Squam-On Golden Pond, and The Mud

I remember watching the movie On Golden Pond many years ago–hmmm, too many years ago: 1981–and thinking how much I would love to visit that area of New Hampshire.   The lake was so pristine, the pines adding a texture and color to the picture that was so perfect.  It seemed so close to wilderness to me at the time, living in Maryland, and I felt a longing.

Imagine my surprise when I realized that the workshops I am teaching at Squam Lake,  June 3-7, are not only on Golden Pond (aka Squam Lake), but I will be up close and personal with the areas in which the movie was shot!  I promise there will be photos of THAT gig!  I am so thrilled to finally meet that amazing body of water.   Down in Maryland, a pond is a bitty thing you can throw a stone across to the other side.  But Squam LAKE (as it should be called) is this graceful, stunning jewel, 7 miles by 4.6 miles large.  I am looking forward to teaching there with Sally Melville and Annie Modesitt, as well as many others.  If you are interested in checking out the classes, visit Squam.  A fun time will be had by all, I assure you!

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I am breathing a sigh of relief.  Mud season is over.  I hear you out there, saying “Mud?  What’s a little mud in the spring?”  Yes, up here in Vermont we have five seasons.  Well, last year Putney was blessed with an easy mud season. Though I never got stuck, it was a little hairy traversing the 3 miles of wet-dirt road out to the macadam.  I was, thusly, able to perpetuate my personal myth that mud is not a big deal.  This myth has now been officially dashed, cremated, and gone forever.  I have been through the fire of Mud Season.  It is Something to Reckon With.

As the layers of frozen snow and ice beneath the surface begin to thaw, and the snow on the hills to either side melt, the road becomes this organic morass of changing, moving strips of mud, sometimes the entire width of the road.  At first, it’s just a bit muddy, but as the days goes on and more people drive over it, it deepens until it can get up to (and in some cases above) the axles of your car. Mud season lasted almost two months.

It actually became a game as I would approach the next mud-patch-du-jour.  I would stop 30 feet away, peer at it, make my calculations as to which side would be the least threatening, and then rev through the mess, hoping my momentum would get me to the other side.  Thank goodness my cell phone worked on the worst part of the hill.  AAA became my friend.  One night, the tow truck almost got stuck.  The last time my son got stuck, the tow truck driver was so fed up he refused to come out, so AAA had to find another company to come.  Three hours of waiting in the wet cold night.  SOB!

It was really stressful, especially at night when I would be coming home from a workshop, not sure if I could get through.  How would I haul my 50 lb. suitcase over 3 miles of mud to get home at 11pm? And what would my neighbors do, who have 4 wheel drive, if they found they were trapped by my stuck car?  Finally, I parked the car three miles away from the house (on the macadam), caught a ride with a 4 wheel drive neighbor,  and stayed home.  For a week.

Now the road is dry. The deep ruts formed by all this sculpted mud have dried into dramatic peaks and valleys and big ol’ holes.  Still, no one comes to visit me.  Soon the heroic town road maintenence crew will smooth it all over, throw some dirt and rocks on it, and the mud memories will vanish as the mountain bursts forth with flowers and leaves and bears and glorious summer.  Until next year.

Part Two: January and February lead into March…

On the tenth of February, I took my first of three cross-country flights within the next four weeks.  (I can hear those frequent flyer miles adding up!)  It was an honor to teach for the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat once again on the tenth anniversary of that event.  It was a real bash!  When not in class, there were presentations by Cat Bordhi, Elsebeth Lavold and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.  Here is Elsebeth speaking, always gracious and elegant, courtesy of my iPhone.  (Why is it I never have my real camera with me when I need it?)

The atmosphere of this amazing retreat is so different from many others.  There is a rich comradery, a personalness to it, that makes me want to return year after year.  It is now held in the Hotel Murano in Tacoma a few doors down from the Glass museum.  But each floor of the hotel features a different glass artist–its own museum!  If you have a chance to experience this retreat, I heartily recommend it.

After a week at home, I flew back to the Left Coast for Stitches West.  Another fun time was had by all, I assure you!  The faculty seems to grow and grow each year.  In April I will go to Atlanta for the brand new Stitches South.  It was going around that there is no recession in the fiber world–or at least at Stitches!

So I am home again, putting the finishing touches on a new class I’ll be teaching (The Danish Nattrøjer over one day) in Portland, Oregon for Knit-Purl next week (as well as Norwegian Mittens).  I’ll fly to Seattle again to participate in the Nordic Knitting Conference held by the Nordic Heritage Museum.  I’m looking forward to viewing Elsebeth Lavold’s exhibit there of her beautiful Viking Knits in between classes.

The month of March will be complete as I make my way to Woodstock, Virginia to teach my two-day gansey class at Fibersmyth.  This is the 20th year I am teaching gansey workshops.  That sounds so amazing and unbelievable to me that this wonderful gig I have, of traveling and teaching knitters, has lasted this long!  I remember soon after my book came out in 1993, I was telling my aunt about my teaching.  I said, “I really love it.  It won’t last more than a year or two, but I am going to enjoy it while it lasts…”  And I am!

Part One: January and February lead into March…

A lovely way to glide into the new year’s teaching schedule was NOT having to fly all of January!  Trekking down to Connecticut, I  taught Aran Design at Knitting Central in Westport.  This shop is so delightful with its rich array of yarns on the walls and the leopard carpeting.  From there, I  summoned my courage to take a train into *The City*, meaning NYC, to visit my beloved first born who lives in Brooklyn.  I am totally aware of how intimidating the city is to me.  But I really wanted to see Jorn and I was this close!  Rural America is so much more my speed, but I did survive and had a good time to boot!

January was so snowy and cold (hovering around zero for most of the month).  I got really attached to this humongo icicle that hung down from the roof in front of my office window.  It got larger than my arm and was inching towards the ground.  Damacles’ Sword, aiming for the clothes dryer vent outside…  But down it went as the roof was raked of its snow—a common practice here up North to avoid roof collapse and ice jams.

Woodstock, Vermont is a lovely jewel of a town, where I taught ganseys at the local library, an architectural feast for the eyes in itself.  MLK’s Birthday is a big weekend for skiers and tourists there, and I was thrilled to be staying at the Most Classy B&B there: The Farmhouse Inn.  I have been going to bed with cocoa every night since visiting there because I purchased some home made marshmallows there and they are divine!

In February, I was in Philadelphia, teaching at Loop.  Four and a half hours from home door to hotel door—a record for any travel I do.  So, OK, I only went from Hartford to Philadelphia, but it’s a pleasure to still see daylight and have some time to work in my room  before dinner and an early bedtime.

It’s culture shock for me to be in a noisy city, riding in a taxi, horns blowing, buildings closing in, and people hurrying everywhere.  Back in Putney I have been practicing walking meditation, and that causes me to slow down enough to notice the exquisite details of life.  Here I found myself numbing out to avoid sensory overload.  But hey, that’s Philadelphia!  Here are some photos of this wonderful shop and its owner, Craig Rosenfeld.  Such a warm and welcoming shop!  And now there’s a new shop next door for the sewing population: Spool!

A New Year with Thanks

Christmas has passed.  I really like the time between Christmas and the New Year.  It’s sort of a lame duck, to use a political term, the origins of which I can hardly imagine.  I have no plans, so I allow myself some lazy time before the inevitable crazy schedule jumps back in gear.

I will be making my way down to northern Maryland again to teach a two-day Norwegian Mittens class at my mother’s B and B, complete with luscious food made by the best cook in the world (my mom).  We will be knitting my Nordic Mitts pattern while learning the theory behind these awesome hand garments.  If you are interested in this intimate (10 people or less) fun weekend (January 24 and 25), please email me (beth@knittingtraditions.com).
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For many people, including myself, this has been a very trying year in many ways.  I think more than in past years, I am looking forward to a fresh start as January rolls around.  Sometimes it’s hard to keep from whining about what we don’t like and instead to focus on what is right and good in our lives.   So, armed with the knowledge that I am the one who chooses how I respond to my life events, I am ready to take on 2009!

I want to begin the New Year keeping in mind how much kindness and generosity there is, especially among knitters.  Throughout November and December, I opened package after package of little sampler sweaters that former students sent me to replace those that were stolen.  With each new box and bag, I was so filled with gratitude.  My heartfelt thanks goes out to each one of you who sent me good wishes, little sweaters or mittens, and sympathetic emails.  And huge thanks to Barb Osler in Montreal.  If ever there is a calamity, you’d want Barbie on your side, working so very hard to rectify the situation.

