January 2012 TNNA Report - Classes

I guess it's time that I finally started to catch you all up on the TNNA show.  I am sorry for the long delay between blogs.  I had such a fantastic time at the show that I over did it and ended up with bronchitis as soon as they shoved us out the doors on the last Monday of the show.  It was worth every minute of being sick to attend the show.  

My first class was on Thursday, January19th with Cat Bordhi.  Cat taught us 7 really neat knitting tricks tat she had combined into one pattern.  The cowl pictured below is what we knitted up.  We used Shibui Merino Alpaca and Shibui Silk Cloud held together to knit it.  Cat said she might have the pattern for the cowl posted for sale in the near future.  In the meantime, it looks like I may be using the 7 tips to teach a class this summer at The Fiber Factory.  I'll know better once Terri and Susan work up the summer class schedule in a few weeks.  

I came back on Friday the 20th for an all day class with Lily Chin.  I, again, learned so much in this class.  The class was based on Lily's book called "Power Cables", which I own.  I even managed to get it autographed!  We learned several ways to knit reversible cables.  Lily uses verbal imagery to help you remember how to do the cables.  She can make you blush! It was fascinating and of course gave me tons of ideas on where to use cables in some upcoming pattern designs I am trying my hand at.

Lily Chin

Reversible Cable Class

Lily's class was an all day class with a break in the middle for lunch and a seminar with a public speaker on using social media.

Of course everyone was knitting!

On Saturday the 21st before the show floor opened I took a class with Rachel Blackledge on how to dye yarn to fake the change of colors when knitting Fair Isle.

Rachel Blackledge on the left

We took machine knitted blanks and painted them with our dyes.  Everyone had many colors to choose from and spare cups to blend or dilute the colors with.

Then we rolled them up and Rachel's assistant, Sam, put them in the steamers for us.  Yes, went home with them sealed in plastic bags!

From there it was off to the show floor until the late afternoon.

On Sunday the 22nd I was back at it again!  At 8 in the morning I was with Cat Bordhi taking a class on pattern and book design.  Again, worth every minute.

Karen Sadow and Cat Bordhi

As you can tell, I had a wonderful weekend.  There is more coming.  I just didn't want to try to put it all in one blog, and yes, I am feeling better now.

Regards,

Karen

OPYF