Needles & hooks

Consumerism that shines (Stitches West market, part 5)

In my final post about Stitches West (sniff), I’ll show you a few other things that were on sale in the market. There was plenty of yarn, plenty of yarn-related products (patterns, books, needles, other miscellany). There were also a lot of neat buttons (to fasten those sweaters with). And there was a lot of jewelry.

I spent a bunch of time at a booth run by Harlan. A lovable, friendly guy, he took a shine to me right away. He also had amazing glass beads. I’ve seen a lot of lamp-worked beads and his technique blew me away. I saw two matched beads on a rod and knew I had to have them as earrings. He made them for me while I was standing there:

Take a look at his website linked above. The gallery is amazing.

This is a necklace I got from Harlan too:

The other bead maker that we visited quite a bit was Oak Grove Studio. She had a lot of amazing glass, most of it quite large. The best was these spirals. I helped several people buy them:

So, now I’ve been back for a week. I’ve shown you everything. Of course, my trip there has spawned collateral projects and purchases. Plenty to give me lots to talk about here, that’s for sure!

Comments: 2 — Posted under: Stitches West 2006

Letting it loose (Stitches West classes, part 2)

I’m no stranger to dropped stitches, having completed 3 Clapotis and designing a matching hat. Further, I’d been thinking about other uses for dropped sittches and have a few ideas in mind to play with (that I might show you someday). So when I saw the list of classes at Stitches West, it was the Deliberate Drops class by Chris Byslma that caused me to book a flight.

We had a few homework swatches to prepare. The first was a simple stockinette swatch. It was to get us used to the idea of dropping. Because this is just a square Clapotis, I was flying right along. But hey, what’s that on the side? Fringe made from dropped stitches!

The second swatch was an exercise in seeing how dropped stitches can offset cables. The class sample that was posted when I signed up featured this and was what really encouraged me to join. The cables you see are just random ones I grabbed out of Vogue Knitting. But I like the way they get offset by the drops. With a little planning, you can do something quite stellar.

This third swatch we made in class. It uses limited-run drops. I like it very, very much. And I’ve already sketched out a few thigns to do with it.

Finally, we made a funny horizontal ribbed swatch that combined a few different techniques. And when we were done, we sewed it all together and made a cute little hat! Mine will only fit a small baby doll.

I found this class to be well worth it. It validated a few ideas I was already thinking about. And it gave me a few new ones. I’ve already got a larger project in mind for the Blue Moon Breast Cancer Challenge. But you probably won’t see that one for a while.

You can see more of Chris’ work on her website She was wearing a bright pink Chutes and Ladders cardigan in class that was stunning. My understanding is that she doesn’t sell patterns directly from her website, but there is a list of online vendors you can order from.

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Consumerism that Rocks (Stitches West market, part 4)

Today we cover my 3 passes through the Blue Moon Fiber Arts booth. They are the folks that make Socks that Rock. And they were swamped with people grabbing it like there was no tomorrow. Everytime I passed by, there was something different on that wall.

First up, I bought a skein of StR in Hot Flash, their special breast cancer colorway. I walked the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk (60 miles in 3 days) last October in Tampa, FL. I’m thinking about doing another walk this year, so this yarn will probably become some sort of donation incentive. They are having a special Breast Cancer Challenge where you can sumbit your designs using their yarns for prizes. Of course, the card announcing the challenge was attached to an emergency skein of Hot Flash StR (hey, maybe that will be the incentive!):

In addition, I bought a few other colorways.

This is Lagoon. It’s got navy blue, olive, some indigo/purple, and grey:

This is Tanzanite, which is a variety of purple shades:

And I bought several skeins of Atomic #6 in the heavyweight variety. It’s closer to a DK/sportweight and I’ll probably make a top out of it. Shades of dark burgundy and navy blue:

And believe it or not, although I couldn’t bring a kitten home with me, all my purchases did fit in my suitcase!

Comments: 2 — Posted under: Stitches West 2006

Consumerism Gone Wild (Stitches West market, part 3)

So, I really haven’t shown you any yarn. Now, I didn’t plan to buy a lot of yarn. I figured that most things I’d see I’d be able to order and I was hoping not to have to ship anything home (although the convention center had a UPS Store located right outside the Market). But I don’t think any self-respecting knitter could leave that hall without a few skeins of something. I was no exception. But I was rather restrained.

First up, a skein of wool/tencel sock yarn from Ellen’s Half-Pint Farm. I really liked the red/grey colorway:

Next up is my take from Tess’ Designer Yarns. Tess’ booth is a riot of color. They have amazing saturated colors and their 4-slot booth was organized by color with skeins of yarn piled up on the tables. But I found it very off-putting. Most of the yarn came in loose hanks that were all tossed together in a huge pile. You had to dig through to find things. Which meant that most of the hanks were sadly manhandled. My friend K joined me on Friday afternoon and I wanted to get something to make her a gift. She was drawn to the colors but we couldn’t find much I’d be happy buying. Even if the yarn was salvagable, I had no idea how I’d be able to wind it without making a scary mess.

