Reporting from Knit Camp - part #2

Tuesday 10/08/2010

Tuesday was mostly spent in knitting and mooching (due to my class with Deb Robson being rescheduled to Friday).



I cast on for my Cloisonne Jacket and made reasonably good progress. In the evening after dinner Ellen, Aspen, and I headed over to the university for the knitting pub quiz (a.k.a. the pub quiz that time forgot). The atmosphere was a bit better than on Monday but it really did drag on. We stuck it out until the end of the quiz which largely consisted of questions which I'd have to have been Elizabeth Zimmermann's stalker to be able to answer but it was a relief to head back to the much more mellow atmosphere of the Knit Pad.

Wednesday 11/08/2010

As neither Ellen or I had classes on Wednesday afternoon we headed up to Stirling Castle for a bit of history.



You can see our flat from up here!



There's a great view from the other side too. I reckon this cannon is trained on the Wallace Monument.

The highlight of the castle for me was seeing the work that was going on in the tapestry weaving studio where a team of weavers from the West Dean Studio are working on a recreation of the Hunt of the Unicorn series of tapestries which will be hung in the 16th century palace once the restoration is complete. It was amazing to see the weaving in progress and I'm really keen to have a go the next time we have a workshop at the guild. We weren't allowed to take any photos in the weaving studio but I did get shots of two of the three tapestries which are already hanging in the castle buildings.





After the castle we took the tour around Argyll's Lodging which was very engaging and informative before heading back to the Knit Pad to cook dinner and meet the BNKs (that's big name knitters) who were joining us for the evening.

Thursday 12/08/2010

On Thursday it finally felt like Knit Camp got going for me as Felix and I had our first class "Planning your own aran" with Jared Flood. It was a great class, really informative, very clearly presented, and I tried my first ever steek!



Before.



After (this is actually Felix's swatch - my yarn didn't change colour!). It's a bit of a blurry photo - maybe my hands were shaking after cutting my own steek?

After Jared's class I was completely inspired to rip out the Cloisonne Jacket which I was working back and forth (irregular colourwork is a right pain to work on the wrong side) and restart it in the round. I'm very excited to try my first steek on an actual garment.

In the afternoon Felix and I headed up for a bit of a stomp around the Wallace Monument.



Sir William Wallace.



Felix taking in the view.

After the monument we headed over to Kilmahog to check out the Kilmahog Woollen mill which was frankly not worth the trip but on the way back we made a small detour to view the Bracklinn Falls which were so worth it. I love a good waterfall.



Felix at the Bracklinn Falls.



Bracklinn Falls.



Amazing puddingstone rocks.

Last report to come tomorrow - once I've taken photos of my Knit Camp spoils!