Sock Summit :)

My booth.

Well, I am way behind on my blog - as you may have noticed from the title!
Sock Summit was about a month or so ago. STILL, there are fond memories and
wonderful people that I met and others that I knew from before.
I had some really great help at Sock Summit! 3 generations of the same family!
Melody Cowan demonstrated the sock machine.

Marika, Linda, and Melody helped me out. (and Marika's friend, Rebekah)

Here's Marika - she has the most beautiful beaded jewelry that she makes! The beads are knitted in. If you ever see her at a show with me, be sure to check the jewelry out! You won't be disappointed!

Oh! She's standing next to SockItToMeSusan. Marika chose the name. Susan only likes to wear socks, although after she saw Marika's jewelry, she did want to wear a bracelet.

Linda

Linda was cranking away on the sock knitting machine a lot

of the time. She made some wonderful socks and a long

sock scarf.

Rebekah

Rebekah helped out on Sunday.

Me and SockItToMeSusan.

Me before I bought some Dansko shoes around

the corner.

All in all, it was great fun! :)

Knit & Crochet Show - Portland

If you're at the Knit & Crochet show this weekend in Portland, be sure to stop by and say 'hi'.

I have a new yarn I'm excited to show off :)

It's a merino/cashmere/nylon yarn that can be used for socks, sweaters, shawls, etc.

It's in 3 different weights. I cannot believe how nice it feels!

Here's a photo of it in Ruby Redmond and Ruby - DK weight.

Unfortunately, you can't really see how soft it is. If you're there, come by and 'feel' it. :)

Spring?? March and it's Snowing today

It says on my calendar that spring begins on March 20th, but you'd never know by looking outside this morning. Here's a picture behind our house, taken about 5 minutes ago.

I cannot believe it's March and we are still getting snow!
So, here I sit, wondering what to do on this beautiful snowy morning.
Probably a good idea to update my blog, since it's been a good amount of time since the last post!!

Madrona has come and gone, and although I had a wonderful time, it's nice to be catching up on things here.

Kari and I have been working on the CSMSA - Circular Sock Machine Society of America event for this year in Tacoma, WA. http://www.heelsovertoes.com/ if you'd like more info on it.

I received a phone call a week or so ago from a man wanting to sell his Aiken Family Knitter.
An Aiken!! I was so excited!!! Here's a picture of it.
Now....what's so great about an Aiken, you might ask? Aiken was the first circular machine to use the latch hook needle, patented by his father.

This is what it says, in case it's not legible in the photo.

Patented Sept.11, 1855 Feb'y 5, 1861
Needles
Patented Jan. 9, 1849
J.B Aiken
12 Gage
No. 745
W. AikenMaker

I collect & restore antique sock knitting machines. Actually, that is also what the CSMSA is all about. - The preservation of the tabletop antique sock knitting machines.

Richard Candee has written a book and also has an ebook on the history of the circular sock knitting machine. It's available here.

Sock Made from my Monarch yarn

I've been going through photos tonight and I saw this Eagle's Flight Sock that Maria made for me as a sample some time ago. I wanted to post it on my website, but I don't seem to be able to find the page where I post pictures of socks made from my yarn. (it's late!).

So I decide to post it here instead. It really is beautiful and I normally pass the pattern out for free at shows with a yarn purchase.

It was knit with the New Country colorway in Monarch.

Anyway, here it is...and thank you again, Maria! You are really great! :)

Yarn Promotion

I've been kind of quiet lately with my blog, but that's because we're working on a new yarn idea.
I'll be selling it at the Knit and Crochet Show in Portland Sept 11-14.
Come by and see me! :) If all goes as planned we'll be giving out a 4 free samples to a few people.
I'm looking for models for my new idea. Elizabeth doesn't like to pose, although I think she is beautiful. One day, I'll have to put up a picture of her, if she'll stay still long enough for me to snap a photo of her.
If you're willing to have your picture posted on my website and catch me at the show while I have some extra time to take photos, you may be the one.
Now I'm wondering if I should set up a special time and day for this. ?
I need 4 models. One mother and child set, one girlfriend and boyfriend pair.
Check with me on Friday - I think that will be the best day for this.
I'll be in booth #314.
Now I just need to remember to bring my camera! :)

Events and Busy, Busy! :)

I'm getting ready this week to go down to Black Sheep Gathering in Eugene, OR.


I'll have a booth space there, so be sure to look me up.
I should have a machine there for sale, too. This one.
Not the best picture. Come by and see it for yourself! :)

I'll be setting up on Thursday and at the booth on Friday.
Saturday and Sunday my daughter and her fiance will be tending the booth. They've both been helping me out here lately with the business.

I have to leave Friday night to catch a flight to Indiana where we'll be having our CSMSA annual conference.
CSMSA stands for Circular Sock Machine Society of America. Donna's done a great job of organizing it this year.

Oh!! When you're at BSG be sure to check out my new yarns!! I haven't even gotten them on my website yet. Blue Face Leicester Superwash wool in 3 different weights - Lace, Sock, and DK weight. It's a wonderful yarn - so soft and lustrous, yet so strong, too.
I'll also have some colors in my new Angel Wings - a silk/merino wool laceweight yarn.
More new yarns to see, but I need to get back to dyeing!

I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone at BSG AND the conference!! :)

Shows, Frogs and Dyes, not particularly in that order

I know it's been a long time since I've written anything. So much has been happening, too!
Elizabeth got a full scholarship to go to Evergreen College, so there hasn't been any hope of her taking over my blog. But, I'm very proud of her :). She's been helping me on her off days.
Lately she's studying tree frogs. They're very interesting, really.
I always hear them this time of the year in the back field, but have never really paid much attention to them until now. Here's a nice link with information on their different calls and habits.

In the meantime, I've finished with my Madrona Fiberarts show. It was great to see everyone there! Suzanne always does such a great job with this show. She has so much to do and everything always seems to run so smoothly! I only wish I had time to take some of the classes there. I got to see Sheila and Michael from Ernst Glass, who I always, always really enjoy seeing and talking to. I was lucky enough to have Maria and Kari helping me out some of the days, too.
Maria is a super salesperson and Kari demonstrated the sock machine for me. Thank you both :)

I also went and visited Stitches West this year to check it out for two days. This show is extremely packed with vendors and buyers! While I was there (or after), I had the pleasure of visiting my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson nearby! :)
I have to say (and can you believe this?) I missed the nice weather in Washington! It rained in CA while I was there.

In the meantime I've been experimenting with some new dyes. Considering these are all acid dyes, I am amazed at the difference in them. For you people that don't do dyeing, you might not know that different dyes take different amounts to get the same depth of shade.
It sure would make things simpler if it was all the same, but I don't know if that's possible.

That's not really what I'm amazed about, though.
What amazes me is that different dyes can be so different in their light and washfastness.
You would think they would just dump the ones that don't do so well, and only sell the good ones.
Paula Burch has a wonderfully informational website on dyeing.

Someone asked me how long I've been dyeing. I had to think, because it's been quite some time since I started. I think my first try at dyeing (not counting Rit on fabric) was back in the 80's when I started spinning on a spinning wheel. We took a class on lichen dyeing. Washington state is a great place to find lichens for dyeing! There is even a book that I have that was written especially for lichens and lichen dyeing in this area. I believe the women that wrote it were from the Olympia area.

Well, I've gone on and on and no pictures, unfortunately. I lent my camera to Elizabeth to take pictures of tree frogs :) Next time I write, I promise to have some pictures!