When I finished re-knitting the end of my shawlette, I also re-named it. It’s Starstruck, which is a punchier, easier to remember name. Also, there aren’t a million Starstrucks on Ravelry, so it will be easier to search, too. Test knitters are sending me gorgeous pictures of their projects, so we are on track to publish at the end of February. Can’t wait!
Brioche Pastiche
I was at loose ends for my next project, so I am knitting a second Brioche Pastiche cowl, just like this one, while I wait for some yarn to come in the mail. This set is knit in MDK Atlas Rambouillet Worsted. It’s beautifully wooly.
I’m packing up to head to Tacoma, Washington for Red Alder Fiber Arts Festival, where I’ll be teaching Brioche Pastiche (beginning brioche, choose your own adventure), as well as Brioche Doctor, Whale Conga Line, and assigned pooling. It will be a fun weekend!
I’m also preparing to teach a brioche plus assigned pooling class for Virtual Knitting Live, online on Sunday March 2. A mashup of two of my favorite things!
I’m also giving a lecture, Blocking: It’s Magic on that Sunday as part of the same event.
Gotta run! Time to pack and hit the road…see you on the flip side!
I had a quick weekend in New York City, teaching at Knitting Live by Vogue Knitting (the official name, but we mostly still call it Vogue Knitting Live). I taught five classes, saw friends old and new, checked out the market, and came home! Thursday to Sunday, bam. Some pictures to amuse you:
I left Portland at dawn Thursday, and enjoyed the view of Mount Hood. I arrived in time for the teachers’ meeting Thursday evening, and saw lots of teacher friends.
Barbara was in my Tink Drop Frog (fixing mistakes) class, but I think she really wants to fix brioche mistakes. She ordered a copy of my Brioche Knit Love book on the spot.
All ready for Minerva entrelac class, with step-outs at the ready. This is how we stay ahead of the students in class.
So many smiles!
The marketplace was hopping, with fashion shows and interviews on stage, and lots of beautiful yarn and clever products.
My favorite thing: Talisman necklaces by Birdie Parker Designs. A stockinette themed charm, semi-precious stone, crochet hook, hand-made silver darning needle, and two stitch markers.
Remember my DIY cable hook holder? This is next level.
Sweet wreath with wool locks knit in from Long Island Yarn and Farm
There are art installations outside the marketplace (which is on two floors). Here’s a taste:
Crochet art by Will ChatloshDragon by Going GnomeEllie D’Eustachio is a textile street artistBeam me up with fiber artist Sarah Divi! Loved this fun display.Sara Elizabeth Kellner’s knitted Victorian Housecats
I finished my last class at 5 pm on Sunday, and scurried to the airport. It was snowing lightly, and I was worried about my flight home. We ended up with a 3 hour delay for plowing the runways and de-icing the plane.
De-icing, us and the neighbor plane
I was relieved that we actually took off!
Hello 2 AM Portland!
I love teaching at VKLive. It’s a big vibrant show, with something for every knitter, at all levels. Definitely something to experience!
Now it’s back to work. I need to finish writing the pattern for this shawlette, which I enjoyed wearing this weekend. I think I’m going to remove the bind off and use the rest of the yarn to make it just a little bigger, now that I have time.
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Not as I do. Was it ridiculous to knit til 1:30 am on Monday night/Tuesday morning so I could soak and block my new shawlette?
Deadlines. I’m headed to New York early Thursday, and I knew it would take two days to dry completely. So, it was worth it to me! I want to wear it at VKLive this weekend. I still have to write the pattern, but that will have to wait until I get back.
I love this color combination. It’s from A Chick that Knitz, Hibernation and Caramel. The shawlette still needs a name. Starstruck? or Stardust? Stardust Nebula? Help me decide.
Oh, also in the “Do as I say, not as I do”: Remember to take breaks and stretch when you’re on a knitting marathon! I can feel a little achiness in my forearm tendons. I’m giving my arms a break for a couple days. Time to pack!
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My sample bins are overflowing! It’s been 8 years since I had a sample sale, and it’s time to make some room. Now you can have PDXKnitterati originals, and you don’t have to do the knitting!
