The Summer Yarn Show

The National Needlearts Association (TNNA) summer trade show happens each June. It is where shop owners go to buy their fall yarn. In 95 degree heat. Yowser. Hard to think wool when you feel like you have to have swim to your car! Thankfully, inside was fairly cool (well, some of the time) and it really wasn’t so bad. The photo above is of the tables that show new things from many of the vendors.

Impressions: more shawls and lace, thankfully no ponchos, younger buyers, some really creative solutions for knitters problems, excitement about Knitting Daily TV, several new yarn lines from designers.

Highlights.

Thursday I took a class about knitting with variegated yarn from Margaret Radcliffe (author of The Knitting Answer Book). It was fun to sit and experiment with color. I know, I know. I’m weird. I actually enjoy swatching, which is essentially what we did for three hours! Give me a ball of yarn and a set or two of double point needles and I’m happy. Maggi had some great suggestions for getting the most from your hand painted yarn by choosing stitch patterns wisely, manipulating your knitting or even cutting out part of the yarn to make it stripe better (for yarns like Noro Kureyon).

Friday I taught two sessions of spindle spinning and we now have 18 new spinners. I enjoy these classes because I think it is so important for shop owners to really understand yarn construction. Learning how to make yarn helps achieve that goal. Friday was also the retailer luncheon where we had *surprise* a chicken salad. Oh yes, and were entertained by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (for your own entertainment, check out her blog post for TNNA at www.yarnharlot.com). What a hoot! She had us in stitches.

Saturday the market opened and we made a beeline for the Opal/Isager booth so Christa could meet Marianne Isager, her double knitting inspiration. Marianne wrote the book Knitting Out of Africa where Christa saw double knitting that really (I mean REALLY) got her thinking and knitting. Here’s a photo of Christa with Marianne modeling Christa’s double knit swing coat.

Part of the fun of attending the show is seeing fiber friends from across the country and around the world. Sometimes you meet people who it seems as if you’ve known them your whole life. Gaylene from Wagtail Yarns is one of those. Their business ethics and dedication to what they do is so evident in their yarns and passion. They have a herd of 1500 goats that produce the best mohair I’ve ever seen. From raising the goats to dyeing the wool and putting labels on the skeins, everything is done on their farm. Their new product this year is a laceweight yarn that is incredible to work with. I couldn’t resist. I ordered both the fingering weight yarn we’ve had for the past year and the lace weight in a bunch of colors, all on cones so that your project doesn’t have to have knots in it and you don’t have to make balls of this slippery stuff!

One of the new products that impressed me was The Fibersphere. It is a container for your yarn that, unlike most products, allows you to remove the ball when you want to. The spheres come in two sizes: 5 and 7″ in diameter. What is really cool is that two of the containers can snap together for managing your yarns when working with two balls. Really cool concept (this from someone who is currently juggling four balls on two sleeves! I sometimes think I spend more time untangling the balls). Better yet, the balls are affordably priced and come in a milky color (as shown at right) and a light pink. 5% of the wholesale price from the pink Fiberspheres is donated to breast cancer research. We shared a few tears with the inventor as she told us about her mom and her battle with breast cancer. So, it’s a product that can help you while it helps others - I think that’s perfect for knitters.

Over the course of the four days in Columbus (OH), we saw a LOT. I placed enough orders that we’ll have new stuff arriving in the shop from now until October! Here’s one last photo: the walls of yarn. This is where you go to get samples of each of the skeins. TNNA provides a book with the names of the yarns, tape and scissors so you can make a scrap book of all the newest stuff (if you are so inclined - no, I didn’t do it this year).

 

There’s something to be said for a train ride!

The title “grandmother” has certain responsibilities. Like taking part in a new child’s life. Unfortunately, my 6-month old grandson lives in the northwest Chicago suburbs - it’s not easy to pop over and say hello. So, Sunday, Mother’s Day, I climbed on the train at oh-dark-thirty (as we used to say in the Army) in Flint, lunched in downtown Chicago, hopped on the Metra for another 90 minutes and finally arrived to find said grandbaby and his daddy waiting to retrieve me at the train station. As you can see, Luke is doing just fine. He’s a cutie pie and I got to spend a lot of time with him (teething . . . fun, fun!).

I actually look forward to the train rides to see baby Luke and family. I get peace and quiet (well, on the way over when I rode in business class, anyhow) and time to snooze, read and catch up on TV shows (thank goodness for iPods!). Mostly, tho I worked and I can share some of that with you. I was busy scheduling classes for the next year. Yes, I schedule my life and some of the instructors lives that far out. Sitting on the train with nothing to stop my work I plowed through piles of notes, printouts of emails and relied heavily on a well-scribbled on calendar. Scheduling classes give one a whole new appreciation for what happens in high schools and colleges!

