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Saturday at SOAR

Posted on | October 17, 2008 | 12 Comments

Saturday’s sessions at SOAR were all about history.  In the morning, I took Knitting Estonian Lace with Nancy Bush.  Yes, THE Nancy Bush, sock and lace guru.  Her lecture on Estonia, Estonian lace and the women who create these incredible lace shawls was very interesting, particularly to this former history major.  I did not take any pictures as I was concentrating hard on knitting my sample and not screwing up – which I did anyway – twice - because Nancy told us that if we messed up, to keep knitting, no frogging allowed.  Yeah, I broke that rule, but I didn’t get caught, so no harm, no foul.

This is the very small sample I made in class.  I learned how to make nupps and how to pronounce “nupp” – it rhymes with “soup.” 

This shawl in the SOAR gallery is positively riddled with nupps!

I had a rare moment of brilliance when I signed up for Abby’s Saturday afternoon class, otherwise known as the troublemaker’s class.  Spinning detention was threatened and I thought Denny was going to be marched down the hall, but she kept herself in line (just barely).  I’d brought her a special treat but I never officially met her and thought she might freak out if a stranger came up and offered her spicy nuts.  So I ate them.  It was a matter of survival, given the food choices in the Allentown airport (pepperoni pizza, hard-as-a-rock pretzels or plastic-wrapped, sweaty danishes).

Abby walked us through a brief history of spinning, which was rather mind-blowing.  It’s amazing how spinning has impacted our lives.  I can’t say it better than Abby, so if you’re interested in learning just how much our modern culture owes to the simple mechanics of stick and string, read this post.  If that makes you hungry for technical pointers, check out this post.  In fact, go ahead and subscribe to Abby’s blog because everything she writes is worth your time to read.  If you want a bit of women’s history that’s also appropriate for the upcoming season, check out this post from Mambocat.  I’ve probably read this a dozen times and it amazes me each time.

But, back to class.  “Maximum Spindle Productivity” was intriguing to me because I don’t really use spindles except for sampling.  I don’t carry one stashed in my purse as a portable project, that spot is usually reserved for sock knitting.  And I’d NEVER spun on a low whorl spindle.  Seriously.  When Abby referenced the “dreaded half-hitch,” I had no idea what she was talking about.  I decided to keep my mouth shut and be thought ignorant rather than speak up and remove all doubt.  I learned that the half-hitch is necessary to operate a low whorl spindle – it’s what enables the spindle to function!  Duh.  So, I learned an easy half-hitch and how to use a low whorl spindle and why one might choose a low whorl spindle over other types of spindles.  Mostly, I got an INKLING of just how much I don’t know!

I doubled my spindle collection without spending a cent – sweet!

Abby passed around a woven fabric that was handed down to her and served as her coat/shawl/sitting pad when she was a child in the Andes.  The coat was incredibly durable, estimated to be 50 years old.  Think about how long we expect our children’s coats, or even our own clothing, to last!  Incredible.  Some of the yarn was S-spun and Z-plied and some was Z-spun and S-plied and alternating between the two created a striped, tonal effect on the fabric which also increased durability.  Since I don’t weave, I immediately thought of twined knitting and how this is a technique I want to learn more about and practice, perhaps on the next pair of gloves or mittens that I make.

Class was over much too quickly and everyone made a mad rush for the market for last minute purchases – except for me, because I had to check into my new room and move my luggage from Barbara’s room to my new one. 

This is what the market looked like Friday afternoon, which is the one and only time I allowed myself near the place!  I wish now that I’d seen into the future and bought a low whorl spindle.  Alas, not one of the superpowers I’ve been gifted with!

Dinner was quick, followed by a quick stop at the Gallery to pick up my gloves.

Yes, I finished them in time.  There are more mistakes than you can shake a stick at, but they fit and they’re very warm.

The thumbs are a LITTLE big.  But that’s okay.  Pardon my dorky pose, ever since the debates I’ve been making fun of McCain’s goofy thumbs-up gesture.  Although my arms really need to be extended straight out in front of me to make it accurate.  To me, this pose says:  “I’m trying so hard to be cool but I’m just an OLD fart.”

Saturday night’s spin-in deserves its own post, which I hope to write over the weekend. 

Hope you guys have a great Friday!

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