3KCBWDAY3 Knitting Hero

Today is about heroes, knitting or crochet. I do crochet, but since I've started knitting, I mostly do that. So someone I admire for her knitting is Michele - PDXKnitterati. I've test knit for her once on her Zen Rain Shawlette:

This it at the State Fair. If you look closely, you'll see they put my tag on the wrong side and have it wrong side out. If that is how it was judged, I think it did pretty good for getting third place. Imagine if it had been correct side out?

Neither photo shows that there's silver in the yarn so it sparkles like raindrops in the sun. Its a lovely shawlette.

I've also knit one of her designs as a sample for local dyer, Lorajean for her KnittedWit yarns and fiber, Thrumbelina, that makes use of thrumming. Thrumming has been around for a few hundred years, but she's come up with a nice twist with her slippers:

Regular and Large sizes

 Showing off the thrums, the butterfly twists of fiber knitted in:

I plan to knit another pair or two really soon. I think they'll be great to take camping to keep feet warm. I have a friend, Andrea, with poor circulation and she always has cold feet and hands, so could really use a pair.

Michele is growing her designing and teaching classes at her local yarn store, Twisted, but has been getting invited to teach in other yarn stores and not just in town. She's taught all the way down in Corvallis for Stash.

Michele has also tackled knitting projects like entrelac successfully and then gone on to design patterns using this technique. The thrumming and then this weekend went off to the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival and took a class with Mary Scott Huff on how to steek. That's purposefully cutting your knitting and there's no felting involved. There was also no steadying sip of wine beforehand, so really impressed. I think I'd have to have at least one drink before and I really don't drink. ;-)

Michele is always willing to share not only in her classes, but those of you not local, you can learn some of her techniques from her tutorials like how to two color knit and carry it in one hand.

I have several several of her patterns in my queue to knit in the future and hope to add many more. I also can't wait to find out what new knitting challenge Michele will tackle! Can you?

Found this and thought it would be fun to end with:

Tammy, Rachel and Michele all with their Turkish Drop Spindles. Michele had been tempted by them at Sock Summit and has spun a bit, but I think the designing is keeping her away from spinning. (The Turkish group grew that afternoon to at least five or more.)