ALMOST worth the 5 day wait for an update .

Sigh. . . sounds like a completely lovely time!! The weather is gorgeous here in Northern New York, and I have been knitting this afternoon after meeting my first semester students who are a trial--wonderful and interesting, kind of like having temporary teenagers for a semester's time--and the knitting keeps me sane. Maybe one day I can join you. After I retire. If I ever can. . .

Ah to be rained delayed in such a place with beer and yarn. Life is good.

Was BrooklynTweed there? Beautiful photography on this post!

Glad you all had such a great time! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I get in next time the opportunity presents itself. Looooove those socks!!!

Hah! I caught a quick glimpse of the dyeing photo and I thought this was going to be a post about someone (no names mentioned) spilling red wine on his or her knitting.

P.S. I've done it. It's not fun.

Love the socks!

And from the eternal sunshine of Los Angeles, a good blustery storm sounds like the perfect accompaniment to knitting. Wish I were there!

The socks look so cozy by the fire...sounds like a great time was had by all. Stay warm!

Of course you finished your lovely socks quickly. After all, you do use the lever method. I'm now using it too, thank you very much, though in that klutzy, why won't my fingers do what my brain tells them to do, slow kind of way. I'll be counting the days till I have it nailed.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for a fabulous, unforgettable weekend.

With those plans and that attitude going, you have the makings of a true WetCoaster.

Love the socks, glad you have a great weekend, and hope you get to steal more fabulous yarn in addition to your yarny beer :)

How terrible to be stuck in such a place with nothing to do but knit! I feel your joy, um, I mean pain. (heeheehee)
Looks like you guys had a blast! Maybe one of these days I will get to go.
In the meantime, I'd better go knit some more so I can get good enough to be considered a real knitter.
Prayers for a safe journey home!

Welcome to Washington in November. We haven't even had our "big" storm of the year, yet.

Depression is a lifestyle here, and you have to embrace it. In addition to your yarn and booze, I suggest audiobooks. It's the only way to make it through the (year) rainy season.

What lovely knitting weather is heading your way! Hope you are able to enjoy it. Did you bring enough yarn?

Sounds like perfect knitting conditions to me.Maybe being grounded there will make up(a tiny bit) for having to cut your SOAR trip short?!?

Sounds like heaven, a snow day without snow--and without kids.

Glad you all had a blast. Seems the weather is too. happy knitting,love the color and the socks. You and Tina are a force to be reckoned with. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.

Just found Anne Hanson's blog & I want that sock pattern - interesting w/o being fussy! What is the lever method?? I'm slow even w/continental...

As a participant I can attest to the fantastic weekend atmosphere, the amazing staff, all the wonderful teachers, and the yarn - oh the yarn! I've been in Knot Hysteria withdrawal since returning home.

Thanks for my early Christmas...

Sounds like you had a wonderful time, I do love a good storm. Beautiful socks, great colours.

Are you referring to Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter? I'm not a beer drinker, but that's my town! I work only 5 minutes or so from the brewery. :-)

Great socks! I hope the goodie bags were well received!

That sounds like my definition of a perfect time. Thanks for letting us live vicariously (now if only I had some of that porter with me while reading this post, it would be perfect!). Travel safely when you can.

I miss the Northwest. I haven't been there since August.

Nice socks. Thanks for keeping us posted.

A raging storm, a fire and some wool sound dreamy ... throw in a Black Butte and I'd call that perfect. Enjoy.

i prefer the deschutes pale ale...
i've never been much of a porter fan.
maybe if there is nothing else to drink.

looking forward to the official release of the blue lagoon.
you could try telling tina that you are doing color market research for her.

i <3 that deschutes porter; they have it on tap at my university's pub, which is excellent/dangerous. enjoy your well-earned relaxation!

i'll keep an eye out for that blue lagoon; i'm a sucker for blue/green/purple, especially when they're all together.

Ooh! New converts! How exciting.