My wish for each of you in this coming year is that you will experience the love and kindness of others, recognize it and be very grateful for it.  It is the best gift indeed.

Stolen Goods

I am putting out the word that on October 27th, 2008, my suitcase was stolen in Montreal out of the trunk of a friend’s car. I am hoping that if anyone sees any of these pieces, you will contact the Montreal police at (514) 280-0120. I would love to have them back and there is a reward being offered for their return.  I was even interviewed on the CBC about this very sad loss.

The suitcase contained six ganseys: Grace’s Cardigan, the White Gansey, Chelsea’s Heart Gansey, Snakes and Ladders, Poppleton, and At Sea, as well as my Fair Isle Bag. You can view these on this page of my website.

All 24 of the little class samplers which I use to teach my classes were also in the bag and are shown here. (Some of the photos are older version of the actual samplers stolen, but look very similar.) In addition, two pairs of Latvian mittens which were gifts from friends, five single Latvian mittens which I had knitted for classes, and two out-of-print Latvian mitten books were in the case as well as other minor swatches used in my teaching.  I appreciate any and all help in the retrieval of this huge body of work. Many thanks!

October

Ah, the tinkling sound of a jar of applesauce sealing! I love that sound. Anyone who has never canned can’t appreciate the glow of satisfaction with every “tink” as the cooling jars suck their lids into place. It makes up for all the picking, washing, peeling, cooking, stirring, scalding and filling of jars. Once I am at the water bath stage, though, I enjoy the moist heat rising from my stove which warms up the house on crisp Autumn days. My kids helped out with the peeling this time, so as a reward, I held out some of the apples and made an Apple Cake. I got promises of future help as they heaped their plates. What a deal!

October has indeed been a busy time, as I am getting back into freezing and canning food and baking bread regularly. The neighbors just got chickens and I had to visit to see those lovely happy free-roaming hens, crooning and pecking in the yard. Life in Vermont! It’s the best! The trees have been spectacular this year, probably because of all the rain we had this summer, but the peak is over, at least on my hill. The next best thing is walking down the dirt road swishing the leaves with your feet. Another wonderful sound of the season.  Since I was a little girl, I could swear the sky is a different, richer kind of blue in October, and I still think so!

On the Knitting Front, I have been focusing on my Latvian Mitten workshop, reworking the sampler to include motifs which have three colors in one round. Most knitters gasp in dismay and avoid such an ordeal. But the more I work with three colors, especially in smaller sized motifs, the more I enjoy it. The key is being comfortable working with a yarn in each hand, plus being comfortable working two yarns in either the left or the right hand. Once you have those skills, three or four yarns in a round don’t seem quite as intimidating. Here is my new sampler for my Latvian Mitten class:

I made a discovery when I was working the thumb. It is tricky to get good tension of the two (or more) colors on the thumb. At first I was stranding the yarns, and I found the base of the thumb restrictive. Then I lapsed into twined knitting, which makes 3 color knitting even easier, and the thumb loosened up, and actually is warmer now because of the twining. You can even see how the thumb expands at the point where I switched methods. I plan to work all my thumbs in twined knitting from now on.

Autumn Arrives!

Pumpkins are taking their places at the Co-op and vegetable stands along with mums, apples, and ornamental cabbages here in Vermont. I thrill to the crisper air and the subtle changes in the shades of green on the mountains. At first I see a bit of yellowed green, then tips of leaves begin to turn red and now the speed of the transition is quickening. The light is different as is the air and the sounds. The crickets are here, and, soon I fear, the little mice that love to take up residence in farm houses such as mine. Poe, our cat, thinks she is a kept woman, not needing to earn her keep, which puts me in the unhappy position of trap-keeper.

The fall is my main time of year for reflection, and I am full of gratitude for this past year, my first year here in New England. It went by so quickly! I cherish the new friendships that have been created and this way of life which is so much easier in many ways than what I experienced in Maryland. Autumn is also a bittersweet time for me. I celebrate my daughter Chelsea’s birthday (my baby is 20!) while I go through my annual mourning of the loss of my daughter Chloë. It is hard to believe that she would be 24 years old now. I have discovered, as all people eventually do, how middle age gives one a different perspective; that the bumps in the road are meant to smooth our own rough edges. So I hope for Grace and an unending feeling of gratitude and abundance.

