Ah, Knitting Camp!

Oh my, I died and went to heaven! And, look what they have in heaven!!


This photo says it all--Sweaters from Camp in the flesh--actually, in the wool! What a fabulous experience. As you saw in my earlier posts, I attended Meg Swansen's Knitting Camp, the continuation of her mother Elizabeth Zimmerman's camp. She brings all the sweaters photographed for all the books she and her mother have written. Best of all, the campers can try on the sweaters and wear them during the instruction periods and after. Just return them to the tables before you go to bed!! Wearing an EZ original, what could possibly be better??
This is the Bavarian Jacket EZ knit for her beloved husband, Arnold, and the photo of which is in at least two of the books. I actually put this on and had my photo taken in it. But, I didn't look nearly as dapper as Arnold was in it!!

And, listening to Meg describe all the techniques and construction details for each sweater. Again, priceless!! She is holding the sweater I long to knit--I've added it to my knitter's life list.
As Meg demonstrates, the campers knit along with their own swatches. A camera focuses on her hands so everyone can look at the closest TV monitor arranged throughout the room. You can see my yarns for my projects. I had a startitis problem--I couldn't figure out which project to start, which yarn to use, etc., so as not to embarrass myself in front of all these wonderful knitters!
In the afternoon there is Show and Tell where campers show off their projects or seek suggestions for their disasters. This young woman from Toronto brought her "homework" project--a precious little steeked sweater. She finished it at camp and was very proud of her first steeks (as well she should be!) Meg is the most gracious of women and enthusiastically complimented each person's project, technique or idea. She couldn't say "that piece of knitting is crap" if you paid her $1 million!! Of course, the photo above is not of knitting crap. There was no knitting crap in the room. But, if there were, I'm sure Meg would find something very positive to say about it.
Not only were campers surrounded by fabulous items knit my the famous, famous hands of EZ, Meg Swansen, Joyce Williams and Amy Detjen, and by outstanding creations of the campers, we were surrounded by yarn. A half-ballroom was set up with tables displaying all the yarn and books and items carried by Schoolhouse Press. Who could resist? These bulging sausages are the shipping form of the unspun Icelandic wool that Schoolhouse carries. Very compact way to ship the yarn. And what fun when Meg demonstrated cutting the binding twine and the sausages exploded into wheels of fluffy yarn!!!

There were five men at our camp (or was that four?)!! They ranged in age from early 20's to maybe my age. The older man came with his daughter. They had a great, great time together!! I forgot to get his permission to post his photo, so I will show just his hands, winding yarn.
You can just see the corner of his nametag--a tie he knit for himself with his name knitted into it vertically. Everyone was required to wear a nametag. Most of the knitters made some lovely, creative name tag out of yarn and needles. In another post, I'll show you how I wimped out!

My posts are few and far between because immediately after knitting camp I went to Door County , Wisconsin to visit friends. Actually "we" went to Door County. My good friend, Betty from Barcelona, came to Wisconsin to go to Knitting Camp with me. We had a great, great time!! In Door County we purchased more yarn at a corriedale sheep farm--we hadn't purchased enough yarn at knitting camp, apparently!!!

We then returned home for two days before she departed to Barcelona. We left two days later to go to Idaho, where I am currently writing this post in a coffee shop. We are surrounded by pine forested mountains, lakes long, deep and blue, twisty-turny highways and backroads--and where do we spend our time?? In a coffee shop!!!