Category Archives: Knitting Sites

Glass Knitting Needles

05 Wednesday May 2010

Posted by in Favorite Things, Knitting, Knitting Sites, teaching classes, Thoughts

≈ 4 Comments

People are like stained-glass windows.
They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,
but when the darkness sets in,
their true beauty is revealed only if
there is a light from within.
[Elisabeth Kubler-Ross]

During my recent trip to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, I caved in and bought something to go with the yarn that I also bought—colbalt-blue, circular, glass knitting needles from ERNST finely crafted glass. Not only do these needles knit with greater ease than any needles I’ve tried, I feel like I’m using a piece of art. I’m one of those people who write better with a pretty pen and draw better with a special pencil (at least I feel like I do). Just thought I’d share that.

Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

29 Thursday Apr 2010

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Sock Workshop, Thoughts

≈ 2 Comments

True wisdom lies in
gathering the precious things
out of each day as it goes by.

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

I wish I could share the delight with everyone. Last weekend I enjoyed the company of 70 knitters at the Dayton Knitting Guild Retreat at Bergamo. Sally Melville shared interesting and enlightening knitting tidbits with us. Now I am in Maryland facilitating pre-festival workshops in knitting. Yesterday, we explored steeks, and today we start on Gansey knitting. My friend, Barbara Richardson is with me. It makes it so much more fun when there is someone else with whom to share the Ooohs and Aaahs, isn’t it?

Workshop A-8: Replaceable or Peasant Heel

18 Sunday Apr 2010

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, teaching classes

≈ 1 Comment

What breaks in a moment may take years to mend.
[Swedish Proverb]

Sock mending is almost a forgotten skill, but hand-knit socks deserve mending. The socks in the photo above have heels that can be raveled and re-knit if necessary. They are for another class I’m facilitating at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. It is half a day (Sunday, 1:00-4:00 pm) so I have a small project planned that gives the knitter detailed experience making a replaceable or peasant heel. I have printed copies of the August sock (watermelon) from my CD book for each participant as well.

Workshop W-02: Gusset-heel Gansey Sock

14 Wednesday Apr 2010

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Sock Workshop, teaching classes

≈ 3 Comments

The web of our life is of a mingled yarn,
good and ill together.
[William Shakespeare]

Look familiar? One of the classes I’m facilitating at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival lasts two days. We will produce the sock that is featured in the sock workshop on this blog. I recently knit another sock just to make sure we could actually finish one in the two-day class (Thursday and Friday, 9:00-4:00 pm.) All of the Gansey sweater features are included in this sock—a welt, mock seam, textured pattern and gusset. The handout includes the pattern. This LINK gives more information.

Portuguese Style Knitting

25 Wednesday Nov 2009

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Ongoing Projects

≈ 1 Comment

We may have all come on different ships,
but we’re in the same boat now.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

One thing I like about being an American is living in the midst of variety. I feel like I have dibs on a little bit of everybody’s culture. So here’s a chance to participate in something new to many knitters between the North Atlantic and Pacific. Andrea Wong has a new DVD on the market and is offering a special on two DVDs until December 15th. Check out this LINK if you are interested in learning Portuguese style knitting. The DVDs, pins and patterns also come individually packaged.

Andrea is one of my graphic design clients. I help her with her website, and lay out her print advertising. Currently, I am helping her with a knitting book layout, and I’m so thrilled about it. It not only has a number of Portuguese-inspired patterns, but it also has lovely travel photos, technique explanations, and history. The book is scheduled to go to print next spring.

Summer on Blossom Street

20 Monday Apr 2009

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Thoughts

≈ 2 Comments

Watching a complex stitch pattern grow as I knit
silences the voice in my head that tells me to sweep the floor.
I imagine dust bunnies are knitting themselves together under my chair.
[Katherine Misegades, designer]

summeronblossomstreethbThe mail just came and I received a copy of Debbie Macomber’s newest book, Summer on Blossom Street. This is the fifth book in her Blossom Street series — knitting is a topic that runs through this series. I am excited because she used a quotation from me at the beginning of Chapter 35.