I must mention the Mostly Merino workshops in August that were held nearby. It was another wonderful and warm time. Here is a photo of part of the class for the first days of the retreat.

Here, BJ is unwinding her yarn for the Two-End Knitting, or Twined Knitting, class. We made little mittens to learn the techniques. Two-End Knitting, Tvåändsstickning in Swedish, is aptly named because both ends of a center-pull ball are used. The knitting is not like stranded knitting even though two yarns are used within each round. The yarns are twisted after every stitch yielding a thick and very warm fabric with unusual textural (or color) motifs possible.

And check out those Sanquhar Gloves!!!! My class worked so hard, but enjoyed themselves immensely. One of my students dubbed them “Sasquatch” Gloves and the name stuck. Silly, funny Janet!

I am looking forward to teaching this very class at the Olema Inn in Olema, California, north of San Francisco on Wednesday and Thursday, November 12 and 13. (I will also teach Norwegian Mittens on Saturday, the 15th and Seamless Arans on Sunday the 16th.) If you are interested in joining us for fun classes, exceptional food, and warm comraderie, call 415-663-9559. I hope to see you there!

Another pattern done! Another on its way.

Now don’t faint– I know I just blogged last week and this has never happened before–two blogs in two weeks. But when the mood strikes I gotta go with it!

I am so happy with how my newest design turned out. This is the Classic Gansey Cardigan worked in heavy worsted/ Aran weight yarn. This particular garment was knitted in Blackwater Abbey yarn by Debbie Stephens-Sutton of Denver and my neighbor Adrienne modeled it for me. And of course my dear friend Karen Frisa tech edited it, as she does most of my patterns. (Many thanks to all of you!) The pattern is already up on Patternfish as a PDF and is available in hard copy from Blackwater Abbey Yarns. Shortly it will also be available from Knitters Treat too. Ruth carries all of my patterns too, if you prefer having the hard copy booklet.

Here’s Adrienne next to this awesome stone wall in her yard….

And here is a detail shot

In addition to finishing that, I am still tweaking the Aran Winter Set that I posted about oh, so long ago. I am still not sure if I will include the hat, but I am trying to make it work. This is one of those long-term projects–ripping more than knitting. Finally I got tired of ripping, got the cable I wanted partway through the brim, and decided to cut instead of starting over. I picked up half a stitch all along the row with my stitch holder to stabilize the knitting.

Here is where I started to cut. I only clipped one piece of yarn and gently pulled that row out, stitch by stitch, putting the stitches on my double pointed needle. Note that the cable above is tighter and more compact, being cabled every 10 rows. The cable below, which I had started with, was cabled every 14 rows–too lazy and long for me! The Stockinette stitch area will be a facing that gives weight to the cabled brim. And maybe you can see where I slipped a stitch near the upper cable for awhile, hoping that would help in turning the facing. I decided it didn’t help, actually looking sloppy, and later dropped the stitch down and picked it back up utilizing every row of yarn, instead of the “every other row” that a slipped stitch gets. Mmm…better.

Taa-daa! Now I have live stitches to work the Three Needle Bind-off with the other end, making the circular brim. The rest of the hat will be picked up around the edge of the brim, hopefully sooner rather than later…

Designing for me is hard work. I try a bunch of different things, most of which don’t work. I do A LOT of swatching. I envy the designers that can whip out 5 or 6 designs per month. I spend a minimum of 2 months, and usually way more than that, on one project. I am very slow–but it’s not a race. I have learned that no piece of knitting is a total disaster–it can always be salvaged in some way. Knowing how to cut my knitting freed me up in many ways. And, having some experience in sewing as a teenager has given me some idea as to how garments are put together. Later!

A Frank Discussion on Gap-osis

Well, there it is. I love cardigans and button-down tops. I am hereby admitting that I have struggled with Gap-osis for all of my adult life; well actually since puberty. In fact this has been such a problem that for many years I would not buy or make buttoned tops. I know many of you more “fully-fashioned” women out there know what I’m talking about. Now I love my girls, but … everyone can tell when you put a safety pin on the wrong side to hold the fronts together. It makes that little pucker that is as annoying as gap-osis itself.

