An Afternoon With Jocelynn Brown (It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!)

We have been home from the beautiful North Carolina mountains for a week, and oh, what a week it was!  It was an absolute whirl wind.  I spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday preparing for Wednesday.  You remember what Wednesday was, don't you?  It was only one of the most fun days of my life!  As a reminder, Wednesday was the first Detroit News Stitch Together.  Jocelynn Brown (the gorgeous woman pictured above) selected 15 knitters and crocheters to spend the afternoon in the Detroit News offices reveling in everything fiber.  It was a blast.  We each brought four things:  something we have finished for show-and-tell, a skein of yarn from our stash, 15 copies of our favorite pattern and something to knit or crochet while there.  Let me show you what I took.

This is called Rocks In The River Bed by Petra Neumann.  I knitted my fingers to the bone during vacation.  (Have you ever gotten knitting blisters? Me neither but if I ever was going to this would have been the time.)  I wanted to take this so bad.

It is knit from Kauni and Ultra Lite Alpaca.  Believe it or not, when you are knitting the river, it is perfect car knitting.  It is such fun.  

I am so into yarn with long color change right now.  I even know who will receive this as a gift, but I can't say because of that Christmas fiasco with Linda.  I will tell you later.

This was the "something to knit" I took.  I really thought I would finish this on vacation but Rock In The River Bed intervened.  I think this is beautiful and will talk about it when it is done.

This is my dear friend Martha Melcher taking a selfie with her Survivor Shawl.  This is the pattern I took to share because I love the story.  If you would like to read the story of the Survivor Shawl again or if you have never read it, you can find it archived in March 2014.  I was proud to share this experience at Stitch Together.  The Survivor Shawl was showcased in Jocelynn Brown's Homestyle article about Knitting: A Love Story.  One women had the article clipped with her.  Awesome!

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I just don't understand why my pictures never show the fabulous color from Twisted Fiber Arts!  This is TFA Evolution Kabam! in colorway Carousel which absolutely looks like the vibrant colors of a carousel in motion.  It was my gift from my stash.  I wanted to give the wonderful women in Mason some Detroit exposure.  

Now let's talk about this fabulous day.

Once again I proved to myself that I am a knitter and story teller not a professional writer or journalist.  On my drive home, I thought about all of the pictures I missed and what I should have done.  I should have gotten a picture of every person with their show-and tell item.  Wouldn't that have been perfect.  Then I could have talked about each amazing woman and their amazing story.  But like a tourist, I just listened and enjoyed myself.  Sorry ladies, I should have done better by you.

Each person brought something that was uniquely them and told their story.  It was a wonderful diverse group of women who all love fiber and creating.  The picture above shows Diane who makes exquisite beaded purses.  She has been invited to Art Fairs and is starting a business.  Watch for her beautiful things.  When she makes it big in the fashion world, I will be able to say I met her at Stitch Together.  Watching Diane is Leigh who organizes a knitter's group at the Detroit Library.  Do you think it is too far to drive an hour and a half to knit with wonderful women?  I am toying with the idea of going at least once. 

This is Betty who had the best knitting stories I've ever heard.  She was talking about her sweater for show and tell, about buying yarn, running out of yarn, then miraculously finding more.  Her knitting skills were amazing. 

There is an amazing woman from Milford behind this hooked rug.  She makes knitted and sewn bags.  Her sense of color was awesome and her designs spectacular.  Like I save even the smallest piece of yarn for Magic Balls, she saves all of her yarn and makes knitted bags.  We both were very early and sat talking knitting before Stitch Together.  It was an great prologue to my amazing day.  Thank you for starting my experience off on a very friendly foot.

This is Pat in the green top who shared her pattern for her "loose top." To the far left is Alva who is a master crocheter.  Her hot pink (and I mean hot) afghan was beautiful.  In the gray sweater is Debbie who traded with me and got my Twisted Fiber Arts yarn.  I got her Lang Silkdream which is merino and silk and a beautiful shade of red.  This may become yarn I can never use because I love it and can't bare to part with it

This is Barb who works at The Knitting Room and I will see June 27 at a class.  She is a wonderful young woman who loves knitting.  I loved her pattern called Feather and Fan and may use this in a knitting class.  The amazing crochet work is Jocelynn's  Isn't it fabulous.  Every piece she brought was exquisite.  

This is Jodi Ann a beautiful young woman who makes socks.  I do not have a picture of other marvelous women and I apologize.  Once again, I am a knitter and a story teller not a professional writer.  Janet makes Knitted Knockers for breast cancer survivors.  Her stories about her experiences were inspiring.  Ellen sat next to me and made a fantastic Stitch Sampler Shawl.  She is an artist and plans on moving to Tecumseh.  Maybe we can start our own knitting group.  Mary brought in a fabulous cuffed shawl that I can't wait to try.  Barb brought in Broomstick Lace for show-and-tell, pattern and to work on.  I was fascinated by it.  Nancy brought a Verbena Wrap.  If I have missed anything or anybody, I apologize and promise to do better the next time since I know now what I should have done.

Back to the wonderful Jocelynn Brown who brought us together.  We all did this because of Jocelynn.  I think we were all there primarily to meet her then this wonderful event happened.  I think everyone of us had the time of our lives.  Wonderful Ellen has started to set up a Facebook page for us to keep connected.  I think something very specific happened Wednesday that will continue for a very long time.  

The week is fabulous and this was only Wednesday  Wait until you hear about Friday and Saturday.