Dalia B.

Beth Casey from Lorna's Laces was with us for Camp teaching a class on dying yarns.

On Saturday evening we laid out all the skeins that were dyed during the weekend. Everyone attending Camp voted on their favourite. Dalia's won.

The fine folks at Lorna's Laces are dying us Shepherd Sock, Solemate and Helen's Lace in the special colour Dalia B. We will have this in the store in a couple of weeks.

Beth having fun dying the yarn.

Beth will be with us for Camp 2013. I'm going to take her class and make pretty string.

Camp 2013

The dates are set for 2013.

Thursday September 19-Sunday September 22

Watch for the brochure!!

Thank You

The Campers signed Thank You cards to our suppliers who generously donated for the goodie bags and door prizes. Today I am addressing the envelopes and getting them in the mail.

The Canadian Suppliers are next.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED!!

Gold for Team FE

During Fiona's colour class on Saturday she talked about an article she wrote for Twist Collective about purple. Here is the link to the article...

Fiona also included some pictures she took at Camp.

There seems to be a few pictures from the Thursday evening game. I guess Fiona wants me to talk about the game and really wants me to tell everyone who the winner was.

The Campers were divided up into three teams-BC (Beth Casey), JB (Josh Bennett) and FE (Fiona Ellis).

We played Knit or Knowledge. There were parts of the game when the Campers had to work with yarn and needles and there were other parts where they had to answer knitting related questions.

For much of the evening Team JB was in the lead but at the end Team FE pulled out the win. This is a big deal because Team FE hasn't won in a few years.

For the rest of the weekend Fiona made sure that everyone remembered which team won.

They look so innocent. :)

I Miss Camp!

Saturday afternoon looking
out over the lake from
Beth's dyeing class.

Thank you to everyone who made Camp an amazing weekend.

-our teachers Josh, Beth and Fiona
-the students
-Beth and Cathy for all their help
-my suppliers for their donations

Over the next few weeks I will share pictures that I took. I need a couple of days to go through them and figure out which I can share and which will be used for blackmail. :) If you have pictures you would like to share, please email them to me.

Josh and Beth made it home safely. I hope your trip home went well as well.

I have not heard from Betty Lou yet. I sent an email this morning and hope to have news for you soon.

It was a tough day at my house. No one had the meals ready for me. I had to make my own bed. There was a lot of noise-not quiet like being at the lake. I miss Camp already.

Pack a Sweater or Two

I looked up the weather forecast for the weekend. Yes, it does say rain for Friday. Hopefully it will be first thing in the morning and we will have a nice afternoon.

I'm excited that we are going to have sweater weather!!

Last Minute Details

Camp is almost here!!

Beth and I just finished the door prizes. My suppliers sent some really good stuff. There was a couple of things (okay lots) that I wanted but Beth wouldn't let me take them. :(

There are a few things that I forgot to mention

• when checking in at Bayview-Wildwood you will be asked to put down a room deposit of $50 (credit card or cash). This is for incidentals that might be charged to your room-drinks at dinner, long distance phone calls... When you check out this will be returned to you if there were no charges to your room
• for those taking Beth's dying classes-don't forget there is a $25 fee for class. Cash would be appreciated and US dollars would be even better.
• we will be set up to take Visa and MasterCard during the weekend. Debit should be available but I don't want to make any promises until we get there
• if you need anything for your classes like needles or yarn please contact me before Wednesday so I can get it packed and bring it with us

7 more sleeps. See you soon!

Door Prizes and Goodie Bags

Our great suppliers are very generous with Door Prizes and Goodie Bags for the weekend.

Here is a list of those who have sent yarn, needles, books, kits, bags....

I will keep updating as more arrive. I want to make sure everyone gets a shout out for their generosity.

• Namaste
• madelinetosh
• Lantern Moon
• Berroco
• Blue Sky Alpacas
• Spud and Chloe
• Classic Elite
• Mountain Colors
• Skacel Canada (addi turbo needles)
• Twist Collective
• Gemini Fibres
• Naturally Yarns NZ
• Rowan
• Westminster Fibers
• Lorna's Laces 
• Soak
• Old Mill Knitting

THANK YOU to everyone for your generous gifts

Weekend Agenda

We are going to keep you busy all weekend. You might want to catch up on your sleep before you come :)

Thursday September 20

4:00-6:00pm    Registration in Crusader Lounge
6:00pm    Dinner in Echo's Dining Lounge
8:00pm    Meet in Cedar Room 

