Petite Brioche, which is a quick start to 2 color brioche in the round,
Whale Watch Cap and Cowl, which is all about brioche increases and decreases
Planned and assigned pooling
Sheepy Steeky Coasters (cutting your first steek)
There are classes for knitting, spinning, weaving…more? Check out the website, choose your classes, and register beginning Sunday. The event is at the Hotel Murano, which is a beautiful venue full of glass art. Come knit with me!
I’ve been printmaking with a group of friends for several years, and our library of blocks keeps getting bigger. It’s really fun to get together to make stuff! This weekend’s retreat included tea towels, aprons, pennant banners, and cards.
Prints from four of the new blocks
My new block this year. It was a last day addition, so I haven’t printed it yet, but someone else did!
I was smitten with these bees. I’m going to carve another bee block to play with.
Into the groove! So much fun to play with color, and to be a bit more multi-craftual. What, no yarn?
We were outside Rhododendron, near Mount Hood. The leaves are beginning to turn.
I wore Cosette last weekend at OFFF and it was everything I wanted it to be: pretty, easy to wear (doesn’t fall off), not too warm and not too cool.
But I love symmetry, and it reminded me that I’d be happier if the flowers in the cowl portion centered better with the spine of the shawl-ish part. The spine centers with the bottom point of the shell lace motif, but not the flower lace above.
A little bit of math, and the spine will now center between the “fans” of the shell lace, AND either the flower of the flower lace, or between flowers, depending on which size you’re knitting. No, I’m not going to re-knit mine, but I’m happier knowing that it’s *possible* to be more symmetrical!
I’ve updated the pattern on Ravelry and Payhip; if you’ve purchased this pattern you should be able to download the updated file (and if you bought it on Ravelry, you’ll get an email with that information, too).
Or OFFF, as we fondly call it. We missed 2020 and 2021, and lost our venue at Clackamas County Fairgrounds. This year found us at the Linn County Expo Center in Albany, Oregon. It feels a lot further away, 66 miles vs 20 miles, but I was glad it happened.
It was great to see so many fiber friends! (There were more, just not all pictured)
Lots of animals, and 450 fleeces for judging, and then for sale.
Upper left: Valentino, Breed Champion Romney, Topaz (Icelandic), lower left
Beautiful prize-winning knitting (4194 beads in the purple shawl, in 2 colors)
Both gourd art and coiling were new to me, but coiling is an old indigenous technique.
Gourd art + Coilng = WOW from Jane A. WilsonFelted dolls by Carolyn St Clair Hibbard
This weaving by Jane Herbst features wool from 131 different sheep breeds.
I taught Petite Brioche, and the classroom was a definite upgrade! This is how I like to teach since the pandemic: Overhead camera so everyone sees my hands demo at the same time, and then I get to go around the room to fine tune with everyone.
You can see all of my OFFF pictures in this Instagram album here. There are a lot!
The other nice upgrade: All the vendors were indoors, in climate controlled splendor. Not quite as charming as being out on the lawn, but the possibility of being overtaken by a monsoon doesn’t exist, either. The weather was gorgeous this weekend, but that’s not always the case for OFFF.
Loot!
I don’t generally buy yarn until I’m ready to use it. That keeps my stash tidy, and is moth avoidant, too. So I generally buy other goodies at festivals. I came home with dryer balls (what pretty colors!) from Compass Moon Creations, an RBG-themed notions bag from Kirbie at Change Your Fate Creations (love that I can see what’s in it), a notions tin from Miss Purl so I can give it away as a bead tin at my Embellishment Cowl class at Vogue Knitting Live NYC in February, and a cute sheep necklace from Sheep Lady Charms (she was with Valentino the Breed Champion Romney, above).
I also bought this bookmark/bracelet loom from Craft Emporium PDX (Shannon and Lorajean). It’s a very teeny way of experimenting with weaving. In my copious spare time. But I’ve been dreaming about it ever since I saw it last month!
