Moments from Woodstock



 Woodstock first!  All photos by my husband, Dave Marino of David Marino Photography.

The antique sock knitting machine below is just too cool!  Beautiful and hand made, now there are mass produced ones.

Antique Sock-Knitting Machine in use

Barbie doll heads, glitter and ribbon peek out of this novelty yarn, below. I don't know what I'd knit out of this!  It's a big trend to have large chunky stuff peeking out of your novelty yarns...  I don't really get it.

 

This sock yarn is supercool for socks, but I'm thinking of messing around with gloves!  It's the TurtleToes yarn from the previous post. Love it!

 Just some of the amazing hand made spindles available at the festival.  All the patterns are burned into the finished objects.







A kind gentleman explaining to me and my husband how easy it is to use a nostepinne. (It's a doodad for hand-winding center-pull skeins.)

Quickie - Burberry Inspired Sock Yarn

I go to a lot of fibery events where lovely fibers are available for sale.  I've seen hundreds of vendors of fine handmade wares - knitting tools, jewelry, yarns, spinning fiber, spinning wheels, buttons - everything I could imagine.  And I see it weekend after weekend.

So when I see something I've never seen before, it's a big surprise.  This past weekend at the Woodstock Fleece Festival in Woodstock, Ontario, I saw three things I've never seen before, all of which I thought were terrific.  One was pre-weighed, pre-portioned nylon to be spun with other fibers into sock yarn.  There were little tubes of different weights in different colors, with notes on how much to add to different types of fiber for different weights of yarn.  Love it!  But since I don't spin, I don't need it.

Then I saw this.  Turtlepurl TurtleToes yarn.  I love it!  I love the colorway, and the fiber, and the way it self-stripes on a typical sock.  This is their web shop, and this is the link to the yarn I bought.  (I've borrowed the photos at left directly from their website.)  The owner usually divides her sock skeins into pairs so that folks can knit two at a time, but I bought a single 450yd hank.  I'd love to make socks, but my immediate thought was to make gloves, and see how the stripes distribute themselves across the fingers. 

I also saw an antique sock knitting machine, which was operated by a hand crank.  If you're into such things, it was remarkably beautiful.  A woman was using it to make socks, and demonstrating how moving different pins around made different patterns.  It was manufactured in 1924, and a pair of socks, excepting the heels and toes which were added by hand, can be made in about 15 minutes.  Photos to follow in a future post, when the crazy days of Rhinebeck are behind me!

 

Crazy Teaching Month

Starting tomorrow with a mini-class on Colorwork Sock Knitting Techniques, I'm teaching like crazy for the next month.  I have 10 classes in 4 cities and two countries in the next two weeks!  And then Rhinebeck.

Why? Because this is when the festivals are!  Many of us who teach and write about knitting marvel at the way our schedules ebb and flow throughout the year.  Late summer and fall are when the largest festivals are usually held (except Medrona and a couple of other notable exceptions), and this is when we all get to see each other as we convene at these large events.  Every weekend is a new event or two.  February, on the other hand, is eerily quiet.

So, my printer and keyboard are getting a real workout.  My dog now barks at me when I pull into the driveway.  My suitcase looks up at me and says "Oh, no, not again!"  And I wonder where I left my shoes.  (Ohio?)

As tiring as this is, I love it!  I love meeting everyone, and hearing all of their wonderful knitting stories.  I love learning from every student.  I love learning about the styles and preferences of each knitting community.  All my fibery friends who I never see at any other times are a real sight for sore eyes. The dyers, spinners, woodworkers (handmade knitting tools), publishers... It's wonderful to share stories and coffee and lots of hugs.

I'll do my best to keep you up to date in photos and stories.  Please be patient with the reality that I don't always have internet service or time or access to my computer during these events, so posts may come at strange intervals.  Please come out and see Colleen and me in person!

Buffalo Knitting Guild, Buffalo, NY - Oct 4
Northern NJ Fiber Festival, East Rutherford, NJ - Oct 6,7
Creativ Festival, Toronto, Ont Canada - Oct 11, 12, 14
Woodstock Ont Fleece Festival, Woodstock Ont Canada, Oct 13
Dutchess County Sheep and Wool Festival, Rhinebeck, NY - Oct 18, 19, 20, 21