More inspiration--N.Charleston Arts Festival

I recently went with my daughter to the annual North Charleston Arts Festival, something I've dragged my kids to for years in hopes that they will embrace art in multiple forms. The Festival itself takes place over many days in many venues around town, but on the weekend they have a whole mess of arty stuff in one place with free admission and free parking and really, it's hard to beat for an afternoon's cultural enrichment.

There seemed to be fewer vendors this year, or maybe it was just set up differently--I think there were more vendors in the exhibit hall BEHIND the rock and mineral show, which frankly made no sense to me and seemed like poor planning on the part of the Festival.  If you're reading this, North Charleston Arts Dept, please put folks back out in the open so we don't miss anything!  Love you!

(I had hoped to run into Bean and Bug Babyknits or Thrifty Sister again, but if ya'll were there, I didn't see you!)

The first thing we saw when we walked in was this:

If you guessed Bangladeshi folk dancers, you were right.  In the 14 years I've lived in this area, this was my first Bangladeshi dancer sighting.  Very cool. And about time, don't you think?

And then there were "lamps" made from empty (liquor) bottles.  I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions.

There was a lot of gorgeous artwork and photography. Plus this painting of knitting--nice!

And antiques!  I love browsing through antiques.  These, however, were definitely "man"tiques. 

 Proof that art is subjective.

At first I was like, "Cement sheep!  We NEED one of these!" But as I have had occasion to look at this photo, I am reminded a bit too much of the Weeping Angels on Dr. Who and no, I shan't be acquiring a cement sheep now.  Nor will I be blinking...

I saved the best for last.  Talk about inspiration! I absolutely love the work of this year's Arts Fest Design Competition winner, Amiri Gueka Farris. This is "Lowcountry Soiree." These mixed media beauties are still on display at the Performing Arts Center, so if you're local, go! If you have any other chance to see his work, do it!  

There was much more--dance, music, puppets, magicians and a large dollop of people watching.  Plus, I had the satisfaction of knowing that I was immersing a kid in culture again, and that always makes me feel like a good mom.

Indigo Under the Trees: Scenes from the April 12th workshop

Our most recent Indigo Dyeing workshop with The Charleston Museum took us outdoors at the amazing Dill Sanctuary, a property owned by the museum on James Island, just outside of Charleston. The weather was perfect and the students were, as usual, fun, interesting, eager to dye, and super creative!

The view. Breathtaking, isn't it?

The view in the other direction.

Charleston Museum Curator of Textiles, Jan Hiester, shares some indigo history.

Time to dive in!

Messy fun.

Experimenting with shibori techniques--gorgeous!

I love all the different shades of indigo.  It never gets old.

I dyed a silk scarf.  I love my job.

Part 2 of my talk with LYDIA Yarn owner and founder, Angela Cline.

Yesterday I posted the first part of an interview with Angela Cline, the founder and owner of LYDIA Yarn, the exciting new hand-dyed yarn company that is creating quite a stir in the knitting community around here.  I asked Angela about her motivations and what's ahead for her company.

Grandma's Couch

KnitOasis: Where do you get your inspiration for the colors you make?
AC: My inspiration comes from my surroundings, as well as from my friends and family.  When I was dyeing the Limeade yarn, I knew I wanted a bright green because I have friends who like greens and I looked out my window and the grass was such a bright green in my yard, I just worked to make that shade of green.  I see color in people, in their personalities, and that inspires my color choices as well.  Because my friends and family have been so supportive of me, my dedication to them will lead me to make certain shades of purple, for example, for the ones who love purples.



KnitOasis: What are YOUR favorite things to knit?
AC: Hats, socks, and now sweaters.

KnitOasis: What are your own favorite types of yarn?
AC:  My personal favorite is worsted weight or larger yarn. I love the look of projects made from smaller yarns, but my fingers seem to work best with size 8 needles or larger. I am currently working on a sweater using DK weight yarn dyed with indigo on Size 5 needles and it is taking much longer than I am used to, but it is looking so good. My favorite type of yarn is Alpaca. I love the feel, look and warmth of alpaca yarn. The only problem is the use of alpaca in South Carolina sometimes is not very efficient because it is so warm. Alpaca also sheds a lot which I have found can be limited by mixing it with another fiber. LYDIA has a yarn in stock now that takes one ply of Alpaca and 1 ply of Merino twisted together, it looks so great and has this wonderful heathered look to it that comes from the natural color of the Alpaca fibers.

Mint: 2 ply yarn – 1 ply Alpaca, 1 ply Merino: Fingering Weight

KnitOasis: What can yarn buyers expect in the future from LYDIA?
AC: There are some exciting events in the works now. LYDIA will soon be offering kits with yarns and patterns unique to the LYDIA brand offered together. These kits are a wonderful thing to buy as a crafter because you have a whole project, including materials, right there in your hands. I know I like the kits as a consumer because I can really imagine what the finished project will look like. You can also look forward to more unique yarns being offered such as; mink, yak, camel and organic merinos.

Angela and I, out getting inspiration for yarn and knitwear.

