let’s start where we left off

Posted on Posted in book reviews/events, designing, projects, yarn and dyeing

holy cow friends, you must think i died and left you! i didn’t though.

too bad—no one is inheriting my stash just yet.

well; let’s see . . . where were we? i was heading out on the road the last time we had a chatty post. i left you with two back-to-back book reviews and giveaways, so i bet you’re wondering who the heck won those books, right??

the winner of knit your own moustache is sue H (not my mom, haha). i have emailed her the good news so if you are that sue H, you’ll have heard from me already!

and the winner of hunter hemmersens’s the knitter’s curiosity cabinet volume II is nathanne v.

congratulations to the winners and many thanks to the authors and publishers who are so generous in providing these fun diversions for us.

alright now, let’s get down to the business of catching up, shall we? the last you heard from me, i was heading out to colorado to film a blocking DVD for interweave press, and flying directly from there to chicago for a weekend of classes with the windy city knitting guild. the filming went great, but i have absolutely NO photos from my time in loveland, as it was go-go-go from the time i touched down to the time i left. suffice it to say that it was a terrific experience and i think the class will be fun for anyone who hasn’t taken it yet as well as a good reference for anyone who has.

while i didn’t knit more than a few rows during my stay, i got plenty accomplished on the plane in and out. most of it was spent on my current secret project, but i did get a fair amount of work done on my new sock design as well.

in fact, i got all the way through the heel and past the gusset shaping, though i barely remember doing that . . . hmmm. the pattern is in progress, but i need to update what i have on paper and finish it off so someone can test knit it.

i had also cast on my new top-down raglan cardigan design in briar rose sea pearl before i left, but didn’t touch it once i was on the road, opting instead to get as far as possible on the secret project so i could leave that home on the next trip.

getting from loveland to chicago involved skirting a bunch of storms and bad weather, but i managed to make it by the skin of my teeth, thank goodness—they were literally shutting the door of my connecting flight in minneapolis when i ran up; the flight crew was incredibly sweet to wait those few extra seconds for me to scamper aboard. if i had missed that one, i don’t even know when i would have gotten in; it stormed the better part of the whole evening.

the next morning however, was lovely, at least for a few hours—long enough anyway for me to take a nice relaxing 7-mile run along lake shore drive, visiting beaches and shoreline parks all along the way.

my very favorite lakeside attraction was the fishing pier where i did my turnaround

a beautiful sweeping curve of concrete and metal that took me far enough out on the water to get a few nice shots of the edgewater area shoreline as well as some early morning fishers

and on the way back in a few shots of the shoreline to the south, where i didn’t have time to run during my stay.

i was so glad i took advantage of the opportunity to get outside for the morning because it turned cloudy soon after i got back and by noon, the wind had whipped up and driven some rain clouds in.

luckily, we had a cozy knitting class to attend to, which was virtually unaffected by such concerns.

getting to dinner that evening was a wet affair, however, though afterward, i was invited by my host, deidre to take in the view of the storm from her 28th floor apartment—can you spell W-O-W??

 

it was nothing short of spectacular in all directions.

unfortunately, the front hung in right through the next day, so i was relegated to using the gym instead of exploring more of the lake front. but hopefully, i’ll get to go back sometime . . .

next, it was a quick stop at home to wash clothes, repack my bags, and write about romney wool before heading out again, this time on a car trip with erica to the squam arts retreat in new hampshire.

because life just can’t be all work and no play, i was determined to squeeze in a blocking project while i was home. karolyn knit the pieces of this gorgeous sticks and stones cardigan over the last year or so and sent them to me a few weeks back. i’ve been so busy that i haven’t even been able to think about blocking it but feeling guilty, too, because i very much wanted to bring all her work together in a finished lovely sweater (this on is exactly the same as the one modeled by test knitter lara in our photos).

