I came back from Make1 Fall Fiber Arts Retreat and it was AWESOME! On Friday, I got to the airport way early. I sat around knitting for a while and finished Abe’s hat. Some other ladies sitting near me were also knitting, but they were going to a book conference in Calgary. Some weird dude sat next to me and told me he was worried that the black people of America would rise up because now that a black man was president, they would think they could do whatever they wanted. But he also thought there were government made clouds that hid planes that were dousing the population in chemicals and that genetically engineered food was meant to keep us in line.

So on the plane, a small jet plane. I got a seat to myself. Had a window and had to watch our takeoff. Awesome. I got there right on time even though we left early. Everyone else was late because of the weather. So I waited around freaking out because I thought nobody was going to show up. I was working on a second hat for me. (The first one was for Abe). But they showed up and we caught a bus and it was FREEZING. Litereally. There was snow on the ground and everything. From the bus, we got on the train. Which was strange and cool. Then we got off, and we were so thankful for yarnwhispere from ravelry who had gotten directions for us.  The other girl was from Kirkland, oddly enough, which is just south of where we live.

So the directions were to walk four blocks up the hill, but there were no hills. There wa a slight slope, so me and the fishie from Kirkland laughed that they called it a hill. Pretty funny. When we got there, it was awesome. The shop was warm and there was wine and yarn and sitting in the window knitting like she is a normal person was the Yarn Harlot.  I nearly lost my mind. Later she noticed my Jayne hat and said it was awesome. It was already my favorite hat, but that makes it more awesome. While I was there, I bought some needles to make a sock since I forgot sock needles. I also got some amazing Sanguine Gryphon lace weight yarn that I will use to make Laminaria. I drank some wine and realized I hadn’t had anything other than the snack on the plane, a cookie and a Tim Horton’s Canadian maple donut at the airport.

Then we took the bus and I sat next to this nice lady who is becoming a lawyer in Canada. We talked and got sleepy and knit and looked out the windows at the utter blackness. So I had no idea where we were.

We eventually got to the very nice hotel and I threw my stuff in my hotel room. I had two queen beds so I organized my clothes and yarn and books on the other bed. Then I went downstairs and we had dinner. It was actually really good food. After dinner, we had a “raffle” for the classes on Saturday. I was at the Make1 table, ironically. I got into the Fitting Your Knits class with Stefanie Japel and Plug-N-Play Shawl with Amy Singer. Actually, I got into Travelling stitches with Cookie A and switched to Plug-N-Play Shawl after my Friday class was so awesome.

During dinner they announced that one of the teachers, Nancy Bush, just had a birthday so we sang her happy birthday. Then some dude ran into the room from out in the hall and asked who nancy was. Then he had us all stick our hands in the air and move them to the left shouting Nancy! to the right and shout Nancy! and then back and forth three times shouting Nancy! He did that about 8 times and then shouted happy birthday and jumped about 5 feet in the air and ran out of the room. Needless to say, whenever anyone did a good job and needed cheering, that was the cheer for the rest of the weekend.

After dinner, I went up to my room and watched TV and knit and then slept. I set my alarm to get up in time for yoga the next  morning which was at 7, but I woke up at 8 and the alarm never went off. It was set for AM in the PM. The clock, not the alarm. So I fixed it so I could make it the next morning.

On Friday, I went to the class - how to make a true Hapsaalu sal - which is an Estonian shawl. Nancy Bush taught and it was awesome. She had a billian amazing shawls. We learned to make nupps, which are like awesome bobbles. The class blew my mind. I was so tired by the end, but I got everything done that was scheduled for the class, which was a rectangle and one half of the border, which is sewn on. It looks awesome. It is almost done now. Need to weave in ends. I wasn’t the fastest knitter, but I was one of only a handful of people to finish by the end of the class.  I barely remember that night I was so tired!

I think I bought books on Thursday night and got them signed Friday night after dinner. It was awesome. I got my new Fitted Knits book signed by Stefanie Japel. Great book. I am almost done with the short-sleeved cardigan with ribbing. I like it a lot. Dark grey.  I got my new Estonian lace book signed by Nancy Bush. I also got the new Yarn Harlot book and a book of hers that I brought signed. It was awesome. She is so much more deadpan than I thought she would be. And looks so much like my mom. I think it is the hair. Though my mom got her hair cut and now they look nothing alike.

So Saturday I took the Fitting your knits class. It was awesome to see her teach, but I didn’t learn much more than I already knew. A few tips and tricks, but it did give me the confidence to make that cardigan. She is so nice and very smart. It was awesome. Then I took the plug-n-play shawl with amy singer who does knitty, which is awesome. The class was great. I am still working on the shawl and I think it will be beyond great when it is done.

Saturday night, we had a pj party. It was pretty good. I had three $10 beers, which was ridiculous, but good. One of the nicest cutest pregnant ladies got my picture with the Yarn Harlot.  Then they talked feminism while I watched. I went to bed around midnight and made yoga in the morning. Our brunch was the Xmas brunch because that is the only brunch they serve, so it had all this xmas stuff and dessert. It was awesome. I was so tired when I got back. It was a good thing I had the next day off. I actually had a bloody nose the whole time through 5 days after I got back because it was so dry there! It was awful. I had to keep giving my self facials by running totally hot water in the tap with a towel to hold all the steam in.

So I have been recuperating from that since then. I have finished two hats, a scarf, and whatever else. I am tired just reliving it! But it was so awesome. I hope I get to do it again next year. Pics later.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 25th, 2008 at 12:49 am and is filed under knitting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.