done with the first sock... see?? I really like the way the pattern moves across the foot... and this yarn? you love this yarn? well, it's from one of our sponsors....and the yarn is called Fibernatura Yummy! - the needles were a gift from Joe (one of the organizers) and the main stitch marker was a gift from another attendee.... and believe it or not, I am enjoying the proces  Men's Spring Knitting Retreat 2009 Recap 05/18/2009
 We are a family - chosen - joined by our craft - united by our goals and supported by the creativity, enthusiasm and honesty of our brothers. Through our adventures, we learn, grow, and share our experiences with our communities, emphasizing the impact a few guys who knit have on the world. Where do I begin? I'm home - safe and sound - relishing in the afterglow of another amazing visit with my family of knitters (this time at Easton Mountain) -- Organized by Joe and Ted, Men's Knitting Retreats have been going on now for 2 years - I didn't go to the very first one, which was held in this same space... but this year I was lucky enough to be able to go. (I decided to just link to a slideshow of my photos at the end of this post - so for those of you wanting photos... that's where they are!) What can I tell you? The moment we were picked up by Dave from Easton Mountain, we knew we were in for a treat - first we went to an amazing cafe - I think it was indian food - and while I don't remember the name, they made some really great bread! This is where I saw Ted (I knew him from the MFKR'08) and met Joe and a bunch of other really fun guys... we took a slight detour to a yarnshop (in the rain!) and it was refreshing to actually feel rain. After our short visit there, we went to The Ice Cream Man - and had one of what would be many treats from this yummy place... Settling in at Easton Mountain, we found our rooms, and I was lucky to room with Chuck, John and Vince... we had 2 bunks each and the place was comfy... Chuck and John both handed me squares for Jason's blanket (see my last posting to find out more about it) - and by the end of the retreat, I had almost 30 squares from the guys - the response has been overwhelming - and I'll write about that soon -- as a sidenote, I need to receive your squares by May 30th- email me if you need to know anything else...thanks! (back to our regularly scheduled posting:) The food was really good - a bit more organic than I usually eat (people who know me know that I love Taco Bell!) - one night they served "Moroccan Tomato Soup" - I thought that the chef said "Rock & Tomato Soup!" - I told him that I could be supportive of the organic food and everything, but when they start putting rocks in the food I have to draw the line! eek... (the soup was spicy and tasty) - Meeting the boys (my brothers!) was great - I saw lots of friends I had been missing since the fall retreat at Point Bonita - including Kenny, Stephen and Ted... and got to meet some of the people I know online - including Chris, Ted and Peter! There were 42 guys there so naming them would take a while... but every single one of them (seriously, every one!) was so fun, funny, charming, smart, witty, coy, entertaining, enthusiatic, supportive and nutty! We spent the days learning at workshops and took two field trips - one to visit the Alpacas of Easton - where Kate (our hostess) shared a brief and interesting explanation about the biology behind breeding alpaca... she did a demonstration on dyeing yarn using cake dyes, then we visited some of her flock (including "Mischeif") and then went to her shop... where we bought some yarn... had home made cookies and pink lemonade and met her 3 week old son!! (wait a minute... she just had a baby 3 weeks ago and she's this amazing and energetic?!?! We were impressed and honored by her hospitality!!! We also went to another fiber farm and toured the owner's 18th century barn filled with looms, weaving and knitting yarns, and books! She was really fun as well - we got to see her angora rabbits, ducks and chickens and even a few barn cats! My favorite part of this trip, though, was the 15' tall lilac bush next to one of her barns! - the scent was overwhelming and brought me back to spring as a young boy - and for some reason it really made me think of my Grandmother... Anyway, we got a LOT of knitting done - I finished the back of a sweater... and helped Joe a little with the assembly of the blanket we made for Easton Mountian. It didn't get quite finished, but it will be done soon... 3 needle bind off and crocheted edging (photos will be posted!) There is so much to say... and the more I type the more I think of to talk about... favorite parts? the little visits and conversations between friends - learning about these men I have known online for years... sitting under the tent in the rain midnight with Jason and Chuck - listening to the rain fall and talking about whatever we talked about... Enjoying the moment in time... And now I just look forward to next year - to another visit with my pals - to the long plane flight full of knitting time (even layovers are welcomed when you're a knitter!) and getting to once again give every one of them a big hug! If you can go, or are at all interested, be sure to go to the website and let them know... chances are the attendance will be limited to around the same 40 +/- and 21 of the 42 that attended this year were at the first year... THANK YOU to Joe and Ted and everyone at Easton Mountain... to all the guys at the retreat who made it an amazing experience -- and to my sweet partner for taking care of my animals while I was gone and for letting me go.... it's experiences like the ones I had at Easton Mountain that make me proud to be a knitter... Comfort Blanket for Jason - call for squares 04/29/2009
Jason1978 from www.menwhoknit.com has shared with his knitting community his struggles with cancer (testicular, now apparantly other forms) and we are all feeling like we need to do something - so I created a .pdf file that explains the details of how we will go about creating a comfort blanket. Note that we need 72 squares - I hope everyone will save the file to their computers, and print/post as needed - on your blogs, websites, distribute to local yarn shops or stitch and bitches.. have everyone write notes of support for Jason and include them with the squares. We must move swiftly on this - time is of the essence... so let's make it happen! I look forward to spending time assembling the blanket and getting it sent to Jason and his family. I have posted it on www.menwhoknit.com - I hope others (whether you know Jason or not) will take time to make a square or two and write a note of support. This is a difficult time and hopefully our notes of support will be helpful. 
