Do you remember this?  I knit this one year in Sunset Beach in January.  As soon as I saw it I knew it was the perfect project for January at the beach.  It was a blast.  It became Linda's birthday gift.  There were thousands of ends to hide (which was a slight down side).  It is called the Digital Scarf (digital for digits like fingers not like technology) and was designed by the fabulous Jane Slicer Smith.  I have been fascinated by this knit designer and her amazing fashions for many years.  Like Valentina Devine, Kaff Fassett, Maggie Jackson and Sally Melville, you can spot a Jane Slicer Smith at 50 paces.  I've always felt she was designing just for me.  She uses color, color and more color.  Her designs are so unique you just shake your head and think, "Where did she come up with that!  I love it!"

Let me take you on a visual tour of my Jane Slicer Smith designs. 

Here are some of the fabulous designs from the incomparable Jane.  She uses the mitered square to perfection.

This is the very first Jane Slicer Smith I ever saw.  I believe it was in Knitter's magazine and when I saw it my jaw dropped.  It was almost exactly the same reaction the first time I saw a Valentina Devine.  I couldn't even turn the page.  I just stared at it.  Fortunately, I didn't drool. I believe it was about 10 years ago (plus or minus.)  I have always dreamed of making this.  

Then I discovered Signatur Handknits where I could buy Jane Slicer Smith designs kitted.  I found this great garment but not this colorway.  I was so in love with this I couldn't buy it any other way.  I recently emailed Jane (she's ever so nice) to asked about this colorway and she said she'd see what she could do.

Look what I have!  She found the necessary colors and I finally have my dream garment.  I can't wait to start this (I say that a lot, don't I?)

I must admit that this is not the only Jane Slicer Smith I have.  In the Stash Studio I found the following.

After I took a class from Sally Melville and learned two-handed, two-color knitting, I became very enchanted with Faire Isle knitting.  Then I saw this fabulous Madras Jacket in my favorite pink and purple. It is beautiful.  The yarns Jane uses are rich in color and texture.  I love to knit with them.   

This may have been my first glimpse of an asymmetrical sweater.  Once again if was overwhelmed.  I had to have it.  But since I had just purchased the Madras Jacket in pink, I bought this in green.  

As you can see, I love Jane Slicer Smith and her designs.  If you want to get an idea of what her creativity is all about, but can visit her website or buy her book Swing, Swagger, Drape.  That says it all.  It is exactly what her designs do (swing, swagger and drape.)  I want to send you off with an eyeful of Jane Slicer Smith designs.

Remember when I said I was going to start working on the Knitter's Life List book while we were in Sunset Beach in January?  I spent so much time trying to conquer the diabolical Rainbow Cardigan that I didn't get around to this marvelous book.  I have decided to get into the "33 Fibers to Try."  I am ready!  

Yarn is what knitting is all about for me.  It's kind of a "which came first the chicken or the egg?" Which came first, the love of knitting or the love of fiber?  All I know is when I love the fiber I'm using, I can't put my knitting down.  When I knit with fiber I don't love, it is always "have to" knitting (like that maize and blue bunting I knit for my dear friend Terry's daughter.)  I could spend the rest of my life in Chapter 1 The Yarn Life List.  (Maybe I am too old to take this up!!!!!)  

These are the yarns TKLL suggests you knit with:  Angora, Cashmere, Mohair, Qiviut, Bison, Yak, Alpaca, Camel, Guanaco, Llama, Vicuna, Bombyx silk, Tussah silk, Cotton, Hemp, Linen, Bamboo, Banana-fiber yarn, Corn-fiber yarn, Milk-fiber yarn, Paper yarn, Pineapple fiber yarn, Ramie, SeaCell, Soy Silk, Sugarcane-fiber yarn and Tencel.   I have knit with many of these but many I haven't and I even have types of yarn that aren't listed here like mink.  I think this is going to be a blast.  Just think a legitimate reason to grow my stash!

While we were in Maggie Valley, I bought many exotic yarns at Friends and Fiberworks (An Epic Yarn Store) and Silver Threads and Golden Needles.  Now I am ready to plan my knitting experience.  I am going to become acquainted with all kinds of yarns.  I think I will knit 12 x12 squares then do something with them.  Maybe an afghan, maybe frame them for the Stash Studio, maybe just sit around and let them slide through my finger enjoying the feel.  

I want to show you what I have collected so far.

