Rainbow Shrug, Gauge, Teaching, and Knitting Retreat

I finished a shrug for my wife last week.  I ended up giving it to my daughter.  Again I was hit with the, "you didn't do a swatch/V8 smack in the head".  I had found a pattern for a 3 hour cardigan made in super bulky yarn on size 15 needles. (It can be found for free at Designer Yarn Sale.)  I decided to use the size 15 needles but try it with ribbon yarn (because it is spring and 100% wool this time of year is way too hot.)  Needless to say, 2 1/2 days later, I ended up with the tiny shrug you see in the pictures below.    So once again I learned the importance of a gauge swatch.  The reason the shrug took more

    

than 3 hours was the use of the ribbon yarn.  It tends to twist when you are knitting and after 10-20 stitches I had to untwist for a more even knit.   I like for the ribbon to lay flat on the needle instead of twisting into a strand.  I don't think the effect would have been as pretty.  I am making another one of these for a friend out of Lion Brand Hometown in orange (her favorite color) and I am using size 17 needles for the proper gauge (yes I did a swatch this time).  It should be finished this evening.  

I taught my first Beginning Knitting Class at the Crafting Stop in Franklin, VA (check them out on Facebook).  I think all went very well for those who came.  I am hoping to teach another sometime in April.  It will be great to have an ongoing gig for teaching knitting skills.  I hope the students learned and the store now has chunky yarn so we are going to try for a scarf next time.  

Now for the Knitting Retreat.  We are finalizing all plans for the Knitting retreat.  Models are nearly complete,  I have to begin working on writing out patterns and organizing supplies, prizes, folders and  whatever else we should need.  If you or anyone else you know would like to attend please send them to the previous post which announced the "Keeping You in Stitches Retreat."