Mothering Up + Storey Homesteading Book Giveaway

Do you know the term "mothering up?" I didn't until I heard it on Sweetgrass that amazing SHEEP Movie I told you about about a month ago. I knew it happens every evening when dusk arrives and the lamb races are over but I just didn't know the word for it. The lambs look for their mamas, have a drink of milk and then lie down next to them. It's almost like bedtime story hour for lambs. 

I've been feeding the bottle lambs every evening around 7 p.m. I'm all alone with ALL the sheep. It's rather peaceful in a mildly chaotic way - sheep and lambs all around and the only ones that are worried about the food are my noisy crew of eight who don't have mamas. I'm down to twice a day and truth be told, 4 of them should be off of the milk. But I'm babying them, what can I say?

We've got another bit of mothering going on here...... The day after our wonderful mama cat Lily Pons passed from the world, her 3 year old daughter Annika had her first litter of kittens. I didn't think she could have babies since she was yet to have a litter. Quite a miracle of nature... one cat passes and the next day, 4 beautiful little kittens arrive. She is doing an awesome job. 

There are 3 beautiful fluffy medium haired black and white patchy kittens and one classic striped short haired tiger kitten with a white chest like her mom. They are at the incredibly cute stage right now! We are having lots of cuddling fun with all of them. Lots of kitten photos to come. If you are interested in a kitten, please email me. They will be ready to go to their new homes just around Easter.

 I call this one "the intrepid explorer." Have you heard that quote from Jules Champfleury?  "There is no more intrepid explorer than a kitten." It is rather perfect.

 

Today's blogiversary giveaway comes to you via the fine folks at Storey Publishing. Storey is what I would consider the top "homesteading" publisher in the USA. They do many, many different kinds of books - cooking, baking, animal husbandry, crafts, knitting, healthy living, and more. Their books are clearly written, full of vital how-to information, and great photos. I have been lucky to have them publish two books of mine - Colorful Stitchery and Kristin Knits. This giveaway is awesome:

Bread Making - I've spent lots of time making bread this winter. This book looks fab.

Chick Days - you all need chicks this year, don't you?

Maple Sugar - that sweet stuff that is running at full tilt here in western Massachusetts

Put Em Up - making that garden produce of this summer last until next winter

The Backyard Homestead - everything you need to know for homesteading in the country, the suburbs or the city

 

Here's how to enter:  Answer the following question in the comments by Saturday evening at midnight..... I'll announce the winner on Monday morning. Contest is Closed. 

Question: What is the one new thing you want to learn or do this upcoming summer? It doesn't need to be a homesteading thing - it can be anything. 

Please don't forget to leave an easy way to get a hold of you! Good luck everyone!

Added Monday April 4, 2011....The winner is Jessica who said:  I need to start learning how to knit lace! (what can I say, I'm scared!) Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! And for all the baby animals! Pretty much made my day :)

Thanks so much for entering everyone!

Candy Box for All + A Melanie Falick STC Giveaway

Easter is coming soon and when I think back to the holidays of my youth, it seems there was always a box of Russell Stover's candy passed around the Sunday dinner table. My sisters and I would look longingly at the lovely chocolate covered confections in dark and milk chocolate, trying hard to decide which ONE we would eat. It was a dicey decision because we were only allowed one. If we picked the wrong one, one that had one of those icky fillings, you were stuck. Eat it or leave it. I usually ate it. As the box sat aging on the bureau in the dining room, the candies would slowly disappear. All except the odd flavors that none of us liked. Those candies would be left in the box, one small bite out of each, to age until my mother got sick of looking at the box and it would be thrown out.

Many of the lambs that were born this winter have been eating hay for awhile. They still look to their mothers for milk, but their diet is becoming what an adult sheep eats - hay and baleage. Baleage is "pickled grass". The Farmer harvested it last year and it has been wrapped in white agricultural plastic fermenting and waiting to be fed to the sheep now when the grass isn't growing.

The Farmer uses his tractor to bring a new bale of either dry hay or baleage to the feed bunk. It helps if I am around because these things are really heavy (500 to 800 lbs). The little lambs are always just waiting to dive into the hay and my job is to make sure the bale doesn't land on any of them. It's rather dicey and scary because it doesn't take much to squish a lamb. After plopping the bale down, it is time to unwrap the bale and see what the feed looks like. For the sheep and lambs, I liken this moment to unwrapping that box of Russell Stovers candy from the holidays.

They start picking at it, looking for the bits they like. Sheep are all about the feed. I can tell that some bales taste better than others. They just smell better - sweeter and pungent. Some of the bales seem to disappear quickly and then others hang around for a couple of days. Hay is made up of several different kinds of forage including timothy, blue grass, fescue, alfalfa, and red and white clover.

It's good exercise peeling the hay away, unwrapping the preserved grass that is wrapped circularly like a giant scroll of paper and feeding it out down the line. The mature mama sheep are on one side of the feed bunk, ravenously waiting, never mind that they always have feed in the field - they want to try the new bale! The lambs are on the other side, picking at the hay before we can unwrap it. 

 

It takes about a day or two to go through a bale. As the lambs continue to grow, we will go through more feed. We always hope we have enough to make it through until the grass starts growing. Then the sheep and lambs will transition to fresh green grass.

