Mandy Moore's Blog, page 5

WWW: All Jillian all the time (Interweave backstory + Fruity Knitting Podcast)

Did you know our Jillian Moreno was a vital part of Interweave for many years? Learn more about her role, and about the legendary Linda Ligon in this fascinating portrait of a company we hope will continue into the future. Someone buy Interweave, please!

In more Jillian news, we’re happy to share her appearance on the Fruity Knitting Podcast right here. She’s a super-smart spinner and a great teacher. Grab a beverage and watch.

Last bit of Jillian news: if you’re lucky enough to be at MDSW this weekend, do some Jillian spotting. She’s teaching (looks like all her classes are full!), and she also gives great hugs. Give her one for me, would you?

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How Do You Store Your Tools?

My latest tools, how do I store them?

How do you store your spinning tools? I’m having trouble figuring out where and how to store my middle-sized tools.

I’m good with my little tools, they live in my spin kit. My big tools like wheels, and my drum carder have their own space. But what about hand cards, combs, hackles, little looms, kates, and storage bobbins not in use?

Those tools can fit in a lot of different places. Mine are scattered all around. Combs and hackles I have stored out of the way because, ouch.

 

Most other things are scattered around with no rhyme or reason. I want to figure out a way to organize them, so I can always find them when I need them. Do I organize like with like, or keep my favorites together?

Tell me all of you spinners who are more organized than I am, how to you organize your tools?

 

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WWW: Heavy Metal Knitting Championship; knit a sports car; LYS Day

World Heavy Metal Knitting Championship to launch in Finland – for more information about this inaugural event, please visit the official website.

Did you know you can knit a sports car with carbon fibre?

The second annual Local Yarn Store Day is happening this Saturday April 27th. Stop in your local yarn store and celebrate! Many will offer exclusives colourways, special kits, and more. These items will only be available in shops. Learn more and find a store near you at www.localyarnstoreday.com.

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Maryland Sheep & Wool First Timer

I’m hoping this girl greets me at the gate!

Maryland Sheep & Wool fans, I need your help!

I’m teaching at the show before the festival starts, and I hope to see some of you in my classes.

I’m staying an extra day, Saturday, because I have never been to Maryland Sheep & Wool.

Tell me please, what are the things, food, and vendors that I shouldn’t miss? Things that are unique to MDSW. Including great places to eat nearby.

I am excited to teach and excited to prowl the grounds of a new-to-me show, but with almost 300 vendors, it’s a little overwhelming.

Yes, I am customizing a map, with a checklist, and may even make a spreadsheet.

 

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WWW: mathematical weaving; Woolfest 2019; socks + science

Weaving Mathematical Principles Into Indian Carpets. A conceptual artist worked with weavers at a village in the Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradeshmade (India) to weave a carpet based on the mathematical concept of on cellular automaton.

This year Woolfest (UK) is Friday 28 and Saturday 29 June 2019. It is the fifteenth year of the show. Further details can be found at the website, www.woolfest.co.uk.

Engineering the Perfect (Winter) Sock looks into the science of socks. If you’d like to knit your own pair of socks please check out the knitty sock library. [link via Kristine]

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Taking a Break by Taking a Class

My handspun paper yarn.

I just got back from teaching at PLY Away. It’s one of my favorite events of the year, and I feel lucky to teach there. Right now it’s the biggest and longest spinning event in North America (and maybe the world).

The downside for this introverted teacher is a 12 hour drive on each side of teaching and 4 1/2 days of teaching and festivities. That leaves me pooped and hilariously inarticulate.

This year I tried something new. I took a class in the middle of my teaching schedule. I had a half day off and I signed up for Judith MacKenzie’s paper spinning class.

I spun about 50 yards of paper yarn, mostly from old sewing patterns, and listened to Judith talk about spinning, history, and paper yarns. I relaxed completely. It was the perfect counterpoint to my teaching, to spin, relax, and fill myself up with Judith’s words.

Spinning paper is so cool. The yarn is pliable and sturdier than I would have thought. Handspun paper yarns are very different than the Habu paper yarns I’ve tried. I’ll write more about it, and give you some ideas to try after I do a little research, and, yes, make some more samples.

