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PSA - Knitters
May. 12th, 2007 07:01 pmSomething my knitting friends in the PNW might be interseted in--a "knit shop hop". If nothing else, it's a nice list of yarn sources in the area.
http://www.lystour.com
http://www.lystour.com
May. 12th, 2007
So, a couple weeks ago I went to a tatting convention in Spokane. I had a blast, as I generally do, and learned a lot of things, and spent a fair amount of time drooling at the vender's booths before deciding how to spend my budgeted $$.
I generally limit myself to one expensive shuttle. That was difficult this year, because there is a new shuttle maker from the Philippines, who does really amazing, gorgeous work. I settled on buying one made of water buffalo horn, with a checker board inlay of mother of pearl and paua (abalone). (Note that I have shamelessly violated copyright and have stolen this picture from the indicated website.) Also, the picture doesn't really do it justice--it's much prettier when you can see the play of light in the shell.
Interestingly, while almost every tatting supply shop carries his shuttles now (even though a year ago he was unheard of), very few shops carry *all* of his shuttles. He uses a lot of materials, and has several shapes. This store carries the engraved shuttles I also found very tempting (you'll need to scroll down). Engraved dragons and phoenixes. So pretty! I was saved from purchasing one (the reddish "bleached horn" phoenix w/a point) only because they sold out of the ones with points before I got around to buying. Not sure if I'll wait until next year or order it from that site. I might wait until they have black dragons in stock and get both...
I could continue rambling about how wonderful these shuttles are, and how well made, but will instead point out that the shop link above has a link about the Carabao (domestic water buffalo) of the Philippines. If you click on that link, there is a lot of interesting information, some neat photos, and a link at the bottom to "How to work with me [the water buffalo]?" The link is a pdf titled "Rice Production Skills Development Series" and explains how to use a carabao to plow and harrow. It is both informative and (if you have my sense of humor) very amusing. For example, the materials called for include:
I'm not sure why it needs to be exactly 1/4 ha. Also, whenever the document mentions the carabao, it adds the warning to "avoid its pointed horns". This occurs several times.
Maybe it's only funny to me. But the shuttles are pretty, and I will likely acquire several more.
I generally limit myself to one expensive shuttle. That was difficult this year, because there is a new shuttle maker from the Philippines, who does really amazing, gorgeous work. I settled on buying one made of water buffalo horn, with a checker board inlay of mother of pearl and paua (abalone). (Note that I have shamelessly violated copyright and have stolen this picture from the indicated website.) Also, the picture doesn't really do it justice--it's much prettier when you can see the play of light in the shell.
Interestingly, while almost every tatting supply shop carries his shuttles now (even though a year ago he was unheard of), very few shops carry *all* of his shuttles. He uses a lot of materials, and has several shapes. This store carries the engraved shuttles I also found very tempting (you'll need to scroll down). Engraved dragons and phoenixes. So pretty! I was saved from purchasing one (the reddish "bleached horn" phoenix w/a point) only because they sold out of the ones with points before I got around to buying. Not sure if I'll wait until next year or order it from that site. I might wait until they have black dragons in stock and get both...
I could continue rambling about how wonderful these shuttles are, and how well made, but will instead point out that the shop link above has a link about the Carabao (domestic water buffalo) of the Philippines. If you click on that link, there is a lot of interesting information, some neat photos, and a link at the bottom to "How to work with me [the water buffalo]?" The link is a pdf titled "Rice Production Skills Development Series" and explains how to use a carabao to plow and harrow. It is both informative and (if you have my sense of humor) very amusing. For example, the materials called for include:
- carabao
- moldboard plow with harness
- comb tooth harrow with harness
- 1/4 ha wetland field
I'm not sure why it needs to be exactly 1/4 ha. Also, whenever the document mentions the carabao, it adds the warning to "avoid its pointed horns". This occurs several times.
Maybe it's only funny to me. But the shuttles are pretty, and I will likely acquire several more.