I'm back from teaching a couple of classes at Stitches East in Hartford. As always, it is great for me to see many old friends, meet new ones, and meet many blog readers. My classes were at the beginning of the convention so the students were fresh and ready to learn - not exhausted from knitting overload. Here is a montage of the embroidery samplers the students did in my Friday a.m. class.
I used this cool app called PicFrame to compose the collage on my iPhone. If you don't know it, check it out here.
Here's a really cute photo of all some of my students. They were so serious and quiet (it was 8:30) and worked so hard. At the end of the class, we placed all the swatches on a table and they all climbed up on chairs to take photos. Really sweet - don't you love it?!
The highlight of my weekend was Julia and my Sunday afternoon lunch date with the fabulously talented color genius Anna Zilboorg. If there is one author I really admire in the current knitting world, it is Anna. Eating lunch with her, sharing our tales of author-ship, publishing, and life in general is my favorite memory of the weekend. I have a small collection of Anna books that I treasure dearly. My favorite is her self-published title "Knitting for Anarchists." Do you know it? Lots of writing about knitting.
Her "Magnificent Mittens" has just been re-published by XRX. It was Anna's idea. The book was selling on Amazon and eBay for huge amounts of money and Anna didn't think it was fair that newish knitters couldn't buy it reasonably. She added an entire section on socks and it is now called "Magnificent Mittens and Socks" and is a paperback book. If you don't own it, make sure you add it to your library. A truly beautiful book.
You can listen to a podcast with Anna here on the FiberBeat podcast. I haven't listened yet but plan to later when I have some knitting to do. She has a lovely voice - so soothing. And such a wise woman.
I have one more fall event to do. I'm the featured speaker at the Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild up in Shelburne, VT. The meeting is being held at the Shelburne Museum. It will be wonderful to speak about color to rug-hookers. I hope I don't come home with another craft I want to try.
The registration is open for VK Live in NYC January 14 - 16. The roster is loaded with lots and lots of fabulous teachers. Should be a really great time. Let's hope there isn't a big snowstorm but I will get there somehow. Can't wait to meet some of you there. Check it out - the Big Apple in January..... What could be better?
I love all things Anna Zilboorg. I imagine that two color knitting geniuses eating lunch together made the sun shine a little brighter.
ReplyDeleteI so wish that I was able to come to the GMRHG Fall Meeting and hear you speak and meet you....but I'm saving my trip south for the Rug Show itself. Best of luck to you in avoiding the urge to pick up a hook! :-D
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the classes were great. I just listened to the Anna Zilboorg interview. Really good interviewer. I will look into purchasing her books.
ReplyDeleteI saw you today at the Mall of America on an old episode of Knit and Crochet Today. I'll be really glad when the new episodes come out!! We get 2 programs a week here and I've seen all of them multiple times but they are still quite relevant because I've probably missed something the first time around.