Knitting and Armageddon

I've seen a couple of news reports, specials, and even an episode of a series about "doomsday" people, and to a person they believe they will have to be totally self-reliant in the near future.  The idea is that through war or other means, civilization as we know it will cease to exist.  They hoard weapons, water, and food.  I hope they're wrong.  But if they're not, one thing I haven't heard discussed is how they will remain clothed.

I don't see any of them hoarding clothing, or fabric, or needles and thread to mend their existing clothes.  They do not appear to be planting flax, or cotton, or herding sheep.  I am not aware of anyone having a loom stashed away.  And this brings me to knitting.

If I believed that I needed a fortified homestead independent of the utility grid where I might need to live for a year or more with minimal contact with the outside world, I would want to make sure I had clothes.  I can already cook from scratch on a wood stove, build a fire and a shelter, mend a fence, and purify water.  (Thank you, Girl Scouts, for making this all possible!)  I can plant a garden, and maintain it.  (Thanks, Mom.)  I'm sketchy on how to make soap and detergent, but I'm sure there are books that I could stock.  But clothes?  Should knitting be considered a basic survival skill?  For me, yes, just to keep my sanity.  But in general, is knitting a survival skill?  Or sewing?  Weaving?  Spinning?

When would we have the time to knit, what with all the farming and cooking from scratch?  Would we ever knit for fun?  Or just out of necessity?

What about blacksmith skills?  Or glass-blowing?  Are the doomsday people one hailstorm away from a home without windows?  Candle-making?  (And does that mean bee-keeping?)  What about fuel?  I have no idea how to make lamp oil.  Or an oil lamp, if I'm unlucky enough to break mine.

Some of the many things that make knitting a joy include that I can do it in the evening, in my heated home, under electric light, with beautiful yarns I didn't need to make myself.  I'm not a gifted spinner, and I don't know where I'd get silk, linen, cotton, and alpaca anyway.  I'm allergic to wool, so shepherding is probably a non-starter.  All of a sudden, Armageddon is looking really unpleasant!

I've decided that Armageddon is an unacceptable outcome.  Survival is important, but what's the fun if I can't knit anymore?  You can call it denial, but I'm happy living the life we have.  Let's not screw it up.

CNY Wool and Fiber Festival

Well, I'm back.  I had a lovely time.  There were so many really nice people!  There were about 20 vendors, all with cool product.

There were also 6 spinning wheels in use that I saw.  A charming woman named Ann patiently tried to remind me how to spin.  Treadle, pinch, draft, and again.  After most of an hour, I had achieved about 12 feet of yarn, and several yards of completely ruined roving.  Ann didn't laugh at me once, which is remarkable.  She was calm and supportive the whole time.  The skill of spinning is more complex and delicate than it looks.  I saw crafters making gossamer-thin threads, and multi-ply yarns. Beautiful.  I am definitely in awe of their skill.

Amy Klee, from Stone Edge Fibers, Phelps, NY, explained quite a bit about her herd, and which types of sheep yield which types of fiber. She was pleasant and informative, and I really enjoyed getting to know her.  Her yarns were varied and remarkable, in particular due to her jewel-toned color palette.  It's stunning stuff, and though I'm allergic to wool, I'm hoping to find a way to work with it.  It's just seductive!

Chris Gilman, from A+ Alpaca Fiber Mill, showed me her wares as well.  Whe runs a small mill and dying operation in Jordan, NY.  The fibers were soft and beautiful, and for handmade product the price was surprisingly affordable.  She also possesses a unique color palette, with a variety of solids and marled colors. 

I wandered the fair for about 2 hours, and then took a spinning lesson.  I knew I was tempting fate, but I had doubled up on the antihistamines in the morning, and thought I could get away with it.  WRONG!  My hands developed hives, and I had a full-blown allergy attack.  I went in the restroom and washed my face and hands, took off my sweater to get stray wool fibers farther from my face, and sucked down some cool water.  Not enough.

I went to my car with itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing, and took a look in the rear view mirror.  Swollen red eyes.  Rats.  My fiber day was over - no getting around it.  On the long drive home it occurred to me that I probably will never take another spinning lesson with wool.  That was a mistake.  And I'll need to wash my hands often as I go through the fair, and try not to touch my face.  Because I'll be back next year. 

Central NY Fiber Frolic

This Saturday is the Central NY Fiber Frolic in Baldwinsville, NY.  It's a small fiber fest, but from all accounts well run and well attended.  This will be my first year going.  I can't wait!

I learned to spin as a child from my grandmother.  She had a beautiful antique spinning wheel in her living room, and I couldn't keep my hands off it.  My grandmother was not amused.  Finally, as punishment for playing with it, she decided I needed to learn to use it properly.  As you might imagine, I thought this was a whole lot less fun than just spinning the great big wheel, and using the carders to brush the tips of my hair.  But learn I did.  I learned not to play with a tool if you don't want to be tasked with using it properly. 

Now, as an avid knitter, I regret not sticking with the spinning (although, of course, the wool allergy is a drawback for spinning).  I don't know if that's a hobby I'm going to ever add to the repertoire, but I would like to know more about fibers and yarns and how one becomes the other.  Different styles of yarn architecture behave differently.  Single ply is different from two ply is different from braided is different from wound.  Yarns with an oval form are more prone to bias than those that are round.  I want to understand!  Right now I have to look most of this stuff up.

So, off to Fiber Fests and Frolics I go.  I will sit through spinning classes and lectures, and pepper vendors with a million questions.   I will learn things that will enhance my life as a knitter and designer.  I will forget more of it than I'd like, and have to learn it again.  And I won't play with any body's spinning wheel.  I don't want to get in trouble.