I did bring home a little yarn. It’s a slippery slope, isn’t it? At least it’s not yarn support, which sits around making me feel guilty that I haven’t designed with it yet. This was just a trade (and I think it will be a little brioche confection). Or just something to dream with! Carolyn mentioned she wanted to learn brioche, so I traded her a copy of my book for this set of minis.
Speaking of my book, Brioche Knit Love is one year old today! Happy birthday, baby!
Have you been to any fiber festivals this fall? What was your favorite thing?
I’m teaming up with Shaina Bilow and Keith Leonard to bring you Brioche Buddies! We’ll spend a month exploring the loveliness that is brioche. Weekly classes will be via Zoom, and are limited to 40 participants. Registration went live yesterday, and there are 18 spots left. If you want to be part of this brioche extravaganza you should register now.
Classes will be recorded, and you’ll have access for a year. We’ll also have an option for recorded classes only. That’s a great option if the schedule doesn’t fit your schedule, or if the Live Zoom classes are sold out.
For the Brioche Buddies event, I’ll be teaching fixing mistakes,
and brioche increases and decreases, which is how we get the lovely patterning in 2 color brioche rib.
Shaina and Keith are engaging, experienced teachers. I met Keith at VKLive Columbus in 2019, and I met Shaina at VKLive Seattle 2022. Shaina and I taught at Knit Maine last month, and that’s where I learned that they’ve been buddies ever since she taught Keith to knit. All three of us will be teaching at VKLive NYC in February 2023. I’m thrilled to be joining this dynamic duo!
If you’re brioche-curious, and want to really get it down, this series is for you. You’ll have plenty of time to practice during the week between classes, and just keeping it rolling will help you gain the muscle memory for the rhythm of brioche. I hope you can join us!
I recently signed up to try out Knitcrate. This is a subscription yarn service, and they have several different clubs: Sock, Stash, Knit and Crochet. My first package from the Knit and Crochet Club arrived yesterday.
This club has a monthly delivery of yarn and two patterns, one for knit and one for crochet. This month’s yarn is a bulky weight alpaca/tencel blend from Audine Wools. It’s soft, and will definitely be drapey with those fibers. The patterns are downloadable with a QR code from the card. This month’s knit pattern is a pair of textured mitts. They’ll be a quick knit!
Yarn detailsThe full crate
There’s also an extra goodie in each month’s delivery. This month’s goodie is a notions pouch. It has a main zip compartment, and a front zip compartment. And a list to remind you what you need. You know I like organizational tools!
If you’re interested in trying Knitcrate, use this link and my code MICHELE (if needed) and you’ll get $40 on your first crate (basically a free first month), and 20% off anything in the Knitcrate shop. After 3 months, you’ll get another $40 coupon. You can cancel at any time.
Full disclosure: Knitcrate has provided this package to me to review, and if you use my link I earn a commission.
But with a free first month, why not check it out?
What makes a good project bag? It needs to be roomy enough to carry the yarn and the project. And I like an inner pocket to corral my essential tools. The project bag needs to fit in my tote, which also carries everything else I would otherwise carry in a handbag. I swap project bags in and out of my tote, depending on what kind of project I want with me.
This cat-themed bag from Grace’s Cases holds one of my current projects, the beginnings of an Embellishment Cowl. It’s a class sample. I love that the colors on the bag coordinate with the yarn. A happy accident?
Peek inside the Small Double Sack Divided Project Bag. It has a snap pocket between two sections that can each hold a 100g cake of yarn. Grace Fross makes beautiful bags; I have two of her totes, too. And she does custom orders!
This RBG-themed bag currently holds the beginnings of another Bonnie Isle Hat. I need to get a sample set up for class. The bag is from Nerd Bird Makery, and it has two pockets on the back wall inside.
As well as a little inspiration above the pockets. I’m pretty sure the bag is no longer available, though.