I couldn't resist possum.  This couldn't possibly be the same ugly creatures dead along the side of the road with those pointy, needle like teeth.  I would have liked something that was 100% possum because anything is yummier with cashmere.  I do have to admit I love the feel of this, though it's a little too fuzzy to wear as a sweater.  My goal is to have all of these wonderful swatches of different exotic yarns, then decide which one I think is the yummiest.

I encourage you to reach through your iPad or computer and touch this.  Cashmere and silk says it all.  I have learned though that things feel different in the skein sometimes than in a swatch.  I can't imagine that this won't melt my heart.  We don't declare winners before the game is played so I need to keep on open mind with Cashmere and silk yarn, too.

This is 100% pure Yak down.  I don't love the color and unfortunately that is swaying my love of this yarn.  I am such a color harlot.  

OMG!  This is Baby Camel and silk.  It feels like petting a kitten.  I must admit I love this.  Maybe that Yak should have included some silk.  I can just feel this wrapped around my neck as a scrumptious scarf.  I would never take it off until April.

This is Lang Asia which is Yak and silk.  I was right!  It is "yumptious," a combination of yummy and scrumptious.  Please quote me, "Any fiber feels better with just a little silk."  Asia comes in gorgeous colors, too.  I have a scarf/wrap to make out of Asia.  I wonder when I will get to it?

Rapture is the perfect name for this 100% pure silk yarn.  I am very curious how this will knit up.  Remember touching something in a skein doesn't necessarily equate with touching it knit up.  

I think I have a great start with my purchases at Friends and Fiberworks and Silver Threads and Golden Needles.  I am going to start looking through my stash (I LOVE DOING THAT) to see what I can include in this Yarn Life List.  If there are yarns you think I must include in this Quest, please let me know. 

(I almost feel overwhelmed right now.  Working at Ann's By Design, knitting for Ann's By Design, teaching knitting classes and now this project.  I am a little concerned that I won't have time to knitting for pleasure.  Wait!  Any knitting is knitting pleasure!  I just need to take a deep breath and pick up something to knit that I love then I will be alright.)

Where were you yesterday?  I hope you were having fun and showing the world that you are a knitter by participating some where in WWKIPDay.  Ann's By Design hosted Adrian's first event.  Mother Nature did not exactly cooperate but eight women not counting Ann and myself had fun joining hands with knitters from around the world to celebrate our love of  sticks and string.

Celebrating its 10th year bringing knitters together, WWKIPDay is the largest knitter run event in the world.  

WWKIPDay is about showing the general public that knitting can be a social, community activity.  Knitters were invited to bring knitting and a friend to celebrate "better living through stitching together."  Ann's Buy Design's vision was to fill the benches in beautiful downtown Adrian with knitters showing their love of friends, Adrian and of course knitting.  

My fabulous friends from Stitch Together also attended WWKIPDay events.  This is Jocelynn Brown and Barb at Leon and Lulu's in Clawson, MI.  I would have loved to join them.  Any time I can spend time with my idol Jocelynn, I would grab it.  WOW!  Knitting in public with Jocelynn!  It doesn't get any better than that.  Barb, I envy you!

This is Janet, who introduced me to Knitted Knockers at Stitch Together, knitting at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  Talk about a great time!

Records were set this year.  There was a total of 882 WWKIPDay events in 56 different countries.  There were 10 new countries and 200 more events than last year.  More people were living the mission, " Better Living Through Stitching Together."  As the founder Astrid says, "Mission Accomplished!"

I had a ball.  Because of potential of rain, we moved the event to the Adrian District Library.  But as you can see the women of Adrian just put on a jacket or sweatshirt and headed for the benches.  I had two people stop and asked about my knitting.  It was great.  I love to promote the social aspect of knitting.  

Which brings me to more excitement.  In July, Ann's By Design will start our first social knitting group.  This will be about knitting for charity. On Friday mornings we will knit hats, scarves and mittens for Associated Charities.  I can't wait to start my first social knitting group.

I am definitely on a fiber high.  After spending the weekend promoting knitting, yarn and Ann's By Design.  Next year will be even better.  We learned so much in our first event.  Ann is so generous!  All eight participants received  coupon for 10% off a purchase at ABD.  See you all next year!

Last Saturday,  Linda and I taught our first Beginning To Knit class.  I love to team with Linda.  We play off each other well, are not just good knitters but great teachers and WE HAVE FUN!  There were four wonderful women in the class.  Nine had signed up, but I think Ann learned something about having participants pre-pay.  It's too bad people chose not to come but we had a blast.  I have a philosophy that whoever shows up are the right people.  (I struggled grammatically with that sentence for two days and I think that is right even though it is awkward.)  It's too bad for the people who didn't come and too good for those who did.  There was plenty of time to give individual attention.