One of the cool things you will see happening in our classes is that Becca, our young weaver, will be teaching more classes. Those of you who have had Becca as an assistant have loved her and agree she knows her stuff. Well, we are putting that stuff to work in two classes. A learn to weave in a weekend class and project based classes for new weavers. She’ll be weaving us samples for the project classes. This first year we will offer three different project classes: a pillow, placemats and dishtowels.

Based on the feedback from this just-graduated Spinning Boot Camp, I have extracted the spinning the breeds lesson from SBC and am turning it into a Focus series for spinners in the form of a class called The Breed of the Month. I’ll have washed wool for you (and an unwashed sample) and all the research done. Together we’ll explore the wool and decide how we best like it prepared and spun. I think it is going to be great fun and participants will build a helpful library of wools. The BOM class is on Wednesday evenings and we’ll kick off with Gotland. Limited to 12 students, don’t wait to sign up!

We’ve added three new Focus classes for knitters: Focus on  . . . Shetland Lace, Fit and Socks. Jae (www.someknitreq.com) is teaching the latter two. In addition to these classes, in the fall, I’ll also be running Focus on Fair Isle again. Love this class!!! Watching what happens with color is incredible.

I also scheduled some old favorite classes, including: the Wallaby, Baby Einstein, the Fish Sweater, EZs Baby Surprise, and thrummed mittens. Plus, we have a group of classes that feature our original designs, among them: Joy’s 4-ruffle scarf (pattern is now available and the scarf is on display in the shop) and Joan’s Mariko Scarf, Quick Flap Cap and the Geometric Beaded Scarf.

By no means did I finish my scheduling work on one train trip, but I sure made a dent in it. Watch the newsletter and website over the next month or so as we add new things. And, if you have ideas for a class that you absolutely must have, please let us know.

Heritage Strippers & a new wrap

This photo captures Stacey assisting Deb in a front porch photo shoot. I promised Deb that nothing would show but the skirt . . . but they agreed that this photo was too fun to hide in my computer. Our front porch hosts many photo shoots. Sometimes I’ve got stuff sitting on the porch and I’m laying on the ground. The neighbors must think I am nuts. Of course, they usually take place when it is pretty quiet around town, so not that many people get to view our craziness. Check this week’s newsletter to see the “real” photos of these garments.

 

     

This is your first introduction to the Nomad Wrap. So called because of the wandering lace pattern that travels from end to end. That’s Sophia being a sport and modeling for me. The wrap is knit from our Bloomfield in the Trout colorway. It is a fairly easy lace pattern that looks great knit up. I promise to have the pattern available real soon in the shop. In the meantime, you can come in and see it in person.

Back at It & Island Time

Well, the Estonian Garden Wrap lives again! I ordered more yarn, two cones of Jaggerspun4/8 Zephyr, just in case the dye lots didn’t match my earlier knitting. It was my luck: they didn’t match. But, I decided that I liked my (now) swatch enough to start again from the beginning. So, here’s where I am so far. About a third done with the middle. The Lily of the Valley pattern goes on each end. To see my “swatch” scroll back a couple blog entries. Thankfully, I am now to the point where it is conversational knitting. I haven’t had any of that in a long time, so this is a treat.

This past weekend was the last Heritage Fiber Retreat at Insel Haus. After this, Christa will host them. For more information visit www.yarndreamer.com.

This was (we think), the 13th time I have taken a group to the island and I did a lot better with my planning and menus. That means that I was able to enjoy more knitting time than usual (see the results in the pink shawl above!) and also did a bit of weaving. This bag was woven on an AshfordKnitter’s Loom with a warp of commercial alpaca and a handspunweft. It took me, all told, from warping the loom to hand sewing the double-pocketed bag, about six hours. Not bad. Christa helped me with the finishing - she made a braided cord (one of these days I’ll figure out her technique) and a beautiful double-knit tassle. Her touches make the bag! It is a sample for a class I am teaching next year at CNCH.

This was probably the most intense island weekend we’ve ever had. One group worked with Christa making her cobweb lace mittens, scarf and vest. Another worked with me on the Estonian Garden Scarf and Wrap. Lily of the Valley practice was the focus of the second group. Sorry, no pictures, I was too busy knitting! Okay, I left my camera in the car on the mainland. The bag photo is compliments of Donna.

