stitchaway knitter

Edie Eckman's Dreams Cancun weekend

2007-04-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

I do try to blog but lately life just keeps getting in the way. I did want to share with everyone a bit about the fabulous time we all had in Cancun with Edie Eckman.

First may I say our accommodations at Dreams Resort and Spa in Cancun were superb! The staff there went out of their way for us. Everyone in our group raved about the resort and the only complaint that I kept hearing over and over from everyone was that the trip should have been seven nights long instead of only three....I have to agree!

When I first approached Edie about doing this trip, she wanted to offer it to both knitters and crocheters. Indeed we did have a bit of both types of stitchers and it was really fun having both camps represented. Edie held one full day of class. In the morning, after much capuccino we dove into Math for Stitchers...everything you always needed to figure out but, if you are like me, are too embarrassed to ask! Yardage estimates, ounces to grams, figuring out sleeve or neck slopes. Amazingly all of my numbers worked out perfectly and I am the world's worst when it comes to doing math....perhaps it was my banana daiquiri but I really do think it was because Edie is such an excellent teacher. After lunch, we dove into finishing techniques...how you need to finish your project before you even begin. Planning, stitching and making everything perfect. After class was done, we then dove into the ocean!

Admittedly it was a bit hard to concentrate on class when you could look out on to a beautiful inviting azure ocean. (the all inclusive bar did help, especially during the math class!)

This time around we did have a few husbands in tow. A couple of them played golf while their wives knit. One of the husbands is an avid knitter and it was really fun having a bit of testosterone in class for a change.

One of the girls in our group, made a great point. It seems someone made a comment about her traveling alone with a group of strangers to knit and she responded...I won't be alone, I'll be returning home with a whole new group of friends. And she was certainly right about that.

Everyone had such an amazing time together. Don't be surprised if you see a Second annual

Dreams week with Edie Eckman coming in 2008!

Decadent Diamond Hoodie

2007-02-02T16:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhogs day everyone!
This is a very big day here in the hills of PA.
Yet another reason to celebrate, I finished knitting this gorgeous hoodie for Decadent Fibers . It was designed by my dear pal and fab designer Kate Lemmers seen here modeling it for us in the photo. Done in a yarn called Creme Brulee which is a blend of Merino, Mohair and Silk...definitely decadent! The lace trim on this is simply gorgeous with a collection of diamond points. I'm not 100% sure that decadent diamond hoodie will be the official name of this pattern but that's what I've been calling it.

When I'm not selling travel, I'm contract knitting for
designers and yarn companies. Not an activity for faint hearted knitters but I love the challenge. I find myself knitting and troubleshooting patterns that I might not necessarily choose to do myself. It's a great experience, a fun time collaborating with other fiber arteests and the mad money keeps me in yarn too. Now it's off to finish the purple tunic tip for KnitPicks!

Stitch & Beach Cruise with Debbie Stoller

2007-01-31T17:52:00.000-08:00

I swear I don't know where the days fly by to???
Wasn't it just New years and now it's coming up on Groundhog's day.
(which is a very big event here in Pennsylvania!)

Anyhow I wanted to share a link with some of the photos from our Stitch & beach cruise
with Debbie Stoller. Sadly I couldn't make it out of the office for this one which was a real
pity because all the girls were so wonderful to meet via email and phone. You can certain
tell by the photos a fun time was had by all.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/557108388afsRzA

I've been busy trying to sort out more itineraries for 2007. The details are mind boggling but all worth it to see smiling faces like these happily stitching. Stay tuned....

A Christmas Starmore

2006-12-27T09:04:00.000-08:00

This was my Christmas present to myself this year...seeing my wonderful husband Brian wearing the Alice Starmore Inishmore sweater that I made for him. I casted this sweater on February 2006 and finished it a week before Christmas. It does still need a good blocking but the stitching is so dense that I feared it would not dry in time for a Christmas morning debut. Several times during the making of this aran I admittedly had to put these needles down and step away. It was a challenge to say the least!

Last year Brian complained that I had knitted items for just about everyone but him. My sister-in-law Dawn suggested it was that old superstitious fear of knitting a complicated sweater for your beloved only to have them break up with you. Honestly it was more about all of those little gifts that often take time away from the truly important people in our lives...a baby sweater as a gift for colleague, a pair of socks for your friend, etc. When people know you as a knitter there is always that added pressure for home made gifts which all take away your free time. Brian requested "a traditional Aran made the old fashion way not a typical touristy Celtic sweater". My friend Eleanor from Kraemer's Yarn shop in Nazareth suggested that a Starmore pattern was what Brian wanted. Eleanor has had the priviledged of taking class with Alice Starmore herself. I was excited to take on this challenge but it was a long road...Certainly not a relaxing project or one for the faint hearted knitters of the world. Eleanor is a world class knitter who has been a long time pattern knitter and trouble-shooter for many of the stars of the knitting world. Many local knitting mortals take her words of advice to heart. That said, I must admit that I did have a few occasions during the making of this sweater where I had muttered a few choice words for Eleanor!

To add to some of the discouragement, I actually had the opportunity to speak with Alice Starmore herself during the making of this sweater. I had telephoned her with the hope of having her participate in an upcoming Scotland tour. Let's just say the telephone conversation did not go very well and this made me want to pack away my needles even more.

But I persevered and finished all of the knitting. Eleanor is an incredible finisher. Seriously you often can't tell how she has put sweaters together with invisible seams and no ends to be found. My pal Kate kindly informed Eleanor that since she had been responsible for getting me involved in this sweater in the first place, I felt that she should take on the responsibility of helping me finish it. So Eleanor was kind enough to invite me for an afternoon of knitting where she shared some of her finishing techniques with me. I also asked Eleanor to inspect the sweater with her eagle-eyes and I was amazed that she only found two small mistakes (a shocking miracle to me). She also showed me a trick to fix both mistakes without anyone being the wiser.