Ann's By Design has this great teaching room which is big enough for 12 or 8 comfortably.  But I am noticing that it does not take an interesting picture.  I wonder what I can do about that.  Maybe hang knitted things on the walls--like the giant knitted wall hanging!  

Remember this?  I blogged about it sometime last year.  It's knit with many different strands of yarn at the same time on size 50 needles.  I think it would spruce up the class room.  

Well, let's get back to class.  This is Marilyn, Julie, Cheryl and Joan.  First we went on a field trip of Ann's By Design talking about the different Cascade yarns and their properties.  We talked about reading a yarn label, what every knitter should have in their knitting bag, and different kinds of knitting needles.  The skills to learn were cast-on, knit stitch, purl stitch and bind-off.  With that they can do almost anything.  (Isn't knitting great in both its simplicity and its complexity?) They had a homework assignment and we had lots of wonderful conversation.  The little black and white bags contained things knitters should carry in their knitting bag.  What may have been the most fun was the serendipitous conversation.  Unplanned "teachable moments."    

These are the "what every knitter needs" in their bag.  I would have loved to give them everything, but just couldn't.  In addition, we told them they needed a crochet hook, tape measure, the needles with the little curve on the end and counter.  Linda and I have many little pouches already packed so all we have to do is grab one, put it in our knitting bag and we're off.  I must admit that I am addicted to knitting gadgets.  I love them all.  But I really didn't want to confuse them with some of the weird things I have.  

Now, don't forget that Saturday is World Wide Knit In Public Day.  Find an event, take your knitting and show the world that knitting is fun, cool and social.

Just when I begin to think I know what I'm doing, I prove myself wrong!  I went to Crafty Lady Trio in Macomb Friday (remember one of my favorite LYS where I learned the Magic Ball and so much more) to take a class on using the iPad with knitting.  It was a great class taught by a delightful young woman named Kelli.  I was so into the class that I FORGOT TO TAKE ANY PICTURES!  So, I am going to have to use some old pictures I took when Linda and I recently visited.  I could have taken a picture of Kelli.  I could have taken a picture of the women in the class.  I could have taken a picture of this adorable bag being kitted.  I could have taken a picture of Meagan (Martina's daughter.  Wonderful Martina who has taught me so much.)  There was a Retreat going on and Meagan was the leader.  Martina was in Columbus at TNNA (I think.)  It is the spring market where the latest in fiber is purchased.  One of my dreams is to attend the Columbus market.  Anybody want to go with me?

Back to my fabulous class. Well, what did I learn?!?!?!?

I learned I am not the least tech savvy knitter in town!  We all had our iPad which were supposed to be fully charged.  One woman had borrowed her granddaughter's and really had never used one.  One woman's was dead and hot, not a good sign.  I did once again wonder if I should have gotten the mini.  They are so cute and so easy to handle.  I think someday I will get the big iPhone and figured a mini and a big iPhone would be redundant.  I loved the women in the class.  We were all there to figure out how to supplement our knitting with  our iPad.  Kelli had us sign up for Dropbox and showed us how to load the dropbox.  She introduced us to Ravelry (remember, I thought it was one of the most important 50 things we didn't have 50 years ago) and I learned somethings I didn't know.  Then she showed us how to load patterns from Ravelry on iBooks.  Know why that is neat?  If you are in the car or not near a hot spot, you can still use your pattern on your iPad.  I have never used my iPad to read a pattern from, but I may start.  I have always been a "paper pattern in a plastic sleeve" kind of person.  It has always been so inconvenient with the iPad because it would shut off.  Kelli showed us how to set it so it only shuts off when you turn it off.  I am excited!  No recipe shutting off while cooking!  No pattern shutting off in the middle of a row!  I really should have understood this for the last four years (the length of time I've had an iPad) but I didn't. 

Well, I learned lots and I DIDN'T BUY ANY YARN!  Do you believe it? It was a great day, but I was really glad to get back to the country.  Away from all of the concrete and traffic and color gray.  Back to two lane roads, less traffic and green, green, green.  I can remember when I graduated from college and thought that living in the city would be exciting and fun.  Now I only think how peaceful it is here.  Am I getting old or what!?!?!?!?!

I am going to take all I learned from Kelli, add to it and offer a class at Ann's By Design.  I will learn so much as I prepare for the class.  Saturday is our first Beginning Knitting class at Ann's By Design.  Linda and I are going to teach together.  Fun!  I better go prepare.