I’m constantly amazed at the gorgeous things I get to see living in such a beautiful state.
My honey moved recently and although we’ve been working our butts off we took a few minutes the other day to take the pup to now-nearby Standley Lake and watch the sunset.
The sky is just so big and holds so many colors. Some days we’ve got feet of snow on the ground and others, wildflowers as far as you can see.
Are you in love with your locale?
Some of you know this already but I teach classes locally that allow me to share my love for knitting with new-comers, intermediate knitters and advanced knitters looking to learn something new.
I recently taught a Beginning Knitting class at my favorite brewery – Grandma’s House – and had such a fun time with these ladies!
Everyone (every single person, no knitter left behind!) learned how to cast on, knit and bind off during the first week’s class in which we knitted a little scarf perfectly sized for your favorite beer bottle. 
The second class the following week the students were able to refresh their cast on and knitting skills while also learning how to purl and work a simple decrease. At the end of this lesson everyone had made a matching hat to fit the beer bottle that was now scarf-adorned!
I’ll be teaching this beginning knitting class again March 4th and 11th starting at 6pm both nights at the Grandma’s House brewery. Feel free to sign up via Facebook or Dabble!
I’ll also be teaching an intermediate class later in March that will produce a hat so that students can learn to knit in the round and work various stitch patterns – and still walk away with a finished project! That’s the best part of any class, in my opinion – something to show for your efforts.
I hope to see you at some of them! And if you have any ideas for future classes you’d like to see from me, please do share them 🙂
If someone could dye a colorway that matched this magnificent sunset I saw a few days ago, that’d be great.
I love living in a place where the skies just look like that and I can’t get enough of it. I have so many pictures of sunrises and sunsets and they’re all so stinkin’ beautiful.
What do you see around you that you’d like to see recreated in yarn?
Even though it’s snowing outside today and we’re in the depths of January, the magazines are previewing their spring issues and I can’t help but look ahead! Today we’ll just talk about one of them and why I find it especially appealing.
Interweave Knits Spring Issue looks like it’s going to be a good one. Part of the fun for me, personally, looking through any of Interweave’s products (Interweave Knits, Knitscene, Knit.Purl, etc) is looking at the photos and trying to pick out where they were shot! Living in the same state and having lived all over it (Denver, Lakewood, Golden, Loveland, Fort Collins, etc) means that I’ve been fortunate to visit a lot of different places.
The story including the Timetable Pullover by Andrea Sanchez was shot in the newly-renovated Union Station in downtown Denver – a quick drive or lightrail ride from my house. The setting and this sweater itself are beautiful.
The story including Joan Forgione‘s Beech Leaf Shawl was shot in a pottery studio in Fort Collins called Smokestack Pottery. This little space is so cute and fun to visit – I even have a few bowls made by the artists who work there in my collection!
Seeing these gorgeous knits in settings that I myself have been in multiple times makes me smile. They bring to mind happy memories with great folks.
Are you looking at spring patterns yet or do you prefer to remain in the current season?
Did you miss the first set of classes I taught at Grandma’s House the past few months? Don’t worry, I’ll be teaching again at the beginning of 2015! More classes, topics and projects will be coming in the next year as well, so keep your ear to the ground (or to my Facebook page) for details on those.
January 7th and 14th will be more Beginning (Level 1) Knitting Classes and we’ll be working on similar projects – a mini scarf and hat perfectly sized for your favorite beer bottle!
And instead of following it up with the Intermediate Class where we learned how to knit small sweaters the first time around, this time we’re going to learn how to knit washcloths! I still consider this a beginner class – it builds on the basic knitting skills but also teaches students how to work different stitches including increases and decreases. These Beginner (Level 2) Classes will be held on January 21st and 28th, same time (6pm-8pm) and same place (Grandma’s House Brewery).