Friday September 21

8:00am    Breakfast in Echo's Dining Lounge for those registered for Option #1
8:00-9:00am    Registration in Crusader Lounge for those registered for Option #2
9:00-11:45am    Morning session of classes.
12:00pm    Lunch in Echo's Dining Lounge  
1:00pm    Free time. Knit by the Lake. Pull up a chair in the Cedar Room. Take a nap.
6:00pm    Dinner in Echo's Dining Lounge
8:00pm    Fashion Show in Cedar Room 

Saturday September 22

8:00am    Breakfast in Echo's Dining Lounge
9:00-11:45am    Morning session of classes
12:00pm    Lunch in Echo's Dining Lounge
1:30-4:15pm    Afternoon session of classes
6:00pm    Dinner in Echo's Dining Lounge
8:00pm    Student Fashion Show in Cedar Room 

Sunday September 23

8:00am    Breakfast in Echo's Dining Lounge
9:00-11:45am    Classes
12:00pm    You must be checked out of your room
12:00pm    Lunch in Echo's Dining Lounge

30 Sleeps

Can you believe that it is just 30 sleeps until Camp?

The other night Beth (my sister) and I were out for dinner and started talking about Camp. We have the 'game' for Thursday night figured out. Somehow Fiona is positive her team is going to win this year. Her team has never won so I'm not sure why she thinks this year will be any different.

Then we got talking about Beth's dying workshops. My sister is going to help with these and said she was looking forward to dying yarn. She is going to do purple, teal and blue.

I'm not so sure about her colour choices so I found some suggestions on Design Seeds. There are great colour combinations.

These would look amazing in a skein of sock yarn.

If you are in the dying class take a look for some great colour inspiration. We'll call it homework. :)

Homework and class requirements

In case you missed (or misplaced) the newsletter, here is what you will need for Camp

Homework Fiona's Classes Friday-Button Up and Zip It two 4" square swatches worked in stocking stitch (tension swatches from previous projects will be perfect Beth's Classes Start thinking about colour combinations.

Requirements List Fiona's Classes Friday-Button Up and Zip It ball of medium weight yarn and appropriate needles pair of double pointed needles blunt ended sewing needle Saturday (all day)-Tints, Tones and Knit Two (colours) Together Part balls (a few yards each) of medium weight yarn (double knitting or worsted weight) in as many colours as you can and are willing to share 4mm, 4.5mm and 5mm needles Graph paper Coloured pencils-optional but will make class fun  Sunday-Accessorize Your Accessories and Other Projects 2-3 part balls of medium weight yarn (double knitting or worsted) 4mm, 4.5mm and 5mm double pointed needles blunt end sewing needle Josh's Classes Custom Knitting Calculator Tape Measure 1 ball of solid colour worsted weight cotton 1 ball of solid colour worsted weight wool needles that work with the yarn (4mm, 4.5mm and 5mm) Inspirational Tear Sheets (photos, garments, anything that inspires you)  Tips and Tricks: Making your garment look more professional Calculator Tape Measure 1 ball of solid worsted weight cotton 1 ball of solid worsted weight wool needles that work with the yarn (4mm, 4.5mm and 5mm) Beth's Classes There is a class fee of $25 for each class you take with Beth. If you could bring cash to the class it would be appreciated. You are going to be dying yarn.  Please do not wear any good clothing-you could end up with dye on you. We will be working outdoors so please bring appropriate clothes-a sweat shirt might be a good idea.

In case you are wondering about yarn weights

Fiona asks for medium weight yarn. You can use anything double knitting to worsted. Josh asks for worsted weight. Here are some examples if you aren't sure what you need

DK

• Filatura di Crosa Zara
• Rowan Wool Cotton
• madelinetosh dk
• Naturally Loyal
• any Sirdar double knitting

Worsted

• Cascade 220
• Berroco Ultra Alpaca 
• madelinetosh vintage 

Homework

I just sent out a newsletter to those attending Camp with their homework. Funny-the only teacher who had homework was Fiona.

I will be posting the homework here along with all the other information you will need for the weekend so don't worry if you aren't receiving the newsletters.

If this is your first year at Camp you might be wondering what other things there are to do at Bayview Wildwood. There are lots of walking trails. You will have time before class, after lunch and before dinner to go exploring.

For the less adventurous there are lots of places around the resort for you to put your feet up and knit.

We're in trouble

I try to make sure we get fun people who teach great workshops for Camp.

These two might have too much fun! :)

Fall Colours

Here are some more colour suggestions for those taking Beth's yarn dying class.

The colours for fall from Pantone. It looks like we are going to have a bright fall/winter season.

See the full 2012 Fall Fashion Report 

Here are a few I might put together

• French Roast, Tangerine Tango and Pink Flambe 
• Bright Chartreuse, Pink Flambe and Rhapsody

I'm not going to give you any more-that is your job to come up with the winning combination. Don't forget that your fellow Campers are going to pick which colours they like best.

