with many thanks to tthe internets

Thank you ALL who joined my Photographing Your Knits webinar for the live webcast from Interweave last Wednesday. * I applaud you! (Sorry about the overuse of um for the first three minutes, then I got rolling. At least I'm not one of those artificially perky speakers, right?)

I was so jazzed up after the virtual live presentationended, I had to go to the beach to get my ya-yas out with Zoe for an hour of hooky-playing.  I love knitting but it doesn't offer the level of ya-ya reduction required at the time.

humungous, 3 foot tall lilac bouquet  courtesy of the internets

 Friday morning, I set down to work started blog-reading, and there was Carole's peony.  It reminded me that my peony might be flowering, and the weird 24 hour tropical storm rain falling was going to knock off any blooms. I figured I'd better get out there and investigate.
Last fall Hurricane Sandy radically landscaped our backyard.  We kind of ignored it, dealing with replacing our roof. Good times!  I recalled a section of downed tree pinning the peony.  I thought maybe it was dead.  Not so! Friday morning I discovered it as healthy as it had ever been (which is not all that healthy, to be honest).  It is a late bloomer, so still budding.
But had I not been out there in the rain seeking an internet-inspired peony, I'd never have noticed a lushly bloomed old lilac tree in the back corner of the yard. Thanks to Sandy and her ugly older sister Irene the year before, this antique was torn mostly out of the ground, meeting a small apple tree in a combination bramble/deciduous tree canopy. For the past few years this tree had been my least productive lilac, with its best blooms  tantalizingly out of reach, high up over the neighbor's yard. Not anymore! Crazily blooming and so perfumed. Pruning my way through downed branches like a gardening Indiana Jones in the rain, I collected me three big bouquets. Thanks Carole!

 This here is on my front porch. We have a new thrift in town and I'm buying up teapots and other housewares for porch planting. Buck at a time.  I got my idea when visiting the charter school my sister teaches at in downtown Washington DC last fall. Check out their entry walkway: 
Keep in mind it was October, so the plants were on the way out for the season. When I called her confessing I had openly ripped her off, she said, no worries. She'd gotten the idea online, from Guerilla Gardening.

 I mean, seriously, where would we be without our internets??!!

 In knitting news, if you are still reading this-my Caliz shawl is 5 rows away from being done, and I need a wooly not-too-big-to-carry and not-too-attention requiring project to take with me to an adventure in Maine this weekend. Suggestions?
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*If you want to experience learning with me, sans the hands-on part, there'll be a link to purchase the webinar, recorded in all its 1 hr 45 minute glory, in about 10 days. If you already purchased and/or joined it, you should have a link to it already, in your email.

in which we wander about webinars...

So you know how you agree to do something, like say, teach a webinar for Interweave on Basic Photography for Knitters, and you figure that your presentation  is 90% all there so no need to get fussed about it...

a slide from the webinar revealing  behind-the-scenes glamour

and then when you go put a few last touches on it, you end up spending the better part of 3 days re-doing it? Yes, you do? Oh good, then we understand each other. I am pretty psyched cough understatement cough for this. Sign up any time , we are live webcasting on Wednesday June 5th at noon eastern time--but you can watch it later, all recorded.

the real photo we were making Fussy Cuts blanket fr Craft Activism , designed by Mason Dixon Knitting

Anyhoo, I've been gettting lots of questions about webinars and what they are, and who they aren't so I figured I'd , as Ricky Ricardo would say, do a little 'splaining.

My webinar is a one session online slide presentation--just like watching a normal slide talk without being in the same room as the presenter.   Unlike an online class, you will not see me, the instructor. And me, the instructor, is very thankful, because this way I don't have to worry about what to wear* or that you will  see the shmear of poison ivy  on my cheek this week.

You will receive an email from GoToWebinar with log-on info, and a reminder of what time the webinar begins.  When you log on, your browser window will have my opening slide on it, and off we'll go, I'll change images as we talk about them (I have alot of images and a lot to say). I'll be sitting here narrating the talk by phone, you'll hear it coming out of your computer.  You don't have to download or acquire any software, but you need to be online.

Photography is a subject perhaps uniquely suited to the webinar format. You see a photo, I talk about it.   I have to confess that I love taking webinars, but that is probably because all the ones I take are  about the photo business. I have friends in the corporate world who cringe at the word webinar.  It means they have to watch  stultifyingly dull powerpoints in which the narrator reads  bulleted sentence fragments, all about insurance regulations.

I promise we will not discuss insurance.
Here's a link again.** Best of all--the webinar is initially webcast live, but it is recorded, so if you do not have the free time to join me mid day Wednesday June 5th, you will receive an email within 48 hours of the live webcast telling you to go ahead and log on at your leisure. Those who watched live will receive the same  email, in case you'd like to watch it again . All, or part and return later. Those who are watching live can type in questions. The Q&A will also be recorded, so you miss nothing.

