Catching Up

Wow, six weeks or so since my last post. Suffice it to say that I have alot of catching up to do... I've been busy with so much stuff since I returned from Portland. Am cranking out leaded/fused glass goods for local holiday bazaars besides all of the things I have been knitting, spinning, and mixed media-ing.

Speaking of my trip to Portland, I did not get to do the Grand Tour of all things Fiber that I had hoped. In the interest of saving $$$, I didn't rent a car, so I was bussin' it quite a bit. It's funny, after living in lil' ol' Kodiak for 3 years, public transportation was an absolute joy- all of the people watching was fabulous, especially since getting from my parents' house to downtown requires passing though some rather colorful areas of town. All that, and it was free knitting time too! Anyway, I did hit a couple of shops- one called Knit Knot in Portland's swanky Pearl District. A nice little shop, but they charged more for their yarns their that we do in Kodiak. Knowing what people pay for shipping in Kodiak, that is ridiculous. Also went to knit/purl, a lovely shop in the heart of downtown. However, the ladies who worked there were umm... how can I say this nicely? I guess I can't. They were straight up beotches, people, beeeotcchhhess. The only saving grace was that I found a nice friendly boi who made my last minutes in the shop bearable.

My question is this- has the whole knitting thing gotten so popular that now people think they have the right to be snotty? In a yarn shop? Let's get something straight- if you are going to work in/own a yarn shop, that is not the place to be a snob (I can speak from experience, since I work at the LYS). It is not like you are working the MAC counter at Saks, sweetie. Furthermore, yarn is something that should make you feel happy and extend that sense to your customers. OK, there, I said it.

With all that, you are probablay wondering what I have been working on over the past six weeks. Well, one of my many endevors has been some Artist's Trading Cards for a local show. I'll post pics of the cards in my next post...

And, I have been doing lotsa leaded glass... salmon and otters and bears, oh my! The otter is still a WIP, since she needs eyes and suff, but you get the picture. This is but a small fraction of the pieces I will be selling- there are also puffins, fishing boats, fairies, butterflies, and all kinds of fused glass goodies. Will post more pics as I get everything together.

Also just completed a scarf called "Naiad". Lengthwise knit on Size US 11 needles (60" Addis) using Old Shale stitch. There are some shells attached to the fringe not visible here. The colors were inspired by how the sea looks after a storm has passed...

Designed a hat for a class I am teaching that introduces circular knitting while also introducing lace, color, and cable work. It was a fun challenge creating a pattern that incorporates all of these techinques without being too hard for the students- and make something not totally fugly. Unfortunately, this picture does the hat little justice.

OK, I think this is enough for one post- have been doing lotsa spinny sorta stuff too, but my hands are tired and they need a break from typing for a bit. I'll leave you with this parting shot of my dog Japhy during a hike we took yesterday on Kodiak's lovely Pillar Mountain: