Craft Activism! Oh Yeah

Whenever I meet an book author, I always get slightly blown away. I personally know how much work it is to get a book out there - book proposals, all the physical, mental, and written work, editing, photography.... etc. It's not easy - especially in this day in age with the shifting world of publishing. Last Thursday I dragged Julia down to Webs for one of their evening "meet and greets" and I got to meet Author Gale Zucker. Gale writes the blog "She Shoots Sheep Shots." Have you seen it? In real life, Gale is a fabulous professional photographer whose portraits are stunning. (Never mind being a photographer for the Mason-Dixon Knitting Girls.)

Lucky for us, Gale also is a passionate knitter and crafter. She has just collaborated with Joan Tapper on CRAFT ACTIVISM - People, Ideas, and Projects from the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Join In (that's one long title!). I was really excited to meet Gale in person as I have been an admirer of her photos ever since I saw her book Shear Spirit (sadly out of print BTW). At Webs, Gale shared all of the projects from the book along with stories about the featured artists. Here is a photo of Gale, Julia and me from that evening - LOVE that Ellen Bloom Granny Square bag in my hands!

 This book isn't only about knitters (although it does profile many including Lisa Anne Auerbach, yarnbombers The Jafa Girls, and "tiger knitter" (my name, not hers) Ruth Marshall - that is her work in Gail's hand's below); it also features quilters, embroiderers, crocheters (oh, that Ellen Bloom!), and creative stores (The Yarnery in Minnesota - been there - fab shop!, and Brooklyn General - never been there, need to!). 

I LOVE this book - so much to read and interesting stories to inspire! This is the kind of book I wish there were more of! So many interesting stories to devour. CraftActivism also includes many projects that you can make). Thank you Gale and Joan for devoting so much time to recording these artists in print. Truly a labor of love! I am inspired. There are some great special events planned to launch CraftActivism so check out the book's really great blog!

If I weren't so over-committed with all the plates I have juggling in the air here I might join in some of the yarn bombing fun down in Northampton. Here's a fun audio interview from our local DJ Monte Belmonte from WRSI with a local "yarn bomber" named Knitta Over Committa who is trying to cover every parking meter in Noho - part of the Riot Purl group. You can find a web interview with the group here. 

Remnants

On Saturday I had my first "One Day Retreat" with a group of knitters from the Saratoga, NY area. This was a first time for a one day retreat and I really liked the format. We could get in depth on the subject but the class was small and very intimate. It is really nice to get to know the individual students. I have taught many, many 3 hour classes at different knitting venues (yarn stores, Stitches, and VK Live - which by the way has just announced their January 2012 class lineup in NYC). Those classes are fine but they have a minimum of 15 people in them and it is really hard for me to help each knitter individually and give each person the time that they deserve. It's just a fact of life at those big events that I won't be able to make every student happy, no matter how hard I try. I always feel like I could have done a better job. They are what they are. You can't beat the energy of so many knitters in one place - I think that is the most special part of the big events. Everyone leaves with a huge amount of energy, even if they are completed exhausted.

The difficulty in getting to each student at those big events was one reason I decided  three years ago to start running the small retreats here on our farm. I probably didn't totally think the idea through in a logical manner and definitely didn't realize all the extra work it would be for me to have the classes here. Nor how hard it would be to get the word out into the general knitting public - that is beyond those of you who read my blog. Much less that I am asking people to travel to western Massachusetts. Every class, I learn a little more and try something new the next time. It has been a learning experience for my whole family.

I am going to keep the "Getting Stitched On The Farm" Classes going next year and am now in the planning stages for what classes and subjects I will teaching. I have a lot of students who want to come back here so I have to develop some new course materials. I want to expand the reach of the classes beyond knitters, including some decorative painting and more embroidery techniques. It's all preliminary planning - basically in the mulling it all around in my brain as I take a shower or do errands.

One thing I do want to do is have more of the One Day Retreats. If you are interested in putting a group together for an outing to our farm for you and your knitting friends, send me an email with the dates you would like to come (After November 6th, I don't have much planned.) Last Saturday's class was just that - a group of knitting friends who were here to learn more about color and embroidery. I have a One Day Fair Isle and Steeking Class here at the farm on Friday (the day before Rhinebeck). There is still space available if anyone is up for a last minute trip!