So when I say this was my present to me it really was. After this project I have to say I am now a fearless knitter. I can't tell you the pride I felt with Brian showing off his sweater to friends and family on Christmas day. I graciously accepted the compliments. During one of my more heated moments constructing this sweater I "explained" to Brian that if he ever dirtied,
dog-haired or bled on this sweater it would be grounds for divorce. I think the part that made me feel the best was when we sat down to dinner and he used his cloth napkin as a bib.
Now that is true love in the spirit of the season ;-)

Clicky Christmas

2006-12-18T09:11:00.000-08:00

I started out being very proud of myself this holiday season. Like most knitters, I create this
overwhelming stress of trying to complete unbelievable knitted feats as gifts for loved ones.
This year I said "NO"...I will resist the temptation of doing this to myself. I mean, who needs the added stress.
Over the past year I've taken up contract knitting for several friends/designers/yarn companies. It's fun and the extra bit of mad money always comes in handy when I go on yarn safaris. A baby sweater here, a scarf there...I learn a great deal and it often helps to keep my sanity when my lovable husband is watching the sci-fi channel.
OK so it all started last month...a baby sweater for a yarn catelog shoot, a tunic sweater for a designer friend, four sweaters for a yarn company and a cape for another yarn company. So for the past couple of weeks I've been averaging a sweater every four days. In between I've been working, finishing the Alice Starmore sweater for my husband to wear on Christmas AND to top it off both my Dad and youngest daughter had "fender benders"...two in two days. Everyone is fine...including me, thanks to aspircreme on my hands at bedtime. I would love to post photos of all of these projects but as they have not been published yet by their respected companies I cannot. Ho, Ho, Ho and SO much for no holiday knitting stress this year!

London Fog....

2006-12-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

OK...sorry to my blogger pals that I haven't posted since our return from London. Between the jet lag, work, new itineraries, work, the January Stitch & Beach cruise, work, all my contract knitting, work, adjusting my thyroid medicine and oh yes, have I mentioned work?...well admittedly I've been in a fog since London. The Ally Pally show was awesome verging on overwhelming. For future reference, this show encompasses just about all of the needlearts from knitting, crochet, sewing, felting etc. London, as always, was WONDERFUL! It's such a vibrant city with so much to see and do. It was really fascinating from my perspective to see how just about everyone on this trip enjoyed a unique itinerary of their own. Everyone had a completely different wish list of places that they particularly wanted to visit. It was so much fun and I look forward to returning to London soon. I promise not to be such a stranger from this blog...now if I can just get those 6 sweaters done my Christmas!!!!

being a Virgin...Atlantic passenger

2006-10-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

Our group to London is divided. Some of the girls are savvy world adventurers and the others are first time travelers to London. I guess that would make them travel virgins. I remember the very first time I flew to London...I flew Virgin Airlines. They were kewl, the staff was fun and I actually enjoyed the experience of flying. My old company decided to set up shop in London so I had to spend a great deal of time flying back and forth. I always insisted on flying Virgin because...they were different.

Virgin is actually a huge UK corporation headed by the very colorful character Sir Richard Branson. Branson has always been known as a maverick but I know him as a man with a huge heart. Four years ago, he did an in depth article in Fortune magazine discussing his life long trials with dyslexia. My daughter also struggles with auditory and visual dyslexia. I had to read the article to her. She was so inspired by Sir Richard's attitude that she wrote him a thank you letter. I sent the letter off to the Virgin offices figuring it was like spending off a message in a bottle. Two days later we received a very heartfelt letter from Sir Richard along with an invite to come and have dinner with him in London. It was the experience of a lifetime for us both and I do not think there are words to describe how empowered he made my daughter feel. He taught my daughter to be fearless. She went home and won awards in public speaking, sent "Uncle Richard" a photo of herself bungee jumping in New Zealand and was inspired to start her own career in the hospitality industry. His time and compassion really helped to change my daughter's life.

So Virgin airlines is beyond kewl in my book thanks to Sir Richard. In these days of unethical
businesses wheeling and dealing it's so refreshing to meet an industry tycoon that leads a corporation with a conscience. Sir Richard has been on the TV a lot lately. He's been covering the US media circuit along with Al Gore announcing that he is pledging $3 Billion dollars toward
finding solutions to help global warming Perhaps finding alternative fuels will help him with his endeavors for Virgin Galactic where for $200,000.00 per person, Sir Richard will fly you into outer space. (no...I'm not kidding). This man really thinks "out of the box" and that is what makes him so very successful.

So I fly Virgin Airlines to London because they truly are different thanks to the leadership of Sir Richard. He can fly people to outer space, save the planet and take time to have dinner with my kid....What a Guy!"

Size matters

2006-10-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Jeez time flied when you're getting ready for a trip...and in the midst of planning your next one!

To top matters off, there is a very wicked flu/cold going around. I was laid out with it for several days, on the mend now but I urge everyone to double up on their Vit C and Zinc with the prayer that if you do get it, it won't be so bad. How do I know it's going around...ok, everyone I know has/had it and when I went food shopping this past weekend, the cold & flu aisle was wiped clean like the mall the day after Christmas.

My most recent adventures included a day trip to a great little shop in Milford, PA...
jill deal
in Historic Forest Hall
206 Broad Street
Milford, PA 18337
570-409-9276
jilldealinc@msn.com
I found some great sox yarn here that I think solves my dilemna as to what to knit for my plane ride to England and back. Fabulous little shop, a bit hard to spot so give a call for directions. Lucious yarns, needlepoint, books etc. Certainly worth a day trip especially with all the beautiful fall colors about to go on display.

I've been helping my yarn sister Kate knit up some of her recent design creations. Her Cashmere scarf is fabulous and now I'm knitting one of her sweaters. She's on a deadline so this is speed knitting at it's finest. We'll get it done in plenty of time so Kate can relax and be inspired while in London.

The reservation keep rolling in for our Debbie Stoller Stitch N Beach cruise in January. We'll keep selling as long as there is space and again we seem to have lucked out with a great bunch for this outing too.

The crazy thing is that I'm almost all packed for London...Crazy I say because I'm the sort of traveler who throws stuff into my suitcase as I'm running to catch a plane. I work best under pressure. I'm just so excited that I want it to be take off-time already.

While packing my clothes I got to thinking about the size differences over in the UK.
Remember 1 inch = about 2.5 cm...yes we'll have to think in metric. The first link here is for clothing sizes . Remember there is a difference between US, UK and European sizes just in case we're shopping for clothes or patterns.
The second link is for knitting needle sizes . Both may come in handy if we find any great patterns that we can't live without.

