More Secret Garden Clues!

More Pictures of my new knitting place. I was there just yesterday for about an hour in the late afternoon. What a joy!

Shhhh........Don't Tell Anyone!

I have found a most wonderful spot for knitting, reading, contimplating or just for enjoying nature in the middle of the city. It is a wonderful garden that you pass all the time if you live in my area. It is off a very busy street. It was an empty lot for years and years. Then about four years ago landscaping went in. It has been wonderful to drive by it and see a lovely lot with native plantings.

But what I didn't know until this last week is that it is a 2 acre garden that is open to the public!. It is not a park but a garden with all these wonderful seating areas and different zones. I am in love!!

So on this wonderful cool, cloudy, breezy, fall like day I went up to knit, listen to a book on my ipod and take some pictures to share with you.

I am going to keep it a secret for a few more days to see if any of you know about this place. I will add more pictures over the week and then let you in on my new sanctuary at the end of the week.

Do you know where this is??

New Post!! Fall Knitting Classes!!

If you read past posts you will see that fall is my most favorite time of year. What better time to bring some focus back to my poor neglected blog.

I have been working very hard on getting Marvels of Knitting ready for the fall. The new fall classes have been added here and now I am a knitting fool trying to get all the samples made up by next week for the Class Fair.

So far my favorite knit is the Fingerless Gloves by Ysolda. The lace cuffs where easy and fun to do. I love the way the thumbs where increased for and the the little leaf detail is just lovely. There is just enough to keep the interest yet it is a pretty simple knit for an intermediate beginner.

After i finish this post I am going to start the Beaumont Tam by Jared Flood of Brooklyntweed. He is one of my favorite designers. His esthetics's are so simple, clean and beautiful and his photography makes everything look fabulous. I am going to be using Classic Elite's Fresco, the yarn used in the pattern. This is a new yarn for me to try out! It has angora in it so I will let you know how that goes.

On the needles is Damson, another Ysolda design. I am using my Malabrigo Sock Yarn. It is a dream to knit with and the colors are working really well. This is a really easy beginning lace design. Anyone that can knit and do "yarn overs" can knit this. It is a perfect first lace type of project because you can practice all the little tricks for knitting lace without having to concentrate so much on a lace chart.

After I have all these projects done then I will have to rest my hands for a bit. Which means I will have some time to dream about new knits and new yarns while watching the leaves starting to change and hopefully enjoying some cooler weather.

Do You Feel it Coming Around the Corner?

School started in South Pasadena yesterday. All of my jobs have revolved around the school year.

Private flute and piano teacher
Director of Handbells at my church
The "Waldorf" inspired pre-school that I had at my house when the boys where young.
Then I became a real Waldorf teacher for 9 years.

June has always meant that my schedule got lighter and I would have free time. We always spent August away somewhere and September meant the beginning of not just the kids schedule filling up but mine too.

Now the boys don't live here most of the year, I have retired from teaching and handbell directing, and my life can often be the same day in and day out.

But yesterday, even though the weather outside is far from "fall like" I sat on my front porch with Miss Claire watching all the kids walking to school with their new backpacks and it just felt like fall.

The start of school gives me the hope that fall really is on it's way. We may have weeks of hot weather ahead but I can smell sweater knitting just around the corner.

I found this on flickr. Waldorf teachers and parents have been "felting" scenes like this for a very long time. Take a look at her other felted dolls they are wonderful.

Nushkie Design's

I want to start needle felting like this again and making
Nature Tables that will celebrate the Seasons once again in style.

No Posting but a lot of Knitting

When does a knitting teacher get to knit her own projects?
Maybe never.
I have been knitting up samples for the april classes at Unraveled. It has actually been a lot of fun because they are relatively easy knits so the instant gratification comes into play to keep me happy.
Two of the new classes for me are Baby Hats and Booties

and Beginning sock class using a child size sock to learn from.

I have one more class to get samples made up for, a spa set for mother's day. And then it will be time to think about next month.

Along the teaching thread, I am not sure why we have not been taking pictures of our classes and what the students make in them. There have been so many great things made and fun times to be had. So I have started doing that. This was a beret class from last month. Everyone finished their project. Yeah!!!

I will be adding an FO page to the stores website for our customers. If you have anything you have finished bring it in so we can take a pic and but it up on the website!
Gotta love knitting for work. Doesn't get better then that?

Speaking of getting better. Hubby and I went down to San Deigo last weekend. Of course I had to go to a couple of yarn stores.
First I went to Knitting by the Beach. It was a great little store. With lots of good yarn. But the best was the owners own designes, she is really good. She has made up a lot of garments using Habu yarns. Just beautiful. Well worth the trip in if you are in the area.

Then I went to The Black Sheep in Encinities. It was a great store. With so much yarn. I mean it is as big as Unraveled and filled to the gills with lots of things. They use a lot of ribbon yarns in their class projects so they had a wall of yarn from colnette, fiesta, great adirondack and some prisim. Now I am not one to use a lot of these yarns, but the wall was a spectacular sight full of amazing color. I did find something to come home with though.

First some lace weight Alpaca, just because it is so pretty. Misti Alpaca and Alpaca with a Twist which is Alpaca and silk. Be still my little heart. Now I know I won't be knitting on this any time soon. So it will live in the treasured basket in my living room where I can see it everyday.
Bet you can't guess what my favorite colors are?

And some Lousia Harding Cinnabar for the great bag on the front of Knitting Little Luxuries

I can still plan and dream about my own knitting projects.

I have Fallen

The ten little elves at my house want a break. I have been knitting and knitting and knitting. So I brought them over to the computer to type for a change of pace. I will but up more picks of all the holiday goodness when it is all finished.

But I have Fallen for Webs and thier pre order of Kauni (cow-nee) yarn.

I am in love with so many of the projects that are up on Ravelry using this amazing yarn. This Tote is probably my favorite. Makes my felting heart go pitter patter and we have those handles at the store!

Then there are all of the Lace Shawls. For these color changes I would tackle lace!

Color work on the sweaters that looks much harder then it really is

So I have several skeins of several colors on pre-order. Do I have company in my weakened state?

I Must Be Psychic or Just Psyched

I must have felt the vibes of this book, on it's way to me in the mail yesterday when I was talking about color. Today I got my copy of "Kristin Knits" from Kristin herself, before any of the bookstores have it! The only person that could possibly have it before me would be L. Some how she has the earliest inside scoop to all books and patterns.

I am so excited about the book. It is Nothing but Wonderful Color!!

Over the top, lot's of work involved,
many colors all in one piece kind of color.
It just makes me happy looking at it.

I know this is over the top for some of you out there and will not be your cup of tea. But I have to own up to the fact that I love color and I have to have more of it in my life right now. Even the walls of my house may not be safe!

This book has so many great pictrues, ideas and inspirations it will be awhile before I can make a decision of what to do first. Thank goodness I have the fingerless gloves I talked about yesterday to give me some focus.

Oh no, wait........there are thoughts about designing my own fair isle patterns...................Just playing with swatches and swatches of color!!

No Bunny Killa is gunna stop me now!