Knit Train to TKGA

Saturday, several friends and I took the Stitch 'n' Ride train to the TKGA market in Oakland. This market is a lot smaller than Stitches West, but also a lot less crowded, so you can actually go in to the booths and look around! And smaller crowds = more merchandise to choose from. It was quite nice and not so overwhelming. This picture is of our group arriving at the show. We had more baggage when we left!

But the Knit Train Experience is the real reason we went. It is just plain fun to sit on the Capitol Corridor train and knit with friends for a couple of hours. One of my favorite people, Nancie Wiseman, was the guest author onboard, so we got to visit for a bit, too.

Several area yarn shops (Babetta's, Frog Pond, Knitique, Lofty Lou's) and some very nice people (Lorna Miser Designs, Nancie Wiseman, Amtrak) donated some wonderful prizes -- none of which, sadly, went home with me. But I had a great time, and even met up with some on-line folks (Caitlyn, Terry, Cyndi, Lorna, Vicki). It was a good knitting day, so who could ask for more?

I love felting

I think it's magic. It's such a basic technique practiced in so many ways in so many cultures — from nomads felting fleece on horseback to modern women felting roses in front-loader washing machines.

Felting roses! What fun! I love felting roses...

So I'm doing the Felted Rose Bag Knit-A-Long from Vogue Knitting Winter 2004/05. It's a Nicky Epstein design, and love 'em or hate 'em, her felted bag designs are different and fun! As a process knitter who enjoys a challenge, they really have a lot of appeal to me.

One of my friends at work is knitting this bag, too. We ordered the yarn from Knit Picks, but each of us selected a different colorway.

My roses are all done — they are a quick take-along project that you can stuff in your purse and work on at odd moments. I felted them in the washing machine, rather than the horseback method. I'm working on the bag itself now.

Stay tuned!

Cue the fanfare!

I have awarded myself a Knitting Olympics Gold Medal.

Did I finish the cabled sweater?

No.

However, I learned a thing or two about Olympic scoring techniques while watching the ice skating events. If it works for them, it should work for me.

SO! Under the new scoring system instituted after the infamous "Shetland judge cheating scandal," my knitting project scored enough points in the "difficulty" and "style" categories to win the gold, despite a disasterous "fall" mid-sweater which required ripping back 6 inches on both the front and back. The two sleeves earned flawless scores in the "long program" and the body recovered to be complete to the underarms. The Gold Medal is mine.

OK, Team Sacramento, how did the rest of you do in your events?

The flame is lit!

Let the knitting begin! Does the flame look vaguely knitting needle-ish to you???

(Welcome to Team Sacramento, Emily and Elizabeth!)

We're ready for Opening Ceremonies!

Team Sacramento is now listed as Official Knitting Olympics participants! Lizette, Cindi, Emmy, Betsy, Sandi, Elizabeth, and I are polishing our needles, patting our yarn, and eyeballing our patterns -- ready to cast on and Go for the Gold.

Or Knit for the Gold.

Or Just Knit.

Join us -- there's always room for more Sacramento-area Olympic Knitters!