Beth will be teaching three classes of Yarn Dying 101. On Saturday evening we will lay out the skeins that everyone dyed. Students will have a chance to vote for the colour they like the best. Lorna’s Laces is going to dye the colourway that gets the most votes as a special colour for The Needle Emporium. The person who made this colour will receive a credit of $150 towards Camp 2013.

Don't wait to register

To get you excited about Camp 2012 I went back through Camp pictures on my computer.

Great garments in the Friday night Fashion Show.

The game on Thursday night. Whatever you do, try to be on anyone but Fiona's team.

Guess what? Beth's birthday is the weekend of Camp this year.

Are you thinking about coming? Don't wait too long because classes are starting to fill.

Colour

Beth Casey asked me if there would be someone available during Camp to help out in her yarn dying classes. I volunteered my sister Beth for the job. This is going to get confusing with Beth and Beth. I told sister Beth about this and asked if she was excited about getting to dye yarn. Her response was that she knows nothing about colour so she probably won't participate. I sent her information for a website called Design Seeds and told her to start scrolling to get ideas. They post colour combinations daily that are amazing.

I love this one-I hope that Beth will dye yarn this colour

I was only going to show one but when I saw their use of knitting I had to add it as well.

If you are taking yarn dying, or decorating your house, take a look at Design Seeds. The combinations they come up with are fabulous.

It's Done

The brochure for Camp is finally done! Beth went through it this morning for spelling mistakes. I hope she found them all.

We are excited about Beth, Fiona and Josh. (I'm not sure which order to write their names so I think I am going to do it differently every time)

I'm trying out a new way to share the brochure-click to download. Blogger won't let you upload directly so there is a website that is hosting the brochure for us.

Saturday with Fiona

I'm working on the brochure for Camp. It seems like I have been saying that for the past two months. I have Josh's classes and need to figure out what order I want to offer them.

Fiona has some new workshops for Camp this year. This is the class she will be teaching on Saturday-it is an all day class.

TINTS, TONES AND KNIT TWO (colours) TOGETHER 
Many knitters find it hard to choose colors. This class will show you how to put color theory into practice, so that those scary sounding terms make sense. You will look at color temperature, tonal value, complimentary and analogous color schemes along with many other terms. But once you get playing with colour you will see how the theory can be a helpful underpinning. In combination with the colour exercises, instruction will be given on the techniques used for working with multi colors; Stripes, Fair Isle, Intarsia, Slip Stitch etc.

This looks like a very interesting class to take. The students coming are going to have a hard decision about what they want to take.

Josh Bennett

We have added a third instructor for Camp. I met Josh in January at TNNA and we instantly hit it off.

Josh's classes will be informative and he will be lots of fun in non class times. Beth will have someone new to pick on during the Thursday evening game.

Josh Bennett grew up in Pennsylvania where he learned to knit from his grandmother when he was 8 years old.  After two weeks of making knit slippers he stopped, because boys don’t knit. He then got interested in musical theater, because apparently all boys sing and dance.  In 2000, Josh worked at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT where he picked up knitting again from the cast members in a show, and hasn’t stopped.

After moving to New York City in 2001 and knitting constantly for a couple of years, Josh worked at a yarn store on the Upper West Side that wrote custom patterns for their customers.  Noticing the lack of menswear patterns being published, he took his pattern writing skills and was determined to change that.  He managed a couple of yarn shops in the city, honing his pattern writing skills and building a private clientele who he still designs, knits, and writes patterns for.

He now designs the knitwear for Project Runway winner Irina Shabayeva, CFDA Award winner Michael Bastian, and GANT by Michael Bastian. His original designs can be seen published in Rowan Magazine, Vogue Knitting, Knit Simple, Knit.1, Knit Local by Tanis Gray, and his web site www.boymeetspurl.com.  He has teaches at Vogue Knitting Live NYC/LA/Chicago, RISD, and countless yarns shops.  Currently, Josh is attending the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) majoring in Menswear Design. 

Josh’s own line of hand knit sweaters, Michael Bastian by Josh Bennett, will premiere at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in February 2012.

Start Thinking About Colour

We are almost done the brochure for Camp. The website has been updated with the teachers bios and the pricing. I hope to have the class list finished by next week.

Beth Casey will be teaching three classes of Yarn Dying 101. Students will be working with a 100gram skein of sock yarn. On Saturday evening we will lay out the skeins that everyone dyed. Students will have a chance to vote for the colour they like the best. Lorna's Laces is going to dye the colourway that gets the most votes as a special colour of Shepherd Sock for The Needle Emporium. The person who made this colour will receive a credit of $150 towards Camp 2013.