Stitches East: Part II

I had taken a Ravelry sabbatical to focus on personal stuff for a while and now I'm playing catch up:D Gee I missed it. I just posted this on the Stitches East group and thought hmmmmmm . . . this is worth posting since I wrote it up so nice. It's on a thread of critiques of classes, a great resource for planning next year's choices. Knitters are saying what they liked and why. Class too long? Not enough time? Well organized? Just plain fun? We're telling each other now and the capsules of info will still be there for future class takers. Cool.

Round Up - Beth Whiteside

• taught circular cast ons, dpn, magic loop, two circs

• No homework

• Made a cute neckwarmer for my sister.

• Recommend? YES

Beth paces her class well and doesn't try to cram too much in. She gave a lot of attention to students and circled the room to give individual projects the once over and see that everyone was doing okay. Her style is easy enough to follow for a beginner and I can definitely recommend her for the extra tips division too. Just get down on your knees and pray that a know-it all classmate doesn't try to upstage your instructor during the entire class. I had a woman I wanted to strangle do everything from give personal anecdotes to pass around a giant bag of rubber bands for poor underprivileged unprepared knitters to use as stitch markers. Every five minutes. Beth took it with such grace and incorporated it into the class that I have to admire her even more.

Free-Form Potpourii - Colleen Davis

• Showed how freeform garments and pieces are constructed. Gained experience through set pattern.

• No homework

• Made a cool looking thing from her pattern. I can go on

• Recommend? MAYBE - just for the fun of it, but be prepared to stand for half an hour

Take in to consideration, my critique is incomplete. Another woman on a scooter and I missed about an hour of the class held standing around a table due to the small room and fatigue. I blame the facility/Stitches for the overcrowded room. A good deal of material was discussed up there. To her credit, Colleen tried to bring things to us. I didn't have the heart. She already broke the room into two groups. Can you imagine her repeating it a third time? Her voice was shot.

Your satisfaction with this class may depend on what you want out of it. Duplicating a set pattern created by her was a great way to see how the increases and decreases - picking up stitches on the diagonal affect the piece so it will lay flat. I would have preferred assistance exercising my own creative mind beyond the set pattern once it was finished - with a little guidance from the instructor. Perhaps though, she has this in one of her other classes. She talks about and shows a lot of her work - fascinating uses of color and texture. Inspirational to get rid of all those little bits in my charity bin. I think her covered purses were brilliant.

Off the Cuff Beaded Wrist Warmers - Susanna Hansson

• Teaches on-yarn beading

• Homework = simple Garter stitch swatch to achieve gauge, you do not need this to begin project.

• SHOPPING LIST - be precise about her supplies - the "big eye" beading needle is two smooth wires joined at the tips. One person didn't want/couldn't knit with fingering yarn and did the project in another weight and bead size just to learn the process. I don't know what happed with her.

• Began beaded wristwarmers - cute!

• Recommend? YES

Sussana is well organized and gives individual attention to everyone's progress. I wish I could have taken this class today instead of in October. My own medical crap reared it's head quite unexpectedly and I couldn't deal with a couple aspects of her excellent class. Her handout is excellent and I will be able to finish these at some point, now that I am better. Walking away from a class with instructions or patterns in hand increases my sense of satisfaction. It also one of the marks of a seasoned instructor. I'll look for her next year for sure.

Switch to Continental Style Knitting - Leslye Solomon

• Learn to knit Continental

• No homework

• No cute little project to show for it, but that is the way to go with this.

• Recommend? YES

What a hoot! Leslye takes two pieces of whittled down PVC pipe(joke) and some rope up over her head and turns backwards so we can actually see her do this thing. It works great. I don't know how she kept her arms up wrapping that huge red yarn but her method of demonstration made all the difference to me. She has a silly and funny set of reminders to help you get your yarn placed right and turn your hand just so. All in all, an enjoyable, useful and entertaining class.

And if the woman who snuck into the class I paid for is reading this: I didn't buy your story that you paid for a different class that day. Leslye and I spoke later and I wish I had told you how much I resented you stealing so much of her time from me. A plague of moths on your yarn.

Celtic Knot Rocks

I realized too late I needed some nice stuff to wash my Dad's new hat before giving it to him for his birthday. I know it's supposed to soften up the wool and it would be nice for the Noro on his head and ears. Dashing off to The Celtic Knot Yarn Shop in Ellicott City on my way back from physical therapy today I figured I could scoop up something, polish off the hat, and voila! Gift complete.

