Frogged

The stealth project I've been working on.

Wasn't crazy about the pattern even before I began it. Didn't like it a couple of inches into it. A full skein later, I still disliked it. I found myself working on it less and less. And, when I did work on it, those voices in my head kept repeating, "Ugh, ick, blecch!"

So, it's history.

HOWEVER a new stealth project has been started. The stitch pattern is more eye-pleasing and I'm very excited to get it going!

Final Retreat Post

Yes, two weeks later and I still have more to say about the Knitters Review Retreat--but--this is it!

First, many thanks to the Knitters Review Retreat Hostess with the Mostess (of yarn), Clara Parkes. Clara's careful planning makes it such an easy and relaxing weekend for the participants.



Clara provided a beautiful place where we could knit by the fire.



and laugh with friends.



She made sure we had souvenirs from this special 10 year anniversary of the Knitters Review Retreat



and that we had plenty of interaction with yarn. (This is a photo of the stash lounge. It didn't look like this by Sunday!)



The classes I took were terrific! In Cat Bordhi's creativity class, I was gently nudged out of my knitting safety zone. Cat got us to randomly put knitting elements together to design a cowl. There's something very exciting and freeing about this.





Ann Budd's kitchener class was held early on Saturday morning. I'd had a very late night and, though my brain understood, my fingers weren't cooperating. But kitchener I attempted and kitchener I'm not afraid of anymore!



This is not a pretty sight! I know I can do better than what this looks like. I used a contrasting color to show the work.



I had a great deal of restraint in the marketplace and purchased only some gorgeous Briar Rose yarns.

This is Glory Days. DK Blue Faced Leicester.



And this is sport weight Nate's Sock Yarn:



Now it's all a happy memory! But I do hope that 50 weeks from today I'm all sad because I'll be returning home from the Knitters Review Retreat 2012!

Awestruck

While at the last breakfast at the Knitters Review Retreat, I saw the most amazing handknit. It was the sort of knit that makes me want to put down my knitting forever. My little, small efforts to produce something out of needles and yarn pale in comparison to this sweater:




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That's a fair isle sweater a woman knit for her son when he went off to college and that's the inside of the sweater. The "ugly," non-public side. When the woman explained how she knit the sweater, she completely lost me. But, somehow, there's seams in the sweater and she doesn't like the look of seams. So she covered them. However, she knit the college's motto into one seam cover and, on the other, her son's name and year he would graduate.

As gorgeous as the outside of the sweater was, the inside was magnificent!

I'll never, ever be this caliber of knitter--but--seeing what is possible is inspiring.

So What Did People Wear?

The Knitters Review Retreat is a knitting fashion show! Everywhere I looked, there was something more beautiful to gawk at. Here's a few.

There were plenty of sweaters and vests worn in chilly Canandaigua.









The laces were gorgeous!









And at any gathering of knitters, there's always a pretty Clapotis



Garter stitch striped shawls were popular--I love their look.







But IF I had to choose my favorite piece of knitwear--believe me, this is tough--I'd pick this stunning catkin. It has texture and garter stitch stripes and slip stitches and buttons and, no, it isn't on my needles. . . yet.

No Turkey for Me

The only turkey on our table this year were our candlesticks.



I've had turkey-less Thanksgivings before, but this is the first time I prepared for turkey and didn't have it. I bought a fresh turkey yesterday. The "buy by" date was 11/26. But I opened the package this morning and PEEEEEEE-YEW!

Back to the store it went and corned beef then became our Thanksgiving meat. The one concession I made to the corned beef was to serve it with carrots and not turnips and butternut squash.



Maybe on St. Paddy's Day, I should cook turkey and cabbage?

Busy Hands

More about the wonderful Knitters Review Retreat in another post. But, one of many things that set apart a knitting retreat from the real world are all the busy, busy hands.

There was knitting, of course:







But hands were also busy winding yarn



and spinning yarn, too.



And one knitter had busy hands sewing on buttons.



And then there's the diet plan that keeps hands busy knitting instead of reaching for another cookie.

Bathing Beauty

I mentioned to some people that the Hitchhiker was on the small side. Um. . . . then I gave it a bath. Here's the scarf drying stretched out on a king-size bed. (You can't see from the photo, but one end drapes down the side of the bed.)



I didn't measure it pre-bath, but judging from this photo, it's longer.
Compare to this.



Sorry if I mislead anybody into thinking the scarf is on the smallish side.

Meanwhile, Stephen West and I have some decisions to make.