The Woven Bag….

On the last day of the shoot, we finished shooting the step-by-steps  before we went to lunch.

We were scheduled to shoot the author portrait in the afternoon, so since I looked be-draggled, weary and snuffly, we went off to Aveda to get a makeover.

Michelle Marx is a wonderful makeup artist! She has her own company, freelancing with makeup artistry.

Her contact info: Michelle

Pinkie decided that she needed a makeover, too, and, luckily, Michelle had the perfect makeup for a small bear!

I went urk when I saw the ‘before’ shot of me, so I deleted it! LOL!  And, then we zooted back to get ready for the portrait.

Pinkie wanted to be sure that Christine and Jenni would have good Guardian Angels to look after them when she wasn’t around, so she helped me to make Guardian Angels for them.

Our work in Cincinnati was done, so off Pinkie and I trotted to the airport to trundle on home!

Pinkie liked the flying pig sculpture in the airport, but thought that it really should have been a teddy bear…..

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

This was a Blogtoberfest Sponsored Post.

Here’s what the prize was and who won it: Blogtoberfest Prize #1

GUESS WHAT!  There is going to be another giveaway of a very neat prize (something electronic that has nothing to do with yarn or hankering for it, LOL!) during the week of Oct 13- 17, so keep checking back to see when and to enter.

Good luck!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

The original Pinkie got lost in a move along the way, so in my early 20’s, I made a replacement Pinkie.

Pinkie has been  my travelling companion ever since.

And, when Jim and I got together, I made him Bluebear.

Bluebear fell madly in love with Pinkie, and they got married and have had oh so many adventures together.

We have photo albums of their travels.

Anyhow, Pinkie accompanied me to Cincinnati last week to help with the photo shoot for my new book, The Woven Bag.

(Bluebear declined to leave Jim, so he stayed at home, keeping Jim company, while languishing for Pinkie).

Pinkie checked out Christine’s camera and decided that it was just right.

She found the photo shoot terribly boring, so she noodled around the studio, checking out the props.

She was particularly fond of the planets toy and enjoyed her space travels enormously.

She behaved herself fairly well at the lunch where I got to meet all kinds of lovely people who help to bring the book out into the world.

She loved the quaint street that the restaurant was on.

And agreed to have a picture taken with me.

Then she took a picture of Christine, me and Jenni.

Tomorrow: Pinkie gets a makeover!

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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It was for my  new book, The Woven Bag.

Here’s the photo studio at F & W Media where we were working:

There are the tables with 35 woven bags, looms and other equipment:

This is Christine, ace photographer and Jenni, editor extraordinaire, playing ‘Vanna’

Here’s Jenni at her lappy and Christine at her huge screen computer.

The camera is digital, and cabled across to Christine’s computer so we could see the pics up on the screen.

And, here I am, getting ready for a ‘how to’ shot.

Another shot of the tables full of bags…. sorry!

Can’t show you the bags yet…..

We worked reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally hard all week….

but- there were some fun and goofy moments, too:

Our brains got all scramblie, so, suddenly, Christine and Jenni decided to dance the tango!

We got a huge hysterical giggle out, and then got back to work.

More pics tomorrow!

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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I’m so excited! They have confirmed that the title is: (drumrolls, puhleeze…….)

The Woven Bag: 30+ Projects from Small Looms

I am publishing it with Krause Books, which is part of  F & W Media. And, yep, the publisher chooses the title of the book.

I am really happy with it because they’ve nailed it. yay!

I am sad though, because the release date has been moved to November of 2009 from July of 2009! boohoo!

anyhow……….

Last week, I was in Cincinatti (finally learned how to spell it!) working with my WONDERFUL editor, Jennifer Claydon, whom I adore, and the fantastic photographer and totally delightful person, Christine Polomsky.

Let me tell you about my editor.

Having a great editor who is smart, funny, feisty, and knows her stuff AND that you really click with is a HUGE bonus!

Happy happy happy happy me!

So, I am THRILLED to bits to be working with Jennifer Claydon.

Not only is Jenni a fabulous editor, but she is also an author.

Her book: Spin, Dye, Stitch  is being published by F&W Media and will be released in June of 09.

She is a spinner extraordinaire – her handspun silk has to be seen to be believed. I swear, you will swoon when you see the pics of the knitted cobweb shawls that Jenni makes…. unbelievable!

She’s just written a fantastic article for Spindlicity on spinning silk.

