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Stitches West 2013

March 8, 2013 in Events, Workshops | No comments

By the time February rolls around, most New Englanders are willing to do anything to get out of Dodge, so to speak for awhile.  The snow and the cold and the grey skies get to some people.  I don't mind the winter all that much, but I must admit I do look forward to going to California (blue skies, warmer weather, NO SNOW) to take  part in Stitches West.  Even if the weather were horrible in Santa Clara, I'd still come--it is so much fun!  The market was huge this year.  I signed books at the Yarn Barn booth.  It was really crowded!

Signing books in the Yarn Barn booth

Here is my first class.  I am not too fond of the "Horsehoe" set-up, but it does give me a lot of extra exercise during class.  it's a LLOONNGG way down there!
 LAt class

 My students in the Latvian Fingerless Mitt class were just wonderful--so enthusiastic and motivated!  They worked very hard that day and they were very proud--as they should be!  Look at all their lovely mitts!

My class- Latvian Fing Mitts

 And here's a close-up of their work.  Every mitt was beautiful!

The Latvian Fingerless Mitts

My second class was two days long: The Danish Skrå-trøje.  It was just a wonderful class, small and intimate, and we had the absolute best times!  I wish every class I taught could have this combo of students.  What a pleasure!  It was a lot of knitting, but they all got pretty far with their little sweaters.  I made them knit in two colors on the right side, purl in two colors on the wrong side, work in the round and flat, and make twined-knitted cuffs.  I put them all through their paces and they were so successful!  YAY!

My Skra class

 

The student banquet was fun too, but as I had a cold the entire time I was in California, I went to bed if I wasn't teaching or eating. If any of you students got my cold, I am so sorry!

The student banquet

 

I am already looking forward to Stitches West 2014!

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The Dallas Handknitters Guild

March 8, 2013 in Events, People, Workshops | 1 comment

Now here's a guild I have a history with!  I started teaching for the Dallas guild back in 1993 I think, before my book came out. And I taught at least one, if not two, workshops for the guild for the next ten years, give or take.  It is such a wonderful feeling to know so many members over a long period of time.  And every time I go back it's like coming home in a way.  They know I love Mexican food and feed it to me as often as possible while I am there.  They voraciously and loyally bought my yarns and kits and books and patterns when I had my internet store, and some years those purchases were responsible for keeping me afloat (as in food in the frig).  So it is little wonder that I feel a kinship to them all.  Big-hearted women. Last year, after many years' hiatus (because I had taught ALL my workshops to them), they asked me back!  The membership has somewhat shifted.  There are new faces–knitters who haven't had my classes.  So I taught my gansey class, with my DVD.  It was a huge class as usual (the Dallas guild always has a good turn-out), and the technology helped me get around to everyone.  Later on I got this photo in my email box... Twelve little ganseys on display at the Dallas Quilt Show!

All the little Ganseys hung in a row...at the 2012 Dallas quilt show

What is so phenomenal is that twelve of the knitters in my class (that's 50%) FINISHED their ganseys.  I was so impressed. I am more than ever looking forward to being in Dallas again at the beginning of May 2013 to teach Latvian Fingerless Mitts and the Norwegian Fana Cardigan!  Can't wait!  If you would like to join in the fun, you can contact the program chair here.  Tex-Mex anyone?

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The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow- the Workshop

December 9, 2012 in A new experience!, Events, Workshops | 2 comments

Having been granted a fellowship to be here, it is expected for me to give back to the community in some way.  The best I know how to do is to offer a workshop, so this past Tuesday, I got ready to teach a short two-hour class on the basics of Swedish Twined Knitting. I thought MAYBE I would get as many as 6 people.  But was I surprised!  TWENTY knitters showed up with dishes for a pot-luck lunch afterwards!  We had a grand time!

What a nice big room to hold a workshop in!

Demonstrating Twined Knitting

Hard at work!

My patterns laid out on the piano

Notice all the potluck dishes on the counter in the background waiting for lunchtime. These knitters are great cooks!