London Night in East Stroudsburg PA

2006-09-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

About half of our group had a fun "hen's night out" last night. We all met at Joanne's shop
Mountain Knits and Pearls in East Stroudsburg to knit and talk about last minute details for our upcoming UK trip...THANK YOU Joanne for your warm and fuzzy hospitality, it's always fun to be surrounded by that much beautiful yarn!

A few details to add to last night's conversations...

Our flight schedule
Depart Virgin flight VS2 Tues Oct 10 Newark at 9:45 pm - Arrive Heathrow Oct 11 at 9:25am
Return Virgin flight VS1 Tues Oct 17 Heathrow at 4pm - Arrive Newark Oct 17 at 6:40pm
Seat assignments have been done for us as a group and I should be getting the list shortly which I will gladly pass along to you in. If we can switch or juggle seats amongst ourselves that's fine or I can work with Virgin to make any other changes.

Virgin has just updated their entire website with lots of new features and more information. Click to Virgin Passenger Information for answers to question about luggage size, weight, on-board features and services etc. They now offer online check-in! Simply log into their website, the same link that I've listed here, 24 hours prior to our departure and fill our the
required check in information. Then print out your check in pass. This way when we arrive at the airport we can go straight to the head of the line, hand over our checked luggage, flash our ID's and off we go to the gate...MUCH easier!!!!

Our group guided tour of London will happen on Wed, the day we arrive. Our guide and transportation will meet us at our hotel at 2pm, tour the city, visit the Tower of London and
return us back to the hotel some time around 6pm. It will be a LONG day but a memorable one.

Check the Transportation Security Administration for a US list of prohibited airline carry on items and additional packing/luggage information.

Here is the link for the UK department of transport airline security list regarding carry on luggage sizes and restricted carry on items. So far is the US is allowing knitting needles, chances are the Brits will too. I'll keep trying to find out but I can always ask at Heathrow when we arrive so that we'll be prepared for our flight home.

The three websites that I suggest for finding events, restaurants, maps, travel tips etc about London are Londontown , Visit London and Time Out .

For a list of London West End theater offerings along with complete reviews of what each show has to offer... Click here

I checked about Thames boats and river cruises. The Travelcard that I included in your tour package allows you 1/3 discount on river cruises booked directly in London. There is a LONG
map, fare and timetable that can be read or printed by clicking here

For those of you who are interested in purchasing additional tours and paying by credit cards, Virgin requires a credit card authorization form so I'll be emailing that off as soon as I get it.
If it's easier to just send me a check, that's fine and I'll charge it on my company card.

WHEW!
I think I've remembered to address everyone's questions and concerns...if I forgot something ladies, just let me know.

And just for the fun of it, Lauren was kind enough to send over a link of British translations
which should add to some of the giggles from last night.

Now...if I could just decide on what type of knitting project I want to bring along for the ride!

Lily Chin and the Honeymoon Sweater

2006-09-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

Check out one of my recent accomplishments. I call it my "honeymoon sweater" and it has a great travel story behind it...

Remember I mentioned that I ran into Lily Chin on Sunday at the NYC Knit out. Sorry I didn't grab a photo as Lily was all decked out in this gorgeous lavender crocheted frock that was simply to die for. I met Lily this past summer when I enrolled in her all day design class at the Phila. Knit and Crochet show. Please understand how hesitant I was about taking her class in the first place. I had heard rumors that she was a very fast moving, no-nonsense teacher. I've always dreamed of designing my own sweaters but I am "mathematically challenged". As much as I feared taking Lily's design course I had a tremendous need to do so...

In 1999, I dragged my husband Brian to Scotland on our honeymoon. I have traveled to Scotland more times and I can count. I used to date a Glaswegian. I didn't fall in love with him but I fell madly in love with his country. Brian didn't think Scotland was an appropriate place for a honeymoon. Since we were there, Madonna and Prince Charles both spent their honeymoons there too so we feel like trendsetters even if we don't own our own castle. If I was to say that Brian and I had a fabulous time, it would certainly be an understatement. We spent 10 glorious days just driving around, exploring all the beautiful sights. As a matter of fact, when we got home Brian changed his email address to movetoscotland@hotmail.com which I think sums up both our opinions of the place very nicely.

For those of you who have never been, I think there are more sheep in Scotland than there are people. While driving thru the highlands, it's not uncommon to have to get out of your car and shoo the fuzzy beasts off the road. Now the irony in all of this is, for 10 days as we drove along, I kept a eagle eye out for a yarn shops (aka sheep shops as they are called over there). I REALLY wanted to buy some wonderful wool as a souvenir of our honeymoon. We covered a lot of territory and asked a lot of locals but sadly, there were no yarn shops. I did find out later that much of Scottish wool these days goes into carpeting and sadly not into hand-knitting fibers

Very early on the last morning of our trip, we were driving down a remote road on the Isle of Skye when I let out a scream. Brian slammed on the brakes and there it was...a sheep shop!!! I gleefully hopped out of the car but it was Sunday morning and the shop was closed. I know my fellow yarn sisters can appreciate the tremendous disappointment that I experienced at that moment. It became overwhelming as I sadly pressed my nose against the glass of this beautiful little stone cottage and saw gorgeous yarns, just beyond my reach. I stared thru the window for some time. Brian grew impatient, telling me to "give it up". Just then a man popped his head from around the back of the shop, called us over and introduced himself as Theo in a thick South American accent. He was dying wool in huge pots over an open campfire. He said if we'd sit and have a cup of tea with him while he finished, that he would gladly open the shop for us. He kept Brian entertained with colorful conversation as I watched him dye and hang all of his wool to dry on the back fence with breath taking scenery in the back ground.

