Several on Saturday*: things bts from a collection photoshoot

Sometimes I scout and prep for a photoshoot and then the magic I really really hope for  happens: a triangle of sunlight at the right moment while photographing this angular sweater design. It's Lantana from Shellie Anderson's SP20 Collection from Shibui Knits. Just released!

Full lookbook,  which I'm so happy with and full of fabulous designs,  here .

Shellie commissioned me to shoot her collection about a year ago. Collections need to be photographed with backgrounds that tie all the imagery together, and connect with the designs yet aren't too monotonous. Or too distracting!  Shellie suggested a modern, graphic, architectural, slightly nautical setting.  So, on a chilly day last April, I did some poking around  the new boathouse on New Haven harbor. I'd noticed some nice light on it during quick drivebys.

No nice light the day we scouted!  Lots of potential. My junior associate here is kicking and crunching broken clams that seagulls drop on the cement pier so they can eat the innards.

I returned closer to the August shoot date, with my assistant, to see what the light was like late in the day, and if  there'd be lots of activity.  It was overcast so we still had no clue how shadows would fall but we could hope! Those are the stairs from the top photo, shown here with a different lens.

The shoot day was hazy sticky but not too hot. We have a lot of that weather close to the water in August,  with slices of sunlight coming through at times. We were shooting in the last hours of daylight, so first task  was seeing where the sun might fall if it did peep out. And of course figuring out which pieces to shoot by which backgrounds. The photos above are Yliana, my assistant, in test spots.  Can you tell she does this so much that she is 100% unphased by a lens pointing at her? 

Having so many horizontal and vertical lines in the background has the potential to make me crazy. Here, I love it with the sophisticated simplicity of Shellie's designs.
This top, Acacia, above,  is halfway between a T and a poncho. LOVE!

Mission accomplished! Until we saw ourselves in the group selfie we hadn't realized all three of us dressed in the exact same shades as the  colors in the collection.Sooooo stylish, we are. (NOT!)

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*I am, really trying to do Three on Thursday reliably but this week had a lot of curveballs-- i am sure you had the same!  My friend Beverly claimed the Four on Friday option this week--but I still couldn't get it  together. So here we are with Several on Saturday. Isn't 90% of life about showing up??
Also BTS= Behind the Scenes :-)

an art piece for the Leonardo Challange

"Looking Up from the Bottom of the World" 8x8" mixed media

My piece for this year's Leonardo Challenge at the Eli Whitney Museum in New Haven. It's an annual fundraiser for the scholarship fund for this quirky, smart , innovative institution that celebrates creativity, design  and science.

Each year there's a tool or pricnciple selected, that Leonado Davinci used, and artists are asked to create and donate piece that speaks to it, uses it, or interprets it. This year, the item is a lens. Here's what the call for art said:
The Lens
The arc of a raindrop on a leaf magnifies its veins and our understanding of seeing.
Egyptian artisans mimicked the curve of eyes in glass to give their statues uncanny spirit. Assyrians in Nimrud may have used a rock crystal to concentrate the sun’s rays into a spot of fire. In the Middle Ages, the polymath Abas ibn Firnas crafted reading stones of glass. Refined lenses awakened the sciences, explorations and arts of the Renaissance.
You may have explored the ancient wonders of lenses amongst your grandmother’s treasures: a magic lantern, a stereoscope, opera glasses or a slide projector. Now there are Apps for those. We take and manipulate more pictures each day through the tiny lenses of phones than the entire pre-digital century captured. We alter the focus of eyes with surgery and their hues with contacts in designer colors. We may not now see the lenses through which we see everything.

Then there's a fabulous and delicious party and silent auction while all the work is hung on the museum walls, and you wander around amazed at how other peoples' minds work and make bids. (It's tonight April 28th  if you are local, hurry).

Obviously a photographer can donate a straight-up photo but I like to stretch myself a little and make sure it's a challenge. 
If I'd had another free afternoon, I was going to paint the outer sides of the box frame a deeper blue also, to mimic some of the blue windows I was taken with in Israel. Windows are the home's eye to outside...I had to use one of the glass evil eye beads I'd haggled over in a market there and I like to incorporate something with yarn or fiber every year...so I made the little amulet with yarn, teeny pompoms and a tassel.  I am particularly pleased with the tassel, I do hope someone compliments it.

