Fun at Stitches West

You know you're in for a good time at Stitches West when you see this in the hotel elevator:

And then, after the market preview on Thursday night, there was Prosecco (and sushi for Sarah).

The classes were great. I learned a lot in my knitting two-at-a-time class with Patty Lyons, but didn't get a photo.

On Friday, my Stitch and Click class with the Shibaguyz gave me lots of new ideas for my project photography, including:

how to make a tripod for an iPhone out of a coffee cup;

cool photography equipment and lenses for iPads and iPhones; and 

the importance of good lighting and background for yarn and project photography.

We had lots of opportunities to practice what we learned, using the photo set-ups/lighting around the room, and also one that was outdoors, where we could take some photos in natural light. I got several good project photos, and this one, which was, far and away, the best.

But for me, Stitches is mostly about getting together with my knitting friends, especially Sarah and Martha. We traveled from Seattle together and we were able to get adjoining rooms in the hotel. Somehow, I didn't get a single photo of the three of us together, but Sarah did—thanks, Sarah.

I did get a photo of our shadows, though...

I also got to spend some time with one of my online friends, Wendy of Knitters Brewing Company. We really didn't plan to both be wearing our Hitofude cardigans, but it made for a great photo.

I also went to the podcaster get-together and hung out with the poncho ladies (left to right, me, Kelly, Marcy, Marsha, Barb and Tracy).

And of course, Stitches West is also all about the yarn. 

And I bought a little bit...

Madrona: Just a Glimpse

I know I promised you a detailed account of my adventures at Stitches West, but before I share that, I want to fill you in on my very quick visit to the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat. I have gone to Madrona every year since 2009. Some years I have taken classes and stayed overnight at the Hotel Murano, and other years, like the last two, I have just gone down for the day. This year, my friends, sisters Melissa and Kate, joined me, and we had a fun time exploring all the goodies in the market, lunching in the hotel and knitting together at a nearby Starbucks—because we couldn't find anyplace to sit together in the Murano!

I didn't manage to get a photo of the three of us together, but Kate did, and you can see her photo here on her blog. Melissa did take a photo of Kate and me in our matching ponchos:

This matchy-matchy event was planned well in advance. We both knit the Tea Cozy Summer Poncho, which was last year's LYS Tour pattern from the Tea Cozy yarn shop in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. We also picked the same colorway, as you can see, but we each dealt with not having quite enough yarn to finish the pattern as written a little differently, and we also wore them in a slightly different way. Melissa also purchased the yarn and is knitting the pattern, but she wore Kate's lovely design, the Silk Road Wrap, instead.

I did a tiny bit of shopping in the marketplace, because, after all, why go to Madrona if you don't get at least a tiny bit of yarn? I bought a luscious new Hazel Knits yarn, Ethereal, at the Fiber Gallery booth. It's a 70/20/10 merino, silk, cashmere blend, and I chose the Hydrangea colorway, one of my favorites.

I also got a rustic blend of merino and silk from Isis Yarn. I know this local vendor from seeing her at Knit Fit every year, and she always seems to have interesting blends and beautiful colors:

So that's all there is from Madrona this year, but keep an eye on the blog in the next few days for more yarn-y goodness from Stitches West!

February Photo of the Month: Impressionist Dawn

I just couldn't decide on a February photo to share with you, so I'm a little late. I had two great photos from Stitches West, which will show up later this month, and I also had some knitting photos that I particularly liked. But this was a month of spectacular sunrises, and I caught quite a few of them. This one was my favorite, taken on February 14th.