A Little Knitty

My goal was to finish the Westknits MKAL by the 31st and I made it!!!!! I'm so thrilled with the finished piece and I learned a lot. My cat even approves :)

Today was ALLLLL about weaving. I learned SO much about rigid heddle weaving looms and the differences between their different looms. We got to play with lots of woven items. BY FAR our favorite was this blanket (Teresa is contemplating how she can take it home). They take tea time very seriously...and I LOVE it!!! I am now completely addicted. We received a demonstration of how to assemble the looms...they are easier than expected...but do have a couple quirky bits to keep an eye on! It was nice to see a professional put one together! Then it was time to warp my own loom and I learned SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!!! I feel so confident warping and actually ENJOYED IT!!!!! Need your loom warped? I'm your girl! :) By NOOOOO means it this an example of great weaving (it's the 3rd thing I've ever woven) but it goes to show you don't have to be good at something to try it. I improved as I went and got some tips and tricks on how to get even better. It's like knitting...I just n

Today was the first day of the Ashford Retreat. We were gifted a little swag and started the day with learning a bit more about Ashford. We then jumped in some vans and cars to visit the Ashford plant and store. I think we left around 9am...but it honestly felt like the afternoon. The time change for sure messed with me a little bit!! It was SO cool to learn about the history of Ashford and how they have evolved into the company they are now. We got to see the wood that it used to make all of the wheels and looms, and how they are treated and cured to make the best products! What really shocked me was the automation. Every single piece is created using the least amount of waste and impact on the environment AND the health of their employees.  I was also super impressed by their quality assurance and how each item is so perfectly packed! Look at all those looms waiting to go to their forever homes!!! And they have awesome fiber too...this bump totally looks like a caterpillar to me! :)

The last 2 days of travel don't count as days because we legit only flew and recooperated from flying....and tomorrow the Ashford part of our trip begins!!! We woke up and stashed our bags with the hotel staff and went to figure out the public transportation system (which was very easy, thank goodness!) There was lots of knitting at bus stops and on busses! We walked around downtown and found a couple yarn shops (of course) And then we got on a bus and we were taken out to Ashburton to start the Ashford part of our stay. The hotel is adorable and has a REAL key for our door. And yes, that's my bed full of knitting, snacks and my beautiful view of the garden.  So far everything has been AMAZING and I'm still in shock that I'm here!