Stitches Midwest 2011

Better later than never, here's a few photo from my adventure in August, going to Chicago for three days at Stitches Midwest.

I talk all about this in the Yarnspinnerstales podcast episode 69

First were the classes.  Friday afternoon I took the 3D Knitted Beads with Betsy Hershberg. 

Beading in small bits of knitting, rolled into beads which then can be stranded into wearable art.  Her samples were stunning, and according to her, will be shown in an upcoming book by her on this topic.

Here's a basic bead:

And here's a bead showing a beaded cast on and cast off:

Saturday I took and all day class called Intentional Pattering with Hand Dyed yarns.  I not only own dyed yarns by other dyers, but also dye my own yarn, I was sure this class was going to be of interest to me.  I was so right!  It was an amazing class taught by Laura Bryant of Prism yarns (oh those yummy samples we got to knit with in the class!).  The concept, also soon to be released in a book by Laura is that if one can figure out the repeatable dye progressions in a yarn, then one can calculate a 'magic number' and use it in any pattern to make the color show up in patterns instead of a random splotch of color.

This is an example using one of Prism's yarns.  See the center color pattern developing as I knit?

Sunday morning was a fun class with the blogger and fabulous artist and amazing knitter Franklin Habit on Working with Antique and Vintage patterns.  I have always loved the old old patterns although they so often seem in a foreign language to me.  Franklin brought some enlightenment to that language, as well as some samples knit by him from the old patterns.  I also was able to buy one of his original shawl patterns, which he signed for me.

 

Speaking of buying, some people only come to Stitches to go to the Market and here's why:



That's only a quarter of the market, so widen your view four time, and then you'll have a taste of the vastness and goodness of a knitting market of over 200 vendors.

I bought yarn, fiber, and patterns, but did not really take photos of everything.  I do want to include my one purchase here because I talk about it in my podcast.  This is a trindle drop spindle and the beauty and grace and speed of this very lightweight spindle was reason enough to buy it:

However, here is the best reason of all.  This is my sock box, a small purse I carry with my ever present knitting of a sock.  The trindle's spokes are removable from that rubber ball attached to the shaft, (see them in the plastic bag?) and then my trindle fits nicely in the sock box.  So now I not only have a quick knit pick up box, but if I get bored with knitting, I have spinning I can do.  How perfect is that? both my fiber loves in a to go box!

Fiber on the spindle is dyed by Louisa Sousa, and was also purchased at Stitches.