Prepping for a day out

It’s September again, which means it’s almost time for the annual Knitters’ Day Out event in central PA.  Julie turned us on to this event years ago and we’ve become regulars.  As usual, part of the registration fee is a hat donation for Caps for Kids.  I kind of made this one up – it’s a slouchy hat I thought might work for a boy or a girl: I keep forgetting that slouchy hats are long and take a lot of yarn (and time) to make!  I started this with leftovers from the apple hats I made last fall, but quickly ran out of yarn.  I ordered another 50 g ball from Knit Picks and had only a couple of yards left after finishing.

This year at KDO I’m taking THREE classes. On Friday night, I’ll be knitting with beads for the very first time.  I find myself drawn to some of the jewelry patterns in Laura Nelkin’s Adorn and Adorn Anew collections.  Heaven knows I have enough leftover sock yarn to make all the patterns ten times over… but I don’t know what size beads to buy (or where to get them) or anything about clasps and other jewelry findings.  I figure this class is a great way to dip my toe in.  If this goes well, well…… a lot of ladies could be getting knitted jewelry for Christmas this year.

Butin Collar
Laura Nelkin
This bit of bijouterie was designed to use up some wee little bits in your stash and get beginner knitters playing with beads. The necklace is worked with only 8 rows of garter stitch and pre-strung beads slipped up at the perfect intervals to create a "swag" of texture at the center of your neck. This class covers lace cast ons, working with pre-strung beads, ad knitting garter stitch. This is a great class for knitters with very basic knitting skills.

 

On Saturday morning, I’m taking a fair isle class.  Why?  I have no idea.  I honestly don’t remember selecting this.  Maybe I was having a moment where I optimistically thought I could embrace this technique with a little more instruction.  At any rate, I’m taking this one:

Fair Isle Knitting 101
Nancy Shroyer
All those colors in Fair Isle knitting can seem scary, but once you learn the techniques the colors will just flow from your fingers and you will want to knit "just one more row".  "Fair Isle Knitting" has become a synonym for 2 color stranded work, but actually, the women from the small island of Fair Isle Scotland had their own specific rules to make this technique faster and easier. Learn about these and how they differ from other 2 color stranded work and intarsia while you knit a head band. Continental knitting, corrugated ribbing, carrying both colors in one hand or one in each hand, and catching floats will be covered as well as the history of Fair Isle knitting.

And on Saturday afternoon, I’m taking a class with Candace Eisner Strick.  I took one of her classes last year and thought she was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had, so I was game for just about anything she was teaching this year.  Here is what’s on tap:

10 Things Your Mother Never Told you  About
Candace Eisner Strick
Chances are you're still doing the cast on, decreasing, and other techniques that your mother taught you umpteen years ago. No matter how long you've been knitting, you can still refine your techniques to make your knitting look neater and more professional. We will cover 10 techniques that will take you through the millenium: cable edge cast on, 1 row buttonhole, how to rip, picking up stitches neatly, the best increases and decreases and where to use them, delayed bind off, grafting, 3 needle bind off, sewing a seam, and provisional cast on.

KDO happens relatively early this year, on September 7-8.  Many of the ninjas are looking forward to it.

In other news, I finally took another shot of my green Elm sock, which is progressing vveeeerrrryyyy slowly.  But it’s so pretty!  I started the heel flap today but took this just before then.

The leg is quite long, as you can see.  These socks will be quite snug on me but I think they’ll be okay.I’ve also been plying my SPAKAL yarn.  These are the first 2 bobbins.  I plied 3 more today.  I’m not sure how many more I have to go… maybe 2 more?  I’m still thinking about which sweater to make.  I’m currently smitten with the Leaflet cardigan.  what do you think?

Since it’s short-sleeved, I will have extra yarn for sure.  Then again, I could make it long-sleeved.