Swing Knitting with Expert Brigitte Elliott was our topic today and we love that she shared this with us as well as so many other things!

Swing Knitting was actually developed by someone else and Brigitte gives credit to Gabrielle Kluge https://www.strickrausch.de/  (Intoxicated Knitting) and was trademarked by Heidrun Liegmann-Halama https://swing-knitting.com. There is a workshop course in German (if you open it with Google, it can be translated) by Heidrun that Brigitte recommends.  https://magischemaschen.blogspot.com   (Magical Stitches)   Brigitte deserves credit though, too, for translating to English (we think!) and showing us how truly fun it is!  There are several patterns that are really popular that uses this technique, most familiar is the Dreambird Shawl (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dreambird-kal), the Hitchhiker Shawl (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hitchhiker) to name a couple…

Brigitte met Patty McDonald who communicated by e-mail, who shared a scarf that they both found incredibly inspiring that was in German. That was Gabrielle Kluge! Brigitte took that course linked earlier in summer 2010, then she went to Germany for a live course, four days in a castle and met teacher Heidrun. Brigitte found it so exciting, and later Heidrun sent her a packet for Brigitte’s help to translate it into English. Brigitte really loved this style of knitting that she thinks of as German Short Rows. She devised a mathematical formula of explaining Heidrun’s musical way of writing.

This is one of her designs: The Autumn Fusion Shawl has been well received.  https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/swing-knits-autumn-fusion-shawl There is a series of workshops  in German and in English in Ravelry. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/swing-knittingtm-workshop-5—swingy-hitchhiker  There’s also been some additonal designs from Heidrun placed in Ravelry in German and with Brigitte’s help, English! https://www.ravelry.com/stores/magische-maschen-designs Brigitte’s also had some designs published, most of us may have seen in the Knitter’s magazine. Here’s the link to her Ravelry Designer page to remind us: https://www.ravelry.com/designers/brigitte-elliott

Brigitte also recommends the Ravelry group for Swing Knits https://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-the-swing—swing-knittingtm

Don’t forget to check out Brigitte Elliott’s website: https://www.bzknitter.com/

Donna Druchunas has recently self-published Stories in Stitches 3, This and the first two volumes can be purchased for the knitter who loves historical crafting.

She will be doing a knitting cruise! This one goes to the Baltic Sea. >>>CLICK HERE<<< There is also an ARMCHAIR CRUISE which means you get to learn to knit Arctic Lace from home with the theme of Cruising to Alaska! https://ruzuku.com/courses/4001/about

This was not mentioned during the program, but Donna will be teaching at Stitches East in October, She has other events, too, that can be found at her website https://sheeptoshawl.com/

If you would like to check out her Designer page on Ravelry (oh, my, has she been a busy knitting bee!) https://www.ravelry.com/designers/donna-druchunas This page will link you to locations where her books and patterns can be purchased.

Donna has also appeared before on the Yarn Thing podcast.

6/5 ~ HEIDI BEARS, on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird

It’s pretty exciting getting to talk to someone from all the way around the world. Heidi Bears called in from South Africa, proving that guests and listeners could be from anywhere in the world!

Heidi’s designs have been favorites on Ravelry and Pinterest, they are cheerful and fun, which puts a smile on the face of all that see them.

Her first crochet lessons were in school as it was required of all school children. She says her first project was an ugly pillow (we’re all so hard on our first projects). After her daughter was born, she left her secular career, and found herself picking up knitting and crochet as a hobby. As with many, that became a career.

Her website came of a desire to create for her godson and a search for stuffed animals on Google, where she found her neighbor across the road had an etsy shop and blog. This inspired her, thinking it might be a fun thing to do. https://heidibearscreative.blogspot.com/ The first design was the Lollo Bear https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lollo-the-african-flower-bear (this link is in Ravelry)

She keeps in mind the visual learners so her patterns, as Marly says, are like a workshop. Clearly, that is a good way to write a pattern Ravelry shows that more of these bears have been created than any of her other patterns, but one, the Happypotamus. Using hexagons and polygons in crochet have given her the ability to make a recognizable shape of an animal. Marly admired that at her website: https://heidibearscreative.blogspot.com/ she features knitting also and not just toys. She is a big fan of socks made with Magic Loop!

We posted a picture of Puff the Magic Stegosaurus last night on the Marly Bird Facebook page and it was a HUGE hit! https://www.facebook.com/MarlyBird At this point there have been 3,500 views in about 18 hours! Marly shared that she has purchased the pattern, admires that Heidi went in to such great detail as the pattern is 39 pages long just to make sure that whoever purchases the pattern will be able to complete the project.

Colors are important, she uses wonderful local indie dyers with wonderful South African Merino wool. She promised to send links will update when we get those.

Got the links today! Thank you, Heidi. www.colourspun.com and www.nurturingfibres.com

Make sure to take time to listen, not only to her beautiful accent but to the inspiration she shares with us!

Joi Mahon, aka Designer Joi, our Guest on the Yarn Thing with Marly Bird, June 3rd. 2014

Unlike our typical guests, Joi Mahon is not a knitter, crocheter, dyer or other yarn type person, we are going to adopt her into the fiber lovers neighborhood. She crochets so she gets us. Her trade actually is designing clothing. Her business is Designer Joi, Dress Forms Design. She has a wonderful website for her business, Designer Joi, Dress Forms Designs which exhibits her wonderful work. https://dressformsdesign.com/word/

She teaches knitting as well, and hopes that unlike those that taught herself and Marly that it’s more encouraging and less, “sew and rip, sew and rip…” as Marly says. She has new classes at Craftsy (here are the codes which lets our sponsor know we sent you and gets you a little discount, so please use them):

• Fast Track Fitting in the Details https://www.craftsy.com/ext/MarlyBird_439_CP 
• Fast Track Fitting https://www.craftsy.com/ext/MarlyBird_314_CP

Her classes demonstrate making things that fit. THIS is important information for those who don’t fit most patterns. In addition to her classes, we will be able to learn a lot from a new book coming out… Here’s the link to find it at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Create-Perfect-Fit-Measuring-Solutions/dp/1440239614/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401817701&sr=8-1&keywords=Joi+Mahon