It was a lovely day.  I was so pleased so many came to learn this esoteric technique from Sweden!

Vesterheim, part 2

November 13, 2012 in Events, Museums, People, Workshops | No comments

On Sunday, the Knit-In continued.  Katie Carpenter had created a pillow project based on one of Ann Swanson's charts she had devised several years before.  I happily knitted away on that as did many others.  In the afternoon, Janine Kosel and Sue Flanders, authors of Norwegian Handknits:Heirloom Designs from Vesterheim Museum, gave a talk about their latest book Swedish Handknits: A Collection of Heirloom Designs.  They talked about the process of researching, designing, writing, and being published, and showed the many lovely projects from the book.  We all enjoyed that!

Sue Flanders, and Janine and Rosemary Kosel

I spent some time in the storage area charting out some socks (Sjønaleistar) that are all white and only come above the ankle.  The top part of these socks is twined knitted in MANY colors and I have seen them in museums in Sweden and Finland.  They are near the top of the list for me to knit!  This particular sock is not from Vesterheim, but from a Swedish museum.

Around 3pm everyday, the box wine came out in honor of Ann Swanson, who preferred only white box wine.  We all toasted to her memory and shared past anecdotes about her.  The Stash Sale was a big hit: many of Ann's leftover yarns, tools, and pattern books were up for grabs with the proceeds going to benefit Vesterheim Museum.   Here are Ruth Sybers, Sally Wall, and Katie Carpenter, all good friends of Ann. I feel lucky to count them as mine as well!

Katie Carpenter, Ruth Sybers, and Sally Wall (in her beautiful Estonian sweater!)

Carol Anderson told this "Sven" joke that Ann had shared with her... The audio is quiet, so you may have to turn it up.  Be aware the joke is a bit "off-color". Carol's Sven Joke On Monday and Tuesday, I taught the Swedish North Halland sweater.  Christine Biedermann finished hers!   Only too soon it was time to go home.  But I was ready, as I had not been in Vermont for 2 weeks by this time.

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Vesterheim: The Norwegian-American Museum, Part One

November 12, 2012 in Events, Knitting techniques, People, Workshops | No comments

I have not been to Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa since 1997, when I first visited to "practice" researching before my first big trip to Scandinavia.  So it was very thrilling and quite an honor to be asked to teach two classes there at the end of October and beginning of December.   A fund had been set up at the museum in memory of Ann Swanson, one half of the design team of Two Old Bags. (Katie Carpenter is the other half and graciously picked me up and drove me to the museum.)  This fund provided the activities for the long weekend, and generated enough capital to continue the tradition for another time! I first taught the Danish Nattrøjer class on Thursday and Friday.  On Saturday, a Knit-In was held and many familiar faces showed up! Carol Anderson is on the left and Katie Carpenter, who was Ann Swanson's partner, is in the back. Carol kept us in stitches with her wonderful renditions of Lena and Ole jokes (a Minnesota specialty). Sally Wall and Kate Martinson (professor at local Luther College) are enjoying one of them here...   Karen Weiburg, former owner of Three Kittens Yarn Shoppe in Minneapolis is pictured above.  The young woman on the right, eventually pulled out her current project: 14 pairs of socks (yes, that's 28 socks total) being knitted simultaneously.

Janet Thorson, epic sock knitter!

We were all so impressed at her industriousness.  She is using three 60" circular needles to hold all the socks and it takes her about one-half hour to knit the entire round!  She had decided she could not buy any more yarn until she used up what she had so this motivated her to get it all done at once!  She organized each pair with its own ball in plastic bags and clothes pins.  Just awesome! Another knitter, Beverly Bakkum, came to the Knit-In wearing my design Celtic Dreams.  I love the color she chose to knit it in and she did a beautiful job!
Beverly in her Celtic Dreams
I gave a slide presentation on Scandinavian Knitting Traditions and had a wonderful day!  And it wasn't over yet!  See part 2!  