Mmmmmmmm. Black Butte and knitting are great ways to enjoy November in the pacific northwest. If you haven't had it, you should hunt down the reserve series version called Black Butte XXI (or Black Butte XX last year). It is brewed with local coffee beans and cocoa nibs and is sinfully delicious. You can get it at a good bar if you are lucky, or a beer store. I just found some at a Fred Meyers on sale, and you might see it at a whole foods or QFC too.

Your socks fly. Love that. Hunkering down with a porter? Okay, but just don't tell Joe!!!

Oh, a porter BEER!!!! :)

Many thanks to you and Tina for another wonderful knitting event. I'm working on the posture since I want to be knitting well into my golden years :) Oh, and I'm making an appointment with Morgaine to test drive wheels as soon as she's back in town!

DESCHUTES PORTER! sigh.... love! Can I say that I would just die with happiness to sit and have a beer and chat with you? I mean, there are beer drinkers, and then there are dark beer drinkers...and then there are dark beer drinkers who knit.

Port Ludlow looks like a ball - and not one of those 18th century dances, but more like the super-bouncy-balls in some swirly neon colors. FUN!

Yes, this is the third storm in four days. Hunker down. FYI: Deschutes porter is made by my former school principal's husband. You should have seen our staff party. Its nice to know you enjoy this little corner of the US. We do have good beer (and wine)!

'Fraid I got ya beat down here in California. Went out to play golf and it was a little cloudy. The last hole we played, (didn't even finish 9) we were guessing which way to hit the ball because of the clouds, fog and ice. Came home, built a fire, and getting ready to settle down with a knitting book as there is just not enough light for sock knitting. Wish I had some porter though......sigh.......

Beautiful socks. I especially love the photo of them with the fireplace glowing in the background.

Thank you again Stephanie for a lovely weekend! I am going to time myself this evening with my lever knitting. I know that I am faster with only a few days practice than I am with my slowpoke throwing.

The weather back east has been cloudy and rainy too so you aren't missing too much. At least you have the element of excitement with the wind.

Have safe travels when you head back east.

Knitting and dark beer... nothing better than that! Safe traveling!

THAT'S what I call knitting weather! The new socks must really top off the mood.

At first I thought you were pouring good wine over... some kind of food, nut then came to my senses and remembered whose blog I was visiting. What fun, I wish I were there.

What the world needs now, is SPINNERS, sweet SPINNERS!!! Thanks for showing those newbie souls the way. :-)

Isn't Morgaine great?! She is just such a respository of interesting information and so friendly and nice. And she always has such beautiful fibers for you to try out... Love the picture of her "holding court!" :o)

I can't wait FOR you to do it again. I missed this one by an inch (or maybe more, but I'm guessing I was close as you sent me a very lovely "sorry you're too late" note.) If the next one's in range I'm SO there.

Consider Jackson Hole Wyoming for a retreat! Maybe a fall one. It's cold as sh*t here in the winter. But stunningly beautiful any time of the year. We have a solid knitting community and I'm making more knitters here every day. Knitters would travel from Idaho and Salt Lake and Denver to be here. Oh... and did I mention my husband brews FANTASTIC beer? We moved here from Portland and the local brews just didn't stack up, so he started making his own. As with everything he does, it is truly spectacular.

Hope you're planning such an event for back east! Know of a couple of places where it would be great to hold it! Fern Resort, Port Elgin, Montebello, to name just a few!

Heartbreaking to get trapped by a storm and have to spend the down time knitting by the fire. Sorry about your luck. At least you remember to take extra yarn in case something like this happened, right? Or will you just liberate something else from Tina's desk?

Lovely socks! It sounds absolutely great. And having a whole weekend that's rainy and stormy? Bliss. Especially given that we're having our second heat wave in two weeks here. Makes it a little difficult to knit!

It was a fantastic weekend. It was so cool to meet THE Yarn Harlot herself. Stephanie, you are amazing! Thank you so very much!

Love the socks!!! If you get tired of them , you can send them to me! (yea - I know -fat chance!)

