Tag Archives: Austrian Yarn Club

Wollness Weekend Photographed by Dominik Matyas

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AYC_499All the brilliant photos Dominik Matyas, bydominik.com, took at the Wollness Weekend, at Hotel Steinschalerhof, 1.5 hour outside of Vienna, are ready. He has captured the fun we had so well. Above are the organizers; the Austrian Yarn Club founders and some of us workshops holders together with the two husbands present: From the right: Uschi – Ursula Koll, aka Grinsekatz on Ravelry; Irene Brenner aka Irenevienna; Teresa Schinwald, aka RedUrchin second from left and behind her Kathi Fritz, aka dewthing. Lovely and talented designer Hanna Maciejewska, aka hada131, in the center who held workshops in English just a me standing next to her with my husband Michael at the back and in the corner Hanna’s husband Daniel. In the opposite corner, far left, is Betta Pierantoni who held a workshop on Estonian colorwork in German.

AYC_500Here we are photographing Isabella doing the hippo dance, on the order of Dominik to make us all laugh, you can see my photo of it here: vienna-calling. Guess who acted like a paparazzi?

5D_58240.finalAbove is the portrait Dominik took during my Finishing workshop, and below a collage of some of the photos he took. Dominik was so surprised by everybody’s delightful reaction to my announcement that buttons and buttonholes were next on the agenda. He added it into his workshop in photography, to my delight.

Lindas-workshop-800x800Below is a collage of Hanna’s workshop: Top-Down Set-in Sleeve. You can read more about her impressions of the weekend on her blog here: hadaknits.com/wollness-weekend.

My-workshop-800x800

Last but certainly not least is Dominik’s collage from the Wool market, open on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. There were lot of temptations but the selection was a bit overwhelming for some of us. You can find even more photos and info on the Austrian Yarn Club website here: yarnclub.at.

WollmarktCollage

It was a thrill being there during the Wollness Weekend, and meeting so many brilliant knitters, test knitters in person, designer Hanna & Daniel and photographer Dominik. Thank you all!

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Vienna Part Two

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XT1A5884Our program in Vienna was so packed, just as the Wollness Weekend was, with plenty of knitting related events, in addition to a fashion show and sightseeing. We had 3 knit nights at Steinschalerhof and then a fourth in Vienna, again organized by the Austrian Yarn Club. Did I tell you that I have discovered Bingo? Knitting bingo that is; where all the numbers are replaced by well known pattern names, knit speak or a fun yarn fiber quote. Who wants to shout bingo when we can use knitting terms, right? Above is a photo from the Elke Freytag Fashion Show, we were invited to join curtesy of Teresa Schinwald of the Austrian Yarn Club.  The brilliant photo is taken by my husband! We all loved mingling with well known politicians and other celebrities, as well as watching the fashion show and the possibility to study all the garments.

DSCN0322Designer Hanna Maciejewska, aka Hada Knits, had arranged to meet her test knitter Susanne and she asked me if I wanted to join them. I would be mad not too, since I have enjoyed every minute of Hanna’s company as well as our exchange of experiences. Susanne turned up in the latest pullover she had test knitted for Hanna; Wien. It was beautifully knitted with a perfect fit on her. Hanna was wearing her own design: Endearment, while I was wearing my Gyda. To our joy Susanne took us to the Museum Hundertwasser, where the coffee shop look as charming as the outside did. Below you see a photo of the three of us, so happy to be sharing our knitting experiences.

23466682th_medium 2 cropI was overwhelmed to meet several of my test knitters and seeing so many of my designs at the Wollness Weekend – a total of 8 to my astonishment. Due to our tight program I was not able to photograph them all, but here is Anne Marie, aka anne1981 on Ravelry, wearing her stunning Lattice Back Jacket knitted in Schulana Donegal-Tweed.