Knit Fit kit
But let’s get down to business! I loved reading all your comments on why you should be the winner of this bag full of goodies. And the winner of this Knit Fit kit is postmandeb! I’m sending you an email; please reply by October 10 with your mailing address. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll pick another winner.
I have one more bag to give away, but the winner will have to fill it on their own. This fun bag was a prize during knitting bingo at Knit Maine with Peacetree Fiber Adventures! The long handle loops through the short handle, and it makes a perfect wristlet. Pamela Howard is the winner of this bag. Please also reply to my email with your mailing address by October 10.
If you’re not the winner, that doesn’t mean that you can’t try to walk and knit at the same time. You just need a small project bag that hangs on your wrist, and a small project that doesn’t take too much attention. A plain stockinette hat on circular needles would be perfect! I’m guessing that you have some things that might fit the bill.
What kind of bag do you like for your knitting project?
See how smooth and even my stitches are? They weren’t when they came off the needles! Stranded colorwork isn’t finished until it’s been blocked. This hat is currently drying after a soak. You may also wonder why there’s a string hanging off the bottom. The designer suggests putting a strand of “a strong yarn” through the ribbing and pulling it in a bit while it dries. This helps make the brim lie flat and a bit more snug.
I usually block my keps over this bowl, so the top lays out flat.
Like this. But this time I just laid the folded hat on top of the bowl (top picture), because I didn’t want it to stretch lengthwise, and I didn’t want to leave a ridge where it hits the edge of the bowl. I kept rearranging it as it dried, so it didn’t get any creases in it.
I bought the yarn pack for this from For Yarn’s Sake; I’m not the best color combiner on my own! I love this particular combination. There are five different colorways, in case you’d like a little help with your colors, too.
I’m teaching a stranded colorwork class for For Yarn’s Sake via Zoom on Sunday, November 6. We’ll talk about stranded colorwork knitting, managing multiple yarns, yarn color dominance, and blocking. We’ll use this pattern as a jumping off point, but the techniques are applicable to all stranded colorwork. I’ll also talk about how I adjusted the size of my hat via stitch count (because I don’t like tiny needles, and I like the fabric I get using a US3). Register here if you’re interested!
Most horrifying moment? After I had sewn in the ends, wondering why there was one really loose purple strand inside the hat, and then discovering that I had dropped a stitch and it the whole column was running. It was one of those dark purple lines going in to the center. I fixed it (hooray for sticky yarn that doesn’t slip-slide away too quickly!). I can tell which line it is, but I don’t think it’s too obvious.
Now…does this hat need a pompom? I’m probably too lazy to ever get around to making one!
After the Vogue Knitting Cruise and a few days in New York, DH headed for Portland, Oregon and I headed for Portland, Maine. Knit Maine (from Peacetree Fiber Adventures) was held at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, a 3 hour drive from Portland. It was like going to camp! North Coast Maine is a magical place.
It’s probably good that I didn’t know beforehand that I’d be taking my suitcases (2!) down these stairs to my room.
And back up again at the end of our stay. And that I’d be up and down them repeatedly every day. I got my 10,000 steps every day, and a stairmaster workout, to boot!
With Louis, Shaina, and Christine Walker (Knit Maine organizer!)
Happy to be settling in!
Gathering area outside the dining hallMorning yoga
My classes? In the wood studio. I taught Petite Brioche and Whale Watch/Brioche Increases & Decreases, as well as 3 other classes.
YO? YO! Fun and fancy stitches to dress up your stockinette.Thrumbelina thrummed slippersSo much floof!
Jacquie didn’t love making the thrummed butterflies, and I mentioned that some people use the roving as a carry-along strip. Worth a try! As long as you get the result you want, you’re doing it right.
The days were packed with classes, but we also had time to shop in the market that was set up in the clay studio. Casey Ryder from Port Fiber had some beautiful yarns from Cashmere People, Spin Cycle and Harrisville Designs (and more?).
Madder Root Trundle Bag
Madder Root had beautiful bags. I couldn’t resist this one. You know I love the night sky!
