Is anyone going to Stitches South in April?

I’m half considering it, if I can take time off work (and about a bazillion other “if’s”…)

First, a big ol’ disclaimer: if you were expecting a knitted gift from me this Christmas, you should expect it in approximately June.  Despite having started my Christmas knitting with good intentions and an excellent system of organization months ago, I still am behind and can’t forsee catching up within the next two weeks.  So don’t think I’ve forgotten you — my fingers just don’t knit fast enough.  (That, and I rather like my job and would like to keep it, so I can’t spend my days knitting from morning till night either…)

Last weekend was incredibly busy.  The Neighborhood Knit Shop hosted a weekend with Maggie Jackson of MaggiKnits.  She was nothing short of phenominal.  She’s incredibly inspiring and really has a way of helping you to get your creative juices flowing if you’re in a rut.  She was really exactly what the doctor ordered for me.

The MaggiKnits weekend started out with a fashion show on Friday night, which was the perfect introduction to Maggie’s style.  Her books had come into the shop a few weeks in advance and I couldn’t quite grasp her vision, however I trusted Pat and Sharon who had raved about her, and she didn’t disappoint.  Truly, you have to see her garments in person to appreciate them.  Their drape and movement are really like nothing else you see in knitwear.  Maggie says it comes from her background in making ready-to-wear for Neiman Marcus and other high-end retailers.

After the fashion show, we got to try on many of the garments and I found several I really liked.  So of course I had to get a few of her pattern books.  I even got them signed.

I spent the next two days in classes with Maggie.

Saturday was a class called “Oh No… Not Another Scarf”.  We got to work with Maggie’s beautiful linen yarn (I chose the cream color) along with a mix of her fancy yarns — rag, ribbon, bouclé, etc.  We learned many of the techniques that Maggie uses in her sweaters and shawls.  We learned the tube, the split, ladder stitch, and knitting in bits of rag.

One of the most interesting parts of the class was breaking out of all the “rules” of knitting.  It was exciting, freeing, and fun.  Yet all the knitters in the class (including myself), were resistant to do it.  She told us to tie knots in our knitting!!  ::gasp::  She even had us cut up bits of rag-yarn, tie it in knots, then knit with it!  It felt shocking because it was so opposite of everything I’ve ever learned about knitting.  But by the end of the day, I realized, that’s just another reason I love this hobby so much: there really is no wrong way to knit, and just when you think you know how to do it “right”, you learn something new that makes you look at it in a totally different way.

My swatch from class is pictured to the right.  I’ve added on to it since and though the class was encouraging us to find other uses (wall-hanging, decorative pillowcase, purse, etc.) for our swatch, I really just want mine for a fun, sassy scarf.  It’s the linen that gets me; I’ve never knitted with it before.  I adore the drape of it so much that I can’t imagine doing anything but wearing it!

That brings us to Sunday’s class.  It was a bit more structured than Saturday’s very free-form class.  But it still gave us lots of room for creativity and personalizing our project.  The class was titled “Let’s get Purse-On-L” and once again we got to work with fantastic linen yarn.  This time I chose black and contrasting colors in pink, blue, and purple.  Our project was a cute drawstring purse and the class built on the skills we’d learned on Saturday, adding ruffles, picots, and twists.  My purse (pictured to the left) is obviously unfinished, but I can’t wait to finish and use it!

Monday Maggie had a third class, called “Knot It and Knit It” but unfortunately I had to work so I was unable to attend.  I heard it was every bit as great as the first two classes, though I’m not surprised because I thoroughly enjoyed the first two!

I did splurge on a project for myself.  I’m planning to knit the “La Alhambra” wrap from Book 11, Squares and Frills.  I’m knitting it using the MaggiKnits yarns pictured here, in tones of gold, brown, and black.  The solid gold is cotton, the black is angora, the brown is linen, and the multi-colored is a silky slub yarn.  This is only a tiny slection of Maggie’s yarns — you should see it all in person — her colors and textures are so rich and luxurious.  I can’t wait to knit the wrap for myself.  It’s going to be my post-Christmas project.

And speaking of Christmas…

As I said before, I’m behind on my Christmas knitting.  I don’t know why I even try, really.  It’s inevitable that I’ll fall behind on it.  Oh well, I suppose it’s good to have goals.

I did finish quite a few “Turn a Square” hats.  It is by far my new favorite hat pattern.  It’s such a quick knit and I love that it comes down all the way over your ears.  Great for cold, windy days.

I also knit one scarf, and am in the process of finishing another.  I also got some super new scarf patterns in the mail today.  They’re all designs from Jojoland and I ordered them from The Loopy Ewe.  I’ve had my eye on the Swirl Shawl for a very, very long time.  (Isn’t it gorgeous?!)  I also got the patterns for Wine Tasting, Lavendar Passion, and Amethyst Emerald.

I just happened to have three skeins of Jojoland Melody in my stash (technically, they were hiding in my desk drawer at work, of all places…) so I may try and knit the Amethyst Emerald scarf as a gift if I have any time at all left before Christmas.

I keep starting Christmas gifts left and right, all willy-nilly.  So I really need to restrain myself and decide exactly what I want to finish.  Then finish just those things before starting anthing new.  Duh.

I cast this (project pictured, right) on last night.  (I swear it’s the last one I’m starting till all the others are finished!)  It’s the beginnings of a pair of Mama Janes slippers.  A friend, Beth, brought the pattern to my attention when we were at the MaggiKnits weekend so I had to buy it.  ‘Cause ya know, I have enough sock yarn and I can’t knit just socks all the time.  Plus, I happen to have a friend who just moved into a new house with very cold floors, so I think she definitely needs a pair of these to keep her tootsies warm.

Lastly, on a completely different note, I’m psyched because my copy of The Tales of the Beadle Bard came in the mail today!  I don’t care if it is a children’s book, I can’t wait to read it.

As a matter of fact, I think I’m going to put off my Christmas-knitting a bit longer and go take a bubble bath and start reading it.  ‘Cause yes, I am a dork like that.

December 1st.  Wow.  Where did time go?

Oh ya…

1. Work has been NUTS.  Just nuts.  That’s all.  But ya know… I love it when the pressure is on, honestly.
2. Helped my much-loved local yarn shop with their new website.  Check it out at NeighborhoodKnitShop.com.  The site launched last night and is still growing and evolving, but I think it’s off to a great start.
3. Nick and I put an offer in on our first house on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  We’re currently working through the whole counter-offer process.  We should know by 5 p.m. today if we got the house or not (then the only hitch will be if it passes a home inspection).  I’m both excited and nervous (’cause they’ve just today decided we’re officially in a recession, ya know).  We requested a closing date of December 24th.  Merry Christmas to us.  Heh.

So, I’ve kept busy over the last month or so.

What am I knitting?  I’m still working on assorted Christmas gifts.  I’ve made lots of hats and I am still working on one seemingly never-ending scarf.  I’m also working on the February Lady Sweater for myself.  I can’t wait till that’s done.

I want to make these ornaments.  NOW.  Aren’t they fantastic?  I’m envisioning a white tree covered in nothing but these ornaments, filled with yarn in every color of the rainbow.  YES!