Coming Attractions

I'd like to extend my sincere thanks to all of you, Gentle Readers, for your patience with me this summer.  21 finished garments and 128 swatches later, you haven't seen anything I've knitted since last February, which has GOT to make for some dull blog reading.  For those who have stuck with me, please accept my humble gratitude. For those who drifted away, I'll never blame you.  If you were wondering when things might get more visual here at the blog, let me assure you:  It's coming.  Tell your friends. 

First, here are some sneak peeks.  Some you have seen before, and accepted my promises that there would one day be patterns available.  Others are making their public debut:

There are five designs in all; Three for adults, and two for children.  I'll be self-publishing them all, and offering them on line only.  And here is where your expertise is required, dear friends:  How would you like to see them offered?  As a collection, in an e-book?  Pattern of the Month club?  Mystery Knitalong?  Individual patterns?  As well-versed knitting consumers, you know best what pattern delivery systems are fun, economical, and inspirational.  I'm asking you to share with me what you have done before that you liked (or didn't).  How exclusive do you like your patterns to be?  Would you rather buy them in a group, at a discount, or pick and choose individual designs? Thank you in advance for your input - you never steer me wrong.
 

My Day OFFF

On the advice of my family, and pretty much everyone else I've seen lately, I took a day off last weekend.  My pal Carson came up from San Francisco to visit, and, along with Lindsay, we attended the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival (OFFF to its friends).

      There were fleeces for sale.                             We learned about Hansen mini-spinners.

Lindsay loved the angora bunnies.  A Lot.  And the bunnies loved her back.

    We ate delicious baked goods.                            We made friends with sheep.

We learned to spin Gotland fleece in the Swedish style, with our hero Shelia January.

Did I mention there were fleeces for sale?  We didn't buy any, in an unprecedented display of self-control.  We kept reminding each other that we have unspun fleeces still at home from last year, and we can't have more until those are turned into yarn.  For the record, the smugness of having shown such self-discipline never quite manifested.  Instead, we spent the whole next day asking each other "why didn't we buy any fleeces, again?" and "How come you are so mean and wouldn't let me have any new fleeces?" and "When will I start feeling smug and self-disciplined?" 

In spite of that, I managed to come home with a few treasures, like out of print books for $5 each.  Lindsay managed to make $20 stretch from one end of the marketplace to the other, scoring no less than 6 different new types of fiber to try out spinning on.  I am so proud of my small fiber fiend.  Though I'm not entirely sure her wee stash is safe from her mother.  Some if it's Pygora, for pity's sake...

And best of all was seeing many friends there.  I haven't declared an official day off of work on my book since February.  And even people who love their work that much can burn out, so a small rest from thinking about it helped me to reconnect to all the things I love about it.

I'm back below decks today, rowing with the other slaves.  My intention is to have the entire last chapter finished on Friday.  Then there will only be knitting (more knitting), and re-writes to do.  And there are a few projects coming up that have been on hold until the book is done:  More about them all soon.  I promise you'll like them.

Stranded With Mary: Part IV

Last Sunday I spent some time with the knitters of Yorkshire Yarns.  I'm sad to say it was our last official class of the series, but I'm so happy and proud of them all I could pretty much bust.  Beautiful Knitting, made by Beautiful Knitters:
 

Everybody is getting ready to do their finishing:  binding front and neckline edges, inserting sleeves, adding trims and closures.  These are some truly smart and powerful women: They worked on a compressed schedule to stay caught up for each class, supporting each other throughout the process.  And of course, the best part is that most of them had never done any stranded colorwork before when we first met.  Isn't it stunning what knitters can do?  Just by wanting to?  I'm telling you, Gentle Readers: The power of Knitters to pump beauty and joy into the universe from their hearts and their hands is limitless.  I think getting to spend time with them while they do it is one of the greatest gifts of my life.  I'm so thankful to them, for including me in their adventures.