Madrona.2: What I Got

This year, the Madrona winter retreat held many firsts for me.  It was my first year to attend as a teacher, in addition to being a student.  It was the first time I taught the "Eeek! Steeks!" class to 24 students.  And it was the first time I ever had my photo taken with a life-size plastic horse (please don't ask).

Another truly unbelieverable first:  My "Eeek! Steeks!" students bought me a present.  As a token of their gratitude for my having made all the sample swatches for them, they brought forth nothing less than this gorgeous skein of cashmere.  Not kidding - these students just blew my mind.  It's Spirit Trail Fiberworks "Sunna" in violet.  And the big kicker?  They hadn't even been to the class yet!  Hope I didn't let them down.

The official Mary Scott Huff New Product Worth Seeing award, which I totally just made up, is herewith presented to Jeanne Humphrey, whose innovation will surely rock the world of stranded colorwork knitting.  Get a load of this Genius:

Truly, if there is anyone in the world who needs this killer apron more than I do, I challenge you to come forth and identify yourself.  It's specially made to hold all your balls of yarn at the same time, so they don't tangle, get dirty, or ensnare your legs when the doorbell rings.  No Lie - this is a product whose time has come.  You can even get extra snap-on pocket sets, so you can gear up with the project du jour and knit like the wind, UPS man or no.  Stay tuned for more on this one - I'm gonna give it the full workout as soon as I'm able, because I think Jeanne's sort of behavior should be encouraged.

And just because I know my Gentle Readers, and your lust for all things you haven't seen/felt/tasted before, here is something Truly New:
 

The gifted souls at Rain Shadow Farm have made Candy.  It looks like yarn, but trust me:  It's Candy.  Gorgeous, dreamy, fine, delicious Candy.  In all the colors of the first primroses.  And I bought some to celebrate the return of Spring.  "Orca" is an indescribably gorgeous blend of 65% Coopworth Lambswool and 35% Silk that literally melts in your hands.  This is the kind of precious yarn that has been made by hand, with the love and care you might save for an heirloom christening gown.  The pain-in-the-ass rolls that Thanksgiving is incomplete without.  The apple butter you make every year by calibrating Greenwich Mean Time with the Dark of the Moon and the harvest of the fruit...

Gush much?  You will too.  And if all that weren't enough, the names are to die for:  "Venus on the Half Shell"; "Bernadette".  This is the yarn you have been waiting for.  Call 360-297-4485 and give the person who answers all your money.  You will not be wrong.

Knit On, my Friends.  

Madrona.1: Who I Met

Last weekend I had the great good fortune to attend the Madrona Winter Retreat, in Tacoma, WA.  I taught classes, attended classes, spun, knit, shopped and generally played until I dropped.  Among the many knitterati and fiberistas in attendance, I managed to attain photo evidence of these:

Carson Demers and Anne Berk

Jane Slicer-Smith

Willy.  The Chinchilla.  Who is in the running for most interesting thing brought to one of my classes.

You never know what you will find when you wander the streets of a new city:  It's like the Mother Ship was calling me home.

I'm still recuperating, but there's lots more to tell! 

I left Phillip and the Smallies to their own devices in order to attend Madrona, so there were a number of chores waiting for me upon my return home.  I'll tell you the rest after I get the gravy off the ceiling.  

Yorkies and Mittens and Steeks, Oh My!

Last weekend I was invited over to Yorkshire Yarns to play.  Here are the Lakewood, WA knitters in their living room class area, working on some mittens.  

Note the smooshy chairs, delicious snacks, and big screen TV for our class slide show:  These people know how to rock a knitting class!  I wanted to stay all night.  I came back the next day and we steeked like maniacs.  Maniacs in extremely comfy chairs.

Sonya (third from the left, in the back) is the store owner and ring leader.  She raises Yorkshire Terriers.  Since I am also owned by a terrier (Scottish), we had a few notes to compare.

I have a cunning plan to invent a new design just for Yorkshire Yarns, and you can bet dogs will be featured.  Especially when the dogs are this kind of cute:

Stop it or I'll die from your adorablity.  I mean it.  Quit looking at me like that or I'll be forced to rub your belly.

After the yarn party in Lakewood, I dashed on up to Whidbey Island, then back down to Seattle, where I visited with my family, and even procured the perfect charcoal gray shoes to wear with my new Knot Garden cardigan (whose sleeves I am really going to sew on.  Really.)

While I was on the road, I made a bunch more swatches; only something like 10 more to go!  And just because I've never tried before, I started my first pair of knee socks.  What a rush!  They look huge, but we'll see...pics to follow, provided I don't frog them.

Note to the Mad Hatters of Wild Purls:  I am really looking forward to calling in to your Mad Tea Party on the 15th - knit on, because I'm dying to see the pictures!

For my Madrona Wisteria knitters, I've been checking in on you on Ravelry and I'm amazed by your progress - I can't wait to see all those Wisterias!  Can you believe it's almost finally here?

I've been promising myself some spinning time, so I think I'll use it as a reward for getting those sleeves sewn in.  What could possibly go wrong?