Trip with the girls to Stitches Midwest in Schaumberg, IL

Hello again!

I’m back safely from Stitches.  I spent a grand total of $385 on yarn/kits.  It could have been a lot worse, believe you me.  I guess it didn’t help that I took a design class and a how-to class, as it spurned me to buy more yarn to add to my stash/plans.

I took Karen Alfke’s two Unpattern classes.  One was “Design It Yourself with Unpattern,” and the other was “Unpattern Top-Down Sweater Workshop”.  As I person, I found Karen to be very enjoyable:  personable, knowledgeable, attractive, inoffensive in all ways, thorough, practical, and of impeccable manners.  I enjoyed the classes very much!  After the first class I had already started knitting my new design, using her Unpattern method.  I’m designing a crewneck pullover using Araucania Ulmo (a yarn I already had in my stash!!!!), a gorgeous hand-dyed cotton yarn.  I’ll post my progress on ravelry (I’m Knitch).  I bought 2 skeins of Noro Kureyon Sock with which to knit the Webs Deep Breath sweater, that I’m already knitting in their fingering weight alpaca blend.  I thought it would look really cool in the Noro.  I told the nice Webs folks what I was going to do with the yarn, and they loved the idea.  They would like me to email them a photo when it’s completed.  I also bought a gorgeous kit from Adirondack Yarns (the second kit I’ve bought from them at Stitches Midwest).  It’s a capelet (NO, not a PONCHO!), knitted horizontally with a huge cable wrapping around the chest, and has an elegant wide turtleneck.  I’ll put this on ravelry also.  It’s knitted with two strands of an alpaca yarn they had.  I can’t remember what it was!!!  I bought 2 skeins of the Twisted Sisters fine kid mohair hand-dyed yarn, “Lust” in a black/purple colourway (purchased from the Great Yarns booth), to hold with black Malabrigo laceweight and Blue Heron Fine Chenille (purchased from Mass Ave. Knits) to knit my next SKIF sweater with.  I think that will be the Neptune Buttonback as soon as more patterns come in (I think they’re already on the way from the supplier, as the debit card has been charged).

The food in the hotel was super expensive.  We didn’t realize we could leave the premises with ease until we inquired at the desk about transportation.  We really didn’t want to get in the car, drive, etc.  THERE WAS A FREE SHUTTLE!  Pierre, our driver, took us to a really cool restaurant called “Weber Grill.”  Yeah, you got it.  There was a HUGE Weber grill out front, serving as signage.  This is a photo of Jesus, the grillmaster on the other side of the counter from us, doing the grilling.  We were the only ones sitting at the counter, and we soon found out why:  It was too damn hot!  My eyeballs got really hot after a while.  It was worth it though!

Jesus, bearing the heat, but smiling the whole time he worked.  I know you can’t see the smile, but it WAS there!

What was funny was that there were many grown men taking pictures of these grills.  Why do men love grills so much?  It’s a wonder to me.  If they like cooking so much, why aren’t they in the kitchen more?

 

I’ve noticed a lot of searching on the yarnstudio.com Rowan 44 page.  Is there a kit anyone would like me to put together next that isn’t yet online?  I can usually get it up pretty quickly when a request is made.  I have a kit from the All Seasons Cotton Collection (Parched) kitted now.  Remember, I kit at 10% the yarn price!  When ordering a kit, please notice that the book is shown for sale separately for those who already have the book and would like the yarns only.  The book is shown also at a discount for those who are purchasing a kit as well.  I have a new color of Atacama, #506, in stock now, as well as some Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in #012 and #009, and Araucania Patagonia in colors #219, #205, #206, #211, #221, #223, #224, and #234.  Feast your eyes on the Patagonia colors!

Yes, they really ARE that beautiful!  Later taters!