If you are anything like me, you were lucky enough to attend Slater Mill's 2nd Annual Knitting Weekend this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and, if you are anything like me, you are still recovering from the fantastic time you had. The Mill is always a fun place for me to be, but it truly seems to come alive during such an event. Even while the weekend was drawing to a close, I heard people chatting about their next guild meetings, upcoming classes, and events that they would like to see in the future. To me, this means that the Mill has become more than a place to visit now and again, it has instead become as much a part of our lives as the crafts that we enjoy.
This was certainly evident on Friday night, as the conference room was packed full of knitters there to hear Mary Jane Mucklestone give a presentation on improving ones knitting photography.
Knitters learned tips and tricks to improve their own photos, and enjoyed a look behind the scenes of Interweave Knits. I will never look at walls the same way!
Designer and Knitting Weekend instructor Cirilia Rose also brought a trunk show from Berroco Yarn which highlighted many of their new Spring designs. Knitters shopped for patterns, tried on samples, and sipped cocktails while chatting with instructors and fellow students. It was a marvelous kick-off to the weekend. I was sad to leave!
The next day was frenetic and fun, with classes going on in the three spaces upstairs, and a not-so-mini Mini Marketplace downstairs. The vendors looked amazing tucked in with the the machines in the textile museum, it was such a fitting atmosphere.
Because I was in the Marketplace on Saturday, I didn't take a class until Sunday. But several Guild members were able too, and smuggled me some photos.
Here Cirilia Rose teaches a class on Finishing.
There was also Mary Jane Mucklestone teaching color work - here she is with some of her students and their giant piles of yarn. Knitpicks was kind enough to donate the yarn for the class, and each student went home with enough yarn to make about 5 hats!
Rose Ann Hunter taught classes on designing rugs and knitting with fabric. Here she is with some of her students, demonstrating a technique.
On Sunday I took two classes - a moebius or infinity scarf class with Helen Bingham of Fresh Purls, and it was so much fun that I'm almost done with my scarf! I will hopefully post a photo by the end of the week. I also took a one-on-one workshop with Leslie Wind to make my own shawl pin. The hammering of the wire was cathartic, and I got a lovely copper pin to boot.
To see the rest of the pictures from the knitting weekend, you can click here, or check out the photo album on the left of the page.