Knot Knecessarily Known Knitting

This was a somewhat different STITCHES South for me, and not just because of the new venue. I taught two classes this time, one on Thursday and one on Saturday. There were some knitting classes that intrigued me, but they were opposite when I was teaching. So I ended up taking only one class -- Tailspinning with Esther Rodgers. For that class, I wore the scribble lace I made last summer using the corespun yarn I made last year in Esther's corespinning class. I was surprised by how much people seemed to like that shawl. It isn't complicated knitting. It is an important reminder to me that sometimes simple really is better, especially if the materials are of high quality. This year, I learned three different ways to tailspin yarn. I'm thinking about making another swirl jacket, but this time with my own handspun from my stash. I may acquire some locks from Jazzturtle so I can have some crazy fringe fun around the edge. As always, if you have the opportunity to take spinni...

It is time again for Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance's Square Foot Fiber Pin-Up Show. For those of you who may not remember, this is the show where the only requirements are the item should be made with a fiber technique and fit within a 12-inch square. The show is open to everyone -- you do not need to be an individual member of SEFAA to enter. And there is no entry fee. And the show is not juried. All you have to do is fill out the form and get the item to SEFAA Center, either in person or by post. This year will be my third year participating. I love this show. I love the wide range of work -- embroidery, silk painting, quilting, surface design, dyeing, handspinning, felting, crochet, and knit. And, since I'm on the board of Center for Knit and Crochet, this is my moment to remind all you knitters and crocheters that this is an opportunity to exhibit work. As you already know, I feel very strongly about this. People who don't quilt or weave take quilting and weaving ser...

For those of you who love to gawk at fiber arts, please don't miss the current opportunity. The Japanese Embroidery Center has an exhibition at SEFAA Center through 8 April.  You can view the exhibition today or Thursday from 10 to 4 or again on Monday and Tuesday from 10 to 4. SEFAA is hosting a Cas Holmes workshop this weekend, meaning SEFAA Center will be in use and not open to the public. Students from the Japanese Embroidery Center are staffing the exhibit and acting as docents. They can answer your questions about the various techniques. My thanks to one of them, Christine Kellogg, for graciously permitting me to take a detail promotional photograph of one of her pieces. I wanted a picture to give a hint of the beauty that awaits, without showing you all too much, as you need to treat yourselves. There is quite a bit of silk and metal threads stitching; all very precise. The silk couching securing metal threads is often laid in to form patterns. I was particularly struc...