Columbus Day Weekend was gorgeous here - nice weather and magically the leaves on our hill began to turn.

The weather is a bit warm. There is color all around. I keep bringing in the fading flowers and plopping them in vases but they don't last long. They look tired and shrivelly even after one day.

It is so sad to see them all fade away.

 

No more zinnias until next year..... I will really miss their cheerful colors. For the rest of the winter, I'll have to find my flower joy on the jugs and vases that seem to litter my shelves. Gotta get that pattern and texture love somehow.

Julia and I ended the weekend by going to a butchering class at Bistro Les Gras in Northampton. I know - you all are really jealous, aren't you? Bistro Le Gras holds an annual Cochon Wine Dinner where they use an entire pig (October 16 for all you locals - it will be great!). It's quite an event and this year Chef Daniel held a butchering demo for all those interested. Being a farmer, I have had to cut up a few sheep in my time and I have always improvised. Here was a chance to actually see someone do it who knew what he was doing. I couldn't wait! Dan was assisted by Pete from Mockingbird Farm, a fellow Farmers' Market Vendor.

After watching and listening, I have decided that I have been doing it right all along, if mostly on instinct. I did learn a bunch and wouldn't mind doing something like this again if the opportunity ever comes along. Next time I have to cut up a sheep, at least I will know that I am doing it correctly. Thank you Chef Daniel.

A Julia Yarn Tale

I knew this day would eventually come. 

 It is very sad for me to share with you all that my beautiful, colorful, soft, shiny, drapy yarn Julia, named after my sweet daughter, has been discontinued by the manufacturer Westminster Fibers. Spun out of 25% Mohair, 25% Alpaca, and 50% Wool, this yarn was my creation - my choice for knitting and designing for the past seven or eight years (I don't even know!). The color line has been full of beautiful rich colors that duplicate how I live my life. Shades from the handmade, historic and world textiles I have collected over my adult lifetime and colors from glorious Mother Nature and my garden have been my inspiration and muse for each and every color I have introduced. 

I was lucky to be able to use Julia exclusively in my two latest books - Color by Kristin and Kristin Knits. For me, that was a very big deal. Most publishers want you to mix up the yarn sources but I was able to use my yarn exclusively. That's why the books look so cohesive - because the colors are all mine and tell a story.

Yesterday I was at Webs in Northampton - where all good yarns go to fade away. I was speaking with the dynamic Kathy Elkins (co-owner, wife to Steve and Mom to two fine boys) and she was commiserating with me over the loss of my yarn. She did pay me and my yarn a huge compliment. What Kathy said was that when someone purchased my Julia, they were buying a package - a lifestyle - a vision for what life with knitting should be in Kristin's world. That was very kind of her and it made me think about what I have been doing for the past seven years while I have been toiling away trying to support my yarn, my color range, my designs, my vision. I was thinking so hard I got on the wrong ramp to 91 and headed south of home - only to be a half hour late in getting home to meet Julia at the bus. Oops!

It's an unspoken rule of the yarn biz - almost all yarns eventually fade away. Yarn companies come and go at an astounding rate. It's not an easy business to succeed in and most of the people in it are doing it for their passion for knitting, crochet, and creating. Noone is getting rich at this folks so just erase that fantasy from your mind. It is a business like every other business full of sku's, bank loans, profit and loss statements, taxes, inventory, trade shows, sales representatives, advertising costs, computers, and so much more. It really takes a lot to get a yarn to market and on that shelf of your local yarn store. I don't think most knitters think about that, nor should they. It's just that it is very complicated and not easy at all. If a yarn company sticks around, they have to change their product mix very quickly and keep turning their inventory. I know all the ins and outs of the yarn biz (I was the VP and Creative Director at Classic Elite Yarns for 16 years). I went into my Julia with my eyes wide open and with lots of experience in my business career. I was not surprised when I got the news that Westminster would not be supporting my yarn anymore and that the Nashua line would be discontinued. Sad yes but inevitable in this day in age. The folks at Nashua/Westminster/Coats and Clark have been incredibly kind and supportive to me for many years and for that I thank them from the very bottom of my heart. They are moving their company forward in other ways and my little Julia yarn just doesn't fit in anymore.

