and now class, let's all share what we did on winter vacation

Day 1: Kaki-what?

Day 1 was a course in Kakishibu, a Japanese technique of dyeing using fermented persimmon juice and a variety of oxidative agents in concert with mechanical resistance to create patterns. It was entertaining, required minimal brain function (handy since i only had minimal residual function thanks to the plague), and some pretty results were achieved. In addition, I made a new friend Barbara, shown in the center above. That said, I don't think I would pay such a hefty registration for something like this again.

Day 2: Mittens of Rovaniemi with Susanna Hansson

This class is the reason I signed up for Madrona. After seeing Denise's pix last year, I was determined that I just had to learn how. Of course, it turns out that I could have simply waited and bought Piecework, but I am pretty sure the magazine would not have brought along such a cornucopia of yarn choices for our learning pleasure. It definitely would not have brought along a beautiful circle of tiny little mittens - mittens so wee as to be fit for pixies. 

Susanna is a great teacher- with just the right balance of narrative and technique, well-paced and good-humored. I look forward to taking another of her classes in the future. Not surprisingly, I met great people - Trillium below, and Melanie (featured further along in the post). I made good headway with my wristlet and have since completed the first. I may do an 'aftermarket' mod to better suit my needs (watch this space!) but want to finish the mate first.

The amazing variance in gauge is always entertaining. Below you see two wristlets knit of identical yarn on identical needles. The first, a delicate truffle. The second, a rollicking puppy. A tightly wound knitter and a loose, fancy-free one. 

Finally, a knitterly group hug - everyone's wristlets all snuggling together!

Day 3: Lolligagging

Day 4: Fine spinning with Judith MacKenzie McCuin

Another great teacher! Good tempered, amusing, encouraging and humble. I literally knelt at her feet while she talked (hey, we all wanted a good view of the wheel!), watching finer and finer floss emerge from the orifice with each tiny adjustment. After she finished her explanation, she said something to the effect that we were good to go. That, we really didn't even need to spin - we had learned everything we needed to know. 

I scoffed a little. Not pissy, just disbelieving that my 'newbie' self could do what she asserted I would without fuss, fanfare or several days' trauma. 

And then I produced these. 

That is my sock bag. It is about 4 inches across. Just to give you an idea of scale. Talk about one helluva teacher!

General carrying on (in a knitterly sort of way):

Here we have Holly with me. (no, I'm not drunk. my eyes just do that.) Then Holly and the very tip of Lara's head. Knitting in the bar. Finally on the right, Mel (as promised above).

 

Dinnertime: Michael, Lara, me, Doug, Angela, Tina (of Blue Moon Fiber Arts), Denise, Gail, and Sheila. (Sheila and Michael are responsible for some of the prettiest glass knitting needles I have ever seen and the spectacular Don't Drop Spindles.

More knitting in the bar, and knitting, and knitting, and knitting. (no, Lara did not kill the photographer, no matter what her look promises.)

Finally, I leave you with photos of the Sock monkey celebs and the indefatiguable papparazzi: