Category: Teaching

Conference/Festival Recaps, Teaching

Kanuga Recap

Heather

Hi everyone! How is your February going so far?

I figured I should show you some photos from the Kanuga Knitting and Quilting retreat. It’s only been almost a month since then, lol! I did take some photos though – go me for remembering to do that!

I had such fun at Kanuga! My students were fantastic, and I met so many wonderful people! It was lovely. I taught my Quatrefoil lace shawl the whole weekend, and I loved seeing everyone’s lace progress and grow as the weekend went on!

On Sunday I went on a hike around the property. It was so peaceful and calm, I loved it (even though it was SO cold and windy!)

At this point I was having second thoughts about my hike. It was *very* muddy and this was a steep descent down! But I made it safely. 🙂

Many of my students made sure to make it known that they wanted me to come back next year, which makes me very happy. I’d love to teach there again next year! ❤

So, that’s a recap of the Kanuga Knitting and Quilting retreat! I’ll post again soon with a recap of the Guild Workshop that I taught a few weeks ago too, and my WiPs and upcoming classes!
Until then, Happy Knitting!

FO Posts, Teaching, WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday, FO, and Reflections

Heather

Hi everyone!
I hope 2019 is treating you well so far! I’m getting ready to go teach at a retreat in the mountains – the Kanuga Knitting and Quilting Retreat. I thought I would touch base here before I leave, and I might try to do a post of two while I’m there.

On my needles: I’m still working on my plain socks. They’re plain – and not very exciting, lol. But they make good tv knitting. 🙂

I’m also casting on a new project to take with me tomorrow to the Kanuga retreat. I decided on Persian Dreams blanket by Jenise Hope. I went stash diving for a bunch of different colors of Palette yarn to use – it’ll make a nice thing to work on in fits and spurts! No picture yet – but as soon as I start a hexagon I’ll share my progress.

I do have a FO to show you – I finished my Vitamin D cardigan! It still needs to be blocked, but I went ahead and wove in all the ends. I’ll block it when I get home from the retreat. After I block it I’ll get a picture of me wearing it and I’ll include all of my project notes.

Close up of the back of the neck

Anyway, I’m looking forward to Kanuga! I’ve never been before – it sounds lovely, and I’m excited to meet my students and have a wonderful weekend teaching in the mountains!

On another, more serious note, if you weren’t aware – there have been some important conversations happening over on Ravelry and on Instagram and online about racism in the knitting community. I’m not ready to join in the conversation yet – but I did want to let my readers know that I have been following along, reading/listening, and most importantly – learning. It’s a difficult topic, but an important one, not just for the knitting community. The world is full of a diverse and beautiful mix of people, and we need to be able to peacefully and compassionately exist among all of that beautiful diversity. I don’t have the time to link to resources here right now (I need to pack for my trip!) – but if you do some digging you can find all kinds of great resources. I have just begun working through the “Me and White Supremacy” workbook by Layla F. Saad (I will link to that!) — so I have a ways to go in my voyage, but I am determined to learn and grow. It’s a complicated topic/subject, but a worthwhile one and an important one.

So with that, I will sign off. 🙂

Until next time, Happy Knitting!!

Teaching, WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday 10/24/18

Heather

Hi all!

I have a few WiPs on the needles this week! I’m still knitting on my Vitamin D cardigan – *almost* done! I need to wind up my last skein in order to finish it, and I just haven’t done that yet. But I have about 4 more rows of the hem to work, and then the neckline pickup and I’ll be done. Of course, I may not feel like wearing a lightweight linen cardigan in the chilly weather we have lately, but at least it’ll be ready for me to wear next spring, right?

(Did I mention how much I love these little buttons??)

I started on another plain vanilla pair of socks to have some ‘on the go’ knitting with me. I started these at the Billy Joel concert we went to a couple of weeks ago (amazing concert!!) and have been working on them here and there when I get a chance. I decided to do a German Short row heel on these. I’m loving the yarn – it’s the special ‘Happy Birthday to Ewe!’ colorway by Twisted Owl – such a happy color!

I have a brioche hat on the needles too, my own design. A brioche class was requested, so I figured I need to polish up my brioche knitting skills and prep a hat pattern to teach during class. I keep ripping it back to the band because I can’t decide on a set of increases/decreases that I like – and that would be easy to teach to beginners. So, it’s a work in progress still. 🙂

So, that’s what I have on the needles this week! The newest issue of Cast On magazine will be coming out very soon, so stay tuned for that (you can finally see my sweater!)