Check it out: Jennifer Claydon’s article

AND!!!! wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Jenni blessed me with a skein of her hand dyed roving…. ohmigosh….it’s too beautiful for words!

I am just squeezing and fondling it like crazy.

I don’t want to start spinning it, because then, I won’t have it as roving anymore.

Know what I mean?

Okay, this is getting really long, so I’ll sign off for now, but will be posting lotsa pics of the photo shoot. Soon!

Image Source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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When I was in Portland at the Knit and Crochet Conference , I met a kindred spirit who is doing fabulous work with silk, wool and other natural fibers: Lisa Horner of Purple Lotus Fiber Design. (doesn’t click through yet, sorry)

Lisa dyes ‘Gourmet Art Yarn’.

Rats…. a picture does NOT do it justice….. ah well… imagine great lusciousness!

Lisa doesn’t have her website up yet, but her yarns are available at the most wonderful store:

Abundant Yarns in Portland OR. Wonderful wonderful wonderful!

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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Over the years, lots of great friendships have been formed because of a neat list on yahoo-

the International Freeform group….

Usually on the Friday evening of a conference, the freeformers will get together and it’s always fun….

There’s Bubbly Bonnie and me and darlin’ Pirk!

And gorgeous Myra and wonderful Jorel in her galaxy vest and marvelous Mel wearing colors that she doesn’t usually work with (but it turned out great)

And then we grabbed Margaret and said, “Get into this picture!”

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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One of the people on the freeform list is Beth Boshears. Beth’s bundle of joy and a real sweetie.  It was great fun to finally get to meet her…. and oh no! I didn’t get a pic of her!

Beth blew me right out of the water when she handed me ‘an apple for the teacher’ when she was taking one of my workshops.

It’s wonderful! Look at this…..

It began it’s life as a glasses case, but Beth has re-purposed it by embellishing it with gorgeous crochet, beadwork and embroidery.

And, she’s done the smartest thing inside it:

Isn’t that clever? she’s attached the scissors and needles and bobbins with magnets.

I love it. Thank you Beth!

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

I arrived in Portland on Wed night (Sept 10th) and took the light rail transit into the city from the airport.

I managed to get myself turned totally around, so got completely and frazzlingly lost.

Everyone I asked for directions sent me in a different direction.

arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……… dragging 2 suitcases around Portland at night is not fun!

Eventually, 3 very wonderful young Goth teenagers got me going in the right direction, and then a lovely young woman who was attempting to sign up voters helped

(come on people! You gotta VOTE!)

(I’m Canadian, and we’re in the middle of our own election, and you bet I’ll be voting…. people ~died~ so we can vote!)

um, please excuse that rant…. (but DO vote, ok?)

Anyhow, I FINALLY arrived at the hotel, thank heavens!

On Thursday, I took a workshop-

usually I am teaching in all the slots, so never get to take workshops, so this was a huge treat for me.

The workshop was Myra Wood’s self publishing class, and it was brilliant.

Myra is a genius and a delight and totally fabulous.  Here’s her website: Myra Wood

I taught a workshop in the afternoon, and had camnesia the whole day, so didn’t get pics. Sigh.

On Friday, I met up with my friend, Karen Whooley  (Karen’s blog).

I showed Karen how easy it is to spin with tiny support spindles:

It was such a treat to see Karen really Get It……

Wheeeeeeeeeee! and she took home yarn she had spun.

It’s a pity that the gentleman who took the pics for us didn’t stick around to capture the look of joy on Karen’s face as everthing clicked into place for her.

YAY  Karen!

The thing about spindle spinning, especially spinning with tiny support spindles is that you can get so much spinning done when you have a couple of wee little spindles in your bag.

Bring them out any old time, and away you spin!

Bliss.

This is one of the joyous and serrendipity moments of going to conferences.

Trading knowledge with your friends, and keeping  traditions and heritage crafts alive.

Bliss.

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

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I have lost that email…. oops… sorry….

So, here’s a couple of pics of Maudie, my dear old Mud Valley spinning wheel, showing what makes for smooth sailing with her:

Mine arrived without a tension cord, so I tied on a lumpy old loop of yarn. I meant to replace it with something nicer, but it works just fine, so what the heck.  Anyhow, lift off the glam woolie loop…..

and dab some vaseline  in…..

Then  it’s back to spinning! Slick as a whistle.

I spin everything with this wheel. Here, I am spinning silk.  What a great little old wheel.

Image source: Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright 

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