Surprised by the Yarn-Over

There’s nothing like a deadline to provide inspiration. This weekend, I’ll be teaching at the 4^th Annual Fall Fiber Retreat  in Boyne Falls, Michigan, a relaxing weekend get-away.

On Saturday, I’m teaching Mechanics of Your Wheel and Plying Balanced Yarns. On Sunday, I’m teaching The Surprising Yarn-Over. This’ll be the first time I’ve taught the yarn-over workshop. I’d had the idea in my head for quite awhile, but having a “due date” required that I go from theoretical to concrete.

I enjoy the process of preparing workshop handouts because it prompts me to arrange my thoughts on a topic. What should be said first? How are subtopics related? Which explanations need a swatch or a stitch pattern? How might the notions that I present be translated into knitted designs and projects?

I started preparing the handouts on Saturday, and I finished them yesterday. Over those few days, my brain was occupied with the fascinating little yarn-over. I daydreamed about them. I nightdreamed about them. I wrote about them. I read about them. I rummaged through my knitted pieces for examples. And, of course, I knitted swatches.

As it happens, my current knitting project – a shawl – incorporates yarn-overs in more than one interesting way. It’ll be a perfect example to show workshop participants. I’m close enough to the end of that project that I might well finish knitting it during the retreat.

Preparing the notes sparked ideas for future designs that take advantage of yarn-overs. I have an idea for a camisole. Wall hangings. More shawls. Collar. Cuff.

I love it when this happens!

SOAR and More

SOAR  is over. I’ve been home for nearly a week. Most of my catch-up chores are now done. My head is still spinning with memories. (“spinning”? Really? Did I really write that?)

I roomed with the delightful Loyce Erickson. She lives in western Oregon where she creates wonderful felted art and felted clothing. We got along fabulously (I was happy to gush over loads of pictures of her new puppy). She works with wool, of course. But she also incorporates silk into her felting. She generously gifted me with some silk hankies that she’d dyed black (!) and a sweet pink and grey silk-wool felted scarf.

My workshop and retreat sessions were great fun. I saw many old faces (I mean: they were folks I’d met before), and many new faces (new to me!). There were folks who’d just begun spinning (less than a couple months), and folks who’d been spinning for innumerable years. It was delightful to meet some who’d attended more than 25 of the 31 years of SOAR. I do love the variety of people: different tastes, different enthusiasms, different experiences, different cultures, different ages. Yes!

SOAR is not only a wonderful place for teaching and learning, but for having surprise conversations. At each meal, I tried to sit at a table with at least a few folks that I’d not yet met. Fascinating conversations ensued. Same thing at some of the social gatherings (mentor meeting, vendor meet-and-greet, fashion show, evening spin-ins): conversations went in all directions. I wish I could remember every single word. At least I remember some.

In no particular order:

Teri Drouin-Guerette. She’d taken my workshop last year, and this year she was in my silk hankies retreat session. We got to chat about fiber events and teaching spinning. She gifted me some lovely stitch markers. Thanks Teri.

Deb Menz. She was in my silk hankies retreat session. Now, Deb is a renowned color expert. I was so excited to tell her that I am proud to be a “color dunce”. That sounds so confrontational, but she took it for what it was: a silly little moment.

John Mullarkey. A pleasant young man who does remarkable tablet weaving. He also has done some intriguing work with pin looms. In fact, he help Schacht Spindle Co update the pin loom for their new Zoom Loom. John also had a retreat session dedicated to silk hankies. Where I was teaching how to spin them, he was teaching how to weave on a pin loom with them. His students made adorable silk flowers.

Gayle Vallance. Another SOAR mentor, Gayle is from British Columbia, and she knows her bast fibers! We had chats about flax, hemp and cotton. She inspired me to spend more time with these fibers. I look forward to those adventures!

Andrea Mielke Shroer. Andrea’s workshop room was right next to mine. So, I got to peek in on her regularly. She focused on using Corriedale wool. We had chats about variations within the breed, where to get good Corri wool. In one of her classes she had the most beautiful raw fleece spread out in the middle of the room. A delight to see and smell. I also got bits of advice from her about using a tahkli spindle.