As we chatted he told us how he too had visited Scotland, fell in love with the place, married a local girl and settled down. His had learned the fiber arts back home in South America and decided to use his talents to open a yarn shop because his wife loved to knit. As he brought us thru the back door, I knew I had found home. It was a tiny thatched roof shop with two spinning wheels near the hearth, filled to the rafters with all sorts of luxury yarns in the most beautiful rainbow of colors. I immediately spotted some unusual purplish wool full of "sheep curls" as Theo called it. It was so soft and felt like my mother's old Persian Lamb coat...so Theo eyeballed me up and down, grabbed several balls with curls and he swore it would be "plenty to make a jumper" (aka "sweater" as they say across the pond). The price of this wool was "dear" but it didn't matter...I now had the perfect honeymoon yarn! Theo's wife Toni appeared and insisted we stay for breakfast. We enjoyed a wonderful visit as they told us about all the hidden local sights to visit that tourists never hear about. Brian and I both hated to leaving Theo and Mary's cottage but I must say the rest of the day turned into a wonderful adventure that we will never forget. Brian and I hiked in the higlands, explored all the sights they told us about, saw seals, puffins and some of the world's most magnificent scenery.

OK...honeymoon over and back to reality. The pressure is on to turn Theo's happy, honeymoon yarn into the perfect "jumper". I knew exactly what I wanted. I had a favorite short jacket that I wore during the week with business suits and with jeans on the weekends. I wanted to find a comparable pattern that I could recreate this jacket with my honeymoon yarn. First I couldn't find a the right pattern. Second...my honeymoon yarn was a complete nightmare to knit with. It felt wonderful in your hands but it went from the size of tiny crochet thread to thick inch curls. It was impossible to gauge. So instead of stuffing it with the rest of my stash, I put my prized honeymoon yarn on a self in my walk in closet. I would look at it every morning when I got dressed and every night as I put my pj's on. Just looking at it would instantly transport me to my happy place. On bad days I would run my fingers over the curls and smile.

Fast forward to the summer of 2006. I find myself sitting in Lily's class. Yes, she is quick, very no-nonsense and I did feel rather intimidated as class began. Technically it was a crochet design class but I had hoped to glean any bit of knowledge that would help me. As the class hummed along I began to feel less intimidated. Lily taught several different methods for pattern design saying how no one method is correct but that you have to do whatever it takes to make it work. So Lily gave me the permission to be free with my problem-solving...Hmmm I'm liking this idea! Later she demostrated how to take existing garments to create new patterns. she showed us how to draw a pattern, similar to a sewing pattern but relate it to yarns. That's when it hit me...duh...that bolt from the blue...when that little light bulb appears over your head like in the cartoons...and I remember raising my hand and asking her..."So Lily, what you're saying is that we can create a coloring book with our patterns and then just "color" in between the lines with our stitches?"...and Lily yelled... "Exactly!"....EUREKA!!!! problem solved!!!!!!!!

So I ran home (ok I drove home really fast), pulled out my thread-worn favorite jacket, did what Lily said, created a pattern on old newspaper, pulled out my honeymoon yarn and began to nervously knit. Absolutely no math involved what so ever! It didn't matter a bit about the gauge...I just knit between the lines, increasing and decreasing as necessary. Low and behold it worked!!! And as a side note, when I said that I was knitting nervously I wasn't kidding. When I was finished I had precisely 8 inches of my honeymoon yarn to spare. Theo was pretty "spot on" with his estimates too.

So when I saw Lily this past Sunday I attacked her with a huge hug and a big kiss on the cheek and I yelled "LILY CHIN YOU"RE A GENIUS!!!!"(I think I scared the poor woman at first!). I told her the edited version of this story. She was disappointed that I didn't bring a photo to show her. I finished my sweater just as Brian and I celebrated our 7th anniversary this year. I can't wait for the weather to turn cold so that I can wear my honeymoon sweater. It weighs a ton and it is SO warm which is great cause I'm always freezing. It's so cuddly and every time I slip it on I feel like I'm wrapping myself in all my wonderful memories that I created with Brian in Scotland. I'm hoping to find the perfect button/clasp when I'm over in UK as nothing I've found yet here in the states seems fitting.

So Thanks Lily...for helping to make my honeymoon sweater come to life!
...and I can't wait till your new book comes out so that make that gorgeous sweater tunic set!
Also just want to let everyone know that I hope to plan a trip back to Scotland to visit Theo & Toni for the Summer 2007!

The Great NY Knit Out

2006-09-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

What a FABULOUS day I had at the NYC Knit out yesterday!

First off, I got to spend the entire day with my two beautiful daughters, Vanessa my avid knitter and Ariane, my newbie knitter who honestly had more fun in nearby boutiques shopping for clothes. To me it was like mother's day in Sept.

Besides all that, I got to chat with many knitting celebs...LILY CHIN kindly rembered me from taking her class in Philadelphia as I await her new book so that I can make her fabulous tunic/skirt set...NICKY EPSTEIN who I'm thrilled to report will be giving a private class for our upcoming London group...CANDI JENSEN the brave women uniting knitters and crocheters everywhere. Of course I was too busy schmoozing to have my camera with me during these meetings. Thankfully my daughters appreciate their mother being scatter-brained (ok they thrive on it but that is another story). Vanessa was ready with camera in hand when I finally got to meet one of my very favorite knitters... THE YARN HARLOT!!!

Just in case some of you have been asleep, out buying yarn or just not paying attention, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee is the author of At Knit's End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too MuchYarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter and Knitting Rules! The Yarn Harlot's Bag of Knitting Tricks as well as a wonderful blog on her website. If you haven't read her work yet, make friends with Stephanie!!! My yarn sister Kate gave me a copy of The Yarn Harlot. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down (OK, my husband yanked it out of my hand one night as I was laughing out loud while he was trying to sleep so I was forced to put it down for a short while).
Then my travel agent pal Suzie recently showed up on our trip to Mexico with a very sweet gift...a copy of At Knit's End which I enjoyed while under a shady palapa on the beach (or plop-a as Suzie and I call them...cause it's where you plop down with all your stuff).

Fans of her blog will know that poor Steph has been at wit's end lately juggling deadlines for her new book, a computer crash and her whistle-stop tour. You've got to admire a woman that can do all this and still keep on smiling and knitting. For all the enjoyement that she's given me I wanted to do something nice for Steph. I made her the pin that she's wearing in the photo designed by my other yarn sister Clara. Stephanie graciously signed my books and SURPRISE...Vanessa lended up winning a copy of Knitting Rules as one of the door prizes at the Knit Out! Steph bumped Nessi to the front of a VERY long line of fans and signed her new book too.

