Habu Textiles Kit A-84 skirt
I love this skirt!
Habu Textiles Kit A-84
It drapes and moves beautifully and feels fantastic.
border knit with a single of mohair/silk
The pattern calls for a drawstring at the waist, but I added a studded skinny belt instead.
The skirt is knit with two yarns held together; it comes on one cone of a-1 tsumugi silk and one cone of a-32 silk mohair, with no knots.
TIPS:
I met squiffyknits at Madrona and she gave me The Best Advice:
Mark every decrease as you knit.
I would have LOST MY MIND if I had had to try to find and count the 47 decreases on each panel of this tweedy mohairy knit!
I ran a light colored thread through the edges before soaking so it would be easier to put in the blocking wires when it was all dark wet silk and mohair.
I made a template for the pieces to simplify blocking.
I used two blocking wires at the hem, one through the main fabric (two yarns held together) and a second wire through the mohair/silk single border.
Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat 2013
I had a great time at Madrona!
I always do! 
FAVORITE DISCOVERY!
addi Turbo Sock Rockets:
pictured L to R – regular addi Turbo, addi Sock Rockets, and Signature Stiletto needle tips
Classes I took:
Suitable Seams with Judy Pascale
She has great stuff to teach, is full of enthusiasm and really wants her students to learn; she takes the time to make sure everyone ‘gets it’. And she’s funny too.
We learned different seaming methods depending on the pattern stitch used for the knitting, how to make the most attractive seams.
So many seams I would have done differently if “I had known then what I know now”.
Well, onward.
Yarn 101 with Clara Parkes
I hesitated to take this class, I have read Clara’s Yarn and Wool books and I have been knitting for over thirty years; I wasn’t sure I’d get my money’s worth out of the class.
Well, I am glad I took the class, I got a lot out of it, I can now better use her books as references. We received samples to touch and take home and I have better understanding of the fiber. Clara is bursting with wool and yarn knowledge, I enjoyed hearing everything she had to say.
Friday Evening Teacher’s Gallery and Presentation by Donna Druchunas on Native Alaskan lace knitting and the Oomingmak Cooperative was very interesting, both the adventure of her interest becoming research becoming a book and the stories of Alaskan lace knitting and quiviut.
History, Methods & Styles of Lace Knitting with Franklin Habit
Franklin brings a lot of information to his classes. I appreciate the depth of research and well edited presentation.
He also provided representative lace motif patterns to knit while he spoke and the class sailed by.
And there is always the Marketplace…
I was using my self control until I won an Artful Ewe gift certificate and was forced to look closely and think about projects and then couldn’t pick just one.
The Artful Ewe by Heidi LIMA-Baby Alpacka/Silk Hand-Dyed Yarn – Thank you Artful Ewe and Madrona!
I kept seeing these everywhere and finally broke down:
Slipped Stitch Studios Two Skein+ and Sock+ Project Bags
It’s always beautiful when Mount Rainier makes a showing.
the view from my room
Madelinetosh Poet Society Tam
Cold frosty morn.
That roof is RED.
A good day to take wool hat photos.
Continuing the Madelinetosh Love I even used a Madelinetosh pattern.
(best color match in this photo)
Madelinetosh Poet Society Tam in Tosh Vintage in Tart.
BRRRRRRRRR!
Stash Diversity in Columbia City
Last Thursday, walking around Columbia City ArtWalk after dinner at La Medusa, I saw this:
YARN? In Columbia City?
How have I never heard of this?
“Uh, hon, I’m going over there…”
Well, it is not a yarn shop and doesn’t pretend to be, it is a quilt shop with a little corner of yarn:
That really is all of it, the rest is not cut off in the photo.
You can see the fabric encroaching on the bottom shelf.
At first I was not sure what the point was.
She has Cascade 220, which, if you’re gonna stock one yarn, it probably ought to be Cascade 220. A few other yarns, a few needles, like I said, not sure what the point is.
Oh.
Right.
It is to lure Knitters-Who-Do-NOT-Quilt in to her shop where she knows we will swoon at all her Very Cool Fabrics:
and buy something even though we do not quilt and would not ditch our husbands for a quilt shop (he did come find me later).
She knows we stash and it is a tiny fall from stashing yarn to stashing fabric.
In fact!
I just realized.
Her shop is called Stash.
Subtle.
It worked, I bought some flannel to make jammie bottoms for the kids:
I bought the last 3 yards, went home, searched patterns, found I need 2 yards per jammie, went back and bought 3 yards of a coordinating print so I can do the fronts in hedgie and backs in the coordinating, and I am now going to make 3 jams, including one for me.
looks like hedgehog spines? sorta?
“YARN”, it said.
“YARN” on that durn sandwich board and now I have 6 yards of flannel.
Dangit!
Come to think of it, I do need some Cascade 220…
Stash Quilt Shop in Columbia City
Beautiful selection of fabric and a convenient place to grab some Cascade 220 or some sock yarn in a pinch.
K1P2BBQ
I figured out how to eat BBQ potato chips while knitting!
Hmm.
This might not actually be a good thing…
oh, and it works with Cheetos too
