Re-entry

I'm suffering a bit from a Stitches West hangover.
First, let me tell you that this is not one of those blog posts that is rich in visuals. When I'm busy, I completely forget that I have multiple cameras tucked into my bag. Taking pictures simply doesn't occur to me. So instead of showing you photos of all the knitting superstars I met, or all the gorgeous booths, or the yarn out the wazoo, I'll just tell you this....

1. I love spending a weekend among my tribe. I got to talk with some of my favorite people in the world.

2. The knitting business is filled with the smartest, funniest, most creative and generous women I know.

3. I didn't teach this weekend. I spent the weekend working with my friends from Kollage Yarns in their booth in the market. As a result, I had the opportunity to talk about my designs with lots of knitters.

4. Things that make my heart go pitter-patter:

• Seeing someone wearing a piece that I designed. They saw a picture or sample, liked it, bought yarn, and spent their valuable time making something that started out as a idea in my head. Then they actually liked the finished product enough to wear it in public.  Amazing.
• Hearing that people look forward to reading the technical articles I write for Twist Collective. Perhaps that should be amended to be: Hearing that anyone other than my mother actually reads what I write.
• Having students tell me that they are using the information and skills learned in a class they took with me.
• Having a designer seek me out, introduce herself and tell me that she has learned a lot from my editing of her pattern.

5. Four days of standing on concrete makes me ache from the knees down.

6. Contrary to popular belief, the perfect booth snack is not Girl Scout cookies (not that there is anything wrong with Girl Scout cookies). The perfect booth snack is Cuties, a trade name for seedless Mandarin oranges. Easy to peel, not messy, smells wonderful, and a marvelous hit of sweet and juicy when your energy starts to fade in the afternoon. Want to make a friend? Hand them a Cutie. Next year I'm bringing 2 bags instead of 1.

7. I didn't shop. Really, I didn't. We were so busy in the booth that there were aisles of the market I never even saw. And seriously, did I need to buy anything? No.

8. Despite not shopping, I managed to come home with 2 braids of hand dyed BFL from Shady K Fibers which will make the acquaintance of my spinning wheel this week.

If you get the opportunity to attend Stitches, or a similar event, I hope you jump on it, and I hope you love it as much as I do.

Enough. Laundry awaits.

It's Stitches West Week!

Can you feel the excitement building for Stitches West? It begins on Thursday, February 21 and runs through Sunday the 24th.


I'll be working with my friends from Kollage Yarns in their booth, #513-515.  We'll be showing my new designs for Spring, some of which will also be in the Fashion Show on Friday night.

I'll also be representing Twist Collective at the show.  Come find me in the Kollage booth wearing something made from a Twist Collective pattern, and I'll give you a little present. I'll even tweet a photo of you. Keep your eye out for the ShowUsYourTwist hashtag!

Many new knitting shows have started up in the past several years, but Stitches West remains the biggest and the best. The most classes, the best line-up of teachers, and a market hall that will give you the vapors all await us in Santa Clara.

 Will I see you there?

PS - I'm still recovering from the finale of Season 3 of Downton Abbey. When Matthew was driving down that narrow road, I was hiding my eyes moaning "no, no, no". Ripped my heart out.

A Tale of Two Sweaters - Part 2

A couple of months ago, I told you about the CVM/Romeldale fleece my friend Diane and I bought at the California Wool Festival. I showed you the wool when it came back all clean and fluffy from Morro Fleece Works. It's time for an update.
I finished spinning my half of the fleece last week.  I ended up with just over 2100 yards of yarn.  It is soft and springy and I an quite enamored.

 What's interesting, though, is how Diane and I have taken the same raw material and come up with two very different results.

In the middle is a staple length of the wool, ready for spinning. On the left is my yarn. On the right is Diane's. I spun a very airy woolen single with minimal twist, then made a 4-ply. With washing, the plies have fused into a lovely, cohesive yarn that knits like a dream. Diane spun a much smoother single, then plied it with a natural brown merino. The merino is slightly lighter in color than our CVM, and the 2 plies are much more clearly defined. Her yarn is also soft and elastic, but has a smoother surface, producing better stitch definition in the finished fabric.

Diane is knitting a gorgeous seed stitch pullover with staghorn cables. Sorry, no link to a pattern. Diane is designing this for herself, because that's how she rolls. You can see how her choice of yarn structure produced a cable that is crisply defined against the background texture.

My yarn is destined to make Crane Creek.

See how my woolen spun yarn makes a blurrier, less defined texture?
I'll show you both sweaters when they are done, but it may be awhile. Diane is nearly finished with hers, with only a sleeve and a half to go. My Crane Creek has not progressed past the swatch stage, and is likely to remain on hold for a while. I came back from Stitches West with tonnage of yarn for new design commissions (hooray!), so personal knitting is on the back burner.

Stitches West and Betsy's Beads

I've just returned from 4 wonderful days teaching at Stitches West. I love going to Stitches. Since I work at home, it's an incredible feeling to be surrounded by thousands of people who share my love of yarn and knitting and all such pursuits. I spent some quality time with good friends that I don't get to see nearly enough, and I met new people who I just know are destined to become good friends. The women (and, yes, it was all women this time, but it isn't always) who took my classes were the BEST. STUDENTS. EVER.
I have a hard time remembering to take photos at events like this. When I'm thinking about taking pictures, I find it takes me away from being in the experience. So the only photo I came back with is this one.....

from left to right: me, bead and lace designer extraordinaire Sivia Harding, Karin Skacel and Michelle Hunter of Skacel Yarns, and Andrea Wong. Susie Moraca from Kollage Yarns was seated to my right, but got up to take photos.

 This was taken Thursday evening at the launch party for Betsy Beads, the new book by my friend Betsy Hershberg. Like all good cocktail parties, there were more people than chairs. We started out leaning against the wall, then one by one slid down to the floor. Before the night was out, this was the picnic spot were all the cool kids were congregating.

Let me tell you about Betsy's excellent book.  Betsy makes the most amazing bead knitted jewelry.  I am the proud owner of an original Betsy Hershberg bracelet, which she made for me a couple of years ago in exchange for a cowl I knit - I definitely got the better end of that trade.
Betsy Beads is rich in technique.  Detailed illustrated instructions will enable you to reproduce any of the spectacular designs shown.
But the heart of Betsy's book is the essays that open each chapter.  Betsy revels in the creative process. In her essays, she shares her journey of experimentation and discovery, and encourages you to set out on a journey of your own.  I was familiar with Betsy's work and knew it was beautiful.  What I did not know is that she is such a good writer.  You'll want to take time to savor each word.

The photography is this book is also a treat. It is a challenge to capture bead work in photos. I've often seen pictures of beaded projects where you wouldn't know beads were included if they weren't listed in the materials list. Alexis Xenakis is a master of capturing the nuances of knitwear in photos. With this book, he has extended his mastery to beads.  The subtleties of color and finish are beautifully rendered.  And his choice of background for the close-up shots is flawless. The use of jelly beans? Brilliant.

If you'd like to buy the book (and you really should), here is a link. Following that link takes you to the website of the publisher, XRX books.  While there, you can download a free pattern for a necklace, and see photos of all the projects included in the book.

Here is what jumped out of my stash as soon as I got the book home.  I don't actually have time to start a new project. But since I already have the yarn and beads, and I only need to find a clasp, it doesn't really count as a new project, right? Right?