Fanfayr 08

Another Summer show over, barreling towards the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition in Toronto in a week... I'm in Booth 539 Turquoise Doing a show on home turf is nice, sleeping in your own bed, having friends to stay and staying up late talking of all sorts of things that you never get a chance to because you're working so hard and live to far away. My friend Jannis nearly nodded off into her dinner but said she was having so much fun just doing nothing that though she should go to bed she didn't want to! My husband who was playing a gig with his band came home and was in bed before we moved!!!

Margi, Jannis, Gordon, Johnathan,
Susan, Georgia, Ron & Patti, me.


This is a pic of us on beer and pizza night when instead of each of us heading to various restaurants we come back to our place and eat. Johnathan and his son Gordon (down the end of the table) pick up the pizza's from Bubba's and we each contribute wine, salads and whatever else is left over in our coolers from the day.

A lovely woman , Susan, who I met years ago from Syracuse usually comes up with her sweet doggy Tess, on pack up day and hangs out and helps us pack. We're not very social then but this year she came up on pizza night so I was able to invite her back to join in. I was so pleased I could.


We had rain to contend with all weekend but it just shortened our days, didn't put the total
kibosh on any of the days. I finally seem to be building up my stock and though I have a better selection I took mostly orders anyway!

Well, still can't move very fast on my foot so I took out my bike and have been cycling. I biked downtown on Canada Day to sit with my parents in Confederation Park and listen to music. Then went biking yesterday morning for exercise as I can't power walk for a while.

I found out today I can drive so I'm not dependent on DH for getting out. Stitches out tomorrow. Don't know when I can start wearing my right shoes again but it will probably be my pink Crocs first!

.... gotta go knit!

So Much to Do...

Overlooking Confederation Park, Kingston

It's Summer, how do I know? I haven't the time to plant any more flowers because I must get ready for my two Summer shows.

First coming up this weekend is Fanfayr here in Kingston. I have done this one for years...since the last time I had short hair (early '80's), that's how long this show has been on. We get to sleep in our own bed and my other half can go windsurfing or work on his own projects while I work in my booth. Then he pops down with delicious thick tuna sandwiches for my lunch. I get to have friends stay at my houses... Jannis Ruck who does a lovely line of clothing of her own design and Margi Laurin who has her 'Altered Books' and some of her beautiful pens decorated in polymer clay. My other polymer clay friend Georgia Ferrell will be in her booth next to mine, it's always good to have a friend nearby for support and company over the weekend.


One of the reason I will need a little more company than usual is because I had my big toe operated on this morning. I think it's been about 2 years thinking it was bunion, 2years to get an orthopedic appointment, then finding out it's arthritis, 8 months waiting for surgery. I'm hobbling about on one of those lovely black rubber, nylon and Velcro walking shoes.



Well, now to hobble back to work....slowly.

Now to Pause...

My little booth at Just for Us

Well, I've three shows under my belt at this point, the One of a Kind in Toronto, Just for Us also in TO and Originals in Ottawa. After missing the Chicago show as I was still in chemo the Ottawa show was down so this year has sort of started off with whimper. Just for Us, however, was a nice bonus that I was able to do because of the three week stretch between the two big shows ... not usual, they're usually back to back with only time to sleep in your own bed for a couple of nights and rinse out your knickers! I said that to someone who then asked 'what, you only have five pairs of drawers?'



Anyway, now that Spring is here (or is it July?) and I'm on vacation I have a bit of time to post, though I brought so much stuff to do with me I may never see the sun.... just kidding! These lovely crocuses and snowdrops were along my walk month up against a warm wall in the Limestone City. I'm sure the old leaves around them are raked up by now.




I wanted to share a new tool I got with my colour changer and my yarn tree (which when not used for yarn is a great place to hang stuff which needs to go back into the house from the studio!). It's a long piece of wood with a groove in it that fits over the knitting needle heels on the machine and moves all the needles up and/or back at once, marvelous. It hung around my machine until one day while knitting a new design using lace I needed to move the work out from the bed to see if any stitches had caught on the sinker posts as they are wont to do.











