Creativ Festival, Toronto Ont

When most people picture Toronto Ontario, one of the first things they think of is the unique skyline, punctuated with the CN tower.  The photo at right is the tower reflected in the building around the corner from my hotel.  My DH took the photo in a rare moment of sun peeking through the clouds.  The watery effect created by the glass suits the weather in general pretty well.

 

The photo below of me walking in the rain sums up how I spent a fair amount of time when I wasn't in class.  I carry a lot of teaching supplies with me, but some of that is luggage.

 

There's a photo of one of the many 8 foot posters advertising the festival.  It was necessary because the festival occupied 2 floors and approximately 30 rooms. Very cheerful!

 

The last shot is of me teaching a colorwork class.  Thanks to Cascade Yarns for the yarn support, and to all my wonderful students for a great weekend!

 



Autism Awareness - Cascade Yarns' "David's Hat"

My daughter has Asperger's Syndrome, which is a high-functioning type of Autism.  (I know, some kids have CD collections...)  In general, she's pretty cool, and pretty happy.  She's not a fan of touching, or most sounds, or interacting with people for extended periods of time.  She loves books, electronics, and cats.

When she learned she had Asperger's, she was surprised to hear it's considered a disability.  I tried to explain that not everybody processes information the way she does, and that it might explain why people, from her perspective, behave so strangely.  "So if I didn't have this, I'd act like everybody else?"  I considered.  "Well, more like everybody else."  She frowned.  "I'm glad I have this, then.  I want to be like myself!"

Over the years, her Asperger's has brought many unique perspectives to our home life.  "It doesn't seem like cooperation of only one person gets what they want."  "TV is easier than people, because the soundtrack tells you what they're thinking."  She doesn't understand many idioms, and was appalled when I mentioned a TV character doesn't hold a candle to her.  "Well of course not!  Why would you want to do that to a person?"

For everyone who loves and supports someone with Autism, the joyfully-colored logo for Autism Awareness makes sense.  It's not always fun, or gloomy, or confusing.  It's a whole rainbow of experiences (sometimes within a couple of minutes!)  It's tough to be or to love a person with Autism, and yet uniquely rewarding. 

If Autism hasn't touched your life yet, cool.  If it has, you're probably learning that you're stronger than you ever thought.  As knitters, we often express ourselves with "sticks and string".  This free hat pattern from Cascade Yarns is one of those times.  It's for the Cascade blogger's son, David, and I love it.  My daughter won't wear knitted hats (they feel funny), but I'll make this one for me and wear it with pride.  Thanks, Cascade, for sharing it with us.  David's Cabled Hat

Spring Yarn Shopping Ideas

Spring is trying to take hold in the Northeast, and succeeding about 2/3 of the time.   Since it was 65 degrees and sunny just a couple of days ago, and will be again in a day or two, I've been digging through the wardrobe looking for appropriate clothes for the season.  Not so successfully.

Like any good knitter, it's time to go off to the LYS.  Bulkier yarns in cotton, silk and linen seemed like the order of the day.  Luna by Cascade Yarns, in cotton, is one of the few I saw that color for color matches up with the Pantone Spring Color Report.  It's a light worsted, but traps a lot of air because of its slight texture.  Plus, it comes at a very workable price, and is frequently featured on sale.  I was delighted, as I want to knit something that works with my current wardrobe but also steps "fashion forward" a little bit.  It's a yarn that could make pretty spring things, or transitional pieces that would work from Spring into Fall and Fall into Spring.  It knits up beautifully, washes like a dream, and in two years of wear in one garment, hasn't pilled or changed shape.  Cool.  Put some in the basket.  Maybe make one of these...  

A yarn with dreamy texture and good hand at a moderate price point is Katydid, by Classic Elite's Verde line.  It's a cotton "tape" yarn that is impressively soft for its amazing durability.  It hold is color well, is easy to knit, and creates a slightly textured fabric.  That's very on trend.  It scores very well on every critic's review, and yet is often found on BIG sale.  It can be worked as a heavy worsted up to a bulky.  This yarn also comes in lovely colors on the Pantone chart as well as closely related colors.  A little texture in every piece is huge for spring and fall 2012.  Toss 'em in the basket.

Flying in the face of "trendy" is the incredibly classic "Provence" from Classic Elite.  If you're looking for that perfect New England twin set yarn that feals like a liquid breeze, look no farther.  It's a solid DK weight, and it's mercerized cotton, so minimal shrinkage!  You can easily find every color in the 2012 palette, but you can find all your classic favorites, too.  This is especially helpful when your intended recipient isn't an edgy fashionista.  If you have a classic or retro wardrobe, you'll find what you need here, and you'll adore working with and wearing it.  Yep, I'll take 10.

