Knit Trip

Sacramento Knitting Guild Visit

2011-04-08T19:27:00.001-07:00

We had a nice time at the Sacramento City Camellia Stockinette visit. We brought several of our challenges and projects. We met wonderful ladies who shared their ideas and plans with us.

Stitches West (continued)

2011-02-20T18:36:00.000-08:00

I am having a hard time loading the videos. The videos will become clear if you give it some time. Also, the video takes time to start; it is about 1 sec. Sorry no photos.

Stitches West 2011

2011-02-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

We had a fabulous time at Stitches West 2011 -- even the snow could not stop us from this trip. When I took the photos, I didn't know that my camera was set on "video." So, all of these photos are very short clips. I don't know how to turn my camera back from video or how to make them into photos yet. In fact, it is nice to discover that I can take videos with my camera. I tried to take photos of the ladies I ran into at SW. Where did you all go? The tire blew out on the way.
Ernie opens his gift, the scarf we knitted (well, mostly Karen knitted).
Yarda, a grand prize winner, of a beautiful bag.
Colleen, another grand prize winner, of a beautiful pendant made from knitting needles by Teri. She sells them for $25 if you are interested in ordering one. Vickie donated rock warmers that she sells for $6 or two for $10.

I am having a problem loading the videos. Will try again in a few days.

Auburn was Yarn Bombed

2011-01-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

On Dec 10 or thereabouts, the well known statutes in Auburn were either blessed with winter warm ups or yarn bombed. Thank you to Karen and Teri for the photos.

50 Knitted State Flowers

2010-09-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

At the Gold Country Fair in Auburn. Photos taken by Karen M.

Auburn Art Walk 2010

2010-08-16T15:47:00.001-07:00

Here is the article printed in the Auburn Journal:

From left, Diana Westin, Karen Muir and Linda Pietz, members of the Auburn-based Knotty Knitters Club show off their “Knitted Flowers of the 50 States” display. The group showed their work in front of City Hall during Wednesday’s Art Walk. The display represents various flowers from across the United States. The flowers sit on top of a bed frame, the group’s “flower bed.”
~Bridget Jones"

Here are the photos taken by Knotty Knitter Karen M:

Flowers at the State Fair

2010-07-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

Karen M went to the CA state fair and took the following pictures of our 50 state flowers. The display is beautiful. The judges at the fair awarded us 2d place and the Sacramento Stockinette Knitting Guild gave us a Special Award.

Thank you, Karen, for the photos.

Stitches West 2010

2010-03-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

We had a great time travelling to and shopping at Stitches West 2010 in Santa Clara. The bus trip from Auburn was fun, and our bus driver, Ernie, was a good driver. We enjoyed the ride and making Hit 'n Miss scarves that the time just flew by. We made it in 2-1/2 hrs, even before the Market Place opened. Photos were not allowed inside the convention center, so unfortunately the various beautiful colors of yarn and projects will not be shown. Also I would have liked to take pictures of all of you, but I couldn't find you once we were there.

The Bus. It was clean and comfortable with storage and a restroom.

It was really nice to see new faces and everyone from the past and present together. There were a lot of fabulous prizes contributed by Knotty Knitters and Miss Babs from Tennessee.

Outside the Santa Clara Convention Center. It was a beautiful day.

A violinist was playing classical music for us by the entrance.

Waiting in line to get into the Market Place.

Linda and Diana taking samples from the Extreme Stash Wall.

Loved looking through the booths.

This year there were areas for free demos taught by various vendors. There were demos every 30 minutes. Here we are waiting for the demos to start.

Linda L and Sandy taking a lunch break. A large area was reserved for eating and resting; look it all the people in the background.

This was a nice sitting area by the entrance to wait for the bus.

Ready to go home. We made it back to Auburn around 9 pm. 1 hr earlier than we thought.

Eating at Subway on the way back. We had 35 minutes to find a place to eat. We scattered in different directions.

A completed Hit 'n Miss scarf. Several were completed on this trip, and the scarves were all beautiful.

This trip was a great success. Linda did a wonderful job making it all happen. I think we all signed up to go again next year. Until then, happy knitting everyone!

Lambtown USA

2009-10-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

This was an interesting event. Linda L and I arrived at 9:30 am to an almost empty parking lot. You can imagine what we were thinking. By 10 am, it started filling up. As soon as we paid our $1 admission fee, the Sheep to Shawl tent was just in front of us and beginning their 6-hr competition. We weren't going to stand and watch for 6 hrs, so we decided to see everything that was outside first before it got hot and go through the two buildings last, which turned out to be a good idea. We checked out the food vendors, then headed for the alpaca, goat, and sheep areas where the owners were more than happy to share their knowledge and invite you to their farm. The fair ground is big so it made this event look sparse, but it turned out to be a whole day's event if you want to see and hear the results of most of the competitions. At all of the competitions, the judges explained what they were looking for and why a certain animal was chosen as the champion. I learned a lot from their explanations.

