Yarnover 2011

Yesterday was the MN Knitters' Guild 25th annual Yarnover. I have been with the guild since almost day one and attended number one. Sixty people attended the first one with local teachers except Kate Martinson from Decorah, Iowa. On the right in the picture is Peg Torgeson who had the original idea for a one day knitting get together. Nancy, a good friend is on the left.

In commemoration of the 25 years, I found these items available. The mug is made by Jennie the Potter: www.jenniethepotter.com. The little button is a magnet which was all that was available when I got to the table. The teachers and the lucky people who got to the table first got pins. Actually I'll probably enjoy the magnet more as it will be on my refrigerator all the time.

These are a few of the teachers. This year was a stellar group of national and international teachers. We are only able to take two classes, so it was a really difficult choice of which classes to attend.

This is a poor picture of the 400 some attendees at the keynote speech by Merike Saarnitt.
In the morning I attended a class on Japanese short rows and bind off given by Susanna Hansson. I sure wish I'd taken the class before I made the Traveling Sweater.

Class sample. (Mine has a couple mistakes in it.)

The class I took in the afternoon was with Rosemary Hill, http://www.designsbyromi.com/ . I took the class to get to meet her as I've been knitting so many of her shawls which I just love! In the picture I'm wearing Maia from her e-book, 7 Small Shawls.

Romi with some of her fans.

The class was correcting mistakes in lace knitting. Knitting the homework sample made me appreciate the habit I have of admiring my work so ofter. I would have seen this mistake before I got it this far.

This is how to go about reknitting just the portion with the mistake. I have done this many times with just a few stitches and a few rows, but had never pinned the yarns in the correct order. Now I will pin my strands and won't have to reknit rows over because I used the wrong strand of yarn. (I did not complete the correction-I learned what I needed to know and had shopping to do.)

There were 43 vendors at the market so shopping opportunities were plenty. These are my purchases. In the top row, left is a bar of silk shampoo from Shepherd's Choice in Anoka, www.shepherdschoice.com . I love this shampoo for my fine hair! (Getting it at Yarnover saves me a trip to Anoka and the temptation of the new ice cream store!) The book is the 2nd book by Catherine Friend, author of Hit By a Farm and now Sheepish, Two Women, Fifty Sheep & Enough Wool to Save the Planet. The books are about her and her partner starting a farm in MN. The first one was fun to read and I anticipate this one will be too. The yarn from left to right: 1) Happy Hands Hand Dyed Superwash Merino Tencel: www.happyhandsyarn.com .

2) Corny Goodness, 100% corn fiber: www.cornygoodness.com .

3 & 4) ilLOOMimated yarns 75% superwash merino/20% nylon/ 5% gold or silver stelina. www.illoomiminatedyarns.com/shop

We always receive gifts at Yarnover! The silver needle gauge necklace was given to the first 425 participants commemorating the 25th anniversary. The light green yarn it is sitting on was my door prize; Cascade Cloud 9 donated by Shelly's Yarn and Fiber Shoppe. The dark green Jo Sharp DK Cotton and pin saying, "I Knit because I am smarter than you" and shop bucks were donated by Three Kittens www.3kittensneedlearts.com and was given to participants after completing the evaluation. Also given after completing the evaluation was the Boro Boro, hat pattern and little silver tag, saying "made with love" were donated by Steven Be, www.yarngarage.com .

Need I say it was a fun day? But...I should have taken pictures of Sharon from Three Irish Girls, Catherine Friend, author of Sheepish, and the group from Ravelry.