So say the judges

The judges' scorecards are in and here are the results for my entries in this year's California State Fair -- booyah!

• Wind on a Wheat Field Haapsalu Shawl
  
  Wind on a Wheat Field
  Project details on Ravelry
  

  2nd Place, Division: Knitting,
  Class: Knitted Wearing Apparel
  Judge's Comments: Lovely, lacy design. Border adds to overall design. Piece shows good tension and attention to blocking. Well-done [sic].

  
  
  
• Mixed Tide Shawl - original design
  
  Mixed Tide shawl
  Porject Details on Ravelry
  

  Honorable Mention, Division: Knitting,
  Class: Knitted Wearing Apparel
  Judge's Comments: Good color choice for a "tide" pattern. Better blocking would "show off" pattern more clearly. Well done for a challenging technique.

  
  
  
• Crackle Sac
  
  Crackle Sac
  Project Details on Ravelry

  2nd Place, Division: Other Fiber Art,
  Class: Any Other Fiber Art
  Workmanship: 20
  Level of Difficulty: 19
  Design: 19
  Appropriate Pattern or Technique: 19
  Creative use of materials or fabric: 18
  Judge's Comments: Very good job! Weaving, making bag, matching pattern on seams! Well done.

  
  
  
• Merino, Baby Camel, Silk Handspun Yarn
  
  Lisa Souza Merino, Baby Camel, Silk Top 2-ply handspun
  Project Details on Ravelry

  Honorable Mention, Division: Other Fiber Art,
  Class: Any Other Fiber Art
  Workmanship: 19
  Level of Difficulty: 18
  Design: 17
  Appropriate Pattern or Technique: 17
  Creative use of materials or fabric: 18
  Judge's Comments: Luscious hand to this yarn--nice job!

  
  
  

Going to the fair

My entries for the California State Fair are packed and ready to go to Sacramento.


Going to the fair

Here's what they look like out of their plastic bags--


Lisa Souza Merino, Baby Camel, Silk Top 2-ply handspun


Crackle Sac


Wind on a Wheat Field


Mixed Tide shawl

Per my previous experience, I have no idea how these pieces will do so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I'll let you know what the results are later this month. Wish me luck!

Stitches West 2012 recap

Seeing friends from near and far makes the Stitches West weekend special. It's the one event where I get to see many friends in the fiber arts that I keep in touch with online, like Benjamin, Lisa Souza, Romi, and Mel, and this year I had the pleasure of meeting Ysolda and Ragga. Oh, and being surrounded by beautiful fiber, equipment, and designs isn't bad either. ;)

What made your Stitches West memorable this year?

Thursday Market Preview:
I headed to the WEBS booth to find coned yarn for weaving. As I walked the aisles, Steve Elkins saw me and said, "Hello Janice." (!!!) We chatted for a bit--mostly about how we missed Kathy who was home in MA--then we went back to our business of shopping (me) and selling (him). I only say hello to Steve once a year and he sees so many customers, I certainly didn't expect to be recognized. Of course the nametag and a few exchanges on Facebook might have helped, but even so, it was pretty cool. What a guy.

Thursday finds:


Colrain Lace, WEBS, Booth 604 & 703.
2/10 Merino Tencel in black, plum, and steel


Knitters' Pride Circs, WEBS, Booth 604 & 703.


Shuttles, KCL Woods, Booth 1138.


South Pacific, Lisa Souza, Booth 717.
Merino, Tussah Silk, & Bamboo

Friday:
Gayle Roehm's class, Understanding Japanese Knitting Patterns, expanded my knitting universe. Now I feel better equipped to try one of those beautiful Japanese patterns. I showed Gayle a photo of Baroque, a sock that uses a modified stitch pattern from a Japanese stitch pattern book. She remarked, "I thought your name sounded familiar." :D

Friday finds:


Japanese Knitting Patterns


KCL Woods spindle


Ysolda, Lauriel, and me

Saturday:
I volunteered for XRX and helped students find their classrooms in the morning and after lunch. It was actually pretty fun. The rooms are a bit spread out with some in the convention center and some in the hotel. Attendees looked so relieved after they received directions. A woman who was sitting at a table nearby was watching for a while and then came up and told me that she appreciated that XRX put someone upstairs to help people out. Yeah, it felt good. I was surprised with how many people needed directions to the garage in the afternoon. :)

Saturday finds:


The Silent Underground
Baby Camel & Silk from AVFKW. The photo doesn't do this justice. There are subtle color changes that apparently can't be captured (by me) in a photo.


Zen Top - Sedona
Merino, Tussah Silk, & Bamboo from Lisa Souza. Beautiful.


KCL Woods Spindle & Lisa Souza Zen Top
The spindle and fiber spin like a dream.

Sunday:
AVFKW won for prettiest booth! It was a well deserved honor--their booth was lovely. One last highlight, I spent the entire weekend with my sister. What fun! It was a great weekend for hanging with my big sis.

Another year, another great show. Thank you Benjamin, XRX staff, and vendors, I'm looking forward to next year's show!

Stitches West 2013
Feb 21-24, 2013
Santa Clara Convention Center &
Hyatt Regency
Santa Clara, CA

I took a camel for a spin

Camel/Silk that is, from Tactile: A Fiber Arts Studio. It's wonderfully soft and the silk allows it to be spun wickedly thin.


50/50 Camel/Silk, 2 x 2 oz


Singles


534 yds of 2 ply laceweight