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Gallery 4: Recent Photos
I spent the week of February 15-22, 2011 teaching at Telemark University College in Rauland, Norway. The school has a fabulous folkart program where the students are taught traditional crafts and then encouraged - required - to modernize and experiment with what they have learned. It was a wonderful week and even with -24 degrees Celcius, it was an incredible trip. On the 4 hour drive from Oslo to Rauland, we had some "light snow" to contend with. As you get into the mountains, it all looks like a Christmas card with the white snow and green fir trees.
This is one of the famous old stave churches. The detail is amazing.
The studios at Telemark are beautifuly equipped. This is the weaving studio. The looms have been pushed to the back to make room for a surface design workshop with an instructor from Hungary, Hedi Harmati.The class in the room at the rear is a hand knitting class where Kristi Joeeste from Estonia is teaching traditional mittens and gloves.
This is the view from the porch of the building where I taught. There is a huge lake between the trees and the mountains. I plan to take another photo from this porch in July 2012 when I return to Rauland to teach a one week workshop.
This student knitted the first horizontal cable ever machine knitted in Norway . . .at least I think it was!
Anne Christensen was exhibiting her work at a gallery in Rauland and did an excellent slide talk for the group. I think she must be the best kept secret in the world of machine knitting. Her work is incredible - all hand-manipulated, lifted stitches - produced on an ancient Knittax machine. Check out her web site: www.annechristensen.net.
Irish Bishop and Bill King, British machine knitters who most of you know, took a turn at driving a "spark". This is the coolest way to get around in the snow!
My new friends, Randi and Knut Falla, took really good care of my while I was in Norway and even tried to teach me a little Norwegian. The one phrase I remember well - Tusan Takk - means "thank you". So, Randi and Knut: TUSAN TAKK!!!!
"Dream Week" at Metropolitan in the UK is probably one of the best seminars around. Carol Hocknell goes all out for the 100+ knitters who attend this week-long program every September. There are lecture/demo classes and some hands-on. Even with my accent, people seemed to enjoy what I was teaching and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Worth a trip from anywhere, there were knitters from Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Australia and Canada.
Anne Smith (publisher of Machine Knitting Monthly) and her husband, Neil, hosted me at their fabulous home in Maidenhead. We had dinner one night at The Hind's Head, the Heston Blumenthal restaurant that was just voted the best pub in England. I agree!
Anne Smith and Bill King, who's work often appears in MKM, at evening dinner. The food, by the way, was fabuous!
Carl Boyd writes regularly for Machine Knitting Monthly. If you don't subscribe, you should!
I delivered the opening address on Monday, but was clearly upstaged that evening at dinner by Elvis! Carol Hocknell is at left and Anne Smith and I are cozying up to The King!
Marit Buset (seated in front) teaches machine knitting at Telemark University College in Norway. Randi and Anne are two of her students. Many of the knitters in Marit's classes have purchsed the LK150 and they are all excited about hand manipulated stitches!
I had a week free between the two weeks I taught at Metropolitan and used the time to visit with my old friend, George LeWarre for a few days down in Dorset. Then I took the Chunnel train across to Amsterdam to spend some time with my brother, Richard, who lives and works in Germany.
Shannon Strain's "Loopity Lou" hat class produced some terrific looking hats using my pattern. Pictured below are Eileen, Carol, Shanon, June and Francoise. Their machine knit club meets the second Saturday of each month in Glenside, PA.
Cindy Schmatz, Cindy's Knitting Room in Princeton, MN, held a terrific seminar September 11-12, 2009. There are a lot of experienced knitters in that part of the country, but I was happy to see some new - younger - kntters as well. I especially enjoyed meeting Rebecca Yaker, who is a ball of energy and great ideas. Check out her Sock Monkey Dress at www.hazelandmelvin.com. I think that cold climates must produce especially warm, friendly people because I felt right at home all weekend. Thanks for a fun seminar, Cindy!
The Iwannaknit Retreat 2009 in Shipshewanna, Indiana was a blast! I loved working with so many knitters who have learned to get the most out of their basic, hobby machines. Shipshewanna is in the heart of Indiana Amish country and next time I wil definitely arrive early enough to check out the giant flea market and some of the quilt shops.
