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Mary Jane Mucklestone

Hand Knitting Blog & Knitting Patterns

Archives for January 2010

Loving Slater Mill

January 25, 2010 by Mary Jane 5 Comments

SlaterClass

Have I mentioned how much I enjoy teaching? What’s not to like with students like I had over the weekend at Slater Mill in RI? I can’t say enough great things about the event, it’s location in the beautiful and historic mill – with the sound of rushing water, the enthusiastic, cheerful participants and especially the tireless organizers, such a great group of helpful and fun people that director Janis has assembled! Everyone was positive, energetic and so into the event, totally enthused. Did I mention the vendors? I confess to breaking down at the antique buttons.

I feel really lucky to have  participated. My students tackled stranded colorwork with gusto, learning their own personal best way to accomplish corrugated ribbing and even tensioned stranding. We were fortunate to have all of our yarn donated by the kind folks at Knit Picks. It is always fun to see what a variety of fabrics we knit, choosing from the same pool of colors.

And I lived through my presentation, Styling Your Knits, which turned out to be fun…I’d do it again!

There were swatches!   A beautiful baby princess!    Knitting Goddesses!

Cirila Rose of Berroco, who as you know is a talented designer, and what I didn’t know, she’s a talented stylist as well, responsible for some of the great new forward-looking books that Berocco has put out. She has a lovely presence, with a vibrating yet serene energy.

Cheryl Burke, the Color-Wonderful designer, was a blast to hang out with, so much fun. She designed Cottage Garden, the sensational yoked sweater in the Fall Twist Collective as well as other inventive knits. The two of us were lucky to end our day with fabulous Indian food shared with the unstoppable Bernadette, who organized this great event. Thank You Bernadette!

Also included: the amiable fiber artist Rose Ann Hunter,  who taught creative rug making,  Adrienne Sloane, whose class Freeform knitting was one I’d love to take, and talented Helen Bingham who lead the Infinity Scarf class.

Today I spent in Manhattan. I am sooooo very tired.  I had a meet-up with another incredible designing talent….stay tuned!

Filed Under: Knitting

New Year, New Inspiration, New Techniques

January 21, 2010 by Mary Jane 5 Comments

classSwatch

Come join the fun this weekend in Pawtucket Rhode Island at the Historic Slater Mill, our nation’s first water-powered spinning mill.

Friday, January 22, 2010 , 6 PM A wine & cheese reception, Berroco Trunk Show and presentation by Moi… I am terrified! Be kind.

Saturday, January 23rd and Sunday, January 24th Classes and a Mini Market Place

Pajama Party on Saturday night!

The line-up:

Finishing Techniques
Instructor: Cirilia Rose
Saturday, 10-12:30 Fee $45

Most knitters dread having to sew their projects together because they just haven’t been shown the methods that will give their creations polish. Learn the finishing techniques to create a professional quality garment from a member of the Berroco design team.

Knitted Carpet Bags
Instructor: Rose Ann Hunter
Saturday, 10-12:30 or Sunday, 1:30-4 Fee $45

Only basic stitches used. Make yourself a unique handbag. Learn to knit with fabric itself. Use leftover fabrics, and unused clothes and recycle them into a useful and one of a kind bag. Also taught in this class is the confetti bag. This is made with a worsted weight yarn, and you knit your fabric strips right into the framework of your knitting to create a plush and decorative handbag. For both bags you will learn different ways to make a handle, one is which is a simple hand sewn center shirred fabric. This is a techniques class. You will come out with swatches and enough skills to make a bag.

Designing Knitted Heirloom Rugs
Instructor: Rose Ann Hunter
Saturday, 1:30-4 or Sunday, 10-12:30 Fee $45

All knitted rugs are formed by assembling strips, blocks and wedges. Learn to construct various shapes with simple knitting such as coiled, corded, washboards, ovals and heart shaped. All techniques are adapted from the early 1800’s and brought to present day. While you are listening to a short lecture on heirloom rugs, start working on a project that will combine knitting with a hand sewn process using old wool fabric to make a small mat. You will want to go home and recycle your old worn clothing into heirloom rugs!


Stranded Color Work Hat Sampler
Instructor: Mary Jane Mucklestone
Saturday, 10-4 Fee $115  YARN INCLUDED

Design your own fair isle hat. Using a hat as our sample, we learn to chart and place motifs, and explore color choices while creating our own design.

It’ll be a blast!

Filed Under: Knitting

Purl Diva Color Classes!

January 21, 2010 by Mary Jane 1 Comment

PurlDiva

Last weekend I had a great couple of classes at one of my favorite yarn shop’s Purl Diva, in Brunswick. Ellen’s shop is in a darling old Victorian house, and has a newly renovated cheery classroom space upstairs. Working with color is so much fun. If you reach outside your comfort zone with color choices, amazing things can happen!   Let me just say my students were inspiring, I can’t think of a better way to spend the day than knitting with a group of women eager to try new things.

After class one of my students took me to the local art museum at Bowdoin College, what a special treat that was, I had no idea this gem was in our backyard.  Thank you so much Aldona, it was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Filed Under: Knitting

Colors Abound

January 18, 2010 by Mary Jane 6 Comments

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I can be persuaded that there are in fact, enough colors of Shetland wool, and shetland-like wool to choose from.  For true Shetland wool alone,  Jamieson’s weighs in as the winner with at least 176 colors, Jamieson and Smith has 80. Other companies, though not Shetland wool, have the correct weight for traditional projects, Knit Picks with 83 colors, Harrisville with 56, Finnullgarn with 100, and that’s just for starters…so we’re ok after all.

I love them all.

Which are your favorites?

Who did I leave out?

Filed Under: Knitting

Mourning

January 15, 2010 by Mary Jane 6 Comments

mourning_web

Discontinued colors. All of them, including some dear old friends. I weep.

Jamieson & Smith have reduced their range to 80 colors…you’d think that would be enough. Spoiled. I was spoiled!

You know what they say, “keep calm and cast on”.

Update: as Anne mentioned in the comments Jamieson’s still has close to 200 colors, so between the 2 of them we should all be ok.

The real mourning is for the people of Haiti- Doctors Without Borders, you can specify Haiti for your donation.

Filed Under: Knitting

Color!

January 14, 2010 by Mary Jane 2 Comments

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Are all colors really a result of mixing a combination of the three above? Hmmmm…

Find out at Purl Diva this weekend! Only it is sold out…oh dear.

There is still room in Introduction to Stranded Colorwork….aka…Fair Isle Knitting!

No experience necessary. Quash your fears! The world of color is yours!

Yarn is provided,  just bring US4 DPNs or circular needles.

Saturday, January 16th, 2010
9:30 – 11:30 AM

Purl Diva

3 Summer Street,

just off Pleasant St./Route 1

Brunswick, Maine

Filed Under: Knitting

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