Classes, and More Classes

My newest class (inspired by my new book), "Knitting Behind the Wheel", debuted last weekend, and did we ever have fun! The knitters of the Fort Vancouver Guild were game for a challenge, and really rose to the occasion.

Get a load of their yarn-y color wheels:  I now know what's at the end of the rainbow:  Knitters!

As soon as we parted ways, I needed to mentally shift gears because I only have until this Thursday to prepare for the Nordic Knitting Conference, in Seattle.  There are still slots available in some of my classes, by the way, so if you're in the area, come and celebrate history, tradition, and knitting with us (details HERE).

Looking over my teaching schedule for the weekend I remembered that I had yet to design the new mitten for my "Fearless Two-Color Mittens" class.  Bother.  I snapped into action, reminding myself that sometimes the best work happens when you don't have the luxury of time to think.  It's a class about the basics, after all, so not having time to get too fancy is probably a good constraint for me.  What would I need?  Draw a chart with traditional motifs?  Check.  White yarn? Check.  Black yarn to match?  Not so much:

Into the dyebath with you, stash yarn!  Sorry about your deeply unfortunate grass green color, but it'll have to go. 
 

While I waited for it to change color, I stumbled upon the buttons I had hoarded to go with the desert island periwinkle yarn.  Could there be dreamier buttons?  They are newly pressed glass from the Czech Republic, made in antique molds from the 20s.  So. Sparkly.  My inner crow smugly preens her feathers.

No time for that today, though; now that the green yarn is black, I'm doing this:

Yes, this is a beginner's class, hence "Fearless!"  We're going to spend the morning unraveling the mysteries of knitting with two strings at the same time, and in the afternoon we'll learn the anatomy of a Norwegian mitten.

And speaking of beginning Stranded Colorwork, next weekend I'm scheduled to teach "2 Strings = Not Scary" HERE, in Forest Grove, OR.  Come and play with us for a fun-filled three hours, while I explain the only two things you have to know to make this hat (and you'll get the pattern, of course)!

Thus commences the whirlwind of Autumn Knitting Season.  Don't you just love it when it's time to knit again?