by admin | Dec 6, 2011 | Events, Markets
We have been busy replenishing stock to prepare for our last 2 events of the season. After Circle Craft, the booth display was packed up and sent to Edmonton in preparation for the Butterdome Craft Show. This is my first year doing Butterdome and I’m looking forward to it. We fly to Edmonton tomorrow and the show runs from Thursday, December 8 to Sunday, December 11.
When we get back to Vancouver, we’ll be participating in the 16th annual Holiday Market, presented by the Vancouver Farmer’s Market. It’s one day only (December 17) at the Croatian Cultural Centre. So make sure you pop down and say hello if you’re in the Lower Mainland!
by carmen | Nov 24, 2011 | Special Projects
I haven’t had a chance to be in my comfort zone much lately. Everything I’ve been working on is pulling me away from that. It’s always good to be able to think on your feet, but I am finding my brain is creating solutions before problems even present themselves.
On set this week, the wheel has chan
ged (again). I’m trying to keep up. I want authentic, I really do, but filming requires bigger than that, so it’s been a lot of retooling.
Prop guys are the really the unsung heroes of tv/film and I’ve had a small chance to live in that world. While I was working on my spinning props, there was a firestorm of activity around me—a broken trident needing to be repaired, a bent sword and the matching hand that went with it….it doesn’t seem like much, but on screen —-pure magic. I love what they do and realize I could never, ever do it for a living. It’s such a high sense of urgency for everything. It’s almost scary.
I got my first call sheet last night. Emailed at after 11:30 for today’s production. I need to be there for 2pm and Robert is spinning in the first scene that they are filming. Even though the wheel is not in the subsequent scenes I will still have to stay on set for when they turn the set around and shoot it from other angles.
I’m a bit nervous with them shooting a film behind the scenes on the “Making of Once Upon a Time” and will do my best to stay out of their way. However, some lip gloss just in case. I am still wearing the scar of evil cold sore and would not want to see what that looks like on camera…Perhaps some green screen or some other Disney magic?
I am looking forward to returning to the slow comfort of fibre. I set my objectives and expectations high, but at the end of the day, I am not working at a pace that puts me at risk. The expectations are my own, so the whole world doesn’t know if I haven’t met a target. (Unless I blog about it, of course)
by carmen | Nov 18, 2011 | Special Projects
So I spent a few days at home, nursing a giant cold sore and a few canker sores (gross) realizing that stress will always manifest itself in some fashion. But still working. A lot of knitting can happen from the couch.
I used my gorgeous Paula calendar to write out a proper production schedule for the next three weeks, making sure that nothing is left out of inventory replacement.
Or so I thought. When the show called today and asked for a few more days on set next week and the following, I almost lost my lunch. Each minute of every day is crafted to create the maximum inventory for Butterdome.
Confession: I loved working on the show: with the wheel and the people. And it’s one thing I do that is not about inventory so how could I say no. Also, it is Robert Carlyle….who needs justification for that?
John, who is always reminding me how much sleep I need to get, is now calculating how much I can safely live without. It’s a small margin, let me tell you.
Here are a few before and after pics of the Circle Craft set up for you until the next time I update the blog.
The set up was pretty intense. Driven straight from Williams Lake and plopped into the booth. Ignored for several hours and then tossed up with rapid fire pace.
This photo is a bit more civilized. All that was left of the hand spun.
Hey, I think I may even get more done by trying to juggle both scenarios. A day on the set makes for awesome studio chat later. And due to Kristen’s last coffee run, we have enough java to last us through to the new year.
by carmen | Nov 16, 2011 | Uncategorized
John and I tore down Circle Craft on Sunday night. What can I say…The show was awesome, amazing even. By far the best show I have ever had. I’ve got to be honest with you. I was nervous. The show basically doubled the number of vendors in the fibre category this year and there are only so many shopping dollars to go around. It could have gone either way. I’m so glad that old and new customers made their way to my booth.
So what do you do on a Monday after two weeks of shows?
You got it–pet your cats, sleep in for an extra few hours and get back to work. The inventory for the next show is not going to knit itself, hmmm, or can it?
I have some pics from the show which I hope to post over the next few days. I also have an inbox full of custom orders. I am starting on those tomorrow. Yep, I need to spend some time at home. My stress cold sore managed to hold itself back until Monday morning (so I didn’t scare customers out of the booth). Whenever I run low on inventory my body flags me with the same cold sore. Unfair and disgusting.