In knitting news- my car ride to Maryland and back last weekend mostly as a passenger, along with a long day as a ballot tender at my local primary polling place allowed me to crank out more than 2/3 of my Noncho. I was hoping the yarns would look less color-blocky and more ombre-ish by having the second yarn the same through all three...but I think you don't get ombre without doing the real ombre work blending of adjacent colors. These are more like tidy neighbors. Should be a FO soon. It's all flying by the seat of my pants but to be honest, I'm loving just cranking the stockinette with a teeny edging  this week. Hope your knitting is also bringing you joy!

let's talk project page...

I say not to judge a book by its cover, or wine by its label, but do I live it? Ummm..NO.  First glance is what catches me. Content next. No mildly snazzy impression? I'm gone. Buhbye. Especially on your Ravelry projects page.

Above is mine. Please ignore that I haven't finished what was to be my all-purpose-winter-sweater. {cough, moving on, cough}

 Here's a friend's. Not naming names...unless you recognize her gorgeous knitting. Thar be some empty squares!  And she truly is an awesome knitter. If only you could see. Familiar?

 Unlike photo shoots  for clients, or book projects or pattern releases,  my Ravelry Projects photos are not big productions at all. A couple of minutes of effort plus a teeny bit of planning, a good crop. Ta-da. That's it.
  Which is why my friends at Knit New Haven invited me to teach a workshop on this very topic:

Photography for Your Ravelry Projects

Sunday May 5th 10-1:30

Knit New Haven (New Haven* CT)

call tor stop in to register in advance  (limited space)  203-777-KNIT

This will be fun--well, I try to make all my classes fun, and usually succeed- but with our goal all being the same, we can play with color, composition, backgrounds and I will have a wonderful model there just to pose with your FO's--so everyone can leave with a few of their squares filled in.

We will spend a bit of time, too, on easy photo editing using online (no cost) software, so you can goose those images and make them fly. 
You can work with a Point & Shoot, a DSLR or even, shutthefrontdoor, your Iphone.

See you there? 

* New Haven has a handy train station, if you want to make this a day trip to join us, jump on the MetroNorth.  I'll get you  a ride over to the shop and back to the station later, close by.

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See my other classes coming up, a Photo Safari at The Village Knitter on May 18th, and a 3 session class at Webs starting May 16th...and then Fiber College and Rhinebeck in the fall. Check the listings here.

my vintage valentine

Look! I came across this old photo of us while searching for something else entirely.

 We were moving into our first apartment together, Valentines week, in college. "Coupla hippies", groused a son when I showed it to him. (That's his main complaint about us now, too). I guess we haven't changed that much?  Suddenly I want to own a flannel shirt again. Dave still does...

For Valentines 2013, we played hooky part of the day, which somehow feels more special than rushing out to dinner. We swung by the newly renovated Yale University Art Gallery.  It's one of the real perqs of living around here. It's  free,  with  a fabulous collection--and wow, the reno is spectacular. After viewing a few favorites in the collection (some Albers, f'rinstance) we went to the Indo Pacific Art gallery.

It's amazingly fiber-rriifc. (yeah I do think that is an art term). Like this? it is an ancient  Indonesian high priest's staff.  Love that ball of yarn topping it. There was a lot about spinning, spindles , cotton yarn , looms , tools and a swift too, in display cases.

 I don't know much about weaving but it doesn't take a scholar to be awed by this.

Chickens, also valued by the high priests.


The Valentine activity I didn't quite pull off: I was going to knit bulky reverse stockinette hats for everyone with a big heart on each, in dusky colors so it wouldn't be too cutesy-poo. Maybe with a large pompom and even edge crochet for the girls. 

I'd figured out the pattern: knit flat and seamed, intarsia heart.  And the  yarn: Berroco Peruvia Quick .  Time wasn't on my side, but I did make up this nice chart. I'll share it with you.

I love this knitting graph paper, how it shows the stitches instead of misleading squares.  It's from Laylock.org   If you don't follow her site,  go check her out. Great stuff!

kntting on the high seas

The 1st ever knitting cruise of the Thimble Islands  was a rocking good time. Literally.

  

Winds picked up as 26 of us boarded the Volsunga  at the end of (another) sticky day.  

 

Thanks to the fabulous Tambira  we wined & dined in style.

1st skein of yarn ever wound on board. I think Capt Bob was suitably impressed.  

