rushing

We decided this morning to take a couple of days and go to camp. We're leaving this evening so I am rushing to get a couple of errands done today and then pack my knitting. I'm taking the hemp ponchette #409 from http://www.hempforknitting.com/ ,

and a top down sweater I've started for myself out of Briggs & Little sports weight wool http://www.briggsandlittle.com/ (I do love getting back to knitting with wool), and I was going to bring one sock which hasn't seen any progress since the spring but I think these 2 projects are enough. Lots of straight knitting to do on the sweater.

My errands have to do with the next big event around here, Mariposa Folk Festival, coming up next weekend http://www.mariposafolk.com/ . A merry group of visionaries worked hard this last year trying to start new Arts school around Mariposa. For 2 days before the weekend you could have taken classes in songwriting, photography, creative writing, singing, dancing, printmaking and improv. Did you notice the past tense? It didn't get off the ground. So some more of us have joined the group and I am lending my marketing knowledge, such as it is, and have made up a flyer to advertise for next year 'New in 2009, A Learning Experience...email us at forum@mariposafolk.com, we'll keep you informed.' We'll be emailing a newsletter with profiles of teachers and all the info that comes up during the year. Lakehead University has pitched in with classrooms and restaurants will discount meals and there might be an arts tour and who knows what. If you see me at Mariposa on the weekend I'll be there with green flyers because

I have a few.

My short list of people I want to see there: Cheryl Wheeler, Loudon Wainwright III, Sarah Harmer, John Wort Hannam, JP Cormier, Maria Dunn, Holmes Hooke, Taj Mahal, Connie Kaldor and some that sound interesting like the Funky Mamas, Creeking Tree, & the Foggy Hogtown Boys. It's going to be an exciting weekend and it's only Monday - 4 more sleeps.

-Deb

something new

I started something new which is not a baby anything. It's not in baby friendly yarn, it's not baby sized, it's not for a book, it might even be for me but I do have someone else in mind for it.

It's Hemp for Knitting's Ponchette(http://www.hempforknitting.com/) #k409. The hemp is DK weight and the ponchette is knit with large needles, I'm using 4.5mm/US7, and it's flying along.

It's so easy that I cast on last night during our last knitting guild meeting. We went formal for the occasion and had a pot luck at a members house. We sat in her sun room and knit the evening away. There were baby sweaters, socks, a baby afghan, a coat, a couple of shawls and a ponchette being worked on. Our guild is very small about 14 knitters and this is about 1/2 of us here but we have a great time together.

In fact there was always so much talking going on during the meeting that we now meet for dinner first and then go to our shop for the meeting. We generally have a show and tell which takes up most of the time and a short workshop afterwards. Some home made wine made it even better this evening.

We set up our program for next year. Different members have volunteered to attempt to teach us all: spinning with drop spindles (one of our members husband is going to make us some), a new 'knit one below' stitch one of our members test knit for a new XRX book coming out in November, tweed stitch squares from Sally Melville's stash busting book 'Styles' and maybe we'll throw them in a dye pot too, knitting with wire & beads (before christmas so we can all make presents), japanese cording or braiding, twinning (spelt right? - using 2 ends of the ball at once), work on some accreditation samples for the Canadian Guild of Knitters (http://www.cgknitters.ca/ - Cynthia, the president, is one of our members), and we're going to get a demo on cutting a lining for a knitted jacket which one of our members does beautifully. It's going to be an exciting year. We're not done yet though. In July I think we're going to Huntsville to do a dyeing workshop with Karen the owner of the Sheepstrings store. So much good stuff to learn and try out. Makes one giddy!

-Deb

hemp goodie

I did get another goodie at the TNNA show (the national needlework show). Some delicious hemp/cotton/modal from http://www.lanaknits.com/, 'hemp for knitting'. It's DK weight and with my 50gm ball I think I will try a little scarf or something. I really liked working with the wool/hemp. The deep V tunic sweater is still to be finished and written up but it's at the top of my list of things to get done soon.

Sorry for the abrupt posts here but since I've been back I have succumbed to a horrible cold and can hardly think straight. The worse will pass in a couple of days but right now I'm having trouble thinking straight. I have 2 new colours of Cotton Tweed to knit samples in for the next show. Some no-think knitting is what I can handle at the moment. I'll start tonight. And hopefully I'll be a little more coherent in a couple of days.

-Deb