Lea-Ann McGreggor has been running this retreat since the late 90' and has a terrific shop - Knitting Today - in the area.
Carol Scott was my host while I taught a two day workshop in Chicago, May 16 & 17th. She was a terrific host and took very good care of me - including a special shopping trip. Thanks, Carol!
Sixteen year old, Amanda and her mother, Diane, are always a joy to see at any seminar. This kid can knit!
Saturday was a general lecture/demo session, but Sunday was a hands-on workshop. I was happy to see a lot of LK-150 machines.
Linda Bushby from knittersedge.com recorded a number of my demos for the web site.
The group included advanced knitters and beginners and I think we all learned from each other.
The Cardiknits seminar in Hamilton, Ontario on May 1-2 was fabulous! With a microphone and video set-up, I felt like a rock star!
The place was packed with enthusiastic knitters, who got a bound booklet of all handouts and first-class meals and snacks.
For the first time ever, I taught at the Knit Knack Shop’s Spring Fling in Peru Indiana. There was a great turn out and it was probably smoothest running seminar I have ever participated in. Charlene & Harold Shafer have got it down to a science after all these years!
Peru is almost 2 hours from Indianapolis so we left good and early to make flights on Sunday morning. Charlene and Rhaelene Winberly were in great spirits – even at 6:30 AM!
“In the early morning rain. . . .” with Susan Lazear and Tricia Shafer. Great seeing old friends again!
At the BT Yarns seminar in Cleveland in October 2008 with Shannon Strain and Dottie Richey from Stitcher's Dream in Glenside, PA, (they are Silver Reed and Husqvarna Viking dealers). This was a great seminar! The students were enthusiastic and hungry for ideas and I had a ball.
Nancy Roberts (at left) setting up my machine for the San Francisco Machine Knitter's Guild March 7, 2009. This is a strong, enthusiastic guild! I enjoyed staying at Nancy's and talking yarn and knitting until the wee hours. Check out her web site (www.machineknittingtodyefor.com) for a unique way of hand dyeing that allows you to match colors on cardigan fronts and on to the sleeves!
The following day, was a hands-on workshop for a dozen members of the guild.
The next weekend, I did a two-day program with the Machine Knitters Guild of San Diego. The reception was as warm as the weather and I think we all had a great time. I remembered having met some of the members when I was in San Diego in the early 90's.
One of the best things about being in Southern California is spending time with my dear friend, Toni Salerno. We've been friends since my son, Jordan, was 3 and once greeted her by biting her hand. He's now 36 and has stopped biting people!
Gladys looked so fabulous in this sweater that I almost gave it to her. Her necklace is a fabulous I-cord confection. This lady has s-t-y-l-e!!
Alexandra's Ragtime Band: This is a very tongue-in-cheek feminist piece that I worked on for years. It was my reaction to the expression “she is on the rag” to describe some female behavior. I decided that the “rags” should be interesting and appropriately uncomfortable to cause such behavior and thus was born (from top left) a rag rug, Raggedy Ann, dish rag, ragtime, news rag and rag-a-muffin.
Detail: Alexandra's Ragtime Band
Detail: Alexandra's Ragtime Band
Detail: Alexandra's Ragtime Band
Detail: Alexandra's Ragtime Band
Peruvian Cat Totem Bag: I love Peruvian textile motifs and this cat is a special favorite. The beading is worked on window screening, with 3-D work around the upper and lower edges and dangling Milagros. The rough edges were finished with machine stitched ultra suede bindings. The full directions appear in a book called Beading for the Soul, edited by Deborah Cannarella and published by Interweave Press in 2005.
Detail: Peruvian Cat Totem Bag
Paracas Dream: This piece combines bead weaving and tapestry weaving. The background fabric is raw silk and the warp was nylon. The chart for this piece was worked out in a fabulous program called Stitch Painter from Cochenille Software.
Detail: Paracas Dream
Cartoon: Paracas Dream