Twined MItts: Aka Larus + Ardea One skein Cascade 220 and mabye 4 yrds of a contrast color. It took me a week to knit each mitt more or less obsessively but I'm more or less slow.
Two End Knitting by Anne-Maj Ling has more projects and you can get it from Nancy Bush's website. I may have been shopping.....that Greta Garbo shawl is gorgeous. (Cookie, quit giggling. Pinky swear I'll finish Lyra first which means......2012?)
Before the vicious H1N1 virus felled me - wow, that's a virulent mean little thing! I had a 103 fever for a couple of days and was as weak as a kitten - a kitten hacking up a lung. I don't recommend catching it. I wanted a week off but it would have been nice to do something other than sleep for three days. Although who am I kidding? I love sleeping all day.
Anway, before that happened, I was up at Marshall at the Marconi Convention Center State Historical Park being schooled by the likes of Nancy Bush and Sally Melville. I knew I was going to love Nancy's class, I have all her books and I love the historical aspect of her work and I knew that Sally's class was going to be good - I have most of her books too but I was blown away by how much I learned in Sally's class.
And I didn't even do the take-a-picture-of-yourself to make paper clothes for. (Honestly, I'm not big on pictures anyway but I didn't find out I needed it until the final two weeks before the 15th of October - this year it really was a work-up-until-the-last-minute. Much busier than normal too. Next year we are Taking Steps to avoid that.)
But even without that, what I learned in her class about flattering shapes and how to knit to fit was fabulous. I came to knitting from a seamstress background so I have always fooled with my patterns for a better fit but knitting is unlike sewing in many ways and there are some things I couldn't quite figure out. Her set in sleeve alone was worth the price of admission for the whole weekend.
And then there was the views. And the deer! We had three deer traipse by the window of our room one night. Jackrabbits hopped and posed merrily, it was if if they'd been hired.
Tomales Bay (from the Marshall Store & a plate of oysters on the back deck)
Tomales Bay through the trees at the Marconi Convention Center State Historical Park. If you're in the area, drive up. It's gorgeous and it is a park, so it's open to the public. They do have rooms available occasionally too.
The Line Up for Shawls with Carolyn, our Hostess With the Mostest doing her normal speed through. :)
Nancy Bush, Sally Melville and Erika in the back row, admiring the projects. Nancy crooked her finger at Trisha, beckoning her to the back, to get a better look at Trisha's nupp shawl she knit for her wedding. Gorgeous. There were a LOT of gorgeous projects there. I really need a decent camera, most of mine on the iPhone didn't come out. Boo.
In the meantime, pray that the current version of the second sleeve on Dad's Cardigan is the final one. It's my cough*whoknows*cough try. Note to self:
- A top down knit sleeve must have at least close to the same number of stitches on each side.
- The second sleeve is not where one should decide to stop knitting a sweater in pattern.
- It should not be larger, particularly if the yarn is running out and there is no more.....
Clearly the flu was your punishment for having too much fun.
Glad you're better, though!
Posted by: Amy | October 26, 2009 at 12:30 PM
You've been busy! No wonder you got so sick. I hope you're feeling better, sweetie. No time to be ill. Too many things to do and people to kill. ;^)
xo
Posted by: Cookie | October 26, 2009 at 12:58 PM
Beautiful mitts!
/jealous.
Posted by: Carrie | October 26, 2009 at 01:17 PM
I'm glad you're finally feeling better!!
That Nancy Bush class sounds pretty cool. :)
Posted by: Chris | October 26, 2009 at 01:18 PM
Oh dear, I was your virtual companion in the H1N1 debacle. That WAS a nasty virus - haven't been that sick in years. Glad it's over. At least we don't need the vaccine (not that anyone can get it anyway). Those mitts are gorgeous - good work. And it sounds like it was a fabulous class!
Posted by: Julia | October 26, 2009 at 01:55 PM
Sorry you've been so sick! Sounds like you had some great classes, though. I loved Sally Melville's classes.
Posted by: Cheryl S. | October 26, 2009 at 02:08 PM
Oh my goodness! I hope you're feeling much better now. That H1N1 stuff is scary.
The Greta Garbo shawl is gorgeous. I suppose I should learn tvandstikning some day. I'm half Swedish, after all. Greta was actually a cousin of my mor-mor's by marriage.
Posted by: JennyJen | October 26, 2009 at 02:13 PM
Glad you are feeling better. Last time I was home sick, I thought I'd get a lot done. Duh. I'm home because I'm SICK.
Posted by: marylou | October 26, 2009 at 02:41 PM
Love your mittens! Sorry to hear you've got the H1N1! My son's sick for weeks now. He went to see the doctor who said, he's got nothing (coughing up his lung too, had fever too). Hmmm.
I envy you your N.B. and S.M. classes, really I DO! Better iphone picksk than nothing!
Posted by: Monika | October 26, 2009 at 02:50 PM
I've got that mother/daughter book --- lots of nice stuff.
Posted by: Kim | October 26, 2009 at 02:55 PM
Beautiful mitts, and the park looks very nice! Bummer about catching H1N1.
Posted by: Jodi | October 26, 2009 at 04:06 PM
Deer! Jackrabbits! Sorry to hear about the swine (flu), though.