All this talk about candy boxes of all kinds.....  Have I got a grown-up candy box for all of you creative types! My friend Melanie Falick, Editor of STC Craft Books has donated four of her newest book titles in honor of my 5th blog anniversary! All of Melanie's books are creative maker's eye candy. But although drop dead gorgeous - they are not just fluff. They are full of great how-to instruction, well-thought out book construction, and stylish book design. STC published Knitting For Baby, the book Melanie and I did together just after we both had our children back in the early part of this century (wow, does that sound weird - the century thing, that is).

Here's what I've today for you as a giveaway. Thanks to Melanie and the other fine folks at her publishing house STC for donating the following books. I wish I could enter! They are all incredibly wonderful titles!
Crafting a Meaningful Home by Meg Mateo Ilasco

Oliver and S Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson - a beautiful collection of sewing patterns to sew for children

Stitch Magic - A Compendium of Techniques for Stitching Fabric into Exciting New Forms and Fashions by Alison Reid - a very creative sewing book from a designer in the UK

And lastly........

A Knitters Home Companion by Michelle Edwards. Here's a nice video interview with Michelle. Do you know her writing and illustrations? Check out her blog - it is truly beautiful. I really wish I could keep this one!

Here's how you enter: Answer the following question in the comments section: 
If you had to pick one book that changed your life, that helped you to change course, or that you can't imagine not having on your bookshelf forever, which one is it? The book doesn't need to be a knitting or craft book - just any book that you adore.....

Please, don't forget to leave me an easy way to get a hold of you! Contest ends at midnight on Thursday. I'll let you know who wins on Friday.

Contest is over. Thanks to all who entered! If you get a chance, read through all the comments. There are some really great book ideas! The winner is Ellen. She said:
Robinson Crusoe - when I was in second grade we moved outside of easy walking distance to the library, so I had to dig into the set of classics we had at home. Been digging ever since!

Webs Northampton - Sunday March 27th from 1 to 4

I'll be there! Hope to see some of you. If anyone wants me to bring them some lamb, let me know. We can have a "meat-up"! Our farm number is available on our website link at the left. I have half legs for Easter and Passover, shoulder roasts for braising, stew meat, ground lamb, lamb sausage and more! 

Register here for the Webs event -- It is free!

Penny's Lentil and Lamb Soup - A New Recipe and a Story for You!

I've been cooking lamb since we first began sheep farming over thirty years ago. Now, with the development of our "direct to consumer" farm plan, I'm finding that consumers really need help in deciding what to cook with our lamb. It has taken me a while (let's just say I started this project over a year and a half ago) but I'm finally getting some recipes written down, cooked and photographed.

Taking photos of food isn't easy. Especially when it is brown food that is what I consider totally unphotogenic. Recipe writing and food photography is another one of my blogging journeys. I've discovered some good food blogs. Wow - is that another world as compared to knitting blogs. Here's who I like so far: David Lebovitz, Joy the Baker, my friend Janis's Bite Me New England (Janis is a great lamb customer and frequently blogs about cooking our lamb!),  Dorie Greenspan, The Sweet Beet, Michael Ruhlman, Matt Bites. There is even a food photography blog on the NYTimes website. The food blog world is huge! And it seems to be a big money generating world - unlike the knitting blog world which I seem to be segmented into. There is a food blogging convention! And Food Blogger Camp! It seems like a big pit that I could get sucked into if I let myself. I will just look in from the outside, for now! If you want an inside scoop on it, check out this post by David Lebovitz. It makes us knitting bloggers look like chump change. If you have any favorite food blogs my readers and I might like, leave them in the comments if you will! 

Now where was I? Oh yeah, Penny's Lamb and Lentil Soup, that's right. The back-story..... The Farmer and I lived in Colorado while I was in grad school at CSU. We pretty much had what I would consider no money. We lived on my grad school assistantship stipend and what he made doing whatever job he could find. We weren't married, much to the chagrin of my mother and father. In fact, she was so upset that even though she adored "him" she never would ask about him nor mention his name. (Remember that Mom?) My Dad, being the kindest Dad in the world, would once in a while send me a check so I could pay for my car insurance. 

 

Whatever.... Mom has gotten over it and here we are - still together almost 30 years later. She didn't have anything to worry about. I remember those days with such incredible fondness. We lived in the basement of a small little yellow house on Whedbee Street with my sheltie cross Haida. The Farmer said we were "worms" because all we could see out of the basement windows was the dirt ground above us. I was studying textiles, writing my thesis (on "Wool Production from Small Flocks of Sheep" - boy some things sure do not change!), and learning how to cook on a budget.

Considering that there were two of us living on a very tiny income, I had to learn to cook cheaply. Meat was a splurge and so we existed on a semi-vegetarian diet (much to The Farmer's dislike but hey - he wasn't cooking, was he?) I have always had a love affair with soup. I will admit, I grew up on Campbell's Soup - out of a can. I used to eat it for lunch every Saturday. My favorite was Scotch Broth with Cream of Tomato a close second. In the little basement kitchen, I had a couple of cookbooks -- a paperback copy of The Joy of Cooking for basics and  "The Moosewood Cookbook." Boy, was that cookbook the thing back then! I cooked my way through it for sure. I just loved those handwritten pages and funky little drawings. Still have it, still cook from it.