Sheep to Shawl Competition. Four groups of ladies in groups of about six ladies from Del Oro, Silverado, and Hangtown participated in this 6-hr event.

The shawl.

The judging.

Sheepherding Roundup Meeting. It was fun to watch dogs herding sheep, just like in the movie, Babe. Novice rounds were in the AM, and professionals were in the PM. The judge explained every move, but we were at the very top of the bleachers and could not hear what was said. Had a good view though.

We make a new friend, who shows us her double knitted socks using angora rabbit yarn in progress.

Have you seen a rabbit being sheared before?

The rabbits are sheared every 90 days.

Did anyone else NOT know that yarn could be made from goals?

The hair from this goat can be made into three colors.

Couldn't resist these adorable faces.

How many llamas does it take to knit one sweater? Answer at the end.

Weaving frames on sale. Linda brought one for the class to try.

Linda L and I bought a yarn keeper bracelet. You can walk & knit at the same time or it's just nice to have it on your arm so the ball of yarn does not go rolling away from you as you knit.

At the start of this adventure, I thought we would be done in a couple of hours, Well 6 hours later, we were just leaving. As far as shopping goes, there were more rovings and fibers in a bag than anything. Spinners and needle felters would love it. Yes, there were specialty yarn and notions to buy, but it didn't seem like there were 75 vendors. As a knitter, I enjoyed the whole thing. The event was educational, and I liked learning about the whole process. I was glad to see people of all ages and both genders at this event. However, it would have helped to have more food vendors since the lines were long, and my friend wished there were more food made with lamb such as gyros.

Pictures I didn't take that I wish I had: the music stage with band, yarn and food vendors, sheep competition and the huge trophy, the sheepherding dogs, the judging and explanation areas of the bags and bags of fiber, the Ravelry meet up group, and the art show. For more information about Lambtown USA, here is their website: http://www.lambtown.com/.

Answer: I didn't know llamas could knit.

Gold Country Fair Display

2009-09-13T11:31:00.001-07:00

Our Knitted Celebrity Sculptures/Icons were displayed at the Gold Country Fair in Sep 2009. We won 1st place for the group category. The display looked really nice. Presenting our projects to the public is a lot of fun. Hope more Knotty Knitters participate in the future.

Display from a distance. It was by the back wall in a glass case.

Our Blue Ribbon

The Label attached to the Ribbon

South Lake Tahoe Trip

2009-09-13T11:13:00.001-07:00

The Knotty Knitters were invited to meet in South Lake Tahoe at Irene's place on Aug 22, but it was a busy time for most. A few of the ladies were able to come (Candi, Karen, Rosemary, and Teri); nonetheless, we had a great time. Below are pictures of our day.

Sitting around the house chatting away and eating lunch.

Shopping at The Wool Tree & trying on a hat that we all plan to make

We finished the hats within a week. Photo taken at Karen's place in Sep.

Knitting at the lake & competing in a Treasure Hunt

Candi knitting in front of the restroom for a challenge; Rosemary in the background.

Mary Jane surprised us by coming to the house with her grandkids. Candi and Irene visited her in the evening at her timeshare.

View from Mary Jane's balcony.

Evening Sky

Trip to Kingvale, June 27

2009-07-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

One of the Knotty Knitters, Teri, invited us to her summer cabin in Kingvale on June 27. We decided to make a knit trip out of it by heading up to Truckee to visit the yarn shop, Lake Tahoe Yarn Company, and other shops before heading back to Kingvale. But first of all, twelve of the ladies went to breakfast at 7:45 in the morning at Wings in the Auburn airport before meeting us in Truckee. I wasn't there so I didn't get any photos of the breakfast. Most of the photos of this wonderful day are on http://knitbeyond.blogspot.com. Here are a few more that weren't on that blog. Diana also invited us to Facebook to see her photos.

2009 Art Walk

2009-07-01T12:09:00.001-07:00

Last year we entered the Auburn Art Walk for the first time, and we displayed knitted bras. This is our second time to enter the Art Walk displaying knitted icons which we called "Celebrity Sculptures." All the knitters did a great job capturing the well-known person they selected. Cabin Fever, the quilt shop, generously allowed us to show our display in their classroom.

One circumstance that most people didn't know is that Linda forgot to bring extra doll stands which were needed to display all of the dolls. She immediately drove all the way to Foresthill and back so the show could go on. What a trouper!

Here are some of the photos not shown on http://knitbeyond.blogspot.com.

Colleen made our creative sign. She is one of Linda's art students.

Diana baked two kinds of wonderful cookies, and Cabin Fever supplied Sparkling Apple Cider for the guests.

One of Linda's art students showed 50 art projects that she painted in one of Linda's art classes.

Stitch n Ride to Stitches West 2009

2009-03-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

This year about 26 Knotty Knitters and friends rode the train on the Stitch n Ride to Stitches West from Sacramento to Santa Clara. We left at 6 in the morning from Staples and plenty of parking spaces were available at the train station. There seemed to be a lot more knitters at the train station this year. We received the same tote as last year but in purple which came in handy with little surprises inside: measuring tape, stitch marker, pen, sewing kit, discount flyers, and chocolates. We missed the patterns and magazine from last year, but there seemed to be a lot more raffles on the train. Both Linda and Noelle won a prize on the train.

Although most of us were hot and tired by noon, everyone had a great time. A few of us watched the fashion show; Teri took a class, and several talked to vendors about certain techniques and yarn. There seemed to be a lot more authors present on Saturday. I was happy to get a glimpse of Nicky Epstein, and Diane talked with Cat Bordhi. Diana took beautiful pictures inside Stitches West below.

There were more tables, chairs, and food vendors available in different areas than last year. And, almost everyone came home with a purchase to share at the class Show n Tell.

Linda bought this soft yarn at Stitches West.

Judith bought this cute pin.

We all made chemo caps, and it was nice to see the handing over of the caps to the Leukemia society.

The train ride on the way back was very crowded; there was not one seat left all the way to Sacramento. And, to our surprise the 4:30 train went all the way to Auburn with no extra charge to Stitch n Riders. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the trip.

Community Festival

2008-10-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Community Festival in Auburn was a success. Four of the Knotty Knitters participated as vendors. Their handcrafts are amazing and show how talented and passionate they are. Here are a few photos taken by Diana's family.

State Fair Display

2008-09-11T23:51:00.001-07:00

Twelve knitted bras created by the Knotty Knitters from Auburn representing the 12 months of the year were proudly displayed at Cal Expo this summer.
Linda Pietz, our instructor, wrote a statement regarding knit as art.
The Award of Merit

Congratulations everyone! Thank you to Karen for taking these photos at the fair, and to Diana for coordinating the whole event.

Auburn Art Walk

2008-06-13T13:02:00.001-07:00

Here are more pictures of the prewalk on June 11 by Liz.

Here are more of the Art Walk pictures of June 12. At a later date, I will get the titles of each bra from January to December.

You can read about our event on knitbeyond.blogspot.com dated Jun 13, 2008. See Liz's slideshow on all of the prewalk pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/EAStaats/SupportingTheArts?authkey=c_2918udSWM (copy and paste the above address for convenience).

The bra pattern we used is from "Knitorama: 25 Great & Glam Things to Knit" by Rachael Matthews.

Yarn Shop Hop

2008-05-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

On May 2, a small group of us went on the Yarn Shop Hop to four locations. All of the shops had beautiful yarn, and we saw a different variety of yarn in each shop. The staff were nice, and we enjoyed browsing in shops we have not been to before. And of course, we bought some yarn.

Knitique in Elk Grove
This shop is country cozy, cute, colorful, and whimsical. They have cute items and bags. We were given a bookmark and a packet of "Soak It" for wool.
Here is the entrance.
A nice sitting place in the center of the store
Can't miss the sheep.

The Yarn Shoppe in Elk Grove
This is shop is classy and divine. A 5% discount for purses and/or patterns was their special this day. There are several nice restaurants surrounding this shop.
The yarn is organized by color and weight throughout the shop.

Rumpelstiltskin in Sacramento
This store looks like it is in a historical brick warehouse; their window display is cute. We appreciated the chocolate and licorice they had because we were starving by this time.

Felted flowers in the window box
Helping each other choose yarn

Babetta's in Fair Oaks
This store had a large variety of yarn. There is a sitting area outside in front of the store. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture inside.

We enjoyed being together and visiting the shops; however, we were disappointed that the shops did not make the Yarn Shop Hop more special. There were very little sales if any for the occasion, just the stamping of the passport and a raffle ticket if you purchased something. The shops we visited had the 8.5 x 11 flyer taped to a window or on the counter if you noticed it; otherwise, it seemed like any regular business day. We could have gone on any day of the year, but we thought the stores would have more sales or specials for the event. Nevertheless, it was finally good to visit stores we've heard about.

