Sarah and I had a terrific time at the Jimmy Beans Tahoe Untangled Maker’s Retreat!  Knitting with knitters from around the country, playing with techniques we learned in the classes, shopping the Jimmy Beans warehouse (!) — all in a gorgeous setting at a fabulous hotel! It was such fun and I am so glad we were able to go.  The Jimmy Beans people did a great job managing everything — all especially challenging right now, of course.  They were smart about everything and we felt very comfortable the whole time.  We learned a lot about the company too (including how they have acquired and pretty much resurrected Madeline Tosh Yarns) and I am very impressed.  They work hard to help everyone in their world — employees, customers, retailers, yarn makers — thrive.

AND they gave us swag bags with fabulous stuff!  It was like having a giant Christmas stocking in September 🙂

Our 4 knitting classes featured different techniques for making decorative squares — that can be put together to make a blanket, cowl, scarf, vest…whatever one feels inspired to do.  They had great examples, too.  We got to choose yarn for the class projects from the Cascade 220 wool yarn provided — a bunch of colors!  I picked three that “spoke to me” without anything particular in mind.  I had brought 2 shades of green (which I had used for the homework squares).  So I had 5 colors to play with in class.  It was only when Sarah and I were eating lunch outside in the sunshine after our first class that I realized that the colors I had were Lake Tahoe hues!  So, clearly, I would be making a Lake Tahoe piece 🙂 And what kind of piece?  Well, a Q’mitl, of course!  Putting squares together is a terrific way to construct one of these ubiquitous “ponchos.”  I picked up 3 more colors of yarn during our Jimmy Beans shopping time and I have a delightful palette that will keep our time at Lake Tahoe fresh in my mind 🙂

And, yes, I did complete my tentacled Matamata shawl by Norah Gaughan for the trip — being modeled by my seasonal friend 🙂