In which I talk with the owner of an exciting new hand-dyed yarn company, part 1

My favorite: Limeade: 40% Alpaca, 40% Wool, 20% Silk: 1 ply: DK Weight

As a knitter, knitting instructor and knitwear designer, it is very often my privilege to come into contact with some Pretty Amazing People Who Love Fiber.  Occasionally, I manage to become good friends with some of those Amazing People, and then I get to follow along on their fiber journeys as well.  This is so much fun for me.  Because I work hard at what I do, when I see other people work hard as well and create new worlds of textile in their lives, it inspires me to keep plugging away at my own little corner of the knitting universe.

Angela Cline is one of these Amazing People and is the founder and owner of LYDIA Yarn LLC.  She took time out of her busy day of dyeing scrumptious yarns to talk about the new company and whet our appetites for eye-popping color and fabulous fiber.


KnitOasis: Where does the name come from? LYDIA Yarn?
AC: It stands for Luxury Yarn Dyed In America.

KnitOasis: What do you think will make LYDIA different from other hand-dyed yarn companies?
AC: It goes back to the first word in the name LYDIA: Luxury.

KnitOasis: So, Luxury? What does that mean for you and for your customers?
AC: I love the feel of good quality yarns and it is so easy to tell when something was made really well, that is what LYDIA yarn customers are looking for. I think of luxury as the yarns that are made out of rare and amazing feeling materials such as Cashmere or Mink but I also think of luxury when looking at yarns that were made really well. The animals were well taken care of and the coat has an amazing healthy feel to it. The processing of the yarn and the materials used were well thought out and the finished product is sturdy and will last a lifetime. At LYDIA this is what we look for in yarn before giving it the tag “luxury”.

 KnitOasis: What experience do you bring to this venture?
AC: In my spare time I started getting into dying when taking classes with friends at the Charleston Museum. I learned about different techniques and processes that can be used from natural materials, such as leaves and walnut shells, to chemically processed materials, like pre-reduced indigo and powdered acid dyes. I found the entire process fascinating. After experimenting on my own with dyes and discovering effects I could create, I started to research the market for this yarn. I found a whole world out there and a community of people who do this for a living; it was exhilarating to discover this. I have an employment background in large manufacturing so I am very comfortable with lean production systems. This experience helps when it comes to running any type of business that produces products for retail. I also have an education in management and business and that really comes in handy when it comes to running the daily activities of a business from an accounting and procedural point of view. I just wish I had LYDIA yarn when completing my MBA because of all the business plans I had to write then.  I could have saved so much time!

Oyster Shell: 70% Superwash Merino, 30% Silk: Light Fingering Weight

KnitOasis: Describe your initial Etsy shop offering.
AC: Now that the Etsy shop is open LYDIA is selling a wide array of yarn bases in colors from all corners of the spectrum. Everything from the delicate light fingering weight yarns in a soft purple/red color “Oyster shell”. To the thick, warm cuddly yarn made out of sturdy superwash merino and nylon in the earth tone colorway “Grandma’s Couch.”

Current Offerings;
2 ply yarn – 1 ply Alpaca: 1 ply Merino: Fingering Weight
40% Alpaca, 40% Wool, 20% Silk: 1 ply: DK Weight
80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon: Sock Weight (High-twist)
80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon: 1 ply: Bulky Weight
70% Superwash Merino, 30% Silk: 1 ply yarn: Light Fingering Weight

Peacock: 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon: Sock Weight (High-twist)

Check back tomorrow for part 2 of my chat with Angela, and learn about what inspires her and what she has planned for the future of LYDIA Yarn.

A Monday Medley of Patterns, All Free

Today I posted a PDF link to a very old pattern that I first blogged about four years ago.   If you're like me, when you find a free pattern you want to try, it makes life so much easier to have a downloadable PDF version, ready at the click of a button.  (This is especially true since it usually takes me 20 minutes to track down the needles I'll need for the project, but I feel certain that most knitters are more organized than I am.  Surely.)

This got me thinking about the other free patterns I have available, and although it's not Free Pattern Friday, I humbly offer, in honor of my newly re-posted Drop Stitch Garter Dishcloth: 

A Monday Medley of Patterns, All Free

Drop Stitch Garter Dishcloth

 

Thousand Mile Journey Scarf

(Mostly) Ridge Rib Socks

Brickworks Thin-Finity Scarf

Inspiration everywhere: Quilt Show

Back on March 1, I went to a Quilt Show. (And thought I had blogged about it, so imagine my surprise today to realize I had NOT!)

It was an overwhelming display of creativity, talent, color and the result of having a LOT of time to quilt.

This show was sponsored by the Cobblestone Quilter's Guild, a local Guild that puts this show on every two years.  Plan ahead now for 2016--it's well worth your time!

I love going to things like this because to me, knitting is an art, and being around other artistic people and works of art (textile and otherwise) is always inspirational.  Always.

This is my favorite.  All that grey, a punch of color...oh my goodness I love it!!

Made from men's shirts. LOVE!

I could knit something like this...on a smaller scale!

 See the olive fabric? So cute!

This one was amazing in person.

All the blues and tans!

