PDXKnitterati

A very fine Saturday at Sock Summit

Posted on August 1, 2011 | 12 comments

Saturday was my favorite day at Sock Summit. It began with a delivery of more Zen Rain and Pacific shawl patterns to the Knitted Wit booth. Running out of patterns and needing more is a very good thing.

I then headed to Anna Zilboorg’s lecture on The Deeper Meaning of Sock Knitting. I could listen to Anna talk about anything; she’s warm and witty and wise. Some of her remarks: Sock knitting is intensely personal; once you know how to make a sock, you can put your favorite stitch pattern on it. Knitting is cooperative rather than competitive, and cooperation creates love, not envy. It is not hierarchical; anyone can knit a sock. We make necessary things beautiful. Knitting can be a spiritual exercise; we do it because we are searching for happiness, and knitting makes us happy.

After the lecture, I showed her the Turkish socks that I made in 1997. I had taken a color knitting class with her at Stitches that year, and she taught me to carry two colors in my right hand. (Video tutorial here, if you want to know how to do it, too.) These are the socks I was working on then. They’re thick and warm, perfect slipper or bed socks. As she did 14 years ago, she commented on the pattern and background colors (she sees pink as the pattern; I see it as the background). She also signed my copy of her book, Fancy Feet. I was thrilled!

I gave her my new Lantern Moon sheep tape measure (Lady Baa-Baa’s replacement). She seemed pretty pleased with it, having talked about “the sheep people” during her lecture. (That would be the knitters.) And Tina brought her striped sock cookies!

Meeting Anna again just made my day. But there was more fun ahead. I went to the marketplace to stand in line. Rachel was first!

What were we waiting for? A free preview copy of Larissa Brown’s new book, My Grandmother’s Knitting. I had seen a preview copy of this at the pre-summit luncheon, and really wanted a copy NOW so I could spend more time with it. It is gorgeous. I’ll tell you more about it in another post after I get a chance to sit down with it.

Could my day get any better? Amazingly enough, yes! I had a PDXKnitterati meet-up in the Knitted Wit booth at noon. It was great to meet lots of people that I previously only knew online, including Stacy. Her international cat hats caught my attention several years ago, and I’ve been following her knit and food blog ever since.

Pat from the UK brought both her Zen Rain and Pacific shawls!

We had a Zen Rain photo op.

These are some of the people who participated in the Zen Rain KAL, or test knit. I loved seeing all the versions of Zen Rain. Thank you, Lorajean, for hosting the meet-up!

I went home during the afternoon for a nap and skipped the flash mob. Too tired to even stay to watch it! But here it is, in case you need to know.

I gathered enough energy to help Glenna celebrate her birthday that evening! She finished her Peacock Feathers Shawl the day before and blocked it on the hotel bed.

I also met Meg, who was knitting her wedding veil at the last Sock Summit, and had some of the teachers knit on it then, too. She brought it along to this Sock Summit.

So why was this my favorite day? I think because of all the personal interaction. I’ve been enjoying my classes, but meeting up with people I’ve known from blogs and previous real life meetings is the icing on the cake!

If you came to Sock Summit, what was your favorite thing that made it special for you?

12 Comments

Posted in KAL, Knit

Tagged anna zilboorg, sock summit, zen rain

Sock Summit Friday

Posted on July 31, 2011 | 3 comments

Have you seen and/or knit on the world’s largest sock? This baby has been traveling from event to event since 2006. It’s sponsored by Skacel, and is being knit with their yarn and needles. The initial cast on was 1500 stitches; who knows if that’s still the stitch count now!

It’s a congenial gathering place for knitters to sit and knit a bit in the company of other knitters. The cuff is currently 7 feet long, and the heel turn will occur after the cuff reaches 12 feet. I think second sock syndrome could be an issue here.

While at the sock, I got a peek at a preview copy of Judy Becker‘s new book, Beyond Toes: Knitting Adventures With Judy’s Magic Cast On. It’s gorgeous. Twenty-three patterns using her famous cast on (originally for socks), and not a sock pattern in the bunch. Rachel is holding the book in this picture; her daughter is the model pictured. And Bobbie, on the right, was hosting the giant sock.

Carrie (IrishGirlieKnits) had a meetup at the Knitted Wit booth. She’s a sweetheart!

And Michelle showed me the Lorna’s Laces yarn that is the exact colors of the Portland Race for the Cure theme colors. There was no way she wasn’t buying it, and to be safe, she bought two! Click here if you’d like to donate towards her race/walk. She participates every year to celebrate being a survivor.

