bts: Minnesota 52

In early May, I bopped off to Minnesota for a wonderfully whimsical book project: Minnesota 52: 16 Knits Inspired by the Road.

Megan Williams & Cori Eichelberger, aka KnitCahoots, were self-publishing their first book project . They'd reached the "whoaa...this is really happening and we need a photographer stat...and whateverelsehappens on a photo shoot, too". Fortunately we share a friend and top notch tech editor, Ellen Silva, of The Twinset Podcast, who made the connection.

We had to stop and scout this location: a sheep quilt painted on the side of a barn in Zumbrota MN.

Cori & Megan's theme is their  friendship and the knit-related adventures they've  had traveling between their homes, 100 miles apart, along Minnesota Highway 52. They wanted playful, small town locations that matched up with the spirit of their story, and their colorful designs.

So there we were, cruising along Mn 52 seeking locations. That's Cori and Megan on the right,  pre-enacting the cover image we shot 24 hours later-with much smoother light, you'll notice--on the left.  Here's how it looks on the book:

 I knew they both love color--especially Cori--and I knew they had a joie de vivre ---joie de knit? that had to be communicated but without going overboard into the "gee aren't we kooky" kind of pictures that try too hard. It had to feel real.

A rare instance where the overused cupped hands mitten shot actually works! Minnesota stone FTW.

We shot in  some small towns, a park, and a farm. 

Because you can't do rural Minnesota and not have a farm. (I urge you to play that for the sound effects)

And the, on the day of the shoot, the magic started happening right away.  We told our models--all part time models and full time scientists-- the shoot would be playful. Jo showed up just after dawn in the Pine Island Cheese Co parking lot with...her unicycle! She's wearing the Snow Thank You Sweater, which is high on my Want to Knit list . Don't you love the shoulder construction and lace, with the striped sleeves? It's designed by Megan Williams.

Nancy, the lovely woman who let us invade her farm, offered us various props....including a gosling. And a rabbit. 

FYI: Minnesota girls are not afraid of gosling poop dripping down the wardrobe, and a big armful of bunny is a welcome addition. That's Jen in the Nice-capades Sweater

We had a blast. Everyone pitched in...the authors hauled scrims, Ellen the tech editor became my photo asst, the models smiled and posed and looked beautiful  in wool all day despite some spring heat, and helped on set when they weren't posing.

It was one of those days when all the pieces came together and made the shoot match the spirit of the book. It's full of colorful, clever and very wearable designs----I tell you, Minnesota knitters are a whole 'nother scene of knitter, and these two are all in. I learned about SQ's  (sweater quantities of yarn) and VKN's (Virtual Knit Nights) where groups of knitters log in online, via  google hang out , enjoying  weekly knitting nights with each person in their own home spread far and wide. The Knit Cahootsters introduced me to a whole slew of indie dyers I didn't know about, and led me to a fabulous shoe store Luya Shoes, in the most unlikely location of Zumbrota MN.  I learned that Subway makes chopped salads as well as sandwiches, Walleye Pike is still delicious when freshly cooked, and Minnesota Nice is as true as ever.

Loved working with these ladies! I'm sure we made quite a scene--a photo crew shooting models and wielding 6 foot reflectors isn't seen everyday in rural Minnesota.   Anyway..... that's getting off topic. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry. I'll be casting on at least one, as soon as I get my queue in order!

nash island roundup & shearing 2016

At the very end of May,  the Nash Island roundup and shearing. Downeast, Maine.

 It's my favorite day of spring. It's beautiful, it's elemental, it's timeless, it's all about community and fiber and friends and work, and the light and smells.  I shoot sheep shots and hold lambs and I am pretty sure, smile all day. Here's the Nash Island flock's history.

6 am-ish, dawn, by the dock on the mainland. No one but the sheep live on Nash, we ride out on lobster boats.

It gets festive quickly, with about 25 or so family members and friends of the Wakemans (who own the island) and Jani Estell (who manages the flock) bustling down to the harbor with coolers of food for the potluck lunch, shearing gear, and many layers of clothes and boots. The year's clip is what Jani spins in her Starcoft Fiber Mill to make yarn.  The island has no docks, we clamber into smaller boats when we get close to shore, ferry over and hop out in shallow water.  This year's crew includes knitwear designers wearing plenty of handknits. L to R on the boat: Gudrun Johnston, Carrie Bostick Hoge, Sarah "FiberTrek" Hunt* and Mary Jane Mucklestone**.  (I don't know what  great hat Gudrun has on, but Sarah is wearing a Rivington Cowl designed by Kirsten Kapur, who is also aboard).

