Upcoming Travels and Classes

My Work Travel Season is starting earlier this year. Here's where I'll be, and what I'll be teaching, and when. Registration info, materials provided and/or needed, and material fees (if any) as well as class fees are listed on the individual sites and links.

I hope to see some of you there!

Fantasy Fiber Arts Knitting Cruise
sponsored by Friends and Fiberworks, Asheville, NC, July 26-31

Leaving from Charleston, SC on July 26, with day excursions in Nassau and Freeport, The Bahamas!
I'll be teaching:

Mystery Fair Isle Fingerless Mitten- here's a sneak peek of the pattern. Students will be given a choice of lots of yarns for their own two-color combos.

I'll also be teaching a Mystery Lace and Beaded Fingerless Mitten Class (sneak peek to be posted soon), and the EEK! A Steek! class. All materials come with the class fee except knitting needles, large-eye needle, and scissors.


Michigan Fiber Festival (MFF)- Allegan, MI
Festival August 16-18, Workshops August 14-18

Wednesday AM: Writing Patterns for Publication
Wednesday PM: Little Tips and Tricks
Thursday all day: Nordic Christmas Stocking
Friday all day: EEK! A Steek!

North Country Fiber Fair (NCFF), Watertown, SD
Sept. 20-22

Friday: 1-4 pm: Little Tips and Tricks
Sunday: Needlefelted Half-Moon Santa (all materials provided, no prior needlefelting experience needed)

Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair (SAFF), Fletcher, NC, October 25-27

Friday- all day: EEK! a Steek!
Saturday 9am-12pm: Exclusive Fair Isle Fingerless Mitten Design (yarn provided)- sneak peek to be posted soon
Saturday 1-4 pm: Little Tips and Tricks
Sunday 9 am-12 pm: Written Patterns for Publication
Sunday 1-4 pm: Design Your Own Fair Isle Fingerless Mitten

Angela's Hat

I so love it when students share photos of the projects they worked on in my classes- and I like it even better when they take what they've learned and continue on with the processes.

Angela took my Fair Isle Design Class at the Michigan Fiber Festival in August. Here are some shots of the hat she designed in class. I think it's absolutely marvelous! Thank you so much for sharing, Angela, you did a fantastic job!

p.s. I don't know why these pics insist on posting sideways. I've tried several times to save and re-save the files, renaming them, and uploading again, and still they're skewed. Sorry you'll have to tilt your head to get the whole Gorgeousness!

Like a Proud Mama

A group on Ravelry has chosen my Prairie Earth and Sky cardigan, from Fearless Fair Isle Knitting, as a KAL (knit along, for the three non-knitting blog readers). They're making amazing progress- just look:

Aren't they absolutely beautiful? I'm so proud and honored that I'm about to burst. And now I sort of want to knit the sweater again, in the gray/rose colorway. Here's a set of Flickr pics of some of the other sweaters.

And then there's Georgienne, who took one of my classes last year at the Michigan Fiber Festival, and then came back for more this year. This time, she signed up for the Design Your Own Fair Isle Hat class, which is a fairly intensive full-day class during which students work on design elements and then assemble them on a chart to create their own original Fair Isle project.

Above is the hat she designed in class. Isn't it gorgeous? I love the motifs, and I love the colors Georgienne chose.

And then she went home and did what I hope every single student in every single one of my classes does: she played with the techniques some more, and came up with her own variation.

This is the hat Georgienne designed and knit on her own. I could not be more proud!

Thanks so much for sharing these pics with us, Georgienne!

BTW- I am teaching a half-day version of the Design Your Own Hat (and Stocking) class at NCFF this weekend, and at SAFF in late October. Neither class is full... jus' sayin'

Mostly wordless bits and pieces and souvenirs

 World's Largest Truck Stop

 I'm a sucker for penny stretcher machines.

 Kitras Art Glass

 April

 The maker of the polymer clay spindle- though I don't think there are any spindles on the website.

Road spinning.

Michigan Fiber Festival 2012- Day 3

Today was great- cool and cloudy and comfortable, and no evacuation worries. My students were geniuses and they did a wonderful job of designing their own Fair Isle Hats.

 Am I right, or am I right?

 See?

Told you so!

 Carolyn stopped by to show me her finished Christmas Stocking from yesterday's class.

 Here's my only festival purchase- a handmade polymer clay spindle and a little naturally dyed wool. I love love love the colors and design.

The Elephant Ear booth opened finally today. Fried bread and powdered sugar... oh my...

