25 July 2010 · No Comments
So day one was rowdy, and day two was reverent. Day three can perhaps best be called raucous. It was knitting with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, it was the final day, and we were all more than a bit slap happy.
Things started out well enough. There was learning, there was sharing, there was swatching. We got to try out all the yarns we had dyed on the first day and several more as well. The wisdom of my decision to buy piles and piles of Silkie Sock was confirmed. My resistance to sweater knitting was substantially undermined. (Ya see that silvery gray stuff in the bottom right corner? Yeah, that may have been the thing that pushed me over to the sweater knitting camp. At least I’ll know what to blame.)
But soon, the conversation turned to the best way to wind balls (balls of yarn people, balls of yarn). It became something of a theme, and the rest of the day is lost in a blur of giggles and smutty jokes. I’ll claim amnesia about the details, but the over all effect was lovely. It was great to see how well the group had clicked over the last three days, and we all walked away knowing much more than when we walked in.
24 July 2010 · No Comments
Next up is Silk Crush Sock by Sweet Georgia in Cypress. I’m going to take a dramatic and unexpected position here and recommend you not click on those links. Not, that is, unless you want to fritter away the next 45 minutes and who knows how many dollars in a sweaty, sticky, yarn-drenched daze.
Sweet Georgia is new to me. I’d not seen their yarn or even heard of them before I started the book project. Then someone involved with the book sent me the link. I don’t really remember the hour or so after that. A bit later yarn showed up in my mailbox, so things must have gone well.
The only downside is that I had to turn around and immediately send it off to my genius sample knitter. Heartbreaking I tell you. I kept back a few yards to fondle swatch. When this project is over and I get to go back to recreational knitting (as opposed to book knitting), I will be heading right back for another dose.
23 July 2010 · No Comments
You thought I forgot, didn’t you. Or perhaps you thought I forgot my Roman numerals. Somewhat to my surprise, I actually do remember them up through the thousands, which is really all you need. The delay in presenting book yarn has been entirely due to other distracting things going on. It’s back now.
This is Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Fjord. Now I’ve not actually worked with Shepherd Sock myself. It’s a teeny tiny bit too thin for me to use comfortably. Of course knitters vary, and this is actually a fairly classic sock weight. Scads of people use it and love it. I know that lots of folks actually prefer thinner socks (a few of them even emailed me to ask that I pretty pretty please include some in the book). So I did.
For me though…I’ll be over in the corner there knitting on the just slightly heavier Shepherd Sport. All the pretty, and just a teeny tiny bit thicker. There’s something for everyone.
22 July 2010 · 4 Comments
So if day one was rowdy, day two would have to be described as reverent. The second day was spent spinning with Judith MacKenzie. Now you all know that spinning was the thing I was most concerned about.
Just days before the class was announced, I had declared that I was done with spinning. It’s only due to an entirely uncharacteristic delay in getting rid of stuff that I hadn’t chucked all my spinning fiber the week before the class went public. I had put it all in a pile to go away, but just never got around to finding a new home for it. When we introduced ourselves at the start of the retreat, I explained that I was there in part because I “got distracted while trying to clean out my closet.”
So I registered. And I practiced. Then I bought better spindles. And I practiced. And I bought more fiber. And I practiced. Eventually I was turning out something that was more or less yarn-like. Not good, not skillful, but recognizably yarn-ish in nature. Then I got to class and realized just how bad I still am at this.
Oddly enough, it wasn’t a troubling realization. It was more like ‘wow look how many other ways there are to do this’ than ‘I am a terrible person and should hang my head in shame at having thought I could do it.’ I have a bad habit. If I’m not good at a new task five minutes after starting it, I tend to decide it is a lousy thing to know and loose all interest in it. I don’t feel that way about spinning, at least not after this class, and I credit that to Judith. She is a marvelous instructor and incredibly well versed in her subject. She put everyone at ease. She answered questions from newbies and experienced spinners alike and never once made me feel foolish or out of place. It was phenomenal. Everyone was more or less in awe of her knowledge and skill.
As for the content of the class? Well, we spun. We spun silk by itself in several different preparations, and we spun silk mixed with wool, cashmere, angora, alpaca, and a few things I can’t even remember. Much of it was beyond my current skill level, but it was all great fun. The only downside was that I seem to have decided I need to acquire an electric spinning wheel. This one in particular. Beth was kind enough to loan me one for the class, and now I’m smitten.
21 July 2010 · 7 Comments
Well the title really says it all. This is a fairly flagrant moment of self promotion. Feel free to look away if you’re easily distressed.
Once again someone was kind enough to nominate me to be one of the designers of the month for next year’s Sock Knitters Anonymous (SKA) schedule. For those who don’t know SKA is a giant ravelry group composed of obsessed dedicated sock knitters. Each month they have a featured technique (like cables, lace, beads, or knitting while standing on your head) and a featured designer (Yarnissima, Wendy Johnson, Janel Laidman, Cookie A). If group members finish a pair of socks using the technique or by the designer, they are entered to win a host of awesome prizes.
I was lucky enough to be one of the designers this year and it was great fun. To be completely frank, it’s also great advertising. I don’t really do much in the way of marketing. People generally find me by word of mouth or by seeing socks someone else has knit from one of my patterns. Something like this is a great chance to come to the attention of a bunch of folks already known to have a weakness for socks. I’d love to do it again next year.
So here’s where you come in. If you’re on ravelry, and if you are part of the SKA group (and really, if you knit socks you probably should be, it’s a friendly place), head over to the voting thread and take a look at the folks who are nominated. Pick out some of your favorites (you vote for a designer by clicking on the ‘agree’ button). The voting runs through July 25, and you can vote for up to 11 people. And really do pick your favorites, if there are other people on that list you like more — and it’s a heck of a list — you should vote for them instead!
21 July 2010 · 1 Comment
Congratulations to Jolene. I’ll be in touch to arrange getting her favorite, Sky Pirate, out to her. That color was a favorite for lots of folks and I’m sure Jolene will enjoy it. Thanks so much to everyone who entered. I love reading all the things you have to say!
I’ve got lots to share, and alas not much time to share it. I’ll be back shortly with more of the silk retreat, I’ve got a new sock almost finished, and more book news. Alas, doing all this stuff is rather cutting into the time needed to write about it. Someday I’m sure I’ll find the perfect balance. Just not this week.
19 July 2010 · No Comments
Just popping in with a quick reminder that tomorrow is the last day to enter the giveaway for some of Suzan’s lovely yarn. I’ll be back Wednesday with a winner and the next installment in my trip.
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