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Stitches West

Debbi and Susan left bright and early yesterday for Stitches West. You can track their travels here; http://goddessknitters.blogspot.com/

I have sent a massive amount of yarn with them and promised that they would not have to pack it back up and send it home so my dearest knitters the rest is up to you.

There are Mill Ends and Rare Gems And lots and lots of heavy weight for those February Lady sweaters .

New colorways and some ol’ friends back for a visit/ There are some lovely shawl kits that were so much fun to put together.

irishgilie and tapmouse will also be there helping so … certainly stop by and say hi to my lovelies, both yarn and women.

have fun all!!

If you build it they will come.

The resounding chorus back and forth between Steph and I for months now has been. You are not going to believe this. No really, you are not. I mean I know I said it last time I called, but really, you better sit down because well… you are just not going to believe it. I cannot even tell you… and it was on and on like this for weeks. It has been ridiculously exciting and crampingly terrifying all in the same moment.  Really all of these people are wonderful and I know that when we finally meet there are just going to be embarrassing moments. I see lots and lots of gushing. Don’t you?

“If you build it they will come”, this has been our mantra.  Quite a leap of faith and an apt description of how this feels from the inside out. 

I really liked The Field of Dreams when I first saw it, but now it speaks to me in volumes. Every step from walking into the Oregon Convention Center to this stunning list of teachers, to the close to 8,000 on the mailing list, to what is next in building this sock knitting vessel, cradling this dream.

Building a dream at this point I would like to take a moment to thank our sponsors for helping us make this be all we want it to be. 

Simply Sock Yarns, WEBS, http://www.skacelknitting.com/, Southwest Trading Company, The Fold, Abundant Yarn and Dyeworks and The Loopy Ewe.

You have our dyed in the wool gratitude, in my opinion way better than undyed gratitude.

As you read this list of talented knitting, spinning, crocheting, writing, designing teachers you will get a taste of what this has been like.

In my very fertile imagination there are many conversations that play out today something ike the ones Steph and I had. The ones that start with you are so… not going to believe this. Do you see who will be teaching at the summit?

We are thrilled, humbled, honored and honestly staggered to host this wealth of knit knowledge.

For detailed teacher bios go here; http://www.socksummit.com and here; http://www.yarnharlot.ca

Here they are in all of their knitted glory.

Cookie A

Star Athena

Deb Barnhill

Judy Becker

Lorilee Beltman

Anne Berk

Cat Bordhi

JC Briar

Nancy Bush

Laurel Coombs

Angela Davis

Carson Demers

Amy Detjen

Laurie Drew

Abby Franquemont

Chrissy Gardiner

Priscilla Gibson-Roberts

Marjan Hammink

Anne Hanson

Sivia Harding

Stephen Houghton

Janel Laidman

Judith MacKenzie McCuin

Betsy McCarthy

Denny McMillan

Melissa Morgan-Oakes

Lucy Neatby

Tina Newton

Heather Ordover

Clara Parkes

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Deborah Robson

Merike Saarniit

Joan Schrouder

Charlene Schurch

Amy R Singer

Meg Swansen

Barbara Walker

Karen Whooley

Anna Zilboorg

See… isn’t it wonderful!

On the website if you click on the teachers names you get their bios.

Classes and Descriptions and Pricing to follow soon.

Waiting is hard…

It just is.

As a child I had the hardest time waiting and would fidget and cause a world of trouble, mostly for myself.

If my mother had relented and taught this little left handed girl to knit then it would have certainly solved a lot of her impatient tina-related headaches.

I am still trying to wrap my head around that and honestly I have always thought it was revenge an even exchange, but I digress.

Back to waiting and how difficult it is to wait for something that you are excited about.

The birth of a child, the end of a story, the beginning of a story, a holiday, visiting a far away friend, vacations, your turn, water to boil, a plant to grow, that first step,

yarn to come in the mail, turning a heel, a blocked shawl to dry… maybe a teacher list to be posted.

So much anticipation and excitement.

Glorious anticipation full of possibilities. I love those full of promise moments and I often relish this time even though it can be a bit hard on the patience muscle.