Patsy Zawistoski. We sat next to each other during the final night’s “farewell” gathering. And we shared some wine. We talked about travels, great wheels, flax, tahklis, wine, knitting, and undoing knitting.

Carol Desrochers. Carol roomed with my sister, Meg, when they were in school at the University of Michigan. It was great to catch up with her at SOAR. The last time I’d seen her was at the Michigan Fiber Festival in 2004. I’m hoping that I see her more often!

Robin Russo. Robin is a wiz. I took her 3-day silk workshop several years ago at Convergence. It was a marvelous and memorable experience. Our paths cross every now and then, and we usually get in a word or two about silk. This time, we happened to be in a vendor booth together. I was fondling a silk form that I’d not seen before: a silk “lap”. I grilled Robin on it’s properties. As always, she was kind, generous, and informative.

Marilyn Wright. Marilyn is from the UK. I met her last year at SOAR. It was a pleasure to see her again. This year she taught short workshops in blackfoot spindles and spinning. In one of our chats, she gave me the background of this intriguing spindle. She wrote an article for Spin-Off, Summer 2013. I am smitten with this spindle. I must get one! (The Woolery sells them.)

D.Y. Begay.  D.Y. taught classes on Navajo spinning. I enjoyed meeting her and chatting about the southwest. It’s been a very long time since I lived in Arizona.

Chris Pappas. Oh, wow. Did you read her article in the Fall issue of PLY magazine? It was great! We sat next to each other at lunch one day. I had no idea who she was. After a few exchanges we started talking about academia, and her work as an archeologist, specializing in textiles. Then someone mentioned PLY. I got very excited. I told her I thought her article was the best piece in the magazine. A few days later, she said I had the best haircut of anyone at SOAR. Funny.

Kate Larson.  We didn’t get much of a chance to chat. Too bad; Kate is a delight. But I did get to see some of the work that her students had done in her workshop on spinning for Norwegian mittens. Fabulous detail. I want to make some! Really. I do. And I will. And I’m now more interested in spinning 3- and 4-ply yarns.

Lynda Walker. I met Lynda last year at SOAR. We just hit it off. This year she bought me drinks on Friday night. We chatted and chatted and chatted about dance, peanut butter, and other important topics. And we laughed a lot!

Anita Osterhaug. Anita is the editor of Handwoven magazine and Weaving Today . She has been given the task of guiding a conversation and gathering thoughts about the future of an Interweave spinning event. We sat next to each other one night and I commended her for taking on such a daunting task. Many folks do not like change, so Anita has a lot of persuading to do. I will be hoping for the very best for her and for whatever spinning event evolves from SOAR.

I regret that I had other conversations that were equally touching, inspiring, and surprising, but I don’t remember everyone’s names. I’m bad that way.

I drove home last Sunday. As much as I love teaching, I also love going home. As my car gets closer to Lake Ann, I grow calmer. I was pleasantly surprised at how much autumn color still lingered. The blazing colors of maple are past, but the oaks are now coming into their own. I will now get some time to relish northern Michigan late fall, do some cool weather cooking, and work on fiber projects. Maybe work on my tahkli and Navajo spinning. And play with my looms. And rug hook. And spin. And knit.

Life is good.

Am I Ready for Ravelry?

Ravelry is a free website for fiber folks, mostly knitters and crocheters. It’s been around for awhile. I signed up years ago, but was never active…..until now.

With the invaluable help of my friend, Elizabeth K, my knitting patterns are now available for purchase on Ravelry. I’m “atyler”, and my designs are under Amy Tyler, Stone Sock Fiber Designs.

My most recent pattern is for an afghan that I designed earlier this year. It incorporates stitch patterns that are combinations of ribs and welts. The pattern name is direct: Rib Welt Sampler Afghan. Here’s a picture (courtesy of Briar Rose Fibers):

The patterns have been up for just a couple days and I’m already making sales. I think that’s good. Am I ready for this?

I’m curious to see what happens while I’m away next week at SOAR. 