Steph said she'd like to do a trip with us...so stay tuned! Hopefully if the yarn gods are smiling, the stars align and Stephanie schedule allows it, it will happen.

Also, maybe it's the wire framed glasses and matching knit pin, curly hair or that dazed look that comes from traveling long distances and spending WAY too much time in front of a computer thinking about knitting but do you think we kinda look alike?... or is it just me being weird?

The UK in Hollywood

2006-09-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

I think my fascination with the UK all started back when I was a kid. I'm not sure if it began with seeing the Beetles on Ed Sullivan or rather with the first time I saw Mary Poppins on the big screen. This point is still up for debate but I do love just about all cinema having to do with the British Isles. This past weekend's blockbuster was V FOR VENDETTA which was a fabulous movie until they blew up big ben.

I love www.netflix.com and I recently sorted thru the list of all the movies we've rented. Even I was amazed at all the UK related movies we've viewed. Here are some of my UK cinema favorites...

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM
BRAVEHEART
BRIDGET JONE'S DIARY and sequel
CALENDAR GIRLS
THE FULL MONTY
All HARRY POTTER MOVIES
A FOND KISS
LADIES IN LAVENDAR
GOSFORD PARK
THE BOUNTY
HIGHLANDER MOVIES - Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod
any KING ARTHUR or ROBIN HOOD
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
ROB ROY
LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING GUNS
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
FIRST KNIGHT
GREENFINGERS
LAWS OF ATTRACTION
STIFF UPPER LIP
I CAPTURE THE CASTLE
any WALLACE & GROMIT - anything by Nick Parks
VANITY FAIR
BREAKFAST ON PLUTO
THE DAWNING
THE QUIET MAN
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
SHAUN OF THE DEAD
any MONTY PYTHON
UNDERTAKING BETTY
CLOSER
MAURICE
NICHOLAS NICKLEBY
OLIVER
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY...
ALFIE
CAMELOT
FORMULA 51 - Samuel Jackson in a kilt!
Any 007 MOVIE - Any Sean Connery movie for that matter
SLIDING DOORS - interesting plot
THE ENGLISHMAN WHO WENT UP A HILL AND CAME DOWN A MOUNTAIN
THE COMMITMENTS - best blues
REMAINS OF THE DAY
MRS. BROWN - have kleenex handy
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE - Bill Murrray is hilarious
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Any AUSTIN POWERS
CLOSER
LOVE ACTUALLY
WHAT ABOUT A BOY
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
NOTTING HILL
FINDING NEVERLAND
WAKING NED DIVINE
and of course, my all time silly, favority Brit Movie 4 WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL!

I personally guarantee all of these movies are great to knit to!

Como esta? Yes you can fly with knitting gear.

2006-09-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hola Amigas....como esta?
Just getting back from a week's vacation in Mexico.
My husband thought it would be funny to "catch me in action"...while others are soaking up the sun I'm huddled in the shade knitting. Luckily the camera lens was fogged due to an air conditioned room and then a very hot beach. I say luckily because the diffuse look certainly does improve my cellulite. That's my travel agent pal Suzie with me...she's the sun worshiping Goddess from Chicago. I really wanted to try to teach her to knit...brought yarn and needles for her and everything but no luck this time around. (I'll keep at her don't worry!)

We had a fabulous stay at Sunscape Puerto Aventuras and Dreams Cancun which are two of my all time favorite hotels. Muchas Gracias to all my friends there!!!!

As I'm now on countdown for our London Knit trip I was concerned about whether or not knitters would be allowed to take our gear in our carry on bags. I specifically flew thru Newark airport so that I could speak with security officials there directly. The good new is that knitting needles are now allowed on board in carry on luggage. One of the security officials gave me a link to a great security website for the Transportation Security Administration . Here you can find a detailed complete list of items that can or cannot be taken on board as carry on items...and yes, knitting needles are now OK to bring in your carry on bags.

I can say that we did experience an additional screening this time around at the gate before we could board our flights. All carry on bags were checked a final time. All liquids and food items had to be disposed of before passengers were allowed to board the planes. Each bag was thoroughly hand searched for any liquid, gel, food or illegal items.

So for now, it's back to work but at least it's only 28 days till London!

Thinking all things England....

2006-08-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

It usually starts a few weeks before any of my planned trips to London...I start gearing my mind towards the UK. I normally tune my radio to BBC news broadcasts several times a week anyway but this goes WAY beyond that. Usually the first sign is when I dust off my copy of Bill Bryson's book Notes From A Small Island. To give you a bit of back ground, Bill Bryson is a Yank who grew up in the Midwest, visited the UK when he was 20 something, fell in love, married and raised his family there for 20 years. He has another great book about his move back to the US called The Lost Continent.... but that is a whole other story.
Bill Bryson's "day job" is writing for National Geographic magazine where is stories are extremely detailed and informative in keeping with the magazines format. But Bill's own books are a study in sarcasm, totally brilliant and a true study of the differences between the American and British cultures. I've read his books dozens of times. The very first time I read this book I remember actually laughing so hard out loud that I disturbed my children. I had such belly laughs that I couldn't physically read the book and had to resort to the audio taped version. I've since fell in love with audio books because you can enjoy them AND knit.

Then theirs music! I shocking realized a few years ago that my entire music collection is basically British. This is in keeping with my theory that God played a serious joke on me and planted me at birth on the "wrong side of the Pond" (aka the atlantic ocean).
So I start to pull out all of my beloved tunes...
First obvious choice...The Beatles...but then it continues to spiral out of control...
Herman's Hermits...H'enery the 8th
Jerry and the pacemakers "Ferry cross the Mercey"
The Rollings Stones
The Who
Trex
Led Zepplin
Queen
David Bowie
Sting
Van Morrison
Coldplay
And...when I pull out my collection of Scottish bagpipe tunes and start playing Scotland the Brave repeatedly, my husband steps in and usually says something to me.