You don't see many sheep at first--the island is hilly and the sheep are shy. Plenty of gulls swooping and calling, though.

And the views are stunning, though quickly eclipsed by the irresistible lambs.

Everyone gathers around the camp (the solitary building on the island) while Alfie Wakeman lays out the plan for roundup, assigning areas of the island to small squads.  The next generation of Wakemans, on the left, work hard . Wren Wakeman, in overalls, joins her mom Eleni(on the right in blue), and two other women, as shearer.

My squad (mid island,cough mid aged women) are assigned an area where we squat in tall grass or on hillsides, slowly creeping forward till all the sheep have been spotted and nudged toward a ridge of the island. On a cue, we all stand up and make ourselves large, then converge running  behind the flock, toward a corral. I am amazed, every time, that this works, and works well.The sheep run noisily into the corral by the water, and the gulls scream overhead, warning us off their nests..

It takes some shoving and catching and chasing, but the end fence piece of the corral finishes pushing the sheep into the pen, where they stay, just till sheared. The other 364 days of the year they roam free, grazing on seaweed and grass.

The first order of the day is sorting all the lambs out from the adults, and getting them into their own pen. This is the first time they'll be counted this year. They all call for their moms, it's very noisy and a little sad.Thought that one in the middle right seems smiley...

To separate the lambs, 3 people are in the corral quickly handing out lambs to the rest of us. We run a  parade down the hillside, over and over till all 80 lambs are moved to their own pen. It is the very best part of the day.  The lamb poo that inevitably covers your shirt is your merit badge.Here's Grant Estell doing double lamb duty. (no pun intended).

Knitwear designers wearing lambs. Gudrun on the left, and Kirsten on the right.

Pretty sure Kirsten was trying to sneak this one home with her. 

While the lambs are tended to and then released to wander baaaaing for their moms, the shearing starts up. Wren Wakeman, above, grabs a sheep to shear. 

Lily Wakeman and her cousin spend the day wrestling and carrying sheep over to the shearers, keeping order by the gate, and sitting them up for shearing (here, by Donna). You can see how much lanolin is in the fleece, by how shiny Donna's hand gets.

Sarah's job, upper left, is to catch the sheared fleeces, pull off the daggy parts, and then toss the fleece onto the skirting table, where a group of us stand ready to quickly pick out any seaweed or grass.  Jani (upper right) oversees and grades the fleece, calling out "Yarn", "Fog (her fabulous airy fingering weight lamb yarn)","Handspin" , the categories. The skirted fleeces are rolled into towering burlap bags- or if handspin quality, lovingly protected in bedsheets. You cannot imagine how much light gets bounced down and then back up off these fleeces. Or how easily our hands get sunburned, but soooo soft, covered in the oils from the sheep. This year's skirting table crew looked stylish, though, right?

It's noisy, and fun, and hard work and so so beautiful.

The lambs, who have all been released from counting and ministrations,  gather around our feet, looking sweet and baaaa-ing their little heads off, waiting to be reunited with their shorn moms.

There's a potluck lunch break that rivals any fine restaurant, and time to take a quick snooze on the warm beach stones. Or, as Kirsten did, break out your spindle and do the irresistible,  as a handspinner surrounded by pure fresh fluff. (For the record, I lay down and close my eyes on the warm stones).

By late afternoon, the skirting table has a mountain of discarded wool bits, Jani triumphs as the last of 111 sheep are shorn, and Mary Jane and Grant tie closed giant bags of fleece.

Back down to the boats we go.

This time the bags and rolls of fleeces get ferried out to the lobster boats, followed by us.

 Back on the mainland dock, waiting for the truck to take the fleeces to the Starcroft Mill. That's a Stopover sweater on Kirsten, and Sarah's wearing a gorgeous Cockatoo Brae knit in Starcroft Tide wool, from the island sheep.

Pretty much a perfect day. This is the 4th year I've helped at the roundup & shearing on Nash, the 4th year I've photographed it, and the 4th year that I am sure no imagery or recording can really capture it. But I'll keep trying. 
Here's a Yankee magazine story that narrates the day well. 
If you have a chance, try to knit with some of the Starcroft yarn, it is special and soft and strong -and even  if you didn't  meet the sheep and  know the story, as a knitter you'd know it by the feel. 

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*Check out Sarah's Fiber Trek TV YouTube channel for her adventures with all things sheep. I'm so happy to have met her. And you should see her knitting, I did a poor job of documenting all the great sweaters on the island that day.

