I started the new skirt

I am excited to say I started the Cindy Craig skirt. I am doing the waistband now, and I love knitting with the Louet Euroflax linen. It is so hot and humid here that it is almost hard to knit, as my hands get so sweaty so fast. After doing a few new class proposals, I am going back to the skirt. I still have to figure out how to get pictures up on this blog. Once that happens, I can show the progress of it.
Stay cool everyone!

The Studio in Kansas City

I am back from a lovely weekend of teaching at The Studio in Kansas City. I had 4 great classes, wonderful snacks in the classroom and a group of fabulously friendly and loyal knitters. Many had taken my classes elsewhere before, and were brave enough to sign up again!! My new book, Strick-ly Socks, had its second debut there, the first being in Columbus at Knitter's Connection. It was well received both places, so I am very happy that people like it. One of the classes I taught at The Studio was on the new sock construction.
Cindy Craig, the manager of the store, was a lovely hostess, as was Alie, the owner, who's daughter, Emma, I had in a class at Stitches years ago when she was about 5 years old. It was mind-boggling to see Emma again, as she is taller than I am. I am very excited to start knitting Cindy's new skirt pattern, Flouncy Skirt, with some Louet linen that I have been saving for the perfect project. I think this it!
Isn't it a great feeling when you finally find that special pattern that you have been searching for? This is a basic stockinette stitch skirt but has a beautiful lace border at the bottom. Sometimes I just want to do miles of stockinette stitch, and when I am done with the miles, I have this wonderful lace bit to keep me happy.

apparent Ravelry breach of etiquette

I finally, finally got around to seeing what Ravelry is all about. I have been a member for over a year, but have never really had the time to sit down and figure it all out. There are a million sock groups there, and I went looking around alot of them. Many are about one specific sock book, so I clicked here and there, and there was information about the book, a picture of it, where you can buy it, posts announcing where the author will be teaching, book signing, etc. To me, it was a form of advertising, but also in the same token, informational. And I took no offense.
So......I decided, based on what I had seen, to post a few messages at various sock groups announcing the arrival of my new book. Apparently, I worded one of them in such a way that a few members thought I was trying to self-promote my new book. All of us self-promote in some way, but for me, I assumed that people are interested when a new book comes out, and I meant my post to be merely informational.
Whenever the topic of my books come up, 9 times out of 10 someone will ask me about them. I don't think they are doing it to be merely polite; I think they geniunely want to know about them. I know that I am always interested in a new knitting book, and I seek out descriptions of it, where to buy it, etc.
All of this has gotten me quite stressed out. Those of you that have had me as a teacher know that I am just a pushover for kids and animals, and I really don't have a mean or bad bone in my body. I sometimes think that email, computer posts, etc can be so misunderstood, because you don't have the person's facial expressions to help you figure out what they really mean. People often just misinterpret the real meaning, over-analyze it, or read into it far too much.
I will try to post while on the road, but unless there is free wi-fi, I am much too cheap to pay, so will post when I get home.

I'm here

I have finally done it. I created a blog. So many people have asked me in the past if I have a blog, and my first thought is, "why would anyone want to know what is going on with me?" But I guess some people do. Most of what I write about will be knitting.

The first thing I want to announce is that my new book, Strick-ly Socks is finally here. Yarn shops can get it from Unicorn, Up North Fiber Arts Supply, and Wool and Wicker from Canada, and I will have it up on my website, http://www.strickwear.com/ very shortly. The new book is all about a new method of knitting the toes and heels flat. It sounds impossible, but there are no seams. I am going to put up a video soon on You Tube showing some of the techniques. I am teaching the class this weekend at The Studio in Kansas City, so if anyone is from that area and wants to sign up, please go to their website to get more information.



This is my first post, so I am a bit overwhelmed about what to say.