If you have time, plan a short trip to Bainbridge Island and say "hi" to the mice at Churchmouse. Always pretty stuff there!

Love it. Thank you. Brightened my chilly evening with that wonderful post.

I love the knitting hotel. What fun. And the socks are great - that pattern goes on my to-do list for sure.

*Sigh* It sounds terrific, I can't wait to hear when the next one will be!

ooh how disappointed i was when i didnt get selected. fingers crossed for the next time!

What great socks! Wear them well.
And we have great places in the NJ,PA or NY area
that would really would be great for one of your
events. Come see us!

I love STR MW. 48 sts is a quick sock for me, too! Blue Lagoon is beautiful. I want some.

Looks like you had a great time. Sorry about the weather!

While I love so many things about my little children (hugs, kisses, cuddles in my lap, playing pretend, etc) I do look forward to when they are older and I can go on fabulous knitting retreats like this one. I looks so wonderful and heart healing.

While I love so many things about my little children (hugs, kisses, cuddles in my lap, playing pretend, etc) I do look forward to when they are older and I can go on fabulous knitting retreats like this one. I looks so wonderful and heart healing.

I'll just go knit on my linen stitch scarf and watch SG-1 while nursing the baby to sleep and dreaming of knitting retreats to come.

Group me with the why-is-she-pouring-wine-on-her-spaghetti crowd.

oh black butte porter
your mighty taste: smooth and rich
what storm? good beer here.

For future reference-- the weather in LA is lovely from late fall until March or so. Except in January and February, there is virtually no chance of rain. You might want to keep that in mind, when planning winter events.

You're right to throw summer events in the Northwest, though. Think of it this way-- the weather in LA in winter is just like the weather in Oregon in summer. Nice temperature, blue skies, and maybe a little rain once or twice a week.

Looks wonderful. Makes we want to try dyeing, not to mention knitting some damn socks already (I know, I know; I have a mental sock block).

I am so jealous of the big storm!!!! (Grew up a block from Lake Erie) Why does it look like your pouring wine on yarn?? If so...why? and, how did it look??

Those socks almost make me want to try a first sock. Have fear that it would be that - first sock...and not socks.

*Sighs*

And I must go back to the toil of my job... how can I get work in knitting? Is there an opening for someone to "teach" classes where I just wax eloquent of my love of knitting?

You really do have a good job... but yeah, not a lot of knitting time!

Stunning socks, gorgeous yarn, fabulous times...wish I had been there!

Naw, don't waste yarn tying down the chairs! Let 'em go if they want to go swimming so badly. Besides, if you use yarn, you'd kick yourself if you were just that much short for your project.

Oh, I'm so glad (although not even a little surprised) that you had a good time! I wish I knew someone with little feet. Everyone in my family, or at least those I'm making socks for, have size 10s!

Being stuck until Saturday in a beautiful place with enough yarn "can't take the happy off me"? Woman, do you really love laundry and dirty dishes that much? Granted, I have sunshine 300 days a year, but I have dishes and laundry 365 days a year and when we build a fire during our three cold (not cold enough for snow) months it's to keep warm, no central heat. Would you like to trade for a week or two? Which brings me to my next point, how about doing some sort of program, conference, class, etc in Portugal. Our springs, summers and falls are all fabulous. We even have a Canadian Consul here in the Algarve. (Would that we had an American one too. I have to drive to Lisbon when I need something done.) Wouldn't you all really love to get away to some place really different? Or I could hook you up with my friends at the embassy in Ankara.

Last, "lever method" knitting? Is that what I do, scooping up the yarn as though I were using a crochet hook so that a knit stitch sits backward on the needle? Never heard the term.

Enjoy your fire and your drink! You've earned the extra time out.

I agree-love the socks. They have been knit twice for the husband who likes socks with a bit of rib type action, and these fit his bill (or should I say leg). In fact Holidazed is the only pattern I have knit from back in the one year I belonged to the Club, when I was fully, not partially employed.
But his are knit over 72 stitches and my memory is not what yours is and I carry the pattern on a little notecard and count the rows on a row counter.

