Tuesday, September 27, 2011

quick wip peek

My new book Craft Activism, with Joan Tapper, is released today! I am celebrating my own little holiday. It is so odd, when you are working on a book, you live with it for months & months.  I know it backwards, frontward and inside out. I forget it's also brand new, and a joy to watch it received in the big wide world. New to everyone but the many many artists & friends & colleagues and knitters & loved ones who helped work on it. I have to make a Takes A Village post to properly acknowledge all.
To mark the occasion, I cast on for one of the most accessible yet showstopping patterns: Fussy Cuts. It's a fabulous log cabin based blanket designed for us by Kay Gardiner & Ann Shayne of Mason-Dixon Knitting. It's one of three pretty wonderful projects in our Crafting for a Cause section. The genius of this one is a) if you do it in a group, each knitter only need buy 1 skein of Noro Silk Garden b) it is so gorgoeus it could be a special gift or a super fundraiser raffled off  and c) it is the sort of portable, addictive knitting one gets lost in . Wait did I mention there is  no sewing for assembly involved? And there's a little twist in how you use the yarn and proportion the log cabins. Rather genius, it is.
 Fussy Cuts, from Craft Activism
But that's what happens when you associate with brilliance. Speaking of that, I'll take this opportunity to specially thank Maryse Roudier.   She offered to be our book intern but is so much more. She helped us in every way-from brainstorming, spreadsheeting, scheming, yarn sourcing, color opining, photo assisting, mitten modeling, chicken wrangling, reflector holding, test knitting & crafting and being an all around friend. Mwah!
She's also working on one of these blankets. I have full faith it'll kick ass.

ps. And what is a book without its own blog? www.CraftActivism.com

10 comments:

Ellen Bloom said...

The book looks fantastic, Gale! I'm so excited to be a part of it!

Carole Knits said...

Congrats on the new book! Maryse is awesome and I'm sure she was great to work with, too.

Sara Sprung said...

Congrats,... looks great! Sara

twinsetellen said...

I am so ready to sew that apron. But that blanket is starting to call to me, too...

Cristina said...

Looks fantastic, Gale!

But now I want Noro to come out with a Hipstamatically enhanced color range.

maryse said...

aww thanks! i have to say i had such a great time working with you and becoming friends. and i'm so proud of this book. proud for you and joan but also, proud for me. i really love it.

Kathy said...

Gorgeous, Gale!

laurie perry said...

Hey -- Just wanted to say I got a review copy of your GREAT BOOK and I'm going to be doing a giveaway on my site promoting it, it's just such a fabulous piece of work! Love it!

Vicki Knitorious said...

Can't wait... ought to have a copy in my hands early next week.
XO

Anonymous said...

norma sent me over bravo you two
started me on the red scarf project
looking forward to haveing the book
arrive in the mail soonest