Clearly the second sleeve wants to be fashion forward.
Posted by: Vermicious | October 26, 2009 at 07:23 PM
Oh Man!!! Glad you are feeling better. That is a nasty one, isn't it? Keep rested, ok?
And those twined mittens. LOve them so much. Hmmmmm.... ;0)
Posted by: Sharon | October 26, 2009 at 08:06 PM
Those mitts are so cool! Swine flu, not so much. I'm glad you've recovered. (DH and I always sing the words "swine flu" to the tune of Cher's Halfbreed. Politically incorrect but still funny.)
Your knitting classes sound fabulous! What a wonderful pair of teachers. I love those classes that teach you lots of things, but at least one that you'll use all the time and never forget.
Posted by: Sonya | October 27, 2009 at 04:57 AM
Colour me bright green! What a great thing to do, other than the flu part that is.
Posted by: Gale | October 27, 2009 at 05:01 AM
I'm so glad you're better! And that you had fun and learned much in your classes...
(((hugs)))
Posted by: Knitnana | October 27, 2009 at 06:20 AM
Hey I have that two ended knitting book! Get out of my brain. Or maybe I should get out of yours since you actually knitted something two-ended.
Posted by: Michelle | October 27, 2009 at 07:45 AM
Beautiful mitts! I'm jealous of your workshop, that must have been fun.
Feel better soon.
Posted by: Bridget | October 27, 2009 at 07:58 AM
Oy, H1N1? Glad you are feeling better though...I have this sneakin' suspicion it'll get me this year.
Love your mitts (REALLY like the color) and wow on the classes. Definitely sounds like you leaned a lot. But seriously...finish the darn sleeve will ya? :)
Posted by: Rachel | October 27, 2009 at 08:22 AM
Wow, that sounds like so much fun! I really enjoyed Mother Daughter Knits as well!
Posted by: Elspeth | October 27, 2009 at 09:43 AM
Stupid nasty virus. mutter mutter
Who cares how many times the sleeve is knit? Once you've got it the way you want it, anyway.
Posted by: Gwen | October 27, 2009 at 10:55 AM
rememeber you're knitting the lyra with me too. so don't feel so bad about not keeping up with cookie. :)
i'm so glad you had a good time at the retreat!
Posted by: opal | October 27, 2009 at 03:16 PM
are you over the crud yet? is it safe to be here reading
Posted by: Stacey | October 27, 2009 at 04:52 PM
Lovely mitts, Carrie! So sorry you got the bad crud!! You go to the best classes in the best places!!!!!!
Posted by: Angie | October 27, 2009 at 06:40 PM
I'm so sorry to hear that you got the flu -- this one sounds just terrible! But your weekend sounds fabulous fabulous. I have retreat envy :) Although I think I may have benefitted sideways from some advice from a fellow-attendee in the matter of making freeform garments hit in a flattering place (even if the advice does mean that I'm in for a world of frogging...)
Posted by: Jocelyn | October 27, 2009 at 08:19 PM
Okay, that sounds like such a fun class. I'm quite jealous, if I'm honest. Sally Melville does share a lot of information with you, doesn't she?
Sorry to hear about the H1N1 Flu.
Most importantly - a FINISHED OBJECT!!! Woo Hoo!
Posted by: Kim D. | October 28, 2009 at 05:02 AM
Cute mitts. I refuse to read the rest of your post and it'll make me terribly jealous. :-)
Posted by: Rebekah | October 28, 2009 at 11:31 AM
You poor thing H1N1 is horrible.
Beautiful mitts.
Posted by: mrspao | October 30, 2009 at 12:54 AM
Wow, glad you've recovered from the flu! Sounds miserable. Also, those mittens are wonderful! I think they must keep the cold at bay :-)
Posted by: Aarti | October 30, 2009 at 01:02 PM
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the mitts! Design and color, tres pretty!
And oh what fun the classes sound like.
I am so glad you are feeling better.
Hugs to you and Hez, G
Posted by: Geraldine | October 30, 2009 at 01:15 PM
Love the mitts, and oh what a fun time it sounds like you had. I like Sally Melville. I had no idea who Nancy Bush was and then when I looked up her books it turns out I have two of her sock books so I guess I like her too! Sorry you caught the H1N1. I hope you are completely well now!
Posted by: Stefanie | October 31, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Not only do you get to go on cool workshops, you get to go to the ones in the really cool spots.
Ooo, I really like your mitts!!! I haven't done much knitting of late...work. Good thing they pay me.
I'm glad you're feeling better! Flu sucks... :(
Posted by: Brigitte | November 03, 2009 at 04:51 AM
It's so nice to hear you sounding like your usual perky self again! I love the mitts; after you first posted about them, I printed off the pattern, but probably have to wait until after the new year to get to them!
Posted by: Birdsong | November 06, 2009 at 07:26 PM
Sorry to hear you had THE FLU. Looks like you were still able to have some fun though.
Posted by: CarolyninAlaska | November 08, 2009 at 10:42 PM
Are you ok Carrie? Hugs, G
Posted by: Geraldine | November 26, 2009 at 08:55 AM