I have saved my buttoned tops for wearing during times when I know I will teach at Stitches or another venue where they give me a REALLY BIG NAME TAG. My awful secret is then hidden from view–or at least *I* think it is.

So, I was in denial when I came across this cute little cotton top [with buttons] and determined I would make it. (For fun. Not my own design.) After three years of not working on it, I finally finished it and I was so happy…except for the front opening. I knew what would happen. So, I devised A Plan. I picked up and knitted a buttonband and a buttonhole band. I bought cute buttons. I sewed the buttons on– and sewed the buttonband to the edge where I had picked up for the buttonhole band. Voila! A pullover top that looks like a buttoned top. And I can always take out that seam and convert the sweater to a cardi. But not very likely.

Here is the top in question:

As a cardigan:

But really a pullover:

Now I can at least wear this cute top around the house without blushing. The only other problem is that it is sleeveless and that is an issue in and of itself… I am not sure what I was thinking when I chose to make this, but it is cute and I enjoyed it!

TNNA—Well that was fun!

On June 5th I flew into Columbus, Ohio to attend The National Needlearts Association trade show. I hadn’t displayed in a booth since 2002 so I was feeling a little rusty. Since this is strictly a wholesale show, I was there to open new accounts for my knitting patterns. Fortunately, my friend Marilyn King offered to come along from the Denver area to help out. She efficiently got me organized (you’d think I’d never done this before as disorganized as I was!) and we quickly got our display up so we could go out for dinner and relax.

My booth: Left, center, and right

The next night we went to dinner at a nice German restaurant in Columbus with friends and colleagues:

JoLene Treace and Marilyn King, both designers and friends!

Denise, Arnhild Hillesland, and Linda from Ames, Iowa. I taught on a trip hosted by Arnhild to Sweden and Norway several years ago. Too much fun! She carries my favorite Norwegian yarn: Rauma (Strikkegarn and Finullgarn to be specific).

Well, schmoozing is definitely an integral part of TNNA and I did my best! My four new patterns were well received and I am working hard to get them into booklet form to print and distribute by September 1.

I met Julia Grunau, the creative mind behind Patternfish—a new website just for downloading patterns. It is a month old now and already there are over 950 patterns there. I am thrilled that Julia asked me to participate, so I am also working on pattern layout for that venue. It’s a lovely site and very navigable. Check it out!

After TNNA I taught for 3 days at Knitters Connection, also in Columbus, OH. This was the event’s second year and it was wonderful! I met the Ravelry gang and Clara Parkes (and bought her new book, doncha know: The Knitters Book of Yarn).

At the obligatory Knitters Connection teachers’ meeting, Cat Bordhi was so excited to show us all a new technique she worked out for making ssk look nicer. You know how one side of your sock gusset can look zig-zaggy? Well now, with her method, the ssk line is as straight and clean looking as the K2tog side. This photo, below, shows the difference on a sock heel gusset. I can’t wait for her to put up a new video on YouTube to demonstrate it! How lucky we in the knitting community are, for teachers like her who want to share knowledge rather than keep it proprietary.

My sock heel gusset, with normal ssk (inconsistent size and tension of decreases) below and Cat’s neat and tidy ssk above. Is that awesome or what? OK… so it’s subtle in this photo, but I am very psyched about this!

I am looking forward to the remaining workshops I have planned this year. You can always check out my schedule on this blog—I update it monthly, believe it or not! I’ll be in Colorado and Stitches Midwest and Stitches East*, three knitting events in Vermont (YAY!), Pennsylvania, Virginia, Santa Fe, Michigan, Montreal, Chicago, northern California, and Ohio will finish up my year. What a great year it has been so far!

* I am offering the Danish Skrå-trøje again at Stitches East this November and want to share photos I received from Dianna Smith who took the class 2 years ago. After completing the little sweater in class, she designed her own full-sized Skrå-trøje. What a fabulous job she did!

I am feeling more and more like a Vermonter, which is a good thing. It just gets harder and harder to leave to travel.

Mmmm…. future currant jelly! Enjoy your summer, everyone!