Monday, February 28, 2011

Knitting Retreat

Since I just listed our Retreat on the Lion Brand Website I suppose I should list the document for Registration.  Registration will begin this Friday (I am having early registration for my knit and crochet group this Thursday evening).  Later this week I will have info on materials needed for each class.   We are trying to keep materials at a minimum so that each the Retreat will be affordable and enjoyable.  For more information on the retreat click the link below.  If you need further information my email address is listed at the end of the document before the registration.  Thanks.

Keeping You In Stitches Info and Registration Document

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Photos of FO's

I am trying to link my Google/Picasa photos so that you and others can see my wife's and my work of late.

Knitting Knook Finished Works

It includes ponchos, hats, shawls and more.  I am hoping that everyone who wants to see these will be able to visit this Album.

Another item to tell you about is the wonderful yarn shop visit I had on Friday.  Due to planning the Knitting Retreat, I am trying to visit as many shops as possible within driving distance of our retreat.  I went to a wonderful shop on Friday.  After an unplanned dentist visit Friday morning, 2 hours and 2 fillings later, I headed to Plymouth, NC to visit "Yearning for Yarn."  It was probably the smallest yarn shop I have ever visited.  It was also one of the best.  Everything was very organized, by weight and content.  The owner was very delightful.  We discussed knitting, yarns, patterns, Elizabeth Zimmerman, and my publishing.  She was interested in every detail of each customer (there were others in the store).  I can say I will return to her store when I am in the area.  If you ever find yourself anywhere near Plymouth, NC,  get in to Yearning for Yarn.  It is worth the drive.  Take your knitting and sit a spell.

Knit your family together with prayers and love, and they will never come unraveled.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Crochet Shawl and Updates

Hi all just wanted to show off pics of my crocheted shawl.  It is in Bernat Mosaic which is very much like an expensive Japanese yarn we all know and love.  My very lovely daughter is modeling.  For those of you who read this week, I have posted pictures of the Taylor Swift inspired slouchy hat on Wednesday's post.  (I will try to  post them here as well).   I also updated the Peppermint Hot CoCowl to include a new yarn that is more readily available.  (Pic also below.)
Peppermint Hot CoCowl in Charisma (from Michael's)
Slouchy hat (pattern available on Ravelry)

Taylor Swift inspired Slouchy hat

On to a nice surprise...  I travel quite a bit for a teacher.  When I go out I like to find new yarn shops to visit, so I Google them to see where they are and email them so that they will know I am traveling and wish to visit while I am there.  I received an email today from a shop I am planning to visit next month while at a teacher's conference.  They asked if I would be a "guest teacher" while I am visiting!  I was shocked, flattered, and thrilled!  I am thinking of what I can teach as I write this.  I will keep you posted as the date comes closer and what might work out as a second "career" in the teaching world.

Keep a closely knit family and your love will never unravel.

Field Trip

Our second graders are going on a field trip to see a play today, "Cinderella Confidential."  It takes about an hour to get there and an hour to get back.  Which means, if they are good on the bus, I get 2 extra hours of knitting today!  Now, which project should I take?

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Teaching Gig, a hat, and a pig....and announcing a Knitting Retreat

So last weekend I went to Crafting Stop in Franklin, VA to talk to them about teaching knitting.  My wife and children went with me along with a laundry basket full of FO's (finished objects).  We discussed knitting and crochet for an hour and by the time I got home that evening I found out that they liked all my work and set up their first knitting class.  It will be held March 26, teaching How to knit, with a dishcloth as the project (scarves are easy but take longer than a 2 hour class can sustain).  Today I finished the model washcloth and will type out the pattern for the store this weekend.  I also found great knitting instructions that show an easy way to do the long tail cast on (I think it is one of the hardest parts to teach).   Things are looking up in my knitting world.  My first pattern to be published, the Reversible Men's Hat, Scarf, and fingerless Mitts Ensemble, will hopefully come out next month.  Design number two went out in the mail on Monday.  I don't want to jinx it but I am very proud and excited with the design. (The drawing was even good, and I am not an artist.)  There is another call for designs for Interweave Knits mid March, and I am buying yarn for that design this weekend when my wonderful wife, a good friend, and I go to Coordinated Colors Yarn Shop to take an Entrelac knitting class.

On to the hat.  My daughter loves Taylor Swift.  Over the Christmas holiday, she watched a special and saw a slouchy beret/tam/hat that Taylor loves to wear.  She said "Daddy will you make one for me?" and I of course could not say no.  So I set out to find a pattern and quickly found the pattern by another blogger on the web.  The hat was cabled and I went in search of yarn for it.  My daughter loves blue and picked electric blue Charisma yarn from Michael's.  This yarn is super soft and worked up great for the cables.  I will post a picture here later.  She loves the hat and wears it daily now, which is a good thing because I was the mad knitter Friday night trying to finish it.  When I finished it at 10:30 pm Friday, my hands were raw and sore.  The look on her face Saturday morning was worth the pain in my hands.  Thanks for loving my work, Eleanor.

And the pig...My son is 5 and still in preschool (Thanks NC for pushing back the Kindergarten entrance date so I have to pay for an additional year of daycare on my teacher's salary).  Last week he found a set of phonics readers we bought for my now 8 year old daughter and asked to be taught how to read.  I am very proud to say that he can pick out and sound out quite a few of the words.  He likes the short i story "Pig Jigs."  The pig jigs in a wig and the pig is big.  You get the idea.   I am very glad he has taken an interest in reading at such a young age.  Not sure what they will do with him in Kindergarten next year if he comes in reading, already knowing his colors, and recognizes numbers up to 20 (he can count much higher than that).  Maybe I should start a knitting commune and home school my kids.  Just a thought.

Finally...Announcing the first (annual) Keeping You in Stitches Knitting Retreat.  It will be held in Beautiful Downtown Murfreesboro, NC.  The Barnes House Bed & Breakfast will be the venue for our Retreat hosted by Heather Boyd, my wife and avid crocheter/knitter, Claudia Morris, owner of Southern Purls in Ahoskie, NC, and myself, Rusty Boyd aka Small Town Knit Guy and published knitting designer.  There will be classes in Magic Loop, Felting, Broomstick Lace, and a sock done toe up/magic loop.  We will take a field trip to Three Hawk Alpacas, have several Sit & Stitch sessions to share and talk, and prizes donated by several LYS's.  If you are interested in more info or registration details email me at smalltownknitguy@gmail.com.

Well I have rambled on now for quite a while tonight.  Hope you enjoyed reading.   Pics of finished objects coming soon.