Colorado is where I learned about lentils. I had never eaten a lentil growing up. My mom wasn't big on cooking with beans except for her post-Easter "split pea soup" she made with the leftover ham-bone. I latched onto those lentils and turned them into soup. I would make a big pot of lentil soup and we would eat it all week long. Let's just say I overdid it! Nah, Kristin doesn't over do anything, does she? By the fourth night, he would look at me with disdain. I guess I don't blame him but to tell you the truth, I can still eat lentil soup five days in a row. I just love it.

Later on, when we both had jobs and were doing a little better financially, we took a memorable couple of trips to France on my frequent flyer mileage. We were in food and wine heaven, visiting so many fabulous little inns and restaurants. The places we visited would fill a book so I will stop reminiscing and tell you that in France I discovered the lovely little LePuy Lentil. Ahhhhh, a lentil that wouldn't get mushy and was a lovely shade of olive green. When I got back to the States, I found them for sale and I haven't stopped buying them yet.

Enter Penny Vurgulopolous. Penny was a Greek woman who worked in our mill store when I worked at TYC. Penny had a thick Greek accent, a wonderful loving Greek American husband named Chris, and in her basement, she had a SECOND KITCHEN that Chris built her so that she could cook and bake for the different parties she threw and church functions she attended. Penny came to work dressed in Chanel suits, dripping with gold jewelry, hair coiffed just so. Mind you - this was a dirty yarn spinning mill and she was selling close-out yarn. She was quite the picture! Penny was an awesome knitter (she wrapped her yarn around her neck to tension it) and an even more awesome cook. She constantly brought in her homemade Greek delicacies to share with the office staff.  I'll never forget the spanakopita, the baklava, the moussaka, the melty soft long roasted leg of lamb, the traditional deep red Greek Easter eggs.......

When Julia was born, I used to bring her to work with me when she was an infant. Her health was fragile and it was best she was with me. She was a good baby and would usually lie on the floor under my big office table playing with one of those dangly overhead baby entertainment things while I tried to figure out what was going on at TYC. Penny loved babies and she would beg me to let her hold and swaddle Julia. She would sing to her in Greek, play finger games. She was just so darn wonderful with Julia. Whenever Penny was working, Julia would "go to the store" with Penny. She would sit in her little seat next to the cash register and Penny would entertain her. One day I went over to check on her. Penny was feeding Julia some of her lentil soup. I almost died. Julia hadn't had a bite of any solid food yet and there she was sucking down the soup. I went with the flow and Julia survived! It was pretty priceless now that I think back on it. Whenever Julia was going to be at work, Penny would make her lentil soup.

So that's where the name for today's recipe comes from. Sorry for the long, convoluted trip it took to get here. This is a recipe that has evolved over the years..... from the first days of lentil soup in the basement apartment in Fort Collins to our farmhouse here in western Massachusetts. Now I fortify it with ground lamb or lamb sausage. It seems so natural considering the connection with my Greek friend Penny's lentil soup and the Greek people's love of lamb.

Penny's Lentil and Lamb Soup
PRINT THIS RECIPE

1 pound lentils (preferably French Le Puy)

¼ cup olive oil

5 cloves garlic

1 medium onion

1 small can tomatoes (14 ounces)

3 carrots

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon oregano

1 pound ground lamb or lamb sausage removed from casings

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and mince garlic. Chop onions into small dice. Heat olive oil in a soup pot. Brown onions and garlic taking care not to burn the garlic. Remove cooked onions and garlic and reserve. Brown lamb in soup pot. Drain off extra fat. Return onions and garlic to pot. Add the tomatoes, and lentils and cover by one inch with water. Bring to a boil, then turn to simmer adding herbs. Cook for thirty minutes. Peel and chop the carrots, cutting them on a diagonal so they are largish. Add carrots and cook the soup until the carrots are done to your liking. Add the vinegar. Let the soup sit if you have time so the flavors will mingle. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Note: Substitute 3 Tablespoons wine vinegar and ½ teaspoon sugar if balsamic is not available. The key to this soup is the vinegar!

Brutal Honesty!

I am a honest person. If I don't like someone, I usually just ignore them.  If I screw up, I admit it. I may be sometimes flowery with my words but it is honestly how I think and write. I enjoy writing this blog because I am writing it for you and for me. I'm not trying to make a big company happy because I don't work for one. Goodness knows, no big corporation would put up with the assortment of things I write about. The Farmer and I work for ourselves, our family, our farm, our land, our art and craft, our animals and for the future of this patch of earth that we are caring for. Most people would think us nuts. Sometimes I agree with "most people" but I just keep going.

Many of my friends work on the fringe of the real world. Some own their own businesses, however big or small they are. They plod along, doing their good work, keeping at whatever it is they are trying to do for the world. Some of my friends are farmers - their dedication is to the future of the earth and to feeding their neighbors good and healthy food. Some of my friends are artists - their dedication is to the beauty of their art. Some of my friends are teachers - their dedication is to their love of learning and showing their students their way.

And then there is my very good friend Candi Jensen. Candi is a knitting and crochet designer and author. Candi and I met over 25 years when we were both working for yarn companies. Candi is passionate about her craft and about sharing her craft with others. That is why she began her PBS television show Knit and Crochet Now. Candi is the reason I am on the show and I thank her for the opportunity.

