My First Trip to Knitting Camp

Never having been to knitting camp before, I was not sure it would be worth the money. But I figured, the price was not much more than I would pay for that many nights' lodging in a comfortable hotel, and I would be surrounded by knitters instead of screaming children, so what was there to lose? As it turns out, I very much underestimated the camp experience.

I had been to innumerable knit nights, to trunk shows, to fiber festivals, to Stitches and to knitting weekends with my buddies, but CampKIP was something else entirely, combining the best (in my humble opinion) features of all of these things into 4 too-short days of pure fiber bliss.

Like a knit-in, camp involved a good-sized group of knitters staying overnight in a retreat atmosphere. But, it was better, because it was more than one night long.

Like a trunk show, there were handknits on display everywhere. But it was better, because there were more of them, by a wide variety of designers and knitted by all the various camp attendees.

Like a fiber festival or Stitches, there was yarn and fiber for sale, and door prizes and raffles. But camp was better because the group was smaller, odds of winning were better, and the vending was not so overwhelming.

There were dozens of knitters from all over the country. We all stayed 3 nights at a retreat, where fabulous meals were provided. Everyone showed off their WIPs and FOs. Lots of people brought spinning supplies (including wheels!) and spun. People shared equipment, like their spinning wheels, yarn winders, scales and swifts, even a drum carder! People gave each other impromptu lessons on all kinds of techniques. Each evening, there was a raffle of 15-20 door prizes. There was a scavenger hunt for additional raffle tickets and prizes. There was a bonfire at which marshmallows were roasted and  s'mores were made. For those willing to pay a bit extra, massages, a wine tasting and a beer tasting were available. On vendor day, sumptuous yarns, luscious fiber, and useful equipment were sold.

It was a yarn fanatic's paradise, I tell you! If you ever get the chance to go to a knitting camp or retreat, drop everything and GO!

I Made Yarn!

I have wanted to learn to spin almost since I first learned to knit. It was an idea I toyed with for several years. I'm not entirely sure when I got serious about it. Perhaps it was when I saw the book "Respect the Spindle." That book planted the idea in my brain that I might be able to learn to spin without investing a small fortune in a spinning wheel. I could get a spindle, some fiber, and a book or a lesson, and for under $100, I could give it a try.

Still, it took the right atmosphere for me to take the plunge. A weekend knitting retreat with my favorite fiber fanatics, a trip with a feel that combined adventure and indulgence, set the mood I needed. When we found a yarn shop that specialized in spinning supplies, it seemed like a sign. I bought the supplies and the book. The shop owner gave me my first brief lesson in spinning, and I ran with it.

Like any newly acquired skill, spinning felt awkward at first. I wasn't sure how to get the spindle spinning and keep it moving. I didn't know what to do with my hands and the fiber. I kept at it, figuring that, like knitting, my body would figure it out eventually. My first spun single is not consistent in diameter. It has some "slubs" in it. It took me darned near 3 months to spin in. The second one is much more consistent and didn't take quite so long. Still, I wasn't exactly impressed with my skill. Neither of these singles looked like something I would want to knit.

Then, I plied the two singles together, and it was like magic or a chemical reaction: I got a product that was completely different from the input. I got a yarn that actually looks pretty nice, feels pretty strong, and that I am excited about dyeing and knitting up!

Two more miracles and I can apply for sainthood.