What I will miss is the colors and my ability to bring in a beautiful new shade to my knitwear design - like an artist mixing up a new paint color for their canvas. It's been a great opportunity for me - bringing my vision to the LYS world. We had a long run with it and has been a good ride. But now it is time for me to move on to other pursuits. I can't wait to see what I morph myself into next. Life is a process - a pile of papers and layers, one building upon the one just below it. 

Moral of the story is this my friends - If you find a yarn you like and fall in love with it when it is on your needles - buy a lot of it when it is available because it may disappear very quickly. Sales are the only way to drive the success or failure of a yarn - yarn can't just look pretty on a yarn store shelf - it has to move to the cash register. Otherwise it will end up at Webs where all good yarns go to fade away.

Webs has got a good stock of colors of Julia right now. Here is the link to the close-out. (I was weeping inside when I wrote this last sentence.) It is priced at $3.99 per ball (which was the wholesale price). If you have always wanted to try it, here's your opportunity. If you just want to knit a whole bunch of the multi-color projects from one of my books, I suggest you order 1 or 2 balls of every color and it will keep you busy at least for this winter. 

Life goes on..... My two books are still in print and as far as I know, will remain in print. They are available as always on my shop page (signed if you want). I still intend to continue designing and knitting with my Julia as I have lots of stock in my knitting stash. You just won't be able to get the same colors or fiber quality when you are knitting my designs. The Julia is a worsted weight yarn and there are many yarns available in similar weights.

I thank all of you for your kind words of support and encouragement that you so often share with me. I know how busy you all are and the fact that you take a moment out of your day to read my thoughts and stories is very special. Have a great day everyone. Farewell Julia the yarn - not the daughter!

A Day at the Farm

(Post Warning - this post may be disturbing to some of you. It's about real life on our farm.) Last week, before my knitters arrived, we looked out in the field just after the sun came up to check to make sure the lambs were where they always are at sunrise.  It's a morning ritual on every farm throughout the world, I'm sure. You ask yourself.... "Is everyone where they should be? Is it peaceful? What happened in the dark of night while we were sleeping cosily in our beds." That morning, the lambs weren't up along the fence, where they are every morning. "Oh, no, what is wrong?," I said to myself. "Can't be good." These are the thoughts that go through your head when you are living with, raising and selling livestock. There are constant surprises and things to take care of, research, fix. It's busy just like your own job and family life. 

Sheep are pretty predictable creatures. After Julia got on the bus, we took a walk down in the field, not knowing what to expect. It had been a rainy, stormy night. Like children's books infer, on many of those kinds of nights, bad things happen in the dark.

 

At this time of year, every creature is preparing for winter (like I said last week). It's the time of year when the wild animals are wondering how they are going to make it through the winter. The fawns, the fox kits, the coyote pups, the bear cubs..... they are all growing up and needing to learn survival and life skills. Their parents know this and in the animal kingdom, it must be a wild dash to teach the teenagers how to fend for themselves. The hunting pressure rises and as you probably know, our sheep, lambs, cats, and chickens are prey for the wild creatures. 

I've lived with this knowledge for over thirty years now. But it always sickens me to find piles of wool.....

and dismembered lambs.....

scattered all over the field.....

with coyote scat nearby. 

I used to cry when we would find a dead lamb. Now, I don't cry but I still feel a deep sadness. I also think about the loss of product we no longer have to sell. Life and death is a real part of farm life. Everyone on this hill - in the woods, in the fields, and in the farmhouses that dot the land, has to eat. No matter how hard we try, no matter how much money we spend on fencing, time we spend fixing it, stuff happens. I am not looking for sympathy. This is just something that happens on a farm and we will carry on. Killed lambs means less farm income, something we worry about all the time. 

It is always something here on "Daily Tragedy Farm" as The Farmer and I fondly call our place. (I'm quite sure there are many other farmers out there who have nick-named their places the same.) For a quick fix, we purchased more electric fencing and built a smaller electrified pasture for these lambs to spend the evenings in. All the fence lines were checked and the weak spots where the coyotes dug under were filled in with heavy tree trunks. That really won't help though - it is just a stop-gap measure that makes us feel better. The lambs won't be able to graze the large pastures all night long now. The situation isn't fixed by any means. Coyotes are extremely smart animals, working hard all night long to find the weak link. We're looking into one or two or three of these. I'll keep you apprised, for anyone interested.

