Knitting Guild

Just got back from this month's Knitting Guild meeting. What do all of these things have in common: uber-talented, artistic, intelligent, well-spoken, polite, down-to-earth, interesting, forward-thinking? They are all qualities that are wrapped up in the awesome, impossibly adorable little package that is Jared Flood, photographer, designer extraordinaire and author of Brooklyn Tweed, that's all!

He was our guest speaker tonight and I was looking forward to seeing him. I've been impressed by his blog and his patterns. I've made his Koolhaus pattern a zillion times for chemo caps.

It's an relatively easy but ingenious pattern and is soft and stretchy-perfect for sensitive skin. I also made his Noro Scarf pattern and loved the way the colors blended together.
But after hearing him speak, I'm stunned at what a creative thinker he really is. His presentation tonight was about how he got started blogging and how it bloomed into a career in teaching and designing knit wear, but it was the snippets of insight into where he draws his inspiration from and how he incorporates those inspirations into his designs that blew me away. He's taken his talent in photography and turned it into amazing inspiration for innovative designs. His Koolhaus hat, for instance, came from the architecture in the Seattle Public library.

See all the diamonds? Now scroll back up and really look at the hat. I'll wait.....See! Clever, no?

I'm afraid I did develop quite the fan girl crush after hearing him speak and fondling his knit wear (no he wasn't wearing it) so I had Dale Harriet take our picture together. Now, I did have a glass of wine with supper beforehand, but was NOT and I repeat NOT as wasted as I looked in this picture. (Actually I had a wicked case of school girl giggles; it probably would have been better if I had just been drunk.)

But it's the only pic I got so try and just look at the right half OK? Anyway, listening to and meeting Jared was too much fun. Now I have to find his new Wayfarer Scarf Pattern and some of his yummy new Targhee/Colombian yarn and get to work!

I also did my first Show and Tell at Guild too. I stood up in front of the 80 bagiggatrillion people there (hence the fortitudinal glass of wine before supper) and showed off my Wine and Cheese Scarf.

And my Fir Cone Stole.

Using the microphone was weird and I couldn't really hear myself over the speakered version of me so I don't know if I blasted folks out of the room or not. I had an almost irresistible urge to break into a rousing version of Danke Shoen but the folks with the big, giant, hook got to me in time. I'll have to cut my intro shorter and break into song earlier next month.

Next up: Laminaria and Things That Go Rouge In The Night.