Fiber College giveaway, blog tour stop #5

 

Welcome Fiber College blog tourists to your final stop. If you're feeling bad for me for being last, worry not. I've spent my whole life as a Z. I am used to being last. It builds character.

 In that spirit , I am going to make you wait till the end of the post for the giveaway. (OK, if you must skim ahead,  I'm giving away a spot in one of my classes at Fiber College, just scroll down).

10 Reasons You Should Join Us at Fiber College

1- Fiber College takes place on the ocean in Searsport Maine. Sept 8-11th. I don't think you really need 9 more reasons. If you have ever been in coastal Maine in early September, you know what I'm talking about.The light. The smells. Peaceful & spectacular.

2- Did you notice the words on the ocean? I don't mean in a town that is on the coast but at this place. You can camp there (I am! primo spot! oceanfront!). Camping with beautiful flower gardens and adirondack chairs and hot showers,  near town for espresso runs and other, ahem, necessities of civilization. Like ice cream. If you don't want to sleep in a tent or fire up your RV, there are inns and hotels nearby.

3, 4, 5 - OK I will  be egocentric, the next three reasons are my classes. Friday morning is Photography for Knitters, Crafters & Bloggers- Styling your FO's general photography techniques and tricks and ideas for shooting your work. We'll play with color & light & choosing backgrounds. Saturday morning is Photography for Knitters: Working wth Real Life Models - we'll work on photographing people, especially to show off your knits. It is part technique, part psychology, lots of hands on. Very fun. If you're a designer who wants to have great shots of people wearing the patterns you're selling on ravelry, this is the class for you. On Sunday, for the 1st time ever, I am psyched to teach a more advanced class of Photography for Knitters/Crafters: Working with Light. It'll be all about sun and the lack of it, direct & indirect light sources, shadow, indoor lights, using cheapish artificial light sources and working too with electronic flash (strobes), both large & small - the full monty of lighting, with the focus of making fiber look great.

6- All the other classes. OMG the classes. The teachers & subjects are mind boggling. Just go look. You can go traditional techniques in knitting, spinning, or weaving. You can try something new with wool like dyeing with indigo and woad, or felting 3 dimensionally . Or something new, like hula hooping or silkscreening or book making.

7- Artist in residence! I love when there's a special person who's presence gives a shape to the gathering and who can do a Saturday night presentation that'll capture us all. It's Mary Jane Mucklestone. I've never met her but I am looking forward to, because I so admire her work. Check out her Saturday night presentation, especially.

8- Vendors. If just sitting by the surf, knitting,and soaking in all the free-floating creativity  isn't enough, you can shop. Like a mini Rhinebeck but no traffic and easier access to the fiber critters.

9- That's right, I said fiber animals. I guess you know how I feel about sheep, goats and alpaca. I'll skip the baaaaaa-d puns.

10- Above all, community. The spirit of the gathering is so on the mark to me, it is making me look forward to September. (I hate when summer ends, hate it).But here's what I mean, right from the Fiber College website:

"What is Fiber College?

It's all about doing...and it's more than classes: it's community, sharing and evening events.

We hold the following statements to be true: September is the most beautiful month on the coast of Maine. Surrounded by the sea and bordered by gardens you can relax, revitalize and daydream~ you know that you need this. "

Giveaway! If you'd like to win a seat in one of my classes (your choice but if it's for the lighting class, just be sure you want to geek out ,photographically, that much).

Leave a comment below saying what non-photo class most piques your interest. I'll take comments till 3 pm east coast time on Wed August 3rd, and I'll do a random number for the winner.

See you there?

yo tambien

Mitered Cross  and the design  inspiration in quilt form flappin' in the breeze

Although Kay did a stellar post complete with awesome photos she made- I tell you I am positively ferklempt looking at them- I still want to report on that one-of-a kind class I taught in Southampton LI a couple of weekends ago. Teaching at a private home gave  a whole 'nother vibe to the class. Where else could a student be seen with a camera, a cellphone and her small dog under the same arm while photographing a woman lounging on velvet on a lovely shaded patio.

You wanted a closer look, am I right? It's not really on my list of "Ten Top Tips To Take Terrific Tightshots" but on the other hand,and I mean literally on the other hand, we're talking Olive. (love that Olive)

We went all out on the refreshments, in a way one might not at a shop or library or other educational venue. Because afterall, G&T's make a very good prop, and I heartily endorse good props. BTW this is Phyllis Rowley's design.

