New Oregon Flock & Fiber Friends

I was too busy to write this past weekend and I am swamped at the day job this week.

Here in the way of an apology are some friendly faces from the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival.

Looking for Baby Lambs to Pet!

The Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival is this weekend in Canby, Oregon.  I am excited to go see sheep, baby lambs, llamas, goats, and rabbits!

Even more, I'm excited to visit the Blue Moon Fiber Arts tent where there will be lots of Socks That Rock in the most wonderful colors. The Knitting Mermaid and I just collaborated on a cool scarf out of this great sock yarn. (Why should feet have all the fun?)

Blue Moon also has some other lines that are calling me to come pet them: Baby Bouclé, Luscious Silk, Peru, Woobu, Geisha, and Seduction.  Be still my heart!

I'll bring back photos and probably a little yarn.☺

Beads, Knots, Knitting, Crochet, & Micro Macrame

Beads call to me just as much as fiber does. The sparkle and facets of crystals, the depth of color and vibration of gemstones, the variety and delicacy of seed beads--they all get my blood pumping and my imagination running amok.

Knots are my thing, so I typically pair beads with fiber, thread, or cord rather than wire. I've mostly design knitted and crocheted beaded jewelry, but the sensational result of Viking knitting with wire and the wild possibilities of micro macrame have me itching to learn more about these techniques.

My favorite local bead store in Southwest Portland is called Village Beads which is located in Multnomah Village. That is their wall of beads that you see in the first photo. The interior of this store is very cheery and full of light. It make your heart want to dance.

What really is a selling point about this place is the genuine friendliness of the owner and her staff. You know how when you go to some other bead stores (just like with some yarn stores) you are met with an attitude of superiority that makes you want to turn right around, march out of there, and go order online somewhere? You don't get that feeling at this store. Everyone is helpful and enthusiastic.

The classes at Village Bead are great. The class size is small so you get lots of help and the teachers are very good. This is where I first was brave enough to try bead knitting with seed beads.

This bead-knitted bracelet was a gift that I made this summer. I'll be putting up some similar bracelets in my Etsy store soon.

And this was a gift made of bead crochet. There will be some of these in my store as well.

Right now, one of my bead works in progress is this dancing donut-head doll that will dangle and jive from a macrame cord necklace. She was started in a micro macrame class at Village Bead. If you're in Portland, come to the village and check them out!

Star Signs, TKGA Conference, and So Little time

"There is so much going on that you might feel as though you have been working 23-hour days and then getting up early." 

I adopted this horoscope by Jeraldine Saunders of the syndicated column, "Star Signs," even though I read it many days after the day for which it was intended and even though it wasn't written for my astrological sign.  That's my approach to horoscopes--read them all and pick the one that feels right.

Last week I attended the Craft Yarn Council teacher training course held in Portland and taught by the knowledgeable and charming Dixie Berryman who also teaches a course for the Knitting Guild of America called Professional Finishing Techniques.  Her finishing course gets excellent reviews and has been recommended to me as a great preparation before undertaking the second level of the master knitter's program.  

A course on teaching strategies, taught the next morning by Joyce Renee Wyatt at the TKGA conference, was the perfect adjunct course to have as a followup. Joyce is very entertaining and offered a lot of valuable information about the challenges that face instructors.

Over the next four days I enjoyed some highly informative classes: on professional design with Melissa Leapman, on crochet pattern writing with Marty Miller, on cables with Janet Szabo, on wire crochet with Darla Fanton, and on cabling without a cable needle (sweet!) from Annie Modesitt.  To all of you, thanks so much!  You leave me inspired and challenged.

The next four days found me back in my cubicle at the day job, trying to get caught up.  Finally tomorrow I'm back to work on this blog, my business, and finishing those two swatches that were returned to me for Level 1 of the TGKA master knitting program.  

My head is so full it is about to burst; ten fingers are twitching to knit and swatch.  I need to go find a horoscope that talks about magically completing projects and juggling multiple tasks with finesse.  

The Mermaid's Later Bag

The Knitting Mermaid, as she has come to be known in recent years, works much like I do. Design a thing, make it, and then explore a bunch of variations. Hardly ever make the exact same thing twice. This is a fun way to realize the difference that choice of materials makes in a finished product, or experience the effect of a different color.

For example, in the last post were photos of the one of the Mermaid's early bag designs. It was knit of Noro Ganpi Abaka Tape (40% ganpi, 58% rayon and 2% nylon) and Filatura Di Crosa Millefili Fine (100% cotton) and decorated with various glass and enamel beads.

The same pattern was later used by the Mermaid in this bag called "Gold Glitz" which was inspired by some undersea treasure that she had recently seen. It was knit of rayon chainette. The beadwork was of strung and crocheted glass beads and Swarovski crystals which were then handsewn in place.

The Mermaid's Bag

An old fisherman, who worked his boat alone, would spend some time knitting when the fish were not biting or when he just wanted a break. He'd turn off the motor, anchor the boat, and work on an intricately patterned gansey sweater. It was a lonely but contented life.

