Have an amazing line of products and are interested in selling them at SSK?  SSK is searching for vendors for the 2017 market.  The dates of SSK 2017 will be July 19-23rd.  Those interested in applying should complete the form by October 7th.

Gleener sent all their products including a full size gleener, the travel greener, the pet brush, a super cute tote bag, extra replacement blades and dryer dots.

Fishknits Yarn 10 sets of mini skeins in the “To All the GirlllsI’ve Loved Before” color way series.  Includes Redneck girl, Girllls Night Out, Hapiest Girl in the Whole USA, The Most Beautiful Girl, Whiskey Girl, Dry Country Girl, You Can’t Take the Honkey Tonk Out of the Girl.

A Good Yarn sent their exclusive Namaste Snaps filled with exclusive color ways of yarn and other goodies.

Whimzee Stitches Designs sent 3 bags with matching stitch markers.

Cheeky Garden sent her merino sock in the Delphinium colorway

Signature sent a set of 2.25 mm dpns (set of 5 needles)

Leading Men Fiber Arts sent 4 skeins of yarn.  There are two director interpretations on the Soliloquy and Callback bases.  They also sent Tropical Waters on Callback and Dippin Sauce on Box Office.  They also sent a fiber on the super sock base in the Mother Earth 3G.

Bling Your String sent one of her new bag sets that also includes an attachable needle cozy.

Ladybug Fiber Company sent 3 skeins of sock yarn.  One is Sprout on her Merino Silk Hi Twist base, there is a gorgeous unlabeled purple skein, and Zion on her MCN Twist base.

Bags by Awesome Grannie sent 7 bags.  She is also offering 15% off through October 31st with the code “SSK15”

Simply Sock Company sent 3 of their Poste self striping yarns.  These yarns are worsted weight and in the Buckeye, Loyalty, and Christmas Island colorways.

Nekozukiknits sent two large wedge bags

The Tangled Skein sent a wee knot bag.

Slanted Stitches sent 4 bags.  Two Japanese Knot bags with pockets and two Cubie Quilted Bags with Pockets.

Lydia Yarns provided a skein of Squishy in the Garden party color way.

Spin Monkeys sent a skein of Revolution sock in the Citrus Grove colorway and Centrifuge Singles in the Fresh Linen color way.

NaturallyKnitty sent 2 sets of rolags.  One in the Heavy on the Unicorn guts colorway and one in the Zombie Princess Colorway.  She also sent Battlets in the Mermaid Tears colorway.

Must Love Yarn sent 4 tote bags and tape measures with 2 $50 gift certificates.

Coper Corgi sent a sweaters lot of her Jones Street Worsted in the Goldenrod color way.

Unplanned Peacock Studio provided a skein of her Shimmer base (50% silk, 50% merino) in the Ruby color way.

Joan of Lollipop yarn has provided 2 Beefcake base sets.  They are in the Sweet Dreams colorway and the Mon’ Amie colorway.

Amy of Stranded Dyeworks sent a skein of her Oasis base in the Ocean Rainbow colorway.

Sarah’s Cotton Patch sent 3 adorable project bags.

Laura Nelkin sent 3 Adornment kits, 2 Mudra necklace kits, and 2 beaded waves kits.

Charan Sachar sent one of his gorgeous knitted in clay trays.

HD Yarns sent one of their ball sets in the Full of Stars colorway

Juliannas Fibre sent a skein of her Continuum Gradient in the Salt Water Sunset color way.

Another Crafty Girl sent 2 skeins of her strong sock.  One is the Vineyard colorway and the other is Sax Solo (Muppets!).  She also sent a skein of her Alpaca sock in the Windy City colorway.

Here is a link to all the events going on at SSK 2016.  Can’t wait to see everyone in less than a week!

SSK Flyer

We also have an update on homework for the U-Turns class with Mercedes.

Homework for U-turns:

Here’s another bunch of amazing door prizes from some incredibly talented artists.

Must Stash Yarns has donated 4 skeins of yarn in the Kama Sutra, Retro Rainbow, Modern, and Martian Rainbow color ways.  These are on a variety of her bases and are OCD skeins.

Knitterly Things who makes the self striping Vesper yarn has donated skeins in the Cha Cha and Oasis color ways with tote bags.

Nomadic Yarns has donated two project bags and 2 skeins of self-striping yarn in the Knit Night and Succulents Dark colorways.

Akerworks has donated a 4 piece spindle set (1 whorl with 3 different shaft sizes) and one of his brand new travel lazy kates (this thing is incredible).

Irish Diva donated a skein of Sugar Skull from Knitter’s Nightmare

Aaron Makes Stuff donated 3 incredible spindles.  A drop spindle made out of colored pencils and Padauk.  A supported spindle made out of Birch and Padauk and another made out of Holly, Acrylic and Aluminum.

Dragonfly Fibers donated a Argyle Cowl kit which includes the pattern, and two skein of Valkyrie yarn.

Birdleg Bags donated 2 bags.  One is a large wedge and the other is a box bag.

Friends in Fiber donated a peacock themed set which includes stitch markers, Superwash merino/Yak/silk yarn in the Serene Peacock color way, and a matching bag.

Chicken Boots donated a double double bag, a clear wristlet, and 6 stitch marker bags

Kitchen Counter Crafter has donated a bag and needle wip keeper with stitch markers.

Lemonade Shop has donated a skein of simple sock in the beach bum color way, Mighty Sock in the Truly Outrageous colorway and a set of super cute buttons.

We are so lucky to have so many incredible artisans willing to donate door prizes to SSK.  In the new few weeks we will be showing some of the incredible things attendees to SSK will have the opportunity to win.

Knit Spin Farm has donated a set on mini bats and a set of her adorable notecards

Invictus Yarns has donated a skein of her Heartland variagated color way

Tangerine Designs has donated a collection of her patterns, a fluff bucket, and a cold sheep kit.

One Hook, Double Stitch has donated a skein of yarn in the Ellie Base in Peacock Feathers with attached stitch markers.

Foster Sheep Farm has donated 3 skeins of her farm raised Romeny/Wensleydale fingering weight yarn.

Into the Whirled has donated 4 skeins of their kettle dyed Pakokku sock yarn in the Vampires of Venice color way.

String Theory Colorworks has donated 11 skeins of her self striping yarn in various color ways and bases.

Katya Frankel has donated 8 of her lovely patterns.

Sarahs Texture Crafts has donated 2 fingerless mitts kits and 2 skeins of her Lux Aran in the Woodland Rose base.

The Loopy Ewe has donated 2 gift certificates.

Class signups will begin Monday, May 2nd until the minute before classes start at SSK.  We will do our best to let you know what class(es) you will have by June 1st.  Class rosters are posted in the SSK group on Ravelry by time slot.If you have questions about anything to do with classes, please email or pm Laura and she will help you.

Hint: If you use the thread text search feature for your ravelry name, it makes it easy to find your classes.

Class Rosters can also be found here.

How signups work:

Your SSK fee includes one class at no additional cost from one of our amazing teachers. We will ask that you choose your top three classes, and we will do our best to accommodate your request based on demand/class size.  I try to have everyone’s selections in before I assign classes. In the past 3 years, every single person who was attending SSK at the time of class signups was able to get their first choice class.  That’s something I am hopeful will happen again this year.  

Additional classes may be available for an extra cost.  If you decide that you would like to add a class at anytime, just let Laura know via email and she will do our best to make that happen.

A special note about spinning classes:  If you would like to take a spinning class and are unable to bring a wheel with you, we will have 4-5 wheels available for rental.  We ask that you let us know on the class form because that may affect which session of class you will be able to take.  If you can only use or prefer a specific wheel, please let Laura know.

Maggie Casey (spinning)

Please note: For all classes students should bring a wheel and all the parts, especially whorls (unless you are borrowing one, please see info above) and Lazy kate and  4 bobbins

SPINNING BIG AND LOFTY YARNS

Soft yarns, full of air, are a joy to knit and wear, but not so easy to spin.  By choosing the right fiber, tweaking our wheels and choosing the right fiber, we can create those light and lofty yarns.

Beginning spinning skills required.

Material fee $ 8

PLAYING WITH ROVING

How many different colored yarns can you get from one variegated roving?  It depends!

How you spin the yarn makes all the difference.  Do you strip it, or spin across the web?  Do you use a singles, 2 ply, Navajo or cable ply?  Yes!  Come spin and ply and see how many different looks you can get from one roving.

Beginning spinning skills required.

Material fee $10

SPINNING LACE YARNS

We will start by tweaking our wheels to make them behave and then spin a little Polwarth, Merino locks and some silk/wool top.  We will practice spinning a consistent yarn, try a couple of different spinning techniques and then ply it and discuss finishing tips.  Can a lace shawl be far behind?

Beginning spinning skills required.

Number of students: 15

Material fee $10

Thea Coleman (knitting)

Design Workshop:

In this hands-on workshop, I’ll take the students through my design process, walking them through each step, from yarn choice to finished idea.  Using yarn that the students bring, we will first cover the aspects of fiber that affect choices, we will cover what to think about when choosing motifs,  and then how to work up a basic design plan.  By the time class is over, everyone will have a new perspective on pairing yarn with ideas and what to think about when creating a fabric!

Skill level:   basic to advanced.   All students should know how to knit basic motifs/stitch patterns and how to read a chart, but a cowl can be designed in simple stitches just as easily as it can be worked in complex lace.   I encourage everyone to work within their skill set.

Materials:  Each student should bring 400-600 yards of a yarn they’d like to make a cowl out of.  It’s a good time to go into stash and pull something they’ve been dying to use.  Any weight or fiber is fine.   Students should bring needles and a blocked stockinette swatch of their yarn choice(s) to class.

Optional:  they can also bring any stitch dictionary or stitch motif they would like to work with.   Bringing more than one yarn option or multiple needle sizes is also fine.  

