Stitches East 2007

Stitches East 2007 was a blast. I went to the convention in Baltimore for three days and two nights with my friends Tracie and Rae Ann. ALso had the oppurtunity to meet up for dinner with Barbara Rutt one night and with Melanie Brown the other night. It was knit talk all night. We talked for hours just about knitting. Being at Stitches made you feel like you could knit anything and had all the time in the world to knit. It was tempting to buy too much yarn.

I took one class : Seven Principles for Perfect Sweater by Sally Melville. Loved the class. Even though many of the principles were techniques I already knew, there were also some techniques that I didn't know. The class was worth every penny. Most of the things Sally went over in class are covered in her Knitting Experience books. But it really made a difference to hear it and see it, rather than just to read about it. I wish the next book in her series would get published soon. But I've heard rumors that it may never get published.

For the class swatched I used Paton's Classic Merino. Using size 3.5 mm I got 19.5 stitches for a 4 inch square. Here is a picture of my class swatch complete with the excercise on picking up stitches and button holes. I like Paton's Classic Merino. It is a good basic yarn. Readily available at Joann Fabrics. Not real exciting, but not too bad either. Definitely the best thing going at the chain stores.

Then while at Stitches I fell in love with a Jane Slicer-Smith mitred (mitered?) pattern and had to have it. I bought the pattern and the yarn at the Great Yarns Booth. It was my biggest purchase out side of the cochenille software I also purchased. THe yarn for the mitred pattern is Baruffa's Merino Sei. It is the same type of wool as Paton's Classic Merino, but what a difference. They are as different as apples and oranges.

Here is my first swatch of Merino Sei. Becuase it is many more plys than the Paton's it is easier to accidently snag just one ply. But it is also loftier and springier. The gauge also changed drastically after washing and blocking. Before blocking I got 5 stitches per inch on a 3.75 mm, 5.5 stitches on a 3.5 mm and 6 stitches on a 3.25 mm. After washing the yarn bloomed and I then got 4.5 stitches on a 3.75mm , 5 on a 3.5mm and 5.5 on a 3.25 mm. Over all a very lovely yarn. I'd like to have a full bag of this in every color. Can't really afford that. So for now I'll be content with the 18 balls I purchased at Stitches. THe Merino Seit is also a superwash merino - so it isn't feltable.

So if I had to pick between the Merino Sei and the Classic Merino for a project which would I pick? Well definitely the Classic Merino if I'm going to felt it. Outside of that consideration, as long as my budget allows I'd pick Merino Sei any day.