And so to Bed

The Daughters of the American Revolution Museum is one of those truly magical places for fans of the textile arts. Located steps away from the White House, the museum is one of the best places in the DC area to see an amazing representations of textile history in the US.

Their current exhibition “And So To Bed” is once again taking advantage of their amazing collection. The exhibit features innovations and stylistic changes in the American bedroom from 1750s to the 1920s. Bedroom scenes are complete with the wonderful melding of textiles and furniture. And, examples of bedclothes are seen throughout the exhibit.

The show represents uses of embroidery, weaving, knitting, printed textiles, quilting, cording, and stamped designs. One of the most amazing pieces in the show is a bedspread from the 1750’s made with indigo resist printed cotton. The historic piece is perfectly complimented by reproduction bed hangings. Other not to be missed pieces are a woman bed jacket from the 1860’s made of paisley fabric, and two representations of men’s banyan (men’s bed jacket). And of course, not to be over looked, a hand knitted pair of men’s slippers worn by Thomas Jefferson.

For more information on this exhibit visit the DAR Museum's Exhibit Page.

Hidden Treasure’s at the DAR

If you’ve never ventured into the DAR museum then you have been missing one of D.C.’s greatest secrets. The majority of the museum is filled with 32 period rooms. Each room is sponsored by a different state and represents a piece of the states history. For textile lovers, these are small havens of the grandeur that textiles have played in the America home. My personal favorite is the recently renovated Illinois room, featuring a bedroom filled top to bottom with textiles.

Friday Class & Shop News

It is with great sadness that we say farewell to Springwater staff member, Eric Burnstein. Eric is entering the Peace Corps and will be working in Moldova for the next few years. He leaves a spinning-wheel sized hole in our hearts, and we will miss him dearly!

In class news, the following classes are coming up soon and still have room in them!

• Triaxial Weaving on August 4
• Knitting Camp for ages 9-12 from August 6-August 10 in the afternoons
• Introduction to Kumihimo Braiding on August 7
• Temari Balls on August 11

Please call the shop at 703-549-3634 if you want more information, or check out the newsletter link on our homepage!

Finally, we’ve just gotten a fresh shipment of needles, notions, and Eucalan in the shop! We also have restocked our Pick Up Sticks felted flower kits, and we just got our shipment of the new Autumn 2007 Tahki – Stacy Charles pattern books – so come by and take a look at the new designs and treat yourself to something special!

Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise Done Right

Knitting can be infectious. We know that. Take a look at all the various sock clubs, knit-alongs (aka KALs), and trends in what people are knitting. Someone knits something cute, blogs about it, and all of a sudden, you’ve got a whole host of people knitting that object and sharing their progress and problems in this huge online knitting community.

One of the things I have seen around the blogosphere a lot lately, and been infected with myself, is Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise Jacket (BJS). Just Google “Baby Surprise Jacket” and you’ll see how many of us are hooked on this ingenious design. You can find her guidelines in both The Opinionated Knitter and Knitting Workshop for this amorphous blob of garter stitch that seems to magically, with only a few well-placed folds, become a handsome little baby cardigan.

I first saw some pictures of it just a few weeks ago, after I had finished the 36 mitered squares for my mitered square baby blanket—I have to admit, I was initially drawn to the BJS because of the use of miters. Immediately, I set to drawing it out and puzzling out how it was constructed. After a little online research, including visiting a site devoted to knitting Elizabeth Zimmerman patterns, http://zimmermaniacs.blogspot.com/, and the BSJ page of KnitWiki, http://www.knitting-and.com/wiki/Baby_Surprise_Jacket, I had it sketched out and was committed to making one myself.

I chose a variegated yarn for my own BJS: something purple and turquoise, favorite colors of the mom-to-be for whom I was knitting. It only uses 300–400 yards, so it is easy to find something in a reasonable price range that will work beautifully. Stash yarns would work wonderfully, too, since you can easily make a striped BJS. The knitting is pretty straightforward (all garter stitch), so you have plenty if opportunity to be creative and play with color and texture.

EZ’s directions, while feeling a little like I was blindly being led down a path whose end I was a little unsure of, were clear and concise. You just cast on and go, decreasing where she tells you, increasing where she tells you. It was a little like turning a sock heel for the first time – just follow the directions, and even though they may not make sense at the time, it works out. Your cast-on row becomes the back neck and sleeves, and after a series of well-placed decreases, increases, buttonholes and bind-offs, just sew up the seams on the tops of the sleeves and you are done! I also added a simple row of single crochet around the neck edge to give it a more “finished” look, and cute fishy buttons.