Then there are TV shows!
I LOVE Netflix.com because I can get all the BBC shows that I love...
Vicar of Dibley
AbFab
Monarch of the Glen (Brian and I honeymooned in this manor house!)
MI5
Keen Eddie
As Time Goes By
Mr Bean
Monty Python
Black Adder
Wallace & Gromit
Faulty Towers
Are You Being Served?
Last Days of Summer Wine
All Creatures Great & Small

Next Installment...we'll talk about favorite Movies!

Rainy Day Bookstore Afternoon

2006-08-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

I love to spend rainy afternoons in bookstores. Don't ask me why but they just seem to go together. It's been a year or so since my last trip to London so I thought it best to get an updated map and perhaps a new guidebook. There are a plethora of travel book choices for London so it does take some time to sort through all the offerings. Rick Steve's guidebook seemed to speak to me. Maybe it's because I've enjoyed his PBS Travel TV shows Rick Steve's Europe Through The Back Door. Maybe it's because I had the pleasure of meeting Rick a few years back at a travel conference. After a quick flip thru the pages I noted the usual maps and diagrams but this book included self-guided walks and even self guided tours of London's major museums and attractions. One of my favorite walks in London is a simple stroll along the Thames. I've done it dozens of times. As I read Rick's Bankside Walk suggestions I began to read about all the history I failed to grasp during my many trips along the river. I scurried to the check out and headed for home.

My husband Brian is addicted to my Banana nutty muffins. They are the mainstay of his work day breakfasts. The cooler weather today was the perfect opportunity to bake a few dozen ahead for our freezer. I certainly want our freezer to be well stocked "whilst" I'm in London.
While waiting for the first batch to be done I started into Rick's London Guide book.
I read quickly thru his introduction chapter...yeah, yeah, yeah...typical stuff I know from my trips to London...even noted a few things that I need to email Rick's publists about. The last page of Rick's introduction is titled Back Door Travel Philosophy. Here Rick shares his own humble opinions about being a world traveler. I whole heartedly agree with his opinions about travel being addictive and how globe-trotting destroys ethnocentricity.
BUT...I was very struck by his closing statements that I must share with you here...
Rick says travel changes people - "It broadens perspectives and teaches new ways to measure quality of life....Their prized souvenirs are strands of different cultures they decide to knit into their own character. THE WORLD IS A CULTURAL YARN SHOP. And Back Door travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry.
Wow...Rick really gets it and said it best. Boy did I pick the best guide book for our London trip or what!

Tick Tock, knit knot

2006-08-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

I know...I know...I promised last time around not to be such a stranger to this blog but time happens! I've been busy booking knitters for our Debbie Stoller Stitch N Beach Cruise.
I've also been chatting with knit lovers all over the far reaches of this planet trying to create some interesting knit trip itineraries for 2007. Did you know that there is an endangered flock of sheep that live on an island off the coast of Scotland. They live on the beach and their main food is a certain kind of seaweed that supposedly makes their wool incredibly soft...Who knew?
Or that men in Iceland used to give their sweethearts intricately carved knitting needles as a sign of their love and affection?
So many great places to visit and so little time!!!!
Off to knit...I'm diligently trying to finish my husband's Alice Starmore sweater.
Jeez I need more discipline in my life!

MIA & Lost photos.

2006-08-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

OK, it's been a while and I apologize. I set this insane expectation on myself to always have a photo along with my blog...silly I know. I take the photos, and then family members do crazy things with the camera which results in lost time and no photos.
I did have some photos from the Phila knit and crochet show. One photo was of our lunch. Nine of us traveling on our London trip met at the Phila show and it was great fun! Somehow when I went to retrieve this photo I instead found dozens of shots of my husband's salt water aquarium. The show was fabulous! I took design classes with Gwen Bortner, Melissa Leapman and Lily Chin. All have their very own tricks and techniques to creating sweater patterns. As Lily uses the least amount of math, I used her ideas to FINALLY pattern a knit jacket out of my "honeymoon yarn". I PROMISE I'll post a photo of this soon...PROMISE as it turned out divine!

Since my last post, I also completed a 2000 mile road trip moving my youngest daughter home from her internship in West Palm Beach Florida. During her last day of work I had the time to visit several South Florida Yarn shops with with my new friend Joan Davis...a very talented crochet designer that I met at the Phila show. Joan brought me to two of the "Great Balls of Yarn" shops in Palm Beach and I felt right at home. First because the owner Robin is a local girl from Bethlehem PA and secondly because these shops carried all of Kraemer's yarns from our local yarn mill. Joan is just flashy and fabulous and I really enjoyed my day out with her!

Back at work, I've been finalizing all the travel details for our London Trip AND helped arrange
a fabulous cruise with Stitch & Bitch queen Debbie Stoller which is hosted by the Bonita Knitting Store of San Diego California. Also starting to work on 2007 itineraries so it's not like I haven't been busy!

What little free time I have, I've actually started some of my own designs. I have this grandiose idea of publishing a pattern book some day that relates to all of my travels. I will either shock myself or end up with a wet felted mess in my washer so stay tuned!

OOOooooEEEeee Baby!!!!

2006-07-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well knitting fans, it has been a very exciting and exhilarating week and this weekend promises more of the same! I spent the day Wed. at the career development day at the Philly knit and crochet show. I learned so much and it was such fun but I was distracted by work in a VERY excellent way...

I've had the pleasure of working with Susan Schlesinger of http://www.bonitaknitting.com helping to organize a cruise to Mexico on the Carnival Paradise. This is a 4 night itinerary departing Jan 15, 2007 sailing from Long Beach California to Catelina Island and Ensenada Mexico. This sailing coincides with the TNNA show which will be held in San Diego Jan 13-15.

OK...a knitting and crochet cruise you say...what's the big deal???

Well...what would you say if I told you THE Debbie Stoller of Stitch and Bitch fame, best selling
author, knitting guru, the happiest of hookers, the woman behind http://knithappens.com and editor of Bust Magazine will be joining us on this adventure on the high seas! Yeppers...classes, book signings and face time with the woman herself.

Please forgive me as we're ironing out the final details. I hope to have everything, all the knitty gritty posted on our website by next week. As a preview, just know cruise only prices (including taxes, port charges, gratuities and travel insurance) will start from $429.00 for an inside cabin.
Classes and materials will be additional. Reservations will be on a first come basis with deposit to confirm your space due by August 11. If you want to join us on this cruise YOU WILL NEED A VALID US PASSPORT!!! ok...one more time for those of you who are stitching, counting and reading this all at the same time...that line was very important so that is why I'm screaming at you again...PASSPORT RULES ARE CHANGING. AS OF DEC. 31, 2006 YOU WILL NOW NEED A VALID US PASSPORT TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO.
IF YOU WANT TO GO ON THIS CRUISE AND YOU DO NOT YET HAVE A PASSPORT...WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR...GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND GO APPLY FOR YOUR PASSPORT...This will give you something to do while you're waiting for full details to be posted about this cruise.

So tomorrow I'll be getting up at the crack of dawn and driving 2 hours with my daughter Vanessa to the show. Can't wait to shop the market. Besides that, a good majority of the girls joining us on our London trip in October will be meeting each other for the first time over lunch.
Then after lunch I've got some classes scheduled and a pajama/knitting party. In between all of this I'll be on the phone with Carnival security officials. It seems there are very specific rules in place for craft cruises...pointed scissor are not allowed to have blades longer than 4 inches. All passengers are responsible for measuring their scissor blades before dockside security checks.
Of course, there is nothing specific regarding foot long knitting skewers. I need to get someone at Carnival to produce special dispensation in writing so that I don't have some mild mannered, well intentioned security guard at embarkation being threatened within inches of his life with needles of mass destruction in the hands of dozens of insane women who have just been told that they will be able to sail with their knitting.

...and you guys all thought the travel business was an easy, glamorous cake job!
I just so excited about all this that I can't help it - I have that Cheezy 60's tune playing in my head....OOOOoooeeee baby, Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise!

I promise more photos and news from the show and full details for all you Debbie Stoller fans!!!

Phila Knit & Crochet Show Lunch Invite

2006-07-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

I'm SO excited about the Philly Show this week!

I know it's good to take a bit of a break from work but
with all the prep things you have to do before going away and all the
catching you know you'll face afterwards, right now I'm thinking
maybe I was crazy signing up for all those classes at
the Philly knit and crochet show. Of course the moment I set foot
in there I'll be in knitter's heaven and all this stress will be for naught.

I've been emailing back in forth with many of the knitters coming on the London
October trip and it seems many of us will be down in Philly too. I've decided to
try and get as many of us as possible together for a bit of a "meet & greet".
So.... Here's the invite...
-If you'll be in Phila 0n Friday July 14th
-If you're going on the London Stitchawaytour trip
OR
-If you WISH you were going on the London Stitchawaytour trip

Please make time to join us for Lunch on Friday at 1pm
RSVP to sally@stitchawaytours.com so that I can get a head count
and reservations for us in a nearby restaurant.

News on UK knitting week

2006-07-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

It's getting closer...
The news page all about the UK's National knitting week has been updated...
http://www.nationalknittingweek.com/

This is where information will be posted regarding all the knitting events that will be going on during our trip. I know some of us London travelers are real yarn addicts and we'll want to take
in all the events we can while others will want to do more general sightseeing.
Gotta run...the weekend is starting and I don't want it to get ahead of me!

Fourth of July knitting homework

2006-07-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

I realize it's fourth of July weekend and most folks have their minds on BBQs, fireworks and freedom but somehow can't I seem to focus much on the festivities. I'm planning a trip to the
Philadelphia Knit and Crochet Show July 12-16. These CGOA & TKGA Conferences offer a wide variety of classes for all skill levels. I've signed up for several classes, mostly pattern designing.
With classes comes prep/homework. So in between the baked beans and hot dogs, I've been swatching away. I'm determined not to procrastinate and rush these assignments at the last minute which is my usual style. I'm also trying to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. I need a new throw for my guest bedroom so I've coordinated all of my swatches and colors so that when I'm done with my classes, I can whip all of my homework into a sampler afghan.

Besides having the opportunity to learn new skills and take class with celebrity knitters, I'm REALLY looking forward to having the chance to meet up with a few of the knitters who will be traveling with us to London.

Knitting at Noon...

2006-06-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Recently I had the pleasure of test knitting a sample Jersey Shore sweater for designer Chris de Longpre from Knitting At KNoon Designs . I knitted the woman's sweater seen in this pattern cover. It's so kewl to see all your stitches done up in a beautiful professional photo! Chris and I have been chatting online and she tells me "our" sweater was very well received at the recent TNNA Show for yarn and knitting retailers. I use the word "our" very respectfully here in quotes. Obviously full creative credit is certainly due to Chris for her talent and design. I just feel honored to have been included in the creative process of getting it to market. I think anytime a knitter stitches something and then passes it along, either in this case or as a gift, we give a little bit of "our"selves with each and every stitch. Besides...I knitted this sweater not once, but twice, in order to get it absolutely perfect for Chris and the show. So at this point, I do feel I have earned the right use the word "our" in a limited sense when referring to Chris' sweater.

Chris designed this sweater in honor of her brother who used to love wearing comfortable sweaters while visiting the sea shores of New Jersey. Actually I told Chris that my husband Brian has a store bought sweater that looks very similar. Brian's sweater is well worn but always the first one he grabs out of the laundry. While in the process of making this sweater, I played a joke on my stitch & bitch girls. Kate from my S&B group got me the assignment to knit this sweater for Chris and gave me the directions at one of our weekly meetings. The very next week I told everyone that I had finished the assignment in record time and showed everyone Brian's old sweater. Now Chris' sweater pattern does work up rather quickly but I would had to have been knitting 24/7 in order to complete it so very fast. I had the girls amazed until Kate noticed the hole in the elbow of Brian's sweater. This made her take a closer look. She quickly realized that I was pulling a fast one on them. When I told Chris this story about Brian's favorite sweater, she hoped that her Jersey Shore pattern would be used to create more favorite sweaters for the favorite people in our lives in the days ahead!

