Greetings from Stitches East

I arrived late on Thursday. I unfortunately missed the class I had scheduled but it was an easy trip from NJ by train. Had a nice steak and crab cake dinner and watched some TV and got ready for the next day.

I took a full day class on Friday--You can design your own sweater! Really! It was taught by Lorna Miser, who is the Lorna of Lorna's Laces. There was a lot of math but I got a lot out of it. I have a terrible habit of not reading, or perhaps understanding, the class descriptions and instructions so I didn't bring the yarn I was planning on using but I did have some yarn for today's class, so I used that and went through the exercise--I imagine I'll be able to work my way through it again. I've got some really soft baby alpaca I can use--it's beige which is kind of boring but I've previously purchased some large ceramic buttons that look like a Siamese cat and they will all go well together.

Today's class was Concentration on Color with Brandon Mably. I'd met a woman in the bar of my hotel yesterday who told me she walked out of the class last year so I was nervous. I've never done intarsia or fair isle so I had a lot of problems joining colors and carrying it too but I stuck with it. I bought Brandon's book--there are illustrations on color techniques in it and some really nice patterns too.

I need more yarn like a whole in the head so I've been resisting. I did, however, buy yarn and patterns for 3 hats. One of them is a spiral pattern--you use two skeins of Noro and you do 6 rows in stockingette and then 6 rows of reverse stockingette with the Noro and a novelty yarn--there are nine different novelties! It's going to be so wild. The other two are more sedate and will match my shearling and my mink--both are dark brown.

I picked up some Touch Me in a dark green for my green striped cardi--I wanted that for the wrists and collar. I also got some green Lurex thread and Trendsetter Dune from Great Yarns. I got some green beads from Twisted Sister too.

I've got my eye on some cashmere from Hunt Valley...I'd like the red if it were thicker. Thought about beading it for the holidays. I've also picked up a lot of patterns which can help me work my way through the stash.

The most exciting things I found have been shawl pins--I got a starfish for myself. There was also a stickpin topped with crystals--it looks like a crystal sea anemone. I picked up a couple for Christmas gifts.

But the best find was about two seconds before the market closed tonight. I was at the Yarn Barn buying patterns and was looking for something for the Mystery Swap I signed up for...the themes I got for my swap partner were turtles, moose and gnomes. I have to admit it's been difficult--I found a pattern for a knitted gnome, but its only available from the UK and they haven't answered my email yet. I looked for buttons but no one had anything close. I've even asked the ladies from my LYS to think about it--they have some great ideas I can check out when I get home, but I found the perfect pattern just as the market closed. Can't say anything more...she may be reading this. LOL

One more class tomorrow. It's a Sally Melville class on First Choices. I'm looking forward to it. Then it's back to reality. I'll have to work all the way home and into the evening. But the fun here was worth it.

I have to plan my knitting schedule now.