A constant at all of the Photography for Knitters classes is the presence of brilliant knits. Will you look at this Volt in Kidsilk Haze? Can you practically feel it? It's by Susan, here's her Ravelry link.  Karin, a freind of Kay's,  was there to model. I'm not sure she knew in advance that would be her role. 

  
But I don't think she minded too much.

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Last night at Webs ended the summer series of classes I've been teaching. It was SO hot, I didn't even take photos myself. That is a real heat indicator, because it was a very very good time. When the heat got to us, we decided to use " WEBS, Yarn Store of Your DreamsWhich  is Very Well Air Conditioned & Colorful"" as our setting for the photography, instead of the  hellish sauna great outdoors where posing in wool felt downright punitive.

In September I am THRILLED to be teaching at two events, you really should check them out

Fiber College- a gathering of knitters, artists & vendors  in Searsport Maine Sept 8-11 and

The Creative Connection Event, a gathering with the emphasis on craft entrepreuneurship and empowering women Sept 15-17th in St Paul MN - I teach Friday as part of the Vogue Knitting lineup.

the right question

Still a space or two at Photographing Your Knits: FO's on Real People at WEBS this Thursday July 21 4:30-7:30. Join us! Did I mention it's at WEBS?!

 

Earlier this summer I knew what I wanted. Needed. Must knit. It was a long, wide, lightweight, sheer shawl that I could also wear as a huge scarf. I cast on to make Gossamer Stars with my big cone of Colrain lace. But alas, it was not making me happy.  Working off a chart wasn't my mood, because most of my summer knitting takes place on a porch or beach while chatting. Plus,  I'd forgotten that I already had this Be Sweet big wide shawl underway.

I decided to start over in razor shell, a favorite stitch, and was reinforced by Dunes in First Fall Knitty (don't you love it in handspun over there?)  But, I still wasn't feeling it. Know what I mean?
Volt shot at the Photographing Your Knits class in LI

Then last Saturday at the Photographing Your Knits workshop, Sara asked me the simple question "What do you like to knit most?". I stumbled, saying "umm, uhhh, I guess I like knitting animal fibers best, in worsted weight". 

And then she said "No, I mean what do you like to knit?"  and I stumbled more, replying "l, ummm, well, I like sweaters, and ummm, everything. Small things, hats, scarves.... but not lace so much. I don't enjoy the fiddly stitches so much". (Clearly I'm not a big self-examiner type).

Later that night, when we were socializing,  she glanced over at me with my laceweight merino/tencel blend. There I was  looking annoyed at my YO's and counting stitches while trying to drink wine & chat and she said "But..I thought you didn't like lace?".

Enlightenment! Headslap! Thanks, Sara, for asking the right question at the exact right moment.  I'm casting on again with the Colrain, which is, after all, a very nice yarn. This time for Miley. I'm feeling happier already.

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(more photos from that LI day next post, it was so inspiring. Not just because it got me back on track: the knitters and setting and the whole.....gestalt).

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?

let the record show..

photo by Barbara Miller, from class Saturday on porch of the Kitschy Stitch.  Oh the colors !

• The Kitschy Stitch class in Rehoboth Beach was full of awesome, see above.  Here's knitter/designer/photo student- for-the-day Linda in her soon-to-be-released pattern Shawlus Maximus . I hope I spelled that right. And didn't over-hyphenate. Gorgeous design, right? Visit Barbara's Miller's blog to see more of her photos from Saturday.

•  next is the special full day east end of LI class, July 9th,  in the good company of Kay Gardiner of Mason Dixon Knitting. Deets & sign up here. Two spaces open. Three if you need'em.  It's worth a day trip from NY if you'd prefer not to take a whole weekend away. (jitney! they drive, you knit! win win! I'll even pick you up and take you back to the jitney depot.)

The Gaia shawl in Noro Taiyo,in full review.

yarn: Noro Taiyo sock, colorway # 2 (I think)(does it matter, they are all so....Noroluscious)

needles: us 7

yardage left over: none, zero, zippo, nada. In fact I scrounged several yards off other skeins to complete the picot bind off. Careful scrutiny reveals the color change in picotland, above.
finished size: just right

final thought: The Taiyo Sock was incredibly irritating to knit--it spun back on itself like an energized single. (and I can't say that phrase enough, it sounds so weird. Energized single.) But oh the colors and changes?  I can forgive Mr. Noro  his materials' faults for the joy of the shifting hues.

