My Summer, So Far (part 6)

On the last weekend of June, I got to teach at Black Sheep Gathering, in Eugene, Or.

Here is a bonny participant, getting a new hairstyle.  She was somewhat vocal about the process.  And by vocal, I mean she sounded maa-aaaaaaad.

One of my students thought the top of her kilt hose made a better tiara.  I think I might agree.

And a Jenkins "Finch" spindle fluttered into my hands in the marketplace.  This one is a mere 12g of Burmese blackwood and maple.  It's for making cobwebs.  Or just holding in the palm of your hand.

All of which catches me up with you to the last of June, and the end of my Hand-in-a-cast Blog Hiatus.  

Oh, and someplace (?) in there, I made a new website, which required me to manually copy and paste over 800 blog posts and about 2000 photos.  With my hand in a cast.  Which is why, if you used to be a subscriber to my blog updates, you might now mysteriously not.  My precious subscriber list fell off the truck during the move.  Never fear: you can re-subscribe via the swell new button at the upper right of this page - please do!

Ever drag the last box into a new house and promise yourself you'll never move again?  That if you ever leave this place, it'll be feet first? That's how I feel about the new website.  I hope you like it, because we're staying put for a while.

I'm careening toward the deadline for my 5th book.  I'm planning a trip to Victoria BC where I will learn more about kilt tailoring, and I'm inventing a new class about slippers. 

So what have YOU been up to, Gentle Readers? Update us in the comments, won't you?

My Summer, So Far (part 5)

Three days after the shooting at Lindsay's school, I hit the road (air?) again.  For those keeping score, that's:

• A broken finger and my hand in a cast
• Massive sunburn from the Parking Lot
• Intense angst at leaving my family so soon after trauma
• My third teaching trip in as many weeks
• A book in progress, whose deadline I was ignoring every time I left home

Was I feeling my absolute, emotional and physical best?  Perhaps no.

Did the fiber artists of Moscow, ID extend the warmest welcome I've ever heard of?  

Heck Yeah:

The historic Kenworthy, where they let me speechify

Never, in my wildest imagination, would I have thought of having my name in lights on a real live movie marquee.  

Maybe it went to my head a little, but after the initial nervousness of giving the speech was behind me, I really did feel like a rockstar.  I had so much fun with the knitters in class, and made so many new friends.  They have no idea how badly I needed to be with them that weekend (neither did I, until I got there).

Thank you so much, to Shelley Stone of the Yarn Underground, and all my fellow Palouse Fiber Arts Festival teachers and students.  I am so delighted to be a part of your community.  

All the Fiber Fest teachers

Visit Shelley HERE, and tell her I sent you!

Think Chilly Thoughts

Why is this woman on her side? She fell over from excitement!

The temperature where I am today is 96 degrees fahrenheit.  Hot by pretty much any standards.  But I'm thinking ahead, to October, and so should you.  Why?  Because In October, there will be cool breezes, and falling leaves, and pumpkins.

And knitting.  In Chicago.  With ME!  

For those of you in the middle of the country who so often ask, "But when are you coming to MY neck of the woods?", the answer is "October!"  So please come and see me, and all my swell teacher friends.  I promise you a good time.

CLICK HERE for all the scrumptious details, and in the meantime, keep cool and knit on.