Yarn Tasting at Fibers, Grass Valley

2008-04-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

Ten excited knitters met at Fibers on 120 Mills Street to sample yarn. Fibers is located in the middle of some fascinating shops. Their display and yarn lined from front to back have a warm and cozy feeling.

Our eyes were immediately drawn to the beautiful, colorful centerpiece of yarn with candy and cocktail glasses ready for us to sample. It was certainly obvious that a lot of time and work went into its preparation.
Our samplers were made of the skeins of yarn in the center of the table which were ready for purchase.
The tall cocktail glasses held about 14-15 different sample sizes of yarn with labels, a mini crochet hook, a sample of Gloves in a Bottle moisture lotion, and a pencil for us to take home. It was so cute, yet elegant.
One yarn drawn to our attention was Cascade Fixation; it stretches. One skein is enough to make two baby hats, and the hats will not fall off because the elasticity holds on to their heads.

Tips from Allison, the Owner of Fibers

Allison shared many tips with us regarding the yarn she carries. Maura, her assistant, was so helpful answering our questions, showing us samples, and directing us to the yarn we were looking for.

Tip 1: One cannot judge the yarn by its touch. Some yarn must be blocked first in order to bring out its true softness such as the Tiago yarn.

Tip 2: To make a shopping bag use the following yarn: cotton classic, hemp, or linen.

Tip 3: Kool aid is an expensive way to dye. Fibers carry dye that is less expensive and goes a long way.

Tip 4: Look at the label to see how many yards you will get for the money. Eco (Ecological) Wool comes in natural colors and is only $15 for 478 yards. You can make a sweater with only 2 skeins of yarn. For $30, there is no excuse for not knitting with yarn.

Tip 5: Keep an open mind and be flexible in trying different yarn and needles. Working in a yarn shop, Allison has heard many customers say that they only use a certain brand without trying anything else.

It was really nice, and we had fun.

Our Samplers
The Orange Venezia and the Manos silk (blue one) were the first two yarn we were to use in our sampler. This way we could compare and find the differences between two yarns with the same fiber content. It was nice to see and feel the different yarn by knitting with it before purchase.

Shopping
During the third hour, we were given time to shop, and we received a 10% discount on all of our purchases. As students of Linda's class, Fibers has generously offered us a discount at any time while we are enrolled in the class.

Allison asked us where we shop for yarn. Fibers is more than happy to order yarn or place special orders.

Like a dream, so much to choose from.

What knitter can resist shopping for yarn?

Items We Saw That We Would Like to Make

Here is a sweater that Allison made; it is darling. This sweater was made from Eco Wool using only the two skeins of yarn for $15 each.

Photos (front, back, and closeup) of a beautiful Christmas Tree hanging using all kinds of fiber.

It was a great day and a lovely way to spend an afternoon. We went home happy loaded with samples of yarn to finish our scarf sampler and beautiful yarn we purchased for our projects.

Their Business Card
We were given Fibers business card. On the back is a chart to keep track of the needles you have at home. Sorry the pictures did not come out clear.

Stitch n' Ride to Stitches West 2008

2008-02-29T17:21:00.000-08:00

Five ladies and their instructor from the Placer School for Adults knitting class participated in the Stitch n’ Ride promotion to Stitches West 2008 in Santa Clara, CA. It was our first time riding Amtrak, participating in Stitch n’ Ride, and attending a Stitches West convention. Before the big day, we had many questions that hopefully will be covered for your convenience.

How did you find out about this convention?
I found out by accident. I thought one of the knitters said she signed up for a knitting conference, so I googled knitting conference online and got a listing for Stitches West. (The information was on the website knittinguniverse.com.) Then, another class member emailed everyone in class with the information. Also a few days later, a knitting shop emailed the information through their newsletter.

How do I get tickets?
Tickets can be ordered online at capitolcorridor.org using Ticket Leap. It is a good idea to order your Stitches West admission ticket at the same time you order the Stitch n’ Ride ticket. The tickets are not printed out. They arrived in the mail five days before the event in a soft, light-weight wallet that we wear around our neck. You can also purchase breakfast at the same time.

What should I wear?
Dress comfortably. You will be on your feet most of the day at the convention center. The room temperature was pleasant and warm at the train station terminal, on Amtrak, on the bus to the convention center, and at the convention. The only time we felt cold was when we waited for the train outside on the platform on our way home. It was a stormy, rainy day, but we could have stayed on the bus to wait for the train. I was too hot with four layers on most of the time.

What should I bring?
Don’t bring too much; you will be carrying it all day. Your purse and one tote bag is enough. Of course, you will want to bring something to knit. It is a good idea to bring light snacks too. As mentioned in the comment section, the tote on wheels came in handy.