Help us name our new puppy! 04/28/2009
 The little baby on the left is the newest addition to our family... she's probably about 3 months old and maybe a mix of Jack Russell and chihuahua - we got her from a local pet shop that just changed owners and went from being a puppy mill shop to one that rescues from the high kill shelters and sells only the best of the best that would have otherwise be euthanized. We love her (she comes home Wednesday) and visit her at the shop every day... (she's recovering from her being spayed and getting over a little case of kennel cough) but tomorrow we get to bring her home... she does not have a name yet... so suggestions are welcome (post them in the comments!) The little baby on the right was adopted as well... these two are super close friends (they really love each other!) and I am sure they're going to miss each other... but they're both on their way to loving homes... and our little one gets to share the home with Wink and Willow!!!  The results of this firing - the two knitted forms in the back slumped drastically... (too hot? too heavy?) - but the vase in front fired beautifully! there were a few other pieces in this firing that turned out well, and 3 that completely dissolved... it's all a big experiment for me and while I'm frustrated a bit, I'm learning the limits of the processes as I develop this series... the only thing I wish I could change (I can handle disspointment) is that the semester is almost over and for the summer there will be no access to a kiln... I might have to prep and take home some of the materials so that during the summer I can make some pieces and get them ready for firing right away this coming fall... so that's the news. I'll put up photos of completed pieces as I get them on etsy or gift them ... here's one that is a gift:  I threw this little bowl for my Biology professor (who is also a Post Doctoral Researcher at Cedars Sinai) - as a thank you for the letter of recommendation she wrote for me - she took the time and it is really appreciated - so I wanted to make her something. This bowl has my saying (outside) "One day we will look back and wonder" (inside) "What life was like before the cure" - it's my hommage to diseases in general, but specifically cancer (which took my dad and is in the process of challenging a number of close friends and relatives) -- it's also the saying that will be incorporated in a sweater I'm designing... (soon, you'll see!)  Lastly, here's a closeup of the inside of another student's (Nico) shell - she had glazed it pink and didn't like it... so she put a type of glaze called "luster" on top and it crackled (awesome!) - fired it - then put another iridescent glaze on top of THAT... the shells have been going on for the entire semester - they're about 30" across and gorgeous! I want to use this mixture on something - I love the crazing!!!  I finished and put a new yarn bowl up on my ETSY site - (click HERE to see that page) - which sold today and is now on its way to NY... I also put the cards on the etsy site and added a few other ceramic pieces and one knitting book. I plan on putting more knitting books on there as well as collections of yarn by color (for freeform knitting/crochet) to see if people are interested in buying it... but that'll have to wait for now - so many things are going on it's difficult to schedule much more into my day!  I was also able to get more large knitted pieces into the kiln last night - along with some glazed pieces I should be able to show in a week or two. The class is off to Davis next week for a ceramics conference... I am not going - saving my time away from work for my trip to NY for the Men's Knitting Retreat - and looking forward to it. Kauni Update 04/20/2009
 It may not look like much, but I knitted about this far (around row 23) of the pattern for the vest before realizing that I was on the wrong gauge... remember, I am working with 240 stitches and two yarns for this pattern - it's complicated for me (ok, not really complicated - but tedius, yes) and after a weekend of serious knitting I am pretty much back where I started! I decided to keep the ribbing and just go up a needle size. My gauge is still way off from what it is supposed to be (remember, this is TEST knitting) but it's looking good and if I can find someone to wear it (I think it'll take a 34-36" chest) I'll be happy. In love with Kauni - a good beginning 04/13/2009
 At the urging of my internet pal Holly (who blogs HERE) I have started a kauni effektgarn vest. (Note the link for the yarn is not where it came from but will show those unfamiliar the color ranges and gives a definate "diving off" point for anyone willing to take the plunge!). Finished Object! 04/08/2009
 Yes, it's true... I really DO still knit. Although this has been done for a while, I didn't show it to you..Yarn - Mondial Oggi Paragraph. |      ArchivesJune 2009 CategoriesAll  | ||||||||||||
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