Vogue Live 2016

Vogue Live 2016 was fabulous!  As you know I am a Shirley Paden Groupie.  So I spent Saturday in her Cables & twists class.  I got a much better understanding of reading and how to write charts for cables.  All the great things your hear about her is true.  A Shirley Paden class never disappoints me.  I have her book in print copy and on my Kindle.  I have her Craftsy class. I have taken her design class twice and I would do it again because she shares so much information I get something new each time.  Cast-on, Finishing, Lace & Cables are all classes I have taken and enjoyed.
The Triva game at the cocktail party was big fun.  I loved the dinner.  My whole experience was just great.
13 skeins of Superfine Merino by Cleckheaton and 3 skeins of the Downton Abbey collection by Universal Yarns is how I spent my money.  The Cleckheaton line rom Australia feels luscious.  I resisted buying more Cashmere from HuntValley Yarns.  I walked pass Tess with as much as a peak.  I missed Ms Babbs.  I said hello to Maggie Jackson but never touched a thing.  Nikki Epstein's doll clothes are fabulous.  I walked right pass Mary Callucci, sorry Mary, you were talking and I was leaving.
I am terrible remembering to take pictures.  There are tons of pictures of me taken by others.  Hope to see them.

Woolease on sale at JoAnn's for $2.99.  I bought 5 skeins on Saturday, January 26th to make Eric a vest to keep him warm while in dialysis.  Finished the back by Monday evening January 28th, straight stockinette stitch and started the front v-neck with a three stitch cable, taking a  bit longer.  Started decreasing for the armholes today, Friday, February 1st.

Here is Eric's Hound Dog sock, yarn  from Sheila's Wullen Studio Designer Yarn yarns, Merino & Nylon.  They feel heavenly.  So in August I will be making the mate to this along with the mate to the grey sock.  Two at a time on a circular.  Stay tuned. That should be a real hoot.
By the way I came up with this pattern out of necessity.  His legs are skinny above the ankle and fat at the calf.

I am posting this on 7/3 but I actually haven't worked on them since maybe 6/25.  And I am very pleased at my progress.  I love knitting socks toe up.  Did I say before that my friend from Knitting in Public Day introduced me to knitting socks on a circular needle.  I am converted!  It really is so much better then all of the double pointed needles.  I am a circular needle girl any way.  Picked them up back in hmmmm.... 1989 I'd say.  I was commuting on Amtrak to New York everyday and it was considered rude to keep poking your seat mate with a knitting needle wonder why :)!
I most love being able to have him try them on as I knit.  Now I know you all think that I am soon to be finished.  I wish!  He likes his socks at least 9 inches up the leg.  I will be working in this through July.
So I am happy to say that I am going to learn to do two at a time, so I can also finish his brown socks.

The beginning of Eric's To Up Socks.  Pretty good start on June 9th.  Of course this was possibly my 5th start.  But happily on June 9th at the Knitting Sister's Knit in Public Day I sat beside a pro.  She was knitting sleeves in the round, TWO AT A TIME.  Any way we has a little chat and I got started.
Knit in public day was a blast.....of heat.  It must have been 95 in the shade.  But it really never gets too hot for me.  I loved sitting out and the venue, the public library, under a beautiful thing-a-ma-gig ya' know with ivy and flowers growing all over it.  Oh well I have pictures on Eric's new camera.  I will show you later.

Raggedy Ann

In addition to "collecting yarn" as my husband would say, I also have a collection of porcelain & vinyl African American dolls. At some point space became an issue so I stopped buying dolls so I could have more room for yarn :) But I had always wanted an African American Raggedy Ann & Andy. A co-worker heard me say this and look what she made for me. Andy is still in production. I am so thrilled with Ann I can't wait to see her brother.

My freind's name is Elizabeth Knack and you can see more of her work at http://www.dancingcathillcreations.com/

Elizabeth does beautiful jewelry as well.

Finishing and Designing with Shirley Paden, the Master Designer

Dinner with Shirley in April when I took her Finishing class at Fiber Space in Alexandria, Virginia. She had worked all day commuting to Alexandria from New York, seting up and then teaching her class, yet she had the enthusiasm and energy to chew & chat with us as we tried to drain her brain of anything she might have left. And she gave willingly, graciaously and completely. We laughed as if we had known each other for years and for me it was the first time I had met her since my email to her in 2010. She is more than amazing as a person, a professional and an expert knitwear designer. Who by the way was raised in West Philadelphia. Shirley pays attention to every detail, like no other detail person you know.

The Master Design Class is fabulous. There is so much information. I was fortunate enough to have three great freinds in class with me. You should at least have a second set of ears with you. Yesterday, a week after the cass we got together again to "debrief" the information and continue what we started last week. We are actually doing out own DAL. Anything to keep us in the Shirley Paden bliss. Shirley says that she will lead us in another KAL in September, so I think I can survive until then. I will write more about class and our DAL later. I want to knit now. But first a few more pics from our day with Shirley. Oh! Did I say how wonderful Ellen is, the owner from Crazy for EWE. Thank you so much for organizing the classes. And an extra special thanks for Friday night. Ellen treated Shirley, her store team, and three of us from class to dinner at a Greek resturant.