So what can we do here while we wait one more day for this moment?

What could we possibly do while we wait? hmmmm.. what can we do?

Holy mother of all, you know what we could do?

We could KNIT!

Well, actually, you can knit.  Steph, web chick (susie) and I are going to wrap this baby up.

( knit the list, knit the list, knit the list!!)

Stay tuned tomorrow here, there and back here at the bmfa blog.

These are a few of my favorite things @ Madrona

I have been downloading the pictures and memories and experiences from this past weekend at Madrona and trying to find the words to convey how I feel.

There is so much it takes me weeks to process all of the knit brilliance and love.

All the talent and sharing of experience and knowledge is at the very least inspiring and at best life changing.

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It is am opportunity for me to visit with my peers. ( Not that I really believe that it is true that I am anywhere close to the same league as these talented knitting,spinning,dyeing goddesses, but they inform me that this is true and I am not going to argue with the likes of these women.)

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I get to see all the lovely knits that are made from my yarns. I really love this part a lot because I do not often get to see them in real live person. I love the one on one, the personal and of course the tactile.  We all know that a photo is nice but adding in touch is really important for me, it completes the relationship.

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I have quite a few favorite moments from this Madrona but there are two that stand out among the others. The first one is meeting Sivia Harding in person. Sivia and I have been working together for years and have not had the oppurtunty to meet .

She made me cry and laugh and we had the best in real time designing color fun.

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The other moment was Marie-louise and her Fair Isle cat scarf. She and I spent lots and lots of phone time on making this work for her and I got to meet her and her extremely cool Fair Isle feline.

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There was also hearing Elsbeth Lavold speak about her life and share her knit journey.  I also got to hear my dear friends Cat and Stephanie speak which I always love.

So many friends, some old and some new.  I made a new friend ( Ana) by saying hi and telling her I put her label on the sock club package a lot. Well, it turned out she was in fact not part of the sock club. Just a familiar name and now a lovely new friend.

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Catherine I hope they put us side by side forever…so much fun.

I think the only thing I will not miss is the Mexican food for breakfast, lunch and yes, dinner. There are not a lot of food choices and the vegetarian thing puts more of a limit on it.

Also there are a lot of knitters looking to eat in a short period of time.  It actually inspired a new colorway.

Look soon for the lovely new Re-dyed Beans. hehehe

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Thanks to Suzanne and Cornelia for all of the work and love they put into making this such a wonderful time for us all.

A special I love you and you are oh so wonderful to Debbi and Gail and Tammy and Susan and the blue moon team for working so hard and giving me some much needed time to play.

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In case you have not had the pleasure this is “My Debbi” also known as cockeyed the sockateer.

p.s. please claim your knits. I have no memory….none! It is filled with sock summit and camp stuff. oh and colorways.

p.p.s. cathykate I know this is not my yarn…so pretty and so pretty.

Time for a wee rest….

The following colors are heading off next Tuesday, 2/10 for a wee bit of a nap:

Alina

Autumn

Banded Agate

Blarney Stone

Calico

Carbon

Covelite

Grandma’s Flower Garden

Harlotty

Hobgoblin

Jailhouse Rock

Metamorphic

Moss Agate

Mystic Kelp

Nodding Violet

Oma Desala

Petroglyphs

Pirate’s Booty

Potomac

Quiet Riot

Rocktober

Rocky Horror

Saratoga

Scottish Highlands

Tiger’s Eye

Sock Summit Update 3.5

When we started this sock summit journey, it was my intention to write a report of where we are and what we are doing at least weekly to keep everyone in this loop. Oh well, best laid plans and all. Truthfully, I can barely breathe much less write a weekly up date. I will try to bring you up to date at least and give you a few of the more amusing and exciting moments.

First, I just want to say this out loud. This is a lot of work. A massive amount of work. I thought I had an inkling of how much this would take, not so much. It is one of those places where you cannot comprehend its magnitude until you are in the middle of it, kind of like giving birth. All your friends can tell you what it is like, and you can read about it and watch videos on it but until you are smack dab in the middle of pushing another human being out of your body, you just do not know. (How can you possibly?) It’s like that.