One day he spied the most gorgeous creature sunning herself upon the largest rock of a small outcropping. He put down his knitting and starting waving. She didn't notice him, so he shouted, "Hey! What's your name?" Of course the unexpected sound startled the mermaid so she dove into the water and swam away.

The fisherman was compelled to keep bringing his boat back to this spot, of course. He often would see his mermaid (that's how he had come to think of her--as "his"), but if he brought his boat too close, off she would go into the water. So he started anchoring his boat at a distance. He would sit and knit and watch her from afar.

Day after day, as his knitting project grew in his hands, the mermaid started watching the fisherman as much as he watched her. The movement of his hands and the rhythm of the needles intrigued her.

One afternoon, she cautiously swam close to his boat to get a better look. As excited as a schoolboy, the fisherman proudly held up his sweater for her to see. When she smiled, he got a great idea. He would teach her to knit! She would have to stay out of the water to do it. She'd sit on her rock, and he would bring his boat closer to instruct her!

The mermaid took to knitting, if you'll excuse the cliché, like a fish to water. She and the fisherman became great friends.

This bags was one of her early designs.

Little Gold Minx!

Yesterday I chose five handmade products from inventory to be guinea pigs for an two-day photo shoot. They were all pretty willing subjects at first but started misbehaving by the end of the second session today.

Mostly it was the fault of a golden-haired pouch that is small enough to fit on the palm of your hand. She may be little, but she has the scream of a banshee when she's irritated, and she likes to talk her compatriots into joining her in mischief. She's extremely sociable and spends most days chilling with her friends and partying, so getting her to sit still for photographs was a real feat.

This little tart really got snarky as the day went on. She kept whispering asides to the others about required 15-minute breaks and the need for a good handbag union. Every time when I wasn't looking she'd move a little bit so that getting a quality photo was next to impossible with her. Pretty soon she got them all doing it.

Honestly, it's a good thing digital cameras were invented. If I had to shoot as many photos with film as I took these last two days, I'd need a generous sub-prime loan to develop all the shots.

By mid-afternoon I had had enough as well. Thankfully, Mr. Cha Cha and I had plans to go to Art in the Pearl, a great outdoor art show that is held in Portland every Labor Day weekend. All the products were still lingering in the light tent when we headed out the door. All except for Goldie who was demurely sitting on a side table looking like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

Little poser!

Here's how I found the sassy little vixen when we got home four hours later! Totally saturated!

Free Pattern for Oregon Summer Beach Scarf

This post contains a free pattern for the Oregon Summer Beach Scarf which is based on a stitch pattern described by Barbara Walker, in A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, as the right diagonal version of "Diagonal Faggotting Stripe Pattern." The pattern is suitable for advanced beginners.

The yarn used in the model, from Yarnia in Portland, OR, is a fingering/sock weight yarn composed of three untwisted strands of different fibers. You can order online from their website. You'll want to buy 6 oz. of fingering/sock weight composed of cotton combined with rayon, linen, or silk. For more on the yarn and a close-up photo see my previous post.

Before I provide the link for the free PDF file, I want to say a little bit about knitting pattern instructions and my goal when providing patterns for my designs.

Historically, pattern instructions have been composed primarily of written words which are given in row-by -row instructions. Usually the author or publisher is nice enough to begin the instruction for each row of knitting on a separate line of type so you can follow along using a ruler or a sticky note.

At other times, the row-by-row instructions are all bunched together in paragraphs with little regard for presenting the knitter with a page layout which would aid in following the instructions. For me, a non-auditory learner, this is the printed equivalent of a lecture. All the information is there, but it's difficult, or at least time-consuming, to grasp if your primary learning mode is visual.

Many designers now give a visual chart of the pattern motif that shows one repeat of the stitch pattern and the beginning and end-of-row stitches. This is a better approach to only giving us visual learners written instructions. The Oregon Summer Beach Scarf has a 10-stitch x 20 row repeat and a total of 12 stitches making up the beginning and end stitches. Here is what the single motif graph would like:

What I would really like to see as the knitter trying to make this scarf, though, is more of the pattern graphed. Seeing several motifs side by side would help me to grasp the repeat and how it flows in the finished item. The repeat between the two vertical, colored bars of the stitch pattern can be inserted in the graph any number of times. Below is what the graph looks like when the repeat is duplicated the same the number of times that it is used in the 52-stitch-wide scarf.

Isn't that better? In this graph you can more clearly see where you're headed as the knitter.

Let's go one step further and think about the repeat as it feels to the knitter in action. The repeat is not what appears between the two vertical bars, which in Chart A changes on every row.

The repeat is the sequence of stitches "(K2tog, YO) twice, K6". Looked at this way, the repeat is not vertical, but diagonal. Showing only one "repeat" as in Chart A is barely adequate and asks me to think harder than I want while also watching TV or a baseball game. In the knitting grid which follows, the repeats are color-coded alternately pale green and tan so that you can more easily see the repeating element as you knit the pattern.

In the free PDF pattern for the Oregon Summer Beach Scarf the chart is colored in the same way. I hope you like it.

