Episode 138 SSK 2013 and Cornerstone Inn Fall Retreat

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This episode is sponsored by my Longaberger Home Business and Quince & Co.

Chickadee is a little darling—soft, plump, springy, and eager to loop into intricate color patterns or delicate textures. Its three plies, spun from softest American wool, are twisted together firmly enough
to be sturdy, yet gently enough to be soft and cushiony.  41 beautiful colors to choose from and at just a little over $7 per 181 yd/50g skeins…you will find Chickadee a great value for your sport weight knitting.

Find Chickadee and the other Quince fibers at www.quinceandco.com.

You can find my Longaberger Home Business at www.longaberger.com/paula

Knitting Pipeline Ravelry Group 

Pipeliner Notes

Thank you to board Moderators janmarie- and Bronwyndp!  Welcome to new moderators:

Marynvoigt aka Missy

Sticksnspokes aka Allison from Scotland

Knitting Pipeline Retreats Group!

Question from AprilShowers

I love the photos of you and your grandmother in your ponchos! That last one with her bending down to talk to a child in an adorable hoodie is just so heart-warming. (Note that our son is wearing a Tomten Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann.)

Your posting a reader’s question made me realize that I’ve had a question I wanted to ask you for about the past year or so. You did an episode where you talked about shawls and said you had more than 40 of them. I am curious as to how you store all those shawls. I have struggled with how to fold them and keep them neat on a shelf (I don’t really have a dresser to keep them in drawers). And I know that hanging them on a hook isn’t great for the shawl. I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on this.

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I rotate my shawls and usually have 15 or 20 in circulation.  I keep them on hangers in my closet. The hangers have a coating so the shawls don’t slide off.  This works well for me.

Events and Announcements

Knitting Pipeline Maine Retreat Nov 10-14, 2013.  There are a few spots left!

At this time if you are would like to attend please send me an email first and I will hold your spot for a week until I get a deposit check from you. 

Knitting Pipeline Cornerstone Inn Fall Retreat, Washington IL/ Click on link for complete information and registration form.

October 23-26, 2013 (Wed late afternoon to Sat morning)

Cornerstone Inn Bed and Breakfast/111 Washington Square, Washington IL 61571

·        3 nights lodging, breakfast at your hotel and two dinners in the Washington Room on historic Washington Square.  (All lunches and one dinner are on your own.)

·        Outings to local yarn shops

·        Mini-workshops

·        Porch Time at Paula’s house

·        Space is limited to 20 so register ASAP.

·        Of course there will be a few surprises along the way!

Cost between $430 and $300 depending upon whether you choose double or single occupancy and whether you are at the B and B or Sleep In.

        Single Occupancy Cornerstone Inn             $400.00

        Double Occupancy Cornerstone Inn (share queen size bed)              $300.00

        Single Occupancy Sleep Inn           $430.00

              Double Occupancy Sleep Inn (will have your own bed)        $330.00 

August 12 or later registration postmark

Lullaby Rain KAL by Paula Emons-Fuessle

Week 4 of the Knit Along starts August 2, 2013

Nature Notes

This has been a lovely summer.  The only stretch of hot weather we have had so far was during SSK and I think it was even hotter here than it was in Nashville.  Then it got so cool that wool socks and long pants felt good in the morning and at night.

It seems our house wrens have been here longer than usual this year.  We know they raised at least two broods, maybe 3.  One of our wren houses hangs from a maple branch right outside the porch window and we could hear the baby birds cheeping as they waited for food.  Each day I think it may be the last day this year that we hear the bubbling song of the house wren but then I am surprised the next day to hear it again.

When we were at SSK in Nashville last week there seemed to be a huge chorus of tree frogs every night.  It was amazing how loud these frogs were as we walked through the campus to our dorms.  Here the summer nights are now accompanied by the swelling buzzing of locusts or cicadas.  This noise can get rather loud as well.

I posted more owl photos on Instagram and there will be more on the blog this week in the show notes.  I want to back up to explain something that happened during the last owl sighting when we saw the owl capture a bird and devour it.  As the owl was perched on a branch surveying the birds on the ground there were other birds divebombing and taunting him.  I’ve seen this behavior of smaller birds attacking larger birds of prey but never this close.  Some of these birds actually grazed the owl on the back or side of the head and he kept turning and looking.  This behavior may be a defense method of the smaller birds as they are letting the bird of prey know that they are aware of its presence and it also disarms the bird of prey.  Other birds in the area are alerted as well.  It isn’t like boys on the playground pulling the girls pigtails for fun…there is a purpose to it and I felt sorry for the owl because he seems like a friend now.  And the owls have to eat too although I prefer it when he gets a chipmunk as he did a few days ago.