 The waters might have been a bit choppier than usual around the Thimbles but it was so. much. fun. New friends, old friends, knitting friends. Cool breezes and awesome views. We will sail again next summer. Be there.  

 

More photos here. Not sure how we'll top this one but I think someone mentioned a fieldtrip to Iceland?
This just in: a couple of the islands are up for sale. If you buy one,invite to your porch to knit, OK?
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* Fiber College in Maine is VERY soon  Sept 6-9! Go sign up before it's too late.  I'm teaching.  So is Kirsten Kapur, Mary Lou Egan, Alice Seeger, MaryJane Mucklestone....and a slew of people you've been wanting to meet . There are vendors, and demos, and potlluck dinners and fiber/craftbook swaps, all in the most splendid setting on the water.  More in my next post .*   

join me at Webs Th Oct 6 6-7:30

pssst---stop by for a visit on the new blog for our book, Craft Activism

Booksigning & trunk show at Webs in Northampton MA ! Play dress up in the Craft Activism samples. Stacey did * !

 

and so did Julia, below, one of the Knit New Haven triumvirate. She totally rocked the Bella Brooklyn modern housedress. This quickie hipstamatic doesn't do her justice. Most of the samples are knit or crochet, so you'll have plenty of inspiration. More photos here, photo credits & art direction by Stacey (thanks! I tell you, she is always super talented but whew, talk about multi-tasking the other night). I do believe we launched a couple of new Fussy Cuts  blankets on the spot .

 

Hope to see you there! There's no charge , though they ask you to call ahead and say you are coming, info on the link to Webs up top.... but if you show up last minute, you'll be welcome anyway. 

(and if you show up early, like me, you'll be yarn & knitting book shopping. Oh, c'mon, its Webs,for crying out loud.  It's almost criminal to leave empty handed, have you seen the back room??!!)
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* Stacey did an impromptu fashion show of several pieces,  here she is in the Tongue-in-Chic skirt bu Austin artist Virgina Fleck, who works in recycled plastic bags, saving them from the landfill while making mandalas, art and fashion statements.

july. you gotta love july.

That's right, it's that bigass granny square getting another few rounds. I'd put it aside once the allure of having a mountain of wool in my lap faded.  But we had a chilly evening, so it got back in action. Here's the thing: I'd almost run out of odd skeins to use, when my enabler friend Mary Lou surprised me with a big box of almost-full skeins in just the kind of colors I use. And get this: she herself does not feel the granny square thing. That's a friend. So I kept on going and now  it's about 5 feet square and might  be close to just right. At first I felt compelled  to use all the yarn on it but a 15 foot square lap blanket is....a LOT of lap. I mean, I can use some of the yarn on another project, right? 

Meanwhile the colors at the farmers market have been inspiring, I'm thinking maybe a garlic scape sweater next?

on the bright side, tho the weather wasn't

With a fab pink sweater for us the photograph, we didn't let the grey wet weather slow us at the Photography for Knitters Workshop today. 

There wasn't much in the way of playing around reflecting and diffusing sunlight (like..not.at.all.) But we did get to see how flat grey light was perfect for the mixed texture of a beaded shawl. And how a rain streaked cement wall makes an excellent abstract background.
 

Wearing a wool hood in light drizzle was no hardship at all. 

What a great group of students, again! Down to every detail.

Thanks to everyone who came to the class today, and to my friends at Knit NewHaven for hosting us.

 details for Southampton LI class here

 and for the Rehoboth Beach class here

If this looks like fun to you, here's where else I'm teaching . Classes are always limited so sign up soon.

sprung!

Anyone else feel like they've been in a holding pattern for a coupla months? Well, I'm busting out. First course of action:

NEW CLASSES  PHOTOGRAPHY FOR KNITTERS

I'll be listing a bunch of them, but for starters

• the "my own backyard"  day workshop May 15th, 10:30-4:30 at Knit New Haven in Connecticut, info and signup here

• Fiber College in Searsport Maine, September 8-11th, you must go check out the classes. Seriously cool, like  knitting with Mary Jane Mucklestone , dyeing with natural materials, spinning, woodworking,  hooping (!)  and of course, photography with moi. I'm teaching 3 separate classes. This is the first time I'll be offering a more advanced lighting class, in which we'll get all geeky over adding artificial light sources into the mix.

More dates, locations & classes will be up soon. Class size is always limited to keep it personal, so don't hesitate too long if these appeal.

