Rock the Pompom

There is usually a back story to my designs. In the case of Rock the Pompom, it was kismet. It happened while I was at VKLive in New York City in January.

As I cruised around the marketplace on the first day, I happened upon a skein of Hedgehog Fibres Aran that really caught my eye.  It was completely outside my "color box". I didn't buy it right away because I wasn't sure what I would do with it. (Just to be clear, I don't often show that kind of restraint in a marketplace full of yarny goodness.)
 

 

Somewhere along the way I saw an awesome pompom ~ again, completely outside my "color box". Again, I didn't buy it right away.  After all, this was the first day of the marketplace and I needed to pace myself.

Later on I had an epiphany ~ it could have happened in the shower or come to me in a dream. These colors matched a new winter coat I had bought for an upcoming trip to Iceland. I could knit a hat and top it with the pompom.

I've never considered my self a pompom wearing kind of gal, however, this pompom was wicked cool. I set about finding a stitch pattern that would show the lovely variegated yarn in it's best light. 

The hat is designed to be comfortably snug at the brim without squishing your hair so it fits more loosely than the average beanie. I have curly hair and did not want to have severe hat head after wearing the hat. These are the things I considered while designing the hat. One size fits most head circumferences (21 - 23").

Materials: 180 yards of heavy worsted/aran weight yarn (4-4.5 sts/1"). The sample hat was knit with Hedgehog Fibres Merino Aran (100% Merino, 182 yards, Pheasant colorway) and Lana Grossa Fell pompom

This pattern is free through Monday, July 31, then it will be $5.00. In exchange for it being free, please add it to your Ravelry favorites and queue. Click here to find it on Ravelry.

VKLive NYC, what an inspiring way to start the year.

I attended VKLive in NYC and as always, it did not disappoint.  I really look forward to this weekend of complete immersion in classes and all things fiber related.  Which is different from my day to day in that I was the student and not the teacher.  It's a real pleasure to take classes, meet other students, and learn new things.  I came away enthusiastic and inspired.

First I must digress to share my trip into the city.  I am a country mouse.  If I could, I would take taxis everywhere because subways confuse and frighten me.  Cynthia encourages me to be brave - it's more economical and (generally) more efficient.  She spells it all out and I am getting better(ish).

I had a rolling suitcase with me, my purse, and a knitting bag.  I did not think to ask how one navigates the subway turnstile with all these encumbrances. There was no one traveling in front of me with a rolling suitcase to watch and emulate.  Let me just say, it was not pretty or graceful.

In a word, I got stuck in the turnstile, my suitcase wedged.  I couldn't go forward or back.  I was most definitely stuck.  I was inwardly panicked that there was a timer to how long your swipe of the card lasted for and that I'd have to use up my whole Metrocard just getting myself and the bag through.  This panic probably lasted less than a minute before a nice man came and rescued me.  When I saw him I just laughed and said, "yes, nothing says tourist more than this".  On the way out, I saw someone lift their suitcase over the turnstile - not easy - but I managed.

Now onto the show recap. This was my class line up:

Looking Good Coming and Going with Melissa Leapman

I learned a number of reversible fabrics that look good on both sides but are not necessarily identical.

Slip Sliding Away with Melissa Leapman.

Working with slip stitches.

I must share that there was homework for both classes.  I remembered that there was homework for one class (the Saturday class) and as a whim on Thursday, (VKLive began Friday) I checked the class description.

 Lo and Behold, there was homework.  

Due the next day.

It was 8pm and I had just gotten home from work.

I hadn't packed yet.

I had two homework assignments to complete.

I felt like I was in College again and not in a good way.

OY!

Tucker nearly ate my homework! Luckily we caught him in time.

 I thoroughly enjoyed my classes with Melissa and realized that I own all but two of her books.  Who would have thought it?  She's a terrific teacher, very easy going, and  funny. I found her perspective and approach to knitting and designing very interesting.

I had a class with Josh Bennett on Tips and Tricks to Make your Knits More Professional.  This was outstanding class/teacher recommended to me by my friend, Cynthia.  I learned so many interesting tricks some of which were game changing. I look forward to taking more classes with Josh in the future.

On Sunday I took a class on Computer Aided Design with Lily Chin.  Not surprisingly, there are so many things I can do with my computer (or Joe's because many things required a PC) that I didn't know.  For this I really have to sit down and play to get the feel of it.

