Fun Knits Spring Retreat

The retreat is over and was it ever fun.

Here are a few pictures to show you some of the retreat

1. All of us at the retreat minus Deb and Vyvyan holding the blanket we made this weekend.

2. The blanket minus 1 square that Mary whipped up in a hurry before the morning was over.

3 Marilyn showing her mobius scarf before we cast on

4. Irene showing needle felting.

5. Mary teaching entralac knitting

6. Sarah with her first handspun

7. Dragana with her first hand spun.

8. part of Vyvyan's display of hadspun hand knit woven articles.

We had amazing weather for the entire weekend. The retreat started on Friday night with a really good Salmon dinner and after we met, introduced ourselves and talked about Charity knitting. When people arrived at the retreat they were given patterns for squares in a blanket and asked to knit a square. This blanket would be finished by Sunday if every one knit a square. The blanket is going to be given to the Campbell River Women's centre to be given to somone in need. We opened the store for some late night yarn shopping. This was quite fun.

The next day we had hourly mini workshops on entralac knitting with Mary Tanti, Needle felting with Irene Tomchick, I taught how to graft a sock toe without using a darning needle, 2 handed Fair Isle and Crochet hat with Linda Cannon and the mobius cast on with Marilyn Guille.

VyVyan Dorsett gave a all day spinning demo and taught 8 brand new spinners to spin. She had an amazing display of her handspun and knit and woven peices from handspun. She is a very talented sharing woman.

Marilyn helped me with the presentations about charity knitting. She is a very strong advocate for charity knitting and has the group Community Knitters - Knitting for Charity in Canada.

We had food (too much actually) all day. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and then a Prime Rib dinner. I think I gained 5 pounds this weekend.

On Sat night we had an awesome show and tell. Deb will blog in detail about this as she took pictures. I didn't.

On Sunday we did a session about mindful knitting with Marilyn. This was a wonderful way to end our retreat. This made us all value our skills as knitters and desire to share our talents.

What a great weekend and thanks to everyone who came making this a wonderful retreat.

The next retreat is open for registration. It will be held again at Tsa-Kwa-Luten. This retreat will be a either a spinning and knitting retreat. Both will be available. The details are on the front page of Fun Knits web site. Register early for this we already have people registered and it just opened for registration.

Sale and Spring Cleaning

On Saturday, April 25th the store will be having a one-day inventory clearance sale - everything will be 20% off!

For the week following, the store will be closed for inventory and to do some re-arranging. Spring is in the air! Fun Knits will re-open on Saturday, May 2nd with a fresh look.

We are also looking forward to the spring retreat, which happens this week-end. 

Spring is always such a busy time it seems!

From Sheep to Shawl.....

Fun Knits has this amazing Tuesday morning spinning group that has been meeting now for about eight months. Some of the members are shown in the photo below holding the purple shawl they demonstrated weaving at the North Island Sewing, Needle & Fibre Arts Show at the Campbell River Community Centre. 

The group set up a pre-warped 36" loom and several spinning wheels on a stage-type platform and called the demonstration "Sheep to Shawl" providing examples of the basic process by which woven wool fabric is created.

the fleece was carded....

and spun.....

....and, had I remembered to take them, there would be photos here of plying the wool, winding it onto the bobbin, shuttling it across and through the warp, and sitting at the loom weaving.  Fast forward a few hours, and the finished shawl is being taken off the loom....

talked about.....

 fringe twisted...

and admired in all its pre-washed beauty. 

The finished product is pictured (again) below.  

Details are:

warp made from handspun multi-coloured Cherry Tree Hill roving

900 yards of two ply sett at a 50/50 weave, 6 epi and 6 ppi 

59" x 24" after washing and drying (the shawl fulled beautifully)

6.5" fringe

We spent 5 hours weaving and 1 hour twisting the fringes.  A wonderful project to be involved in as a group.  The shawl has been donated to the Hospice Society's annual fundraiser.

In other news about our day at the show.....

We met up with lovely Kate (Fun Knits website master) and her adorable boy (so sorry I didn't grab a photo of you two) who was wearing a striking sweater knit by his mom. 

Also, the crazy talented Shan, of Half Soled Boots was there with, get this, and look closely, her FIRST EVER handspun wool already half knitted up into a gorgeous lace patterned shawl.