The other day I read somewhere that if you write a blog you should always keep it upbeat and positive. Never make your blog a place where people might get depressed, not find joy and happiness and beauty. Always have it be a happy spot. I'm not so sure I am on board with that philosophy. I think honesty is a valued trait and although I choose not to share everything that goes on on a working sheep farm with you all, I do think it is important to show some of the seedier underbelly events of farm life. As a NJ suburban-raised woman living a real farm life, I am sick to death of all the cutesy farm memoirs that are being published by the big houses today. I give each of them a try (having learned to borrow them from the library vs shelling out hard earned cash) but I usually put them down after a few chapters. Most of them aren't honest with the truth of what it really is to live on a farm and deal with the life and death of real life. Tomorrow is another day and another post and I will move on. Sorry if you are offended but this is real life on the farm.

Getting Stitched on the Farm October 2011

Another weekend of color, knitting, and stitching fun.

 

Here's a secret. It was my birthday on Saturday and what did my family and I do to celebrate? We entertained a lovely group of knitters here at Leyden Glen Farm. What a wonderful bunch of enthusiastic knitters and artists! They all traveled here by plane (that's a first - everyone coming by plane - that impresses me because I don't fly much!) Two sisters out for a knitting weekend, one opera singer from the West Coast working to better her needle craft skills and enjoy the fall colors, and a seasoned knitter/teacher/yarn store employee the metro DC area. 

We had a great time getting to know each other....

 

learning about color......

eating nice food.....

 

learning new embroidery techniques.....

 

By the second day of the retreat, I could see everyone's skills with color growing. This group got so into the embroidery and color - making their own little pieces of stitched art on their 8 x 8 swatches. Only one of the students knew how to miter a corner so that became part of the agenda. By the time they left late in the day Sunday, their samplers looked like this.

And did I tell you, they all steeked! What they thought was terrifying, wasn't so bad after all. Smiles all around as they packed up their things and headed home. Come back again soon guys!

I'm hosting a private retreat this upcoming weekend with knitters from the Albany area. Should be more colorful fun. 

Don't forget the "play hooky from work" Day Before Rhinebeck Fair Isle and Steeking Day. For more information about that day, click here.

First Red Leaf

I fear autumn in western Massachusetts isn't going to be quite as colorific (is that a word?) as it usually is. With all the rain, lots of the trees' leaves are just shriveling up and falling off without much of a color display. I took a walk the other day and did find a couple maple leaves looking pretty. I usually come back with handfuls of leaves that I press between pages of books. It is so fun to open a book and find a leaf from a few years ago. I always remember what project I was doing when and where I picked up the leaf from.

The leaf on the road reminds me of this sock and mitten set from my book Color by Kristin. 

Don't forget about my One Day Fair Isle and Steeking Retreat on Friday October 14th (the day before Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool begins!). I promise when you leave, you will know how to knit with two colors and how to cut your knitting! Link on the sidebar at right. 

Back to the cleaning and the cooking for this weekend's class. I can't wait to meet everyone.

What a Clever Guy

As Gram would say...... "Isn't that just so clever?"

You know.... Bill lives a couple towns from here! Wonder what he thinks. (And no, I haven't met him.)

Some Blogger News

If you are a blogger, and using Blogger as your host, like I am.... you may be interested in this news. For quite a while I have been contemplating switching my blog to another platform but I just don't have the time nor energy nor smarts to do it so I keep on with the same old thing. With this new "dynamic views" format, you can get more of a modern look. I changed our Leyden Glen Lamb Recipe Blog to the new "dynamic views" format. If you have the time, check it out and tell me what you think..... The cool thing is the reader (that would be you) gets the chance to change the format of the blog themselves. Infinitely playful but maybe too confusing for many. The new "dynamic views" are not supported on mobile devices though.

At this point, I do not have plans to change the format of "Getting Stitched on the Farm" (my sidebars would go away and I do not want to lose them..... they are integral to the history of this site). Always something new to learn and think about though. The web moves on and on.

