Clapotis is Done! Time to pack for UK Knit Camp

Whooo  Hooo the dreaded Clapotis is done.  I have finished the sodding thing at last.  Currently doing the last couple of loads of washing getting ready for the great packing madness which will be done tomorrow in the morning when it is light.

So how do you say Clapotis?

If any project had a name which it should not have it is this pattern.  I just can not say it without alluding to something straight out of the gutter.   My inner 12 yr comes out to play every time and I have to stifle the giggle.  

I got into trouble last night cause of my short hand - this CLAP... is giving me the Sh*ts.  The bunch of knitters in the corner of a fairly posh pub let out a loud earthy laughing following a quip by our group leader who responded to my statement... A beetroot moment for me.      I had avoided this project due to its over popularity so why am I knitting one because it is part of my UK knit camp homework.  Do I sound like a teenager yet?

Rose's Tearooms spread

Yes I am heading off to a one week Knit Camp as part of my holidays and there is a special afternoon tea party entry requirement is the Clapotis.  I am hoping to meet up with my friend, Mrs Magic (ravname), to have scones with jam and cream, and all things lovely that you expect at a posh afternoon tea.  We like our afternoon teas and have been to Rose's Tea Rooms on the Wirral which we should do again soon as I can skive a day of work and she is in the same region of England.  Mrs Magic has not been at knit night lately as she has been away visiting  gallivanting off seeing friends and family.  By the sounds of the Facebook messages her Clap is lot more advanced than mine...;-P

Fields of Gold

As part of my fibre increase for the Tour de Fleece I have purchased some more batts this time it was a fibre that reminded me of the daughter and our shared fascination for bees and bugs. So I have now got 200gms of the lovely Marino/ Bamboo and sparkly bits batt from Shunklies and her etsy shop.   It can also be remarked that these batts are the same colour as the winners jacket on the tour.

Love the honey coloured yellowness

I am still knitting on the clapotis but it is starting to bore me to tears sorry make that to sleep.  I really have to sort out the boredom factor by starting an alternative project to spice up my life a bit.

UK Knit camp homework

Sometimes the reality that my dyslexia affects me in my everyday life comes and hits me square between the eyes with a 2 by 4. If you have not worked out by some of my antics I can be totally delusional ala last minute Xmas knitting. Anyone for knitting a hoddie jumper in less than 48 hours ???  I sometimes delude myself that my dyslexia does not affect me when I am knitting.

For once in my life I was being a cautious bunny and actually was doing a swatch trial run so as not to damage my pretty wool.  For one knit camp event you need a Clapotis so I was preparing my homework assignment by doing the swatch and little trial run of the instructions. I had got through section one and two parts of the swatch but I just could not get my noggin round section 3 of the pattern. I had read the text and reread the text; and each time my cartoon brain had interpreted the instructions in a different manner.

After whinging like a four year old, a Knitnight knitter with good googlefoo posted a link for me and even with the sound off I got it. Just looking at the pictures of the hands moving and how they were picking up the bar sorted my total confusion out. It just confirmed in so many ways that I am a visual-kinaesthetic learner. So if you decide to do a Clapotis, which is really pretty straight forward once you understand the written directions, you may want to check out this tutorial for doing the dropped stitch.

Knit Camp

Knit camp??? was a comment I recently got during a conversation online with a fellow knitter. Now as some may remember last year in Coventry was the first UK Ravelry day.  This year it has turned into a Ravelry weekend and a prequel knit camp week.

There were so many classes and so many teachers on Ravelry Day 2009 that many complained that too much choice too little time.  I personally crashed out with exhaustion and had to go back to my hotel for a snooze after falling asleep in the Meg Swanson talk  sooo embarrising...  There is also a shortage of events in the UK that you find elsewhere in the world like Knitting Camp which was first started in 1974 by Elizabeth Zimmerman (Meg Swanson's mum).

I have been recently reviewed what classes I have signed up and looking up the homework assignments as a result I think I have solved my dilemma of a new knitting project after the recent melady of meh!   Here is what I have stashed away for this project.  It will most definitely be a rainy day project.