Hi, Knitters,
I'm back home again and guess what? It's almost 60 degrees and sunny outside. I'll take it. I hope you all had a good weekend. I ended up yesterday meeting my brother and a couple members of his family for a wonderful brunch at a lovely restaurant by the water. Then he dropped me off at the shop to get ready for my afternoon String-a-Long Toy Workshop. I love these fun little characters and I am sending them off shortly to get them together as a published pattern.
So the story of my Fibre Space experience continues for one last day......
The photo above is the hat that Greg (knittingdaddy - rav id) started in class on Saturday. Greg told me that the Fair Isle Workshop was a little out of his element and he wasn't looking forward to it as much as the toy workshops over the weekend. Then on Sunday he showed up with this almost completed hat that was just beautifully worked. He has fallen in love with two-handed color work! He even designed his own chart for the top layer of the hat. The Fair Isle Hat class turned out to be his favorite workshop of the weekend and he took all three. This kind of successful report makes me so happy. Way to go, Greg!
Greg has a great knitting blog called, Knitting Daddy, that you might be interested in. Be sure to read his "about" page, his knitting story is a touching one to say the least. Click here for Greg's blog!
On Sunday I had another wonderful class. Three or four people who had signed up for the class didn't show up so there was a little more room to spare.
Everyone worked so hard and many nearly finished their toy!
These are the String-a-Long characters, a mouse, monkey and frog. I love the pink mouse waiting to be a part of my technique demonstration.
No mice were hurt, harmed or injured in any way during this workshop.
I assure you.
After class I quickly packed up, thanked everybody I could thank, hugged my dear students, signed a few last books, and ran out the door. My ride had arrived, it was Tanis Gray, the wonderful and talented knitter friend of mine who I have known for many years now.
I was excited that she brought her adorable son along. He was so good and well behaved, I was impressed. We went to get a bite to eat and chat for a little bit before I had to go to the airport.
We tried to get all three of us in the photo. It sort of worked. Thank you to Tanis for the company and ride to catch my plane.
I have more to talk about involving a Tanis project later this week! You'll love it.
This is an interesting doll. Trudy, who works at Fibre Space, was telling me about a topsy-turvy doll she had as a child in the 1940s. I thought it might be the little red riding hood doll but she said it was not. Her doll was blonde on one side and brunette on the other. (Sound familiar in a sisterly kind of way?)
I asked her if she would bring it in on Saturday so I could see the doll. And she did!
Can you believe this wonderful doll is nearly 70 years old? I adore both sides and I love it that Trudy had saved her doll for all of these years. The hair has kind of withered away but you could still see the colors. The fabrics are so sweet and I always love ric-rac (is this spelled correctly?).
The dolls were interesting because they were flat. I have seen this flat shape in other older toys and I always wonder about the reason for it. Maybe it was just the style then.
You know what I did? I forgot the item I wanted to purchase most. I had been thinking about it all weekend. After class, I quickly purchased the handmade darning egg I had set aside before class. I had been so busy packing up and Tanis was already waiting for me that I literally hustled out the door.
After I left the shop, I realized that the only other thing I really wanted to purchase was a couple of braids of the Sliver from Imperial Ranch. Oh, I am so bummed that I forgot to grab those before I left. I think I will call the shop and order a couple over the phone. Yes, that will happen this week..
Here is a close-up on the tag if you are interested in the origins of my new darning egg. It is so beautiful! I shouldn't say I can't wait to use it because that would mean I have a hole in my hand knit sock but....
I can't wait to use it.
And to finish off, Paula, this one's for you!
Thank you Fibre Space for one of the best career weekends I've ever had! Thank you to the lovely students who came and worked so hard and were cheerful, supportive and fun! I love you all.
One more guess what? Danielle and I are already talking about when I can come back! More to come on that.
best, susie