Last but not least, Karabella Lace Merino Silk.  Lovely, whisper soft colors, a gorgeous hand, and strong.  If you're going to take the time to knit lace, you want it to stand up to the little inevitable pulls and snags.  The twist is high enough for durability but loose enough for just a little bit of halo.  And the merino adds some nice warmth to a very lightweight yarn.

I hope these musings help you in your spring shopping.  Knit well and quickly.  Spring is close!

New Mittens!

These mittens were sample knit for me by the intrepid and wonderful Colleen Croce.  The pattern was inspired by a trip back to my native Berkshire Hills (Massachusetts) last spring.  As anyone without a GPS will tell you, it's very hard to find your way around all of those loopy, winding roads.  There's hardly one straight one in the bunch.  Honestly, though, I love it!  And so, the Winding Roads Mittens were born.

They have a short cuff, like a driving glove would, but in the pattern there is a modification for a longer one.  Made from a blend of alpaca and merino, they are very warm, and oh-so-soft.  The yarn is Cascade Yarns Lana D'Oro, and it is delicious.  It comes in generously sized hanks (210 yds), and one hank easily makes both mittens.

Available on Ravelry as Winding Roads Mittens for $4 USD, or .  Enjoy them!

Internet Knitting Info - Where to Look

A while back I wrote a post called "Pattern Hunger" listing where I like to prowl for new patterns when the seasons change.  I listed some of my favorite Internet outlets, and the response was huge.  Don't get me wrong - I'm a huge fan of the LYS, and try to do most of my shopping there.  If I stop, I'm afraid my only local options will become Michael's, and JoAnn Fabrics.  At the LYS I have a community, experts, lessons, and more variety that I can possibly ever knit my way through.  But I can't prowl patterns as quickly as I can on line, and so I prowl on the Internet. 

The Internet can also be lifesaver for techniques and general information.  I assume by now everyone knows I'm a huge fan of Ravelry, so I'll leave that one alone.  Nearly every major manufacturer has a website full of info, patterns, a newsletter, an advice blog, or all of the above.  (Classic Elite, Cascade, Mountain Colors, Holiday Yarns, Kraemer, Berroco, Rowan, are all faves) - if you've heard of them, they have an Internet presence.  The sites usually have a variety of free and paid patterns, an opportunity to sign up for the newsletter (more patterns and info), detailed information about every yarn in the line, and tales of knitting seen through the eyes of the manufacturer and distributor.  This quick reading is great if you don't have a knitting community nearby, or it's 11:20 pm and if you call your friends to talk about yarn, they may stop being your friends. 

I'm also a huge fan of YouTube for knitting lessons.  I know, I never would have thought of it either, but my intrepid assistant, Colleen, filled me in years ago.  (Thanks as always, Coll!) I still peak at videos of techniques I haven't used in a while, whether it's making bobbles, Kitchener stitch, or (gasp!) brioche.  (No, I haven't finished it.  You want to make something of it?)  I also love to see the excerpts of knitting art installations, knits and knitting featured in movies, and interviews with famous designers.

There are also several good online magazines out there for knitting info.  Knitter's Review is authored by knitting expert and book author Clara Parkes, and she reviews everything to do with knitting.  With 11 years of archives, you'll likely find a review of anything you need.

Knitty is an online only magazine, with an entire community associated with it.  Beautiful patterns (free), great articles, and a helpful community are just a click away.

Twist Collective has articles about knitting history, current knitting issues, an advice column, and of course, patterns.  (These patterns are not free - you click on the title and the pricing info comes up in a separate window.)

The Daily Knitter has daily free patterns (yep, daily), articles, help articles, help videos, and a very thorough list of LYS throughout the country.  If you're travelling, it's a great resource to make sure you can get a knitting fix where ever you go!

Naturesong Plant-dyed Merino

There has been a significant movement towards environmentally-friendly everything since the global warming problem started making headlines, and the more folks look at the issue, the more the environment seems to be taking it on the chin.  I'm no scientist, and I don't have any breakthrough information on the subject.  That said, I am interested in being kinder to the environment.  How much is enough?  Can I use modern fibers like tencel and rayon?  What if the yarn label isn't made out of recycled paper and printed with soy ink?  Is it still worth buying?
I've decided that there is no single answer for me.  It's kind of like going on a diet - I'm reducing my environmental impact.  I can't go from 0 to 100% in one step.  As it turns out, neither can most yarn manufacturers.  There are simply too many details, and going fully organic is impossible to do in large volume.  Here are some of the details:  Is the fiber produced without chemicals, pesticides, in sustainable ways with minimal impact to soil, air, and water?  Is it processed on machinery made from sustainable sources?  Powered by water, electric, gas, ethanol?  How is dyeing handled?  Is it vegetable dye?  Sustainable?  Low impact?  Conventional?  If it's silk, were the silk worms allowed to become moths, or were they killed when the cocoons were complete?  Is the entire process cruelty free?  Is the packaging and shipping done in a low-impact way? 