 

This mid morning sighting found the bird sitting on top of the roof of our platform feeder.  I first photographed him through the porch windows and got some great photos but then I ventured out on the deck and kept getting closer to the railing.  At first he looked as if he might fly away but I just stood very still and looked the other way.  After he settled back down on his perch I moved forward with the camera and came quite close.  After taking a few photos I backed away slowly and let him watch the ground for food.  He hunched up his shoulders and silently flew to the base of some wild shrubbery where our chipmunk population is high and I think he found his lunch there.

Our nature quote is from the composer Iannis Xenaskis and is about the sounds of nature…

The collision of hail or rain with hard surfaces, or the song of cicadas in a summer field. These sonic events are made out of thousands of isolated sounds; this multitude of sounds, seen as totality, is a new sonic event.

-Iannis Xenakis

Needle Notes

Point of View Vest from Knitbot Linen by Hannah Fettig

Sparrow by Quince & Co in Nannyberry colorway

Casual, Unstructured vest that is cropped in back and longer on sides.  Great layering piece for spring, summer, and fall.

Sorry, photos to come!

I wore first day at SSK and lots of people said that after seeing it in person they wanted to make it.

I learned that I need to use a bamboo or wooden needle when knitting with linen.  Very slippery.

This is an easy knit but I rated medium difficult because of the small gauge and the linen.

Finished Vincent Socks in Opal Vincent Van Gogh colorway.  Not much to say.  Size zero needle.  3 x 1 ribbing, standard heel flap, slip stitch pattern on bottom of heel also.

The Blethering Room

SSK!  SSK is a retreat hosted by Leslie and Laura of The KnitGirllls video cast (originally with Carin of Round the Twist although she was on sabbatical this year because of her wedding and now that she is expecting twins in  November, maybe on sabbatical again I would imagine) and they do a fantastic job.

Susan B Anderson’s Blog Post about SSK is so good!

Missy’s project page but just know that the sweaters are even better when you see them in person. With drool worthy baby and toddler sweaters.

Susan B Anderson’s Baby Cardigan Class.  So full of information and Susan is not only a teacher by training but a natural born teacher as well.  Pattern for cardigan which is classic and oh so cute and with loads of variations as well; tiny size for ornament, raglan formula, baby hat.

Susan B Anderson's class

Amy Christoffer’s (like the name Christopher only with an s and the end) Class on Modifying a Pattern.  Measuring and how to adapt the pattern.  Amy did a wonderful job and she is so knowledgeable.  I just wanted to soak in all her good vibes and information. I learned a lot.

Amy Christoffers and paula

My only regret about SSK is that I did not sign up for more extra classes because every class had such rave reviews. I know I would have enjoyed the photography class by Gale Zucker.

Thursday night we somehow ended up with a star studded dinner group.  Susan had arranged to meet us and she asked if it was ok if Amy Christoffers and Gale Zucker could come along.  Of course!  We went to South Street Restaurant which had a big porch with seating.  We were seated at a big booth so we could all talk.

Susan B Anderson, Bronwyn, Amy Christoffers, Gail Zucker, Paula (back row) Lisa aka LASknit2 and Mel Ski!

The Market!

Bronwyn and I were booth babes for AmyBeth of Fat Squirrel Fame.  Fat Squirrel Fibers

 

I met Dana of Unwind Yarn and Denise of Lost City Knits, both for the first time and they were both charming.  Beautiful yarn too!  Susan of Desert Vista Dyeworks.

Lori of Deerfield Creations. What a charmer!  I bought a mini niddy noddy for winding mini skeins and 4 wooden buttons made of spalted elm.  So pretty.

Spalted Elm buttons and miniature niddy noddy by Lori of Deerfield Creations

 

Heather of Highland Handmade had shawl holders by Tix Tinkets. www.tixtrinkets.etsy.com. $13.00.

 

Have a great week, haste ye back, and hold your knitting close.