In which I report on another teaching venue, my garden, and my knitting pattern revisions

New Teaching Venue
I've been going to Fingerlakes Fiber Festival for several years now. Last year, I bumped into the lady who organizes the classes and chatted with her for a bit. Sent in my applications this spring. And received word last month that all three classes were accepted! Their website is updated with the 2010 classes and there's lots of other stuff to do up there. This is a wonderful hidden gem of a festival, folks, about 6 hours from DaBurg. There's lots of wineries around, and I can tell you where the BEST Indian restaurant can be found. This is the area that inspired my Upstate Meadows batts (which are currently sold out of my shop, but more will be made soon). Come on up and spend some time in the country!

Garden
Speaking of the country, I started harvesting my garden a couple of weeks ago. Well, actually, much earlier than that because lettuce and spinach come up FAST. After the lettuce, rhubarb and peas, the garlic was the first crop to come out of the ground. And I made a garlic braid today! I'm so proud of myself! It's hanging in the kitchen right now, with some bits of dirt still clinging to the roots. Couldn't shake/brush all the dirt without losing the dried garlic leaves, which is what one uses to make the braid. Making some caponato tomorrow with fresh eggplant and tomatoes from a nearby farm, and have some whole wheat Italian bread in the breakmaker right now. Lunch is gonna be GOOD tomorrow.


Garlic braid


Garlic fresh from the garden last week


Fresh rhubarb, peas and lettuce, washed and ready to go!

My knitting patterns
Reading the always-active copyright posts on Ravelry, it occurred to me that I hadn't looked at my copyright blurb in some time. It used to read "Garments knitted from this pattern are intended for the buyer's personal use and may not be sold for profit without prior written financial arrangements with the author". And I realized that it did not reflect what I actually wanted to say. I have always been happy to see knitters make something for themselves or their family/friends from my designs. *I* know I'm not going to make a boatload of money licensing my designs, but I did want some type of control over the items made from my pattern(s) and offered for sale. After all, if my name is going to be attached to a handknit item, I want it to be high-quality and the sales handled in a professional manner--and so I want to talk with the knitter to get a feel for who they are. And I LIKE knowing other knitters, especially the ones who like my patterns LOL. So I have taken out the word "financial" in order to be clear that I'm quite happy to have folks use my patterns to make and sell items--just please ask first.

Teaching and new fiber

This was my week (month?) to write and submit teaching proposals. I'm submitting to a couple of fall fiber festivals, and perhaps to some nearby spinning and weaving guilds. I've decided to 'take the show on the road' once or twice a year and do some 4-hour workshops. Teaching keeps me sharp--I have to be current on my information so I can answer questions that arise, and it also inspires me because students come up with some very interesting ideas for yarn. Once the "What if?" ideas start going around the room, it's just like swimming in the middle of a Think Tank, and I LOVE it! I always go home completely exhausted and yet my mind is churning with yarny possibilities.

I've also listed a new sock fiber. It's a blend of superwash wool, nylon, angelina and CASHMERE. It is sooo yummy to the touch. I would have liked to put more than 15% cashmere in the blend but discovered that anything more than that started to fly around the room while carding and was difficult to spin properly. I was also concerned that the washability would be lost if the cashmere percentage was any higher. There are several other colors in the works--I just have to decide which one will stay home with me (I always keep at least one of my colorways cause I just can't seem to let go of my 'child').

This is Fire.....


and this is Water


And just for the fun of it, a peak at my latest marbled yarn/roving (both are available), Glow.



I just love what I do.......