speaking of sheep, and goats, and pixels....

This came up suddenly , so I'm spreading the word.
Thursday evening, October 1 (yup tomorrow) I'll be presenting to the Photo Arts Collective in New Haven,CT at the Kehler Liddell Gallery at 7 pm, a slide talk & conversation.
No charge,in the company of a wonderful group of photographers.

The title is 'How My Book Idea Became a Published Book" and will be all about Shear Spirit*.

Come for the sheep or the depth of field, it'll be a good time.
ps. Feel free to bring your knitting.

* I'll have a few books with me, if you'd like to snag a signed personalized one.

red:ready?

Never one for subtlety, a gentle reminder to get your needles moving for the Red Scarf Project 2009.

How lucky is it that my red photo safari yesterday segued into a job today with a red combed chicken.

Quick review: each scarf should be approximately 60" long and 5 to 8" wide, , unisex in style, preferably a shade of red, in a soft not scratchy yarn. Style up to you. You know, something you might see a successful college student wearing. Please no fun fur, no loose unwoven ends or wildy wonky mistakes. Keep in mind it'll be mailed in a fed ex box, so super bulky scarves won't work. BTW fed ex donates all the delivery, yay Fed Ex!!

The Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) is accepting the scarves for this year's care packages now through December 15th. Each scarf is sent in a care package to foster kids who have aged out of the system and are now going it on their own in college. It means A LOT to them. They do not receive care packages otherwise; there's no one to call or text at home when things are a little bumpy, or they need some help in decisions. The OFA's work in advocacy for these young people is so very worthy of your support!

Along with knitting a red scarf, ( or instead of , if your knitting plate is full ) consider:

- donating to the Red Scarf Fund for Foster Youth

- donating little items that can go inside the care packages like gift cards to inexpensive restaurants , or bookstores, or coffee shops, toiletries like hand cream or razors, , stationery goods like tape, pens, notebooks, small packets of snack foods...and if you work for a company that can do so, urge them!

- be a virtual mentor. You have no idea what an impact you can have on someone's life by mentoring. You'd be matched up with an OFA college student interested in your field, and be in contact with them for advice, encouragement and support. Read this OFA blog post entry on what a difference you can make.

- if you' re in the DC area, volunteer to help sort out or stuff care packages at OFA

- download and print this 8x10 Red Scarf Project poster/flyer, and put it up at your LYS or community bulletin board

Ok, that's my opening red post for the year. Look around at your own reds, there's got to be a shade you want to work in.

sighted in Carver

Carver is a picturesque southeastern Massachusetts town. Cranberry bogs, colonial houses, a town green..... so maybe it's not that unusual to see this kind of swarm by the library.

Photography for Knitters Workshop Afternoon in action

Tara shooting Johanna. See how the hat photo came out here

Gina's laughing, but look how Carole's fab Hemlock Ring image turned out on her blog here. Worth the groundwork, yes?
oh, don't mind us, it's just photographers with knits and knitters making photos. Perfectly normal, move along. Oh , OK, maybe someone driving by might have wondered.

I think I was showing a position and situation I'd use for mitt photography, not shielding myself from the wrath of Mercury. Thanks to Johanna for sending me the photo, I don't think I've ever seen myself at this angle. I like it! (Kay, you're right, my hair is sort of turning into dreadlocks, it turns out.)

Some reports on the class here and here (you must see her tree trunk shawl hug) and on the links under those top two photos. In case you're wondering.

When Carole read about my Minnesota workshops, she & I started planning one closer to home. Literally, for her. She generously arranged to have her library be our classroom. It was the right setting, both inside & out. Having worked on location for as many years as I have, I can make use of almost any place, but this one was sweeeet.

After the slide show/talk part of the afternoon, and the working with light demo, we were outside for some hands on. I'd asked people to bring fiber or projects to practice with. Lucky us, Gina owns a yarn store, Knit One Purl Too . She brought some gorgeous Noro-esque Plymouth .

Darned if I can find it on their site, you'll have to email Gina from her shop link for the name of these skeins. Word to Plymouth: you have some wonderful yarns, you need a hipper, more stylish looking site. And, um, yes, I am available.. ...

Kim from The Woolen Rabbit brought this skein of her luscious hand dyed yarn.
Her basket of FO's gave us a good subject too. I had to control myself from dumping it out and pawing through each piece.

Inspiration, everywhere.
Thanks again, to Carole for getting this show on the road, and to Maryse, for being so generous & modeling for us with gusto in the lighting demo. Fun!

ps. I want to link to more of the talented knitter/photographers from Sunday, email me if you post anything from the workshop, or what you do with it after, on a blog /Ravelry and I'll add a link.

some kinds of wonderful

Most days, I don't mix my photography work life with my knitting life. On Sunday, I'll mash it up good and dish it out. I can't think of a better way to spend the day. edited to add: the Photography for Knitters workshop 9/13 I'm referring to was wonderful, what a great group! full report & photos soon.

The kindness of knitters wonderful: five pair of beautiful handknit socks donated for the fundraising auction at AIDS Project New Haven. They're going to be offered as a group, a luxury item, handknit socks for the week.
But let me show them to you individually, and at the same time prove that if you need a distressed surface , my yard is your go-to location.

From Sunflower Fairy, who brought a beautiful new little boy into the world this week , congrats, Heidi! The pattern is Charade, that's a Ravelry link since the designer at I May Be Knitting a Ranch House seems to be blogless now. And here's where Sunflowerfairy talked about 'em.

These from Rebecca/Archiknist. Last year I watched her crank out 52 pair of socks, cheerfully. At least whenever I saw her at SnB she seemed cheerful. Maybe she was sitting at home cursing yet another set of heel flaps, who knows? She talked about these here but didn't say what yarn she used. I can tell you they feel great, and love those contrasting toes & heels.

DariaSen , that's her nom d'Ravelry, whipped these out. She has the most amazingly even, tight tension in her stitches. Socks for a rainy day. Thanks Daria !

A glowing pair from CostumeChick. They're a Wendy Johnson pattern, see the deets on CostumeChick's Ravelry page. This is the first time I've seen/touched this yarn, it knits into lovely sock fabric. Reminds me of Trekking - but fuzzier. Mmmmm. Great choice Val!

And in the long distance charity knitting category, my friend Irish Ann. She sent these from the UK when I posted about the APNH auction. Ann & her hubby Mike are New Haven SnB regulars when they're on this side of the pond. Thanks to them I've discovered a fondness for mulled wine. (Come back we miss you!)

I firmly believe socks look way better photographed on feet but with these beauties all blocked out and ready for presentation at the fundraiser, I didn't want to besmirch them. Not that I wasn't tempted.

You'll notice none were knit by me. Guilty !

Last bit of wonderful, from our annual 'hood 3 day banging end of summer fest

I am not sure what the theme is here but she was passing out real true-life wishbones along the way.