New Traditions

The weekend before last, I had an unusual experience: I got to be present for the birth of a new knitting event, complete with its very own brand new traditions.

Knit Fit! is the brainchild of Sasa and Hanna, two knitting pals who teamed up to make their own knitting event.  With the support of friends, neighbors and relatives who volunteered, and the staff of the Ballard Community Center who managed the venue, these two made a terrific splash in the suddenly-competitive world of knitting retreats. 

It's always tough to know what the personality of an event will be when you've never attended it before, and even more so when it's never been held before.  But I was delighted to find that Knit Fit! already knows exactly what it is, and what it wants to be when it grows up.  Fresh, modern and whimsical, the whole vibe of Knit Fit! was inclusive and instructive as well. 

The Knit Fit! crew did a fantastic job of creating buzz to get lots of enthusiastic participants, while keeping the scale intimate and approachable.  They recruited an interesting mix of teachers, who presented a great variety of subjects, from Stranded Colowork (me) to self-publishing your own knitting patterns (Lee Meredith), to Monster-Making (Rebecca Danger).

A well-organized marketplace included everything from dreamy cashmere to porcelain yarn bowls, and everything a knitter could want in between.

My favorite part of the event was the keynote address, given by Sylvia Olsen.  As a knitting native of the Pacific Northwest, I have always felt I should know more about the only indigenous knitting tradition of my home turf; Cowichan Sweaters.  Lucky for me, Sylvia gave us an engaging talk, with gorgeous example sweaters, and further reading, to boot:

CLICK HERE to get a copy

Sylvia's master thesis is a treasure for all knitters, preserving the story and heritage of the Coast Salish Cowichan knitters.  Every American knitter should know this story, regardless of where you live.  It's our very own native tradition, and a pretty special one, at that.

The Knit Fit! event left us feeling that not a single detail had been overlooked: From the little table outside the market place with a pencil and a sign stating "Leave your cup here for when you come back, and be sure to write your name on it", to the plethora of delicious snacks and treats they had available at all times.  Every time I had a question, a volunteer was right there to help.  Clearly the organizers of Knit Fit! have strong feelings about what makes a knitting event fun to attend, and they definitely applied their knowledge.  Kudos to Knit Fit!  Be sure not to miss it next year.

Touching Base

Many apologies, Gentle Readers, for my lapse between posts.  I've been ranging far and wide, teaching and playing and sharing with Knitters.  Lucky Lucky Me, there have been several teaching dates in a row, with travel in between.  I've popped back home just long enough to wash my traveling clothes, change knitting samples, and catch the next plane. 

And I had to take a minute to reassure the family of my intentions to return:

It's nice to be missed.

And I think they were worried I might not come back when the luck of the draw landed me with this rental car:
 

Sexy much?  I know - it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it.  I'll admit it: I kinda didn't want to give it back.  But I did.

I'll be back next week with tales of my trip to the Knitters Review Retreat, in Canandaigua, NY.  Until then, keep knitting, and try to limit the drag racing.  I'll do the same.
 

Flower Of Scotland

I never know where the next inspiration will come from.  Last month's National Geographic Magazine came and Lindsay, as usual, was the first to grab and devour it.  Passing behind her with an armload of (what else?) laundry, I caught sight of the photo she was looking at:

photo by Marcelin Bonnard

Although my mind was anywhere but on work at that moment, I knew exactly what to do for this year's Eeek! Steeks! class project at the Madrona Winter Retreat.  A rectangular stole, with Thistles.  I dropped the laundry like a bad habit and sat down to draw a chart.

Then I sent the chart, some photos, and a vague wish list to the lovely and talented Lisa Millman of Dicentra Designs.  Lisa is a lady who knows her way around a dye pot, and let me tell you, she took the bit in her teeth:

This is one of the photos Lisa and I passed back and forth:  My chart, a photo and her yarn colors.  Pretty sure Lisa loves her job as much as I do.

Here are the finished skeins.  Bonnie Prince Charlie himself could not wish for a more Thistle-icious palette.  Super. Sexy. Yarn. 

And it's arrived just in time to prevent me from climbing the draperies, too.  I'm casting on today, and the laundry will have to suffer on without me.

I thought it would be fun to blog the process of making the kits and sample this year, for the intrepid souls who choose to join me in class.  For those who don't know, the homework for my epic Eeek! Steeks! class is to complete the knitting of an exclusive design, for which I send you the kit.  Class lasts for 6 hours.  During the first half, I teach three different steeking techniques.  Then in the second half, everyone chooses their favorite technique, cuts and finishes their project with me there to hold hands and help.  It's the most fun I have all year.  And that's saying something, because I know how to have fun, and I do a damn fine job of it the other 364 days.

This class holds a select 24 students, so if you'd like to join in the fun, stay tuned HERE for the registration lottery.  As before, if you'd like to have this year's kit without taking the class, they'll be available for sale in the Madrona marketplace.  To have a kit put aside for purchase in your name, drop me a line so Lisa and I can make sure to make enough kits.  The kit is exclusive to the Madrona Winter Retreat, so if you can't make it there yourself, find a friend who'll be attending HERE to pick it up for you.  Pricing for non-student kits has not been finalized yet, but we'll let you know asap.

If anybody needs me, I'll be the one neglecting the laundry in favor of a yarn-induced joy spiral.