Trish Knits.com

Category: Events

  • Just a Lovely Afternoon (not) Knitting at Knit Group

    I always have a great time at knit group, and today was no exception. Except, for some reason, I didn’t knit a stitch. Often it happens that I knit very little at group time, because there’s always food, and conversation, and patterns to search for on the iPad, and all that sort of stuff. Today I think I was more focused on photographing knitting than working on knitting. It wasn’t my goal to show the projects in progress from a technical standpoint, so that you can really get a sense o the project. Instead, I was after the art of knitting, and the beauty of stitches. I only snapped a few today, but I will get more next time. These are the ones that caught my eye today, though…

    [justified_image_grid ids=”6846,6844,6845,6843,6842″]

    We also welcomed Kayla and Lily to our group today. Kayla just moved here from Hawaii TWO weeks ago and was already seeking out the company of knitters. I hope she’ll find a home with us! And Lily? Miss Adorable, she is! As you can see in the photo she loves to help her mama with her knitting! (Don’t worry, Kayla, Aunt Marie will have Lily knitting in no time!)

    Sometimes, it’s less about the thing, and more about the people. Today was one of those days for me. I am glad to have my knitting friends, and I’m already looking forward to next time.

    In the meantime, I’ve got lots of knitting to do! Catch you later!

  • Sunday was Festival Day!

    I feel like I had the best day, EVER. I know I say that nearly every year about the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, but this year, I think I mean it. My good friend Nancy joined us for the fun (she was a newbie!) so I had the fun of showing her around and watching her light up as she encountered some of her favorite yarn vendors in person. I tried something new for lunch (artichoke hearts sauteed in garlic) and engaged in quite a bit of fiber-related retail therapy myself.

    Last week I posted on Facebook that I managed to snap one of the umbrella canes on my beautiful cherry wood floor swift by Strauch Fiber Equipment Company. I contacted Otto, and asked if I could bring my swift to him for repair, fully expecting that he would take it home and fix it sometime in the future. Not only did he fix it for me AT the festival, but he fixed for me for FREE. I can’t believe he did that, considering that I’m the one who broke the thing! Thanks, Otto! I really appreciate you!

    The best part of today’s show for me, though, was seeing a lot of people I know, and being among the kindred spirits in the knitting and fiber community. It was a beautiful day, the pace was relaxing because it was Sunday instead of Saturday, and I got to see and meet a lot of people.

    Below is my gallery of photos! If you click the photos, you’ll see detailed captions.

    [justified_image_grid ids=”6772,6759,6760,6761,6762,6763,6764,6765,6766,6767,6768,6769,6770,6771,6773″]

    More about my purchases in another post, but I am sure you will notice a sort of a theme to my shopping this year when you see it. I didn’t have any particular shopping goals in mind, but the yarn fates were at work and guided me very specifically this year. You’ll see… soon. For now, I’ve got to get to bed, else this tired wheelchair battery will be of no more use to me than a pumpkin at midnight.

    Thanks to my wonderful husband for helping to make this such a special day! I love you!

    Goodnight for now.

  • If You’re Cold, Put On a Sweater; That’s What They’re For.

    If You’re Cold, Put On a Sweater; That’s What They’re For.

    Fibre Space, Alexandria, VA
    Fibre Space, Alexandria, VA
    This is going to be an exciting week for me. This weekend is the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, which is my second-favorite event of the year, next to Christmas. In fact, this week is kind of like that week in 1979, when I had the chance to see both of my favorite bands in concert in the same week. (Ok, I know you’re going to ask; it was the Bee Gees on a Monday and Little River Band on a Thursday.) And on Monday? I had the chance to finally meet the creative force behind my favorite knitting podcast–Brenda Dayne of Cast On.

    The event was held at Fibre Space in Alexandria, VA. I was afraid that I would not be able to attend the event because the store is in a section of Alexandria known as “Old Town,” old being the operative word. A lot of shops and buildings there date back to colonial times and much of it is not wheelchair friendly. Such was the case with this yarn shop when I called to inquire, but a couple of days later, the owner, Danielle, called to say that she needed a push to go ahead and buy a portable ramp for her front step. I’m glad I could be it. So I owe a huge THANKS to Fibre Space for understanding my need and filling it. Believe me, if I lived closer to that shop I’d go all the time. The atmosphere is cozy and kitschy, the staff is friendly and helpful, and the yarn? Oh my. Gorgeous. Even though I was there to see Brenda, there were quite a few things that decided to come home with me. More on that, later.

    Brenda Dayne, knitting a sock!
    Brenda Dayne, knitting a sock!
    Brenda Dayne is the host and creative force behind Cast On, which is my all-time favorite knitting podcast. The show’s been running since 2005, believe it or not, but I picked it up in 2007 when I got my first iPod. Her delivery is smooth and professional, conversational and informative. I have every episode saved on my iPod and when the rainy days hit, Cast On, knitting and a cup of my favorite cinnamon stick tea are the perfect antidote to grey weather blues.