I doubt most of you know how these PBS shows work so I am going to let you in on it. A producer comes up with an idea and finds corporate sponsors to fund the production of the show. The producer has to pay a PBS station to tape, film, edit, pay for the "experts" to fly in, feed them, and then pay for all the post-production. If there is any money left over, the producer may be able to pay the host, the experts and take a profit. Let's just say that no one involved in K&CN is making anything off of it. The bare minimum to produce a series of 13 shows is $125,000. And this is bare minimum - everything done on the cheap.

Money is really tight for everyone now as if you didn't know. Candi's source of the corporate funding has pretty well disappeared. She is still out looking for corporate underwriters to support the knitting and crochet show and time is running out. She wants to tape a new season so that she can keep spreading the knitting and crochet love. It is an incredibly expensive proposition to say the least.

When the show gets aired on PBS, the individual PBS station does not pay Candi to air it. How crazy is that? The money you give your local PBS station goes to staff the office, pay for the airtime, the satellite feeds, whatever it is that makes t.v. happen. It's all a mystery to me.

Candi produces this show because she wants to keep the knit and crochet world inspired. She has devoted her life to the crafts of knitting and crochet. She wants to spread the stitching love throughout the television world so more people will pick up needles and stitch. It is a huge goal for her. She works alone out of a home office. She calls on friends to devote their time and skills to her cause (that would be me and the other "experts"). Designers donate their projects to be shown on the air. Maybe I get some publicity out of it all but that's not what it is about for me. I do the show to help Candi and so that viewers can better their skills of the crafts I am teaching. I hope that they will pass their skills on to their friends, neighbors, children and grandchildren so that the textile arts will endure for future generations.

So now I would like to ask you to help Candi out! If you have the means and desire, send the show some money so that it can go on. There is a PayPal button below. Click on it and donate what you can. Any amount will help. If you have a blog and would like to add the Paypal code to your site, email me and I can get you set up. Please SPREAD THE WORD!

If you prefer to send a check, send it to:

Candice Jensen Productions

708 Gravenstein Highway, #231

Sebastopol, CA 95472

And if there are any corporate people out there who are wanting to sponsor the show, please e-mail me privately and I will tell you how to get a hold of Candi.

Thank you all for whatever you can give.

Celebrating 5 Years of "Getting Stitched on the Farm"

It's been five years of blogging here for me. I really can't believe it. Over 1,000 posts, untold number of photos, a writing journey... all things I didn't know I had in me. I started this blog on March 16, 2006. I give credit to Jane Brocket and Alicia Paulson for getting me interested in blogging. Somehow I stumbled upon their blogs and became entranced in their writing and photos. After a couple of months of reading, I decided to take the plunge and join them in the blogosphere. 

It has been a fun journey and one I plan on continuing. To celebrate the beginning of the sixth year of blogging, I've asked a bunch of friends to contribute to the party. For the next couple weeks, I'll be featuring some great giveaways, interviews, recipes, and of course more sheep and lamb photos. Check back often. And welcome to the party.

Interview with Gudrun Johnston + A Shetland Trader Giveaway!

Meet Gudrun Johnston.....

 Gudrun is the author of "The Shetland Trader," a self-published book of ten knitting designs, many featuring lace. I met Gudrun through the world wide web. I got an e-mail from her a couple of years ago when I was sharing photos of a litter of Lily Pons' kittens. She and her family were moving back to western Massachusetts, not far from where I live. They wanted to adopt one of the kittens on the occasion of her daughter's 9th birthday. I love being able to place our kittens with knitters. On the appointed day, Gudrun, her two beautiful children Maya and Sage, and her novelist husband David Anthony Durham, arrived to pick up Persy. Julia wasn't home but she knew one of the kitties was leaving that day to go to live with a family whose Mom was a knitwear designer. She was okay with this. I watched Persy grow into a full-grown beautiful cat on Gudrun's blog. How nice to see one of our kittens all grown up as an adult. 

I check in on Gudrun's blog every once in a while. I marvel that she is able to homeschool her children and be a prolific knitwear designer, much less self-publish her first book. Gudrun and her family are packing up to move to Scotland where she grew up. And Persy is going with them. Who would have thought that one of Lily Pons' kittens would be moving to Scotland. Lucky Cat! Lily Pons would be proud of him.

I thought it would be fun to interview this up and coming talented knitwear designer here on my blog before she moves across the pond to her home country. By the way, all of the photos were shot on Shetland by Jared Flood. They are extremely gorgeous - lovely light and colors. Gudrun and I are also hosting a Giveaway of "The Shetland Trader." At the end of the interview, I'll tell you how to enter. Enjoy!

KN: I love the introduction you wrote.            

From the Foreword ... The Shetland Trader, Book One

            “I was born in a wee cottage beside the beach in Levenwick, Shetland in 1974. As was the case with generations of Shetland infants before me, I was wrapped in a traditional hap shawl moments after inhaling my first breath. Wool and lace, family and home, peat fires and a silly red setter....”

It goes on beautifully from there - lovely descriptions of your family’s story. I know your husband is the novelist David Anthony Durham. It seems his love of words has rubbed off on you. Do you find that there is any connection between writing and knitting?

