Knitting
New York and Connie
Whew! I’ve been traveling. When I heard the weather would be bad leaving Pawtucket, I decided to spend the rainy day in NYC instead of driving all the way to DC. I stayed with a dear, dear friend, so every moment was an infusion of energy and history – an invigorating tonic. While she was at work, I visited Tim Burton at Moma…he was crowded….but a good jolt of the interesting mind… made me start craving black and white, and I say I only use darkest brown and natural…we’ll just see about that, missy… swirl it with turquoise and red…and acid yellow. Yes indeed. Maybe a few gloomy cobwebs, or not.
Ok. Then I visited my elderly cousin, who is 96, and has the most wonderful apartment in the world. The apartment of 46 geraniums. And he is the most wonderful fellow…A Gracious Host… we had cookies and tea. Perfect considering the weather.
Next–I met amazing talent: Connie Chang Chinchio! At long last, we’d planned a rendezvous a few times, but my intended city trips always fell through. We met in the Land of Danger: School Products….yarn shop from my ancient NYC history…still the same…still so very tempting. I do not need any more yarn. EVER. Look at Connie up there, see her fists full of yarn, that giddy grin? Uh huh, two knitting designers in a yarny stupor…and I got a book too. Andean Weaving, why stop with knitting?
What can I say, it was like I’d always known Connie. We’re both west-coasters on the east coast, so I suppose we have that in common, but it was more than that. It was just so comfortable to sit and knit and talk with her, we went downtown for tea, at a great bookshop in Soho. It is nice to have someone who speaks the same language of knitting too, you know what I mean, when out in the “real world” somehow the threads of our conversations get tangled and never understood? Only a knitter knows.
The tapestry….lead in to the next day…Painters translate their art to tapestry in the Demons, Yarns & Tales show the John Cohan Gallery. The Alphabet is by Peter Blake, who did the Beatles Sgt. Peppers album cover, among other things.
Loving Slater Mill
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!
New Year, New Inspiration, New Techniques
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!
Purl Diva Color Classes!
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.
Colors Abound
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?