I had the amazing pleasure of meeting Lynette at TNNA in Columbus Ohio on Saturday June 12th.
We are members of a Ravelry group called Southern Highlands Knit and Stitch from NSW Australia. We were both invited to join the group several months ago.
What makes this even more wonderful is that while I am an Australian who happens to be living in Folsom California previously from Jerrabomberra NSW, Lynette is a Canadian who lives in Nanaimo British Columbia Canada.
Our meeting was very short because we were both at TNNA for work. Lynette was with a friend looking for things to buy for the coming Fall/Winter season for their store. I was there working in a booth for Wild Fibers Magazine and Keepthefleece.org with Linda Cortright
Just goes to prove how small the world can be and how friendly we can all make it these days. Thanks Lynette for the opportunity to meet and thanks for the great photo to remember the day.
With so many problems with our internet connection I was off the air for longer than I had anticipated.
Had a super weekend in Maryland at my first ever Maryland Sheep and Wool Show. Even the very wet weather could not dampen my enthusiasm about being at one of the best fibers shows in the country. I worked at the Wild Fibers Magazine booth with Linda and Penelope and we were so busy meeting readers of the magazine, meeting people who had never heard of the magazine and also making progress on our longest scarf competition. I was very restrained and came home with just two skeins of sock yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery which I am completely thrilled with.
Spent an angry evening working on a pattern by Elsebeth Lavold last night. The pattern appeared to be one of only a small amount that did not have an error in it….. That was until I got to the shaping for the back of the neck, and I think the less said the better it would be. I did work the mistake out and completed the back before going to bed. This morning I began the sleeves and while the instructions are dreadful and very vague I think what is printed is correct.
It has been a little while since I updated this blog.
On Saturday April 11th it was our Lace guild meeting with Lew at Rocklin. Not many turned up this week probably because it was the Easter weekend and I am sure people spend the time with family and friends. I had nothing on needles that I could take and comfortably knit and chat with so I had to do a quick search around the house for a project.
Friday evening I started the Fiber Trend Pattern called Shoalwater Shawl with some Shetland fingering weight yarn in variegated colours of pinks, cream and beige. The pattern is basically feather and fan and is very easy to follow.
Like most lace patterns once I start them they are so addictive that I have to do another pattern repeat as quickly as possible. I have almost completed my second repeat and it is looking lovely. Not sure if I will keep this shawl for myself or if I will gift it to a friend in Germany who I heard today has lost her mother to cancer.
It is the Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild meeting this evening so I will try and get the photos of the entrelac class on line late this week.
I found an interesting website recently called www.keepthefleece.org The site is owned by Wild Fibers Magazine and it is all about fund raising to buy the world’s largest fiber flock.
“In celebration of the United Nations International Year of Natural Fibers 2009 we hope to raise 250K in partnership with Heifer International to build the largest fiber flock in the world”
How they are planning to do this is by fund raising via making the worlds longest scarf. I was at Stitches West 2009 when I was approached at the Wild Fibers booth to pay a fee of $1 to knit a row at the very beginning of their scarf. I paid my $1 and was handed needles with one row knitted and I did the second row. It was very exciting as the yarn was yak and to be at the beginning of the scarf was delightful.
The website has been set up with a great discussion going on now about natural fibers be they from an animal or plant. You can sign up right now and make the conversations as interesting as possible.
Perhaps you have a guild or group of knitters who could take up the challenge to start a scarf raise some money in the process and be part of this great idea.
I have messed around all week with my knitting. After finishing Alice’s felted hat I started a scarf for my Mum. I am using some more of the 13 mile yarn but in a gorgeous green blue colour. Did complete Dad’s scarf this week but I do need to wash and block it if I have time this coming week.
The heirloom shawl I am knitting as a 40th birthday present is coming along slowly. I do need quiet when I knit that and at the moment I am spending so much time working on NewsBlaze that I can’t find enough time in one day to complete the first 8 pattern repeats. Once that is done the main part of the shawl has just one pattern for about 50 inches.
Last week a friend sent me 250 yds of pure wool which was hand dyed hot pink. It is a worcested weight yarn and I think I may use it for a felted bag or felted hat. If I put some Noro silk garden yarn with it the hot pink will be toned down a little.
Our knitting group on Thursday met at Toni’s house again and there was only four of us that morning. This coming Thursday April 2nd we are heading to Sonora for the day. Toni and I are taking an entrelac class with Pat Clark. I am so excited at seeing her again, and having a class with her is a real joy.
Met up with Alice, Kathie, Teresa, Vinny and Diane today at Borders for the usual coffee, knitting and chatting. I missed lunch because of a phone call but still had time to make it to the book shop anyway.
I am knitting the second scarf from the 13 mile yarn company yarn in Montana. Completed the first one on Friday evening so that was good. I used a free sampler pattern from Lion Brand and it was a very easy pattern. The yarn is not particularly soft but once washed and blocked I know it will be great for a man.
The second one is from a pattern out of the magazine Creative Knitting from sometime in 2007. Very heavily cabled but also quite easy to knit once the first complete pattern has been done. Doing this on size US#8 needles and the yarn I think because it has been dyed is slightly softer than the natural colour.
Yesterday the correct graph arrived from Rowan in England for the Wetherby Sweater out of A Yorkshire Fable book. I was thrilled they have sent me an original correction because Westminster Fibers on the east coast had only sent me a very poor photo copy. Was amazed at just how much was wrong with the graph in the book. I did one complete set of rows for the pattern which is about 28 rows and it looks very nice. Thank goodness I had saved the grey Magpie yarn to knit the sweater as it cables beautifully. Have almost reached the end of my Magpie yarn secret stash now.
This morning was quite chilly when I left for our Thursday morning knitting group.
I decided to wear my weaver’s wool mini shawl instead of a jacket. Of course everyone wanted the pattern as the shawl is very flattering. The yarn the pattern suggests is a sport weight yarn made by Mountain Colors. I used Mountain Colors yarn but used Mountain Goat which is slightly thicker making a larger shawl. I have found two more skeins of Mountain Goat in my stash so will make another shawl as a gift.
Yesterday I received two knitting magazines from Australia. Issue 13 of Yarn arrived and I was bitterly disappointed with it. I have noticed over the last two or three issues a decline in quality both in patterns and general content. This latest issue had no direction from beginning to end. Almost every article at the front of the magazine had the end at the back of the magazine. It was a struggle to actually work out what and where the knitting patterns were too. When I had talked to my Mother she mentioned that she was unimpressed with the magazine and certainly wouldn’t buy it again unless I really wanted it.
On the other hand the newest arrival Australian Knitting was very well laid out and extremely vibrant. So there were a couple of crochet patterns and a bag made from a recycled felted sweater… The front did say 30 patterns to knit which probably was a little stretch but I am not bothered. I always think when you purchase a magazine or a book not every pattern will please every person and I accept that. However I really thought this magazine had something for everyone. Easy patterns for those beginners and more advanced for those that are experienced or for those who want to further their knitting capabilities.
I have had a wonderful afternoon making such good progress on the felted hat for Alice.
We decided that she needed the medium size but of course once the hat is felted it can easily be shaped and sized on her head.
Alice chose a gorgeous dark and light grey cascade 220 yarn which is very nice to knit with and really felts well. The pattern is very easy well written for both the knitting and felting directions.
Brim completed on felted hat.
By the time I left the bookshop I was well on the way to having the brim completed.
These hats are quite additive so as you can see I have now done half of the knitting for the crown. And I have to stop and start preparing dinner!!
I had the amazing pleasure of meeting Lynette at TNNA in Columbus Ohio on Saturday June 12th.