Not every minute was spent inside. Annie and Christa and I snuck in a visit before Sunday brunch to a log cabin under construction on Lake Thompson, one of the island’s inland lakes. One of the cool things about the island is that many of the homes are built with lumber from the island. The logs in Steve’s cabin are massive. It isn’t a big cabin, but it sure is nice. Still very rough, you can just imagine the potential. Late Sunday, Annie and I went rock hounding at the beach. The water level is up a bit from last year. It was good to see. I was looking for smooth rocks for stone massage, but didn’t really find much. I did, however, find two rocks that I am pretty sure are agates. I remember looking for them when I was a kid and never found any then. Brought back memories.

It was a good weekend. I’ll miss the retreats, but not all the coordinating. I have promised Christa that I will teach on some of her retreats. Both times scheduled so far are in the winter, my favorite time on the island. It is so beautiful there then . . . quiet, peaceful, perfect for knitting. It is not too early to make reservations! 

Good things come to those who wait (and wait . . . and wait)!

Isn’t she beautiful? This is my new wheel made just for me. I ordered it 6 or 7 years ago (see what I mean about waiting?!). I’m in love. Now to find the time to really sit down and spin.

She was made by Alden Amos in California out of American hardwoods. Part of the purchase process was to complete a survey about my foot to knee length, stride and what I like to spin. The survey worked because Alden made a wheel that fits (and suits) me perfectly.

I first learned about the Amos wheels when I took a class with Stephanie Gaustaad (Alden’s significant other) at SOAR 2000. She had several of his well-built tools and I admired them. Since I’ve also purchase his niddy noddy (hand carved, no metal, rustic and lovely), combs (serious weapons!) and scutching knife. I appreciate them all, perhaps because I have a tiny bit of a woodworking background, too. His tools sit well in my hands. They aren’t dainty, they are functional and well built.

The photo above was taken before they shipped her to me. The cat didn’t come with.

Do what I say, not what I do

Pretty isn’t it? Even unblocked, you can see that it really has potential. You might even recognize it as The Fiber Trends pattern by Evelyn Clark, “Estonian Garden Wrap.” Unfortunately, I didn’t think before I set out on my wrap adventure. I didn’t do my math. I got caught up in the heat of the moment. I wanted to knit IT and I wanted to knit it NOW! So, there you see three evenings worth of work, 168 7-wrap nupps (Estonian bobbles) and about $20 of wasted yarn. Duuuhhhh! The problem is that the pattern calls for lace weight yarn and I wanted a warm shawl because our church tends to be a bit chilly and that is where I wear a shawl most often. So, I thought it would be cool in a DK weight yarn.

Note to self: think first, knit second.

So, what to do to rescue it? Nothing. The yarn is Jaggerspun Zephyr that comes on a cone. Gorgeous stuff. 50/50 Merino wool and silk, feels great, knits beautifully. Shows patterns well. Doesn’t match for beans between different dye lots. Not that I really though it would, but I hoped!

What next? Well, this is the project we are knitting at the Spring Fiber Retreat next week, so I need to get it going again. I suppose I need to block that SAMPLE and evaluate it critically. Then, get started again - using a color that we have two cones of!

Lessons learned: I love Addi lace needles for lace work. They made the nupps possible. I love working with this yarn and I’ll get started using it again. I’ll consider this a swatch and calculate my yarn requirements before getting going again (what if it took more than two cones??????).

2nd not to self: take your own advice. Get plenty of yarn before you embark on a project!

“Better than Disney World”

When I asked my daughter how her spring break vacation was she said, “Better than Disney World.” At that moment we were flying off Bois Blanc Island after spending a pleasant and adventure-filled week at Insel Haus (www.inselhausbandb.com) with Christa and Shelby. Pleasant because the island is pretty much deserted at this time of year and all there is is peace and quiet. Adventure-filled because we had some great “weather.” First a pretty hefty wind storm, followed shortly by a day of every kind of precipitation possible plus wind, then a day of snow-snow-and-more-snow. Oh, yes and no electricity either! Thankfully, Insel Haus has a big generator (it cooled a rail car in its previous life) so during the day we had electricity and we just slept in the dark. Here’s our time there in pictures, more or less.

This photo gets you started. When we first flew in there was ice on the mainland side (west of Cheboygan), the next day we woke up to our bay full, and then by afternoon it had migrated to Cheboygan. Fun to watch and doesn’t it make an interesting picture? What looks like sky is really a cluster of ice chunks. I LOVE watching the ice in the spring. Once upon a time when Mariah was in Kindergarten we lived on an island in Lake Orion that had no bridge. We got real good at gauging the ice (okay, I fell through a few times) and haven’t lost our fascination with it.

Insel Haus as viewed from the lake shore. Pretty even in spring.