Classes are $50 for the two sessions and I will bring all the materials with me, you don’t need to bring a thing! Except a friend, you can certainly bring those. And if you *do* bring a friend, you can each get a discount and pay only $40 each for the two sessions and all materials! That leaves plenty to get yourself a delicious brew from Grandma.
This is the thirty-sixth in a series of installments that will highlight one of my favorite brews and which knits to go with it! None of the breweries or yarn companies are compensating me – these are just my opinions on my personal experiences!
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Brew: Slope Style Winter IPA
Brewer: Boulder Beer
Malts:
Hops: Horizon
IBU:
ABV: 6.4%
Flavors: Full-bodied with a malty intro and a hoppy outro, this beer combines elements from a good red ale and your IPA needs into one brew.
Knit Pairings: This beer is perfect for winter drinking after a day at the slopes – cozy and filling. I suggest pairing it with a good wooly chunky knit with possibly some cables to add some cushy-ness or maybe you’re into stranded colorwork and want to make a classic ski cap with some seasonal motifs!
Notes:
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Let me know what you think! Suggestions for future beers, more/different information to include, this is a work in progress so I won’t be offended by constructive advice!
I’ve been away from the city, the internet and cellphone service for a few days hanging out with my folks in the mountains of Southern Colorado over the Thanksgiving Holiday. It’s always amazing how renewed, refreshed and rejuvenated I feel after some time with family in the mountains!
I hope your weekend (holiday in the US, regular November weekend for the rest of the world) was just as renewing as mine.
I know I’ve got another month left in the year but the calendar is already chock-full for December! I’m going to be teaching some knitting classes beginning on Wednesday (more beginner classes will be scheduled for January!) and I plan on freshening up the shop as well, but most of my plans consist of cleaning out 2014 and preparing for an amazing 2015!
What are you up to for the rest of this year? Seems like a short one, no? It just flew right on by!
The above photo was taken at Yarn in Durango, Colorado (I just love visiting that store!)
I love spring. There’s no doubt about it – I love the fresh green, the new life, the longer days and ample sunshine – it’s gorgeous. 
But there’s something very special about winter.
Even with less sunlight and weather that makes you stay inside (whether you want to or not) more often.
Even as the greens fade away and the world looks a bit more monochromatic.
It’s just a different kind of pretty.
What’s your favorite part about winter?
If you follow my Facebook page you may have noticed my post the other day about the showcase I’ll be participating in next month.
The CURRENT show is being put on by the Denver RAWartists group and sounds like it’ll be a super fun night of shenanigans, live music, fashion show, aerial dancers, fire dancers, food and drinks and yours truly. It’ll also be a good opportunity for you to start/continue/wrap up your holiday shopping!
The event is going to be held at the City Hall venue in Denver (1144 Broadway), about a block from the art museum on November 21st from 7pm until 11pm. In order to get into the event, you’ll need a ticket. These tickets also provide sponsorship for me – it helps cover my fees and also allows me the opportunity to work with professional photographers and videographers to take my business to the next level! All proceeds from the tickets go to the RAWartists group, not to me personally, so you’re helping out 40+ local artists in the process (we’re all appreciative). There are a few ways to get tickets for the show:
Discounted tickets will be available until November 13th so be sure to get yours nice and early! Let me know if you have any questions, I hope to see you there!
This past Saturday I had a luxurious day with some time to myself – this was the first day in many weeks that didn’t have anything specific planned and although I had tons of stuff to do, I HAD THE DAY TO DO THEM! Finally, time to check off some things on my to-do list.
Not all of the day was spent being productive and unpacking my new place, I took some time out in the middle of it to take myself and the dog to downtown Golden and have some fun. We walked along the river, knitted (well, that was just me, she kept guard for squirrels), and enjoyed the perfect weather and the fall colors.
I don’t really have a problem going places alone but more often than not, I’ll end up staying home all day if I don’t have someone else to drag me out or tag along with so heading out and running fun errands just me and the pup was kind of weird and a bit brave and probably something we should do more often.
Do you take yourself out on “dates” when you have no one else to go with?
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