Those who purchase by Wednesday 6/5 noon eastern can either join live, or soon after ( you'll be notified with 48 hrs).  Those who don't sign on on by noon Wednesday will be able to access the webinar, but not till it goes in the Interweave shop, in about 2 weeks. 

If you have questions about this all, feel free to send them to me ezisusATsnetDOTnet.

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*OK, I am going to be honest. Even though no one will see, I am still going to think about what to wear. And keep my fingers crossed that Bobo doesn't run into the room barking.

** just noticed they reduced the price . Costs less than a skein of Silk Garden!

with sadness: honoring kathreen ricketson

There are turns of event so awful, I can't even.
One of my all time favorite books, James and the Giant Peach starts with James orphaned, when an escaped rhino eats his parents while in London, on holiday from their happy seaside cottage home.
These things don't happen in real life.
 
But it did.
Kathreen Ricketson, the artist/blogger and creative spirit of whipup.net and her husband left behind their two children. They were on a yearlong family trip/adventure. The kind of thing I dreamed of doing, but only managed to pull off in bits and bites. Kathreen did it, for real. I think this says who Kathreen Ricketson was: she walked the talk.  
More details of this tragedy here and here.

A fund for their children has been established,  info here. Ann & Kay at Mason Dixon Knitting have asked folks to mention their favorite whipup post, and please do go over to their site to see the links. 

As for me,  I started reading whipup early on, and for a long while, I didn't realize it was Australian based. I was hoping to meet Kathreen for coffee,  till she pointed out the geographical challenge. It also meant we couldn't profile her in Craft Activism, my book in which she surely belonged, for her belief in the power of a handmade lifestyle.

I was moved to action by many of her posts: to make things, to read books and essays, to look into a new idea. Whipup isn't one of those " ooh look at me, I am so special" lifestyle websites. It is generous and thoughtful and helpful. Of course I adored the review she posted of Shear Spirit early on and the one that reviewed WearwithAll this year. And I loved when she did link roundups, like this one for crocheted afghans. Those take time, and are so generous, and not flashy and support the community.

I hope we who enjoyed her work can pay it forward. And, give our kids an extra hug.

warm welcome webinar wayfarers!

Yesterday Interweave announced my upcoming June 5th webinar :  Photographing Your Knits. poof ! walla ! and ta-da!, I have never had so many visitors here.

Not even that time I was giving away 4 pounds of Starbucks coffee! (Though that was pretty cool,  right?)

Not even right after Shear Spirit came out, and all the sheepy/goat/alpaca folk I'd met in my farm visits and travels came to call.

crias at Victory Ranch in Mora New Mexico

Not even the times my work with the Red Scarf Project /Foster Care to Success got all linked  (you know about the Red Scarf project? If not please take a peek )
The blog's been here for eight years, so browse around and welcome to my world.

a rare appearance by Dave, who appreciates the handknits but models reluctantl

I hope you sign up for the webinar. I got hip to webinars last year.  A webinar is essentially watching a live (or, recorded live) slide talk presentation, with me chatting but your monitor filled with images (photos!). You can type in questions that the moderator , the Knitting Daily Empress Kathleen Cubley,  will ask me, and I'll answer, either during the slide talk or immediately after. I won't rush off, and the scheduling is flexible. The cool thing is you can watch as little or as much as you wish, and then come back and watch the rest--or watch it again. I cram in a lot of helpful tips, so the ability to re-visit is awesome.

an image from Craft Activism, a good example of a simple way to shoot handmade..and a favorite of mine, shot at granny square goddess Ellen Bloom's house in LA. I heart granny squares, and Ellen is to blame.
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My commercial website is Gale Zucker Photography. Plenty of sheep shots there, too. 

(almost)all shawl

Were I a squeee-er, that'd be my opener right here. Because! It is official! I am teaching an Interweave webinar, Photographing Your Knits!  Sign up now, action starts June 5th. 

the Catalina shawl, from Green Mountain Spinnery. Crocheted. I know, right?

If you've never tried a webinar, this is a good one to give a whirl,  I promise it'll be a fun hour and you will learn. Plus: pictures! many many!

  

Meanwhile, back at the ranch,   I pounced on the Mothers Day shawl request project.  I was struck with inspiration to knit  Caliz, by Romi Hill. *

It's been in my queue ever since it was a club pattern** from A Verb for Keeping Warm in 2011. And, I've been admiring the Anzula Oasis yarn at my LYS for a while.  When I realized it may be the same base yarn  Verb dyed for the club version of  Caliz -   70 silk/30camel blend with a slightly loose ply that gives it a natural look-- I knew I had my match.

I am loving knitting this. Garter stitch in purl, lace that is just my level of enjoyment:  engaging, easy to read, no tricky bits.  M1purl, a new move for me but easily mastered.