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Vogue Knitting LIVE!

November 12, 2012 in Events, Workshops | No comments

Vogue Knitting Live was a lot of fun.  I flew into Chicago and stayed at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel where it was held.  This is a lovely hotel and I enjoyed every minute!

The Lobby

      My students were enthusiastic and hard-working!  Here is some of their work from the Latvian Fingerless Mitts class-great colors!!! We had a fun day! My Norwegian Mitten class and gansey class were also very rewarding for me and, hopefully, the students! Throughout the weekend though many of us were growing more uneasy as we kept hearing about Hurricane Sandy.  A lot of the teachers' flights were cancelled and could not get flights out until the following Thursday.  Although I had other plans to visit a friend for a few days, I still worried about my family on the East coast.  We were very lucky in that no one suffered much worse than power outages.    My heart goes out to those who sustained terrible losses, or even minor ones. Vogue Knitting Live will be continued in New York City this coming January.              

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The Entrelac Queen

September 16, 2012 in New designs/ classes, People, Workshops | No comments

I think it's fun to be in a blog roll, but I even like it better when I can host someone myself.  I thought you might be interested in how my dear friend Gwen Bortner ended up doing an Entrelac class for Craftsy.  Keep reading as she has a link for you to save money down at the bottom! I sure feel honored to know her, and while I think she overstates my part in her success, I must admit that she has repaid me many times over with solid advice through the years! Here's Gwen... Some weeks ago, I got in contact with Beth about being a stop on my blog tour for my new Craftsy class, Entrelac Knitting.  But as traveling teachers, we were not able to make it happen in a timely manner, even when we actually were sharing a room at the Knit and Crochet Show in Manchester!  Beth had suggested that I do a guest posting, and then life got extra crazy and time slipped away, but now I am getting caught up.  And for my first guest posting, I was honored to be asked by Beth.  For if it wasn’t for Beth, I might not have gotten into this industry. Years ago, more than either Beth or I can keep track of, I took a class from Beth when she was teaching at Yarn Barn of Kansas (one of my semi-local yarn stores at the time).  I asked Beth if I could share lunch with her and ask her a few questions.  These were mostly around designing and working in the industry.  And Beth, in her standard way, was super supportive of me and my ideas about getting into the industry.  Although she will say that I would have made it regardless, I know that it is often the words of encouragement from just one individual that can really make a difference.  And Beth gave those words to me. But what I am most grateful for is that it set me on a path to discover an occupation that I truly love, knitting instruction.  Since I joined the industry full-time over 10 years ago now, I have experienced most aspects of the business.  And with every new aspect I still find that I love teaching and sharing my love of knitting the part I enjoy the most.  And as the years pass, Beth continues to be an inspiration, mentor and friend. So my latest teaching adventure took me to Denver to film a class on Entrelac Knitting (what is probably considered my specialty) for Craftsy. Although I love teaching in the classroom, if I am honest, I must say that my Craftsy class is probably even better than taking my class live.  Once you sign up, your access never expires.  And all the lesson are available to watch, and re-watch as many times or as often as you want so long as you have internet access.  Just like being in a class with me, you can ask questions and I will respond (usually in 24 hours or less).  You can also interact with the other students and share finished photos of projects.  But unlike the classroom environment, you get close-up views of my hands working through the steps while I verbally explain what I am doing.  Have I sold you yet?  Well also consider that Beth’s readers will receive a discount by clicking on this link: http://www.craftsy.com/ext/entrelac_review9 I hope you will come check it out if you have ever had any interest in learning (or learning more) about entrelac.  But before I sign off I want to extend special thanks to Beth for allowing me to be a guest on her blog.  But more importantly, thanks for being the voice of encouragement early on and since then becoming a friend!!
  Many thanks to you Gwen for the generous discount offer for your class!  I am a fan of Craftsy classes.  They make a lot of sense for my on-the-go style of living.  I can tune in at any time!  Give them a try!