FYI...when you see these Jersey Shore sweaters on Chris' website, I am pleased to also give credit to my friend Clara Masessa who also twice-knitted the men's sweater seen in this photo.
MY daughter Vanessa Lewis knitted the child's version of this same sweater. She got it perfect the first time she knitted it. I was going to take full credit for Vanessa being my beautiful creation but I guess I have to share SOME credit with her father ;-)

The Fabulous Ms. Bliss!

2006-06-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

Today was exciting for me as I got to meet someone that I've long admired...Ms. Debbie Bliss!
She was having a lecture and book signing at stix n' stitches in Montclair NJ. I didn't find out about the class until it was too late but I did make it for the book signing. My darling husband Brian offered to drive the 4 hour round trip with me from Pennsylvania (yes, he is a saint!).

It's really hard to choose which of Debbie's patterns I like the best. I've been admiring the designs in her Alpaca silk two book for a while now, particularly her empire line cardigan and her frill edge cardigan. Now I have the book signed by Debbie herself making it all the better! Debbie was an absolute sweetheart to chat with, very inspiring. She was kind enough to extend an invite to our knit trip to come visit her at the Ally Pally. (Sorry that's what the locals call the Alexandria Palace where our London Knit show is being held). All I can say is that I cannot wait for October 10th to arrive so we can be on our way to a week of knitting Bliss...(pun intended!)

A Fish & Chips Happy Father's Day!

2006-06-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Meet my Dad Salvatore
...hence where I got the name Sally. He's Italian and like all good Italians, his nickname is Murphy because back in his "yout" (to quote the movie "My Cousin Vinny") he looked more Irish than Italian, sporting handsome blond curls and Paul Newman Blue Eyes! I adore my Father! Somehow he always looks like a deer in front of headlights in every photo we have of him. For 87 years old, he's in better shape than most of us...except for his hearing. He's deaf as a doorknob!

This morning I went out to breakfast at our local diner with my son Jared and my Dad. Jared just returned from a job hunting trip to the UK. It looks like he was offered a job in Iceland working for http://www.eve-online.com/ which we're all very excited about (keep your finger's crossed knitsters...oh, sorry, hard to do that AND knit but you know what I mean!). Jared was telling Dad and I about his adventures in England. When he was finished I said that I had some news from England too.

I explained that thanks to this blog I had met a delightful woman online named Yvonne who was director of the knitting and crochet guild in London. She works at the "Relax and Knit stand" at the London show teaching knitting and crocheting to newbies. I told the boys how excited I was that Yvonne graciously extended an invite to our group to join her stitch & bitch group after the show on Thursday night during our trip. I concluded the conversation by turning to my father and loudly announcing..."Isn't that great! This nice woman Yvonne invited our group for Stitch & Bitch in London!"

...to which my darling father replied..."Fish & Chips!...She invited you for Fish & Chips!...I LOVE Fish and Chips...back when I was in the war in Australia that was my favorite thing to eat!"
Luckily I had my knitting with me so that I could wave it in his face and shout..."NO Dad...not Fish & chips....Stitch and bitch"...to which I got his usual reply...
"OH, So why didn't you say so in the first place!"

Sigh...I love you Dad! You always make life so interesting!

The craft show knitsters

2006-06-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a busy one. A couple of the girls heading over to London on our knit trip decided to fund their adventures by selling their craft and knitting items at a local craft show. I decided to support the venture. I had a blast spending the day with my S&B pal Clara and my daughter Vanessa. The show was held in Nazareth PA and it was a real old fashion event. It was held in the park amongst gorgeous old colonial homes with the local orchestra playing everything from show tunes to marches to big band hits. Bake sales and hot dogs...it couldn't have been better old time Americana. Our other S&B pal Maggie stopped by for a while with her cockapoo named Puppy so that we could help her with her first sweater project. The weather was a bit chilly and brisk for June but better than sorching heat in my humble opinion.

I would have to say the star of the show was the cute little toddler watermelon dress that Clara designed and knit. EVERYONE that passed our booth stopped to admire it but surprisingly we had no buyers. Clara had the knit sample on sale for $45 and she also had kits prepared that contained the pattern with all the yarn for $15. If anyone out there is interested, please email me sally@stitchawaytours.com and I'll put you in contact with Clara. I've also given you a glimpse in this photo of Clara's double knit afghan. It's a two sided wool blanket that she used a double knitting technique to create so that you have a knit pattern on both sides. Toasty warm and an heirloom item on sale for $250.00...and worth every penny.

My daughter Vanessa and I created a ton of needle felted/beaded flower pins and hair ties that went over pretty well. We sat there demonstrating needle felting which seemed to intrigued many people. We sold them for $10 for the larger sizes and $5 for the smaller ones. Surprisingly many folks were out Christmas shopping already. Wow I guess some people are really that organized...I envy them! We're supposedly doing another juried art show coming up in July. I'll be needle felting my heart out till then!

Stitching the way to London

2006-06-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

...testing, testing 123
My first trip into the virtual world of blogging. Because I run internet travel websites, people often get the false impression that I am somewhat of a geek. Truth be told, I'm far, far removed from geekdom. Actually the geeks at my old job nick named me "the lowest common denominator" because I was so dense when it came to all things geeky. Whenever they built a new webpage or online system I would be the first one to find the most bizarre way in which to break it. Seriously, just taking any sort of electronics out of the box makes smoke come out of my ears. When my husband and kids read this they will all be scratching their heads with wonder to realize that I successfully set up this blog and got it to work.

When I launched stitchawaytours.com , I thought a blog would be the best way to
communicate with everyone. I also thought it would be a great way to channel my excitement about our upcoming trip to London. I actually scheduled today as the day to get this blog launched. I did achieve my goal (well ...that is if this all works when I press the publish button). As usual, I did get a bit sidetracked this morning. To my delight, USA Today decided to publish a blip in their Friday Destinations section about our London Knit Trip! I've answered all the inquiries, including a request from a London newspaper reporter wanting to schedule an interview that will run in London! Some would call it quitting time...but I call it "knitting time"!

Truth be told, tonight will be even busier. My daughter Vanessa and two of my stitch & bitch pals have decided to sell their yarn art to help fund their London excursions. Tonight I'll be helping the cause by felting flower jewlery to be sold at a craft show in Nazareth PA tomorrow.
Felting is far less painful than programming...that is, unless you miss with that needle!