 The vendors were up and running. They were blurry but amazing...

and more.

 On the way home from the venue, we passed by a hops farm

and this wonderful old stone building,

on our way to Waldorf's in Hastings for an amazingly wonderful mushroom pizza and microbrew.

All in all, it's been a wonderful week. We hit the road early tomorrow- I'll check in tomorrow night if I can.

Michigan Fiber Festival Day 2

I'm at the stage in every festival where the classes are going very well, but I'm just too tired at the end of the day to write a blog post. Today is the final day of my classes (though the Michigan Fiber Festival only officially opens tomorrow), and we're going out to supper tonight (it's The Hub's 60th Birthday), and we're leaving tomorrow morning, so the wrap-up posts may not happen until I get home.

In the meantime, yesterday was interesting. The Weather Folk had warned of thunderstorms and gusty winds all week. The morning dawned cloudy and cool.

My Nordic Christmas Stocking class had started and was going well (as always, I had Genius Students)

Oops, there's my empty McCafe cup. This is my second year of teaching at the MFF, so not only am I meeting up with friends from last year, but some of my students (Bonnie and Carolyn) were repeats, which is always wonderful. And Bonnie, on the right, vends not only at MFF but also SAFF, so we run into each other a couple of times a year.

The skies got progressively darker.

And it started to rain. And then it started to rumble. And then the flashing began. Do please remember that my classroom was in a barn, which is not exactly the safest place to be in a thunderstorm. And it was a doozy- within about a half hour, there was a steady flash and boom. Over the PA system, we were informed of the evacuation procedure, and the safest place to huddle, in the event that a tornado formed (the bathrooms, which were not attached to the barns).

In all of the years that I've been teaching classes, this is the first time we've had to consider running for our lives. It made for an interesting hour or so, especially given that I Don't. Do. Lightning. However, I pulled up my Big Girl Panties and managed to teach the class without perching underneath the table and howling like a frightened puppy.

After an hour of storm, and maybe another hour of steady rain, the clouds broke. Afterward, it was cool and damp.

 I have no idea what this flower is, but it was beautiful after the rain.

And knitting happened even during the storm. By the end of the day, Carolyn was ready to take out the waste yarn for her afterthought heel.

She wasn't the only one.

I survived to tell the tale, though I admit to having a glass of wine when I got back to Home Base.

I finished my class stocking as well, though I forgot to take a pic. Today's class is a design class- mentally intensive but not a lot of knitting (students may begin knitting their original design if they have time, but the majority of our day will be taken up with drawing and charting).

It's been wonderful so far, and today the predicted high is 72 degrees. I'm taking a sweatshirt.

Oh- we've been tasting local beers. This one is very good- a fruit beer...

and I finished Road Socks #2- these are staying with Jayne in Michigan.

If I don't blog tonight, I'll try to on the road tomorrow. Catch all y'all on the flip.

Michigan Fiber Festival 2012 Day 1

We got up this morning to a beautiful foggy sunrise.

By 7am, we were on our way to Allegan from Hastings- it's about an hour drive (give or take, depending on the traffic, and how long it takes McDonald's to make an iced caramel latte).

It was lovely to be greeted once again by the Big Metal Chicken at the gate.

My friend Judy drove up to have lunch with me. We've known each other online for years, and known of each other for over a decade but this was our first in-person meeting. We both brought our little UPS trucks to meet each other too- our Photo Challenge group also has a sort of Flat Stanley project going with these little trucks, taking pictures of them on our various travels. This is the first time any of the trucks have met in person either. They were very happy to make each other's acquaintance.

 The fiber festival has a new design logo for tee shirts and sweatshirts this year- lots of cute bunnies. I bought a new hoodie. It may actually be cool enough on Friday to wear it.

 The registration desk was hopping by 8am.

My classroom is in this building- it'll be my home  for the next 2 days.

Have you noticed that there are no pics of students? There would have been, especially given that I taught two classes today that were chock full of brilliant students. But did I remember to take any pics? Nope. So you'll have  to imagine tables full of geniuses who instantly understood every single thing I tried to teach.

I'll try to do better tomorrow.

Today was great fun- it was warm, especially in the center of my barn, but not unbearably so. Tomorrow it may storm, which will be interesting. By Friday, the high is only going to be 72, which means it could be darn cold at 9am when classes start.

I'll take my camera, and I hope to remember to use it tomorrow.

Oh yeah, this is what I had for supper tonight...

That is a Ruben sandwich... made with homemade sauerkraut. Eat your heart out.

Reminder- I'll be teaching at the Michigan Fiber Festival Next Week!

Woohoo!!! All four of my classes met the minimum registration requirements for the Michigan Fiber Festival next week!

I had great fun there last year, and was thrilled to be invited back. All of my classes have few open spaces, and there's till time to sign up. I'll be teaching Little Tips and Knitting Tricks, and Writing Patterns for Publication on Wednesday, Aug 15. I'll be teaching the All Day Nordic Christmas Stocking, and on Friday I'll be teaching All Day Fair Isle Design.

I hope to see some of you there!

Classes, we gotcher classes

I'm teaching all over the place this fall, and class registration is open for everything (though early-registration prices will end tomorrow for the Michigan Fiber Festival). I hope to see some of you... well... everywhere!

Michigan Fiber Festival, Allegan, MI- August 18-19, Classes August 15-17

I was delighted to be invited back to the Michigan Fiber Festival. Early registration closes tomorrow for the Michigan Fiber Festival, but late signups are allowed. Information on registering is on the website, and here is a description of the classes being offered.  I'm teaching:   Thursday All Day: Nordic Christmas Stocking; Friday All Day Fair Isle Design. I can't find the listing for my Wednesday classes, which makes me think that they're full already.


NCFF North Country Fiber Fair, Watertown SD, September 14-16

Registration for NCFF, which is my local fiber fair, just opened. Here's a listing of all of the classes. On Friday, I'm teaching Mitered Square Cuffs; on Saturday I'm teaching Half-Day Fair Isle Design; and on Sunday it's Little Tips and Knitting Tricks.


North Country Spinners Fiber Fallout, Johnsonburg, NJ, September 28-30

I'm teaching dyeing classes at this cool spinning retreat. This will be my first visit to New Jersey, and I'm really excited about it. On Saturday it's Spiral Dyeing, and Dyeing Sock Blanks, and on Sunday it's Graduated Color Band Dyeing. The link to everything is above.


SAFF- Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair, Fletcher, NC, October 26-28

I'm heading back to SAFF for my 4th time, and I am thrilled. Registration for workshops has just opened for SAFF members. Registration for the public will open on July 15. Here's the class description list.  I'm teaching EEK! A Steek! all day Friday; Fair Isle Fingerless Mittens on Saturday morning; Fair Isle Stocking Design Saturday afternoon; and Little Tips and Tricks twice on Sunday (morning and afternoon), and Writing Patterns for Publication in the between the Tips and Tricks sessions.

It's going to be a busy couple of months!

Registration is open for the Michigan Fiber Festival!

I'll be teaching classes at the Michigan Fiber Festival in August again! I'm thrilled to have been invited back, and am really looking forward to another trip to the beautiful state. I hope to see some of you there. Class registration is open, here are the classes I'll be teaching from Wednesday August 15- Friday August 17:

Wednesday, August 15

Morning

#122 Writing Patterns for Publication              

Learn tricks and tips for writing up your original pattern for publication, from 30-year pattern-writing veteran, blogger Kathleen Taylor, author of five knitting books, over 500 magazine articles, and many other original sewing and knitting patterns. Whether you plan to submit your design to a magazine, or will publish and sell it yourself, you need to know about pattern format, photography, pattern testing, copyright information, and contacting editors and publishers. Q&A time provided at the end of the class. Handouts will be provided.

Class Level: Beginner

Class Limit: 25

Material Fees:  None

Participants should bring with them:  Pen and paper for taking notes.




Afternoon




#133 Little Tips and Knitting Tricks  


           
Spend two/three hours with author and designer Kathleen Taylor, learning fun techniques that will make your knitting easier: a Substitute for the SSK that is faster and simpler, Knitting Back Backwards (for heels and bobbles), adding beads as you knit, using wire, fixing cable and Fair Isle mistakes, and other time-saving tips. I will provide handouts, and other small supplies (beads, wire)

Class Level: Beginner ~ Students should be familiar with the knit and purl stitches

Class Limit: 15

Material Fees: None

Participants should bring with them: Worsted and fingering
weight yarns (leftover balls are fine), appropriate straight
needles for both yarn weights, scissors.


 Cast on 10 stitches and
work a few rows of stockinette stitch in both yarn weights
(this can be done during class).



Thursday, August 16- All Day

#202 Nordic Christmas Stocking 


Students will learn yarn wrangling and chart reading while making a 14" long, toe-up, stranded Christmas Stocking, with an afterthought heel. Students knit the toe in advance and in class, will knit past the waste-yarn heel marking, and then knit an afterthought heel. It is not likely that all students will finish their stockings in class, but they should have the tools and information to finish on their own. No previous stranding or sock knitting experience required.

