Stephen West strikes again.
I’m not sure if there is anything about this pattern that I don’t like. Manos Maxima is like a nicer, more vibrant version of Malabrigo Worsted; soft, squishy, warm, and with great stitch definition. I personally like Maxima more. I feel like Maxima has a better selection of colors and the colors themselves are better dyed and don’t bleed.
The Ravelers of Rassilon, 2010
Okay folks, let the planning commence!
This year at Gallifrey One I am offering free, very quick/basic introductions to knitting and crochet. I hope to offer it 2-3 times over the course of the weekend, allowing folks an opportunity to attend depending on their schedules. This is a bit of an experiment, so I’m not sure how many people will show up (hopefully not too many all at once!) or who will be helping me teach (though I have gotten offers through Twitter…folks, comment here or message me with the contact form so I can get in touch!).
The first session is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 14th, at 6pm PST in the lobby of the LAX Marriott where the Gallifrey One convention is being held. Materials are NOT provided. You must supply your own yarn and needles/hook to learn. Sorry, but I think TSA would hold me captive if I tried to fly with a billion knitting needles and skeins of yarn. Think about it this way: the instruction is free! And any new skill does take a small investment…
Knit 101 (Image Credit: VOGUE)
Required materials to KNIT:
- a set of US10/6mm straight knitting needles, like these
- 90-100 yards of smooth/round or smooth/flat worsted weight (#4) cotton IN A SOLID COLOR, LIGHT COLOR. Recommendations: Classic Elite Katydid, Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, Berroco Comfort Worsted (not cotton, acrylic), Tahki Good Earth Cotton
- a copy of TNNA’s How to Knit pamphlet or Lion Brand’s Learn to Knit PDF, printed out or on a Tablet (Kindle/iPad/etc.)
Crochet 101 (Image Credit: VOGUE)
Required materials to CROCHET:
- one USJ/6mm crochet hook, like this
- 80-100 yards of chunky weight (#5) wool or wool blend IN A SOLID, LIGHT COLOR. Recommendations: Lamb’s Pride Bulky (my personal favorite learning yarn for crochet), Lion Brand Wool-Easy Chunky (a wool/acrylic blend), Berroco Vintage Chunky (a wool/acrylic/nylon blend). If you have a wool allergy, any of the above cottons under “Required Materials to Knit” will work okay.
- a copy of TNNA’s How to Crochet pamphlet or Lion Brand’s Learn to Crochet PDF, printed out or on a tablet (Kindle/iPad/etc.)
Recommendations/Tips:
- Find a local yarn shop in your area to help you pick out materials. I am a big advocate for shopping locally. If you do not have a yarn shop in your area, a Michaels or Joann Fabrics should suffice.
- Pick solid color, light colored yarn. Variegated and dark yarns can be very pretty, but can make looking for your stitches when you’re learning very hard. Especially in the lobby that does not always have the brightest lighting.
- Come prepared and try your best to be patient. Drink some tea and take a few deep breaths before we begin. Learning new skills can be frustrating sometimes, especially as we all get older.
Stay tuned for more times to learn, and be ready to dedicate approximately two hours to learning the basics of these crafts.
If you’re planning on attending, please comment below so I have an idea of how many people to expect!
I love going through my friend activity on Ravelry to see what they’re all making. I have a really fantastic core of knitters and crocheters in my friends list… just check out some of this stuff they’ve made recently!
[Click on the images to go to the Ravelry project page!]
stanzi’s cowboy cowl
jadeblade’s arm warmers
jadeblade’s felted bunny slippers
micicuta’s sideways shawl
beckyrocks’ honors geometry cowl
I need more time to knit! Maybe I should just schedule it into my weekly routine… hmm, that’s a good idea!
Cochram
Cochram is a quick, easy, and trendy slouchy hat pattern just in time for the cooling weather. Worked up in Plymouth Yarns Haciendo, this hat has an interesting and attractive texture due to the yarn’s thick-and-thin spin. It knits up so quickly you can knit it, start to finish, by the end of Star Trek: First Contact.
On Sunday, September 30th, Hill Country Weavers hosted a lovely trunk show and slideshow with the talented Stephen West! His patterns took off on Ravelry after publishing the Boneyard Shawl, and he established himself as a knitwear designer with the immensely popular Clockwork shawl. He now has three pattern collections, a variety of collaborations, and lots of great new stuff in the works!
I managed to snap some pictures of his samples (and ours!) and talk while at the shop today:
Stephen West at HCW!