If you’re local and in town this weekend I have a couple of classes on offer at Cheers to Ewe on Saturday – ‘Learn to Fix Your Knitting Mistakes’ and ‘Gauge and Blocking Workshop’ – both are excellent for helping you to be a more confident knitter! Come join me if you can, I’d love to see you there!

Until next time, Happy Knitting!

Designing, Teaching, WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday 9/19/18

Heather

Hi again! Sorry it’s been so long, I’ve been swamped lately!

We survived Hurricane Florence here with no lasting damage – we got about 8″ of rain all told, and some debris in our yard from the wind, and we lost power for about 4 or 5 hours, but that’s about it. Several local roads flooded, but we stayed put until yesterday and most of the flooding has receded. We’re thankful it wasn’t worse for us, and feel badly for the folks at the coast that are still recovering.

I’ve set aside my Vitamin D cardigan, because my design yarn (Miss Babs Yowza – scrumptious!) arrived and I have been hard at work knitting up my cabled cardigan for the next issue of Cast On. I only have about 2 weeks to finish it – I must admit, it’s going to be a tight deadline! I have the back done, and I’m almost done with the front. I’m sure I’ll make the deadline, but it will likely require some late nights!! I don’t want to spoil it too much – but here is a close up of some of the cables:

I had a needle cable break while knitting the back! Thankfully it broke at the end of a row and not in the middle! I contacted ChiaoGoo about it, and they kindly sent me a replacement cable quite quickly. I didn’t lose any knitting time due to the break, since I had extra cables available. (It’s always a good idea to have lots of extra cables! I need to order a few more actually…)

I have some exciting news to share! I’ll be a teacher at the Dallas Fort Worth Fiber Festival this next year! They’re selected two of my classes to offer in the class lineup. (You’ll find out which classes when they announce the class list in October.) I couldn’t be happier! I will be a teacher during the TKGA Master’s Day as well there (of course!)

If you’re a local, I have a great Workshop class coming up at Cheers to Ewe – Estonian Decorative Stitches. It’ll be on 9/29 from 1-4. It’s a great class for folks getting into lace knitting – we cover nupps, star stitches, clusters, and Estonian lace in general. Come join me!

That’s it from me for today! I’ll be posting a new cast on technique tutorial soon, and I have some new tutorial videos and posts in the works – but all that has to wait until my cabled sweater is done first! 😀

Until next time, Happy Knitting!!

Designing, FO Posts, Teaching, WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday 5/23/18

Heather

Hi all!

I finally casted on my Vitamin D cardigan!

Pattern: Vitamin D by Heidi Kirrmeir
Yarn: Claudia Handpainted Yarn Linen Lace in colorway Tranquility

The beads are actually doll buttons! 3mm Swarovski crystals with an actual button shank on the back. I did 10 of them at the first set of radial increases for the back neck. I may do a few more on the lower fronts, we’ll see. I only have 10 more left, so they’ll need to be used sparingly. (They are from Horsman – and they are called ‘Crystaletts‘.) They were a bear to get on the yarn with the crochet hook, the 5mm ones would have been much easier I think, but I wanted the tiny ones so the bling is subtle.

The linen yarn is quite stiff, but I know that it will soften up considerably when I block it. The sample that Claudia had in her booth of this in the linen lace was so soft and lovely!

And I finished a baby sweater yesterday for my TKGA Instructor certification as well — here it is blocking today:

Pattern: Flax by Tin Can Knits
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Paints in colorway 9875

I’m hoping it dries enough for me to mail off my binder on Friday – it was a lot of work preparing and assembling all of the materials for the certification program! Hopefully it’s all up to snuff and I’ll have that certification soon! 🙂

I received my yarn several days ago for the next pattern I’m doing that will be in Cast On for Fall, so those will be started soon! And I’m putting the final touches on the pattern for the ribbed socks that I finished a while ago too, so that pattern should be ready in a week or two. Plus I have lots of classes at Cheers to Ewe coming up! Lots going on here!

Upcoming Classes at Cheers to Ewe:

June 2: Learn to Fix Your Knitting Mistakes (almost full!)

June 16: Needle Tatting, Decorative Cast Ons and Bind Offs

June 23: Tisket Tasket Entrelac Basket

July 7, 14, 28: Graphite Socks

August 18: Beyond Basic Cast Ons and Bind Offs, Beaded Amulet Purse

Have a class idea? Shoot me a note in the comments or via the ‘contact me’ form!

Until next time, Happy Knitting!!