Class Level: Students must be comfortable with knitting in the round. No Fair Isle, or stranded knitting, or sock-knitting experience
needed

Class Limit: 15

Material Fees: None

Participants should bring with them: Size 8 dpns (or long circs if they’re Magic Loopers), and 2- 50gr balls of solid worsted weight yarn highly contrasting colors, several yards of contrasting waste yarn, stitch markers, safety pin, several post-it notes. Homework required

Homework:
Pre-Knit Stocking Toe: With Size 8 needles and dark worsted weight yarn, CO 20 sts. Divide on needles as desired, without twisting
the sts, join. Rnd 1: K; Rnd 2: (K 5, Inc 1), rep around. Rnd 3: K; Rnd 4: (K 6, Inc 1) rep around. Repeat those 2 rnds, working 1 more
st before the inc on each even rnd, until there are 50 sts.
Note: it is possible for late signups to use a provisional cast on, and knit the toe later.



Friday August 17- All Day


#306 Fair Isle Design    
             
Expand on your Fair Isle skills, and design your own Toddler- Size Fair Isle hat in this workshop with author, knitter, and designer Kathleen Taylor. We’ll discuss color choices, design elements, and motif repeats. We’ll do specific designing exercises, and then combine those motifs to design an original toddler-size Fair Isle hat, and begin working on the hat by the end of the workshop.Students will finish knitting the hat at home.

Class Level:  Intermediate to Advanced

Class Limit: 15

Material Fees: None

Participants should bring with them: Assorted worsted weight yarns, 100 gr total, in up to 6 colors (leftover yarns and small balls are fine), colored pencils to match the yarns, 16" size 5 circular needle, pencil, eraser, stitch markers, safety pin, several post-it notes. Homework required

Homework:
With the 16"(40 cm) Size 5 (3.75mm)circular needle, or 1 or 2 long circular needles, CO 90 sts with MC. Without twisting the sts,
join, placing the large marker at the beginning of the round.
Rnds 1-8 (hem facing): K
Picot Edge Rnd: *K 2 tog, YO*, rep around
Next Rnd:  K, working each YO as a stitch.
Next Rnd: *K 15, Inc 1*, rep around (6 sts increased- 96 sts)

Finished and Unfinished, a Commercial Success, and a Return Trip

I met with my knitting group yesterday- as always, it was wonderful to see everyone. After the meeting, I ran errands, and then met Frog Girl for a Gramma Girl supper. We drove back home in the dark and spotted several deer in the ditch. Live deer. Live deer ready to jump out in front of the car. Luckily, none did.

 In addition to the hat and mittens from earlier this week, I had another FO to show off yesterday. Someone very dear to me said wistfully that a plain cream handspun hat would be lovely. It is a measure of how dear that person is, that I actually knit a plain cream hat for her (for Christmas- she has to wait). It turned out beautifully, but man, it was boring to knit.

Side Note; I like how my new scanner picks up stitch definition and color, but the scanner bed squooshes things- the hat isn't *ruffly* at the top, it just looks that way in the scan.

I'm down to using non-self-patterning leftover yarns for socks now (not that I don't have lots of self-patterning yarns in the stash, but none of them, at the moment, are left over). I love how these colors came together. This pair will be for Ladybug Girl, and the upside is that if she outgrows them (all of the girls have Magically Expanding Feet), she can give them back to me, since they fit me now. (Ignore the gray hair that just happened to be on the scanner bed...)

On a totally different subject- that Subaru commercial where the ex-couple spot each other at some sort of reunion, but yet do not speak to each other, bugs the hell out of me. But the background song has been in my head forever. I finally Googled it yesterday (typing: Subaru commercial song into the window) and found this:

This is now my new favorite song. You want proof? I bought it on iTunes yesterday before heading to Aberdeen, and I listened to it on steady repeat for 43 miles, and I didn't think about that stupid reunion ex-couple even once. 

Can someone who is musically knowledgeable tell me what that kind of rhythm is called (where the main beat seems to be a bit behind the rest of the song).  

And finally, I am happy to announce that I'll be teaching again at the Michigan Fiber Festival! The 2012 festival is August 18-19, and workshops run from August 15-19. I'll be teaching classes Aug 15-17. I'll announce the roster and times when registration is open. I'm thrilled to be invited back!