Doesn’t the photo look really artsy? That’s because I used my new $4 Kodak Duaflex II to take the picture. The technique is called “Through the Viewfinder” and you use a modern camera to take a picture of the image in the large viewfinder of the old Duaflex or similar cameras. I first noticed this technique through the Make blog, or Flickr, i can’t remember which. I’ve had my eye out for a suitable camera ever since, and I found one for only $4 this weekend. I just used a cardboard poster tube to support my old digital camera. No taping yet, but it would be nice to get rid of the light leaks.

• More info on the technique and apparatus construction here
• Flickr TTV group
• Here are all of my TTV shots so far

From previous experience, I have prepared myself to not get any of the free goodies the knitting train promises. They always run out by Emeryville where I get on. This year was no exception. We did get some kind of coupon-y thing that might turn itself into a free gift of some kind, but I am skeptical. (man, do I get irrationally upset about not getting free stuff….) We were able to get our hands on some raffle tickets, and though our group was pretty lucky last year (two or three winners, i can’t remember) I didn’t expect things to go as well as they did….. B won a GRAND PRIZE!! A gigantic tote bag FULL of books and kits. Thanks Chronicle books and Craft: magazine! It was really fantastic… and she was nice enough to share with all of us! I took custody of Cozy Crochet which has mostly basic crochet projects. I’ll pass it on when I have mastered the stuff inside.

On to the stitches marketplace! Prepare yourselves, for I exhibited an incredible amount of restraint.

I know you are thinking ‘this is what restraint looks like?’ Yes. This is restraint. click through for notes.

As planned, I bee-lined to the Blue Moon booth, but there was nothing I could do…. it was so picked over. There was no medium weight (my favorite) to be had, and I didn’t see any colors not represented on the website. So I decided that would be better off just ordering what I wanted online. Now I realize there is very little medium weight on the website. Anyone know what is up with that??

I made a pit stop at the Bay Area Co-Op booth to grab some sock patterns, and then I was off to the Brooks Farm booth. Really, they have the nicest yarns… And I resisted them all! I promised myself no single skeins since I wan tto be able to knit more than a scarf. And i have 1 hank of Brooks Farm from last year, so nothing from there for me.

A stop at the Carolina Homespun booth remided me that Morgaine is a really nice person. With a lot of nice stuff. I got two silk hankies for spinning (inspired by abby’s handwarmers). Somebody else was the real big spender there.

Off to the Webs booth, where i opened the flood gates. I got some Nature Wool that I keep putting in my shopping cart online. It is destined to become a Central Park Hoodie from Knitscene. And the thing that i am the most excited about, some Tofutsies sock yarn. They have 2.5% Chitin from crabs and shrimp! You can bet that when I finish these babies there will be photos of me taunting crabs on the beach with them.

I already started knitting a sock (yarn is double-stranded)

edit
I forgot to tell you about the lisa souza booth. I really enjoyed seeing lisa’s yarns in person. they wer etruly lovely and I chose a yellow and blue handpainted skien for myself. Then i discovered abby rummaging in a bin in fromt of the cash register. It was the “Heels and toes” discount bin. Mini skeins of yarn were priced by the ounce. I got a lovely color collection – maybe fr some striped socks. the two particularly big skeins might become a pair of anemoi mittens.

After the whirlwind of shopping was over, we hit the bar. This year we had stiff competition for seats from both fellow knitters, and families that were there for some sort of dance competition upstairs. But we squeezed in and had a few cocktails. It was there that I found out that Debbie won a door prize. You go girl! We were a lucky crowd.

I thoroughly enjoyed the train ride back. It was complete with cozied beverages for maximum relaxation.