•  I'm on to another shawl, big rectangular,  with my big spool of Valley Colrain yarn. Loving the knitting but not loving working off a spool. Keeps toppling.

• Joan Tapper & I are setting up our events & booksignings in celebration of our new book!

Craft Activism, coming your way in late September. So excited.

really? this is work?

At the Photographing Your Knits class on Saturday at Webs,(link to next class in July) we played with contrasting backgrounds. Zarzuela's Fibers was our lovely handspun model.

I am sure those driving by kind of wondered what we were up to. So much fun, and what an awesome class.

It's not just all shoot, shoot, shoot though.  I finished my Gaia shawl a couple of weeks ago, more views and blab about it in another post. Can I just say? I don't think I'll ever get tired of this pattern & Noro yarn together.

peripatetic

The setting: my car, last week, speeding north toward a photo shoot in Vermont

Dramatis personae: myself and my photo asst Kelly. She is driving, I am knitting, we are discussing important issues about the history of photography. Oh, ok ,so we're gossiping about other photographers .

We are just slightly north of Springfield Mass. The shoot we are heading to is commercial and utterly unrelated to crafty subjects.

Kelly, in an unexpected subject change: so, I've been seeing all these knitted things. On Pinterest. With huge yarn. Where do you think I could find fat yarn?

Me: hey, get in the right lane. NOW! Take that exit. WEBS!!

Kelly: ...? Webs? What's ...Webs?

(sound of squealing wheels on exit ramp)

Kelly, via phonecam, a short time later. By 1 am in our Montpelier inn, she was cranking out a mondo squooshy blanket in broken rib.

As for me? I chose thecone in the top photo, of Valley Colrain Lace to make a super wide, long  Gossamer Stars  shawl by Kat Coyle. I've been thinking about it for a couple of years but hadn't been able to settle on the right yarn. More accurately, I'd been choosing yarn but always coming up too spendy for the version I want, like 3 times wider and 50% longer than the pattern in IK, more like this fabulous one Kat knit. Even longer and wider, since she is tiny. We hit Webs at the end of their sale, the cone was beyond reasonably priced. For a few minutes I walked around with three cones, two for a Striped Study shawl. Then I got a grip and chose just this  grayish purple, that they call Elderberry, and I made all periwinkly by Hipstamatically presenting it..

Did I mention I'm teaching two 3 hour classes of Photography for Knitters at Webs- one this month and one in July? So psyched! You can take one or take both, we decided to make it easy that way, depending on your time. Info here.

And info about other upcoming workshops, scattered around geographically, here .

Ps the shoot went well, too. Next post, Providence.

may most colorful

Still at it. I love how the overall color vibe shifts when each new round is added. *It is just enough to get me around it, one more time. * repeat from * No end in sight.

Borscht with the works: cold beet soup with a boiled potato, hard boiled egg, diced red onion, plain greek yogurt and a bit of parsley.*Prepare, admire, eat for lunch* Repeat from *  at least 2-3 times per week.

and, why, yes, that is a Mason Dixon Knitting warshrag, knit by Kay herself. Are you wondering what it's like to hang with Kay while working on your photo skills? Yeah, I thought you were. Join me in Southampton NY on July 9th and find out . Info here.

Gaia shawl in Taiyo. Almost done. Noro..Loving it.

Strawberry-apple-kale-ginger juice. While looking for my gardening tools in the basement , I came across a juicer I'd snagged at a tag sale and never used.  Norma's juice lists  earlier this year and how they appealed in a really odd way popped into my brain... now, we're all smitten. Yo, yarn companies: juiced kale could be a colorway.Neighborhood Cinco de Mayo potluck. We had the tables on her lawn till a downpour forced us up on the porch...But it passed, so we spread back out on the lawn.

And had this for our view.

What colors are rocking your boat?

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.

classing up mothers day

Forgive me for another self-promotional post here, but I really do think getting a class in something you are interested in, say, photography and knitting? would be a most excellent gift for Mothers Day. So would giving it. Obviously. Maybe with skein of some nice yarn..or a new camera?  Photography for Knitters classes.That's what I'm talking about.

