Feeling Good

Still have more to go.  I’m just giving it away to other knitters.  Some of it will be used to teach new knitters in various places.  Mostly I just want some of the things I’ve collected and saved to go to a good home.

My rationale for choosing is 1.  Is it a color my family or I wear?  2.  Will I really sit down and knit this?  That’s how I choose the good stuff to go.  Needles — I have two sets of my favorites plus a bunch of tiny sizes.  I don’t need more than that.  Period.

Some good news from the Carolina Fiber Frolic.  We so enjoyed the mountain location this spring that Jan is organizing a fall version for us.  It will be low key.  No structured classes, just learning from whoever is doing something that interests you.  Food will be catered by the marvelous Natalie.  Costs will include renting the facilities and some food.  Lodging is on your on again but she has arranged great deals.  There is even a day at a local mill to help process fleece included for those we are interested.  This would be a great family getaway because of the location.  My grandson, son and daughter went with us in the spring and had a blast.  It is Steve”s birthday weekend, so it will be his choice, but I hope to go.  More details later or you can reach Jan through the button in the right sidebar.

More later–

Shopping the Frolic

What I bought—

From Silver Threads & Golden Needles in Franklin, NC. Amy and Virginia are two of the owners who were at the Frolic (Amy even took a class from me.) and they were so nice and helpful. I bought Habu from them. I’m not sure anyone in Charlotte stocks Habu. Please tell me if I am wrong about this. I still have a little money to spend.  The merino/stainless on the right will join an all silk(left) and a silk/stainless (center) I bought at a Stitches a few years ago. Probably a couple of scarves will come out of the blending.

This Rayon yarn which is smaller than most of my lace weight is slated to be an Infinite Loop by Olga Buraya-Kefelian. You will want to check out this pattern on ravelry and on YouTube. There are so many ways it can be worn. Takes 2 skeins of yarn at $25 each, over 1100 yards per skein, knit on a size THREE needle. in stockinette. Sounds insane, but what a classic investment piece. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Swatched on size 5 and size 3.

Oh, the yarn feels like scratchy paper to start with. Softens as you knit. Blocking directions say to soak it in lukewarm water for TWO hours and then block width wise. That alone is enough to suck me in. Want to join me? I’m sure Silver Threads will ship to you.

Then I bought the 2013 Frolic color way from Sarah of Copper Corgi. It is amazing. So subtle. She has truly captured the early April mountain sky. A couple of over achievers (Jan and Anne) spun up a bunch and shared it before the Frolic was over. I intend to spin mine and knit something so devastatingly beautiful that I can beat Cindy in next year’s contest. I so wish I had a picture of her shawl that won this year. Incredible.

Finally I bought from Ann Potter whom I adore. I picked out some stuff and left it behind her booth to await payment. She even added some extra mohair locks to one kit “just for me.” When I returned to pay for it, Renate had retrieved it from my unmarked pile and paid for it. I called foul, but Renate just smiled and said I could come over and look at it whenever I wanted. Well, Smarty Pants, I showed her. I bought a new incredibly bizarre batt andtwo braids of a lovely pink and grey colorway.

Thus is the spirit at the Frolic. Actually, we had so much fun that Jan is planning a low key event for fall and the next Frolic is already set for March 22-24, 2013. Same location and I sincerely hope, the same caterer. If you want to find out more, click on the Carolina Fiber Frolic in the top corner of the blog and tell Jan to add you to her mailing list. You won’t be sorry.

More later–

Frolic in the Mountains

Condos below our unit

This weekend the Carolina Fiber Frolic held its first event in the NC Mountains. Now, if you thought we would miss being in Charleston, you were WRONG. The weather was lovely; we didn’t mind a little rain. The accommodations were magnificent. The people were superb. The community center in Sapphire was perfect for classes and vendors and hanging out on the porch. And I don’t even have an adjective to describe the food that Natalie, the caterer served us. You must come next year.

Famous Charlotte Road Trippers

The only photos I took were at dinner on Saturday night. I know that is bad blogger behavior, but I was so busy doing great stuff. My classes were so much fun, at least for me. Then I took a class on Supported Spindles from fleeglesblog@blogspot.com. Susan has just released a book on this topic—THE book on this topic. The e-version is really cool. You can buy it on a flash drive; it is too big for a CD.

She was given or bought a lot of Tibetan, Russian, Bulgarian, or whatever spindles to use or try as she wrote her book. She brought them all with her. After we worked with the “student” spindles, she allowed us to try all of them to help us decide what type we might want to eventually buy. Even as beginner as we were, we could really tell some differences. That was so special of her.

Famous Charlotte Hikers

We had a show and tell fashion show on Saturday night after we ate the largest crab cakes I’ve ever seen. Solid crab, too. I was the moderator because I have the loudest voice. I was really nervous about that, but all I really had to do was call out names and say something nice, because this group just took questions and told stories about the work themselves. Much more entertaining, and it shows how at ease fiber people are with each other after a day or two of hanging out.

Famous Charlotte Spinners

We did have two special presentations after lunch. The first day, Judi Jetson from Asheville told about a volunteer group she works with that is rapidly growing. This group is to fiber processing what the Slow Food Movement is to agriculture. They are trying to put local people who are in all phases of fiber processing, from farm animal to retail distribution, in touch with each other. Their area is a 100 mile circumference of Asheville. Local dyers might want to buy from a local processor, but didn’t know they exist. Same with us artist/crafters—shop local. Save gasoline, provide local jobs. Good luck to Judi and her colleagues.

