The Maiwa Symposium is happening right now in Vancouver and there are wonderful workshops, lectures and some fun fibre based events ( not something that happens often is it!?) happening all over town. I attended a lecture on Living Textiles of Mexico on Thursday night and spent this past weekend knitting!
I spent a wonderful weekend wrestling with knitting design! OK wrestling might not be the best word for it, but it is a bit like patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time. There are so many things involved in the creation of a knitted shawl! Thankfully we were guided by the brilliant Sivia Harding who has no trouble at all patting her head, rubbing her stomach and juggling balls of yarn at the same time! And all done with a smile on her face.
I know it doesn’t look like much but I really accomplished allot this weekend! and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Nothing like a bot of a change to get the creative juices flowing.
Not sure how well it shows in the image above but I have learned to chart my own designs and place them within the triangular ever-increasing shape of a knitted shawl my mind is spinning with ideas! Sivia’s gorgeous shawls were eye candy and inspiration for the weekend, she graciously allowed us to try them on and get the feel of shaping shawls to our bodies. Who knew there was so much detail in a triangle!
The workshop was held on Granville Island in the Loft space above the Maiwa shop. The Loft is an amazing textile resource with a library and the Maiwa collection of textiles from around the world. It’s a feast for the eyes or was before we messed it up!
Then of course there’s the other kind of feast you can find on Granville Island at the Public Market! Finding lunch was no problem, deciding on what I wanted was another matter all together.
There’s always the usual cast of characters entertaining the visitors on the island!
There were a couple of times during the workshop when I felt a bit like this fellow! balancing carefully on a rolling thingy on a stool and hoping for the best. But thanks to Sivia and her endless patience I have ideas brewing for a knitted design of my own.
Bye for now, Catherine
ravensthread 
Hi Catherine,
Thanks for the pictures of Granville Island – brought back many happy memories. In fact, that’s the same guy balancing precariously on that moving tower as when we were there last time isn’t it? Did you resist the baked goods or give in like I would have?
Linda
Hi Linda,
If it wasn’t the very same guy it must have been his twin brother! If I remember correctly the fellow we saw when you were here juggled fire! This guy may have been working up to that but lunch was calling me so I didn’t stick around to see the whole show!
Yup, I gave in! 2 of those chocolate covered wafer things in the top right corner of the image- delicious!
Catherine
I love Granville Island, and it has been too long since I have visited. I am intrigued by your knitting. I look at charted patterns and think I need to get my cross stitching supplies out! I am attempting a lace pattern and have not mastered the pat your head, rub the stomach juggling yet. Wishing you a beautiful week.
Happy memories for me too Catherine! I just love the market with all of the wonderful displays of fruit and vegetables and, of course, the flowers. Great seafood as well if I remember correctly!
Good luck with the shawl design, I still have one half knitted sock so don’t think I’m ready for the shawl yet!
The shawl will be a slow project! but it’s going to be great fun. (I may need to be reminded of that part way through!)
So it’s an anklet then!? maybe a new fashion trend.
Catherine
I can see that the Maiwa Symposium is a place I want to go to. No jugglers in Mitchell South Dakota while I was there for the indigo dyeing workshop. Like your samples and your start. You are onto something here. Judy