But, dear readers you are not here to hear about which day of the week I like the best, you want to know about a cool website that is out there, am I right?!
This week's website is Schoolhouse Press. https://www.schoolhousepress.com Schoolhouse Press is the baby of Elizabeth Zimmermann and which has passed onto Meg Swansen and her family. Frequent readers know very well, I am worship the hands of Elizabeth. I first stumbled upon her PBS show, Knitting Workshop, more than 30 years ago. I remember once I found her show, the next week, I started taping it on our VCR. It was amazing and now that the shows have been onto DVDs, I can enjoy her over and over. https://www.schoolhousepress.com/video/knitting-workshop-dvd.html
One of my favorite yarns at Schoolhouse Press is Unspun Icelandic. It is like pencil roving, so you have to be very careful when you knit with it, you cannot just yank at it, or you will find you spit splicing it.
When I first learned about Unspun Icelandic, there were a lot of basic colors in it, not too many bright colors. A few years later, a whole bunch of brights stumbled into Schoolhouse Press and, of course, I had to buy one of each. Let me tell you a secret, I still have this stack and am waiting for just the right project. But, isn't it so bright and cheery right now?!
I have knit a few things out of Unspun Icelandic, but one of my faves is one of the first projects I knit with it, the Pelerine. I knit it out of exactly the same colors that the sample was knit out of. It has sat on the back of my chair at work for several years. It is the perfect throw on when ever it was a bit chilly in my office and has served me well.
And I knit the iconic Rib Warmer, by Elizabeth. This one I have to admit back in 2007, took me a bit to get the hang of EZ's pattern writing style, but I was pleased with it when I finished it. It truly warmed my ribs.
Unspun Icelandic may not be for everyone, but I can vouch that it softens up and is so super warm that you can knit several strands together and can wear it out in the Winter time. I have several buns in my personal yarn shop upstairs and have some plans for sweaters later this year. If you have never seen a bun of Unspun Icelandic and it is a treat to see Meg open one up. You have to check the video out here with Meg https://www.schoolhousepress.com/wool/unspun-icelandic/unspun.html
In 1996, I attended my first Knitting Camp over 4th of July weekend with Meg Swansen. I went all by myself without a clue to what I was getting myself into. I came home from the experience with lots of woolly wool and so filled with all kinds of possibilities.
It would be several years before I could go back, but met up with other ladies about an hour away and ventured up again for another knitting camp. It was during this camp, that I remember sitting on my bed, and telling my new friend, Julie, that it finally hit me, that with EPS, I truly could knit any sweater I wanted.
Again, it was a few years later, that I started going back every year to 2.75, making the trip with Char, who has since passed away and Linda, who to this day makes the trip with me every year. We go to camp, full of expectations and coming home with so many great new ideas for our knitting and vowing to wow everyone the following year with our show and tell. The weekend in July always goes so fast, and we love seeing friends every year that we keep in touch with through out the year. It is a family reunion with family you want to spend time with...I didn't come up with that saying, someone else did, but it is so true. These are the best of the best knitters and their knits are unbelievable and always adding to my queue of knits and new yarns to explore.
Unfortunately, this year, Knitting Camp has been cancelled due to this pesky Covid 19, and both Linda and I are sad beyond belief that we won't be able to meet up with our knitting besties and spend time with them eating, knitting in the living room, sharing projects and new techniques, getting expert advice and the best hugs ever from Meg.
But, we know and hope that we will all meet again next year, which surely will mean a turn around for us all. In the mean time, we will
This week's website is Schoolhouse Press. https://www.schoolhousepress.com Schoolhouse Press is the baby of Elizabeth Zimmermann and which has passed onto Meg Swansen and her family. Frequent readers know very well, I am worship the hands of Elizabeth. I first stumbled upon her PBS show, Knitting Workshop, more than 30 years ago. I remember once I found her show, the next week, I started taping it on our VCR. It was amazing and now that the shows have been onto DVDs, I can enjoy her over and over. https://www.schoolhousepress.com/video/knitting-workshop-dvd.html
One of my favorite yarns at Schoolhouse Press is Unspun Icelandic. It is like pencil roving, so you have to be very careful when you knit with it, you cannot just yank at it, or you will find you spit splicing it.
When I first learned about Unspun Icelandic, there were a lot of basic colors in it, not too many bright colors. A few years later, a whole bunch of brights stumbled into Schoolhouse Press and, of course, I had to buy one of each. Let me tell you a secret, I still have this stack and am waiting for just the right project. But, isn't it so bright and cheery right now?!
I have knit a few things out of Unspun Icelandic, but one of my faves is one of the first projects I knit with it, the Pelerine. I knit it out of exactly the same colors that the sample was knit out of. It has sat on the back of my chair at work for several years. It is the perfect throw on when ever it was a bit chilly in my office and has served me well.
And I knit the iconic Rib Warmer, by Elizabeth. This one I have to admit back in 2007, took me a bit to get the hang of EZ's pattern writing style, but I was pleased with it when I finished it. It truly warmed my ribs.
Unspun Icelandic may not be for everyone, but I can vouch that it softens up and is so super warm that you can knit several strands together and can wear it out in the Winter time. I have several buns in my personal yarn shop upstairs and have some plans for sweaters later this year. If you have never seen a bun of Unspun Icelandic and it is a treat to see Meg open one up. You have to check the video out here with Meg https://www.schoolhousepress.com/wool/unspun-icelandic/unspun.html
In 1996, I attended my first Knitting Camp over 4th of July weekend with Meg Swansen. I went all by myself without a clue to what I was getting myself into. I came home from the experience with lots of woolly wool and so filled with all kinds of possibilities.
It would be several years before I could go back, but met up with other ladies about an hour away and ventured up again for another knitting camp. It was during this camp, that I remember sitting on my bed, and telling my new friend, Julie, that it finally hit me, that with EPS, I truly could knit any sweater I wanted.
Again, it was a few years later, that I started going back every year to 2.75, making the trip with Char, who has since passed away and Linda, who to this day makes the trip with me every year. We go to camp, full of expectations and coming home with so many great new ideas for our knitting and vowing to wow everyone the following year with our show and tell. The weekend in July always goes so fast, and we love seeing friends every year that we keep in touch with through out the year. It is a family reunion with family you want to spend time with...I didn't come up with that saying, someone else did, but it is so true. These are the best of the best knitters and their knits are unbelievable and always adding to my queue of knits and new yarns to explore.
Unfortunately, this year, Knitting Camp has been cancelled due to this pesky Covid 19, and both Linda and I are sad beyond belief that we won't be able to meet up with our knitting besties and spend time with them eating, knitting in the living room, sharing projects and new techniques, getting expert advice and the best hugs ever from Meg.
But, we know and hope that we will all meet again next year, which surely will mean a turn around for us all. In the mean time, we will
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