Stitches, What an Experience!

Well, not my best photo, but at least I'm having fun.  We're at a class at the big Stitches West event in Santa Clara.  I am on the right Julia on the left.  Julia asked me before we left if she made shirts with her new store name (Fig Tree Alley Fiber Arts) on it would I wear it.  Of course~!

We made a weekend of it rather than just a day like last year.  Last year was fun don't get me wrong.  We took the "Stitches" train from Sacramento with 500 other knitters.  It was so much fun.  This year no train available.  Boy, did us fiber artists complain.  I think the train will resume next year.  We debated about whether or not to go Julia and me.  Then we decided to get a hotel, stay the night, take a class, and really enjoy the market place without out worrying about being too tired or having to catch a train home.  Julia brought a bottle of wine to enjoy back at the hotel.  I discovered a new wine I like Smoking Loon's Cabernet.

We took a class called "Intro to Entrelac."  Well, Julia and I just learned how to purl the week before and this class was a bit above our heads.  Not that we didn't understand and couldn't get the concept, but because we are very slow knitters.  It's just experience.  We'll get faster.  Fortunately, we had a great teacher who helped everyone at their own pace.  By class end we could see the beginnings of entrelac and that was very exciting.

Not my swatch, but this is what entrelac looks like and you can see why we'd want to learn it.  The basketweave look is so impressive.  My teacher told me that Entrelac is french for interlaced.

This year I really went easy in the marketplace.  I still have yarn from last year's big Newton's sale.  I did buy 2 hanks of yarn, 2 ornament knit kits and 2 kumihimo kits.  Pictures will be coming soon of my kumihimo forays.  Having lots of fun braiding.