Cable Workshop

Cables are one of my favorite things to work with.  Especially since they are simpler than people often realize.  In this class I cover  a number of  ways to understand and play with cables.  From using an existing motif in a new way, to changing cables to do what you need them to, to creating  your own cable, we will touch on a number of tricks and techniques that will give the students a new sense of empowerment over creating and changing cables on their own  knits.

Skill Level – advanced beginner and up.  You should know how to work  basic lace and cables and be comfortable  reading and working from a cable chart.

Materials – Each student should bring about 200 yards of a basic worsted weight yarn and a set of needles.  Nothing too variegated or textured, as we will play with a few cables and want them to show up.

Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark (knitting)

Introduction to Brioche Knitting

Skill Level: Intermediate

Prerequisites: Knowledge of basic knitting skills, including increasing, decreasing, and yarnovers.

Description: Learn the brioche stitch, which creates rich reversible textures and lofty, insulating fabrics. You’ll discover how to use flexible cast ons, choose yarns, work basic shaping, and make neat bind offs to use on your brioche projects, as well as knitting brioche in the round. Caution: this stitch is addictive!

Materials Fee: $3, printing costs

Students Should Bring: Smooth worsted weight yarn in a light solid color, double pointed and/or 32” (or longer) circular needle in size US 5 or 6, stitch markers, locking stitch markers.

Homework: N/A

U-Turns: Short Rows for Shaping & Pattern

Skill Level: Beginner

Prerequisites: Students should be comfortable with Stockinette stitch and have a good idea of basic knitting terminology.

Description: Short rows are an invaluable skill to learn to not only shape garments, but to create color and texture patterns in your knitting. Learn four short row methods, including classic wrap and turn method, japanese method, shadow wrap method, and yarnover method, and how to use these techniques to create shaping and pattern in your knitted projects.

Materials Fee: $3, printing costs

Students Should Bring: 2-3 skeins of smooth, DK or worsted weight yarn, preferably wool. Knitting needles in size needed to get gauge with selected yarns. Basic knitting notions (markers, tapestry needle, etc.), including locking stitch markers or coil-less safety pins.

Homework: N/A

Brioche Colorwork

Skill Level: Intermediate

Prerequisites: Working knowledge of brioche knitting.

Description: Learn how to create stunning color patterns using brioche stitch in 2 or more colors. Make your brioche pieces fully reversible by learning advanced shaping methods, and explore different combinations of yarn weights and textures.

Materials Fee: $3, printing costs

Students Should Bring: Smooth solid-colored worsted weight yarn in two or more contrasting colors, small amount of contrasting lace or fingering weight yarn, double pointed or 32” needle in size US 5 or 6, cable needle, stitch markers, locking stitch markers. Optional: scrap yarns in varying textures and colors for stitch exploration.

Homework: N/A

Romi Hill (Knitting)

SSK 2016 lottery entries are now closed!  Thank you so much!

SSK is returning to the Scarritt Bennett Center for 2016!  The event will be held from July 20th-24th.

There are two options for participants.  The first is the event with lodging on campus.  The second “daypass” option is for people who are finding their own housing or live local.

Option 1 (full event including lodging):

Total cost for option 1 is $575.

What’s included in the $575?

• Lodging at the Scarritt Bennett Center Wednesday-Saturday.  Please be aware that while you do have your own room, you will be sharing a bathroom with 1 other person.  These are less fancy than your standard hotel room, but do include wifi.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks Thursday-Saturday.  Cupcakes on Wednesday.  Breakfast on Sunday.   We do accommodate people with different dietary needs.
• 1 three hour class with one of our fabulous teachers Romi Hill, Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, Maggie Casey, or Thea Coleman (you can take up to 3 additional classes at an added cost)
• An amazing goodie bag with lots of neat stuff!
• A chance to win awesome doorprizes.
• Entrance to a market with lots of cool vendors!
• Getting to hang out with tons of cool knitters and spinners who love all the same things you do!
• The Tasting Room, SSK Games, and Try It on Room
• Fun knitalongs, random prizes, and other fun stuff in the Ravelry group.

Option 2 (daypass):

The cost of option 2 is $350

This includes all of the above EXCEPT lodging at the Scarritt Bennett Center.

To sign up for the onsite lottery (option 1), click here  The daypass option (option 2) is here

Both of the links are entries into the lottery for the event.

Lottery entries will be open from 8/29/15 until 9/11/15.  You can only enter ONE lottery, either daypass or onsite, not both.

We wish we had room for everyone, but if we do have more than 146 total entries, a random drawing will occur for spots.  Sign-ups will close September 11th at midnight cental US time.

Good Luck everyone!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

Have an amazing line of products and are interested in selling them at SSK?  SSK is searching for vendors for the 2016 market.  Those interested in applying should complete the form here by August 28th.

Absolute Wonder

Laura Nelkin Designs

Neely’s Knits
Sun Valley Fibers

Claire Devine

Claire also provided a coupon code for all TKG viewers and SSK participants.  It is 20% off anything in her Ravelry store with the code “knitgirllls”

Charan Sachar

Knitterly Things

Rain’s Obsessive Stitchery

Scrumptious Purl