I took two excellent lectures. The first was with Gale Zucker on Photographing your knits. I learned many things I didn't know before and enjoyed a great slide presentation of her photography.  Again, I have to play to really get the best of the information I learned.  I'm usually (wait, who am I kidding -  always) very quick and haphazard with my photographs as if they are an after thought.  Which, to be honest, they usually are.

The other lecture I took was with Sally Melville on Creativity.  This was more on the science of left brain/right brain and the process of creativity.  Fascinating stuff.

Of course the marketplace was wonderful and overwhelming.  I found some interesting things I hadn't seen before. 

From Neighborhood Fiber Co, I found this skein of Silk & Steel in an electric purple.

And a lovely skein of Silk & Mohair in shades of Burgundy.

Then there was this skein of Dream in Color Everlasting DK in a colorway called Galaxy.  It was all my favorites wrapped in one skein.  I bravely put it back the first night.  I always buy this color, blah, blah, blah.  The next day I was looking for a pattern that was exclusive to VKLive.  OF COURSE it was in the same booth as this yarn.  To make matters worse (or better depending on how you look at it) the skein was falling out of it's cubby as if to say, "take me too". 

Cynthia and I caught up with our friend Ann.

Outside the marketplace is an amazing display of different fiber arts.  To do that justice, I have to send you to this link, which I think you'll enjoy.

VKLive ~ Oh! The yarn and designs!

I arrived at Vogue Knitting Live on Friday afternoon just in time to have lunch with my friend, Cynthia of Knitting Central.

Afterwards, we each rushed off to our lectures/classes.

At 5:00 the marketplace opened for those attending classes.  I stood in the queue and chatted with the women around me.  One of the women said my name looked familiar.  Would you believe that the woman I was talking to bought my Spiral Hat pattern from Cynthia at her booth at VKLive last year.  We even corresponded via email when she had a question about the pattern.  Unbelievable.

 

By the time I walked both floors of the marketplace, I was overwhelmed by all the color and choices.  I was particularly smitten with The Neighborhood Fiber Co. I was torn between two colors.  A lovely emerald color and a burgundy-ish color.  I just couldn't decide.  That night I dreamt about the yarn; I don't believe that's ever happened before.  Their tonal colors are beautifully saturated with color.

We are going to look into carrying their yarn at
Westport Yarns.

 

I would not allow myself to buy any purple. 
It was tough, let me tell you.

 

I have this pattern, Safire, in my queue.  I didn't realize it until I looked it up.  Nice to know I'm consistent.  The t-shirt underneath says "Knitting is Sexy". 

The tub of black, feathery yarn made me think of crows,
enough said.  

 

I stopped by Sandra McIver's booth to say hello and show her my Plum Perfect Swirl. She loved it in black which delighted me to no end.  She said she was thinking of making one in black.

I ran into Jan who's Sheer Beauty Swirl inspired one of the students in my Knit, Swirl class.  I immediately recognized her from her Ravelry picture and from her swirl.  What a small world!  When I saw her I explained who I was and that we had corresponded on Ravelry about her swirl.  This is definitely going to be the next swirl I make.

I liked the Brooklet infintity scarf. The sample was knit with Neighborhood Fiber Co. Rustic Fingering (100% Merino, 475 yards).

The Hari scarf was also knit with Neighborhood Fiber Co. Rustic Fingering.  (I told you I was smitten with their yarns.)

This is the Merging Ripple Shawl pattern from Knitscene, Winter 2012, very cool looking.

Off in the corner is another pattern in my queue, Leftie.  It's a great way to incorporate leftover bits of fingering.

This just tickled me pink. 

Alright, so it may be hard to see.  There are three women on the right with the bulk of a majorly tangled skein of yarn.  The yarn spans across to the left side of the picture.  Not pictured is the woman holding the yarn on the left side.  This was a four woman job!

In Cephalopod Yarns' booth I saw three terrific hand woven scarves, worked up with their fingering weight yarn.  (Spoiler Alert, we are planning a trunk show at Westport Yarns late spring.)

 

The next few pictures were from the Gallery.  This piece is by Jo Hamilton.  She uses basic crochet techniques and works directly from photographs.  Remarkable.

 

This piece is from the program "Designing for the Runway and is a collaboration between Koigu and the Rhode Island School of Design CE, taught by Rhonda Fargnoli. "The seven students explored the ancient Korean art of Bojagi after a visit from Chungie Lee.  They then adapted the technique to contemporary knitwear.  I hope this becomes a pattern available to the rest of us.

This was quite a buffet of hand knitted food stuffs.  Bonnie Burton, co-owner of Colorful Stitches, designed these pieces for her store display.  They looked good enough to eat.