Hankie Heaven

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Busy, and productive. Since I blogged last, I’ve finished and submitted two articles that are scheduled to be published in the Spring 2014 issue of Ply Magazine. I taught workshops at Yarn in the Barn. I’ve submitted proposals for workshops for Michigan Fiber Festival 2014. And I’m putting the finishing touches on preparations for teaching at Spin-Off Autumn Retreat.

My recent blog silence is not due to a lack of stuff to share. Just a lack of time!

For the past month or so, I have spent most of my creative time with silk hankies. That’s the topic of my two articles for Ply: one article on technical issues of spinning silk hankies, the other article presenting a design and knitting pattern for fingerless mitts.

I spent nearly three weeks spinning silk hankies every day. Now, hankies can be a physical challenge, so I had to be very conscientious about not overdoing it. I limited myself to no more than three hours per day. I made several yarn samples, mostly experimenting with the amount of twist I was using. I find this type of systematic activity to be very informative. And, reiteration also sparks my creative thoughts.

Here are some pictures of samples:

And here’s a picture of the mitts I designed. (I’m very pleased with them.)

These articles coincide nicely with one of my SOAR workshops, “Spinning With Silk Hankies”. So, I’ll have several new samples to show workshop participants.

And, at Yarn in the Barn, I discovered that Chris Roosien (Briar Rose Fibers) has started dyeing silk hankies. Of course I got a bundle. Her colors are dreamy.

I recall a line from the old TV show, Designing Women. One character said, “A lady should never be without a linen hankie.”

Here’s my take: A spinner should never be without a silk hankie.

Recipe for Deliciousness

It’s been a week since I returned from the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. I had a wonderful time.

It’s a great event for fiber shopping. I got lots of wool, but I also got other fibers: silk, yak, angora, and some lovely kid mohair. Mmmmmm….

I always enjoy teaching at WSWF. It’s a very well organized event, and the folks there are so enthusiastic!

This year, food was high on my list of delights. One night I went out to dinner and had a beef brisket sandwich with BBQ sauce. Quite good.

On the last day of the festival, I tried a lamb brat. Wow! I think it was the best brat I’ve ever had. I can hardly wait to attend next year so I can have another. Maybe two.

Interestingly, lamb recipes were a major topic of chat in some of my workshops. I mentioned to the students that I’d be taking home some ground lamb from Carol and Paul Wagner (Hidden Valley Farm & Woolen Mill) . And I also mentioned that I planned to make lamb meatballs. One workshop participant suggested I post my recipe on my blog. Good idea!

(I know some readers might find the idea of eating lamb to be off putting. For those of you who eat meat but avoid lamb, just remember that when the lambs go to market in the fall they are no longer babies; they’re teenagers.)

Amy’s Lamb Meatballs

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

Olive oil

½ c. apple cider

2 lb ground lamb

½ - 1 c. fresh bread crumbs

¼ c. plain yogurt

2 eggs

½ c. grated parmesan cheese

¼ c. chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

2-3 tsp lemon zest (I used all the zest from 1 lemon)

Lots of fresh ground black pepper

1 ¼ tsp. salt

1 ¼ tsp cumin

1 ¼ tsp coriander

½ tsp fennel seed

¼ tsp cayenne

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

3 Tbs. Tahini

Saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. Add cider and cook until most of fluid is gone. Let cool.

Mix well all of the rest of the ingredients (except olive oil) plus the cooled onion mixture.

Shape into approximately 1” meatballs (relatively small). Add some olive oil to a large fry pan. Cook the meatballs over medium heat until done, turning them frequently. I like to cook them until they are browned a bit.

When I remove them from the pan, I put them on a paper towel-covered plate to soak up excess grease.

Here’s how I serve them: in a pita bread sandwich with cucumbers, tomatoes, and yogurt. Oh so very good!

Note that the amount of each ingredient is pretty flexible. The only ingredient I personally would be wary of increasing is the cinnamon.

Let's Dance the Last Dance

Two weeks ago, Amy Clarke Moore, editor of Spin-Off magazine, announced that this year’s SOAR (Spin-Off Autumn Retreat)  will be the last SOAR.