Louis choosing colors from North Light Fibers
and Sven from North Light Fibers brought beautiful yarn, including Water Street, a DK weight 40/60 cashmere/merino blend that is making me dream of cushy brioche accessories. There was more, the offerings changed from day to day. I’m sure I didn’t see everything.
The weather was perfect, and there was time to explore the campus.
At Picnic Rock with Shaina, Kristin, and CalStacked stones at Picnic RockTrail…Found the beach!Across from the flagpoleMoonrise, full harvest moonEven the stumps are beautifulTeachers!
Louis Boria, me, Shaina Bilow, Kristin Drysdale, Casey Ryder, Christine Walker (Peacetree Fiber Adventures), and Cal Patch. Knit Maine featured classes in knitting, drop spindling, embroidery, sewing, needle felting…a nice mix of fiber arts.
Happy campers!swag
Christine is such an excellent organizer. She had Knit Maine tote bags ready for each participant, with supplies for their classes. Also in the bags? These mugs, and a center pull ball winder from Katrinkles. ETA: T-shirts, and a copy of Taproot magazine. (I had partially unpacked, and things got separated!) A skein of yarn from Moss Fibers, specially dyed as The Maine Event colorway, was the parting gift. I’m looking forward to making something special with it.
The fun didn’t stop when we left Haystack; we still had to get back to Portland.
That’s a wrap on my epic east coast adventure! I’m so happy I had the opportunity to teach in such a variety of settings. What a great way to start autumn knitting. Now I’m gearing up for virtual and in-person teaching. Looking forward to a fiber-filled fall!
I only had 3 days between the Vogue Knitting Cruise before heading to Maine. Going home would have turned two of those days into travel days, so I made a plan to stay in NYC instead. It was also my birthday, so DH came out to celebrate with me.
We took walks, explored parks, relaxed, and saw Hamilton and Six. Six is the story of the wives of Henry VIII, reimagined as a sing off in which each wife tells why her lot was the worst. I love Tudor history, so that was very fun. The music is very catchy, and I’m still listening to it and singing along with the soundtrack.
Hamilton was all that fun and more! It’s a masterpiece. I hadn’t seen Hamilton or listened to the soundtrack before attending, but it wasn’t a problem. Also, I recognized many main characters from Outlander, haha! Washington, Lee, LaFayette. The Battle of Monmouth (and General Lee’s retreat). No Jamie Fraser in the musical, though.
Empire State Building from Bryant Park
I loved knitting in Bryant Park; it was just the relaxing afternoon I needed. Bryant Park is right behind the flagship New York Public Library.
A couple days before I left for my epic East Coast adventures, DH came to me and said that he had been planning a surprise for our anniversary, but had been persuaded to make it not a surprise. Confusing? He wanted us to renew our vows, and had been talking to my pastor. (He doesn’t do church, but he’d met her once a few weeks before.) She recommended that he ask me, because vows should be consensual and not a surprise. Makes sense! So we had a phone chat with her while we were in New York, planning for a small ceremony in a favorite park in Portland on our anniversary, the day after I’d get home from Maine. (Nonstop fun, right?) We didn’t want a big to-do; my September was full enough!
These are not the rings we seek
Since we were in New York, I got a wild hair to see if the jeweler that made my anniversary band (7th anniversary a very long time ago) was still in business. (We lived in Queens back then.) He had passed away, but his grandson now runs the business. We had a nice visit, and ordered white gold bands, each with a single tiny diamond. They wouldn’t be ready for the ceremony, but we borrowed their ring sizers as stand-ins.
It all worked out. The kids came to help us celebrate. DH and I had lovely tributes for each other. (I called him a romantic hidden inside a curmudgeon.) We renewed our vows with updated versions of the original ones. It was a small and perfect event!
Peninsula Park Rose Garden
But that happened after Knit Maine, so I’ll head back to the east coast…in the next post.
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.
PDXKnitterati 