 

I shot the above optimistically, Saturday morning , thinking I'd show you how I spent my weekend. (also? I adore the colors of this early 70's paperback book cover) . Not so much reading happened, but I did take in 5 episodes of Breaking Bad season 4. So that is something, right?

 

I also thought I'd get in some gardening , also put on hold. Not for the lack of the best helper around. 

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* thanks to all for shawl suggestions in the comments from the last post. Really good ones! I may get into a shawl knitting jag as a result.Maybe a round up in another post of all the fab options.

**so, I was not actually a member of the Pro-verbial club but I watched someone who was, knit this shawl. It's kind of modern and slightly rustic, lacey but not fussy, I think my mom will love it.  If for any reason she doesn't , I will gladly keep it and knit her another option--which is to say good thing I am publicly declaring it for her so I don't get too attached.

little treats

There's been no big splashy stuff here lately, and I can't seem to finish anything. But I'm finding great delight in the small. Like this cuff on my sleeve,  tipped in handspun. I could stare it at all day.

My Shell Seeker sweater has been almost done for ages. I can't get the bottom hem right. First, it was too short, and I did the split hem ribbing too loosely and it was flipping up. Second try, too tight and still not quite right. Soon as that second cuff is done, I re-do the bottom again.  But the sleeve cuff ? Did I mention I like it?

The shapings on the front, also happy-making. You decrease on the sides and increase along two front  lines. No kangaroo pocket in my version though. Pearl Ten Malbrigo, how I love your not-purple-not grey-not-black ways.

On Mothers day I got two unusual knitting gifts. First, my mom, who is a)an amazing knitter and b) famous for not liking anything by her neck, admitted she is starting to feel drafts and wants a a little shawlette to sit on her shoulders. She asked me to knit her something! I am overjoyed. Her request:  lightweight, not overly lacey but some open-ness is good, not too large--and  neutral. Not black or white --maybe pink or orange. Which, in my family, is considered neutral. (This is where I should tell you I grew up in a house with a bright yellow front door, and an orange ceiling in the kitchen and dining room). I got a crazy amount of pleasure from poking around Ravelry on her behalf- I'm thinking Simmer Dim or Henslowe (considered and rejected Citron for fear of never finishing) -- I can't wait to get some yarn for it this evening. If you have any pattern suggestions, I'm all ears.

Second, Yliana, last seen  here modeling knits,  mentioned wanting to learn to knit a few times.  Anyone dating a son of mine  figures out that saying nice things about knitting makes me happy to see them,  so I was all  "'Oh, OK, whenever" .  But Yliana meant it. We found ourselves with some spare time Sunday and next thing you know, she's cranking out the garter stitch. Happiness all around.

a classy weekend (with gratuitous name dropping)

Very classy! Last Sunday I debuted a new Photo for Knitters workshop: Photographing for Your Ravelry Projects Page, held at  Knit New Haven. My classes are always hands-on but this one was especially focused.  As a group, we worked on one project from each student at a time.

 

I'd say Julia Bogardus (Sorrento on Ravelry) nailed her Taygete shawl by Romi Hill, doncha think?

 Everyone there made beautiful images, too, here's one from Michelle, aka MMDube23 Yliana was our fabulous model this time. I've found bringing an assistant who poses with the knits helps the class really flow. Bonus:  no one taking the class gets stuck in front of the camera-- unless they want to.

I am attempting  Ann & Kay's burst'o'blogwords writing initiative, but my 15 minutes do not yield anything read-worthy. Plus, I always have more to say.  Like, I can't leave out Saturday, at the Fairfield Woods Library DIY Crafts Salon. What a lovely group--I talked about Craft Activism, then I lead a project, inspired by Virgina Fleck. I was only slightly (cough,understatement, cough) intimidated that the previous presenter had been Denyse Schmidt.

And, considering the date, I  MUST mention what a fabulous gift a copy of Craft Activism * makes for Mothers Day.  Or, a gift certificate for a class. Just saying!

*absolutely true story I swear: Barbara Walker's son got her a signed copy of Craft Activism as a gift a few months ago. NO SH*T !!  I didn't know who he was but he asked me to inscribe it to his mom, Barbara. I asked " Does she knit?" To which he replied, "uhhh, you could say so..." and then revealed her full name. I was left with my mouth hanging open saying something like "ohmuhgawwwwww".

 another from Julia Bogardus/ sorrento,   her Inspira cowl

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A few more classes soon--May 18th, a Photo Safari with The Village Knitter in Babylon NY, and starting May 16th in the evening, a 3 session class at Webs. This will be a rare chance to do a class where you get to shoot, return, review & discuss later --which is wonderful for letting new ideas seep into your photo habits. The class is in Northampton MA at Webs on Thursdays May 18, May 30 and June 6th, from 5:30-8, signups here .

And not coming up that soon, but I hear these fill up fast: I just got an email that the registration for the Rhinebeck workshops (NY Sheep & Wool Festival in October, if you want to be all formal about it) are open as of now.