So, in my mind I’ve been boogie-ing to the Donna Summer 1978 disco classic, “Last Dance”

Last dance, last chance for love

Yes, it's my last chance

For romance tonight

. . .

So let's dance, the last dance

Let's dance, the last dance

Let's dance, this last dance tonight

Last year I was a first-time mentor at SOAR. And they invited me back for this year. I’m quite thrilled!

For the three-day workshop, I’m teaching Spinning With Millspun Yarns. I’ve spent a good amount of the last few months playing with re-spinning yarns and combining re-spun yarns with fiber. This exploration has really struck a creative nerve which has got me quite psyched.

Here’s a picture of some of my yarn samples for this workshop:

And here is a picture of some scarves that I knitted from energized re-spun yarns.

There are still spots available in this workshop. Care to join me?

I’m also teaching two half-day workshops:  Mechanics of Your Wheel and Spinning With Silk Hankies.

One very nice thing about SOAR this year is that it is close: it’s being held at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois, close to Chicago. It’s about a 6-hour drive from my house.

Dates for SOAR workshops are October 21-26, 2013. In addition to the workshops, there is a fabulous hall of vendors, a fashion show, and ample time to commune with fiber and fiber folks.

Are you interested in a last chance for this fiber love? Then join us!

Getting Ready for Wisconsin

I’m ramping up for the Wisconsin Sheep &Wool Festival (September 6-8). I have only a couple more days to get ready. My notes are prepared, but not copied yet. I still need to gather samples and supplies.

I’ll be taking some of my favorite knits as samples. On Friday morning I’m teaching I Heart Duplicate Stitch.

I really do “heart” duplicate stitch. One of the first times I used it was on a sweater I knitted long ago: a very sweet Pam Allen design in an old isse of VogueKnitting, Spring/Summer 1995. I was smitten when I saw a cute, short cardigan with cherries all over it.

By the way, I live in the Cherry Capital of the World. The Grand Traverse region produces more tart cherries than anywhere else.

So, I had to have the sweater. My dilemma: it was designed to be knitted using intarsia techniques. Now, I can do it, but I don’t like it. Instead, I decided to duplicate stitch all the cherries. I’m so very glad I did that because in the process I learned to love duplicate stitch.

Here’s a close up:

I’ve got several other wonderful knitted examples of my use of duplicate stitch. I’ve also got examples of when I didn’t use duplicate stitch and I wish I had. Lots to look at and think about.

Friday afternoon’s class is Spinning Marl Yarns. I know there are many spinners out there who try to avoid “barber pole” looking yarns. I’ll admit that the skeins of yarn may not look exciting, but I really like how such yarns knit up: all speckled and natural. I’ll be taking several sample skeins to show folks, and I’ll be taking one shawl that I created a couple years back, “3 X 3 = 10”. I spun ten 3-ply yarns, using 3 different colors. Here’s a picture of the shawl, modeled by Vivenne K. I wrote an article about it for Spin-Off (Fall, 2011). You can find the pattern in the article.

On Saturday, I’m teaching Shaping With Stitch Patterns. I’ve really got to come up with a better title for this workshop. It’s mostly an exploration of how different knit stitch patterns behave. Some pull in, some pull up, some curl, some bias, some are stiff, some are stretchy. And you can use these different characteristics to help shape your knitted garments. I’m taking several sweaters and dozens of swatches as examples/samples.

On Sunday, I’ve got Blending Colors at the Wheel. I’m taking a jacket/sweater that I designed some years back. The sweater now belongs to my friend Sylvia VM, but she lets me borrow it. Here she is wearing it. The pattern is called “Right Side Up?” because it can also be worn upside down.

And I’m taking a shawl that I designed long ago. The shawl now belongs to my friend Becky McD who also lets me borrow frequently. Here’s a picture of the shawl as modeled by Gladys Strong, who passed away earlier this year.

The festival takes workshop registrations up to the day workshops are taught. Not only are there wonderful workshops, but the festival is an awesome event for all things sheepy.