Anyway, at the front of their booth, they featured their Microfiber Ribbon yarn. A sleek shiny yarn that knits up into very interesting fabric. Color saturation like silk. In the end, I decided to give this one a try. At least I won’t have to worry about felted knots.

So I got these:

The first two are for K. I had a scarf pattern in mind for her. A nice fashion item in her favorite colors. However, my dropped stitches class gave me some new ideas. I’ll be swatching stuff up to show her and see what she likes. However, as you saw, my first attempt at a swatch went horribly awry.

The other two are for our friend M, who will be having knee surgery after a skiing incident. I wanted to make her something nice and pretty. And while socks might actually be snuggly, I imagine she’ll find it hard to put them on after the surgery!

Next up, I succumb to the Blue Moon booth…

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More Consumerism (Stitches West market, part 2)

In my last Market post, I didn’t really show you any projects. Today, that’s all you get.

First up, the adorable cat toy kits I got from Knit Kits.

This one makes little felted catnip mice. Nip and bells included:

This one makes little felted catnip satchels:

The catnip was very enticing to the cats living at my “hotel” (aka, my best friend K’s house). Here’s Tori (7 months old) trying to climb into my suitcase with the kit:

Unfortunately, K kept a close eye on Tori, so she didn’t get to come home with me.

The first day of the Market was also good for getting assorted freebies. I signed up for Knit Kits e-mailing list and I got a free felted bracelet:

Next up, a beaded necklace/bracelet kit from Swallow Hill Creations:

Of course, I chose the purple kit. Comes with a ton of purple beads, some fine-gauge purple rayon cord, awesome magnetic claps, a flexi-beading needle to string all the beads on, and a Band-Aid. Why a Band-Aid? Because size 000 Addis can damage you!

Finally, I got the Myrna pattern from White Lies Designs. They’re known for their tailored shapes and lingerie patterns. It was great to see all the samples in their booth. I’d like to think I got this pattern for the sillouette, but more likely it was the purple sample. Hmm, maybe I should have gotten a kit…

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Thinking Outside the Box (Stitches West, classes part 1)

On Saturday, I took “Engineering with Entrelac”, taught by Joan Schrouder. It was my first attempt at it, but I picked it up really quickly. More than just an introduction to Entrelac, the class was geared towards showing how you can use the natural shape of the squares to accomplish a number of things in a garment. For one thing, it lends itself naturally to knitting in the round, so with a little thought, a pattern doesn’t have to be made in pieces and seamed.

She also showed us how we can design garments from scratch using a few calculations with our gauge and how to best attempt using up small amounts of yarn with the technique. She also included instructions on knitting backwards, which I attempted for a few rows. I’d need to play around with technique a little, but I don’t mind turning my work a lot, so maybe I won’t.

In class, we started a little 3-square diameter tube. After the first round with an 8×16 footprint (the cream), we decreased to a 6×12 footprint and continued. I’m generally happy with my first attempt. There’s some holes at the joins that I think could be corrected with tighter stitches. And I was knitting fast and dirty, so it’s a little sloppy overall. Here it is (note: it’s sitting on a 20oz Pepsi bottle, so you can see how small it is):

There were two striking garments that she showed us.

One was a sweater she made in two different types of yarns in the same variegated colorway. The look of the garment was a uniform color, but the two different yarns created interest with the different textures.

The other was a hat that came from a Meg Swanson pattern in an old newsletter. It was several rows of entrelac in the round, and the crown was 8 squares joined together in a slightly different way. I want that pattern! Because it would look stunning with the Danica scarf from Knitty.

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Mass Consumerism (Stitches, part 1)

Of course, I bought a lot of yarn. But I bought a lot of things too. A variety of notions that were just plain convenient so I snapped them up (an Addi needle gauge, some brass stitch markers without joins, a circular row counter). And I bought a few new Addi needles because the step between “oooh, it would sure be convenient to have a smaller diameter for X” and actually buying the needle was far, far too small. But I grabbed a few things just because they were neat.

My very first purchase in the market place was this:

If you can’t read the writing, it’s glow-in-the-dark yarn! And it works too! It’s fine enough that it could be knit together with a main yarn to create a hidden message. Don’t have any specific plans for it, but my bag was empty and it was just too cool to pass up.

Another thing I got was this:

That’s a Weavette mini-loom (2×2 inches) and a book of stuff to do with it. I don’t aim do to large weaving projects, but this seemed like some small fun. And I imagine I could make a bunch of squares with the bin full of tiny balls of spare yarn I have and turn them into squares for various charity projects. And save my actual knitting for larger projects.

Move over Pink Chibi, there’s a new kid in town:

I already have a green Chibi and I love the bent-tip needles. But I also like see-through things. So I bought one.

