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Designer Mary Jane with String Theory creator Karen Grover...they're both in handmade sweaters...Karen's is made with her custom dyed yarn...Mary Jane's Fair Isle sweater pattern is available on her website...it's an original creation
Last Saturday knit designer MJ Mucklestone and I drove over to String Theory (one of Fiber College’s cherished vendors) in Blue Hill for an evening with Clara Parkes (author and creator of Knitter’s Review) and her basket of goodies.
Clara (in the pink sweater shown in The Book of Wool) check's out Tanis' latest yarn (Tanis, the other creative genius of String Theory, dyed the wool and designed her sweater too)
Clara’s newest book, the Book of Wool has been out for only a couple of weeks and praised by everyone who got an advanced copy. While we drank tea and nibbled on homemade, chocolate dipped toffee we giggled as she told us stories of bringing the book together. Every pattern and every sheep’s breed has a story…and when you touch the finished products and Clara explains the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between the projects, the world of yarn becomes vastly expanded and if it’s possible, more interesting.
If you’re curious to hear others talk about the Book of Wool, check out the Jenny and Nicole’s November podcast at Stash and Burn. We live in a wonderful time when we have access to more kinds of fiber than our grandmother’s dreamt of…don’t you want to take advantage?
For a great photo of the projects in the book…click over to Mary Jane’s blog…you can tell she’s a professional layout photographer.
Spinning Peace
It’s still gorgeous here at Searsport Shores home of Fiber College on Penobscot Bay. I wanted to share photos of yesterday’s spinning hour…the fiber is a 50/50 blend of mohair grown here on the campground mixed with a gray, Maine Island fleece I bought at the Common Ground Fair fleece tent and dyed last month…if you join us next September you may even be able to camp right on this site if you’re lucky 
Mohair Locks and gray wool dyed with Pro Chem cool blue and cool red
Carded batts ready to spin
Navajo Plied...ready to knit
The experts tell us that these are the fall colors we’ll be seeing the most of…what do you think?
(click the photo)
We teach, we share and we push each other to experiment…Instructor/Volunteer Faith Garrold was inspired by Co-Director/Instructor Emma Morin’s crazy quilt class…so she made these pillows:
Chair caning to coordinate with your quilt and rug
Chair Caning Instructor Gus Szbronski was so inspired by both Laurie Sims and Christine Fraga-Thornton’s fiber arts (both fantastic instructors) that he tore the bed sheets up, spun them using a power drill and then wove a chair seat with the “yarn”.
At the Common Ground Fair I caught up with Fiber College Instructor/Vendor/Friend Michelle Delucia of Sunshine Daydream Gardens…check out her latest pigment dyed wools…
Vibrant, natural colors...as bright as Michelle's smile!
Note to self…next year get photographs of all the people who volunteer their hearts, minds and hands to making Fiber College the wonderful weekend that we all enjoy. In the meantime, special thanks go out to all of these folks and the many more we may have missed because……..
Thank you
Emma, Jim & Becky, Janice, Dee, Faith & Don, Gary, Mary Ann, Mary Ellen & Ken, Mary Jane, Beth, Bob, Ken, Lorrie, Amy, Patty, Norma, Linda,
Susan, Nick, Larry, & Dick
……..Without these wonderful people the College wouldn’t exist…they keep the scheduling straight, the design layouts dynamic, the cars parked in the right spaces, the meals cooked, served and cleaned up, the demonstrations vibrant and interesting, the accounts straight and Astrig calm…here are just a few photos of some of the people who make it all happen:
The Committee
What could be cuter than a bottlefed Alpaca? Not very much!
photo stolen from www.alpacafarmgirl.com
Geri Gabriel of Lakeside Alpacas is making a special trip to Fiber College with two of her sweetest girls. Although the farm has become too large to for her and Frank to spend time at shows and fairs, she’s found a way to break away from the herd (hee, hee) so that she can spend a few hours (10:45-3:30) with FC students and visitors. While she’s here she’d be happy to answer your questions, have you pet these beautiful treasures and show off a bit of merchandise that comes straight from her best fiber animals. Please make certain to say high when you see her!
If you’re taking Silk Fusion on Saturday, please bring the following materials with you if possible:
Two 2” wide paint brushes
(cheapest natural bristle ones you can find).
One large roll paper towels (very cheapest)
Sharp scissors (that cut fabric well)
12” ruler
Pencil and paper for taking notes
Newspapers (to take home damp sheets - you’ll need
something to protect your car)
Rubber gloves (options) – this is a messy process, I recommend
wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands
Old clothes or plastic apron – at the very least wear old clothes
that you don’t care if they get glues and other messy stuff on
them.
Thanks!
If you’re signed up for this great class, here’s your homework. If you’ve got skeins of beautiful homespun and don’t know how to transform them into the amazing sweater of your dreams, there’s still time to sign up. Using Jackie’s practical and easy to follow system, you’ll be designing your own patterns in no time or tweaking a pattern you’ve found that needs to be adjusted for that perfect fit.
THE SWEATER WORKSHOP w/JACKIE FEE
DESIGNING SWEATERS OF HANDSPUN – Or ANY YARNS!
The Sweater Workshop Mind-Set:
You are not knitting a sweater –
You are knitting a fabric in the shape of a sweater.
Bring to the Fiber College class your fabric sample/s.
Select any yarn.**
Take it to two straight needles of a size that you think might produce a Happy Fabric:
Definition of a Happy Fabric:
1. It looks good.
2. It feels good.
3. It was comfortable to work.
Cast 30 stitches onto your chosen needles. Work 6 rows of Garter Stitch (knit every row).
Change to Stockinette Stitch (Knit 1 row, Purl 1 row) for about 2 inches, or work in a particular pattern.
Is the fabric happy?
If yes, work another inch or two – do not bind off. Leave the stitches on the needle.
If no, * work a purl row on the outside of the sample and change to either a larger or smaller needle and work another 2 inches* Continue * to * til you and the fabric are happy.
Note: For future reference, it is a good idea to work a number of purl stitches corresponding to the number needle size on the outside of each section. Separate the purl stitches w/a knit stitch for ease in counting.
Bring a favorite fitting sweater, or measure one from underarm to underarm on a flat surface, and double the number of inches.
** It is best to avoid one-ply yarns – to be discussed.
