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.

I91 Shop Hop or Finding a Knitter's Mecca

In June my knitting treat was the I91Shop Hop with my best knitting buddy Nancy. 12 Yarn shops, June 24th, 25th & 26th on the I91 corridor from Lynbrook, NY to Connecticut to Massachesettes to Vermont and back to Lynbrook, with a stop at a Diner's Drive-Ins & Dives haunt. For a Knitter & a Foody that about says it all.

Nancy and I are positive that we actually invented shop hopping back in 2003 when we mapped out all the shops in the Philadelphia, Pa area. And visited at least 12 in a two day period. But then again with the invention of the GPS and our friends at Knitting Universe listing all the shops in the world, I guess all knitters plan business travel, vacations and even visits to grandma's around the path of a yarn shop.

As for the "Finding Mecca" it was of course WEBS. WOW! After making my way to their booth every year at Stitches it was really a treat to be there. And I had to buy something to knit to remember my trip. And the people at Green Mountain Spinnery were so cool, trying to somewhat keep "Made in America" in mind I had to buy there. The people at Creative Fibers had just recently met someone from Columbia at TNNA so I had to get something from that shop. Village Wools was so cute and the first shop we went to, I was all in a buzz and I saw this fabulous shawl and a really cute necklaceand some Katia to die for... Or was the Yarn Basket our first stop, I bought some red yarn for another toEyre shawl somewhere. Marji's did me in with a 50% off on a design that she did herself with the softest yarn you'll ever touch. OOOOOOOOH so I bought something at every stop. And we had a BALL!

February - Nancy's House & Eric's Sweater

February took me to Lynbrook, New York to spend some time with my friend Nancy. We had planned to be together in January for Vogue Live. Nothing better than catching up with a good friend and knitting. We have been getting together for knitting weekends since about 1996. I was so excited when I found out that she knitted. Our first big knitting moment together was Stitches East when it was in Valley Forge. I was so happy to have someone to share the excitement with. I had been going alone since 1990 or before and it was OK, but going with a friend was heaven. Then we did Stitches Camp when it was in Silver Bay, New York. The concept was grand, but the facility was horrible. I know it is much improved, but we haven't gone to another one. But 2012 will find us in Stitches South in April. I can't wait. But Nancy and I can have fun walking around a yarn shop or just sitting in her back yard knitting. We can talk or not. It is wonderful to have a friend like that. Especially when they don't complain when we share a room and I snore.

So in January & February at Nancy's, I was working on Eric's sweater... still. OMG after how many years of "Eric's" sweater I dare put a third one on the needles. Yes I did. I got the design in my head and I couldn't let it go. So I was clicking along all of January while I was sick and most of February. It is July now and I have back & front done and what am I stuck on, the sleeves of course. I really need to finish this for him. I said Valentine's day in January, I was moving so fast. Father's day was next and now I am shooting for his birthday in August. The problem now, or at least my excuse now, is that I am allergic to the angora. Yes, it is a beautiful mix of angora and merino. But I can only work on it for about an hour at a time without a full blown attack of red itchy eyes, sneezing and coughing. Same problem with his beautiful shetland shawl collar cardigan. I take it out and by the time I figure out where I left off I am sneezing like someone put pepper up my nose.

Not much of an excuse for his grey pullover, rayon & cotton. Except that it is on #3 needles and it is as if one row takes an hour. That was the first sweater I started for him back in 2002, right after we got married. I think I will give it to him on our 10th anniversary. I wanna be sure we are going to work out :)

Asthma & Bronchitis stop me from Vogue Live

I can't believe it. I was so excited about the Vogue Live Show. My mohair swater jacket was off the needles and almost ready. And I got sick, really sick. What a hoot though when I went to the Dr the Thursday before, I ran into Lynn, the organizer for the best Sit & Knit Meet Up ever. She too was sick with a cold of sorts. We both were so sure that the drugs would get us on our feet and on the bus to New York. NOT! But as we said, out hubbies knew that we were REAL sick, maybe near death if we passed up a knitting party.
But I heard that the concept was fabulous and it has great possibilities, just needed a better venue. Can't get out to Cali in September, but I am looking forward to the next one in New York.
Not too impressed with the winning Mohair designs. They were just featured in the latest Vogue. But I think there is a generation gap. My 14 year old neice loves them both. They might even have inspired her to learn to knit. Funny, her younger sister (7) started knitting last year. She is still stumbling along and hasn't quite got her "groove." But she will sit with me for an entire :15 sometimes. She is working on a scarf for her Mother for Christmas. She started it this time last year. I think it might get off the needles by Thanksgiving.

4th of July Fireworks

I haven't been to a live fireworks event in over ten years. When you have spent all your childhood summers in the Fireworks Capitol of America, that is really shameful. New Castle, Pa. home of Zambellini Fireworks Internationale and Pyrotecnico (founded by Constantino Vitale) was once the largest producers of fireworks in the world. But most noteably it was where my Grandmother lived. Yes the one and only Grandmother that taught me to knit. So last night Eric and I took our neices, Destini and Demoni to a real live fireworks exstavaganda in Columbia, Maryland. It was fantastic and the girls had a ball. It actually brought tears to my eyes to see the beauty and the excitement on their faces. I was 6 again myself.

In honor of the holiday, I was working on my red, white & blue, Vivian Hoxboro inspired sweater. This sweater has been on the needles at least since 2006. I bought the yarn in 2004 in Hawaii. There for the ASAE conference and I had to find a yarn shop. There were actually three that I found and I bought something in all three of course. The red white and blue yarn is a dream to work with. I have no clue why it was discontinued. The drape is awesome and it is so soft.

OK so you say, then why haven't you finished the project? Well that is a good question and the only answer I can give you is to say that it is because I am a "process" knitter. I think I have just about figured out this design. So it just isn't as much fun. However I must say, I do get quite a charge from a finished project, especially when it fits.
Well there is much to tell, it has been 6 months since I last blogged and I said I would be consistant. Well in essence I have been.....consitantly inconsistant.
The most recent knitting activity was the I91 Shop Hop June 24th - 26th. AWESOME> And coming up the end of July is Design Class with Shirley Paden. Did I say I had dinner with her in April? Yes there is so much to catch up on. See ya in a few minutes. I have to do some real work.