    It turns out that along the way I discovered that Brenda and I had a couple of interests in common. We both started using WordPress as a blogging platform at about the same time, and for a while, at least, we used the same theme. (We’ve since outgrown it, I think, but it served us both well for quite a while.) So, it was fun to compare notes on our tweaks. That, and there were emails about other things, LOTS of other things over the years. So, I was excited when we finally had the chance to meet.

    Poor Brenda had just arrived in the States that day from Wales, and was, I’m sure, dead on her feet, but she jumped right in to the knitting circle that had formed in anticipation of her arrival and asked folks what they were working on. I had my long-suffering clapotis with me, but there were other projects that caught my eye. Especially this one:

    brightly colored newborn-sized sock in progress
    brightly colored newborn-sized sock in progress

    Someone named Katie was working on a pair of teeny-tiny newborn socks using a rainbow-colored Zauberball. While she was there she finished the first sock and made excellent headway on the second. That is one lucky baby to get some brightly colored socks!

    Brenda signs the book
    Brenda signs the book


    The reason for the gathering was a book signing for the book, What Would Madame Defarge Knit? by CraftLit podcaster Heather Ordover, in which Brenda has a featured pattern. Sadly, I didn’t get a copy of the book for myself that night, but now I wish I had and may do so in the future.

    Too soon, the evening was over for us, as we had to eat dinner and still head back to our home in Maryland before we turned into pumpkins. We stopped at a brick oven pizza place on the way home, that I can highly recommend. It was called “Red Rocks” and it was OMG delish. But of course, I couldn’t leave the event at Fibre Space without asking Brenda to take a photo with me:

    Trish meets Brenda Dayne
    Trish meets Brenda Dayne

    Oh and in case you wanted to know what I bought while there, there was some pink highlighter tape, a sock anatomy key chain, an ebony wood shawl stick, and these two things:

    purple self striping sock yarn
    purple self striping sock yarn

    and this:

    Jordana Paige needle binder
    Jordana Paige needle binder

    The Crafter’s Tool Butler by Jordana Paige, is almost an answer to a prayer. Aesthetically, it beats my ugly old worm binder, so I won’t be embarrassed to take my spare knitting needles on the occasional field trip to knit group. In fact, the thing looks very versatile, and as an added bonus, it comes in purple! But alas, it’s nearly 2:00 in the morning and I’m headed to the Sheep and Wool Festival after breakfast. So, I’d better stop for now. Besides, this thing deserves its own blog post. Really.

    Over and out…

    Goodnight.

  • Homespun Yarn Party, 2012

    Homespun Yarn Party, 2012

    Today was the annual Homespun Yarn Party, in Savage, MD. I’d never been to this event before, but this year, my friend Lynne from Knit Group decided that I had to attend, and offered to drive my van there. It was a little like the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, but in miniature, and it focused on small, local vendors with unique yarns and products. I went there not knowing what to expect, and I loved it!

    Of course, I couldn’t have attended an event like that without having some yarn follow me home. I tried to focus only on yarns I had never seen or heard of before, and colors that pleased me, but WITHOUT focusing on purple for once, because that would have made things too easy. And I think I succeeded. Without further ado, here are my purchases:

    This yarn is from Feederbook Farm. I like it because it has little bits that look like flowers in it. Not sure what I’ll do with it yet, but I love this.

    Feederbrook Farm Yarn
    Feederbrook Farm Yarn

    This one is Biggie, by Dancing Leaf Farm. It’s mostly blues and greens, and it reminds me of looking up at a blue, blue sky at billowy clouds while lying on cushy green grass. I was also lucky enough to find a matching felted button in the button bin. I’m sure it was no accident that it was there, but I felt lucky to find it! I’m seeing myself in some kind of wrap with this:

    Dancing Leaf Farms Biggie Yarn
    Dancing Leaf Farms Biggie Yarn

    This yarn is Chunky Bump by Mid Valley Fibers. I had never heard of this vendor before, and I just read their story when creating the link in this paragraph. You should check it out. I’m going to do something fun with this! (I also got a button pin kit, which I know will one day adorn one of my hats!)

    Mid Valley Fibers Chunky Bump
    Mid Valley Fibers Chunky Bump

    This last one is Taffy, by Folktale Yarn. The vendor told me that the yarn in this one came from one of her own goats. And, looking at the tag on the yarn, there are all sorts of yummy bits mixed in, including sparkly sari silk threads. I just love it!!

    Taffy, by Folktale Yarn
    Taffy, by Folktale Yarn

    I doubt I could have found such interesting and rich things at any other event. Plus, the best part? It was like being around old friends all day. It was crowded, but filled with local artisans and local spinners and knitters, so I was among friends. I saw lots of people in my knitting world who I know mostly online, but only see at these events, and friends that I see all the time at my own knit group. It was SO fun, and I’m glad I went.