Items are named clockwise from top left in each set. The names are hyperlinked to the pattern pages so you can see more pictures, not necessarily in the color/yarn that’s being offered, but it helps to know the shape.
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Are you planning your 2025 knitting? It’s just around the corner!
VKL NYC lineup
I’ll be teaching at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC January 17-19. My newest class is Whale Conga Line, which includes brioche, syncopated brioche, and increases and decreases. I’m also teaching YO? YO! Fun and Fancy Stitches, Minerva Entrelac Cowl, Log Cabin Knitting, Tink Drop Frog (Fixing Mistakes), and Sheepy Steeky Coasters, which is always a favorite. The New York show is always amazing, especially the market and fashion shows. Come knit with us!
Red Alder lineup
Red Alder Fiber Arts Retreat is February 13-16 in Tacoma, Washington. This retreat is at the Hotel Murano, which is lovely with lots of art glass on display. The classes are wide ranging, including knitting, spinning, weaving, and crochet. I’m teaching Brioche Pastiche (beginning brioche in the round), Whale Conga Line, Brioche Doctor, and Fun Stitches for Assigned Pooling. Come play with us!
I’m planning to attend Nash Yarn Fest in Nashville with the crew of Modern Daily Knitting March 14-15. This one’s just for fun for me! I’ll go to the all day festival, and the before and after parties. There will be lots of vendors that are new to me, so let’s see what comes home with me! I may have to spend some extra time before or after; I love the music scene in Nashville. And the boots!
Are you planning to attend any fiber events in 2025?
I was so blown away by the lovely colors that I forgot to do the phone trick. There’s not much tonal contrast between the Peony and Cameo, so I’ll use the Yorkshire and Peony together. I may need to downsize the pattern to make it work with these two 50g skeins, which is easy to do.
But what about that tote bag? Nash Yarn Fest will be MDK’s first foray into hosting a fiber festival. It’s happening March 14-15, 2025, and tickets go on sale TOMORROW, October 1. There are lots of ways to participate: Festival only, opening night party, after party, workshop with Arne and Carlos, or a longer destination travel getaway. Read all about it here.
Last goodies: Two MDK field guides; one for brioche, and Renewal, which is a collection of textural sweaters and accessories by Norah Gaughan. I don’t have time to knit a sweater, but I may knit these lovely mitts!
Austen Mitts, photo from Renewal field guide
Norah has such an inventive mind, and she’s a delightful person, too. She was the other teacher and my cruise buddy on the Vogue Knitting cruise to Canada and New England in 2022.
I took a little road trip down to Albany, Oregon on Saturday to visit Black Sheep Gathering. This year is the 50th year of this fiber festival, but it was my first time ever. I wanted to take a class with Galina Khmeleva, master lace knitter. We’ve been at many of the same festivals, but I’m usually teaching instead of taking classes. This was my chance!
Orenburg lace is knit with 10 different motifs, combined in many ways. It’s usually on a garter stitch background. Some motifs have patterning only on the right side rows, and some have patterning on both right and wrong side rows. All the stitches are either knit, yo, k2tog, or k3tog. There’s no directionality to the decreases; the work is so fine that it really doesn’t show.
We didn’t have time to knit through all the motifs, but the magic is really in the combining. We knit our swatch samplers with Jaggerspun Zephyr, a laceweight blend of wool and silk, 1120 yards/100g. Skinny, but not hard to knit with. I knit my swatch on US 2 needles, and I loved the stitch definition.
Handouts!
Galina gave us enough handouts to keep us busy for years to come. And she regaled us with many stories of the history of Orenburg lace, and more.
Orenburg shawl
Gossamer web, indeed!
Orenburg warm shawl
The Warm Shawl is a heavier version of Orenburg lace. Simpler patterning, but it’s not really that heavy, either. It’s knit in pieces and grafted together with a special grafting method, which was the subject of the next day’s class. Alas, I was not staying over.
I did visit with the sheep in the barn, and also viewed the fiber work exhibits.
Sorpresa, a Valais Blacknose sheep
Look at this beautiful wool! This is Sorpresa, a Valais Blacknose sheep from Honey Hoof Ranch.
Even horns are beautiful.
There was a sheep to shawl exhibit from 9 am to 2 pm.