The Alaska Cruise

September 16, 2012 in A new experience!, Museums, Workshops | 1 comment

I can't tell you how happy I was to get off the #$% bus when we got to Seward.  There was the ship!  My son was already on board and had texted me asking where the heck was I and that he had already seen the whole ship!

The Ship!

Jorn and I had our first meal–dinner– on the ship in the dining room. It pretty much rained the whole cruise.  But that didn't stop us!  We saw Haines first thing... We walked around town and went to this museum.  It was very interesting to see live animals (and stuffed ones too).

The Museum

Although I am uncomfortable with the idea of killing animals to stuff them, it was a wonderful thing to look at them up close–not something one wants to do with a live moose!

A Family of Moose

I thought the museum was well done...

Bears in the exhibit

  ...and I really liked the live animals, including owls and an enormous Bald Eagle that was very uncooperative about getting his photo taken.

Great Horned Owl

Owl

                                    We enjoyed the day on land but were glad to get back to the dry ship.  We pulled away from Haines...

Haines

We sailed into Glacier Bay where this glacier moves 7 feet per day.  It looked like someone had dripped blue food coloring in spots.  I was told those blue areas are mineral deposits.

The Glacier

  Here the glacier is "calving", which means big chunks of the glacier are falling into the water.  I was pretty thrilled to see that!

The Glacier Calving-not sure if you can really see it...

Here are three examples of towel art.  Almost every evening, we would come back to our room and find a new animal on one of our beds.  I liked the elephant best, but they were all very clever.  Our room stewards were so nice!

Hmm... either a lobster or a scorpion

I enjoyed my time with the knitters.  We had some good classes and good times.  We only had class when we were at sea so that we all would be free to explore when we docked. Juneau is the state capital of Alaska and I was amazed to hear that one can only get there by air or water--not by land.  Turns out this is pretty inconvenient.  So at one point, the possibility of moving the state capital to Anchorage was put on the referendum and passed.  THEN they ran the financials to see how much it would cost to move and no one felt it was worth that many millions of dollars. We saw the state capital.

The State Building

And where the state business is done... In Ketchikan, we saw totems in a park and then went to a Totem museum.  They were mysterious and wonderful relics.

Totem

Another totem

 

There were some old totems in this museum. They don't last too long as a rule.

  Here is my favorite totem.  It's a halibut.  I learned on this trip that the halibut is an enormous fish and its eye migrates, likes a flounder.  It is flat and lies on the bottom of the ocean.  I always thought of it as something like a trout!  What a landlubber I am!

Halibut totem

We saw this lodge house and were able to go in...

A Lodge House

and see what it was like inside.

Here the tour guide is explaining life in the lodge house.

 

At the end of our day in Ketchikan, we went to the infamous Creek Street, where brothels abounded in the 1900s.

We would sail for Vancouver that evening, spending a day along the inside passage. It seemed too short--only 7 days.  But I looked forward to being in Vancouver.

Mostly Merino’s Summer Retreats in Vermont

April 2, 2012 in Uncategorized, Workshops | 2 comments

A Vermont Country Road

I have written before about the wonderful weekend retreats held by Margaret Klein Wilson, gifted dyer of Mostly Merino.  There is nothing better than a getaway in a gorgeous part of the world (Southern Vermont), eating delicious, local food, knitting with warm and open people who share your love of fiber, and working on a fun project!  I am excited to look forward to August when we will once again hold two sessions of knitting retreats.  If you are interested in coming, register soon (by April 14), as the groups are kept small for a more intimate feel to the retreat.

Kelly feeds us well

Margaret says... The retreats are held at the Dutton Farmhouse, a Landmark Trust Property in Dummerston, Vermont.  (www.landmarktrustusa.org) This magnificent rural setting, overlooking the orchards of Scott Farm and the neighboring hills, is a perfect place to settle into your knitting in good company.  We knit with a passion, feast on cuisine that is mostly locally grown, and enjoy each other’s company, knitting wisdom and the sublime setting in equal measure. Both retreats make time and space for each knitter to address their knitting practice with humor and good intention.  We have fun!