GJ: David and I often find ourselves comparing our respective crafts. Both knitting and writing require a creative mind, one that is inspired by the daily goings on in life and one that needs to be flexible to the changes that will take place during the design process. He admits to stealing from the things he sees on a daily basis and using them in his writing. He has his ear out for inspiration; I have my eye out.

    I also think there are similarities when it comes to the nuts and bolts. We both have to deal with getting on with our work when resistance strikes, and we both have to keep an open mind about the success/failure of any of our pieces. 

KN: This book is a lovely collection of lace designs - from small (some fabulous hats and leg warmers) to a gorgeous skirt and some sweaters. Do you work exclusively in lace?

GJ: I don’t work exclusively in lace. I would say that the majority of my designs so far have made use of it. I have particularly enjoyed exploring the lace designs that come from Shetland and seeing how they can work in a more contemporary context.

KN: What do you find so appealing about knitting lace?

GJ: Sometimes it’s just the challenge of working the lace itself, keeping track of all those symbols in a chart and making sure they all line up as they are supposed to. Seeing the shapes appearing, especially after blocking, is also very satisfying. I’m not all that attracted to knitting very complex lace designs on a large scale but I’m certainly very impressed with those who do. I’m definitely more intrigued by seeing how lace can be used in non-traditional ways.

KN: Did you knit as a child? Tell me about the first thing you knit?

GJ: I didn’t knit as a very young child. I think I first learned around the age of 10 or so. The memory I have of my first piece of knitting is a rather nasty pale green vest, which thankfully I didn’t keep! I do however own some beautiful Fair Isle sweaters that my mother designed and which my siblings and I wore over 30 years ago. Those sweaters were passed on to me by my mother and worn by my own children. I’m very glad to have those and not the vest!

KN: I have met your beautiful family. I’m wondering if either your son or daughter are interested in taking up knitting?

GJ: Maya and Sage both know how to knit. I taught Maya a few years ago and she takes sporadic (but intense) interest. Sage learned when we spent some time in Shetland a few years ago. The kids went to school there for about 12 weeks and had their very own knitting teacher. I believe Sage completed a little knitted worm during that time which he still treasures!

KN: The colors in the photos are so blooming gorgeous. Do you think growing up on the island of Shetland has influenced the colors that you use in your work?

GJ: I do think the colors in a Scottish landscape have influenced my personal palette. I find I’m usually drawn to more natural or muted shades. Getting the right colour for a design is almost as important to me as the design itself. Often I’ll see a particular shade of yarn and know it needs to come home with me and make it’s way into my designing!

KN: The index of the book has a beautiful photo of sheep amongst the fields of the island. Are the sheep an important part of the commerce of Shetland? Do farmers (I think you may call them crofters) still earn part of their income from sheep farming or is a world that has disappeared?

GJ: Although there are still many more sheep than people in Shetland they don’t really provide much of an income for crofters anymore. Crofter’s are heavily subsidized by the government and owning a croft is really more about keeping a way of life going.

KN: There are many photos of heather blooming in the book. Do the sheep eat the heather? Are there any traditional uses for the heather?

GJ: Yes, the sheep do eat the heather! As they are out on the hillsides all winter long it’s their main winter fodder.  I’m not aware of any other uses for heather in Shetland though. I’m told by my father, who is a naturalist, that heather in Shetland is living at it’s climatic extreme!!

KN: I know that you and your family are moving back to Scotland. Do you foresee that the culture and knitting landscape will change your work?

GJ: I actually don’t think it will change my work. I’m already so heavily influenced by it that being back in Scotland is… well, it’s going home.

KN: You write that your mother had a knitwear business called The Shetland Trader back when you were a child. Now that you have revived that business, do you have any future plans that you would like to let us in on? More books? More patterns?

GJ: Hopefully, I’ll always be adding more patterns to my design portfolio. They won’t always exclusively have a Scottish/Shetland connection, but that will continue to play a big part I’m sure. I’m giving serious thought to another collection, but I’m not certain yet what form it will take. I know I want to add more books to the Shetland Trader series but I’m also interested in doing something on a larger scale.

KN: I have been on many photo shoots over the years and I know they are grueling but fun and creative. Can you let us in on a funny story of the behind the scenes on your trip to Shetland?

GJ: I have to say that nothing about that day was grueling for me! I had so much help and things went very smoothly. Jared did get us up very early so he could shoot in the morning light; we had plenty of sheep poo to avoid; there was a little weather to contend with later in the day; we nearly lost a light deflector over a cliff; and models were at chilly at times! However the day ended with a delicious meal of Cullen Skink made by my dad and David, whiskeys all around and a slide show of some of the images captured. It’s a day I will always have very fond memories of. I hope all my photo shoots go that well!

KN: Well, that does sound like a fabulous end to a busy day. I think my favorite project in the book is the scarf design called “Shoormal.” I like the chunkiness of the yarn mixed with the lace stitch. Do you have a favorite design from the book?

GJ: I was very pleased with the results of all of the designs but I’m definitely partial to the cover design, Laar. It was one of those designs that really held true to the initial sketch I had for it. I love the lace-weight yarn worked on larger needles. It produces such a beautiful fabric that almost feels like a second skin. I like too how the delicate details of this design, the lace, picots and scoop neck, are subtle in their beauty. It’s a garment that looks equally good with jeans as it would over a summer dress. As someone who doesn’t dress up much this versatility appeals to me! However, the sample doesn’t fit me so I need to re-knit it sometime.

