Sunday, October 02, 2011

red scarf win-win-win

No secret: I'm a big fan & cheerleader for the Red Scarf project, run by Foster Care for Success (formerly known as Orphan Foundation of America).
Before I go any further, go enter Norma's contest to support the Red Scarf Scholarship fund and win a copy of Craft Activism. In which there's a chapter on same. 
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At this point my connections to the Red Scarf Project are so  intermingled I can't untangle them. Seriously I just tried.  What began as a personal connection (knitter, adoptive parent, photojournalist covering the foster care system) connected  to work, new friends, inspiration......holy crap there's so much, if I had the teeniest bit of fiction writing talent I could turn it into a fabulous chicklit book. But, it would not be fiction. If you know what I am saying.
How about some behind the scenes look at the Red Scarf project in the new book?
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You can't write about Craft Activism without crafting for a cause. Red Scarf is a perfect example. You can read the chapter excerpted  to learn why. Anyhoo, when I called Norma to say we wanted to feature her,  she was cleaning the guest room before we got off the phone.
I'd had a chat about my photographic approach with a design director at my publisher, and promised her I'd play around with a lighting source & setup she said Martha Stewart favors (Martha & I share this publisher). It's very flattering & gentle lighting, it shows textiles and women-of-a-certain-age in a beautiful glow.
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Ahem, NOT that Norma is anywhere near Martha's certain age.
However , it almost killed me, with tons of shlepping & setup and does not lend itself at all well to my kinetic style.Those who took my advanced lighting class at Fiber College got to give it a whirl, though. I'd use it again only for a very staged shot, or still life work.
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A lot of crafting in support of causes involves knitting community, so we were at Norma's LYS, the quite wonderful Kaleidoscope Yarn in Essex Junction VT.  Jill, the owner, is a big supporter of Red Scarf, and so are her daughters.
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This is Norma, shop worker Shawn, and Joan red scarfing it up.
If you're wondering about the sweaters shown on the subjects, it's not a staged thing. It was February, and let me put it this way. If you a take a right hand turn out of Norma's driveway, you  cross into Canada in about 15 minutes. Very north. Very wool country.  Knitters paradise. Go visit! Or at least go knit a Red Scarf, deadline December 15.

7 comments:

Joansie said...

Thanks so much, Gale. I had so much fun that day with you at Kaleidescope!!! Everyone I know is getting a copy for Christmas :>)

Norma said...

What a lovely post! Look at the fun we were having! :)

Mary Lou said...

Red Scarf was my intro to you, too. I may not get one done this year, but I'll send a bunch of Starbucks/Target gift cards at least.

Barbara Miller said...

The Kindle ipad version is very cool - the patterns link to PDF's that can be downloaded and printed. Thinking Fussy Cuts from leftover sock yarn. Just thinking right now :)

choo choo knits said...

Heh, I was looking at the photos thinking "That looks like Kaleidoscope Yarns" (my fave shop) and sure enough...it is!!!

Also, the gal in the middle is Shawn, not Shannon - she's awesome!!!

gale (she shoots sheep shots) said...

ooh thanks for the correction on Shawn's name, I knew it sounded wrong. I never forget a face but names? oh yeah.

twinsetellen said...

Favorite photo - that one of Jill's daughter in the striped cap. She is so alive in that shot!

I'm guessing my support will be financial again this year - more money than time in my budget. I suspect others are in the opposite situation, so that should balance out.