I had a class in the afternoon, Choosing Among Choices with Laurel Coombs. We were supposed to come with a swatch in the yarn we wanted to use. I didn’t bring any extra yarn that wasn’t engaged in needles, so when Laurel began with teaching us the Turkish cast-on for a toe up sock, I sidled out the door and ran back to the Knitted Wit booth to borrow some yarn. I knew there were some balled yarn in a jar as a display, and thought I’d make off with one of those, since there was no time to wind. But Lorajean cheerfully gave me her little sock start (colorway Snapped Dragon) and told me to knit from the other end of the ball. This is what I ended up with. I didn’t cut the yarn to practice the sewn bind off, so she can just frog it and carry on…

When I got back to the market, I ran into the cutest hobo ever. Doesn’t Stevanie look like she’s running away from home? But really, she was bringing the trunk show for the Created in Oregon datebook to the Twisted booth.

I haven’t seen many knit hats being worn, this being summer. But there seems to be two other types of headgear being worn at Sock Summit. Tiaras, sparked by a conversation on Ravelry, I think. This is Kellie, who is really pleased with her new yarn! She was in the class I taught at Twisted on Tuesday.

The other headgear is…knitted Viking helmets! I love the flower buttons on the right.

Knit on!

3 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged sock summit

Pre-Sock Summit cocktail party

Posted on July 28, 2011 | 7 comments

Pico Accuardi Dyeworks hosted a pre-summit cocktail party, and I attended as a local designer.

I love a party where you can sit down and knit!

Marisol made this gorgeous shawl with her handspun for Deb’s birthday.

I ran into Erica from Kollage last night at Twisted when I was teaching, and sent her and Carrie to Lucca for dinner. Today I saw her at the pre-summit luncheon, and then again this evening at the cocktail party. I think that means we need a picture since we’re shadowing each other.

I saw someone wearing this beautiful shawl, but I can’t remember her name.

I had my first peek at this 2012 datebook project from Pico Accuardi. Twelve knitting patterns from Oregon designers, twelve recipes using local ingredients, lots of Oregon stories and facts.

It’s officially out, so now I can tell you that I have a project in it! It’s the Rockaway 2-Way Beach Beanie/Cowl. You can wear it either way.

There will be a limited number of calendars available in Twisted‘s booth beginning Friday, and a bigger print run is coming in a few weeks. I’m really happy to be part of this project! I’ll blog the datebook later when I have a copy.

Oh! There were drawings for door prizes, and Erica won this bag of spinning fibers. Luckily, she’s been bitten by the spinning bug, and has a wheel at home, and her drop spindle here.

But she did let Noriko and Rachel fondle the fiber.

And she even shared some with Marisol (who made Deb’s shawl, above).

Full day! And now I have to go to sleep. I’m helping Lorajean set up her booth in the morning, and taking Photographing Your Fiber with Franklin Habit in the afternoon. Looking forward to it all.

7 Comments

Posted in Knit, pattern design

Tagged rockaway beanie/cowl, sock summit

last bits of pre-sock summit…

Posted on July 27, 2011 | 3 comments

…pricing with Lorajean (Knitted Wit) yesterday

helping her block her Marrowstone Shawl this morning (half done and you can see what blocking does for lace!)

blocking and weaving in ends of my last Zen Rain (Alpha B Luxe yarn, 50/50 merino/silk) so I could wear it

to Deb Accuardi’s pre-Sock Summit luncheon at her restaurant, Gino’s, today. What’s in the goodie bags?

I’ll tell you in a bit. First, I have to say that lunch was beyond fabulous. All vegetarian, with a wine and a pattern for each of six courses, from the amuse bouche at the beginning (complete with yarn and beads)

to the panna cotta at the end. The purple knitting next to the panna cotta is a luscious scarf/stole pattern by Larissa Brown called Ankeny and Ash. We also received patterns by Anne Kuo Lukito, Chrissy Gardiner, Kathy Zimmermann, Beth & Cindi at Left Coast Yarns, and Stevanie & Deb.

There was even a commemorative cupcake (chocolate with cream cheese frosting).

Each participant received a Pico Accuardi tote bag which had some sweet swag including this beautiful yarn that Stevanie dyed as an exclusive for Sock Summit luncheon participants. The colorway is Nude. Stevanie was inspired by a Radiohead song by that name, and she wanted the yarn to evoke a first crush or fresh love. I think she captured it perfectly.

Knit/Purl also donated some of their new sock yarn, Staccato. Looks and feels wonderful!

Lantern Moon donated these cute rulers

and their 10th anniversary pin and some assorted buttons. Beautiful!

This post is pretty picture heavy, so I’m going to break here and tell you about the pre-summit cocktail party in the next post…are we having fun yet? Why, yes!

3 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged sock summit

Zen Rain KAL done; time to celebrate!

Posted on July 25, 2011 | 3 comments

The Zen Rain KAL is done! Thanks for knitting along. I look forward to seeing several of these at Sock Summit on Saturday! I’m having a meet-up in the Knitted Wit booth from noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday, with a Zen Rain photo op at 12:30 p.m.

I had a little giveaway drawing for KAL finishers on Ravelry. princessruffian wins a set of stitch markers made by moi (guess I should go make them!) and Alyssa wins a Lantern Moon needle case. Congrats!

What else is going on here? Lots and lots of this!

I have five blueberry bushes, and each one puts out a gallon of blueberries. They all came ripe this week, and I’ve been picking, picking, picking. Mostly they go into the freezer for later use, but I’ve made two blueberry cobblers (recipe here) this week. One was for the piano & pinot party last night at my house. Beautiful music, lovely wines, and a plethora of desserts (cheesecake, caramel bourbon sauce, chocolate raspberry torte, butterscotch chip shortbread, chocolate dipped strawberries, and the aforementioned cobbler, with vanilla ice cream).

The other cobbler went in a picnic to the Indigo Girls Concert at the zoo.

Portland sparkles when the sun comes out!

I spotted this person drop spindling behind me, and introduced myself.

Her name is Sari, and she was spinning up some lovely fiber from Abstract Fiber. Sari will be at Sock Summit next week, too. She’s participating in the fleece to foot contest. Knitters and spinners are everywhere. Small world!

3 Comments

Posted in KAL, Knit

Tagged sock summit, zen rain kal

Sock Summit is just around the corner…

Posted on July 22, 2011 | 16 comments

And I’m so looking forward to it. I’m taking several classes, hanging out in the marketplace, and generally having fun. I’ll be at the Knitted Wit booth on Saturday from 12 to 1, and hope you’ll come by and say hi. We are planning a Zen Rain photo op at 12:30 that day. I guess I should finally block my Zen Rain that I knit with Alpha B Luxe so I can wear it! My Bling version is currently acting as a shop model at Twisted. Good thing I have several versions.

The City of Portland has proclaimed next week as Sock Knitting Week. How cool is that?

Although I’m still not knitting socks with fingering weight yarn. Maybe this year I’ll be inspired to overcome my tiny needles phobia…

16 Comments

Posted in Knit

Tagged sock summit, zen rain

Back from another adventure

Posted on July 19, 2011 | 7 comments

Well, that was a bit of radio silence! I was off chaperoning 20 teens on a mission trip through Sierra Service Project. It was my last chance to experience SSP with one of my kids, since this was the Teen’s last year. Both of my kids have loved working with this program, and I wanted to see it in action. Most of SSP’s work sites are on Native American reservations. Our site this year belongs to the Shoshone-Bannock tribes in Fort Hall, Idaho.

My team’s project was to extend a wheelchair ramp for an elderly homeowner. The original ramp was too steep.

I was lucky to be paired with another chaperone who actually had experience doing this. Three of the kids on our team had prior SSP exoerience, and two were newbies like me. We de-constructed the original ramp, saving most of the materials for re-use.

What’s for lunch?

I learned that using a circular saw is pretty much like using a sewing machine: follow the guide and go!

And a reciprocating saw is a lot like my electric knife.

Fort Hall is in a high desert area. The sun is more intense at 4500 feet, and it’s a lot drier on the other side of the mountains. (gratuitous outhouse art shot)

Our weather was mostly sunny, but Tuesday brought beautiful thunderstorms and curtains of rain.

Music is part of the program, and the Teen always loves being a part of it.

And Thursday night’s spiritual walk witnessed a beautiful sunset and an even more beautiful moonrise.

We finished our ramp!

Blaine, the custodian at the school we stayed in, shared his grandfather’s ceremonial headdress with us. His grandfather made it sometime between 1890 and 1915. These feathers are eagle fathers, with horsehair decorations at the tips.

There are also owl feathers on the back of the headpiece.

The beadwork is precise! There are also beads at the base of each eagle feather.

It was a privilege to talk with Blaine and learn about this beautiful piece of art.

I did knit all week long, and am almost done with the first of three skeins of Euroflax sport on my Ruffle Tank. No pic of the knitting, but here’s my Lantern Moon sheep tape measure enjoying some time on the Snake River.