Thanks so much to Gudrun for taking the time out of her extremely busy life to answer my questions. You can buy The Shetland Trader directly from Gudrun via her website where you can see all of the beautiful designs. Gudrun also has many single patterns which are available for PDF download.

To enter to win Gudrun's printed book, answer the following question in the Comments section. And please, as always, leave an easy way to get a hold of you.

Q? What is your favorite knitting technique? Lace? Cables? Colorwork? Stockinette? And why do you enjoy knitting it?

Contest closes Friday at midnight. I will post the winner's name and contact them by Monday morning.
Contest is closed! The winner is Connie who wrote: I usually love whatever I'm knitting at the time. Most of the time a new project involves something I haven't done before, but lace has been a favorite from the beginning! Congratulations Connie. 

A Winner of the Knit and Crochet Now DVD's!

Thanks so much for all of your help with the ideas for the new season of Knit and Crochet Now. I was so happy that you took the time to help us. If you missed the deadline, don't worry - you can still give us show ideas. You just won't be eligible for the DVD prize but we would love your input. Where else but the knitting and crochet world can you be so close to the production of a television show? I can't think of any other hobby that generates such passion amongst its devotees!

Joyce is the winner. I have contacted her via e-mail. Here's what she said: "I really want to learn to do some simple "embroidery" stitches on my knitting. I can see from your books that they really enhance the knitting, but it is hard to make embroidery stitches lay nice on such a flexible fabric."

Stay tuned to the blog - I've got lots of great giveaways coming up. There's a reason, but I'm not going to let you in on it just quite yet. The giveaways will only go over a couple of days so check back often.

An Interview with the Talented Children's Book Author/Knitter Joanna Johnson + a Giveaway!

When I was in NYC at VKLive, I ran into Joanna Johnson standing behind a pile of her delightful children's/knitter's books - Phoebe's Sweater and Freddie's Blanket. I had heard about Joanna from our mutual friend Karin Strom so it was a really nice end to my day to meet her in person. Joanna lives in Loveland, CO with her husband and three kids. I took a good look at her books because I hadn't yet seen them in person and was mightily impressed. The books are self-published by Joanna's family press but they look and feel like they were done by a real publishing house. A couple of weeks later, I received both books in the mail to my surprise. 

Both of Joanna's books carry the theme of family, knitting creation, and love through them. Joanna's husband Eric illustrated the books. What a talented family they are! I love the fact that not only are the stories about family and knitting, but at the end of both of the books there are patterns given for a knitted toy (Phoebe the mouse and Freddie the Platypus), knitted toy clothes, knitted children's clothes and in the case of Freddie, a baby blanket and baby envelope. Both the books would make a lovely baby shower gift for a knitter (or wannabe). 

I asked Joanna if she would do a interview for my blog and she said "yes." AND for all of you, Joanna and I are hosting a giveaway of BOTH of Joanna's books. Read through the interview below and at the end, I'll tell you how to enter the GIVEAWAY.

Phoebe, the Mouse, has her own blog here. You'll find Phoebe and Freddie on Ravelry here on the Slate Falls Press Ravelry Group. You can order signed copies of Phoebe's Sweater and Freddie's Blanket directly from Joanna and Eric at their Etsy Shop here.

Thanks to Joanna for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions. Read on! This interview may just bring tears to your eyes. It did mine!

KN: Joanna, you are the author of two fabulous children's books that are based on knitting. Tell me how you got involved in writing children's books…..

JJ:  Reading was my favorite hobby as a child, so a degree in Literature was the logical path for me when I went to college.  I studied Children's Literature along with the classics: Eliot, Austen, Milton, and so forth, but it was having children that really made my favorite genre of literature come alive for me.  My husband Eric and I have three children, and have enjoyed finding wonderful children's books and reading them as a family.  Eric has always loved to draw as much as I love to read, and we just always figured that this was something we would do together someday, although it took us a while to figure out how that would happen.  Our first book, Phoebe's Sweater, spent a lot of time in draft form in a drawer before we knew what to do with it!

KN: Your husband Eric illustrated the books. How do you find working together? Are there any tricks to keeping your relationship happy when you are also trying to make the business work?

 JJ:   It is really unusual for a children's book author and illustrator to work as closely together as Eric and I do.  I am really spoiled in that I am able to have a lot of input into the tiny details of the artwork, and, in a similar way, Eric has a lot of influence on the way the stories develop, too.  We both have really different strengths, and always approach our work with a common vision.  The fact that we each have our own studio helps, too!  We both understand the creative process, and how to step back when the other one is really in their stride and needs room to work, and we also know what it means to have good words of encouragement for each other when we get stuck creatively.  

KN: And your books are published by your family's press Slate Falls Press in Loveland, CO. I think that is really great that you and your family have started your own press. Do you have any words of wisdom for those that are thinking about self-publishing?

