Earlier this month my mother and I enjoyed a “Weekend of Wool, Wine and The Luxury of the Rails with Cat Bordhi.”  A LYS in Edmonton called River City Yarns sponsored the knitting retreat which included a round trip adventure on the Snow Train from Edmonton to Jasper.  Cat was as witty and engaging as always with a wonderful story about dolphins, hummingbirds and eggs in a nest (and let’s not forget the weasel) to help make the moebius cast on easier to learn.  River City Yarns brought a scintillating selection of yarns from their shop and did a nice little business keeping us in fibre for the whole weekend.  The favourites were Blue Moon Fiber Arts’ Socks that Rock and Painted Yarns by Virginia van Santen (a local Edmonton painted yarn artist and friend).

 I left a very rainy Vancouver (the rainiest November on record) to catch the train from Edmonton to Jasper.  We saw beautiful snow-laden trees and wildlife on the ride up to Jasper.  I was lucky enough to be the first one to site a wolf posing on a rocky outcrop just as we were entering the mountains.  A number of us rode in the observation car of the train which was a real treat.  The accommodation at Jasper Park Lodge was very comfortable and the workshop location in one of the large cabins was cozy and perfect for sitting around and knitting.  On the last morning an elk graced us with his presense munching on grass outside the workshop cabin.

Cat is in the process of writing three new books, the first of which New Pathways for Sock Knitters, Book One is expected out spring of 2007.  We even had a sneak peek at her cover and there’s a glimpse inside her book on her website.  Without revealing any secrets, she spoke a little bit about her new forays into sock architecture which will be covered in the new books.  It was enough to excite and tantalize and I know I’ll be first in line to buy her new books when they become available.  In addition to teaching her moebius cast-on, Cat also taught a unique version of a toe-up sock to those who were interested.  I knit mine in a beautiful Painted Yarns 2-ply merino hand painted by Virginia in Spring Greens.  I think I’ll be knitting all my socks in this manner from now on.

In addition to the day-long workshop in Jasper, Cat was available for one-on-one knitting help and advice on the train ride to and from Jasper.  We played a little musical chairs in order to visit with everyone and see the sites from the train windows and snap some great pictures.  I found this to be one of the most relaxing and friendly knitting retreats I’ve been on.  Most of the knitters were from Edmonton but there were a few that made the trip from Fort McMurray, Halifax and Idaho (and let’s not forget Vancouver!).  The company was superb and the staff from River City Yarns were very helpful and gracious hosts. 

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