Let's Talk Knitting Camp 2017

Before I took off this summer I talked about my excitement to be taking in my first ever Schoolhouse Press Knitting Camp. Should you have forgotten what I wrote then it can be found here.

There were a few who questioned what on earth one might do from July 6-10 that related purely to knitting. I do empathize with that skepticism, it is hard to imagine spending that many hours talking about knitting, unless you yourself knit. (I might ask how someone might spend much of Sunday, as well as Monday and Thursday evenings watching football for instance. Or what about the fishing experts who come to talk for a couple of days. Or the book clubs members who in addition to reading want to meet the authors. Unless you love it, you don't get it.) Those few days in camp were inspiring, energizing, educational and fun all wrapped up together. On July 6 there was only an organized dinner in the evening, but by 4 pm when Susan and I arrived lots of knitters had already found their way to the Conference Center and sat talking and knitting to fill the time before dinner.

There were full days on July 7, 8 and 9. Instruction took place in the mornings by either Meg Swansen (Elizabeth Zimmermann's daughter) or Amy Detjen. I had seen Meg Swansen before at Yarnover in 2016 and wrote about that encounter here. Meg is so unpretentious and easy-going I knew learning from her would be fun. Amy, on the other hand, was new to me, but boy am I glad I met her. Amy has a comedic sense of timing and humour with neither getting in the way of her teaching you all she knows about good knitting.

Afternoons were a time of bring and brag. With 46 participants there was so much good knitting to show and talk about I walked away fully inspired with lists of new ideas and patterns to seek out each day. I brought Waiting for Rain as my bring and brag project. With its unique construction of short rows, lace and simple garter stitch it was a hit. Even Meg wanted to see it close up.

Evenings were a time when one could get help from Amy and others on projects that had tripped the knitter up. Plus there was plenty of time to bond with other knitters. I met knitters who designed and knit from the seat of their pants, to those who so preciously followed a pattern their work perfectly replicated the designer's, to those who were so skilled they too could have been teaching. One woman spent her free time trying to recruit others to take the Master Hand Knitter program from The Knitting Guild of America (something I have thought about doing for some time).

Oh, and there was also time to peruse all the books, yarns and patterns for sale by Schoolhouse Press as well. Most notable is their collection of all the colours of Jameison yarns; Schoolhouse Press is one of a very few distributors of all the colours in the U.S.

There was so much to take in. As Susan and I discussed our recollections, it seemed as if we might have attended different events, but we didn't. I did thoroughly enjoy my time at camp; attending it was on my bucket list. However, I don't feel the need to return soon to the first-timer camp like some who seem to come back year after year. Again, don't get me wrong, I loved it, but there are other things burning on my bucket list like a trip to Shetland, Fair Isle, or Iceland.

Here's a few of my photographic memories of Knitting Camp 2017

A view of the classroom with Meg teaching up front.

Another view of the classroom with all the Jameison yarn in rings on the left of the photo

Part of the Marketplace that seemed to need restocking daily.

Meg Swansen graciously posing with me for a photo.

The ever playful Amy Detjen insisting I sit on her lap if I wanted a photo with her.

Anatomy of a Sock

I've been knitting socks for a relatively short time. One of the disconcerting things for me as I started following patterns for socks is the pattern designer assumes the knitter (in this case that would be me) knows all the parts of a sock. So I thought I'd devote a post to improve my own knowledge about the anatomy of a sock and maybe some of you will learn something about the humble yet necessary sock as well. Here's the names of the parts of the foot as I know them. #49 ankle, #50 heel, #51, instep, #52 ball, #53 big toe, #54 toe, #55 little toe, #56 toenail. There are some parts more important for this discussion; first the heel of a foot is generally used to refer to the entire C-shape from the ankle to the instep. Speaking of the instep, it refers to that curve near the bottom of the foot. And what seems to be missing in the design above is the sole which generally refers to the bottom of the foot in total or plantar aspect in more technical terms. (BTW

Ode to the Cat

It has been six months since Mike, the cat's, passing. I think of him every day and miss him especially when Paul is away. Mike was a being in the house with me and we were close. Grieving his death has been muddled with my Dad's passing and sometimes I feel guilty about that happening. As time passes the ache becomes less hurtful for both and I am starting to get mostly good memories in its place. Recently I helped celebrate Pablo Neruda's birthday with Jami, my poet and overall very creative friend. Guests were asked to select one poem written by Neruda to read to the small group who gathered for the celebration. I picked this one: Ode To The Cat -- Pablo Neruda There was something wrong with the animals: their tails were too long, and they had unfortunate heads. Then they started coming together, little by little fitting together to make a landscape, developing birthmarks, grace, flight. But the cat, only the cat turned out finished, and

Knitting-Related Guinness World Records

I had to share some of the Guinness World Records connected with knitting. It is amazing to me the type of skill, stamina and unique characteristics these record holders have in common. How about trying to knit with these SPNs?? Ingrid Wagner and her large needles and knitted swatch The largest knitting needles measured 3.5 m (11 ft 5.8 in) long and had a diameter of 8 cm (3.15 in). Ingrid Wagner, a rug and art creation artist, from the UK used the needles to knit a tension square of ten stitches by ten rows at the Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, on March, 10 2008. (And I complained about getting certain SPNs stuck in my clothes.) See how this swatch was done with merely 5 people managing the needles. And what about the yarn? It is truly ex-bulky. It looks like they're knitting in a warehouse, but with a wingspan of almost 24 feet or 7 m, you'd need all that space. Or how about the longest piece of finger knitting that measured 4,321.4 m

Nancy20 September 2017 at 16:18
Mea culpa Jan---it is great to read your posts again, and yes the knitting conference sounds busy and fun. There is nothing like learning more about the way you enjoy using your skills, and being with kindred spirits. I really enjoy meeting authors who turn out to be people that I would enjoy a meal and conversation with, and the master knitters you met look like fun people. I have my Iceland books set aside for your future trip!
JFlag20 September 2017 at 17:05
I will gather the Iceland books in November, Nancy.

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