Friday, May 19, 2006

Thanks to Jane at Yarnstorm!

Thanks to Jane at Yarnstorm! She wrote about my new book Colorful Stitchery here. Jane's blog is lovely - her photos are inspirational and her writing divine. She enjoys many of the same things I do and it's fun to hear about life across the pond.

I discovered craft blogs in March. Yes, I know, I must have been under a rock. I read about Julie Powell in the
NY Times and her Julie/Julia project last summer but never looked into it further. Was this woman nuts? I would never have the strength nor the "stick-to-it-ness" to cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I do have my favorite recipes from there (the apple tart and the leg of lamb). All my Julia Child's are even autographed to me (my old boss used to be her neighbor in Cambridge). I went to a book signing of hers once in Lowell and brought her some of my chicken's eggs. Julia was wearing a pea green suit (I named a La Gran Mohair color after her - Julia's Pea Green). She was in her early 80's. She was kind to every person that spoke with her. She must have had the looney groupies!

My friend Cathy gave me
Julie and Julia : 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen for my birthday and I finally got around to reading it in January. I thought it was hilarious - but a tad bit strange that she was letting the world into her life. But what a marketing opportunity (yes, I've always been the queen of self-promotion) and maybe it would be fun - maybe I would meet some interesting people. The idea of a blog about our farm simmered for a while. Did I have anything interesting to say?

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee of the Yarn Harlot knitting blog came to speak at
the Fiber Art Center in Amherst, MA last fall when At Knit's End came out. I went to hear her read. She and I have the same publisher and they alerted me to the event. I had never even heard of her, nor her blog, but they told me I would enjoy the talk. I met her and she seemed okay - and the knitters that came to see her talk seemed okay too - maybe a little bit excessively crazy over knitting - but okay.

My writing skills were a bit rusty. I picked up a copy of Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones. That helped me to get over my fears and all the memories of term papers in Mr. Sutton's Senior English Class at Dover High School - I wasn't exactly the star of the class. I began in March and hoped noone would read it. Then this blogging thing started to be a bit of fun. I started to think about what was interesting in my little life and what other people would find interesting. Anything? Or were we just one odd family living on the fringes of civilization in western Massachusetts?

My husband and I have always been magazine addicts. Our house is literally piled with disheveled leaning towers of magazines (the one here in the photo is a neat one). His are Farmers Weekly, Stockman & Grass Farmer, Sheep, and the Premier Fencing Catalog. Mine are Elle, Vogue, Bazaar, Bust, Country Home, British Country Living, The World of Interiors, Selvedge, ME Home Companion, House & Garden, House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Martha Stewart Living (you get it - mostly shelter mags with a little fashion thrown in), Interweave Knits, and Vogue Knitting. (Notice, I get more than him.) My dream job of late has always been to edit a magazine - but that's not going to happen anytime soon - I think I'm too old and I don't live anywhere near any magazine publisher and I just don't have the time. So here's my magazine - Getting Stitched On the Farm. I can say anything I want and noone has to read it. I don't have to worry about what the advertisers think. I can be my own photographer with my little digital camera. It's kind of fun. We'll see how long I have time for it. But for now, here it is.

Now, thanks to Jane at Yarnstorm, some new readers have found me! Welcome. I hope you won't be bored.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

So nice to have found you (via Jane)!

Anonymous said...

You're great! I sell your book (Knitting for Baby) at my yarn shop in Portland, OR. We love it. I used to live in Brattleboro - so nice to see pictures of the Book Cellar! Anyway...great to find your site.

Anonymous said...

Welcome to blogland, Kristin! So happy that Jane pointed us your way! I've enjoyed your needlework for a while now and plan to drop in here regularly.

Anonymous said...

Today is the first time I've visited your blog and it is a delight----thanks to Jane.

Anonymous said...

Am visiting for the first time, thanks to Jane B. Although I'm an unreconstructed anglophile, I'm pleased to visit a US blog!

Do you do any weaving? Do you know of a weaver's blog which is similar in content/style to what you're doing?

Lee

Anonymous said...

Great blog! I also popped over here for the first time from Jane's blog. I've already peeked throught your entries and it made for a lovely read this morning!

Terry Grant said...

I also found you via the Yarnstorm blog. Love your beautiful photos and was pleased to see mention of Brattleboro. My daughter went to grad school there and we visited (from Oregon) a couple times and loved, loved, loved Brattleboro.

Krawuggl said...

Came here by Jane/Yarnstorm, of course, and I am so glad I did. I have visited your design-site before, and I love your sence of colóur very much. Therefore it´s great you have a blog now, I love reading magazines, and I will come back often and enjoy your thoughts.
Greetings from Germany,
Suzi

Anonymous said...

I love your photo of the magazines and the knitting. Could have been a corner in my house :-)

Katy said...

Your blog is wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your interesting life with us. It is very inspiring! I'm ordering your new book.

Best wishes!

katie said...

Hi - I am also here via Jane and i think you are going to be a wonderful addition to my frequent reads. I wonder if it is just me but does anyone else find your font size a bit on the small side? or am i just a blind old bat? I love your clolurs and designs - I am a mat maker and always on the look out for things that will translate into colourful mats! lovey to meet you

Anonymous said...

I just found out about your blog through a comment on the Yarn Harlot blog. I've knit many of your patterns over the years, so nice to be able to read your blog. I was truly surprised that you hadn't heard of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, as she's been published in almost every knitting magazine.

Dianne R. in FL

kelli ann & lorie said...

more crafting serendipity-- i *didn't* follow a link here from Jane's blog, but am so happy that yours and hers coincide here, she's one of my favourite reads. ;-) your work is absolutely beautiful. thank you for sharing it. with blogs such as this one, i learn so much!!

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