| Cuckoo Travel - the only way to fly..... |
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| A quick break between classes with Danna in Richmond as Virginia hunkered down. Two weeks later the Grand Canyon in winter was a perfect backdrop for a knitter on the go. It's a winter US knitters wont forget in a hurry. |
| What I do still surprises me. I have always loved to travel and it's one thing seeing the sights of a city, but I've always liked getting down to the nuts and bolts of every day too. Stepping into the lives of the people I work and play with. I love foreign supermarkets - exotic delicacies. Japan stilll stands out in my mind - octopus suckers in glad wrapped trays - Aloe Vera that you eat! Travel and food are all part of the adventure. And where better than in someone else's nest. |
| .....hopping from nest to nest |
I call it Cuckoo Travel - hopping from nest to nest!
Between friends and yarns stores owners, as well as Barry Klein of Trendsetter Yarns and the team at XRX I am never without a place to stay. I get to cook meals, watch soaps or rent movies whilst knitting, market shop and become part of their everyday life. I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.
For four months and two journeys between September 2009 and March 2010 I have been hosted by yarn store owners from LA to Detroit, Virginia, North Carolina and Minneapolis, and designer Caroline McInnes and her wonderful family in Toronto - they take me into their homes and I meet their family and the pets - I know where the toaster lives and where the trash goes, and sometimes convert them to tea drinkers! I go to work with them each day (yarn stores or exhibitions) and meet their customers. We soon find we all have more in common than just yarn and knitting. |
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Left It is great to have both young and the less young join my classes - this was the Texture class at Madrona Fibre Festival in Tacoma. Right: Button-making classes in Hartford, Connecticut during Stitches East. This was preceded by classes in Chicago for Stitches MidWest and followed this year by Mitre, Fit & Style classes in Santa Clara Stitches West. The cuckoo travel came between these shows when I taught at yarn stores in more than a dozen cities and towns across America. Thanks to my book and hundreds of wonderful knitters I've met, I can't see things changing - so hopefully we'll get a chance to meet - let's see shows
Gourmet Yarn Company in Oklahoma City 16th & 17th April www.gourmetyarnco.com
Stitches South in Atantas, Georgia 22nd to 25th April www.knittinguniverse.com |
| DESIGN CORNER - HOW, WHY & WHERE |
| I receive lots of questions by email about designs both on the site and in the book, the newsletter lets me share some of the answers, along with more details about individual designs. The last two newswletters (15 & 16) looked at three designs from the book - the Mitre Vee Capelet , Lava Drape and Metro Coats - with colour options and lengths options. |
Harlequin Swagger & Coco Slub Cardigan -
what's the difference? |
| QUESTION: you have been asking if Harlequin Swagger from the book and Coco Slub Cardigan on www.sigknit.com are the same. Here's a chance to see what's difference |
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| Harlequin Swagger (above) as seen in Swing Swagger Drape |
Harlequin Swagger - the back shot - left shows the high waisted fit, which will flatter most body types. Having designed made-to-measure garments for over twenty years, this is the key fit to many of my styles: creating styles for Every Body.
If you have worked mitres already, look closer and you'll see how the skirt is knitted from a high waist down to the hem (chevron point downwards). Once the skirt is completed the mitres are picked up from the high waist line and bodice is knitted up wards (chevrons point up).
Swagger = fullness over the hip - the mitres on the hemline are twice the size of the mitres across the shoulders. The red coat above drapes, whilst the cover shot shows how this is almost a semi circle. This design looks great on our model as well on a more generous classic pear shaped figure. |
| and the colourways for Harlequin Swagger |
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| My team of knitters have been working new colourways for the Harlequin Swagger - colourways are endless and can really change the feel of a design. On my last trip I wore the Harlequin Swagger as a sleeveless vest, as the sleeves were still on the needles! I am gradually adding new colourway options to the site. If you find there are no options please email me and I can suggest colours and send yarn samples to help you choose. |
| Coco Slub Cardigan as seen on www.sigknit.com |
Below Left: Coco Slub Cardigan - This cardigan is a classic A line - shaped gently and evenly from hip to shoulder - the Swagger style for the book is much fuller in the skirt, accentuated by the high waisted fit. With the Coco Slub below there is very little different in the size of the mitres on the hemline to the shoulder.
The Harlequin Vest (blues) in the book - has the gentle A line, but is a longer length.