** Mary Jane is wearing her Nash Island sweater, based on a traditional style, you can't get a better match than that. Another sweater that I didn't manage to show much of. Grrrr.  She often designs with Jani's yarn.  (Among many other wonderful things, Mary Jane designed the Stopover, which was my island wear choice for the day.)

Fo friday: the audrey cardigan

OK, not quite Friday?  Ironically, my blog turned 10 years old right around when I clammed up in February. I was working on an epic, thoughtful, all encompassing post...but, um, yeah. To sum up--- yay, blogging! Meanwhile, I've been up to many things.  Including knitting.

 

Here's my Audrey cardigan, debuting during lunch with Beverly Army Williams a few weeks ago. We met to plan course proposals for Fiber College *,in Searsport Maine, we'll be co-teaching again come September 9-13th. Class registration launches April 1st.

In answer to questions surely crossing your mind....

    - yes, it was really cold, all the layers you see were not nearly enough, and that's inside  the restaurant. Let's just say it has been an excellent winter and spring for wool lovers around here.

    -  Beverly is wearing her Wingfeathers shawl, in JillMakesStuff Rifton. Rather fab, isn't it?

 

 I adore my sweater, loving it right from the cast on with Starcroft Nash Light yarn ,  a perfect wooly, soft, bouncy yarn. 

Plus the realization that  I know exactly where the wool grew. Nash Island sheep! I accumulated the skeins a few at a time over the last couple of years- you can see me clutching some halfway down in my blogpost here from the first time I helped with roundup and shearing day on the island.

I made it a little more over sized than it needs to be, but no matter, it's a favorite and brightened my winter wardrobe-. Psychologically, too.

The color blocking was changed from the pattern as written, to suit myself- both my shape and my quantities of various colors. This is what I love about making my own clothes. Changing it up as I wish, or spontaneously. I know there's also the camp that wants to make a sweater to exactly match the sample..but I am almost never happy there.

As you can see, I AM happy here. The pattern is a yarn gobbler...if you think about it, the front is double layered. It's knit top down, in one piece, with faux seams. When I got to the the sleeves,  I'd planned the Lobster (truly great colorway name)  lower arm but didn't have enough of the main body (Cove) color, so improvised the striped section between the two. I'm very happy with it. You'll notice I ran out of Lobster before I came to the knuckles on my left hand too.  I like to think it looks intentional. Humor me!

One of my favorite features is the extra long sleeves with thumb holes-- like built -in fingerless mitts. First time I've made a sweater with them, won't be the last. I couldn't decide on a front closure, or where I'd  place it, so I left it open. If you look at the projects page, which I assure you I did a gazillion-millionty  times, there are many options. Sometimes I just let it fall open, like in the image with Beverly, and sometimes I pin it shut. Or, I guess, hold it, in a weird and awkward way.

And that in the upper right? If you have taken a workshop with me, you know I disparage (OK, outright mock)  cliche poses, especially hands cupped clutching something. It's so overdone, and in any case, whatever is in the hands inevitably becomes the focal point of the photo when it should be about the knits. I especially poke fun at the use of empty mugs. Extra pokes if the model is in some deep woods or natural setting with empty tableware. Beverly, who kindly photographed me, couldn't resist. So, there you have it.

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* Fiber College is an  inspirational fiber arts retreat in the most beautiful setting.  Unique vibe, fabulous teachers and a certain something special happens every single year.   I am already looking forward to it!

yo-ho-ho (cruise and a FO)

What better place than  the 2nd Non-Annual Thimble Islands Knitting Boat Trip to show my finished Wave on Wave Shawl?

* More about my shawl below.  Let's get right to the the knitting cruise, shall we?  Cap'n Bob can now say that his vessel not only flies the pirate flag (local tradition) but had yarn handspun on it, thanks to wonderful Dayna of MadWool, center column, 2nd from top. Also, in the colorful hair department, you can see Katy knitting a Pop Spots shawl that totally matches her black & fuschia/purple 'do, on the right..

Despite the dock sign, we were on the Volsunga. Not the Sea Mist. Stony Creek dock sharing.

I love my knitting community- and special shout out to Linda- (photo upper left), June  & Julia of Knit New Haven , whose open table policy sets the vibe for this kind of adventure.
It was lovely- cool sea breeze on a warm day, great company, lots of food & drink & spying into the island houses, some knitting. I love putting together things like this. Want a cruise in your neck of the woods? I'll do it . Now there's a niche-- knitting cruise events coordinator.  But, why not, you know my policy: " is it illegal? No? I'll try it!"