Two additional pattern notes:

• The knitting graph and all of the written instructions appear on the same page.
  
• There is a progress box in the lower right corner of the page where you can keep track of how far along you are in the pattern by making a check mark every time you complete one 20-row repeat.

If you make this scarf, let me know if you liked the pattern layout or whether you think it could be improved somehow. Your feedback will help me with my goal of providing future instructions in ways that best benefits knitters.

First Product Photo Shoot

Selling on Etsy.com is a competitive undertaking because there are so many sellers there now and they have a lot of great products for sale. To really stand out, good presentation is paramount. Nowhere is this more important than in your product photos. This is a big disadvantage for me because I truly suck at taking close-up photography!

Successfully photographing products like jewelry, crafts and collectibles is a real challenge. The photos have to be taken at close range in just the right lighting conditions so that the image is crisp and the item is not washed out or over exposed.

A lot of great photos can be taken outside on overcast days (something we have an abundance of here in Oregon) when the weather is dry. (Oh-Oh!) Okay, so if outdoors doesn't work for you, you can use a lightbox. A light box, or light tent, is like a miniature photography studio that you can fit in a small space.

Here's the frame for a large temporary light box that Dennis built for me out of PVC pipe. He's also ordered me a professional tabletop one that comes with special lights and some backdrops for a birthday present. What a guy!

Notice that Samba, the world's best little sweetie-pie of a cat, is totally uninterested in the PVC frame. But just wait. When I drape a white sheet over it to make a light tent and install a nice white backdrop/floor, don't you know she'll be thinking it's her own private guest quarters.

So I will either have to keep her away or ALWAYS scrupulously clean it before taking photos of anything in it. Guess which scenario it will be.

Here's the photo-shoot setup.

The lamps on the sides flood light on the fabric which acts as a diffuser. These lights are not the best, but in this temporary setup they were serviceable. One had an OTT light bulb and the other a "daylight" bulb. Whichever kind of light you use, don't keep them too close to the fabric for very long or the fire department might be trying to join in the fun. The backdrop is a large piece of white matte board. (If you want to make your own setup like this, you can find instructions for making a PVC lightbox here and here.)

Now you may think that the purse handles on the handbag naturally stand up straight and perky like that. Think again. They were floppy things and had to be tied in that position with invisible nylon filament thread.

Have you ever worked with that stuff? Its the jumpiest, curliest, most pesky fiber you can imagine. Just loves tying itself in knots. Before I got those purse handles picture perfect that filament had wrapped itself around my ankle and made a couple of circles around my big toe and then slipped under the buckle on my sandals just before the spool rolled across the room. This was discovered as I tried to retrieve the spool and nearly pulled over the whole contraption. In some of the photos the thread showed a little, but in most shots it didn't. Out of the thirty pictures I took, I got three good ones.

Yikes, at that rate I'll never make a profit on Etsy! I'll be spending all my time trying to get those 5 perfect photos allowed for each item.

Here's a close up of the bag showing the twin frames. Isn't this about the cutest handbag! I'm in love with it even though I almost always carry shoulder bags.

I didn't get around to trying to get a close-up photograph of the inside of a this bag which has a black grosgrain lining. Guess that's the next challenge.

A great way to end the day yesterday, after the photo shoot and blogging, was watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics. Talk about your cirque du soleil chinois! What an amazing spectacle! I could have used some of that nylon filament to keep my jaw up off my chest because my mouth was agog out of awe most of the time that I watched. If you missed either the opening or closing ceremony, NBC is selling a DVD. It's destined to be a classic!

Learning Blogger and More

Being new to blogging and not being a technical wizard, I find every new little blog thing a big old challenge. Yesterday I added content to the blog's side bar. It's not totally I want it to be yet, but at least it's not vacant real estate over there.

Today's first project was researching how to embed a PDF file so that readers can easily get free patterns by clicking on a link. Once I get it figured out I'll be posting the free pattern for the Oregon Summer Beach Scarf Pattern. Today's second task was a hands-on project to set up my very first product photo shoot.

Meanwhile this weekend has not been all work and no play. Last evening we enjoyed a Summer Waltz Under the Stars at Laurelhurst Park in Portland This is an annual event hosted by Portland Dance Eclectic . A temporary parquet wooden floor is set up in the park and the surrounding trees and shrubs are filled with tiny twinkling white lights. It's such a thrill to dance a romantic waltz or foxtrot in the slow breeze of a warm summer night surrounded by the swirling white and pastel gowns of Northwest women enjoying a chance to get out of Birkenstocks and flannel shirts. (Just kidding!)

Of course getting ready for such an event is an opportunity to participate in one of my favorite things: vintage and resale clothes shop-hopping! During the hunt I bagged a fantastic caramel-colored satin gown from the 40's that fit perfectly and also found some great clothes for tango dancing, some stuff to where to the office, and a couple of good packable things for travel. Other than the ball gown, my favorite find was this vintage handbag. It's in fantastic shape, and I might have to fight my friend Melanie for it when she sees it.

Well, I'm off to watch the last night of the Olympics. I'll talk about the first photo shoot tomorrow.