do not miss: fiber college

Don't you hate misuse of the word unique? It means one-of-a-kind, nothing else just like it on the planet. Snowflakes? Unique! Beautiful handcrafted quilts like this one? Unique!  A shirt at a chain store? nu-UH! I rarely use the word. When I say it, I mean it.  Fiber College in Maine, next week: wonderfully unique.

 Sept 6-9th. Searsport, Maine. Here's why you should join us:

One of the teaching spaces, an art studio. I'm teaching 3 classes.

Put aside the amazing teachers, consider the setting. On the ocean. In Maine. In September, at a campground resort with a beach and acres of award winning gardens with fiber art installed amongst nature. You can't beat the warm, friendly & artful vibe, starting with Astrig Tanguay, her husband Steve and the staff who run the whole shebang.

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Students in one of my classes last year. That's fellow teacher Ellen Mason modeling one of her sweaters. Look what she is doing this year, drop-in dyeing. My dream activity!

Now, consider  the options.( full list here.) You can stay at the grounds, or at reasonably priced housing nearby, and take amazing workshops.  Everything from indigo vat dyeing, latvian mittens, broom making, spinning, knitting techniques, stitching, quilting, wood carving, paper marbling, making a shawl pin. This year instructors include Katharine Cobey , Kirsten Kapur/Through the Loops, and Mary Lou Egan, of the WearWithAll designers .That's just a teeny snippet of knit possibilities. Crazy!

  

If your time or budget isn't free, you don't need to take classes at all.. There are daypasses for $8. to  hang out with your tribe, visit the vendors, and  the open demonstrations, and art. Or just sit and knit in beauty. Potluck dinners, a fashion show, a yarnswap...options, baby, options. Saturday night takes place in the center of Searsport, with an outdoor cocktail party and impromptu show & tell, followed by a sitdown delish dinner and a slidetalk presentation. This year the presenter is ME. I'm doing a fun 1 hour slide talk about photographing knitwear, 99% jargon free. It's the talk I last did in LA for the Slipt Stitchers Guild.I guess it's a bi-coastal presentation! .

Another from last year's class, we were playing with backgrounds.

A czech glass button demonstration talk I wandered into last year. So cool!  

Eating local: lobster stew, fresh corn, brew  and blueberry pie to follow. 

Penobscot Bay: view from my tent. I camped last year. It was lovely but I am afraid of pushing my luck with the weather, in my ancient tent. This year I'm sharing cottages with friends. 

Will I see you there?

ps if you live nearby or are attendng but not in a class on Friday afternoon or Sunday morning: I need a couple of models to pose in knitwear for a photo class. It'd be best if you are OK in front of a camera, and if you fit within the S-M-L spectrum of sweater comfortably. You'll probably learn a photo trick or two, get some photos to keep , not to mention have my gratitude forever. (and I'll pay for your day pass).  Shoot me an email if you can help ezisusATsnetDOTnet .

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Here're other places I am teaching in coming months, I just updated my info.

what color scarf are you casting on?

 Fremont Solstice Festival Seattle

Quick! What color comes to mind?

Randolph Vermont general store

How about now?

 

Fremont Solstice Festival Seattle naked cyclists parade kickoff *

Ok do I have your attention? (I should have left the patch off, right? )

So. You should be just about ready to cast on a red scarf for the Orphan Foundation of America's Red Scarf project. Knit a red (or non-gender-specific) color scarf, approx  5-8" wide and around 60" or so long, to be included in a care package to a college kid who aged out of foster care and is going it on their own.  Send it in by December 15th.  The address, and more info about this wonderful effort here.

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* When I asked my 16yo son Gabe if he'd come out to Seattle and work for me on a series of photo shoots right after school ended this past June, he surprised me by asking if we'd be there for Solstice. He's not usually much of an earthy-crunchy-granola guy. I asked why he cared.  The Fremont festival, said he. Naked bicyclists. Like, hundreds of them.

You know what? It was a fabulous parade and party. The naked cyclists were just the kickoff. In fact the whole week was full of fabulous.  We might just go back in 2011. Gabe says he's going to be in the parade. On a bicycle.