a lovely time was had by all

there’s really nothing like a warm, inviting yarn shop, is there?
this past weekend i had the pleasure of visiting and teaching in such a one—the yarn lounge of carytown, in richmond, VA.

owned by stewart allen, the shop is nestled into a vintage retail space, among many peer businesses in the neighborhood—carytown is one of those unique shopping districts that spring up in formerly rundown areas, revitalizing old neighborhoods with a fresh infusion of locally owned and operated shops and eateries.

this is a great shop to visit on a day out—plenty to look at and explore inside, with more attractions in the neighborhood once the yarn fumes have become too much. if you live anywhere nearby, you should go.

the yarn lounge is a deep space, lined with cubbies of yarn and racks of great accessories. the choice of fiber goodies is wide-ranging, with many local and artisan producers represented along with other favorite top-quality brands.

the shop is filled with interesting, re-purposed furniture and display vehicles, overflowing with yarn and books. light from the enormous, street-facing front windows filters right through to the back of the place.

several large work and lounging areas are available to friends who come to sit and knit with company or take a class. the room was full of laughing chatter as our friday morning yarn voyage class gathered around several long tables in the middle of the store

we had a wonderful three hours together, discussing yarn characteristics and how to pair which yarns with which stitch patterns or garment types. and we swatched—each person worked a little sampler from a buffet of yarn leftovers, to better understand how yarn characteristics affect the fabric texture.

after class, we settled in for a box lunch and informal visit. it was a really great way for us all to kick off the weekend—thank you ever so much stewart, for having me teach at your shop.

and thank you again for the shirts; we both love them!

i had a break for a few hours in the afternoon, during which i caught up on some email and knitting—having time to chill in the middle of a teaching day was actually really nice; i’ll have to experiment with that some more.

i brought a few projects with me on this trip, several of them secret, which i worked on during the flights to and from richmond. in my room on friday, i worked on these mitts i started back in august for my niece.

based on the bougainvillea sock pattern, i wanted to create a longer, more embellished design for one of the two pair she requested (the curling mitts will be the other).

as with many small projects laying about my study unfinished, i have no idea why it is taking so long to get this one done. maybe because it’s not entirely mindless and i need to keep the chart out while working on it? anyway, i have one mitt done now and the other is on the needles; hopefully, i’ll finish them up by the time the weather gets chilly in austin.

in the evening, it was time to head out to teach a blocking class at the hanover knitting guild. here was a group ready and waiting to get their hands wet, alright, haha. a number of participants brought pieces to block, and with plenty of space to spread out, we were able to set up several steaming and pinning stations.

i still hadn’t gotten around to blocking the les abeilles i knit during my rhinebeck trip, so i tossed it into my traveling tote to use as a demo piece.

we also did some henley sweater pieces, courtesy of michelle, a scarf brought by katherine, and some sprössling pieces brought by katj, who was in the house.

i have to applaud the full house of participants who thought that spending a friday evening blocking stuff was their idea of a good time—those are my kind of people, alright. and we did have loads of fun.

the next morning we gathered back again for an all-day sweater fitness class. i was moving around the room all day and completely forgot about using my camera, but suffice it to say that it was another good class.

so good, that i think i’ll be going back to richmond in may for more . . . the hanover guild is a wonderful group of knitters, welcoming and fun to be with. if you live in the area and have been craving good knitting company, consider joining them—you won’t regret it.

soon i was winging my way home again; it was the quickest of trips, but we made every minute count—it was all very excellent.

and for some reason, ever since i got home i’ve been moving like a turtle, heh. i just can’t get my energy up this week (or so it feels; maybe i’m not doing too badly).

on sunday, once i got my email boxes cleared of messages and the bookkeeping done for the week, i headed out to the garden for one last haul of tomatoes. i spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen, cooking up a nice hot curry for dinner and to eat as leftovers during the week.

once that was cleaned up, i worked for a while on one of my secret projects, then decided i should treat myself to a change of pace for getting so far on them during my weekend flights.

so i started a scarf i’ve been thinking about for some time—since the early summer i think. i don’t think this yarn was right for summer knitting though (due to the fuzz), but now that the cold is moving in (fast and furiously, as a matter of fact), i’m suddenly more attracted to this project

doesn’t that look yummy? i’m making this as a companion piece for the delicato mitts. i always enjoyed working that pattern and thought it might make a nice scarf.

i hadn’t really come across the right yarn until susan from slackford studio sent me some of her hand-dyed nimbus cloud fingering yarn.

this astoundingly soft blend of alpaca/silk/cashmere is especially appealing for this project in the color she sent—lilac frost. for me, the color, sheen, and haze of the yarn make the perfect statement for a christmas lace scarf. so weightless, yet so warm, mmm. i could bathe in it.

let’s take it over near the window so you can appreciate the soft variations of the colorway . . .

it positively glooows, doesn’t it?
see, instant treat, just when you need one. sigh.
ETA: susan just whispered in my ear that the nimbus cloud yarn will be on sale in her online shop from saturday 11/6 through friday 11/12 . . .

yesterday in knitting class i finished up the hellebores beret i’ve been knitting in fiber isle magique cashmere and bison, the leftover yarn from one of my pine and ivy shawlettes.

i love, love the curlique shapes that the lace makes in this circular piece. the texture coordinates really well with the body stitch in pine and ivy, too; it’ll make a great set.

this was another piece that sat half-finished for a while, but required only about an hour of knitting to complete. and good thing i did; the weather has turned suddenly very cold, with frosty nights and windy days (albeit sunny and beautiful, yay). the house feels constantly chilly, so i’m glad to have this cap to wear indoors, while i acclimate to the new season.

late last night, i worked on the elm row wristlets for a bit while i watched TV with david. i got this far on the second one before i had to retire, but i’m sure i can finish that ribbing up in no time tonight. and then i can cross another UFO off the list.

i’ve got three secret projects on the needles at the moment, that i’m looking to finish ion the next few days. i may not have much to show you in the next post, but i’ll have other news to share.

and now, the moment you have been reading for—who won the vogue knitting mittens & gloves book??

i’m happy to report that the winner is eleanor w. because she is familiar to me form the daily comments; i love hearing from her so often.
congratulations eleanor!

well, i better skedaddle