 

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I Just Renewed My Spin Off Subscription

The latest issue of Spin Off

You might have heard the F&W media, the parent company of Interweave has filed for bankruptcy. There is a lot of speculation on what is going to happen. Are they restructuring, looking for a buyer or just shutting down? There are a lot of people who are owed money, including authors.

I don’t know anything about what is going to happen, but I know I want Interweave to succeed the best it can. I have great admiration for what Interweave has done over the years, and what the employees at Interweave are still trying to do. I was an employee for a decade, and it was an amazing experience. I can’t afford to buy Interweave, but I want to do something.

What I can can do to help in a small way is to buy Interweave products. I’ve renewed my Spin Off subscription, I’m buying books and video downloads, and eyeing getting every digital issue of Spin Off that’s available. I hope that my little bit may allow them to pay some of their debt and look attractive to a potential buyer.

I also, sadly and realistically, am thinking that if Interweave does shut down, and all of the spinning things go away or are hard to find, what spinning knowledge do I not want to be without?

I am not advocating for anyone else to do this, and again, I do not know what is going to happen. People have asked, what I know, what I think, and what, if anything, I’m going to do, this is it. I want Interweave to survive.

 

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WWW: Giving toward the future

Congratulations to The Monforton School in Bozeman, Montana and Hawlemont Regional Public School in Heath, Massachusetts (USA) for being recipients of this year’s Schacht Tools for Schools Grant! You can find out more about this program and other teacher resources at schachtspindle.com.

Purl & Loop has a new monthly program, Purl & Loop Weaving Project. Once a month, they will donate up to 25 Wee Weavers (4 sett) to a teacher or organization leader who can demonstrate how they will use these products to expand weaving to a population that might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in a fiber craft. You can find out more about this program at purlandloop.com.

Students at Mark Twain Middle School & Edison High School (Fairfax County VA, USA) made and donated over 200 hats to Children’s National including to the NICU. Through the Tiny Hats Tiny Babies club, students in the middle school made about 215 hats for the babies and the high school students made about 70 hats for NICU babies. (Photo [by Amy Auburt of ABC7] of NICU baby Liam, his mum, and a middle school student.)

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WWW: Kate’s Bakes & the Barcelona Handmade Festival 2019; love sheep; HoTTea solo exhibition; knitting for dogs

Artist Kate Jenkins is known for her knitted and crocheted food.

Her newest exhibitions, ‘Kate’s Bakes’ will be opening 3rd-5th May at the Fira de Barcelona as part of the Handmade Festival 2019.

The Campaign for Wool (UK) has a fun sheep photo contest, with interesting facts on sheep! Click through to learn and vote for your favourite sheep!

[There doesn’t seem to be a limit on the number of images you can vote for at this stage in voting. /penny]

Photo: “Cuddles” by Pia.

Yarn artist HoTTea takes over Wayzata Gallery (Burnet Fine Art, Wayzata, MN, USA) with a Solo Exhibition that runs through April 14, 2019.

Maisie Green has knitted over 450 coats and blankets for her local animal shelter, DogsTrust (UK).

[I foster kittens and know that volunteer work is definitely appreciated and needed by rescue groups. There are some links and tips in the article for several organizations in both the US and UK. /penny]

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Every Class Needs a Baby

Teaching with a special guest. Photo by Emily W.

Saturday I taught a Colorplay class for a fantastic group of women at the Kalamazoo Fiber & Dye Studio. We had a fun time and spun a ton of dyed fiber.

We had a very special guest in class, Baby H, you can see him between the Matchless and the Lendrum. He’s the best baby and cast quite a spell on the class. He was there smiling and cooing at everyone, and showing off his rolling over skills. He nursed and took a a nap with his bum waving in the air. It was lovely to have him there.

It made me think about when spinning was a part of women’s every day, a have to, not a hobby. I like to imagine that sometimes they would gather with their babies and enjoy each other’s company (and children) for a bit while they got their work done.

 

I am, in fact, not singing opera in that photo, but it hilariously looks like I could be a Valkyrie. I’m sure I I was emphatically making a point about sampling!

I am busy packing for PLY Away, i hope to see some of you there!

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