 

Here's a full list of all the classes and workshops coming up. The soonest is next Sunday May 15th in New Haven , the rest are scattered over the following months. To say I'm excited about them is waaaay understatement. I've yet to teach a class that wasn't full of great people, it is always fun, as everyone gets excited about seeing their skills grow and their photos improve.

But I need to blab about one workshop in particular, because it's unique: Saturday July 9th, I'll be teaching 12:30-6:30 workshop at a private home in beautiful Southampton NY,  in eastern LI (about 2 hours from NYC by car or train). I've used this house and grounds as a photo location for shooting, and I can tell you it is, literally,  picture perfect. Comfy & relaxing.  But you know what will make this day truly a unique class? If I say log cabin, does that give you a hint? We'll have a special student,  Kay Gardiner of Mason Dixon Knitting  in the class. (Let the record show she suggested the phrase Special Student. I think it sounds, well, I just always hear the Church Lady ).  I am pretty sure this means we will have a chance to wallow in log cabin afghans and blankets and god-knows-what-else, all waiting to be photographed. Class is limited to 12, so if this appeals, start dropping some hints big time, right now, so you can get a seat in the class as  your Mothers Day gift. Why not? 11th hour rules! Link with all the details, here . 

Or you can just sign up right from this handy button:

.

BTW? The little cuties in this post were all photographed  on location at the house in Southampton, modeling Blu , for Mason Dixon Knitting:Outside the Lines. I wonder if anyone has knit them in an adult size?That'd be fun to shoot.

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So, what're you up to for Mother's Day? Myself ,I'm planning  to split the day between domination over nature in the backyard, and brunch with  champagne drinks at the neighborhood cafe. Maybe a little knitting, once the weeds have been beaten back and the raised beds built. Or....... the champagne kicks in.

 
My guys a couple of weekends ago. 

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 obvious choice

My skein of Noro Taiyo Sock traveled to Chicago with me this morning It's going to be a Gaia (rav link) shawl, for me. I've wanted one ever since the first I knit for my sister , in Silk Garden. This has more yardage ,so will be that much shawlier. Perfect project for  this weekend, while attending a professional conference. When I chose this colorway, it was pointed out it'd definitely be one I liked--because it matched ,exactly, fabric wound around my neck. They're the scarves in the background here as proof. I like to think of it as a cosmic convergence rather than being in a rut.

hue & me

 

It's getting bigger. Still not tired of it.

 

but it's starting to take a while to get fully around the square.

 

There's no real plan. I alternate contrast or cool/warm tones. Sometimes there are little runs of colors I particularly like. My other project right now is a  Cadence in Cascade Eco wool, in the satisfyingly sturdy & very plain natural brown/grey you can see on the the left next to the yellow (single crochet row). I cheated a little out of that sweater for this . Excellent alternatives to work on.

. 

I've run out of some of my leftovers in really odd colors. I'm hoping the outer edges won't be too boring, I have a lot of yellow, goldish yellow, brown & light dull blue.

 

Bobo and the Bigass Granny Square

denial

 

Dave finally got his sweater.  Cobblestone, knit in Berroco Ultra Alpaca and Potosi Sheep Farm hand dyed Blue Faced Leicester.

 

It was finished a month ago. The thing is, Dave doesn't like posing or the attention one gets in front of the camera. I know! cruel irony! Spending his life with a photographer. To make matters worse, I never feel Dave looks like himself when I shoot him, so I say, nah, not quite right, I didn't get you.  Who's this dude with a white beard who's showing up in my pixels.

 

This is the Dave I think will  appear in the photos.  I realized the problem is not with Dave's posing  but with my brain,  two weeks ago, when dear friends showed this photo of us in 1981.  Delusion! such a grand way to face the world.( Also: denim, such a wardrobe builder.)

 

FYI, I knit the Potosi Sheep Farm yarn every other row on the garter yoke, to mute contrast with the solid blue. I crisped up the detail in this image to talk about it, but it's a softer effect to the naked eye. What I didn't think hard enough about was the the short row areas.  You can see stripes by the lower yoke on the arm, and  in arm pits as blue wedges. I don't mind them much, though.  And in person? It's kinda like the beard color, you really just don't see it.