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.

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.

Busy Needles!

The Hitchhiker Scarf may be done, but now I have projects shouting for attention.

On the left, the stealth knitting. That's been bumped up to #1 project.

In the middle, two of the seven swatches I need for a class I'll be taking at the Knitters Review Retreat in a couple of weeks. 16 stitches, 12 rows. Easy to procrastinate about. BUT I really don't want to be knitting swatches in the car on the way to the retreat!

On the right, something new. A fun thing for me. Small and mindless enough to throw in my purse for bus or waiting room knitting. Any guesses what it might be?

Long Time, No Blog

I can't believe it's been more than six weeks since I last blogged! It isn't as if nothing has been going on--rather, too much stuff has been happening.

Over the past few weeks, friends and I celebrated a milestone college reunion. Lots of fun! I look at my friends and I don't see our well-earned markers of the years gone by -- I see the 18 year olds were all once were.



Then, we had old kitchen cabinets removed and new ones put in. What a mess!





Cabinets are up--there's still more work to be done. The kitchen isn't finished and the entire apartment needs painting and a general overhaul. But that's for when the weather is cooler.



Next, I came down with bronchitis. I spent two weeks in a blur of coughing, drowsing and reading cozy mysteries. Couldn't smell or taste anything (except salty and sweet). 1,000% better now, but still tire easily.

However, thank goodness, I felt strong enough to go to Yankee Stadium this past Saturday and see Derek Jeter get his 3,000 hit. YAY!



One thing that wasn't happening over the past few weeks was knitting.



Only a few rows in each project every few days. But now that I'm feeling better and the apartment isn't as chaotic, I'm a bit more motivated to knit.

More about that in my next post.