OK, now I have to go outside . Did I mention it's spring ??!!!!!

the state of the red scarf address

Is that not a beautiful stack of red scarfery ?

Collected at my hangout  Knit New Haven,  sent off to the Orphan Foundation of America for the Red Scarf project. To synopsize: the OFA does support and advocacy for foster kids who are now in college. Among the OFA's activities is sending care packages to 2500+ college kids for Valentine's Day.  Each includes a handknit scarf, donated by knitters; a personal touch that truly matters to  kids who have no "from home" to call.

If you're sort of smacking yourself in the head and saying "oh noooo, I meant to knit one but ran out of time",  no worries.  There's next year.  Even better: the scarf goal was met, but donations to the Red Scarf Fund are way down . These kids are on stripped down stipends, and the fund helps with small needs as well as emergencies that crop up: your printer's out of ink, your glasses break, you lose your dorm key card and need to pay $35. to get a new one, you have a job interview but no tie... even simple things like needing cough drops and chapstick become a problem when you're on a super tight budget.

So, here's my suggestion: if you meant to knit a scarf but didn't, hit the donation button here with whatever you might have spent on yarn and postage. See?  No knitters' guilt.

Ok now let's talk scarves. I knit the one around the (ahem, thanks Dave) awesome model's neck. It's  just a stretch of mistake rib in Brown Sheep Lambs Pride,  Wine Splash. Really liked this yarn. Glad I have a half skein left to play with.

Every year I'm struck by the wide variety of patterns & yarns people choose, and how many I ooh and ahh over. There's a crocheted cotton one on the bottom that'll be perfect for a wool sensitive student.  And you can't blame me for being thrilled to see the Lamar scarf, in the center, knit by Stacey of Fresh Stitches.

Now, back to work.  Is anyone else suffering from extreme procastination-itis with a side order  of monkey-mind this week?

yarnbombed

Below, scenes from early Saturday morning. Not saying these are the perps. Not saying there's any deeper meaning, although a certain LYS was having its first birthday. And who doesn't like a surprise on their birthday? Surely there were a bunch of others involved but they were at Stitches in Hartford or rowing in Philly, or teaching a crochet class at time of installation.  Just theoretically I mean.

 

may I have a little more, suh?

 
a new friend at Gansvoort Farm last weekend

 I'm still on a post Rhinebeck high. The week unrolled in same vibe.  Oh to re-skein the last 8 days or so and do them again when things get dull and drudgy. Good work, good friends, good knitting, sheep. Go look, more farm life on my photography blog.

On Monday, with the weekend still glowing, I sent my just-barely finished Retro Baby Smock off as a gift for a very pregnant teacher.  Quickie photos at dawn don't do it justice. Sarah, who I met in Minnesota last year, designed this sweet pattern.  Knit side to side, using short row shaping. Quick, fun, clever.  Mine was knit in GGH Merino Soft, color 98 , a  smoky lavendar. Or as my 16 yo fashion critic said, as he carried it to school to bestow it, "a looming kind of purple...its not a very cheery baby color...". 

The teacher, who'd confided in me  she hates bright pink, was thrilled. For the record.

Hot tip:  this is fab yarn: superwash but  soft and springy, in colors just tertiary enough.  There's some left on sale at my LYS . Just saying.

 

Kay's visit coverage via Hipstamatic

On Tuesday, Kay came for a whirlwind visit. Is there anything better than a good friend, Pepes apizza & beer mid afternoon? Why, yes there is: sharing her with your knitting posse. Her full report, over at Mason Dixon Knitting. If only Ann could have made it. While we yucked it up, I imagined her Tennessee garret, solo, quill in hand, novelizing. Also? I think she's wearing a sweepy dress with a fuzzy  lace shawl in that vision, existing on absinthe and pimiento cheese tea sandwiches.

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For those inquiring about the patterns in the noisy Make Mine Local slideshow two posts ago, they are all indie patterns, some unreleased. In true DIY style, the fashion show was spirited, creative, inspiring but not so well-documented. Which is to say I never received complete contact info coordinated with the designs. Try inquiring of the host, the  Common Cod Fiber Guild. At least I know the skirts, the fabulous stripey-armed sweater and the peachy bright foofy coat at the end are all from  Yarn in the Farms, available from that pattern page link. The opening little red jacket is by Ann Weaver of WeaverKnits.