Oh, delayed travel home, a knitting project, a bar nearby, hello, are you in Nirvana?

I love the socks. They were my favorite club pattern from last year and I think I wear them more than any other socks I own.

Congratulations on your successful retreat! The socks are lovely and pattern looks much better in your pictures than on the blue moon website.

Wow, looks like a great time! And I LOVE that new color. Tina dreams up the most beautiful stuff!

I've never done anything like this before, but I just followed your links and ordered that sock pattern and that yarn in a different colorway. It just looks so perfect!

Knitting in front of a cozy fire during a storm. Always a good choice.

Cheers and red wine in honour of a successful/happy weekend. I know you shouldn't hit the red stuff while knitting, but I can't help myself. I gleaned one fact from your post. Having always used Tina's STR light weight and 64 stitches for socks to fit me, I can now try STR medium weight with 48 and know that they will fit too(as well as being faster). That might mean that some people whom I had crossed off my Christmas sock list might get socks after all.

your book-tour visit to the indy area +/- 18 months ago wasn't nearly long enough for your fans . . . and you saw only the OUTSIDE of our fabulous children's museum. so please consider coming back -- and bringing tina and morgaine with you.

besides the places available in indy, rustic brown county indiana, about 60 miles from indianapolis, would be a fabulous place for a knitting retreat with harlotry, spinning and dyeing! there are at least two good potential venues (one is an episcopal conference center; the other is in the town of nashville, a place noted for interesting shops, good regional foods and proximity to both bloomington, home of indiana university, and columbus, a small city beloved of architecture buffs.

Totally looks like someone is spilling her wine on the yarn in the first photo. Heehee. wish I could have gone, sounds wonderful.

Hmm, suddenly find myself wishing for a good Nor' Easter. Love the socks!

What a great time! Wish I was there.
Love your socks. :)

My head!! I see the back of my head in a Yarn Harlot post - how seriously cool. It was an amazing weekend. And could there be a better place to be stuck because of the weather?

The dye photo is very lovely. You were lucky to have so much of Morgaine's time. We love her here in California. She's hardworking, full of information, and has sold spinning wheels to me and mine a couple of times. She's an extremely generous person. In all ways you can thing to apply to that word.

And that my friend is why we live in the NW(me specifically in Portland)! We have many, many excuses to knit all winter long and watch the storms around us.

Glad you had a lovely time here.

It sounds like you had a blast even if you didn't get to do that much knitting. I love the new socks. I'm definitely in the market for more unisex socks to make for my husband (whose feet are ginormous and almost cube shaped).

What's "lever knitting"?

I can feel the cozy from here. Sigh.

Yeah, what is lever knitting?

P.S. Really nice socks!

Oh, to a home sick person from Oregon reading about the storm just made me want to get on a plane.
I love-love the socks. They actually look comfortable and cozy. I think I'll add them to my list of possible Ravelympics knits.

I dearly and sincerely hope you enjoy doing these so much that you continue on for another decade. By my estimate, the earliest I could visit one of your retreats is in five years. The later out number is ten years.

So, please, keep having a wonderful good time.

ari

Sounds cozy! Would love to attend one day...ah, the kiddos will grow.

Nice socks! The weather...not so much. :)

Ocean Storm, check. Pleanty of fire wood, check. Beer, check, yarn and needles, check.
Let it blow, let it blow let it blow.
Bliss.

Another reason I need to find a new job....I want to go to your retreat next time. I'm going to get in your lever knitting class one way or another... ;)

Here I sit with yarn and chart.
I missed the fun; it broke my heart.
At least I skipped the wind and rain!
Ah well, someday we'll meet again.

I like the Deschutes Black Butte Porter, but I really like the Rogue Mocha Porter (out of Newport). Oregon is so great for beer.

What can I say, I really needed that beer. :)
Thanks for a wonderful weekend!

It looks like a great time! Is that wine being poured on yarn?