During the last hour of the show a few of us ambled over to the next booth and fell seriously in love with the Saori loom and the Saori philosophy of weaving.

Today at spinning, this ever-elegant knitter/spinner showed up with an almost completed blanket she's been knitting for a family reunion.  It is absolutely gorgeous!!!  She used Noro Silk Garden for the background and Rowan wool for the cabin squares -- very beautiful.

And, for an uplifting conclusion (be still my speeding heart).....

Shelley saw the charmingly humble, achingly poetic, legendary LEONARD COHEN on Sunday night in Vancouver!!!!!

If anyone ever deserved such a treat, it was most assuredly her! 

A sweet pleasure for those who love this Canadian treasure. 

The Singing Quilter

Tonight after we set up our booth at the North Island Sewing, Needle and Fibre Arts Show we went to the Singing Quilter concert. It was really fun. Cathy Miller is a very talented quilter writer and singer. It was a great performance. Here is a sample of her on You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0QjV8K4vQM
It was a great way to start off a fun weekend here in Campbell River. If you are in this area you don't want to miss this event. Lots of demos and events going on all day at the Community centre. Fun Knits is hosting a sheep to shawl demonstration all day. This should be quite fun. I am teaching a basic lace class tomorrow too.
I will try and get some pictures. Hope to see you there if you live in the area.
Shelley

North Island Sewing, Needle & Fibre Arts Show This Week-end

This week-end (Saturday, April 18th) is the North Island Sewing, Needle & Fibre Arts Show at the Campbell River Community Centre.

It promises to be a great show, with local vendors, artisans and community groups. There will be lots of demonstrations going on, including a very special 'sheep to shawl' demonstration organized by Fun Knits!

There are also seminars available all day (these are for a fee, but admission to the show itself is free), in fact Shelley is teaching one on Knitted Lace at 11:00am.

Also, there is a great show Friday night (April 17th). I know Shelley is getting a group of knitters from Quadra together to go to the show. There are still tickets available, $8 in advance and $10 at the door. You can purchase advance tickets at the Community Centre (250-286-1161) or the Sportsplex (250-923-7911).

“The Singing Quilter. A fabulous, fun concert with Cathy Miller from Victoria entertaining us with songs, stories and memories!” "A fabulous, fun concert for the whole family!"

We're looking forward to a fun week-end!

Eagle's Flight Socks

I've finished my KAL socks, and what a great pattern! I love them in the Opal yarn, as well. Lovely, soft yarn and great colourway. A number of people on the Ravelry group have finished their socks as well, and they all are wonderful. This is a pattern that lends itself to both solid and variegated yarns equally.

New Yarns In Store

A  few new yarns to tell you about.

Araucania Ruca:

This yarn is gorgeous! Made from 100% sugarcane, with wonderful drape and soft feel. Knits up to 5.5 sts/inch on a 4.5mm (7 US).    

Online Supersocke 6ply Relax: 

Another great thicker sock yarn for making boot socks or house socks. Comes in wonderful colour combinations and is 75% wool, 25% polyamide. Recommended needle size is 3 - 4mm.

Online Supersocke Summer Cotton Stretch: 

Perfect for summer sock knitting! Recommended needle size is 2.5 to 3mm. The yarn is 39% cotton, 40% wool, 13% polyamide and 8% elastic.

All these yarns are on the shelves now!

Fun pics......

Our friend (who will be knitting Sylvi) came in today wearing her completed scarf and bottom-laced vest.  This was her first attempt at lace - a perfectly knit, flattering and lovely design.  

She said she would be casting on for Sylvi "very soon" and would keep us all updated -- I imagine her knitting skills will fly as her 13 skeins of Briggs & Little Scarlet Atlantic become a sweater-coat.

Last week a bright young couple came into the store looking for hat patterns!  He was a beginning knitter (she had taught him) and he was wearing his very first hand knit project - a gorgeous gold and rust coloured scarf.  She was wearing a beautiful bulky blue/lilac hat that she had knit.  

We have a few male knitters on the island but this one is the first to let us take a photo - bravo!  

His and hers......

Also, Mary came into the shop on Thursday wearing another one of her absolutely exquisite sweaters - a traditional Scottish fair isle (her design) knit with her own handspun, hand dyed Romney/Hogget from Courtney, BC.

