not so random

stones on Nash Island in Maine , with Trig, a hat pattern by Mary Lou Egan

This started as a Random Stuff post, blabbing about work, what I've been making and knitting and I'm traveling this weekend and what I'm teaching, and what I'll knit on the train and bus, and oh, you know, the weather and how I want to knit all the hats. And CRAFT FRIDAY .....
But it's never really random, just like there aren't really coincidences. Enough time or enough thought always reveals the connection.
Example: I've been putting together presentations. I was listening to a webinar about vision-based portfolios. Love the concept. I trained and worked as a photojournalist. Man oh man do I adore a narrative, so I tend to default to one as I present images.  It is so hard to edit my own work.  I tried letting my brain go loose-y goose-y and guess what? Seemingly random images went together.

This pairing is dyed fiber at a farm in 2006, and on the right, my own Decibella Cowl pattern. 
I'll probably demo making these photo pairings, and how to embellish them further,  and of course,  collages with many more images and graphics, even circular images, when I teach the Making Collages with PicMonkey  Interweave webinar on Monday, 11/24/14  at 1pm eastern live. Join me, please?  Or get it recorded to listen to on-demand. I am telling you, the above show restraint, you can go CRAZY with the tools on that free software.  I think we'll start all buttoned down and simple like this,  and then just continue on and on with loads of options.

in which we wander about webinars...

So you know how you agree to do something, like say, teach a webinar for Interweave on Basic Photography for Knitters, and you figure that your presentation  is 90% all there so no need to get fussed about it...

a slide from the webinar revealing  behind-the-scenes glamour

and then when you go put a few last touches on it, you end up spending the better part of 3 days re-doing it? Yes, you do? Oh good, then we understand each other. I am pretty psyched cough understatement cough for this. Sign up any time , we are live webcasting on Wednesday June 5th at noon eastern time--but you can watch it later, all recorded.

the real photo we were making Fussy Cuts blanket fr Craft Activism , designed by Mason Dixon Knitting

Anyhoo, I've been gettting lots of questions about webinars and what they are, and who they aren't so I figured I'd , as Ricky Ricardo would say, do a little 'splaining.

My webinar is a one session online slide presentation--just like watching a normal slide talk without being in the same room as the presenter.   Unlike an online class, you will not see me, the instructor. And me, the instructor, is very thankful, because this way I don't have to worry about what to wear* or that you will  see the shmear of poison ivy  on my cheek this week.

You will receive an email from GoToWebinar with log-on info, and a reminder of what time the webinar begins.  When you log on, your browser window will have my opening slide on it, and off we'll go, I'll change images as we talk about them (I have alot of images and a lot to say). I'll be sitting here narrating the talk by phone, you'll hear it coming out of your computer.  You don't have to download or acquire any software, but you need to be online.

Photography is a subject perhaps uniquely suited to the webinar format. You see a photo, I talk about it.   I have to confess that I love taking webinars, but that is probably because all the ones I take are  about the photo business. I have friends in the corporate world who cringe at the word webinar.  It means they have to watch  stultifyingly dull powerpoints in which the narrator reads  bulleted sentence fragments, all about insurance regulations.

I promise we will not discuss insurance.
Here's a link again.** Best of all--the webinar is initially webcast live, but it is recorded, so if you do not have the free time to join me mid day Wednesday June 5th, you will receive an email within 48 hours of the live webcast telling you to go ahead and log on at your leisure. Those who watched live will receive the same  email, in case you'd like to watch it again . All, or part and return later. Those who are watching live can type in questions. The Q&A will also be recorded, so you miss nothing.

Those who purchase by Wednesday 6/5 noon eastern can either join live, or soon after ( you'll be notified with 48 hrs).  Those who don't sign on on by noon Wednesday will be able to access the webinar, but not till it goes in the Interweave shop, in about 2 weeks. 

If you have questions about this all, feel free to send them to me ezisusATsnetDOTnet.

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*OK, I am going to be honest. Even though no one will see, I am still going to think about what to wear. And keep my fingers crossed that Bobo doesn't run into the room barking.

** just noticed they reduced the price . Costs less than a skein of Silk Garden!

warm welcome webinar wayfarers!

Yesterday Interweave announced my upcoming June 5th webinar :  Photographing Your Knits. poof ! walla ! and ta-da!, I have never had so many visitors here.

Not even that time I was giving away 4 pounds of Starbucks coffee! (Though that was pretty cool,  right?)

Not even right after Shear Spirit came out, and all the sheepy/goat/alpaca folk I'd met in my farm visits and travels came to call.

crias at Victory Ranch in Mora New Mexico

Not even the times my work with the Red Scarf Project /Foster Care to Success got all linked  (you know about the Red Scarf project? If not please take a peek )
The blog's been here for eight years, so browse around and welcome to my world.

a rare appearance by Dave, who appreciates the handknits but models reluctantl

I hope you sign up for the webinar. I got hip to webinars last year.  A webinar is essentially watching a live (or, recorded live) slide talk presentation, with me chatting but your monitor filled with images (photos!). You can type in questions that the moderator , the Knitting Daily Empress Kathleen Cubley,  will ask me, and I'll answer, either during the slide talk or immediately after. I won't rush off, and the scheduling is flexible. The cool thing is you can watch as little or as much as you wish, and then come back and watch the rest--or watch it again. I cram in a lot of helpful tips, so the ability to re-visit is awesome.

an image from Craft Activism, a good example of a simple way to shoot handmade..and a favorite of mine, shot at granny square goddess Ellen Bloom's house in LA. I heart granny squares, and Ellen is to blame.
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My commercial website is Gale Zucker Photography. Plenty of sheep shots there, too. 

(almost)all shawl

Were I a squeee-er, that'd be my opener right here. Because! It is official! I am teaching an Interweave webinar, Photographing Your Knits!  Sign up now, action starts June 5th. 

the Catalina shawl, from Green Mountain Spinnery. Crocheted. I know, right?

If you've never tried a webinar, this is a good one to give a whirl,  I promise it'll be a fun hour and you will learn. Plus: pictures! many many!

  

Meanwhile, back at the ranch,   I pounced on the Mothers Day shawl request project.  I was struck with inspiration to knit  Caliz, by Romi Hill. *

It's been in my queue ever since it was a club pattern** from A Verb for Keeping Warm in 2011. And, I've been admiring the Anzula Oasis yarn at my LYS for a while.  When I realized it may be the same base yarn  Verb dyed for the club version of  Caliz -   70 silk/30camel blend with a slightly loose ply that gives it a natural look-- I knew I had my match.

I am loving knitting this. Garter stitch in purl, lace that is just my level of enjoyment:  engaging, easy to read, no tricky bits.  M1purl, a new move for me but easily mastered.

 

I shot the above optimistically, Saturday morning , thinking I'd show you how I spent my weekend. (also? I adore the colors of this early 70's paperback book cover) . Not so much reading happened, but I did take in 5 episodes of Breaking Bad season 4. So that is something, right?

 

I also thought I'd get in some gardening , also put on hold. Not for the lack of the best helper around. 

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* thanks to all for shawl suggestions in the comments from the last post. Really good ones! I may get into a shawl knitting jag as a result.Maybe a round up in another post of all the fab options.

**so, I was not actually a member of the Pro-verbial club but I watched someone who was, knit this shawl. It's kind of modern and slightly rustic, lacey but not fussy, I think my mom will love it.  If for any reason she doesn't , I will gladly keep it and knit her another option--which is to say good thing I am publicly declaring it for her so I don't get too attached.