Wanna Get Stranded?

No, not on a desert isle (no yarn there - we'd hate that).  Our friends at Yorkshire Yarns are planning an adventure, and we're all invited!

Have you ever wanted to make your very own stranded colorwork sweater?  Have you worried that it was too much to take on by yourself?  That's how I felt the first time I attempted it.  And since I first began my stranded colorwork journey of discovery, I've picked up a lot of information and skills that I really want to share with you.  So I've created what I consider to be the perfect sweater workshop:  Stranded With Mary.

First, I offer personal guidance to each student in selecting your favorite pattern before class.  There's also a Ravelry group where you can meet, compare notes, and get help between sessions.  We meet four - count em'- FOUR times, in as many months.  Which means that you can actually create your stranded colorwork masterpiece, from start to finish, with my personal help and encouragement all the way through!  

And if all that weren't enough: the timing of the workshop is perfect for you to finish in time for the holidays.

Yorkshire Yarns is located in Lakewood, WA; just about perfectly centered between Portland and Seattle.  Why not grab a friend and share the drive?  

CLICK HERE for all the details.  Class fee includes a copy of The New Stranded Colorwork, in addition to my exclusive workshop handbook.

I can't wait to get stranded with you!

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Every June, the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene are taken over by shepherds, spinners, knitters, dyers, and sheep lovers of every ilk.  Soon it will be time for:

There are sheep...

A Spinners' walk...

And this year, for the first time ever...

Me!  I'm teaching two classes on Friday, the 21st.  So here's what let's do:  You take the day off from whatever non-sheepy thing you would normally be doing, and I'll teach you all about steeks, or about how to get started with stranded colorwork knitting.  That way, we BOTH will be having a super fun time playing with string, instead of just me. 

Then after class, we'll succumb to the delights of the marketplace, pet the sheep, and generally revel in the glory that is the Pacific Northwest's premier sheep and wool festival.

Registration closes on June 8, so hurry and sign up!  CLICK HERE!

There's still plenty of time to concoct a good story for the boss, but if you need help, here are a few suggestions:

1.    I'm having Eye Trouble (I just can't see coming in to work).

2.    I'm feeling great, but I think I'll stay home just so I don't get sick.

3.    I got a sunburn at a nude beach and now I can't wear clothes.

4.    I have to leave town immediately; my mother in law is coming.

5.    Attending fiber festivals is therapeutic, and therefore increases future productivity.  It's not missing work, it's enhancing my worth as an employee.  This company is lucky I care so much.

There's bound to be one in there you haven't used yet.  See you there!

Camera Obscura

I'm in the hotel ballroom at Yarnover in Minneapolis.  It's at the end of the opening celebration dinner and Stephanie Pearl McPhee has just finished her talk, to the usual thunderous applause.  Knitters and teachers are getting up from tables and beginning to mingle, excited about the classes and market which begin in the morning.

From across the room somebody calls my name.  I turn to see a student of mine from last year, hastily excusing herself around people and furniture.  She's clearing the obstacles to cross the room, just to get to me.  I'm awash in the wave of joy that comes when this happens:  Somebody is excited that I'm here.  Has she brought a finished piece of knitting to show me, inspired by my teaching?  Maybe she's coming to tell me she'll be in my class again in the morning.  Perhaps she'll ask how it feels to be on a roster of teachers including the likes of Franklin Habit, Stephanie Pearl McPhee, and Steven West.  I grin and wait for her to clear the last banquet table between us.

I open my arms to hug her as she exclaims "I'm so glad to see you!"  Before I can respond, she adds "I need somebody to get a picture of me with the Yarn Harlot!"

I smile and take her outstretched camera.  Just one more service I provide.