Somedays it feels like for every step that is taken and goal reached, three more crop up to replace them. I am not complaining. This is an incredible journey and is rewarding on many levels and all of us involved are loving it. The most commonly heard phrase here these days is “Ok, are you ready because you are so not going to believe this, really you are not.” Unfortunately I cannot let you in on all of this yet because we are still firming details and contracts…so very many contracts. Soon, though, some of this will be revealed and, honestly, you are just not going to believe it. 

This Summit is going to be all that we wanted and so very much more. Honestly, I fluctuate between feeling mind boggled, blissful excitement, and abject terror. Stephanie and I take turns with these, which works out oh, so well. I consider it a honor to carry this and the terror comes from the fear that I will somehow let everyone down. I think this is a normal healthy reaction, and I would be worried about myself if I did not have this feeling.

Building something like this is very similar to planning a knitting project or constructing a yarn or designing—all of it. You have to start with a good base and that is the bulk of what we have been doing. Creating the vessel that will hold of all of this sock knitting goodness.

Starting with the space. I chose the Oregon Convention Center for several reasons, although I have to tell you that initially the thought of renting a convention center left me weak, and not just in the knees. It is big, like really, really big.

It took me a full month to finally sign the contract. I fluctuated between being a little outraged at the looks of disbelief on their faces to my own personal lack of faith and wavering vision.

The convention center is built with sustainable products and systems. In September 2008, it was re-certified with a Silver rating in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design in the Existing Buildings Category from then Green Building Council. It is the first convention center in the nation to achieve this. No small thing. The Silver rating required proven sustainability in areas of operation, maintenance, and capital improvements. 

Portland is a very “Green” city and not just in that whole lots of rain falling from the sky and growing things aspect, but also in the sustainable let us take care as we walk through our lives here aspect.

The convention center is certainly part of this. What impressed me the most when I was given the grand tour was how deeply these people care and are committed. These are people I want to work with and aside from that whole “ Really, are you sure you need this much space for a sock knitting conference?” they are great people to work with.  (I am actually starting to enjoy the expressions on the non-knitter face when I try to explain this.) The space is beautiful and central with a MAX station right outside. As you would expect with a center that caters to large conferences, it is also surrounded with hotels and restaurants within walking distance. If you have not already done so, please check them out here:

Oregon Convention Center

http://www.oregoncc.org

And…one of my personal favorites is that in the check-in area above where the entrance to the marketplace is going to be, hangs from the ceiling a dragon boat. I kid you not. A big beautiful dragon boat. When I was there last week looking at the marketplace space and how we are going to set it up, I kept asking Matt how he felt if we fill it with balls of yarn, and he just smiled and shook his head. I do believe he thought I was joking.

So my sock knitting friends this is where we will be hanging for four glorious days of sock knitting bliss.

Oh…except for the night we are in the Sunken Ballroom of the Portland Art Museum for the Sock Hop. I am so tickled by this prospect that I giggle like a kid every time I think of it.

We were chatting about the Sock Hop and the Museum at knit night and how there are statues all around the foyer of the ballroom. Glorious exquisite sculptures and we get to dance and mingle with them. The conversation about dancing with statues progressed in a way that felt a bit like we were short rowing (the knitted bus was mentioned) to how cool it would be if us Portland knitters knit for the statues around Portland as an artistic expression and statement. We could knit them socks.

I am sure the elk could use a horn sock or two. (Also, this could be what happens when you have knit night in a pub.) I think this would be a great way to let all of our fellow PDXers know what we are up to Sock Summit wise, and it fits our colorful artistic community here.

So what are we doing now? This week the first week in February we are firming the teacher contracts, all the sponsorship relationships and by Friday, we will be able to send all the registrations forms for the vendors out.

We will post a teacher list on the Sock Summit website February 18th 20th, so be sure to look for that.

Both Stephanie and I will be able to share more of the crazy fun once that list is up so stay tune. Really, your not going to believe it.

I want to thank everyone that has sent emails or responded here to volunteer to help. Your offers are kind and appreciated. We will be getting in touch as the Summit progresses and grows.

If you have any questions or feel you have not heard from us and are worried, please contact me at