I... I don't quite know how to say this. Maybe through the medium of macro...
No? OK, well... remember that stash pledge I made? Oh, do I have to spell it out?
I bought some yarn. Some really, really good yarn. This yarn, to be precise.
It is an absurdly luxurious laceweight from Old Maiden Aunt, consisting of baby alpaca, silk and cashmere, in the colourway Bitter Bug. Now, you know how I feel about Old Maiden Aunt yarns - I have made them into socks, shawls, and an ill-fated cardigan. Lilith (the dyer) just has an unparalleled sense of colour: this particular skein is a rhapsody in green, ranging from an inky, forest darkness to intoxicating dashes of absinthe. On top of that, there is a really cool concept behind this latest collection of hers:
All of these yarns are inspired by her favourite songs; in the case of my yarn, this Indigo Girls number. I long been a believer in the mixtape as a token of regard, and have given and received more than I could count. As Nick Hornby described in High Fidelity, making them is a craft in its own right, but I love the idea of honouring them through other crafts. As well as that yarn collection, check out Floresita's adorable mixtape card tutorial.
My little brother and I have a bit of a mixtape war going on, with the battle-ground as my mum's car. My inclusion of this Ethiopian jazz classic was taken by both mother and brother as conclusive proof that I had lost this war, which I suppose goes to show that gauging your audience is the key to mixtape success (I still love that song, though). I'd love to hear other people's mixtape stories - has anyone ever given you a really memorable one? Have you laboured over a playlist for someone you've set your cap at in the hope of getting them to return your affections?
hi
ReplyDeletei myself am trying not to buy yarn as my stash is out of control. that said i don't blame you one bit - that old maiden aunt yarn is stunning. i've bought yarn from lilith and have a few waiting to use so i know exactly what you mean about the quality and colors.
Wow! That yarn is gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteOh, gorgeous! I love both mixtapes and High Fidelity, although High Fidelity tends to be in my life more than mixtapes these days. Sad!
ReplyDeleteThe Ethiopiques are awesome, how could you ever lose a mixtape battle with those?
ReplyDeleteMe and my friends are so used to just dumping whole albums on each others' computers that I think we've lost the art of making a good mixtape.
One thing I've started doing though, is creating collaborative playlists with people on Spotify - anyone you give the URL to can add tracks and you end up with a playlist/mixtape that builds and develops over time. Also a great way to find out what you were listening to 6 months ago.