The Dutton Farmhouse

The workshop registration is limited to 14 to insure each knitter has plenty of one-to-one time to work with Beth.  The workshop schedule of three days sets a leisurely pace and reflects Beth’s generous teaching style.  There is time to take a walk down country roads and enjoy local views, eat and shop at the local Farmer’s Market, visit the Green Mountain Spinnery and enjoy the eclectic town of Brattleboro. As one retreatant puts it, “Three days in Vermont, feels more like a week away.”  

MOSTLY MERINO

Two Summer Knitting Retreats

With Beth Brown-Reinsel

  August 16th - 19th, 2012

August 23rd – 26th, 2012

 

About the Classes:  SESSION I

Thursday, late afternoon, August 16th

through Sunday, August 19th

Sequencing: Taking Color Into Your Own Hands – Friday

Fair Isle Tam:  Saturday

 Color Twined Fingerless Mitts:  Sunday

  We begin this weekend with a Welcoming dinner on Thursday evening. Friday finds us in nearby Brattleboro to explore how color works in a 3 hour “sequencing” class at the River Gallery School, followed by time to explore  eclectic Brattleboro, tour a local Spinnery  and enjoy tea and the view from the lawn of the Dutton Farmhouse. Then we settle into our space for two days of  Tam and Mitt workshops with Beth. Sequencing: This method of “painting” was devised at the River Gallery School in Brattleboro, as a way for both beginner and experienced art makers to break down impediments to creative energy. Imagine yourself with a  palette tray of many colors of paint, latex gloves and permission to play. Knitters being artmakers of another kind, this 3-hour class is your time to loosen up and explore your sense of color. “Color is strongly related to our emotions and when we are able to experience it tactilely, our relationship to it (and to the qualities we associate with it) is intensified. Color becomes alive and more apparent to our awareness. We begin to develop a direct feeling for what it means to each of us.” From Making is Knowing: An Approach to Creativity in Art Making, by Ric Campman and Lydia Thompson, 2004.

Fair Isle Tam

FAIR ISLE TAM: (6 Hours) This Fair Isle class is for knitters who would like to venture into two-color knitting and tam construction. A small tam comprised of ribbing, a border pattern area, and the wheel area will be knitted on double points or a circular needle, in four colors, although never more than two in a round. Techniques included in the workshop: knitting with a color in each hand, weaving yarns to reduce snagging, reading tam charts, knitting traditional peerie, border, and wheel patterns, and shaping and finishing of the tam. The class will end with a discussion of alternate ribbing treatments and designing your own tam.  

Color-Twined Fingerless Mitts

COLOR TWINED FINGERLESS MITTS: (6 Hours) Students will learn color techniques of tvåändsstickning, or twined knitting, a technique developed in Sweden in the 1600s, which creates a denser, warmer fabric structure than stranded knitting.  By knitting one of a pair of Fingerless Mittens, the student will gain knowledge and experience in the basics of twined knitting, while advancing to the three main two-color techniques: working with two and three yarns for color, and a modified intarsia technique as well as yarn management, twined knitting, twined purling, herringbone braid, and reading twined knitting charts.   Class Registration The weekend fee of $475 includes all instruction and comprehensive handouts, Thursday evening welcoming dinner, Friday breakfast and afternoon tea,  Saturday  & Sunday continental breakfast & lunches.  Local organic produce will be incorporated into all menus.   A deposit of $125 will hold your spot in the class.  The balance of the class fee  -- $350 -- is due before May 16th; $375 thereafter. Refunds of deposits and/or the entire class fee will be given only if another person takes the place of the knitter canceling. To reserve, write or call: merino@together.net 802.254.7436 (Paypal/Checks/MC/Visa)   Housing:  Two twin bedded and one queen bed rooms are still available at the Dutton Farmhouse ($85/night) and are booked through me. Also, I will be working on a room rate at the  local Quality Inn for this weekend. Other nearby  (within 10 min. &  miles) options include:   The Hampton Inn   802.254.5700 Holiday Inn Express   802.257.2400   www.brattleboroexpress.com   The following hotels are locally owned and close by: The Latchis  802.254.6300 www.latchis.com  (downtown Brattleboro) Colonial Motel & Spa  800.239.0032 www.colonialmotelspa.com      

