Weekend Long KNITTING RETREAT

This week has been full of anticipation and preparation for the upcoming weekend. I will be attending - and even teaching at - my first ever overnight KNITTING RETREAT. It will actually be 2 overnights. It is in a small town about 2 hours away from our small town. I was initially asked to teach a Fair Isle Hat with Latvian Braid class, the same hats about which I posted here. I agreed and then got excited about the other classes offered, the show-and-tell and all the evening knitting with friends and new acquaintances. It's going to be at a little inn with breakfasts and lunches provided. Suppers will be on our own where we will find local dining and maybe even bring a crockpot and desserts. It's will be fun - I'm getting super excited. I have had my project bag packed since Monday and got my hat class basket packed yesterday. Now I just need to pack my clothes, toiletries and snacks. First things first. :^)

In preparation for the class I will be teaching, I have started 2 Fair Isle hats to show the braid process and to show the methods I use for 2 color knitting.

This hat will be the Basic Norwegian Star hat from Ravelry.
The blue yarn is Frog Tree Yarns, Melange. It is 100%
merino but I think it is no longer made, I can't find it on
their web page. Too bad, it is wonderfully soft. The white
is Lion Brand Wool-Ease in the color of White Multi. It is
bright white with a thin strand of metallic sparkle. Really fun.
That's what the star will be knitted in. But I prefer
to call it a snowflake.

This varigated yarn in this hat is Cascade Tangier in the
color Fantasy. It is very beautiful but is 1/2 silk,
with acrylic and cotton. It has no give and I fear the hat will not
spring back into shape. It is what the retreat organizers carry
so I thought I should use what the students have available.
(I still stand by Plymouth Gina for lovely, long color changes.)
The white is Cascade 220.

For the show-and-tell I'm taking the handspun sweater I made for my son. And even though it's for "your favorite item (singular)," I'm also taking my latest finished project, another "Whimsical Tassel Hat". I made 2 for Christmas presents and got inspired to make one for myself. I got "un-inspiried" after the 6th I-cord and have finally gotten around to finishing it. It is really a fun hat and now that winter is winding down, I have it finished. :^) But, not to fear, here in Wisconsin in early March, there will still be plenty of days that a nice stocking hat will be needed.

This blue yarn is Patons Classic Wool Worsted
in the color New Denim. The white is also
Lion Brand Wool-Ease, white with
sparkles.

For the projects that I may or may not get to during the retreat, I'm going to start a shawl for a little girl friend for her summer birthday,  a pair of hand warmers to match the sweater I just completed (see below), a knitted basket and I even have a couple of shawlette patterns with the needed yarn, and a pair of tube socks for which I just got the pattern. I may be taking wa-a-a-y too many projects, but I must be prepared!!! Good thing for large Thirty-one totes.

I got the above mentioned sweater finished just in time to wear this weekend. It is a great pattern that I purchased from Patternworks.com. The sweater is Dolman Pullover Pattern. Lion Brand Wool-Ease in color Denim. The pattern is really simple, knitted in just 2 pieces, with sleeve increases on the front and back. I had bought the yarn a while back for $1.00 (USD) off of the regular [cheap] price at a local store. So I bought all 7 they had left. That was more than enough for the sweater. It is very nice yarn.

I plan to knit another one with Cascade 220 Paint in Denim Mix. I also want to use the same pattern with handspun. Sometime.

The sweater is in the color Denim. This yarn is in
the color Denim Mix. My tassel hat is in the color
New Denim. Starting to see the pattern?

Along with the sweater, I've been also working on a pair of socks. I got the pattern on Ravelry (DK Rib Socks) but when I got to the heel it didn't seem right. I went back to Ravelry, looked around and found the "editing" tab on the far right. And, wouldn't you know, someone had added this comment, "the turning of the heel on this pattern is wrong." UGH! Instead of ripping out all those strips, I found an old pattern from my stack that has the same number of stitches. I worked the heel according to the 2nd pattern and now for the foot and toe am using the 1st one. Combining two patterns for socks has been a little tricky but I think it'll be okay.

The colored yarn is a wonderful painted wool created by a local, family run woolen mill. The cream colored yarn is some corriedale handspun I did a few years ago. For the heel, I added a strand of thick thread to reinforce it. I plan to do the same thing on the toe. For a look at this process, see this Very Pink.com video from You Tube.

So, I must get on with my packing. Have a great weekend, in a few days. I plan on it. And you can be sure that I will report on the Knitting Retreat. :^)