Beautiful details!

Today on Quadra Island there is sun (long have we waited) -- it is shining down warmly on us all and I'm thinking that many of the knitters I know will be setting their yarn aside to go plunge their tools and fingers into garden soil.

Happy digging!

Sideways Scarves

I have developed a love of sideways-knit (or lengthwise as it's also known) scarves. You can change the look so easily this way. Knowing how many stitches to cast on can be a bit confusing sometimes, but that adds to the adventure.

My latest sideways scarf was based on a scarf that I saw on someone's Ravelry projects. There was no pattern, but the scarf was a simple combination of garter rows and drop stitch rows, knit lengthways. The scarf I saw was done in Malabrigo and was so gorgeous I knew I had to make one of my own.

I used some left over Sweatermaker Sock Yarn, probably about 350m worth (two skeins' left-overs). I knit on a 4mm (6 US) and randomly added either garter rows or drop stitch rows. Some of the drop stitch rows were single wrap and some were double wrap. I also did a Russian join on this one - a new technique for me.

I am very pleased with the result, although it is a little long ... all part of the adventure :)

Greeting from Fibres West

I am at the Fibres West this weekend. It is a great show and if you are in the Lower Mainland you should stop by. I even want to buy yarn. There is so much to see and do. Here are a few pictures of us setting up and then the booth set up.

Sock KAL

This month we started another knit-along. In keeping with our sock month, we chose a great free sock pattern, Eagle's Flight, which we are using with permission.

It took me a while to decide what sock yarn to use, but I have finally started and am loving this sock.

The yarn I chose is Opal Rainforest, in the Frosch colourway. This yarn is wonderfully soft, and because it is a long colour repeat, it lends itself nicely to the pattern. I'm calling them Eagles over the Water in my Ravelry projects.

We have a nice group of knitters working along on this sock together. Please stop by if you are on Ravelry.

Happy Birthday Kate.....

....and Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Kate is all loveliness today dressed in many shades of green, celebrating her birthday, buying yarn, and eating pizza with Shelley and I (Shelley's treat from Lovin' Oven - truly yum).  Kate is wearing her beautiful green handknit shrug and scarf.  

Wonderful to see you today Kate! 

 

Below is another of Quadra Island's remarkable women (knitter, spinner, weaver) who seems to knit up a handspun sweater every month. Pictured is a beautiful lacey teal pullover.

This bright, beautiful woman is modeling her Noro Silk Garden hat Palindrome and glovelets  Fetchings

I think her tattoos are stunning -- an awesome match for Noro! 

And lastly, a joyous St. Pat's Day pirouette!

The Shawl in Triplicate

As promised, here are the three shawls knit by members of our local knitting group for the Kauni KAL.

We only wish Shelley could have been there for the photo shoot with her shawl!!

(Kate, Rona and Brenda)

What is the most fascinating is that we each knit the shawl out of less than 150g of Kauni. Yet look at the size difference on them ... it's all about tension and gauge!!

This KAL was so much fun, with lots of great knitters.

Now we turn our attention to a sock KAL, starting on March 15th. The details are on Ravelry, at the Fun Knits group.

A couple more fun bits.....

Below is a photo of Shelley's gorgeous Kauni shawl. Stunning work, Shelley!! Can't wait to see Kate's Kauni shawl too, and hear more about the Kauni KAL.


This lovely young woman (who claims to be a beginning knitter) decided to jump into the extreme deep end and bought 13 bright scarlet skeins of Atlantic Briggs & Little to knit herself the absolutely exquisite bloom-filled knockout called "Sylvi," published in Twist Collective Winter 2008. We will definitely keep you posted on her progress with this one!

A pleasant evening to each of you, and many delightful hours of knitting.

Socks, socks, socks

In March we are all about the socks!

We will be featuring lots of sock knitting info on the website, and will share some goodies here as well. To start off, the store has now got Fun Spun Socks kits on the shelf, and they are gorgeous. I'm hoping Deb or Shelley will spin a kit so I can see it ... I'll even knit them the socks afterwards!

This is just one of the gorgeous kits -- to see them all stop in at the store or check them out here on the website.

Stay tuned for more exciting sock news this month - including a sock KAL.