 Our being at the island gave Christa an excuse to sit and knit . . . alot. That’s “my” chair and yarn in the foreground. I sat there more than usual this visit. I did lots of sampling for a shawl I’m working on with Kathy, my super-wonderful knitter friend. I sample, I scribble, I calculate, then she knits and start working on the next project. I’m not sure who has more fun!

Mariah is a wildlife lover. I always love to see the photos she’s left on my camera after vacation. We watched this pair the entire time we were there. 

And the turkeys. Look at that plumage. I wonder if it is mating season? We don’t usually see such a display.

 

And then the storm came.

Snow stuck to everything, even the sides of the deck. It didn’t last long as it rained by the end of the day and the trees lost their “frosting,” but it sure was beautiful while it lasted.

 

Sunday was the proverbial day after the storm. It was simply brilliant out. This is a shot of the driveway. Everything was so pristine.

Our goodbye. Christa and Mariah preparing to break through the pristine snow!

The island airport was improved last year and in addition to a paved runway it has a terminal with telephone. This was Mariah’s first visit to the terminal.

The truck is typical island transportation. A real classic. Many of the residents have “island cars” that live at the township parking lot near the dock when their owners are off the island. I have been going to the island for over 20 years with Bill and Maggie and they carry their (car or truck) battery back and forth. Island living at its best! Oh yes, that’s our plane in the background over the bed of the pick up.

 

Goodbye to the island. If you look closely you can almost make out the Mackinaw Bridge in the background.

All in all, a great getaway. I am thrilled that a 15-year-old had a great time. Of course, she did have TWO computers with her and Insel Haus has wireless Internet. We also squeezed in Monopoly and many episodes of the Gilmore Girls. A good mother-daughter time.

Spring is here!

It is officially spring. We dyed yarn yesterday and hung it in the tree to dry.  That’s Tress on the left and Stacey on the right.

This is a shot of some of the sock yarn we dyed. Well, except for the mohair boucle on the far left. I am afraid that I am going to have to claim one of these spring-ey colors to knit up that pair of Cat Bordhi socks. It is calling my name! I just LOVE the new sock yarn we’ve switched to for our HandPaints. It is just the right amount of sturdy and it is round and pretty in the hank.

These skeins and many others will be available “as is” until Sunday then they’ll be on the shelf waiting for you!

Fait accompli

The sock is done. It sorta fits. At least the important part fits: the foot. That means the pattern is finally right. I didn’t, however, compensate enough for the twisted ribbing and the leg is more than a bit snug. It fits the sock blocker and since there never will be another one, that is good enough for me. Next step is to swatch for a pair using our standard handpainted Oxford II sock yarn and US size 1 needles. This pair will incorporate the lace pattern that I really wanted to do in the first place. I’ll keep you posted.

The class that all this sock discovery was for happened last Saturday. I had a dozen ladies tackle the techniques and terminology of the New Pathways book and then they spent the afternoon knitting the Baby Coriolis sock. It was a good class and everybody left exhausted! Amazing how tiring brain-work can be. I’ll be adding a class yet this spring to knit a full-sized sock from this book. Both classes will run again in the fall. It’s just too much fun - watch our newsletter and be sure to sign up!

If you didn’t catch it in our weekly newsletter, I have exciting news to share about Knit Michigan. It is official: this year we will be able to donate over $30,000 to Michigan cancer organizations as a result of our work. Visit www.knitmichigan.com to read more (okay - better wait until the end of March to visit - I don’t have the site updated yet!).

Life in America

Sometimes pictures speak a thousand words. That’s Daryl Lancaster (www.weaversew.com), Mark my husband, and Mariah our 15 year-old - enjoying post dinner conversation! At least, in our defense, we did have a nice dinner together.

This little computer soiree ends up a weekend of classes for Daryl at the shop. Friday night we learned how to “warp faster.” I now better understand how to use a warping paddle - a very cool, underused tool. I know - until this weekend I had only sold one or two in all my years in business. I can’t wait to try it on a project I’ve got in mind and get warping faster. On Saturday and Sunday she taught her Garment Construction class. Folks came from as far away as Sault St. Marie, Ontario, and Antrim and Charlevoix counties up north.

  

I only got to peek in for one lecture about sizing patterns, but just that brief exposure had me thinking of getting out the sewing machine and playing around. I sewed for years - made many of my own clothes in high school, sewed for the kids, but haven’t really done much in years. So much to do, just too few hours in a day! Those that were able to enjoy the class all the way through learned about seams, buttonholes, trims and so much more. They were all inspired and tired! The photo on the left above is Daryl telling how to find the fit (close, loose, very loose, etc.) on the back of the pattern. On the right is a row of students getting tired at the end of the first day!