    Thanks, Lynne! It was great. Love you.

  • Back from the Knitting Black Hole

    Back from the Knitting Black Hole

    Shawl Progress, December 2011Well, now. I have no excuses for why it’s been so long since I’ve blogged. I have no excuse, other than the fact that this is a (mostly) knitting blog, and for the last several months, I’ve felt as if everything about my knitting has been anything but steady. My knit group had struggled over the last several months about our meeting place, and I’d been working on several projects that my heart hasn’t been in, so I rarely, if ever knit at all. In fact, over the last several months there would sometimes be weeks and weeks where no knitting took place at all.

    So a new year is about to start, and our knit group is settling down in a new place (I hope) and I’ve decided to go back to what makes me happy. This means I only completed one charity scarf this year, and I am returning to my shawl, which I had set aside while trying in vain to be successful at charitable knitting. I think I’ve realized that charity knitting is not for me. It’s great for the people who can crank out so much knitting that giving away some of it only seems fair. I, on the other hand, have realized that I spend so little time knitting, that it’s becoming a miracle if I can complete more than one or two projects in a year. So, in order for knitting to make me happy, I have to knit what makes me happy. Does that make sense? So, back to the shawl it is. I hope that none of you get bored with me talking about it, because, well, it’s gonna be a while before it’s done.

    There’s also been a lot going on that I haven’t blogged about. Like in November, when I went on my first-ever cruise, and Rick Springfield and Beeb Birtles happened to be there. i should really write about that, maybe, except that probably for most of the folks who know me, that whole story is old news by now. But, if you read this, and still want me to write about it, let me know, ok? And I will.

    And then last week, there was a Christmastime tour of The White House. I once went to the White House when I was about 7 years old, but I barely remember it. Though, I do remember that it was at Christmas time, because I have a distinct memory of the Christmas Tree in the Blue Room. I was in Brownies then, only I was in a troop of all girls with disabilities, because the disabled girls were not permitted to join the other girl scout troop at our school. (Yes it was really like that in those days.) So, I think since we were a troop of all “special girls” the leader called ahead and arranged a meeting with the First Lady for us. (It was Mrs. Nixon; I’m getting old.) Other than the Blue Room I have almost no memory of this day, except that Mrs. Nixon gave us all gold pens with her name on them. So it was fun for me to go there, and I have pictures of that, too… perhaps I’ll post them here, though they are on my Facebook Page, if you want to peek.

    But other than those events, my life has been fairly uninteresting and work has been fairly stressful, and so knitting has been stalled, thus, so has this blog. So, my resolution for 2012? To rediscover the joy of knitting, and to make it worth writing about. Are you with me? I hope so.

  • Day Seven: Where Knit Happens (Usually)

    Day Seven: Where Knit Happens (Usually)

    How fitting that today is the last day of Blog Week, and I get to save the best for last. Today’s topic is about where we are when we engage in our craft. Not just in terms of place, but where we are in our minds. Is it part of a journey? A calming ritual? What is the space that this thing we so love occupies?

    I’ve been a yarn crafter since I was 7 years old. Sure, it was a way to pass the time when I was alone, or watching TV, or contemplating the world. One of my most favorite solitary memories was the night I watched Daniel Day-Lewis win the Best Actor Oscar for what is one of my most favorite movies of all time. (Since he’s won two, you’ll have to click to see which one it is, though once you do, the answer will be obvious!) I actually MET Daniel Day-Lewis just a few weeks before the big event that year, as crazy as that sounds, but it’s true. It was one of the most memorable evenings of my life, when I attended a special screening of said movie, in Congress, no less. So, there I was several weeks later, cheering him on at the Oscars (from my couch), and crocheting a bedspread for my then-boyfriend-now-husband. At the time, I thought that was about as fun as yarn crafting ever got. Except there were times when I crocheted in the company of my grandmother, who was rarely without yarn in her hands, and of course, those memories are priceless.

    Three years ago, though, I learned something really important. When you love something, you love it more when you can associate that thing with the company of friends. Over these last years I have made friends who otherwise would have been completely anonymous to me, but for the craft I would not now trade any of them for the world. Even when I do knit alone now, I am never really alone, because thoughts of the beautiful sweater that Tammy is making, or the funny joke that Julie told, or the heartache and hard times that unfortunately some are going through, but we lean on our friends and it somehow feels just a little better.

    Knitting has given me the opportunity to make new friends, and feel connected to something larger than myself. And truly, that is what matters to me most about my craft. The connections.

    So, please join me in celebrating just some of the hands that connect together and surround my heart. (As always, click to embiggen, click twice for full size)

    Looking at these photos I can’t help but have the song “Hands” by Jewel running through my mind: “In the end, only kindness matters…”

    And I hope for you that your knitting brings you also to that special place, whatever it is. For me, I’m forever grateful for the company of friends.