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I hope everyone had a good summer. Mine had its ups and downs. In early July, I was prepping for my summer events, and I was pretty much on schedule. Then, I caught COVID for the first time. Wear that mask, y’all. 

I was in bed for two weeks solid. Thankfully, I’d recovered enough to travel by the time Maker Festivals Pennsylvania happened the first weekend of August. 

Maker Festivals, Lancaster, PA

In years past,  Maker Festivals were separate events for each craft: Bead Fest, Yarn Fest, and Quilt Fest. This year, the organizers merged the shows into a single event that attracted creatives from across the country. Attending a gathering of makers gave me life! 

My event schedule was packed. In my custom raglan class,  I introduced knitters to the flat pattern drafting process. This was an advanced class for experienced garment makers who want to learn how to build customized sweaters for themselves. 

There were beginners who were looking to start making garments in my Sweater Savvy class. We worked on getting their sizing right and using sweater math. 

Finally, we worked through knotty pattern problems that stymied projects in progress in my class: How to Work a Pattern. 

Flock Fiber Festival, Seattle, WA

Later in August, I taught at the Flock Fiber Festival in Seattle, Washington. Flock is an event for fiber artists: knitters, crocheters, weavers, and spinners. 

Flock was held at the Seattle Convention Center Summit building. I really wasn’t prepared for the scale of the venue. The space was Ginormous! It never felt crowded, even when there were hundreds of people.

I taught my chart class and a fun Fix it or Frog it session, where we used the collective wisdom of the class to help knitters decide whether to fix or frog a derailed project. 

I was feeling much better by the time I got to Seattle. This time, I was able to do a little sightseeing. I visited Pike Place Market for a stroll through the stalls. I made a beeline for MochiThings, a Japanese stationery store, when I found out that it was less than a mile from the convention center. 

Making Stuff for Makers

I capped off my summer by hosting a small pattern drafting workshop for my Mom and sister. They are avid crocheters who love making garments. They graciously volunteered to be my first crochet students. The workshop had its moments, but everybody was happy after I served up the homemade Rice Crispy squares. 

All in all, it was an eventful summer. I really enjoyed the fiber festivals. Meeting so many excited makers was a lot of fun.  

Now, I’m looking forward to fall and gearing up for the winter season. I have lots of projects lined up—more on that later.