Camera Obscura

I'm in the hotel ballroom at Yarnover in Minneapolis.  It's at the end of the opening celebration dinner and Stephanie Pearl McPhee has just finished her talk, to the usual thunderous applause.  Knitters and teachers are getting up from tables and beginning to mingle, excited about the classes and market which begin in the morning.

From across the room somebody calls my name.  I turn to see a student of mine from last year, hastily excusing herself around people and furniture.  She's clearing the obstacles to cross the room, just to get to me.  I'm awash in the wave of joy that comes when this happens:  Somebody is excited that I'm here.  Has she brought a finished piece of knitting to show me, inspired by my teaching?  Maybe she's coming to tell me she'll be in my class again in the morning.  Perhaps she'll ask how it feels to be on a roster of teachers including the likes of Franklin Habit, Stephanie Pearl McPhee, and Steven West.  I grin and wait for her to clear the last banquet table between us.

I open my arms to hug her as she exclaims "I'm so glad to see you!"  Before I can respond, she adds "I need somebody to get a picture of me with the Yarn Harlot!"

I smile and take her outstretched camera.  Just one more service I provide.

Stick it in a Drawer

If you have one, that is.  My new desk didn't yet, so I made some.  Pleased with myself?  Little bit.

I built plywood boxes to fit the lower cubbies in my desk.  The nice man at my home improvement center did the long cuts on a 4 x 8 sheet of 1/2" plywood for me so I could fit it in my car.  Then I made the short cuts at home using my miter saw.  I put each one together with glue and nails, which I sunk with a nail set and covered with putty.  After sanding, I applied two coats of white satin paint.

To add the graphics, I printed out the words and numbers from my computer, then traced them onto the drawer fronts using graphite paper (thanks for the tip, Aunt Sally - I think graphite paper may change my life!).  Then I painted them on by hand with shiny black craft paint.  I added drawer pulls (aren't they cute? I can put labels in them, too.  Think it'll look dumb if they all say "YARN"?), and glued some long strips of craft felt to the bottoms so they slide easily.

And I even had enough plywood scraps left over to make this:

The file label is a little metal picture frame.  I removed the easel back and drilled holes on each side so I could screw it down.
The ribbon goes through two holes I drilled in the back, and it hangs from a simple coat hook (just like my glasses, on the right - which I can now find!).

All that's left is to add a couple of shelves to divide the upper cubbies for small items, and my Ikea Hack will be complete.  The details:

Materials
1    1/2 " x 4' x 8' plywood sheet
4    Drawer pulls
1    sheet craft felt
wood glue
1" ring shank panel nails
sandpaper (I used 80, then 220 grit in my palm sander)
white satin finish interior latex paint
black shiny finish craft paint
graphite tracing paper

Cut list (done at home improvement center - go when they're' not busy)
6    13" x 4'
1    12" x 4'

Cut list (done by me)
8    13" x 13" fronts & backs
8    13" x 14" sides
4    12" x 14" bottoms

And the little wall file was put together with scraps, which I didn't even bother measuring.  The side panels have straight backs, with fronts angled at 15º.  It ended up about 12" wide and 9" high.  I hit it with a couple of coats of black spray paint and hung it from a ribbon.  Done and Done.

Knitters can do anything, right?

Here's the Windup

And what might be happening here, you ask?  Why only the ball-winding preparations for my fabulous "Knitting Behind the Wheel" class, which I'm teaching on Sunday!  All the students receive a kit containing 13 colors of yarn, a fun pattern to use them with, and their very own color wheel.  In addition to how to use a color wheel (and why you might want to), students in this class learn how to work an applied knitted cord and make a Dorset button, too.  
 

I'm also teaching "Stranded in Your Hat", an introduction to stranded colorwork knitting, and "Eeek! Steeks!", where we learn three ways to cut open knitting.  There are spaces remaining in all three classes, so if you are close enough to take a beautiful drive 45 minutes east of Portland, come and play with us in Hood River. 

The Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival is celebrating its third year, and guess who's coming to dinner?  None other than the fabulous Carson Demers, Knitwear Designer, Fiber Arts Ergonomics Specialist, and personal BFF:  There are spaces available in his classes, too, so there is no reason to resist - join us!

Here is a picture of the beautiful Hood River, Oregon, for those too far away to see it in person (make a plan for next year!).  
 

The other wonderful teachers at the festival are HERE, and their classes are to die for.  Oh, and the marketplace includes the likes of Dicentra Designs, Sincere Sheep, Abstract Fiber, and many more!  And if all that weren't enough, Saturday is my birthday, so all my students will get to watch me turn 39 again.  What more could you possibly wish for?  See you there!