Ms Macomber’s 2009 Newsletter also mentions a new yarn shop in Port Orchard, Washington, named A Good Yarn Shop. Those of you familiar with her books will recognize that as the name of the shop on Blossom Street. I wish I didn’t live a gazillion miles away from there.

Susan Briggs

11 Monday Aug 2008

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Thoughts

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Each friend represents a world in us,
a world possibly not born until they arrive,
and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.
[Anais Nin]

I never met Susan Briggs but she made a difference in my life as surely as any close friend. She was the owner and shepherd of Tongue River Farm—home of Susan’s beloved Icelandic sheep. A number of years ago, Susan emailed and asked me if I’d design a sock pattern using her Icelandic sock-weight yarn. I agreed and she sent me a skein of brown and a skein of cream color. One design turned into six and I gathered the patterns in a little pattern book, The Tongue River Farm Sock Collection. When my daughter learned to spin, she ordered roving from Susan—it has been a favorite fiber of hers.

When I emailed Susan about the new correction (listed in the next post), her daughter wrote me back to say that Susan died July 15, 2008 at her home in Missouri. I’m writing this post to honor her memory, and to help her family by letting folks know where they can order Susan’s remaining inventory of yarn, roving, fleeces, books, etc.

Dennis and Marilyn Miles of Bloomin’ Acres Farm are marketing Susan’s items. They have a website at this LINK, and they can also be reached by email at this LINK. Their phone in Lincoln, Arkansas is 479-848-3060.

Lace

14 Monday Apr 2008

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites

≈ 6 Comments

Greek, Sir, . . . is like lace; every man gets as much of it as he can.
[Samuel Johnson]

Proofknitting \

I’ve been focusing on two projects—preparing lessons for a knitting retreat, and test knitting a lace pattern designed by Sharon Winsauer. This photo shows the lace piece completed through the first pattern chart. I’ve been knitting lace for over forty years and this is one of the most interesting patterns I’ve seen. It even uses four stitch combinations I’ve never tried before. The fiber is yummy—Alpaca with a Twist. I’ve had to make myself put it away until I get the handouts ready for the knitting retreat.

Argyle—Themes and Variations

29 Tuesday Jan 2008

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Review

≈ 3 Comments

If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.
[Mark Twain]

I’m preparing patterns and samples for workshop lessons that I’m planning to present at a knitting retreat in April. I chose Argyle as a theme to tie the variety of techniques together.

Classic Argyle is worked in intarsia—my least favorite technique. Since I rarely knit intarsia, I ordered the book, Intarsia, A Workshop for Hand and Machine Knitting, from Sealed With A Kiss. This book is an excellent source for polishing technique. I’ve been working a sample using acrylic and following the instructions carefully. I figure if I can get it to look nice using yarn as unforgiving as acrylic, I can certainly make woolen yarn look nice. I’ll post photos when I have the project finished.

I have other little projects that imitate Argyle in Fair Isle and textured knitting. Then I received a copy of Armenian Knitting by Meg Swansen and Joyce Williams from Schoolhouse Press. That launched me into another Argyle interpretation using the technique in that inspiring book.

This post will be continued as I get samples finished and photographed…

Stop the car. It’s a yarn shop.

20 Sunday Jan 2008

Posted by in Knitting, Knitting Sites, Review

≈ 2 Comments

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness
simply didn’t know where to go shopping.
[Bo Derek]

Fort Wayne had a lovely yarn shop for many years—The Cass Street Depot. It was housed in a charming late-19th century railroad station, and sold all of my favorite yarn. The Depot closed last May so we were suffering from withdrawal until recently. Now we have two (count them—2) yarn stores.

Knitting Off Broadway opened in December at 613 West Brackenridge Street, just off Broadway a couple blocks south of Jefferson Boulevard. The shop has an earthy but upscale feel and plenty of room.

Sarah Jane’s Yarn Shoppe opened yesterday at 3400 North Anthony Boulevard next to the Bead Source south of the IPFW campus. It is bright and cheery with several rooms of yarn.

I am going to have to alternate my yarn shop visits between the two since they are both so nice. I do wish them each the greatest success.