JJ:  The doors are certainly wide open these days for self-publishing.  That being said, it is not a "magic feather" by any stretch of the imaginaton.  To do it well requires a lot of time, work, and endurance.  I encourage people to read, research, and read some more in their intended genre, educate themselves about what work is already out there in that subject area, and practice and hone their craft, whatever it might be.  We have found it to be an incredible process, and very rewarding creatively and personally.  It is losing the stigma of "vanity publishing" as more and more high quality self-published books are being released as the months pass.

KN: I have always worked with traditional publishers, taking the easy way so that I don't have to warehouse my books, ship them, distribute them, and front the printing, editing, and desktop publishing end of the process. Is there one thing that really is key to making your press work?

JJ:  Eric and I do this as a team, and I just can't imagine going it alone.  That is probably the best thing we have, is each other.

KN: It seems that your business is a family affair. Do any of your three children help you with the story line?

JJ:  We spend a lot of time conversing about our story ideas, characters, and settings.  Our children love stories, art, animals, and our daughter is a talented "crafter" in her own right, so we do talk with the children about our ideas, they are a great resource!  We read to them, show them the knitting projects, and especially see what they think about Eric's sketches.  It is hard for us, as adults, to remember what things are actually important to children sometimes, and observing and listening to them is a great inspiration to us.

KN: Do you have any one awesome experience with a knitter who has read or gifted your book that you would like to share with my readers?

JJ:  I have so many amazing stories about the way these books have touched people.  A recent one that especially stands out to me is the story of a friend of my mother's who overcame cancer a few years ago.  My mom and dad recently went up to visit her, knowing that her cancer has returned and she will not recover this time around.  Our new book was recently out, and my mom brought a copy of each of our books to her friend.  "How did you know this is what I am doing?" she said to my mom.  She had decided that she would spend the last months of her life learning to knit and making things for her first grandchild, who will be born this summer.  Just last week she just sent my mom a "thank you" card and said she is knitting the Baby Envelope from our new book as a gift for this grandchild she may not be here to meet.  I feel very humbled to be a part of this brave woman's life, and to have made something that brings people together in such a personal way.

KN: In your most recent book Freddie's Blanket, you chose a Platypus as your main character. All the support characters are animals from Australia. How did you choose to feature Australian creatures?

JJ:  We talked about a few different animals for the Freddie character, but once we started talking about the platypus we knew he was the one!  They are just such interesting creatures, and once Eric researched their habitat and the other fascinating animals, plants, birds, and bugs of Australia we were hooked.  Even our kids want to go to Australia now!  I have a fellow knitwear designer friend who lives here in Colorado who is Australian, and she and a friend lent us wonderful advice and reources as we did our research, which was a great help to us.  I love it when I meet readers from Australia at book signings and they give us their approval on the details, because then I know we got it right.

KN: I love Eric's illustrations. They have such a lovely soft quality, similar to Beatrix Potter's lovely drawings. Did he train as an artist and has he done any other illustrating of children's books? What medium does he use for the illustrations?

JJ:  Eric has a degree in graphic art, but took as many fine art classes as he could fit in while he was in college.  He grew up helping his father run his graphics studio, and has always enjoyed drawing and illustration.  These are his frst books, and I do hope they are the first of many, because this is something he truly loves to do.  His illustrations are done in pencil, ink, and watercolor.

KN: Any new plans you want to let us in on?

JJ:  Well... we are busy at work on our third book, which we hope to publish in 2012.  It will include some new crafting patterns alongside the knitting patterns, and we are really excited about who we are working with on that.  I hope to start sharing peeks of it at TNNA in June...

    (Are you listening all you retailers out there? Another great new kids knitting book for your store!) 

PHOEBE'S SWEATER AND FREDDIE'S BLANKET GIVEAWAY

Here's what you do to enter. Answer the following question:  

What is your "go-to" knit or crochet baby gift that you make for a friend who is expecting or has just given birth?

Added 3/24/11: THE CONTEST IS OVER. THE WINNER IS SARAH K. Joanna will be sending her the books!

Super Moon

My friend Kay sent me this link about Saturday's MOON. Look up if you can..... And read about it here. Happy Vernal Equinox to you.

My T.V. Show Needs Your Help! + a DVD Giveaway!

...... It's not exactly "my t.v. show" but I got your attention, didn't I? Some of you have probably seen me on PBS's Knit and Crochet Now. I'm one of the knitting experts (the other is Maggie Pace). I just heard from the producer Candi Jensen that yes, she is finally going to be taping Season 4 of Knit and Crochet Now. That's pretty exciting, isn't it? This means that I get to go to Detroit again in May and hang out with Candi, Drew, Brett, Maggie, and Robyn. It all has to come together really quickly. Let's just say FRANTICALLY QUICK!

Here's where I need your help! Candi has asked me for ideas of what to demo. I figure you all know what you need help with (techniques) or the kinds of easy projects that you would like to see. 

If you have a minute, would you kindly leave an idea or two in the comments section. If you can't get that to work, shoot me an email - there is a link on my sidebar to my email address.

And here's what I have for your work/help.... I will be doing a random drawing on Monday. The winner will receive two DVD's including all the shows from Seasons Two and Three of Knit and Crochet Now!

In other knitting news, I'll be at Webs in Northampton, MA on Sunday, March 27th from 1 to 4 p.m. for their Author's Event. Should be a fun afternoon! You have to register but it is free. Check it out here!