Suzy Hokanson from Savannah did a presentation on her research visit with the Bauhaus association in Germany. I love the art of the 20’s and 30’s from Germany, and some of my favorite artists were Bauhaus members. Suzy who is a weaver among about 100 other artistic things, talked about the weaving program from there. It was amazing to hear about these people who were considered subversives by Hitler’s government and how their work still impacts the art world today. I’ll bet you have something in your home that was inspired by the Bauhaus movement. Suzy also taught some classes and showed us some of her gorgeous creations.

Jan Smiley, the creator and instigator of the Carolina Fiber Frolic, will post a wonderful tale of the weekend. Her husband and son took lots of pictures. I’ll link you to that as soon as it’s up.

Famous Charlottean Fiber Artist

Granny’s girl will also post on her blog I’m sure.

My family joined me for the weekend and they worked really hard while there.

Steve describes this as reading.

Prof. Quick swears he's working on a class.

I’ll show you what I bought and talk about the great vendors next time.

More later–

Sunset on the Marsh cowl

Purple side up

This is what I made from the yarn I spun for the Carolina Fiber Frolic contest.  I really like how I solved some problems.  This colorway is amazing, but it doesn’t flatter my skin.  So I mixed it with two solids–yellow Malabrigo worsted and Seldridge Farms purple superwash worsted that is even softer than the Malabrigo.

I used these two solids to knit a 3 color linen st (center) and knit the Sunset colorway in my favorite seed stitch by itself.

The difference in the natural gauge of these two stitches gave the cowl a bit of a pouf without resorting to increases/decreases.  The purple is a one by one rib with a picot cast off.

Now here’s the cool part—-

You can wear it with either side up.  The linen stitch up way above emphasizes that stitch detail and the mix of the colors.  The purple up way still shows the stitch detail, but puts the purple, a good color for my skin tone, next to my face.  I feel so clever.

I used a crochet cast on which matches a normal chain bindoff.

I did crochet the bind off–because it is faster than knitting it and you get the same effect.

Every five stitches, I made a picot by chaining 3 and then slip stitching in the first chain.  It took maybe 100 yards of the handspun and the purple.  Less of the Malabrigo.  Cast on 150 sts on a size 8 needle.  If doing over, I would decrease the cast on number some for a bit closer fit.

Super easy and quick to knit.

More later–

Caroline Fiber Frolic 2012!!!

Peggy and Debbie waiting for my class to start.

What CFF is not—

It is not a massive number of fiber people meeting around a marketplace center designed to introduce new products and sell you lots of yarn and fiber. Such events have their place, but this isn’t it.

Mostly CFF is not massive.

This is Jane at a loom.

CFF is not in New York, Chicago, LA or even Charlotte. “Awayness” is an important part of CFF. Even more important, it is here in the southeast.

Enough!

What CFF is—

CFF is a gathering of fiber people—spinners, knitters, weavers, dyers, crocheters of all ability levels. For me the word gathering has an intimate quality, and that describes CFF. Last year I arrived knowing only 3 or 4 people. I left having met almost everyone there and having email addresses leading me to help and advice in my fiber activities.

This is what I learned to spin.

I taught too many classes so I was unable to take any. Even so, people taught me new skills. While hanging out after class, Anne Potter and Jane  taught me to spin novelty yarn, loaning me a wheel and supplies.

Linda from Rainy Day Creations

In the small, select vendor area, I met Linda, one of the owners of  a shop 20 minutes away from me. Listening to her spinning students showed me she was just the person I needed to take me from beginner to advanced beginner spinner. I arranged a private lesson at Rainy Day Creations, her shop in Pineville, and she taught me to make the most of my little wheel. I still don’t spin very often, but I really like knowing how.

New book by Fleegle

This year Fleegle from Fleeglesblog is coming and will teach a class on spinning with a supported spindle. (You rest the spindle in a bowl. This avoids that word DROP, which is the one that describes my spinning with a drop spindle. The ethnic spindles used for this are neat.) I want to learn this. This is the way those Russian women spin the yarn for their Orenburg lace shawls; you know, the ones you can pull through your wedding ring.  (Also check out her method for short rows which I have had bookmarked for years.)

Ann's batts ready for making beauty

Unlike the big events, CFF is like grown-up camp—at least during the day. Classes provide equipment if you don’t own it, so you can try new things without a long term commitment. Knowing how to weave changes how you look at fabric, even when shopping for a new outfit. Knowing a bit about spinning helps you make fewer mistakes in your yarn choices. But these aren’t the only reasons you need to know about CFF.

CFF was created by local (NC/SC line near Charlotte) fiber artist Jan Smiley. Jan felt we needed a fun, friendly, educational option HERE in the southeast. The first two years were held at the Middleton Plantation near Charleston. This year, CFF moves to the Sapphire Valley in NC—yea, mountains. Scheduling in the off-season allows participants a great price break on lodging. You won’t believe how great.

I have booked a 2 bedroom condo at a resort—Foxtrot Sapphire Resort—for $115 a night. This condo is fully equipped, sleeps 6, includes pools, hot tubs, Jacuzzi tubs, tennis courts, workout facilities and several restaurants if I wanted to use them. Yes, $115 a night. Divide that by the number of friends you bring. I am planning to take DH and maybe some other family. The Hampton Inn is a bit closer to our meeting facilities and has wonderful reviews on hotel.com. Jan has negotiated a special group price there of $89. They do include breakfast.

The registration fee includes most of your meals, and your non attending guests can purchase a meal plan and join the group for meals.  We eat very well.  Highlands, NC, is not far away and has some interesting and excellent restaurants as well.

Now—all of that being said, the community of people who will gather is still the most important thing. Classes are very important—both the skills and the people involved—but the hanging out is more so—at least to me. I came back with new friends, new skills, new ideas and so much enthusiasm for my craft. I cannot wait to get there this year.

More opinions

Please join me. You won’t regret it. Email me if you have questions. I’d love to tell you more.