Many of the major manufacturers/distributors have come up with eco-friendlier lines to supplement their existing product line.  To simply stop producing conventional yarns would put the big manufacturers out of business, as eco is so expensive.  Lion Brand, Cascade, Knit Picks, Lana Grossa and Classic Elite have all added eco-friendly and/or organic yarns to their product lines, among a mountain of others.  Using these yarns is a step in the right direction. It sends a message to the company that I'm willing to pay a bit more to do better for the environment.

Allhemp6 Hemp Yarn

Other companies have started eco-friendly, and haven't backed down.  They tend to be smaller manufacturers and distributors, and you have to love the guts it takes for them to hold their own against the big guys.  O-Wool! is dedicated to raising the standard of education about organic wools, and meticulously produces a fine product. Naturesong is a little company with a big selection (all of which is now on major sale!)

Dyeing is the subject of huge debates now, and it's more complex than you would think.  Tiny amounts of conventional dyes will color massive amounts of yarns, and will leave low environmental impact.  Massive amounts of natural dyes are required to dye small amounts of yarn (approximately 100 times more by volume than conventional dyes), and have an enormous farming footprint. 

How do you choose?  I don't have a neat answer.  Research your favorite yarns with regard to your particular concerns.  If you worry about the treatment of animals, environmental impact, land use, or recycling, those are all things you can discover about most fibers.  Jump on company web sites and learn what you can.  And if you can't find the answers you're looking for, ask the company.  They won't know you care if you never tell them. :)

Freebie Friday - Luna T

This easy t-shirt is the Freebie today!  Made with Cascade Luna, which is available in 52  colors, you can definitely find the shade that compliments your wardrobe.  The lace repeat is about as easy as such things can get, so it's a quick knit.  Luna, a soft, fluid cotton worsted yarn, has a great texture in the skein which creates a softer look in the finished piece.  If you've never used a yarn that wasn't your standard twist, this is a great one to try - it behaves the same way on the needles as your standard worsted, so no worries there.  Add a little texture to your knitting without using a boucle or ribbon yarn.  Try this!

Busy, Busy, Busy

I have finished the design for the mittens to be knit on US 2 or 3 needles.  I haven't made a sample, but the design is drawn to the scale that I knit to with some Cascade Cash Vero DK on little needles.  It's surprisingly fun to design at that scale!  Colorwork in small stitch sizes allows for shapes that just won't work up on larger stitches.  Be patient!  When I've knit good chunk of sample, I'll let you know.

I'm also working on the charity project.  Thanks for all of you who have sent emails, posted on Ravelry, or sent PMs.  I'm in the process of selecting the second charity we will donate to.  The first charity mitten pattern sample is coming along nicely, but I'm making a few adjustments along the way to make it as easy as possible to make.  This pattern will contain a bonus pattern, too.  I'm doing a retro-styled tribute to the organization in a simple mitten pattern.  The bonus should be finished tonight or tomorrow.

My calendar is starting to fill in with teaching events and knitting conferences and festivals. Thanks for the updates and invitations.  I love being invited to teach or speak, and always look forward to meeting more knitters.  There are always such creative people with such wonderful ideas at these things!  We knitters are a pretty cool bunch, I must say.

Thank you again for all the support and ideas and updates.  You guys rock!

Sample Knitting

Tree - AC

One of the odd things about designing knitwear is that making your own samples doesn't teach you much.  I designed the chart above, and test knit some of it, and liked how it seemed to work.  But when I write a pattern, I know what I mean.  For someone else to be able to read it and knit it and make an object that looks like I intended and they anticipated is another matter.  (Have you ever knit a pattern with a gorgeous photo, and try as you might the pattern won't get you and your knitting to come out right?  The designer may have knit their own sample, and never found the errors they had written into the pattern!  A good sample knitter will critique as well as provide a beautiful sample.)

I'm incredibly lucky to have a dear friend who is an excellent knitter and willing to point out all of my mistakes.  (This last bit is annoying when unsolicited, but face it - the mark of a true friend.)  She knits samples for me of everything I have any doubts about - I don't always wonder if it's okay if it's a pretty elementary chart - and makes my work look terrific. She likes to call herself my "bitch" (I am not making this up) but I think she knows she's more like my slave (kidding!). 

We had dinner last night, and she was kind enough to bring the sample above.  It reminded me once again how lucky I am that she is willing to help me in such a vital capacity.  Thanks, Colleen.  You so completely rock!

BTW: She is in love with the yarn above, as am I, Cascade Yarns Pima Tencel.  If you haven't tried it yet, get some!