Sure of my mission I entered, pleased to see not only Carole the owner but Lindsay of Storm Moon Knits anxiously awaiting a special delivery. Lindsay is to be a cover girl of sorts I hear! But I digress. I announced my need for fine fiber care and was dismayed to hear Carole's worried "I think I sold the last . . ." Ugghh! Oh damn. Well I guess I gotta keep going then. Leave it to me to need to go shopping like a Christmas Eve - eleventh hour - last possible minute . . .

She fumbled in her big bag on the table.

Out popped not one but two stalwart samples of Soak. Her personal stash. She swore I was saving her from having it explode in her bag all over her projects.

I'm not the biggest, baddest knitter out there. I'm a slummer to a lot of fiber freaks. I use a lot of Acrilyc for a lot of charity projects and buy a lot of pretty string that I have lofty ideas of knitting into fantastic works of art for my family or heaven forbid - myself. breathe But I do love this thing we call knitting. And here Carole, recognizing a crazed woman about to schlep out in search of Blaa Blaa Yarn Shop to score some

LYS may come and go, but I'll be back at The Celtic Knot Yarn Shop for more.

It is unfortunate however that "The Late" precedes my name. I had forgotten Bobby had won tickets to a movie that night and off we went after my nap. Wednesday was my birthday. Yes, I share a birthday with my nephew four days after my Dad. Since it was my birthday we went out to Eggspectation to celebrate for breakfast. With PT, OT, drop off and pick up a car, and furiously knitting - I still didn't finish.

So here's how it went.

With everyone sitting in the living room, I picked up Dad's hat, still on the needles, and started a row.

"This is great yarn. It comes from Japan, Toy(so does she). Isn't is nice?" We talk a bit about knitting and she tells my sister how she used to make gloves with tiny needles as a small child. Each finger done separately on three needles like mine. I continued "I'm making this with yarn I got the first day of my treatment - it's a gift for a very special guy, but you know me - I'm not done yet. So Dad, would you try it on so I can see if it'll fit when I'm done?" He gave a start. And a big grin.

At least I saved Carole from the horrors of leaky Soak in her bag.

And I will be back to buy a nice bottle when the shipment comes in.

THAT'S A PEACE SIGN
MY DAD SAWED OFF PART OF HIS FINGER A WHILE BACK !

He Loves Me... and a triumph

This was what Bobby brought home to me Saturday when my crochet class was canceled. It is a Strawberry and Pistachio Tart. He didn't even know the class had been canceled. As Maria sang "I must have done something good".

This morning as he trudged off to shovel the slush, he left these on my desk. Now last night Saint Valentine decided that lovers needed a little wintery mix to encourage snuggling. All Bobby had to say was he was sorry he couldn't get the "good stuff", you know ... exotic chocolates from DC or Timonium or Swaziland.




Sheesh.




My favorite organic dark chocolate - Bug Bites, 70% Italian cocoa, organic dark chocolate coffee beans and a single perfect Schmidt truffle. All this in a Jeff Gordon tin. (the little crispy chocolates in the shape of little race cars are tucked away somewhere he told me on the phone) And the day isn't over.

Now then.

Yesterday I completed my journey with my slubby treasure. I cast on Monday night while Jack Bauer saved the world on 24 and couldn't wait until I could get my little hands back on the needles so I started again at 7 in the morning. It is Impressive! All the colors and the rayon cord running with it give it an air of difficulty far beyond it's design. I used the free pattern 2 hour hat by Allison Blevins at tangleyarn .

My only reason to pout is that I didn't have enough string for the hat that I wanted. I had to settle for a very wide headband. My apologies to the designer for the alteration. The blasted turnip wouldn't bleed. As to the title of the hat, unfortunately her clock and mine have never met. Still, a F.O. in about nine hours of VERY casual knitting in front of the TV with several breaks is impressive for me. I was really finished by one-ish then tinkered far too long with the bind off. It has a nice stretch and I toyed with pulling it all out carefully and casting on with 5 fewer stitches to try for the hat. This would allow me to stay in pattern for the decrease.

Naaaah!

The upswing is I am now emboldened to address my other slubby yarn - a downy soft pink from the Minnesota State Fair. There's a lot more of it in that hank, so it will be a hat. I'll use the "(more than)2 hour hat" pattern by Ms. Blevins again - since I know It fits!

