Heaven...in a Workshop

Yesterday, I read a post about SAW on Ravelry and have been dreaming about it ever since.

SAW is the Squam Art Workshop, a lakeside art retreat held in New Hampshire. Specifically I was reading about their Spring session this June 1st-5th. Ravelry usually sends two of their staff to SAW each year, but this year those two people are becoming parents in June so they are sending two Ravelry members instead. So I entered my name into the drawing for a spot. I know my chances of getting chosen are slim (last time I checked there were already over 1300 entries), but I still spent about an hour reading over the SAW website.

The class offerings are amazing. I know if I won a chance to go to SAW it would take me a while to decide what to take as there are only 2 1/2 days of classes and many of the classes are full day classes. One class option is Knitting Salon. This "class" involves hanging out with a roomful of knitters and one knitting teacher and knitting for a day. As a mom who never gets to spend more than a few hours knitting (usually late at night or occasionally snuck in during naptime) this sounds divine in itself. However, the chance to learn with the amazing teachers is too much to resist and I doubt I'd sign up for Knitting Salon because the other classes sound SO interesting.

One of the teachers is Stephanie Pearl-McPhee! STEPHANIE PEARL-MCPHEE! For those of you who don't know her, Stephanie has a great blog called Yarn Harlot. She's written lots of books and has the most amazing sense of humor and perspective. I love reading her writing because I feel like I can relate to SO much of what she says. It would be amazing to see her in person much less actually meet her or take her class.

Ysolda Teague is another one of the teachers who I would love to meet. She has so many beautiful patterns. I've loved watching her knitting career evolve these last few years. At first she was just someone who I saw on Flickr and Ravelry who had a few pretty patterns. Now she's an established designer and teacher who is a real known name in the knitting world. I see Veera Valimaki as someone destined to follow in Ysolda's footsteps. Other knitting teachers at SAW include Gudrun Johnston, Cat Bordhi and Mary Jane Mucklestone.

The class topics looks incredible. Stephanie is teaching one on Knitting with Matawa and one on Knitting for Speed and Efficiency. Ysolda's class is The Perfect Sweater. Gudrun has one called Shapely Sleeves which is all about the seamless set in sleeve. Cat has multiple classes, but the one that sounds the most intriguing to me is Inventing Stitch Patterns. The class is about exactly that--inventing your own stitch patterns. It sounds very challenging, but fun. All of these classes are perfect for a knitter like me, a knitter who loves to make sweaters and dreams of designing her own knits.

Knitting is my passion, but I love all crafts and have tried my hand at beading and embroidery and some painting and sewing and the other classes are just as tempting as the knitting ones. One class, Reinvention by Maya Donenfeld, sounds incredible. In this class "you will learn clever ways to take three common discarded materials: burlap, linen and t-shirt jersey and transform them into items that are both useful and lovely." --very intriguing! There are a few classes on embroidery that look great as I'd really like to learn how to embroider for real. Rebecca Ringquist's Stitch Dictionary class looks particularly good to me. There are also classes on botanical printing, quilting, woodworking, crocheting, sewing and yoga.

Anyway, as a person who loves to CREATE. This workshop sounds like a little slice of heaven. And as I know that I will not spend the money to pay to go PLUS the money to get there, I really hope I will win the Ravelry contest. So cross your fingers, say some prayers, think happy thoughts--and hope that I somehow get chosen out of all the thousands of people who enter to go to SAW this year. I know I'd have a blast. The only thing I could think of that would be better than going to SAW, would be going to SAW with my sister. Now THAT would be heaven.

Where to Begin...

Well, lots has happened in life since I took my blogging hiatus so I'm going to try to do a quick recap.

Little Man and I spent a few days in Virginia visiting family. We came home for a week and had a dead modem for most of it. Then Brian, Little Man and I went to Portland, OR for 5 days to visit with more family (including my adorable new nephew Oscar).

While I was in Virginia, Brian quit his job at the brewery. It's a long story with lots of crazy, twisted details, but let's just say that he did not agree with the way the business was being run and felt that it was best for us if he left the situation. It's not ideal (no paycheck and all), but it should be for the best in the long run--if we don't go broke in the meantime.

On the day we were traveling to Oregon, my brother and his wife had their triplets. (see previous post for more details.)

We had lots of fun in Oregon, but didn't get a lot of rest. Little Man was thrown by the time change and the crazy social calendar. His eating and sleeping were way off and naps were short and sporadic. He tended to wake up between 4 and 5 AM each morning so we were all a bit tired. However, we had tons of fun with our family and Little Man LOVED his cousin Oscar. He got so excited every time he saw him. He was also a big fan of their dog Hazel. So despite the tiredness and the rainy weather, we had lots of fun.

I haven't blogged, read blogs, or done much phonics workbook work recently, but I have done some knitting. I did a set of hats for a friend's three children (a newborn girl, a 2 year-old girl, and a 7 year-old son). I made some hats for Little Man and his Virginia cousins. I also finished another Wallaby and most of Little Man's sheep costume sweater.

Anyway, I'm really behind on my work and my house is a mess and I'm still tired from traveling, so what do I get this morning...my Ravelry invite! So I'm now on Ravelry (Haley327), but it will be a while before my projects and what not are there. Crazy. Like I really need something else on my plate--but I just can't resist.

I think that's everything major to tell for now. Hope you are all doing well and that I get to catch up on reading your blogs soon.