* So about that shawlette. The lighter green yarn was from Maine in 2012 when I visited Swan's Island "seconds" bins. I love the color, it's like spring in Maine. The darker green yarn was a putty colored beige when my son brought it to me from Peru. A very botched dying job on my part, at Ellen Mason's  mentored dye tent at Fiber College left it, as she generously put it, "sad", so she took it home and sent it to me in this mossy green shade-also like the Maine woods. I had to knit them into the same piece, right? 
Nice pattern, though not big on details. Still, it's a fun little project, written for a color changing yarn but easy enough to stripe it yourself. 
 The image of me modeling it in the upper right goes against everything I'd teach: don't wear a bright white summer shirt and straw hat to model a wooly neck accessory, don't shoot on a rolling ship.. but  thanks to Linda Young for doing an awesome job despite the challenges.I am not an easy subject.
Photo credit to Janet Hager for the view of the snack table and knitters, 2nd from the top on left.  I was too busy having fun and sipping Prosecco to get that view.

Next up: need to tell you about teaching at Gathering of Stitches in Portland Maine. More to come!

postcards from a roadtrip

 I had a weekend in June so exhilarating, so juicy, so everything good that I haven't been able to distill it into a blog post. Crazy, right? The  best stuff  is off-limits because I was on magazine assignment. (Yankee magazine, May 2014, be there) But I am busting to share what I can for now. A few postcards.

A Nash Island lamb, Down East Maine.  On sheep shearing day. I was shooting sheep shots. I was beyond happy. I have to sit on all the best images for now. Torture.

   

Starcroft Yarn- all spun from Nash Island fog washed sheep. This is in the mill, where I slept. Yes you read that right: I SLEPT IN THE MILL.  I woke up to the scent of lanolin and big sacks of fluff  on the side,  and skeins hanging above my head.

 This yarn & dyeing is all Jani Estell's work. I love her yarn. This color, in particular, is perfection.

The most excellent company anyone could want for a weekend of glamping &  sheep shearing.   This is the yarny/designer component of the hard-working roundup/ shearing crew, and I have to tell you these women WORKED. I helped round up sheep but then, while they were shearing & flipping sheep, vaccinating lambs, and pulling off poop covered wool &chasing lambs &carrying livestock & fleeces & skirting, I was taking pictures. Like, a couple thousand and smiling every minute. Even when I kneeled in poop.   L to R : moi, Ellen Mason, Jani Estell of Starcroft Wool, Mary Jane Mucklestone, Ysolda Teague. We are hugging skeins that Jani insisted we leave with (!) Jani uses (note: I feel like that is the wrong word, there should be a word that connotes the respect she has for the wool, and the way she honors the Nash Island herd tradition) all the Nash Island sheep fleeces and manages the flock with the family that herds them.

The fire circle and most charming outhouse ever, on the Starcroft property in the Down East woods.. We had hot dogs , beer and s'mores after shearing on the island all day. It  tasted like 5 star restaurant food.

My Starcroft yarn, it is so luscious and squooshy. Even though I knew I should choose 3 of the same color,  I couldn't resist. 175 yards of each, what shall I make??? The colors are very Down East Maine-y.

The only sheep I came home with, a score at one of the yard sales Ellen and I stopped at, on our way south together the day after shearing.  Unlike our fit-bitty friend Mary Jane, who impressively went mountain climbing with Ysolda in Acadia on their way home. Our yard sale-ing is impressive too. And so satisfying. Maine is a very good place to go yard sale shopping, especially early in the summer.  Wanna see? I broke our purchases into categories.

Textile department:  Ellen collects vintage hankies. She scored big.

My textile find:  a scarf just like one I lost a decade ago, It's all about the fringe.

Flawed but just right department: Ellen got that purse, she can repair a small tear. I got this lawn chair that matches some I already own, it has some irreversible rust that'll do it in someday, but should make it a season or two.

Boring but useful: Ellen got a $5. monitor, I spent $1. for the bin.

Favorite finds: my Peterboro picnic basket-it has a foam cooler built inside, and a wooden top that works perfectly for setting down your drinks and snacks. Already used 6 times. I am a very picnicky person.

 Ellen found this big wool coat on the left (it was a Pendleton I think..or maybe a Woolrich) that she is going to turn into a hip little  jacket. After leaving that yard, she was telling me how she loves wool plaid but her holy grail is a vintage buffalo plaid hunting jacket. Guess what we found at the next stop?

Perfect inside & out.