Oh, BTW, I’m having a “name my sheep” contest on the Lantern Moon blog. Come on over to the LM blog and give me your best shot at a name for my tape measure! You can win a sheep tape measure of your own, as well as Baabs the scissors keeper. Contest ends Wednesday night, my time, so be quick!

7 Comments

Posted in Knit, travel

Tagged SSP

Another pretty place

Posted on July 8, 2011 | 9 comments

but this time I forgot to take a picture with the sheep!

I took this one instead, as my friend P contemplated the roaring cataract of the Middle Falls on the north fork of the Lewis River.

The Lower Falls were rather gorgeous, too.

We had a late spring this year, and the water is high and fast. Here’s what it looked like in 2009 (different angle, but you get the idea). That year, we took the kids across the river to play behind this very same waterfall. Not this time!

On a hike between the two waterfalls, I could hear the musical tinkling of rocks rolling down this cliff. The erosion has created quite a sculpture.

I liked the Dr. Seuss quality of the lumpy moss on the dead tree standing by this nurse log.

And I never get tired of this view.

It was a quick overnight camping trip; we’ve been camping with the same families for several years, and last week we realized that this week was the only one where we could all go at the same time before the kids head to college. The other families stayed for two nights, but I could only do one. It was fun, anyway. I did get some knitting done on my ruffle tank, and now it smells like a campfire. Good thing I’ll be washing and blocking it when it’s done.

What else is up? I’ve been playing Words With Friends, with several friends. Addictive and a productivity sink hole, but I love it anyway. Everybody’s playing, including Bells from BellsKnits and Kay from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Kay just beat me two in a row. C’mon, you know you want to play, too…

9 Comments

Posted in Knit, travel

Tagged Knit, swift reservoir

Here, there, and everywhere

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 9 comments

July is a crazy month (didn’t I say that about June?), but it’s all fun. Sock Summit is coming at the end of the month, and everything else leads to that!

I ran away for 24 hours over the weekend to Gig Harbor, Washington with a couple of friends from way back. We stayed in a lovely B&B on the water, caught up, laughed a lot, and then went to our respective homes in 3 different cities.

Don’t these clouds look like the basis for a lace pattern? (Always thinking about knitting!)

My first blueberries of the season are ripening. I like blueberries and lime, so I squashed some in my gin & tonic, and the drink eventually turned a lovely pinky-purple. (Is this a sign that I should drink faster?)

Mt. Rainier at sunset graced our dinner.

And my Lantern Moon sheep tape measure came to lunch on Sunday at the Tides Tavern. Great halibut fish & chips!

I learned a valuable knitting lesson on the way home. When you join two pieces of knitting to knit in the round, it’s just like beginning anything in the round. BE CAREFUL NOT TO TWIST! It wasn’t twisted when I joined it, but I forgot to check on the subsequent round, and when I got a couple rounds past the join, I knew I had a problem. It didn’t take long to fix, but it was car knitting time lost! All better now.

Where are you going this summer (or winter, for our friends down under)? What are you knitting?

9 Comments

Posted in Knit, travel

Tagged gig harbor

More ruffles

Posted on July 5, 2011 | 3 comments

I love my blue ruffle tank that I finished last summer. It was perfect! And then I was a bit irked when I saw it in a recent family photo, and it was shorter than I wanted it to be, and not as flattering as it was last summer, fresh off the needles. (I had machine dried it per label instructions.) What’s a knitter to do?

Wash and re-block! I regained 1.5 inches in length, and it is once again perfect. But it also got me thinking about how much I love it, and wouldn’t it be nice to have one in a deep cherry red, too? So I went in search of yarn. The blue one is knit with Louet MerLin sport, a Merino wool/linen blend. I had a Mother’s Day gift certificate burning a hole in my pocket, but then I found out that my LYS doesn’t carry MerLin any more. They do have Euroflax Linen sport, which is the same weight and the yarn specified in the pattern, but a little bit different. It would have been so easy if I didn’t have to think about gauge this time around, or wondering what the difference in fiber content will do. It’s close, gauge-wise…so I’m just going to forge ahead. I’m too lazy to wash and block my gauge swatch. I’m jumping in, feet first! I’m going to knit it in the round, but I’m starting front and back knit back and forth so I can leave the bottom 2 inches unseamed at the sides.

The Zen Rain KAL is going swimmingly! Come see the finished shawls in the PDXKnitterati Ravelry group. The KAL will wrap up July 21 (a week before Sock Summit), and I’m having a drawing for a couple of prizes, too. It’s not to late to join the KAL, because many of us are still knitting!

3 Comments

Posted in KAL, Knit

Tagged Ruffle Tank, zen rain kal