Crazy! Butter Live from GIYIreland

Late yesterday afternoon, Julia and I tuned into "Butter Live" on the GIYIreland website. It just sounded like such a kooky idea - making butter with people all over the world via a live feed from an elementary school somewhere in Ireland. We picked up a quart of heavy cream at the store, hooked up with the feed and we were ready to go.

I heard about this from Ella McSweeney. And there she was on the computer sitting on the island in our kitchen in western Massachusetts. How wild! The original instructions said we would need a whisk. I was thinking we were going to have to "whisk" the cream into butter all by hand. When the feed started, I realized that a "whisk" in Ireland is actually what we call a hand mixer. The program began with a great little demo with a real farmer named Alan Kingston who actually makes butter (along with many other products) and sells it to consumers. American Imen McDonnell, author of the blog I Married an Irish Farmer, was along too They all explained why cream turns to butter and did a demo so everyone would know what they were supposed to do. 

Ella has the entire video of it on her blog here. She says to start 10 minutes in..... It's fun to hear the accents and see the school children. You can follow along with the video and do this with your kids or grandkids. Julia was totally into it....

She mixed her little heart out. All of a sudden, the cream started turning yellow and the "buttermilk" began weeping out of it. We had done it! It's really nice to see her have interest in something like this.

 

We then had to squeeze the extra liquid out of the butter with our hands. The Irish folks had "butter paddles" and made some great looking rectangles of butter. We put our butter in a ceramic bowl. From the quart of cream (which cost $5.59), we got 10 ounces of butter. As with so many homemade things, it isn't cheaper to make butter this way but it was a good lesson in how farm products are turned into items we rely on in the kitchen every day.

Annika the cat was fascinated by the whole thing. I think she was trying to figure out where the people were that were talking on the computer screen.

And she started drinking the buttermilk before I had time to jar it up. Score one for the cats.

I was looking forward to breakfast this morning - homemade sunflower oatmeal whole wheat bread with homemade butter. If I had been really organized, I would have gotten the milk from my brother-in-law, separated the cream off of it, and really had homemade butter.

I don't think there is an organization quite like GIYIreland in the States. Too bad. It looks like they are really doing a lot to promote growing veggies and animals for real homegrown food. I will be looking on to see how their campaign progresses this year as the growing season ramps up.

And look what I found in my garden this morning - wow. There is hope that the winter will be over soon!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Yearling Ewes Settling In

We moved the yearling lambs just in the nick of time. All of them were born last winter and we expected that they would be lambing very soon. They all spread out far across the field making "sheep paths" across the snow. They weren't happy in the barn since they really have never known about having a roof over their heads. 

We were uncomfortable not being able to offer shelter for them. Having a lamb for the first time is similar to being a first time mother. Some of them take to it beautifully. And then there are others who drop the baby and leave it to freeze in the snow. We've been watching carefully to see how each one of them does. If they seem like they need a little help with their mothering skills, we put the mama and lamb into a maternity pen for a few days. 

Some of them are fine and need no help! That's great.

It finally is starting to feel like winter is on the way out. Finally! The snow is melting in many places. Now we just have to get over the fifth season in New England - "MUD SEASON!" YUCK!

Meg Swansen's Thoughts about Eeyore + a New Book from Elizabeth Zimmerman

Got a funny note from Meg Swansen the other day via my Facebook page after I wrote about Eeyore, our donkey:

From Meg: "E.O.R: I distinctly remember seeing it in a knitting magazine and not knowing what the heck it stood for - and as I was searching about in my brain, EEYORE came out as an obvious, but misguided, solution."

 

That Meg - she has all the wit of her mom Elizabeth, doesn't she? E.O.R. - that never would have occurred to me. I'm just not that clever I suppose. 

The other day, I was talking to my super talented friend Susan Anderson and I heard her story of her meeting Meg at the Madison WI Knitting Guild. She told me that Schoolhouse Press is publishing a new book of garter stitch designs by Elizabeth. How great. I myself had just run into Meg at VKLive in NYC which was a thrill for me. We hadn't seen each other in over 25 years! 

I asked Meg about the new garter stitch book and here's what she had to say:

"Schoolhouse's new project is Knit One Knit All. It is the Garter stitch book my ma always wanted to write (but was rejected by several publishers; "only ONE stitch"!) We hope it will be available in May; over 40 designs, many of which have never been published - and no overlaps with her existing 5 books. Onward. Meg"

Doesn't that sound great? I love garter stitch and the spins Elizabeth put on it were so great. How many of you have knit a baby surprise sweater? I can only imagine. (I must admit, I haven't but it is always because I am working up my own ideas.) To think that Meg was able to unearth over 40 of her mom's designs that are new to the knitting world is earth-shattering, don't you think? And to think that all those publishers turned it down. Wow  - what a lost opportunity for them but now we will all be luckier for it. And Schoolhouse Press too! Getting to publish a goldmine like that! Wow-wee! Or as Eeyore would say "Hee-Haw! Hee-Haw!"

It doesn't look like it is available on the Schoolhouse Press website yet but I'll try to keep you all apprised of its release when it is. Sounds like one of those books every knitter is going to want to own!

And by the way, Susan Anderson has a new book that is hot off the presses. It's called Spud and Chloe at the Farm and it looks darn adorable. I think it is shipping now!