I set a time limit on my 43Things to "Knit a hat with my yarn from MSWF" before the next MSWF or no plastic for me. Whew! Another one bites the dust.

I leave you with a winter pictorial of baby squirrels and pop corn.

Okay, okay

It’s been a long time since I touched tinkknitz. Not that I haven’t thought about it, you see. My attention span is short and I’ve been focused on a non-knitting issue in my life. Now that I’m free to be all knitting- all the time, I’d like to get back to it. I enjoy the creative aspects of my life and have missed exercising that side (which side?) of my brain (oh, maybe it was THAT side). I just visited my 43 things site. That's one I HAVE kept up with. If keeping track of two diary type thingies proves to be a bit overboard - one of 'em can go. I really like 43 things. Simple goals, simple results. Simple. It organizes my thoughts by following the progress of each goal which is waaaay cool.

Now then. I have been busy. Here's a sampling

• K1P2 Knit-A-Thon K1P2 sponsored a great day at The Lakeside Cafe. As the gods would have it, my Mother was discharged to home just the day before. Bobby insisted I still go. His argument was - my mental health. He stayed home with the caregiver and called me when the visiting nurse was on her way. It did the trick for me and I was ready to tackle all the paperwork, schedule therapy, and order equipment and supplies. Huzzah for knitting for charity.

• Finished Objects (turned in at the Knit-A-Thon) My first chemo cap (pitiful, but made with love). Also the other pink chemo hat I made on vacation - nice and big for prednisone patients. Several Warm Up Americas blocks. And finally . . . drumroll please . . . my damned apple cloth. I got the yarn from Margaret and the pattern from knittingknonsense. It was for a women's shelter that Holly Anne donates to. It was fun, and very cute. However, the last four rows refused to die. Thank you, Margaret, for helping me murder them. I had been working on that thing for, say 3 months now? It was so filthy, I had to bring it home to wash it (No, Bonnie, block it, said Holly Anne). When I did, soo much red dye came out of the yarn, I was glad the recipient wasn't going to think her face was bleeding! The yarn just looks mushed to me now, but I learned a valuable lesson. Don't try to do complicated patterns while trying to care for your mother in a nursing home!

• Christmas presents I made Kevin a great scarf, and have enough yarn to make another short one with the hole at the neck I think. I made a coaster for Mr.Mike at K1P2 and will be finishing another tonight. Made a terrific Pot Holder at Stitches but haven't decided on the recipient.

• STITCHES EAST After all the buzz at K1P2, I signed up for two all day classes at the four day knit-fest that is Stitches East. Whew. I learned soooooo much. The biggest thing was DPNs. Both classes taught dpn and I feel pretty comfortable now. There was also I-cord, increasing left and right, using a stitch holder, using two stitch markers, binding off with three needles and (ta-daa) one project is (get this) felted. Then there are cables and a little bit of Fair Isle but I barely remember them. They were on my first dpn day, and I had to content myself with learning the process, not finishing the project. I did an abbreviated version to be able to try the techniques, but eeek! I was slow. I am working on finishing that little hat now however, and am about to tackle that little matter of the cables . . .

• Project Bags I've been collecting enough knitting supplies to have basic kits in each project bag. I'm doing pretty good. Three are almost done. I wasn't going to put everyTHING in every KIT, but it's been easy to collect. Recent additions: I got some measuring tapes at Savage Mill Saturday that are very amusing. The pig has a curly tail to pull etc... I had a handful of free letter openers with an edge that cuts yarn like a dream. Some empty flat pill bottles (Target) stash stitch markers, tapestry needles, row counter and a knit picker.

• Little Red Book I got this to keep as a literal knitting diary - tracking gauge for patterns and needle size/yarn type. You know, something I can scribble in. It's red cloth with three sections. There are little pockets to tuck in labels from yarn or other terribly important notes. I took it to Stitches an already have a few "purls" in it (ouch, did I use that?). No creative space here, just the facts.

So here I am. Family responsibilities were in the forefront for the last six months or so. I don’t think I was doing much actual knitting in the last two months – mostly talking about knitting. Reading about knitting. Planning my knitting. Browsing for and stroking the yarn I may-or-may-not-be knitting. But as I look up at that list, I haven’t been doing as bad as I thought. I readily acknowledge that I am a slow, methodical, perfectionistic knitter. It is not my destiny to be The Queen of the Knitting Universe. Hmmm. Life just changed gears for me.