So, I didn’t have many goals for my weekend at Stitches. I wanted to go see a big yarn market. I wanted to touch some of the yarns I’d heard about. I signed up for a few classes just because I thought they might be interesting. But one thing I did want to do was to try to find a good knitting bag. Currently, I drag knitting projects around in any of a variety of Clinique Bonus Time bags. The straps are sometimes long enough to throw over my shoulder. A small zippered one sits inside, holding all my tools (gauge ruler, markers, stitch holders, Chibi, etc). No matter what I do, I end up dragging around knitting and a purse and still don’t have much space for any purchases I might make, or to bring a book, etc.

I wanted something I could take places with me. That was convenient for travelling on trains or planes. Something with lots of space and compartments. But also something that fit my style.

I was despairing of finding anything I liked at all. I saw many lined baskets that had no pockets and threatened to spill over if stored at the wrong angle. I saw a bunch of bags that screamed “Your mom would love this!!”. Aside from the fact that those also didn’t have many pockets, I naturally had to run from them.

Looking around at the other Market-goers, I wasn’t inspired. I saw many roller-bags pressed into service. I saw shopping trolleys. And every variety of hand or shoulder bag pressed into service. Many seemed functional but not practical.

Well, halfway through my first pass of the Market floor, I stumbled into Jordana Paige’s booth. Three stylish bags were displayed and all of them caught my eye. While Jordana was writing up a sale, her mom gave me a tour of the bags and their features. I was tempted by the microfiber bag and the leather bag (especially the purple one), but the tour of the Messenger Bag told me I didn’t have to look any further.

Here’s my new bag:

It’s got lots of pockets and compartments. A change purse, a ring to snap your keys onto. Slots for credit cards, knitting accessories, pens, cell phone, and other purse items.

And a funky loop inside to keep your working yarn in one safe place coming out the side of your bag:

So, Momma Paige showed me all of those neat features and I was already excited. My credit card was in hand. I was eager to have my bag. And then she showed me the inside of the flap…

That’s a pattern holder!!! No need to risk leaving it on the seat of the train or spilling a beverage on it. No fishing back into your bag when you reach a point where you have to refer to your pattern. Just flip up the flap and take a glance! This tickles me so much I can barely stand it.

UPDATE: Becky asked how big the Messenger bag is. I’d call it “generously sized”. In the last photo, you’ll note that the pattern holder is holding an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper. The outside pocket held the large envelope that contained all my Stitches registration information. I could easily see putting a 3-ring binder in it. The dimensions (and more photos) are here.

Comments: 3 — Posted under: Stitches West 2006

Stitches Afterglow

My plane landed at 5:30am local time. Although I got a lot of sleep on the plane (I had a whole row to myself to stretch out in), I came home and slept for hours. Then I started unpacking. I have a ton of photos and a ton of stuff to tell you about. Far too much for one post, so I’ll break it up across days.

Right now, I’m sitting in my new t-shirt and processing all the photos and composing the posts you’ll read over the next few days. And then I’m gonna grab some of my new yarn and go knit. Despite taking two classes, bringing lots of projects with me, and being surrounded by more yarn than anyone could knit in a lifetime, I didn’t get to do a lot of actual knitting myself!

So, while I write posts, you can think about joining the Rockin’ Sock Club and look at my new shirt:

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The Rockin’ Sock Club

For those drooling over this card….

I didn’t realize they didn’t have the Club details on the website.

The front says:

“Join our Rockin’ Sock Club in 2006 and be a member of the first graduating class. Be the first to see and knit with new Blue Moon colors!

• Sock kits will be sent out in the months of March, May, July, September, October, and December.
• They will include one skein of Socks that Rock yarn in a new color not yet available to the public!
• Each kit will include a brand new sock pattern created by one of our many talented designers. Patterns will have full color photos and be placed in plastic sleeves.
• Kit prices are averaged at $28.85 each and includes shipping within the US.”

The back says:
“Later in the year, we will have club contests…
Like submitting the best name for new colors, giving prizes for photos of the ugliest socks or the most unique stripes, who knows? We want to be interactive with our members!

• Quarter year subscription includes 2 Rockin’ Sock Club Kits
• Half year subscription includes 4 Rockin’ Sock Club kits and; bonus gift: Custom Rockin’ Sock Club Binder.
• Full year subscription includes 6 Rockin’ Sock Club Kits and; bonus gift: Custom Rockin’ Sock Club Binder; bonus gift: One extra skein of STR in a colorway ONLY available to yearly members.

Join today by e-mailing us at sockclub@bluemoonfiberarts.com”

I signed up for a year.

Comments: 2 — Posted under: Stitches West 2006

On Vacation at Stitches West

Just a drive-by post before I pack up and head off to Day 3 of Stitches West.

I’ve spent 2 days in the Marketplace and have taken an Entrelac class. So far, the most memorable thing wasn’t even something I had to pay for. On Friday, Blue Moon Fiber Arts was giving out these….

That’s a card announcing their new Rockin’ Sock Club that’s starting soon. Do you see what’s attached to the card? A mini-skein of Socks that Rock “emergency sock yarn”!!!! “Don’t leave home without it!”

Comments: 4 — Posted under: Stitches West 2006