ABOUT THE CLASSES:  SESSION II

 

Thursday, late afternoon, August 23rd

through Sunday, August 26th

The Dutton Farmhouse

Introduction to Fana Cardigan: Friday

Design  & Begin Your Own Fana Cardigan:  Sat. & Sunday

 

The Norwegian Fana Cardigan Sampler

The Norwegian Fana Cardigan, 18 hours Level: Intermediate to advanced    The classic details and traditional construction of the Norwegian Fana Cardigan sweaters will be taught in this three-day workshop through the knitting of a small sweater and segues into designing and beginning your own Fana cardigan. Techniques to be learned include circularly knitted body and sleeves, square and drop shoulder armholes, cut-and-sew armholes and front, knitted self-facings, button bands, and 2-color star, band, and checkerboard patterns.

The Norwegian Fana Cardigan

Class Registration  The weekend fee of $475 includes all instruction and comprehensive handouts, Thursday evening welcoming dinner, and 3 days of sumptuous continental breakfast & lunches with a localvore emphasis.   A deposit of $125 will hold your spot in the class. Balance of class fee --$350 -- is due before May 20th; $375 thereafter. Refunds of deposits and/or the entire class fee will be given only if another person takes the place of the knitter canceling. To reserve, write or call: merino@together.net 802.254.7436 (Paypal/Checks/MC/Visa)   Housing: The following options are within 10 minutes and 5 miiles of the workshop location. I will be working on a room rate at the Quality Inn for this weekend.   The Hampton Inn   802.254.5700 Holiday Inn Express   802.257.2400   www.brattleboroexpress.com   The following hotels are locally owned and close by: The Latchis  802.254.6300 www.latchis.com (downtown Brattleboro) Colonial Motel & Spa  800.239.0032 www.colonialmotelspa.com    

The Black Sheep Gathering

July 1, 2011 in A new experience!, Events, silkworms, Spinning, Workshops | No comments

I was home for three days after I returned from Ohio.  Then I was off again for Oregon.  The Black Sheep Gathering is held in Eugene, Oregon every year with spinning, knitting, and dyeing classes; fleece, skein, and garment competitions; and lots of great vendors.

The entrance to the Black Sheep Gathering

My dear friend Lois Olund picked me up from the airport in Portland and took me to her farm near Corvallis, where she raises the largest flock of Wensleydale sheep in North America.  Those of you who remember the mail-order days of Knitting Traditions will also remember the incredible Wensleydale yarns I imported from England.  It is an exceptional fiber, strong, lustrous, and luscious!  Lois showed me the flock and her carding equipment.  She prepares the fibers and dyes them too, as well as selling fleeces.  I can't wait to have the time to spin this wondrous stuff Lois gave me!  Check out her website!

Wensleydale fiber: Bellwether Wool Company

When I wasn't teaching I wandered the vendor hall and found silkworms! Walking the vendor floor I also ran into Michelle of Toots LeBlanc, who has luscious z-plied yarns, which are great for twined knitting as well as regular knitting! Toots Le Blanc Then I found Lois, happily spinning away... Black Sheep Gathering: Bellwether Wool Company Donna, in the video, was referring to Judith MacKenzie, the famous spinner/teacher who judged the spinning competition. I was lucky to be able to spend time with my friends Joan Schrouder, Janel Laidman, and JC Briar, as well as Y'vonne Cutright, all talented knitting designers and teachers.  I am especially glad I got to spend time with Lois, since we hadn't seen each other in over thirty years.  Where has the time gone?

Lois and Beth

 
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