What time should I arrive at the train station?
Arriving 30 minutes early is great. We left Auburn at 6:30 a.m. and arrived in Sacramento around 7:05 a.m. The time was perfect because there were plenty of parking spots available nearby, and the line for the parking meter was slow and long. At the train station, it is not hard to find the Stitch n Ride group or the train. The program is well organized and runs smoothly.
Meeting friends at the Sacramento train station.

Where do you eat?
If you are only going for one day, there is no time to go out of the convention center to eat. There were two or three places to eat inside. One place had mostly cold sandwiches and salads. Another place sold burgers; and another place sold coffee-type items. I heard we could have ordered a Teriyaki Bowl, but I didn’t see it anywhere. For dinner, we ate on the train back to Sacramento. The cafeteria served breakfast items, sandwiches, pizza, burrito, salads, soup, hot and cold drinks, as well as alcoholic beverages. Wine was popular on this trip. There are plenty of restaurants near the convention center if you want to go out.

Are you able to sit together on the train?
We lined up to be the first ones on the train. We did not have any problems finding seats to sit together as a group. Some of the seats have tables and face each other; they are situated at the ends of each coach.

How was the train ride?
This was the best part of the trip because we talked, ate, knitted, and spent a lot of time together. The train staff is friendly and cheerful. The train itself is clean. There are a couple of cafeterias onboard, and the restrooms are located on the first floor. It was nice to have the Amtrak director (the one who has his photo on the Amtrak brochure) onboard to meet us.

Where do you get the goody bag?
The goody bag is distributed on the train itself. It surpassed our expectations. The raffles on board were great too; there were raffles all along the way for newcomers boarding the train.

Were you able to stay together at Stitches West?
We spread out like wild fire going in different directions since we have different interests. We found a central place to meet for lunch and for the ride home that worked well.

What is there to do at Stitches West?
There is so much to see and do, but it took us most of the day to just look at the booths. On Saturday, there was a fashion show, and 3-hour and 1-hour classes were in session throughout the day. You can shop, ask questions, sit and knit, take classes, eat, learn new techniques, plus more; I found it very interesting watching what everyone wore since it was usually something they knitted or crocheted. It is a good idea to look at the brochure while you are there to take advantage of the activities and free samples.

How much money is needed for this trip?
The round trip fare with admission ticket came to $66. Lunch and dinner were about $7 each. Spending money is up to you. We, ourselves, did not spend a lot of money. We bought mostly patterns, notions, books, stuffed alpacas, and a yarn kit; however, we saw some serious yarnaholics there. :)

What did you do to organize your group for the trip?
Stayed in touch through email before the event. Made a copy of the Amtrak parking lots. Agreed on a meeting time and place to carpool to Sacramento; passengers gave the driver some gas and parking money. Had a list of everyone’s cell phone numbers. Arranged a time and place to meet for lunch.

What are some good ideas?
Read all of the information on Stitch n' Ride and Stitches West before going. One of the ladies did not know about the chemo cap on Stitch n' Ride until the last moment because she did not read the website thoroughly; to save time she bought a chemo cap at a yarn store the day before the trip. Also read the Stitches West brochure while you are there; we missed some good things because we didn't know what they were such as the Extreme Yarn Stash area. Bring a camera. Although taking pictures is not allowed near the convention booths, we took pictures in the eating area, out front, outside, and on the train.

Wasn't it a long day?
Yes, but you don't notice it (until the next day) because you want to take in everything that's going on.

What were some of your highlights?

Meeting Vickie Howell, host of the Knitty Gritty show and author of many books, was the biggest surprise; she is very sweet, kind, and allowed us to take a picture that made our day.

From the bus, watching the Amtrak and Stitch n' Ride staff hand over the box of chemo caps we knitted to the Leukemia society was very touching. Staff are wearing chemo caps.

Sharing laughs with the friendly Stitch n' Ride and Amtrak staff. They were available to answer questions and spend time chatting with all of us.

Spending time with each other partying on the train.

We also met a nice young person on the train who works for a yarn shop in Vacaville. She is knowledgable about knitting and bought beautiful yarn at Stitches West.

Was it worth it?
Absolutely, it was so much fun!

What if I have more questions?
Call the Stitch n' Ride Coordinator beforehand (she was so good in returning phone calls), look for the information booth at the train station, find the Stitch n' Ride or the Stitches West staff on site, or ask the crowd of knitters.

Transferring from train to bus.
Looking over a purchase.
Waiting for the train home; it was a rainy day.

Trying to have a movie moment (at the last stop when the train is not moving, of course).