XT1A5729On our last day in Vienna, Michael and I went to see the Edvard Munch exhibition at Albertina with Hanna and Daniel, and then to the Leopold to see their Klimt and Schiele collection. The atrium took our breath away with its height, light and scale. Just as most of the buildings in Vienna did…

XT1A5929I am still trying to land after this amazing trip to Vienna and the Wollness Weekend. Thank you Austrian Yarn Club for this opportunity!

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Vienna Calling

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DSCN0310 copyIsabella Mach, aka Isa, offered to take us back to Vienna directly to our hotel from Steinschalerhof and we obviously accepted in a flash. We arrived in a wet Vienna, unpacked and then located designer Hanna Maciejewska + husband, before we headed out for dinner and a long walk through the city centre of Vienna. We are all staying at the Hotel Wien in the 2.nd District with a walking distance to the city centre, recommended by Austrian Yarn Club organiser Irene Brenner who live nearby. Above is a photo of the landmark, St. Stephen’s Cathedral

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Irene and her husband took us sightseeing on our first day in Vienna. They are in the centre of the photo above. Of course we meet up with Ursula Koll – notice her love of bright colours, see pink shawl above – and then later on Teresa Schinwald, as well as the German visitors Betta and Andrea for coffee and cake at a famous café – as you do.

DSCN0288Before we left Steinschalerhof, we had a session with photographer Dominik Matyas who took a number of group photos. Isa was helping out, doing a hilarious hippo dance in the background. We will have to wait a couple of weeks to see all of his photos, since he was busy taking numerous project photos for most of the knitters present.

Dominik Matyas/ byDominik.com

Dominik Matyas/ byDominik.com

Above is one of the workshop photos he took of my Professional Finishing Workshop, part II. At the rail you can see a few of my designs I had brought to show off and to wear at the venue.

DSCN0276 copyThere was a yarn market at the Wollness Weekend, where knitters could destash and yarn shops display their yarn and knitting gadgets. Despite the fairly small room the selection was overwhelming!

DSCN0280 copyAbove is the stunning modified Gyda – from a jacket into a sweater with a wonderful deep square neck knitted by Ursula Koll, aka Grinsekatz on Ravelry. Yet another of my designs I spotted at the Wollness Weekend, to my utter delight. At the moment Ursula is finishing her Hennika, this time not only in pink but in a fluorescent pink. I cannot wait to see the finished result.

Yesterday, we went to visit Suncica Wilhelmer, an architect and a yarn shop owner who lives in the Rufer House designed by the architect Adolf Loos. Not only did we want to see her house but Hanna and I also wanted to check out her yarn selection and fondle some yarn. The name of her yarn shop is Wollsalon Sunshine Loop, and we were both tempted into buying several skeins of yarn. The yarn shop is located in the former kitchen, and I loved the fact that the owner wanted not only a window facing the street but also one facing the indoor staircase so he could spot the visitors from his office. In the evening Hanna and I were at their knit night. We finally managed to do some more knitting…

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Knitting Retreat On The Outskirts Of Vienna

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WollnessYes, was the obvious answer I gave to the question, from a good Ravelry friend of mine – who is also one of the founders of Austrian Yarn Club – if I wanted to teach at the Wollness Wochenende, Friday 16. to Sunday 18. October, at Steinschalerhof, on the outskirts of Vienna. It was an offer I could not refuse, in fact, I could barely contain my excitement. I will be teaching two different workshops in English: Professional Finishing and Lace Knitting. Both workshops will be split in two half-day sessions, to make sure everyone is in retreat mode. My husband was more than eager to join me, and is currently planning our program for the extra days in Vienna we have added at the end. The workshops, most of them in German, are still being organized, so I will post a full program when it is ready. More fabulous news followed as I am not the only foreign designer invited, so is Polish Hanna Maciejewska of Hada Knits. I am so excited to meet her, as well as my Austrian Ravelry friends. Booking in not yet open, but if you are interested in attending, do join the Austrian Yarn Club on Ravelry and send an e-mail (to info@yarnclub.at) confirming your interest. I am so looking forward to this knitting retreat, and hope to see you there! To be continued.

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