Today’s post photo is one of the flying shawls – Into the Vortex spinning through the air, which feels appropriate for this week’s post! The past few weeks have felt a little bit like a juggling act . I’ve been working on a design commission (and exploring possibilities for another), relaunched Ice Diamond Mitts, launched Making Tracks as an individual pattern, been preparing for The Wool Monty and for an online talk I’m giving the day after The Wool Monty about my design process, started to promote Yarn Gathering, have been invigilating A-level and GCSE exams, teaching piano, singing in the church choir, visiting my Mum, celebrating my lovely wife’s birthday and accompanying her to some appointments. It’s been quite busy! There are a couple of things I haven’t done in as timely a fashion as I’d intended, but my trusty bullet journal usually helps me keep track of what I should be doing – as long as I remember to write things in there in the first place! I suppose this is what is meant by a ‘portfolio career’? Doing lots of different jobs at the same time.
To help with my preparation for the show at the weekend (and for all yarn shows in the future) I’ve made myself a list of things that will always need doing/planning beforehand. This kind of thing is helpful for me so I don’t end up in a situation where, for example, I’m at a show and then realise I haven’t brought the workshop samples with me. It’s too late to go home and fetch them at that point! I’m definitely a list person – are you?
With all this recent busy-ness I don’t have any modelled photos of my grey 4-ply sample of What Do Points Make? yet. I have taken a few photos this morning on the mannequin and on a hanger and I’m sure I’ll get some modelled shots during The Wool Monty.
I haven’t written this month’s newsletter yet either, but I’m assuming that as I’d sent out a short one about the launch of Making Tracks on May 27th, people wouldn’t mind not hearing from me again immediately! If you’ve been waiting for the June Newsletter and wondering where it’s got to, that’s why.
I have made some progress with my short version of Leaf & Vine and reached the point where you cast on for the integral (very short) sleeves. It looks as though the stitch pattern on the left is taller than that on the right hand side, but that’s due to how it behaves before blocking. Once blocked it’s all the same height – and quite a bit longer than it looks at present! What you can see is most of the left side of the back. This is one of the things that continues to fascinate me about lace knitting – how different stitch patterns can behave before and after blocking – and that’s another reason why blocking lace knitting is so important!
Have you put Sunday 20th September in your diaries? Yarn Gathering will take place once again at the Daniel Owen Centre in Mold (Ch7 1AP), 10am – 4pm and entrance is still free! I’m not sure free entry will always be possible in future years, so do make the most of it this year. We have 13 vendors for you to enjoy, spread across three spaces. See the webpage for more Yarn Gathering info. Thanks to Laura for updating our logo once more.
Writing about Yarn Gathering has reminded me that I need to make the flyers and social badges for the vendors to share with their customers and followers – another thing to add to the journal list!
It’s going to be a short one today as there are lots of things to do – including the less fun stuff like ironing some clothes! Have a good week and next week I’ll tell you all about how The Wool Monty was for us. I’m really looking forward to this show, please do come and say hello if you come to the show – we’re on stand 2! I’ll also tell you how my talk about my design progress went next time. K x