…Stefanie Japel Knits…

Hi Guys! I’m at TNNA, just came back to the room for a little breather after lunch and thought I’d post a few photos! These are all iPhone pics, and are pretty crappy. I’m charging my camera’s battery now, so tonight’s and tomorrow’s pics will be better!

This trip has been along one! This was me yesterday at this time, waiting in the airport:

I had looked at LAST year’s flight information & missed my plane. (Which I take to be an indication that I may need a little bit more order in my life, or at least in my dang office!) SO, I sat and waited and waited. Left hose at 6 am, arrived in Columbus at 12 am! Woo Hoo, though, because I’m HERE NOW.

Here are Shannon Okey, Kristi Porter, and Annie Modesitt in the Cooperative Press / Stitch Cooperative booth:

This morning was the TNNA fashion show. This year they had it right on the show floor.

AND, I met BARBARA WALKER! I’m yelling at you in ALL CAPS because I MET BABARA WALKER. And I cried and cried. Words were not coming out. She has been such a huge influence on my knitting life, and I thought I would never have the chance to tell her that. But I did. And oh man, I cried.

It was amazing to see her in person. I feel as thought I’ve studied her mind for so many years, that it was just amazing to meet that mind…it was really a moment.

She’s part of a new DVD from Stitch Heaven….

OK, more later, and I’ll try to get my camera (and maybe my video camera) up and running to save you from these oddly-colored photos!

I was so excited when Stefanie asked me to write a guest blog post about the Makerie, and equally excited that she is teaching two workshops for our inaugural event!

She wanted me to share with you a bit more about creative retreats and what inspired me to start the Makerie. I am so happy to have the chance to do this! Creative retreats are oh so many things ~ taking time out of our busy lives to play for a few days, being inspired by new forms of creativity, and spending a few days in a like-minded community.

Often knitters are really creative in other areas too, and a retreat like this one not only offers wonderful workshops to improve your yarn skills, but provides the opportunity to delve into other crafty classes too, which can inspire your knitting in new wonderful ways. The mornings begin with yoga or hiking (or just sleeping in!), meals are eaten together, inspiring evening activities are planned, and rumor has it even some late night knitting gatherings are being concocted (which might even include wine!). The easiest way to describe it is like being back at summer camp ~ but for us!

I attended my first creative retreat in the summer of 2009 and it was hands down, one the best experiences I ever had. I learned:

* how important it is to honor who you are and what you love to do

* the power of being in a like-minded community

* how honoring and exploring your creative side brings out the best in everyone

* to listen to your heart

When I came home, I shared this magical experience with all my friends and family, and they loved what it was all about. I researched and researched to find a similar retreat in Colorado (a little closer to home) so I could take all my friends. When I couldn’t find anything like it in our majestic Rocky Mountains, I began to think how neat it would be to bring this to our community, and how much I wanted to provide a place for other people to have the opportunity to experience what I did.

I wanted to provide a place where people could step out of their fast-paced, everyday lives, leave technology behind for a few days and reconnect with themselves in a space to simply play and feel like a kid again. (It does wonders, let me tell you!) I still carry around the magic I felt from my first retreat, and am eternally grateful to Elizabeth and the courage she had to create Squam Art Workshops. It truly changed my life.

This journey has just begun, and I have cherished the input and support from so many amazing people already and feel the greatest power in creating the Makerie is the warm and wonderful community it seems to be bringing together. I would love to see the Makerie become an event that inspires people in various ways and encourages them to follow their heart. I also hope that everyone involved in the retreat in any way, shape or form will feel a part of the Makerie family.

From the beginning, I had a wish to find a way to offer a scholarship for our first year, and I couldn’t be more thrilled that we are able to do so with the generous support of two fantastic local companies ~ Common Threads and Old Glory Antiques. If you know of anyone who is deserving of a creative weekend away (maybe even you!), please send us your nomination! You can read the scholarship application details here.

Thank you so much for letting me share a bit more about the Makerie! I hope it was helpful and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have questions, thoughts or suggestions. I do believe the Makerie is something we are all creating together!

xo,
Ali

Hey Boulder – Denver area crafters!

I’m heading back to Fancy Tiger! I’ll be at the Fancy Tiger February First Friday event demo-ing some of the techniques that I’ll be teaching in my Knitted Embellishments class at The Makerie this summer.

I’ll also be signing books and I’m bringing patterns, T-shirts and a few other goodies to give away!

Stop by and say hello!!

…a new design for fingerless gloves. Do you like my subtle “Zia” pattern??

Spending today getting everyone ready for the weekend! We (Me, Nathan, and Olive) leave tomorrow for Alexandria, VA, and Mazie’s going to spend the weekend with Grandma!

I’ll be teaching to a sold-out classroom at Fibre Space, which is always a total treat. I’ve known Danielle, the owner, for years and we always have a good time! It’ll be a 2-day workshop on how to design your own sweater. The sessions are going to take place in an Irish Pub!! Woo! Can’t wait!! It’s going to be so fun to get out of town, especially to an area that we spent a lot of time! (I went to grad school in Baltimore.)

Mazie had gymnastics this morning, and though I don’t have any pics, let me assure you that it was FUN. She’s learning how to listen to the teacher, wait in line, do the (I want to call them “tricks”, but I know it’s something else) in the correct order…and share with people. It’s really great. All the while she’s also burning off a LOT of energy and learning to move her body. Love gymnastics!!

All these fingerless glove photos are showing up because I just decided to teach a workshop locally at The Studio at La Buena Vida. Guess what…it’s a class on Fair Isle fingerless gloves. The class will teach the basics of Fair Isle, while also teaching colorwork in the round, thumb gusset, stretchy cast-ons and a picot bind-off. I think fingerless gloves are a great accessory for New Mexicans, especially those of us in the South! We don’t really need full-on mittens here, but we want cute little fall / winter accessories to knit!

The class will be on November 20 & 27 from 1-4.
If you’re interested, call The Studio (575-589-4323) for more information and to sign up.

Last weekend, I taught two classes at Loops yarn store in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’d never been to Tulsa, but my friends all told me how lush and green it is, and how friendly the people are.

WOW. Tulsa is a beautiful city, but the people really make it shine!

Olive and I were welcomed at the airport by Shelley Brander, the owner of TWO Loops knitting shops in Tulsa. Olive is still nursing, so she came along. Some shop owners might have said, “UH…no thanks!” But Shelley was wonderful! She even hired a babysitter (Hi Hallie!) for the weekend!!

Oh, we loved our trip! Look at this beautiful, soothing shop:

I taught “How to Shape Your Knits” and “Converting Flat Patterns into Circular Knits.” Both of these classes teach the basics of knitting pattern math and how to add shaping to circular garments. The Flat –> circular class goes a step further to show how to do just what the title says and knit any garment in the round, either by creating a yoke from the armscye / sleeve cap OR by knitting the front and back separately and then adding on an in-the-round sleeve. (I also teach both classes on line, and signups for fall are open now.)

The students were awesome. Everyone seemed to “get it” and already had uses worked out in their own knitting for all of the things we learned.

Shelley has a great selection of yarn in her shops! Too great! I was able to pick up lots of yarns that I’d heard a lot about but hadn’t had the chance to work with. Most yarn companies will supply the yarns that I use in my patterns, but it’s nice to have a few “sweater quantities” of yarn to design with just for fun and with no pressure.

We had a great time, but we needed to cuddle our Mazie LOTS when we got home: