Recent News

I spent Saturday and Sunday at the Great Lakes Fiber Show in Wooster, OH.  What a nice show!  I was impressed by the caliber of the vendors, the quality of the organizers, and the class offerings.  The students were cool, and we had a great time.  It's a lovely show I would be happy to do again.  And though it was incredibly difficult, I restrained myself and only purchased 600 yards of alpaca.  I could easily spend all of every paycheck shopping indie dyers' and hand-spinners' wares!

I would not be happy to stay in my hotel again.  A lot of door slamming kept me from sleeping - the doors are on some pneumatic door closing arms so all the doors always slam - as did folks thundering up and down the stairs.  The tub was dirty (showered in my Tevas), and the shower head was positioned at shoulder level, requiring contortions to get my head wet and hair rinsed.  Bleck.

The Rhinebeck Mitten KAL is steaming along nicely with about 32 participants that I know of.  Stephanie at Dirty Water Dyeworks as joined in, and posted a lovely photo on her blog.  I haven't heard from her exactly which of her yarns it is, but I suspect it's DYD Edna (or Julia).  And the color she chose is my absolute favorite color in the world.  (Click the link to see!) I can't wait to see her finished project!

I'm typing along on two new classes, which keeps me in the AC while it's really hot and muggy outside, and it makes my allergies a little easier to take.  I look forward to the pollen abating some so I can knit class samples outside - one of the lazy joys of summer.  I'll need to find some folks to sit through a test class to see where the holes in my presentation are... 

Happy Memorial Day weekend, my friends.  Enjoy, and knit well!

I Am Yarn's Bitch

I'm not a fast knitter.  I think if I were better at Continental method I might be able to lay on some serious speed.  And these days, I really need it.

In the last few weeks I've been very fortunate to have received yarn sponsorships for a number of projects, leaving me with a knitwear designer's version of a ton of homework!  Believe me, it's a good problem to have.  With the craziness of my life, the holidays coming, and a job, knitting is a creative outlet, peaceful, and a point of pride.  Yet, let's face it.  It's also pressure and deadlines.  Yarn has made me her bitch.

Mountain Colors Crazyfoot in Juniper

I hate that to protect publishing and ownership agreements I can't show you finished projects, but I can at least show you the yarn!  In order (I think) -

Mountain Colors:  I've made one of two mittens I designed for them.  The yarn is Crazyfoot, and I particularly love the green.  "Juniper" is the colorway.  I'm seriously thinking this could be a Knitty submission.

Holiday Yarns:  A pair of "Man" mittens for the upcoming season.  The pattern is largely written, but is likely to change as I knit it up.  Ideas always hit me mid-project.  This DK weight yarn has lovely shproing to it.  It's got a nice loft, a high twist, and I love the Cafe Au Lait colorway.  It looks like a variety of kinds of mocha desserts to me!

DirtyWater Dyeworks: Socks or mittens in a semi-baroque pattern.  This pattern is fighting me a bit, but I will prevail in the end. These two colors together feel very French Provincial to me.  The yarn is Julia, 50/50 merino and tencel, and seductively soft for its strength.

A Christmas Stocking for a "shall remain nameless" company.  The group of colors feels very Normann Rockwell, doesn't it?  I'd like to do something that looks vintage without being campy.  Editing well will be key.


An outstanding design for Buffalo Gold, colors yet to be determined.  I love this pattern. I know I'm not supposed to pick favorites, but sometimes it can't be helped.  I can't wait to see the color choices they make!

Plus, because I'm silly, I grabbed some yarn at a festival so I can knit up my next free mitten pattern.  It's from Into the Whirled. 

An embarrassment of riches.  Or a guillotine over my head, depending on whether there's a deadline looming.  I think I need to go have some chocolate.  To bring balance to the universe.  You know.

More Adirondack Fiber Festival

As I was finishing setting up in my classroom at the Washington County Fairgrounds on Sunday, I was told by Festival personnel that my class had been cancelled.  The students who had signed up pulled out.  They blamed the economy; folks want to save their dollars to shop instead of take a class.  I get it.  I had a free day at a fiber fair, and no obligations to be anywhere else.  I could stay and enjoy the festival. 

Into the Whirled Sock Yarn

Enjoy I did.   There were 120 vendors, and I visited every single one.  Into the Whirled, shown at right and below, is a dyeworks run by the magnificent Cris.  She and I chatted about environmental friendliness, color, and the many uses of sock yarn, and I was fascinated.  Dreamy colors and great personality come together in her entire line.  The two skeins that came home with me will soon be mittens.

Into the Whirled booth at the fair

Next, I met Jill Draper.  Yep, the Jill Draper.  We were chatting at her booth, and all of a sudden I said, "You're Jill Draper!  I love you!"  Her mother, sitting and spinning quietly, burst out with a belly laugh like Santa Claus.  "Well, I love her, too."  Jill showed me some of her recent designs, and we chatted about festivals we've worked, classes we like, and of course, yarn.  I picked up some cerulean blue angora/silk, and I can't wait to make it into a cozy cowl for the upcoming chilly season.  I thought I'd give it to my daughter, but I just might keep it for myself!

I also was lucky enough to meet Jennifer, intrepid owner of Holiday Yarns.  Jennifer is like a caffeinated version of the knitter I want to be when I grow up.  I love her spunk, her joyful colorways, and the fact that she has a little bit of an edge to her.  After chatting a bit, we decided to collaborate on a menswear pattern with her "Super Sheep" yarn. It's DK weight sock yarn, and it's very "shproingy".  It's got great loft, which makes for toasty toes.  I'm so excited!  And check out her new "Bacon" colorway.  Delicious and no animals are harmed because it's all wool.

Julia, from Dirty Water Dyeworks

Bacon!

Across the aisle I met the owner of Dirty Water Dyeworks, Stephanie.  Her yarns have a wonderful watery quality to their coloring which lends itself to designs in subtle jacquard and damask styles.  Well, at least in my head it does.  I chose Julia, a 50/50 merino tencel blend in a sock weight.  Sock yarn is great for colorwork, as it allows for more stitches per inch, and therefore more complex designs.  As I went to check out, Stephanie said some very nice things about my idea, and gave me the yarn as a gift.  (I know!  How cool is that?)  The design is feeling a little French Provincial in my head right now.  I can't wait to start swatching.