Carding, spinning, plyingWeaving!
And the fiber work exhibits were beautiful.
This shawl by Lucy Swift was my favorite piece in the exhibits.
All right, back to knitting! I’m knitting another sample of the leafy brioche cowl now that I have it figured out. I need to decide if I want to publish an assigned pooling/algorithmic knitting version in addition to the regular one. More on that later…
We did it! We sped right past our goal and raised $379,010 to fight hunger both here in the United States and abroad. This was our biggest year yet. In 2021 we raised $265,810, in 2022 we raised $271,761, in 2023 we raised $340,000. That means knitters have raised over $1.25 million with our knitting needles!
Thank you so much for your support. I’ve sent coupon codes for a free pattern to everyone who donated to my campaign. Everybody wins!
Hat cranking station
We had a great time at the Puddletown Knitters Guild Knit for Food party, too. We worked on our own projects, and we also knit hats for Rose Haven day shelter here in Portland. We had 3 hat cranking machines; they are quick and efficient! It was my first time using a knitting machine.
I’m knitting for food again this year! I’m participating in this 12 hour knitting marathon to raise funds and awareness for food insecurity. The money we raise will be equally divided among Feeding America, World Central Kitchen, No Kid Hungry, and Meals on Wheels.
Please support me by donating through this link. If you donate to my link, I’ll send you a coupon code for a free pattern from my Ravelry store. (If you’ve already donated, I have you on my list and will send out codes next week.) Today (Saturday) is the last day to donate this year.
Puddletown Knitters Guild is having a knitting party from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church in Portland, OR. We’ll have door prizes and activities. Come knit with us! RSVP here. Not local? Check the Knit for Food website for local watch parties, wherever you are! You can also sign up to fundraise yourself, if you wish.
I don’t stash a lot of yarn, which means I don’t shop for a lot of yarn while I’m at fiber festivals. But here’s what followed me home.
Red Alder stitch markers Red Alder 2024 colorway from Greenwood Fiberworks
Organizers John and Becky gave me a sweet goodie bag that included Red Alder stitch markers and two half skeins of Red Alder 2024 sock yarn from Greenwood Fiberworks. This was a thank you for redesigning my Aspen Leaf Coasters into red alder leaves for my brioche class. I also made coasters for John and Becky. I’ll be adding the red alder leaves to the pattern eventually, in case you need red alder leaves, too.
Aspen and red alder leaf shapes
I’m never quite sure what to do with variegated yarns unless I add a tonal or speckle to tone them down, so I went to the Greenwood Fiberworks booth to find something suitable.
Carolyn (Greenwood) suggested this beautiful Violet semi-solid.
Sandpiper minis and Contempo
I was also looking for something to go with this set of minis in Sandpiper; I traded a copy of my Brioche Knit Love for the minis at Oregon Flock and Fiber in 2022, maybe? She suggested this Contempo variegated. I think it might end up as brioche, somehow.
Although these two skeins look pretty nice together, too! I’ll let all those ideas sit for a bit while I work on other things.
Knit stitch necklace from Birdie Parker
I may not stash a lot of fiber, but I can’t resist knit-adjacent lovelies! This is my new necklace from Birdie Parker. So many beautiful things to choose from, but I finally did.
I love my new entrelac print leggings. They go perfectly with my 31 year old sweater that’s still going strong!
Myrna Stahman
The last thing I brought home: 2 copies of Myrna Stahman’s book, Stahman’s Shawls and Scarves, which are a masterpiece of lace knitting. She is downsizing the last of her print copies, giving them away. I have 2 signed copies, one for me and one for the Puddletown Knitter’s Guild.
Okay, that’s my Red Alder takeaway. Red Alder Fiber Arts Festival is a lovely event that includes knitting, spinning, weaving, and more; save the date for next year: February 13-16, 2025.
Reminder: Puddletown Knitter’s Guild is having a get together as part of Knitting for Food. We’re raising funds and doing some charity knitting, as well as enjoying the company of other knitters. And we have great prizes, including the Myrna Stahman book.
Find my patterns on Ravelry: Michele Bernstein Designs
Here are some of my favorites, and the newest. Many of my designs are also available through my Payhip store.
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