Knitters’ Day Out 2013

Another Knitters’ Day Out has come and gone!

This year I took Crochet for Knitters with Peg Haussmann. We went over all the basic stitches, practicing first by crocheting on to a knitted swatch (easier than crocheting on to a crochet chain). I just love a table full of yarn: I’m not sure I’m going to be a crocheter any time soon. The fabric is just so dense. If you crochet it tightly, you get a bulletproof fabric, which is good for a bag – Peg showed us one she made from single crochet.I was really intrigued by this – until I touched the bag. It is HEAVY! I prefer my bags to be light and strong so that I can put things in them. This one felt like it already had a bunch of rocks inside. You can see I hooked away on my little swatch. Stitches like double and triple crochet result in less dense fabric, but they have giant holes in them. I just don’t like the look. We also tried a granny square and while I have respect for the tradition, that isn’t my aesthetic, either. I was more impressed by that Crochet Borders book you see in the photo. There were some things in it that looked less crafty and a bit more artsy. I might return to that…someday.

I had a nice 2-hour break for lunch. Look at these happy knitters. Judy got really into her knitting-with-beads class – a surprise to all! It was a beautiful day to eat outside. I spent a little time in the market and purchased a neat shawl pin that works like a cufflink. I forgot to photograph it but I will soon.

In the afternoon, I took Buttonholes & Bands with Margaret Fisher. I took a class from her years ago so I knew what to expect. And Margaret delivered! She is a paragon of organization. Her instructions are clear, her handouts impeccable, her visual aids perfect (she goes high-tech when needed, projecting slides from her iPad, and low-tech when needed, showing us construction paper cutouts of sweater fronts), her demonstration style appropriate (giant size 50 needles and huge yarn held over her head so all can see)… I could go on. I feel ready to finish a sweater knit in pieces and seamed. Bring it on! I didn’t manage to take a picture of Margaret, but this is my swatch showing 3 types of buttonholes (eyelet, one-row horizontal, and vertical elongated) on 3 different fabrics (1x1 rib, 2x2 rib, and seed): If you ever have a chance to take a class with Margaret, do. You will learn something no matter what.

Finally, there were a lot of hats donated (knitting a charity hat is part of the registration fee, a lovely tradition which I enjoy): I really like this fox hat – isn’t it cute? KDO really is a nice day. Mark your calendars for next year – it will be held September 19-20, 2014.