Right - the Coco Wool & Mohair Cardigan - this is slightly fuller than the Coco Slub - as shot shows. |
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| Colour options on WWW.SIGKNIT.COM |
| When viewing a design on Signatur Handknits site, if the colourways for a design are not shown as a garment, you will see a rainbow horizontal band - click this to see yarn colour options. |
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| Turramurra - Australian Designer Showcase March 26th - 28th |
| The images below say it all - if you are in Sydney pop in and see our show. |
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| It is a delight for me, as it is for all of the exhibitors to be part of these fabulous show and showcases. We welcome Margaret-Anne Hayes to the show, helping with the meet and greet, and running the Can Too Cafe - fund raising for the Can Too Cancer Research Foundation. |
| See more at www.designersonshow.com |
| Below left to right: Aharoni Jewellery Diamond and ruby ring. Centre felted pieces by Bronwyn Hunter (she holds classes here in Sydney - you'll find me as a student of Bronwyn a few times a year). Right: Detail of one of Pamela Jones pieces, combining and layering fabric with stitching and found objects - these pieces all tell their own stories. |
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| I am delighted to have wildlife and fantasy Artist Jane Stapleford of the Blue Mountains join us again, images below are details from some of her larger works. |
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| Dave Jones - hand made Australian Timber furniture. Deborah Cameron of ABC mornings interviewed Dave and I - talking about working with a passion, last November. |
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Gallery space - we have added a gallery space. Turramurra last April was the relaunch for this show, it is a small venue and we love it. We have decided to add a gallery space which allows new designers to bring work along and test the market place.
Dave Jones started his business at the Australian Craft show - with small wooden boxes - he was commissioned to make a coffee table and as above you can see he hasn't looked back!
Photography Gallery - we have three photographers putting a joint show together - they will be bringing framed work, as well as unframed shots - which can be purchased framed or un framed.
Kay Francis will join us bringing her vintage fabric bags - their secrets are held within! |
| Sydney Australian Designer Showcase 26th - 28th March |
Brings 12 artistans & NEW photographers Gallery to
Turramurra Masonic Lodge, corner Pacific Highway and Turramurra Ave (2 mins from railway)
Can Too Margaret-Anne Hayes will be joining us, welcoming you with the chance to win a $200 spending spree. Proceeds go towards Margaret-Anne's goal of $70,000 for the CanToo Cancer Research Foundation - instead of running a marathon she'll be runnig the Can Too Cafe. |
| Melbourne Amora Riverwalk at Richmond - Designer Showcase |
Thurs 29th 10am to 7pm & Friday 30th April 10am to 4pm
lunch or dinner with a glass of wine in the courtyard restaurant from about $25 - Belisa Cashmere, Penelope Shilling clothing, Aharoni jewellery and Carol Marando are joining me. |
| Canberra Designers & Creators Friday 28th to Sunday 30th May, |
| brings 35 artitans together at Old Parliment House, Canberra. |
| Then Sydney & Melbourne Quilt & Craft & Blackheath Designers & Creator |
Sydney Australian Quilt, Craft & Art Fair Darling Harbour June 16th to 20th stand E11
Blackheath Designers and Creators Friady 30th July to Sun 1st Aug- 30 exhibitors
Blackheath community Centre - Great Western Highway - 2 mins from railway
Melbourne Australian Quilt, Craft & Art Fair Southbank July 22nd to 25th |
Techniques - Swing, Swagger, Drape - Mitres by Design
Knitting Classes in Australia and America |
Please register by email leaving your name and contact details - I will then email or phone with class and venue details. If you have a knitting group or guild I can work the class schedule to include this.
I also have a wonderfully colourful 30 minute AV presentation taking you from early days of Signatur Handknits to the making of Swing, Swagger, Drape - and every colour and shape in between. |
| Knitting Classes, Knitting Classes, Knitting Classes |
| Melbourne Sat 1st & Sun 2nd May - Sydney and Canberra Dates to be set |
| Knitting Classes at Uralla Wool Room (between Tamworth and Armidale) |
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Two day workshop will include Miters by Design - Texture - Fit & Style - Button making
Please contact Uralla Wool Room for bookiing, and local accomadation details
http://www.urallawoolroom.com.au/woolroom/uralla/workshops.asp |
| Can Too & the Cure Cancer Australia Foundation |
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| I met Margaret-Anne Hayes at our November show - at 68 age she started running half Marathons to rasie money for Can Too. She has a goal that she's half way there to - to raise $70,000 within her 70th year. Margaret-Anne will be joining us at Turramurra's Australian Designer Showcase - meeting and greeting and offering you a $2 ticket to win a $200 spending spree with any of our designers! She will also be running the Can Too Cafe at Turramurra! |
| Tacoma's Touch of Glass |
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| And finally, there's not many places in the world where you look up while walking on an overpass and you see this formed above you into the ceiling of a weather stop. Dale Chuhily's glass work is breathtaking, and the Tacoma Glass Museum gives admirers of glass-blowing art an overdoes of colour, texture and shape. Inspirational! |
| Please drop us a line.... |
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| If you'd like to ask a question about anything in this newsletter - or anything at all, please email Jane. |
| Thanks for your support - Laura, Petra, Meg, Sue, and I look forward to seeing you in the knitting circle! |
