Knitting with Intertubes

I saw this on buzzfeed ...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/gigantic-knitted-things-youd-love-to-cuddle-up-with


And it had a link to Phat Knits and this picture:

Yeah, it's made from thread (a lot of them I suppose) but if you made it out of intertube.  It would be so SQUISHY!

May Events!

So at the end of April I went to Yarn School in Harveyville, Kansas with a friend from my knitting group in Green Bay Area.

When you move away from an area, you leave good things behind, Ann & that knitting group was just one of many things I left to move to Chicagoland.  She is probably the only one that has kept in touch.  She reached out about meeting up for a yarny event and finally stars aligned for a road trip to KS!

The drive was a long one, the vehicle was a full one, and good time was made.

We arrived and were amount the first to check in.  The retreat is held in an older rural school complex owned by a fantastic family.  Nikol has a little farm around the schools they live in and runs a little knit/fiber shop out of the old school office.  We had our spinning wheels set up in a big circle in the gym.  

And we had our dye lab taught in the old chem lab.

And the fiber hung to dry above our heads! 

And we slept in the elementary school building.

We visited an alpaca farm where we could buy their locks or roving.  And visit the babies.

And Nikol cooked us leisurely late gourmet meals.  And I knew something amazing was coming when I could smell the smoker going.

Smoked cheese!

I learned so much, met amazing women and feel so blessed to have been a part.  I will be back, you can check out their site where they offer other retreats and can accommodate group activities too!

I have unloaded all my things and started spinning up some of the goodies that I dyed or batted or bought while there...

May: Books!

 I haven't really been devouring books the way I did at the beginning of the year. But have been working on the Craftsy class and book Knit to flatter by Amy Herzog.  The book is very well photographed and the sweaters are great staples for anyone. I opened the book this weekend to look at starting a sweater. I am in a couple sweater knit alongs and I've decided to use the Berroco Flickr yarn that I got from fuzzy-wuzzy yarns. Here is a picture of my swatch

My mom my measurements & Then I could make my final sweater choice and With a Good Plan and the Rest of Amy's Class To guide me I started.  And then I ripped back.  My hips, I need to cast on again thinking of my hip measuements.  The negative ease in my hips would be over 8" otherwise.  It also explains why shirts don't fit both my hips & chest at the same time!

I do need to work more math for my biceps, but Amy's book does not tackle that.  The class makes a point to tell you why you need positive ease in the arms - but then doesn't make any attempt to help you do it :-/  not cool.

The other book I am very excited to come is Botanica Knits. Nature inspired sweaters and accessories from my favorite designer is always a treat. I think I saw on her blog that the books were delivered a couple weeks ago. I think that means that soon I should be seeing my own copy I'm in the mail. I can book on digital for a while but I really love the tactile nature of knitting books.

May Spinning and Classes

My spinning life has taken off.  The trip to Harveyville for Yarn School really did that for me.  Being around 40 passionate spinners rubbed off on me.  It also empowered me.  I feel like I could try any technique and without hesitation.  I have tried some coils - they were fun and tricky and fiddly.

I have spun some batts.  I carded some stuff and it was based on some Miss Babs BFL/Silk blend that I got from the website.  The color was called 'Cats Cradle' and I thought it was great in the picture, but it was a lot more salmon than I cared for.  I blended it with some browns and whites and some add-ins from Yarn School, sparkles and the like.

It looks fluffy and warm.

The next thing on the wheel is the Two if By Hand Polwarth.

It's spinning fine.

It was so nice to spin outside.  Although spinning in the wind is a new sensation.  A fun fun sensation.

On the classes front, I'm teaching the garter class.  I had fun knitting it up, and pinning it out was so satisfying.

I'm taking the Amy Herzog Craftsy class on Knit to Flatter.  I am enjoying it, what I love the most is that I can go at my own pace.  Diagnosing my shape I've learned I need a better bra.  I also am bottom heavy (no kidding) and what kind of sweaters should I have been knitting for myself.  And I have been swatching for a new sweater with Amy's guidance.

It's Berroco Flicker on a size 11 and 10.5.  I can't wait for it to dry!

April's FO's and WIP's

With my trips out of town and a death in my partner's family, I'm a little behind.  It's ok.  Super pretty stuff is worth the wait I hope.

Trip was safe, learned some good things, got lots of pretty treats.

On the Needles:

I've been doing a few hexapuffs for the beekeepers quilt.  I've been using scraps of sock yarn, the latest puffs came from a pair of socks I made for my mom for Christmas in 2009.

Those puffs are very colorful!

I have been working on a hooded scarf for my mom out of yarn that is similar to muppet pelt.  No pictures of this, I will deny working with fun-fur.  I'm a "real" knitter after all...

I am going to work on a sweater soon, very soon.  If I blog it, it makes it true.

I am lastly working on some sock out of Tough Sock from Knit and Fiber Creations.  The color is inspired by The Walking Dead Season 3.  Yay!  I'm making up the pattern.  Sprial Slipped Stitches...

So pretty.  A deep brown on white with hints of pink.  

FINISHED OBJECTS:

I finished stuff, oh yeah!  

I finished a pair of plain socks also with the Walking Dead season 3 sock yarn ... 

Browns, greys, white and blue, inspired by Rick.  mmmm.

I finished working up a pattern with the help of test knitter RachelCables, and here we are on my front porch modeling our socks.  I have the little feet, my feet are child sized, she's a normal human being.

I also finished a sample for Fuzzy Wuzzy Yarns, a garter stitch lace garter.  A wedding keepsake!

Classes are on May 14 or June 11!  I used a lace edging from Franklin Habit's Knitty.com article and went at it with excel and swatches.  I think the result is very nice.

And lastly, 2 shawls.  A very special couple is getting married next month, the colors of the wedding are Bird of Paradise colors.  Her shawl is here in black and white.

The other shawl is likely what I will where to the wedding...  it's a WIP picture, but I will get better pictures for my ravelry page later.

To get back on track you can expect a double May entry in a couple days!