so on monday morning, i just did it. i was too tired to get going with work right away anyhow. the gorgeous yarn is woolen rabbit sporty, a super wash merino 3-ply in the olive tweed colorway. yum! i am very much in need of a midweight green sweater; this will be great for these last few cool days of spring and then again in the fall. now that it’s blocked, i can spend a few evenings putting it together.

erica arrived on wednesday to organize our booth plan and what we’d take along. her birthday was friday, so we celebrated in spinning class the night before we left. i had planned to bake her a carrot cake, only to remember at the very last minute that i had no pans or ingredients; david had packed up the kitchen while i was gone! did i feel horrible or what?

our angel barb saved the day by baking a yummy chocolate cake with pudding frosting (thank you barb; i owe you one).

since it was a bit chilly, she also wore her bloch ness cardigan knit up in our breakfast blend DK so david could take some nice photos 

isn’t she stunning in it? that sweater is to die for, too—incredibly soft and light, it felt good thrown on during the chilly evening. i added these and a few more photos to our ravelry pattern page, too . . . i’ll wait while you go look.

in fact, tell you what—this post is getting to be really long; why don’t we break here and come back in a day or two to read the rest? you’ll enjoy it more if i can spread out and show you a little taste of all things squam. see you next time!

15 thoughts on “let’s start where we left off

  1. What a beautiful sock! What yarn is that? (I can’t stop yelling!)
    I hope that it’s the new Kent yarn because I ordered some, but it’s not here yet. That cuff looks sooo elegant. It reminds me of the Art Deco style of the thirties; all those lovely curves.

  2. What a beautiful sock! What yarn is that? (I can’t stop yelling!)
    I hope that it’s the new Kent yarn because I ordered some, but it’s not here yet. That cuff looks sooo elegant. It reminds me of the Art Deco style of the thirties; all those lovely curves.
    (Ooops! It’s probably the Ghillie fingering, isn’t it?)

  3. I love how Barb’s sweater looks in the BB yarn, just fabulous!! The sock is fabby too, I love that cuff!! Can’t wait to knit that one up too…….I guess I should be happy our weather is so awful and I’m still wearing socks!!

  4. I love that sock pattern – I know you’ll let us know in the Rav groups when it’s ready 🙂 I agree with Carol above – the cuff is something really special. I also love love love the Bloch Ness cardi in the Breakfast Blend DK. Your friend looks stunning in it.

  5. The pictures of Barb in her Bloch Ness are fabulous. She looks so happy and comfortable. Can’t wait til next time to hear all about Squam.

  6. Oh wow so many things, LOVE the new sock design, it’s so elegant! The scenery is just gorgeous as always. And barb’s sweater is my favorite one I’ve seen so far, love that neutral color, it looks great on her too!

  7. OOH–that sock design looks really, really nice! Can’t wait to see it finished!

  8. Anne – It was a pleasure to have you with our guild. I’m glad you enjoyed the park next to the venue! It was my first time at a class at the venue, what a nice space. And parking! 🙂

    Thanks for coming, I do hope we can have you again.

  9. You were soooo close by–Loveland is only 52 miles from Denver. Next time, stop by!

  10. Oh Anne, Sticks and Stones is one of my all time favorite sweaters. Not only was it a great knit, but it’s my go to sweater. Perfect for wearing on chilly days and it also packs really well in my day bag for times when you never know what the weather is going to do.

  11. I’ve started my Bloch Ness in the Kent DK. Wow!!! I love it. Great stitch definition and after seeing Barb’s in the BB, I might have to do one in that too. I just love this sweater. You truly are a genius, Anne.

    Loved seeing your Chi-town shots too. : )

  12. I just keep looking for the “love” button to push!

    So excited to see pieces of the Sticks and Stones as that is the sweater that I am working on for Rhinebeck! Love that seed stitch…

    The new peek at the sock design is so enticing! Love it, Anne!

  13. Just wanted to let you know there was a wonderful surprise in my mailbox – the book arrived! I’m stash diving for the perfect yarn to make facial hair! Thanks for sharing!

    Happy Knitting!

Comments are closed.