This is so cool. This makes me want to knit, too.

Free Pattern Friday: Red Scarf 2014

After several false starts with designs that simply would not cooperate, this year's Red Scarf Project Red Scarf is finally finished, published and available! Using Barbara Walker's purl twist fabric for inspiration,  the Thousand Mile Journey scarf features a soft texture that looks a little like tire tracks.  It's a lovely way to send a hug to a foster care student as they set out on the road of life.

The pattern for this scarf is available as a FREE Raverly download!

Throwback Thursday: from Sept, 2012---Why take a class?

It's Throwback Thursday at KnitOasis! Here again are the reasons why taking a class is a Good Thing, with this added note: 

Since I value the teacher-student relationship, I offer high-quality, in person classes, tutorials and consultations. As of this time there are no plans to offer online classes.

Upcoming classes include Cast-ons, 
Indigo Dyeing Workshop and Fair Isle.

Original posting--9/6/12:
Why take a knitting class? When there are books and online videos galore, how do you justify spending a few extra dollars to learn a new skill?

Quality instruction: I've taught knitting for 6 years and I have been certified to teach by the Craft Yarn Council upon successful completion of Levels I and II of their Instructor's Program.  The program was written by experienced knitters who also provide mentoring and evaluation for participants. I knit 20 swatches, developed 7 beginning and intermediate classes and submitted knitted and written patterns for 3 of these, wrote a pattern for a sweater, knit a sweater from another pattern for review, and passed two phone evaluations with one of the creators of the Instructor's Program.  Credentials like these ensure that you will be taught the correct methods in keeping with industry standards.

Let someone else catch your mistakes before they get out of hand: When you're new to knitting or to a technique, it's not always easy to see why you might be doing something wrong.  With an experienced instructor to check your work, you can avoid developing bad knitting habits. Any class you take with me comes with free follow-up---your satisfaction is important to me!

Meet other knitters: So many of my students take classes for this reason because they are new in town. Though I'm not new to the area, I still love to meet new people, especially knitters! I've had the privilege of meeting people from all over the world through knitting classes.

Bonus learning: Because there are so many great tricks and techniques to make knitting easier, there's always something new to learn.  You might take a class on intarsia and learn about a great new cast on method from one of your fellow classmates, for example.

Fun: There's a reason our ancestors gathered for quilting bees and barnraisings--it really is fun to do stuff together!

On Friendship and Brushes with Greatness

My copy of this one is a little crumpled from reading it in the tub....

Once upon a time, many long years ago, I hosted a Knitting Club for homeschoolers and their moms.  We met at various churches in the area (having long ago outgrown my living room) and at one of these gatherings, I met a knitter and her daughter who were both very nice and seemed to enjoy our group.  As we chatted one day, this mom and I, we discovered that we shared the same birthday month and day.  In my mind, it was from this point that we became lifelong friends.

Sadly, as is the case quite often in an area where military families are stationed, they moved away a few years ago and we now keep in touch through email (I'm horrible at this and keep hoping one day she will show up on Facebook, but until then I continually resolve to be a better emailer) and Ravelry.  We trade knitting stories, life events, snowfall amounts (mostly that bit comes from her, not me) and she has been a huge help in my homeschooling journey, having kids who have graduated and become productive members of society.

This morning I opened an email from her to discover that she had had a chance to meet one of her own personal knitting heroes--the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.  If you are unfamiliar with the Yarn Harlot, it would be an excellent and wise use of your time to pour yourself a beverage, grab a snack and spend an hour or more reading through her blog (winner of more Canadian blogging awards than my blog), and then grab a few of her books and spend even more time reading those.  She knits.  She's good at it.  She understands us.  And she writes about it all in a way that I promise you will love.

Here is an excellent post to begin with, if this is your first exposure to Ms. Pearl-McPhee.  Read it, appreciate her humor and humanity, feel as I did the twinge of envy that they have enough knitters in their area to host a Yarn Harlot book signing,  and be sure to scroll through all the pics.  See the one of Janna in her shawl, holding up some socks? That's my friend's sweet (extremely talented knitter) daughter.  Isn't she cute?  And I have it on good authority that that shawl won first prize in their county fair.

Congratulations to Janna on your continued knitting, your prize-winning knitwear, and your being featured in an award-winning, internationally famous knitting blog!  I fully expect to come to YOUR book signings some day!  Also, give your mom a hug from me--I sure do miss her, despite my infrequent emails!

Knit Inn 2014

On February 7-9, it was my privilege once again to attend the SC Knitting Guild's annual Knit Inn.  As always there were a lot of laughs, a lot of knitting, and many memories to cherish (or not, depending on your perspective, and if you hear the "cookie tantrum" story, trust me, it's very much exaggerated).

This year I again taught the Vintage Winter Shawl class, which is SO much fun to teach!  There were several finished shawls from last year's class in attendance and the lovely knitters who brought them made me feel like a Rock Star Teacher for sure.

The best part of any Knit Inn weekend for me is connecting with old friends and making new ones, and this year was off the charts fabulous in that department.

Until next year, y'all...keep on knitting!