Once I noodled out how I thought it would work on paper as well as the actual knitting up of my own little cardi following her directives, I still continue to be in complete wonderment of how she figured it out in the first place. Genius. I’m already planning my next one for some unsuspecting, unborn baby.


For more inspiration and see who else has knit one of this little surprises up in a flash, check out these popular blogs:

http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2005/04/06/whats_wrong_with_my_arse.html
http://www.glampyre.com/2007/07/10/mercurys-on-the-move/
http://www.helloyarn.com/wp/?cat=35
http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/06/baby-surprise-jacket.html

King of Fashion at the MET

If you are able to get to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art before August 8th, make sure to spend some time seeing the Costume Institute’s special exhibition, “Poiret: King of Fashion.” Otherwise, don’t miss the on-line exhibit at http://www.metmuseum.org/special/index.asp?HomePageLink=special_l

The genius of Paul Poiret (1879–1944) comes in many forms, and this exhibition has captured them all. He is credited as being the first designer to free women from the corset only to force them into the hobble skirt. Working in the early twentieth century, Poiret’s successful fashion house set the beginning mark of the modern age in women’s fashion. His collaborations with artists such as, Raoul Dufy and Georges Lepape, helped him to make his mark in the world of fashion and allowed himself and future generations to move into the concept of fashion as art.

As usual, the MET has done an amazing job at showcasing the work of this pivotal designer. In recent years, they have gone the extra step with their costume exhibitions and this show was no exception, as the clothes are seen in their natural habitats. Scenes are created to mimic the famous illustrations found in La Gazette du bon ton, the Parisian magazine that showcased the work of Poiret. The best part of the exhibit, though, is the computer-animated videos that illustrate the exact construction from fabric to finished garment of selected pieces.

Hidden Treasure’s at the MET

The next time you make it to the MET look for the hidden textile treasures in the Byzantine gallery. Underneath the main stairwell of the museum is a strange little gallery of Early Byzantine artifacts from Egypt. These treasures include the most intricate tapestry woven textiles in the museum. You can get close enough to see every thread in these realistic images that most often were used as amulets on adults tunics. To get an on-line sneak of these check out:
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/05/afe/hod_90.5.848.htm.

farewell

This is it. My final post. I, your mystery blogger, will unveil myself here and now. Who am I? You know I knit. You know I spin. You know I have done some dying and some weaving. I work in the shop. If you were sneaky, you might have deduced that I am a guy.

I think that might have spoiled it.

Yes, it is I, Eric Burnstein, your Saturday clerk.

As many of you know, I will soon be leaving the DC area, and in doing so, finish my time at Springwater. It is a sad adieu; I have greatly enjoyed my time behind the counter, helping you with your yarn selections and knitting mistakes. But now I leave the blog in capable hands, and Saturdays with whoever is willing to work on the weekends ;-)

I hope you have enjoyed my posts. Our new writers will start later this week, and I would like to extend my welcome to this cyberspace, and wish them luck in their new postings.

-Kryptoknit, i.e. Eric

Love in Bloom

source: http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL22/548219/14468975/217027365.jpg

Knitting expert Jane Elliot's Love in Bloom pillows are complex, beautiful ways to show your expertise as a knitter. And now, you can get the individual instruction to succeed at this challanging project. On July 21 and 22nd, Ms. Elliot will be giving a workshop in Annandale, VA at the Packard Center (4022 Hummer Road). This is your opportunity to see this knitting star and author of Not Just Plane Jane Knits in action...and get some of the action for yourself as well!

The workshop costs $45 for the two days, payable that day. Reservations should be made with Vita at 703-493-8748 or at miniknits@netzero.net.

Tea time. What does this mean? In July we celebrate our independence from the Isle of Tea.

Long gone are the days of duping earl gray into the Boston Bay. Nowadays, though, we don't get most of our steeped leaves from Albion, but there is another product we seem to crave from those parliamentarian cheddar eaters: Yarn.

This year, for the moth of July, Springwater is celebrating sticking it to the Brits by discounting all of our British yarns by 20%. This means all Rowan, Colinette, and Jaeger Yarns, and Selvedge Magazine are 20% off.

Take that Sir Elton John!