Sunflowers and Some New Discoveries

I'm sorry but I can't stop taking photos of our sunflowers. In September, I think about them all the time. About how the light hits them at certain times of day. About the birds and bees and bugs that live there. About the photos I could be taking when I am not there. I guess you could call it an obsession. 

Add to all that the acquisition of an iphone and its camera and the possibilities have grown.

Just discovered a new app called PicFrame (99 cents via Itunes) via links I followed to this photoblog from links I followed from the Pioneer Woman's Photography category. Overwhelming!

Really easy to make these collages......

And fool around with all kinds of things. 

 

Check it out if you are a iphone photographer or even if you aren't! 

Assorted photos taken via regular iphone camera, the Hipstamatic app, and Instagram. Sorry - cannot remember which is which. Try it. Total fun.

Critters Planning for Fall

The weather has surprised us all this week. It was supposed to rain for a week. I was totally bummed, thinking the sunflowers would turn brown and yucky. But they have changed the forecast and now we are in for a beautiful fall weather week. I love autumn. Could be that it is my birthday season but mostly it is about the glorious weather and the colors. The arrival of the shorter days and knowing soon that there will be a fire going and I will be knitting or doing something creative in the evenings is also appealing in its very own way that only a knitter or stitcher can really understand.

All the animals and creatures are getting ready for winter in their own way. The flies are in the house and driving me batty. It happens this time of year - one of the less wonderful aspects of "living in the country" with livestock just outside the door. My laptop is warm and they love it. Yuck. I don't know how many times I have witnessed flies procreating just to the side of my computer screen. I have fly strips hung all over the kitchen trying to rid the place of the pests before my next knitting guests arrive on Saturday morning. These strips used to totally freak me out when I was a small kid. Now I appreciate the efficiency at how they lure the buzzing flies in and they die. Did you ever walk into a fresh fly strip? That is one of their hazards, I must say. 

The wasps are buzzily building more nests. I'm not sure what it is about this house, but the wasps love it. When we took some walls down when we first moved here, they were full of wasp carcasses - seriously - 3 feet of dead wasps. Gross. We had to wait until it was cold to take the sheetrock down because we didn't want to get stung. I'll never forget the trash bags full of dead and hibernating wasps. (Just one of the adventures of renovating an old house.) One of those wasp relatives was on my kitchen ceiling just above the sink while I was busily fixing dinner last night. I thought about squelching him and then decided to let him live. About five minutes later, he zoomed down and stung me at the crook of my elbow, at that really tender spot. Super ouch. I didn't know what hit me. Then I remembered the wasp, who was no longer there. Hope he was happy.

I'm sure I will have more fall critter stories to tell as fall mozies on in. But for now, check out this.... very cute sunflower needle-felting sunflower idea here on the Living Crafts blog via Craft Gossip.

The Day Before Rhinebeck - One Day Beginner Fair Isle/Steeking Retreat Here at Leyden Glen Farm

I'm trying something new this year. Last spring, a tour company arranged for a visit here at the farm just before the annual "Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival." The name of the tour was "The Road to Rhinebeck" and it was a literary and knitting tour. Sounded great! I was glad to be included and be able to show the working sheep farm and my art off before the knitters went on to Rhinebeck. Unfortunately, with the state of the current economy, the trip didn't fill. I was left with a free day on my hands. Rather than moan about the loss of a day's work, I have decided that I will take this as an opportunity to have a special ONE DAY RETREAT here at the farm on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14th.

The class is being held on a Friday so it may involve you either taking a vacation day or calling in to your job with some awful illness (I won't tell, I promise). Come with a friend or by yourself. I guarantee a nice day in the country, near grazing sheep, in my colorful studio! Knitting, knitting int the round on double points, steeking, color inspiration and good food.


Check out my Retreat website here. Here is the link for this special One Day Fair Isle and Steeking Retreat. E-mail me with any questions (link on sidebar).

If you would like to plan a similar class with your knitting friends here at the farm, e-mail me and we can set up a time to come for a special One Day Retreat. Yarn shops and knitting guilds are also welcome although physical space is limited. I am also available Sundays and during the week with advance planning.