Knot Knecessarily Known Knitting

Last weekend North Georgia Knitting Guild was delighted to bring podcaster extraordinaire and practical knitter Brenda Dayne to the Atlanta area for two days of workshops. I gleefully signed up for the works -- “Creative Glove Design,” “Beginning Bead Knitting with Mrs. Beeton,” and “No Math Sherman Toes and Heels.” For the glove class, Brenda had a thorough and informative slide presentation and a handout with places to record our own hand measurements. I knit one pair of gloves many years ago -- and keep wondering every winter why those two skeins of plum-colored qiviut in my stash haven't knit themselves up into gloves yet. I also have a skein of pimento-colored cashmere that might make for nice gloves. Brenda is clearly someone who has knit gloves more than once, and she was able to provide several bits of information I had not yet encountered on the topic. Very helpful! The sock class was an all-day affair in which we knit baby socks to learn the technique. I had encounte...

I've been busy cleaning house lately. As many of you have heard, my husband took a job out of state. He could be laid off here or work there, so he chose work there. This has meant some changes in my life and household. 1. Divide stuff into what stays here and what goes to his new one-bedroom man cave. 2. Drive more and give thanks for the gas-sipping car. 3. Rearrange household to accommodate new reality. 4. Pay attention to whether the lawn has been mowed or not and respond accordingly. I'll be traveling more, as I do want to see my husband. I like my Cuddly Hubby, and I definitely miss him. He is enjoying his new job and making friends, which is good. And we had a long-distance relationship when we were dating and engaged, so it isn't as if we haven't done this before. I am hoping the situation will bring some focus. If I am very well-behaved, I'll plan projects so I get knitting done when I go to visit, and get pattern writing and class planning done wh...

For some reason, spring 2013 seems to be a very fiber-artsy moment here in Atlanta. If we want fiber arts to have a place in our local arts communities, then we need to turn out when fiber arts are exhibited. If you have any free time at all, here are some exhibitions to attract your attention. Repetition & Ritual: New Sculpture in Fiber Needles & Threads: Gwinnett Celebrates Traditional Fiber Arts Jes Schrom: Confession All three exhibits are at Hudgens Center for the Arts in Gwinnett County. Admission is $5. Through Saturday 25 May. fiberARTlanta exhibit Sponsored by SEFAA at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta The exhibition features a broad range of fiber arts from various SEFAA member groups. Through Tuesday 28 May. Threads of Life Sponsored by The Tapestry Weavers South at Quinlan Visual Arts Center , Gainesville. Through Saturday 8 June. Georgia Celebrates Quilts Sponsored by East Cobb Quilters' Guild at the Cobb Civic Center . Admis...

Even before 2013 began, I knew April was going to be a busy month. STITCHES South and Unwind are just two weeks apart. I didn't get to teach at STITCHES South, but I did get to teach at Unwind. And I am very glad I did. Contents of Unwind Goodie Bag. Everyone got this. Unwind is a knitting retreat weekend in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Nancy Shroyer of Nancy's Knit Knacks and Sue Homewood are the organizers. The theory is that many knitting shows are big and busy. This is all fine, but sometimes you just want a quieter experience. You want to come back from the weekend rested and rejuvenated. You want to make new friends rather than just hang out with the friends you have. Unwind is exactly that sort of weekend. It is a smaller gathering in a little resort town way up in the mountains. The views on the drive up are spectacular. The town has delightful shops, including the yarn shop Unwound, and delicious restaurants, including an ice cream shop with fudge and candy appl...

I am very fortunate that there are several weekends I look forward to each year. One of them is, of course, STITCHES South. The older I get, the more I know the calendar lies, because it can't be possible we've just finished the fifth STITCHES South. I signed up for Almost the Works. I've done The Works once, and while I love taking classes, that is a lot of classes even for me to soak up in one weekend. I'm finding that Almost the Works is the right pace for me. This STITCHES got off to a bit of a bumpy start for the organizers, as some of the nice XRX people were stuck in Sioux Falls SD due to a late-season snow! I know everyone was very grateful to arrive in Atlanta, and not just to see proof that spring does exist. Rick Mondragon was one of those delayed, so Laura Bryant gave the Opening Day talk instead. This did not bother me at all, as I had immediately acquired her new book Artful Color, Mindful Knits . Those of you who have many hand-painted yarns in your...

Every now and again, someone on the Ravelry "Knit One Below" board will ask how to fix a mistake in column pattern. Part of the reason there is no easy answer is that fixing mistakes in column pattern is not easy. I would rate this as one of the more difficult tricks a knitter could do. I did, in fact, need to do this four years ago on the socks I entered in the Think Outside the Sox contest. And it took me most of an evening, with many starts and stops. I'd think I had it, turn the work over, and see that I hadn't gotten it right. So, for all of you who really, really need to see this, here it is. Here is how to drop a wale and pick it back up in column pattern. And while I have not exhaustively explored it, I do believe you can put lifelines in at least some brioche patterns. As much as you will love a lifeline in lace, you will love it even more in brioche.

It is time again for Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance's annual Square Foot Fiber Pin-Up Show. Last year's inaugural show was pretty successful -- about 45 entries in a range of fiber techniques. I've already seen some of this year's show, and as good as last year was, this year appears to be even better. I believe there are more entries and also even better work. I was fortunate last year that my entry received enough votes to get into the annual SEFAA calendar. I don't think that's going to happen this year, as this competition will be very stiff. Sea Dream 2013 knit and crochet, handspun and commercial yarns Of course, I'm not entering a square so that I can get into the calendar. I'm entering a square because I would like to see more knitting and crochet exhibited. Quilters and weavers already exhibit their work, and their workmanship and skill is more highly regarded because of it. I can't very well complain about knitters and crocheters not ...