yarnkandy: October 2007

1. Buy a circular sock machine. Yes, I'm a lemming, why do you ask?

2. Can't get it to knit.

3. Instead of investing more money on needles so that you can actually knit....

4. Purchase another sock machine. New one this time, 'cause in my mind newer is better and this one will actually work - right? Plus, once I conquer the new one I'll be able to get the other one working.

Um, yeah. After two weeks of a few (hahahahaha) fits and starts, I am actually knitting on the new machine. I can knit tubes (yea!) and have now gotten the ribber working. Still haven't knit a heel, but did get half way through one last night. Practice, practice. I'm hoping that one day I'll look back on this learning period and wonder what all the fuss was. 'Cause I have a lot of sock yarn. Though not as much as I've seen in some people's stashes on Ravelry. Oh my. I'm not as bad as I thought - bad, but not horrible.

Bad blogger - smacks hands with ruler.

Yarn School recap - first I must say, I am totally so not in love with my GPS. I got to travel every backroad there is between my house and Harveyville. Even a lovely gravel road. At the end of said gravel road - I was told I'd arrived. hahahaha - not! I took a lucky guess and turned right (which happened to be right) and finally found my way. I thought I lived in the boonies - this place is in the middle of nowhere.

The school is a really neat place, though it was built in the '50s and has NO air conditioning. Can I mention that it was in the 90s the entire time we were there? I'm a little spoiled for having been to Shakerag. And those accommodations are not first class by any stretch of the imagination.

I did meet a lot of wonderful people and by the end of the week had a really good time. I was ready to leave by the end of the first day though. I can't say we ever had a meal at the scheduled time, but what we did have was wonderful.

I learned the difference between woolen and worsted spinning and can now navajo ply. I loved meeting Adrian, Sarah and Jennifer our teachers. There were about 30 attendees (all very nice and very cool) and we all crammed into the science lab and attempted to dye wool. It was a unique experience. I'd suggest that the groups be broken up to no more that 15 in the dye lab in future years. I was disappointed that there wasn't more space or time for dying. Again being spoiled by Shakerag. This was just a completely different experience and I can't put my finger on it as to why. The people were just as nice, the teachers were equally good.

And while we were there, Harveyville was having its Fair. My handspun Shetland Triangle Shawl won third place. A little humbling as there were only three entries in my category. Oh well....

Overall a good experience, but not one worth driving 9 hours for next year.