You can see the lace knitting clear of the posts, that's the tool turned upside down to show the

groove, and then you can see when I find a stitch that has gone awry and hooked itself onto a sinker post. I do this every second row, quick and easy really, I only move the needles out a bit and back, better than trying to fix a hole in your lace after the piece is finished and off the machine. I love this tool but please don't ask what it's called, I had never seen one before.









Whew! I've had a real deal with business and I've had a chance to think about it while walking on the beach and keeping up my fitness and trying to destress. Over a hassle with a custom order I was told that, sick or not, I should not be taking orders that I cannot promise to deliver at the stated time. Then it came to me that in 26 years I've done that a lot really, I have no control over whether the yarn I order will be delivered, it mostly comes from afar and as the yarn business isn't the biggest I'm sure I have to wait until my supplier has a large enough order to put in to the manufacturer. There have been customs problems and so on.

Also, as has happened, I've come home from a show and placed an order only to find that that manufacturer has discontinued the colours I need! I once spent three days on the internet searching other knitters stashes for a certain colour. I told the client and she loved the story and had me write it out for her and send it along with the sweater!

I've had to refund only twice in twenty six years; one to a woman who ordered while in the throes of the up side of bi polar disorder, then came down and reneged, she was even introduced to me by another artisan as her friend. The other time was because I was sick and everything took a back seat to the big C. Oh well, if it's only been twice in twenty six years I'm not doing too badly... (I tell myself).

Label Example.

Aside from building web sites now, something I've always wanted to do, I took over label making from the woman from whom I've purchased my fibre content labels over the years. I've still to set up the computer and printer and I've a few thousand labels left but what's great is I can do a minimum of 5. I've always loved knowing I can get just a few labels for some unusual fibre that I've found. More on this in weeks to come once I've set it up.... I'm running out of 100% Wool labels myself. Might put this on Etsy.


BTW no date for the big double M... I'll keep you posted. Also on the lighter side, I've tried on my Summer hats and found that they're all too big for me with such short hair and they float around my ears!!!

Well, that's it for now, at least now you know I didn't fall off the edge off the earth!

Post Show Post

This is the only place were putting on weight is a good thing!
Rosemary J. at her knitting machine

Just back from the first show of the season, the One of a Kind Show in Toronto, and it was a great weekend to feel back in the swing. The show was early as it was set on the early Easter weekend, still quite cold and snow still on the ground. For me it was really good to see and spend some time with friends and colleagues, catching up on absent friends and what had happened over the Winter.

We arrived late having left home late, I used to sweat it but now we've learned that arriving late everyone else has already set up, they've lined up in their vans, driven in and unloaded. We got to drive straight in and unload without any wait or lining up!

You can see that I 'borrowed' back Shawna's wedding dress to display, it got many ooh's and aah's.





Though I didn't put anything in the fashion show this year (trying to have less stress) my friend Joey Schooley (model and presenter) wore one of my cotton cardis to commentated the fashion show, from my booth I could hear her giving out my booth number and promoting my knits. Then I'd have a clutch of ladies coming into my booth, trying things on. I didn't' think I had enough stock but thought I didn't do as much business as some years (the economy comes to mind) I was happy. I don't have too many orders so I have space to take orders at the Ottawa show Originals, which comes up April 17th to 20th.










Of course being Easter there was a bunny and a kiddie fashion show so Joey had to dress the part. I still don't know where she got the hat, but I had to have a 'go' under it..... needs more hair!










Of course being stylish in my business is soooo important.
I do have a jacket that has one or two feathers on it but a bit more subtle!

We didn't do too badly though I got the shoes right. This is Joey (green jeans) and my red boots which got on South street in a store I swear ladies of the evening shopped!






We're wondering why they make us stay until 10 pm some nights, oh the agony of da feet...


However this year because of Easter and being open Monday the show closed early on Sunday and my staff (my other half) and I went to see 'Atonement' (what a gorgeous green silk dress) the Bloor movie theatre had no heat so we watched in coats hats and gloves.

in the morning and collapsing into bed when we got back .... except for Sunday night when One of the high points of doing the show this year was staying at my friend Jannis's place in the Distillery District of the Toronto (such a neat area). This involved plenty running around in jammies getting readyJannis and I stayed up doing computer stuff, looking at books and sites and just generally doing like a sleepover. I took movie popcorn back as she didn't want to go but asked me to bring some back .... popcorn and wine?

Well, we got through it, we now miss each other and I do look forward to seeing everyone at anther show. I get to have Jannis stay with me for Fanfayr here in the Summer. Also I have another friend Susan Watson Ellis of Paradigm jewelry stay with us when she is in Kingston teaching.

I want to thank everyone who gave me hugs and good wishes and thoughts and shared with me their own BC story.

The one relaxed meal we got to eat was in a Mexican place on Bloor but though I cannot remember the name the cider and quesadillas were great. This picture I took when I went to the washroom .... knitting truly is everywhere!!!

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button.

What a hoot! While rifling thought the hall closet looking for a sweater for my Mum to wear I found a lovely green striped one I had made her ages ago. On it there was a pin of some sort, it was an old pin from the Festival of Canadian Fashion in which I participated waaaay back in the '80's with a friend who also made clothing. I'll have to dig up a pic of us... I've got one somewhere, my designs then look dorky compared to styles today!!!

It was at this show that I switched to a brochure rather than a card as it had more info and was more likely to be kept by a potential client.




This a pic of my new yarn tree at work. I got it from a local machine knitter who was making the switch to quilting and selling off all her stuff, this was on the front porch and I just had to have it.... wasn't sure why at the time as I seem to have no more floor room in my studio. I'll have to start hanging things from the ceiling! Anyway, it's been perfect for when I knit multicoloured garments as pictured here. I used to just gather them on what little floor space I had left around my machine.








When I'm choosing the yarn to be used in a new piece of work I can now put them on the tree instead of the floor, sewing table or ironing board!






On the BC front, no surgery scheduled yet but I'm dying for my double mastectomy (..well not really!) and my new boobs but this is going to be another year's work, along with Herceptin until September, starting Tamoxafen and growing my hair back. As I've got through my chemo I look at the surgery as a breeze!

I no longer have to do eyebrows as I now have enough and I have brand new but really short as yet, eyelashes.. yeah!

Strangely enough the hair on my head is STRAIGHT!!!! My other half says wait but I see no bend in it whatsoever so far

Moral of this story: be careful what you wish for (that straight, blond streaked hair I kept talking about!!!).

Caring Clients

Just a quick note as we head into the week where the One of a Kind Chicago starts, I've started to get emails from my lovely US ladies to find out why I won't be there this year and it's wonderful to know I'm cared about so much. I adorer all my clients and so will miss that big city bunch who stop by my Merchandise Mart booth to touch base, catch up and often to add to their wardrobe.

This will be a quieter December for my husband and me, no blazing through Michigan's storms but also not stopping into lovely little yarn shops en route!

I have done one or two local one - three day shows and now have three pieces in Sandra Whitton Gallery in downtown Kingston. I'm off there in an hour for the Meet the Artists open house, it's snowy so I hope we have some keener's turn out as it's a wonderful showing.

I'll report back afterwards!

Studio Tour Sunday

Well, we've had a good weekend, lots of folk showed up on Saturday and sales were made, pamphlets handed out and lots of chat, hot apple cider, sushi and cookies.

Today is quieter so we're taking time to explore the internet. Web sites on knitting, polymer clay and also looking at Etsy as I would like to set up a 'store' where I might move odd items like samples and such. Stumbled across a great one about men's knitting.

We've had folk from Finland, Australia, Britain and towns around. it's been homecoming weekend here in Kingston at Queen's University so the town has been filled with alumni sporting old Queen's jacket with various dates on them, I saw '92 last night which isn't far back but I've seen 60's an earlier in previous years. I went out to collect our sign from the corner and had to wait while the Queen's Golden Gaels pipe band and cheerleaders did their thing in the road just outside The Ports (Portsmouth House pub) which is the nearest pub to the football field where Queens played Waterloo yesterday.... I still don't know who won! But the people in the red tunics and kilts looked happy.

Here are photos of Georgia and me with our respective work.

Tour Food

I will once again be having a preview evening tonight in my studio and it's the wine and cheese type (the rest of the weekend is hot apple cider and cookies) so when my friend Harvey offered to show me how to make sushi I was hot to learn something new.

Now I've never been known for my culinary skills .... well not until I remarried at 39 then something kicked in, but I do love to add new things to my repertoire. Apparently I did well and here is a pic of my first plate of California rolls. I put in red pepper, avocado, carrot, English cuke and imitation crab. We polished off the whole plate and I have some pot aside for this evening.

If you're coming there's lots of California rolls!!!

Town & Country Studio Tour

One of my cardis in the window display of Kingston Frame Works.

This weekend is the Town and Country Studio Tour in Kingston and I'm looking around my studio and wondering if I can ever tidy it up!!!! Then...after the tour is over can I ever find the stuff I tidied away! Same old problem, I've been doing studio tours for about twelve years and I still find it a daunting task.....but I won't stop, I love having folk visit my studio.... especially when it is tidy!

Anyway, when I get that done and we get set up I love the whole weekend, people come by with fall leaves on their shoes, windblown hair and I serve them hot apple cider and chat, laugh, catch up and they shop. Whether it's something they can take home or perhaps order for next year or learn about how I do what I d0 it's all part of the studio package.

This year as last, with my friend Georgia's help we will have an evening preview on Friday night 6 -8pm with wine, nibbles and even goodie bags. If you live in Kingston area please drop by.

........well.... back to sorting out my stuff so I can see the floor!!!!

Show Time.....soooon!

Well, just over a week until the first Spring craft show... the One of a Kind Show in Toronto. I'm booth J14 which is a new area for me so that's exciting.



The OOAK is followed by the Originals in Ottawa... booth 205.

The photos are of parts of my studio were I have yarn cones on the floor from which I have been knitting a new colour block design. I love knitting this way, with free reign to put the colours where I want and just knit away not having to worry about whether it will fit a certain person.... I just have to find the person to fit it, which is easier, especially if it turns out to be a good design.

The other pic is of my 'sewing table'... well machines away just now, where I've bundled yarn together with their order forms and info to be made up for my clients. One or two might have a colour missing or will need their buttons making after completion. Others either have the buttons made or one use corset tape anyway. This may not look like much but seeing as I make three garments a week it pretty much represents half a months work, give or take. Orders take long as they require much prep and sizing, stock is quicker and more fun and creative.

Notice the bottle of vitamin C.... trying to shake a really bad cold that found me spending a day in bed.... not something I do lightly but just couldn't lift my head. And, hey, those WONDERFUL Ziplock bags where I do my filing, one has all the OOAK show stuff in it and the other holds the Originals stuff, and being clear I can see the 'to do' list I put on top. In line at our local post offece I commented on another woman using one, 'It's my brief case' she chuckled.

I'm not awaiting some tech help from my web host guy, the beloved Jaeson who has listened to me fluster on the phone when my email is stuck or some such thing. Now that I'm doing it myself I need guidance. We'll get it uploaded in the next few days, I know. Now I'm going to leave my web master Marc to get on with his own business.

Well, I may be slow and behind but I'm organized!!!!! Now BACK TO WORK!!