Category: Teaching

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!

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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!!

 

Conference/Festival Recaps, Designing, Teaching

Unwind Getaway Recap

Heather

Hi all! I know I promised to try to post during Unwind, but I got so wrapped up in everything that I forgot to! I just need to stop promising to post in the middle of events and then if I ever do you’ll be pleasantly surprised. lol!

Anyway, I had a fantastic time! I taught 3 classes, and socialized, and mingled with friends from last year, and made lots of new friends too! It was a blast. If you ever get the chance to go (it’s the end of April every year in Blowing Rock, NC) you should go because the people are all just wonderful. 🙂



On Friday morning there were several field trip options. I went on the hike at Moses Cone park.

It was a chilly morning, but by the time we were moving it became a bearable chill. The hike was just what I needed.

 

 

Then Saturday the classes began. I taught two on Saturday and one on Sunday (even the teachers get a period off, one of the things I love about this retreat!)



First up was Steeking. Everyone cut their knitting without any tears shed! I call that a success!

 

Saturday afternoon was Mosaic, and all of my students caught on really quick!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday afternoon was Finishing School, and that class went fantastic! I didn’t get a photo in the middle of class, but I did get a photo of me with a few students that stayed a bit after class.

It was a great weekend! And I’m planning on going back next year as a participant, that’s how much fun I had! 🙂

In other knitting news, I finished up my squishy socks, and will be finishing up the pattern for those and having them tech edited and such soon. So those should be published within the next few weeks.

I submitted a bunch of designs to sub calls that were ‘calling’ to me, so we’ll see within the next week or so how many deadline designs I will be working on over the next few months!!

I’m also working on revamping my tutorial videos to make them more polished looking, so look for those updated videos soon as well! If you have any techniques that you would like me to film a tutorial on, drop me a line or comment below! (You can see the topics I’ve already filmed by clicking on the YouTube icon on the far right at the top of this page!)

That’s it from me for today! Until next time, Happy Knitting!!

Teaching, WiP Posts

WiP Wednesday 4/25/18

Heather

Hi all!

I just cast off my squishy socks today, and hopefully I’ll have the pattern ready for release in a few weeks. I love how they turned out.

Despite my post last week about casting on for a Vitamin D, I have yet to actually cast it on! Oops. I have it all prepped and ready to go, though, so casting on for it should be imminent! 🙂 And I have the most awesome beads, that are not really beads, for it – I’ll share those with you next week.

I immediately casted on for a pair of toe up socks once my needles were free from the squishy socks, and I’m using this awesome yarn from String Theory Colorworks:

I’m doing just a plain sock, toe-up, and I’ll do an afterthought heel to preserve the striping. (It stripes up awesome – and will look like Dory from Finding Nemo – hence the colorway name ‘Hippocampus’ – I love that.)

Oh, and I’m excited for this weekend – I’ll be teaching all weekend at the Unwind Getaway retreat in Blowing Rock, NC. It was so much fun last year, and I’ll thrilled that I was asked back to teach this year, too!! I’ve got all my teaching supplies packed up, now I just need to pack up my clothes and stuff… oh, and my knitting too. 🙂

I’ll try to do a post from the retreat, otherwise I will do a recap when I get home!

Until then, Happy Knitting!