Happy July!

So much has happened in the last few weeks. I think often to update this blog, "when I have the time," but the pictures and info just pile up. I will therefore make an entry with what time I have, and forgot a huge, long, newsy one.

How about lists? I can do lists!

1. My Irish Crochet Cuffs were published in the latest PieceWork magazine (available at all fine magazine stores everywhere)! In fact, drumroll please, my project made the cover photo! This does, of course, make me a CoverGirl. The editor contacted me over a month ago sharing the cover shot, and I had to KEEP QUIET ABOUT IT FOR A MONTH. Pure agony.

2. I will be teaching classes on Irish Crochet / Rose and Leaf. July 22 I will be at Yarn & Ya'll in Greenville, SC, and October 3 I will be teaching it at Twisted PDX in Portland, Oregon. Super fun! Contact me to teach at your yarn store!

3. I will also be teaching the Sámi mitten class: Beauties from the Far North at Twisted PDX on October 4. I'm really excited to make it to Portland at the same trip as the...

4. Nordic Knitting conference. All is toodling along splendidly! My class sold out in the first day! If you didn't make the class, I'd still love to meet you at the Saturday banquet held at the Nordic Museum. I will be driving up from Portland, so I will be late, but I will still be there! I am really looking forward to working with all the wonderful instructors -- you can't go wrong with a single class!

5. Been super busy with the kids all summer: swim team, softball league, softball all stars, eldest child entering the work force… In fact, I need to take the third child to his activity right now. 

But you know what? I posted. Proud of that, and I hope to see you all soon at one event or the other!

It's That Time of Year Again

That's right: Triathlon time! And, am I ever not ready! The kids are out of school tomorrow, I have several projects due at the end of the month, and two more essays and another project to work on after that. I had a long lasting lung thing last month, and a trip, and a family reunion. And, all that has left me out of shape.

So, who biked round the lake last Sunday, and finished last of the group? Me! But who has gotten back in that saddle and ridden around three times since?

Celebrating

International Chocolate Chip Cookie Day

Some of these were sacrificed for science.  You know -- double blind, random testing...

Akron Area Arts League

I had a great time yesterday at my second Akron Area Arts League class. Teacher, Brenda, is demonstrating a different art every Wednesday from 10a- noon at the Rochester Public Library. Last week was print making. We burnished and drew on styrofoam, we drew on Duraloc and transferred onto cards, and we learned to paint on plastic bags and transfer.  All very fun, doable at home, and something I haven't done since 8th grade!

Yesterday, though, was fun with yarn.  I just can't help it -- I love me some wool. Brenda told us she would present weaving, so I showed up with some of my early, bulky handspun.  I don't really have enough of any one color for a knitted project, and I hoped it would be perfect for weaving.

Brenda was amazing and brought examples that she taught in her elementary classes of weaving on paper plates, cool whip containers, and cardboard. We started out weaving on a 4.5" thick cardboard square. She had marked two opposite sides with seventeen 1/4" marks. We cut those, and warped the "loom" with #3 crochet thread. Then, using a long, plastic needle she had purchased at United Artists Supply, we tabby wove and beat the draw with a plastic fork! Quite fun!

I decided to try intertwining two colors half way through the weft, and ended up making a grey mountain on a deep blue background. It will be a mug rug, and I hope to needle felt a sun on there, as well.

Our second project was to be made on a larger loom. Brenda had made this from doubled, thick cardboard stuck through with bamboo, barbecue skewers. We warped the loom on one side only, put in a dowel to make a shed, used a notched ruler as a heddle, and a paint stick to help lift the warp strings… and away we went! I asked, right away, how to do Swedish rya weaving. Pretty fun! Now, I have to finish the second project before next Wednesday, so she can show me how to remove it from the loom.

Next week, watercolor! Until then, I will continue to work on four articles and four knit and crochet patterns for others, not to mention my own classes and pattern writing.