Getting my stuff together

I have been busy combing through the seven to nine Sámi mitten patterns for my upcoming ebook, Beauties From the Far North: Swedish Sámi Mittens. Today, if the light holds, I'll take some final pictures. Tomorrow, I take off for Minneapolis!

Friday at 3pm, I will be lecturing on The Sámi Knitting Tradition at Finnfest 2014. It's hard to believe it has been a year since the kids and I trekked north for Finnfest. What a great time! The festival was very well put together, with lots of choir concerts, teaching seminars, and historical overviews. My kids attended a  Finnish language workshop and baked Finnish bread. I, of course, demonstrated Sámi mittens in the craft area, and got my photo taken with a Moomin.

On Saturday, I will be teaching my Skolt Sámi Motifs class at Ingebretsen's. Ingebretsen's is a delightful Scandinavian store on the city's near-south side. It carries everything from Norwegian yarn to lutefisk, and, of course, beautiful home decor.

While my family was visiting my parents in South Carolina, the delightful Denise interviewed me. Here is her write-up from the interview. 

If you are a Minnesotan reading this, I hope to meet you, soon!

Look what arrived in the mail today!

A package from Knitting Traditions...

Right when I received an email that the new Fall 2014 Knitting Traditions had hit the stands, I got a package. Inside was my copy of KT, and my Skolt Sámi mittens I knit for it.

Before the knitting pattern was my article on Matleena and the Skolt Sámi Knitting Tradition. 

It's so great to have them home again -- just in time for my teaching travels.

New Laura Ricketts ravelry group

I keep plugging away at knitting mittens, tweaking patterns, being mom, and wrestling the computer. I can't say I'm not learning multiple things a day!

Today I set up a Laura Ricketts ravelry group on the Ravelry website. If you are a crafter and don't belong to Ravelry, where in the world have you been? Go on over there. Now. Go on (you can open a separate window…)! It is a wonderful storehouse for all things pertaining to yarn, patterns, and yarn people.

Type "Laura Ricketts" into the search bar, and join my group while you are over there. Please say, "hi!" 

Classes

Besides the conferences I mentioned in the last post, I also will be in Minneapolis next month participating in FinnFest 2014. Last year, I went with the kids to attend the Finnfest in Northern Michigan. Every year the location changes, which is fabulous when you can have a new city to explore!

On Friday, August 8, I lecture on Sámi Knitting at 3p at Minneapolis' Hyatt hotel, where the conference is centered. The following day, I teach Skolt Sámi motifs at Ingebretsen's, also in Minneapolis. Ingebretsen's is a wonderful Pan-Scandinavian store with a little bit of everything in it. If you have never been there, come by for my class from 1-4, or anytime to view their marvelous wares.