Knitting Away

For me, knitting and travel are intertwined. Knitting on airplanes is another one of my favorite places to knit. In years past, I traveled a lot for work and I would get loads of knitting done while waiting at the gate or flying cross-country. I love being creative and productive, blissing out on knitting while my fellow travelers are bored and irritable.

I don't travel as much these days, but when I do, it is usually for the soul purpose of knitting. I discovered the joy of knitting vacations back in 1998, when I went to Meg Swanson's Knitting Camp for the very first time. Prior to that, I had been an at-home knitter of intermediate skill at best. Knitting camp opened my eyes, sharpened my skills, and made me hunger for more. I started seeking out knitting retreats and workshops offered by yarn shops, TKGA, and Knitter's Magazine (Stitches). I convinced my husband to go with me to New England, New Mexico, Scotland, and Ireland for the knitting. I also went on lots of retreats without him. I will probably ramble about knitting vacations often in future posts. I have the intention of adding links to my favorite knitting vacations.

I'm posting pictures from one of my favorite knitting vacations--Cheryl Oberle's Knit-Away. It was a terrific trip that combined knitting with scenic beauty. A special bonus - my fellow knitting campers threw me a surprise birthday party. These pictures are from May of '05 at the Knit-Away in Taos. Cheryl is a terrific teacher and a goddess knitter. If you ever have an opportunity to take classes, sign up immediately! I know she will be doing a Folk Shawls workshop in May at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC. They offer lots of knitting retreats. Check it out.