To Toni, Paula, Pearl, Monica, Jean, Nancy, Jennifer and Lea —-from the bottom of our hearts —John and I thank you for all of your help before, during and after the show. We are the luckiest people to have such amazing friends.
by carmen | Nov 1, 2011 | Uncategorized
……nervous breakdown in six.
Hope to see you there! Booth # 223.
by carmen | Oct 26, 2011 | Spinning
I love everything about silk, from how it becomes silk to how it feels, to the strength of it. It’s delicate and tough at the same time. I like that. I particularly like this amazing gift from my friend Jennifer of dyed silk carrier rods which I have spun into several yarns.
Gone are the days of felted flowers and large hunks of things spun into the wool (just because I could). Things are a bit more tempered now. Like me? Who knows, but the work is very evocative of the fibre it comes from — resilient and precious. I’ll only have a few of them for the show, but I will definitely be doing more work with silk. I’ve also been able to incorporate dyed silk hankies into the carded batts as well. A gift from another good friend. Karen – how did you know?
by carmen | Oct 24, 2011 | Ramblings
I’m blessed to live in a house full of love. And even though there is one less kitty in the house, the love remains. I spent
our last few days in the spare bedroom with the loom and Hadiya. Just the two of us. I set her up in her bed on the table, beside the loom and listened to her soft breath. I could occasionally reach out between shuttle tosses to rub her under her chin and drown out the sound of her breathing with that of a sweet grateful purring.
I will not forget the moments she gave me, all the love and the aggravation and her sweet little quirks, I threw them all into the spinning and the weaving. Now more than ever, I am grateful for the grace of my craft. It bends with my emo
tions, balances and pushes me. Life is a tapestry….so many threads created by sharing my life with this small creature.
We took one last little visit outside on Friday. She stayed on the stairs. Hadiya never liked the way grass felt under her feet, but she loved the fresh air and the possibility of a bird. I can’t even describe the sense of loss, but right now I am trying to focus on all that I have gained from having 17 years with her. And I will spin and knit and wrap myself in the love that remains.
I would like to thank everyone for their hugs and kind words.
by carmen | Oct 19, 2011 | Ramblings, Uncategorized
What can I say ab0ut Whistler? It was the best finale to a market ever. So many people stopped to buy, request custom items or just say “see you again next year”.
John and I have always felt very appreciated at this market and count many of the locals as friends. Basically meaning, yes, you aren’t rid of us yet. We will visit you in the winter and annoy you and borrow your spare rooms and well —-you get the picture.
However, no rest for the wicked and we jumped right into the Apple Festival the following weekend with John doing his own thing at Kitsilano Market on Sunday. Awesome. This festival is probably my favourite of the year. Claire is always beside me with her wonderful hand made cards and when it’s not busy (which isn’t often) it gives us a chance to hang out and get caught up. I never leave without a huge bag of new varietals to try out…The weather, again, perfect and well what a way to send off the season. Now it is the biggest freak out of all, but what, wait for it——WHAT? no freak out at all.
- My yarn order came in when promised.
- I am finally getting my woolie winder and a new Lendrum.
- Jennifer has given me her remaining rovings as she is heading to India for 5 months.
- The studio is full of willing friends all stamping, tagging and reskeining.
- At the end of the month we are taking over another space in the studio and will soon rule the world.
- Toni, Kristen, Pearl and Karen are awesome —just saying.
I should be completely overwhelmed, but several people have my back. I feel it, I know it and I am secure in the knowledge that what I make will sell and what I run out of will be ordered. I’ve never been happier with my designs, opting this year for a cleaner more polished look. Gone is the wacky art yarn, replaced by something you will ache to knit or weave with. Yes, finally coming into my own.
Hadiya is still w
ith us for a few more days. We’ve finally decided to put her down. We’ve selfishly kept her with us long enough and how could we do anything else?…Look at this face…
I just realized while posting this picture that a lot of the carding I have done this week has been a lot of oranges…..Hmmmm. We were treated to her having a mad run around the bed trying to grab at some skeined yarn the other day. Flicking it with her mitten paws and flossing her teeth with what she was lucky enough to catch. Probably her last play time.
I’m going to miss finding wet sections of yarn running through my hand when I’m knitting. We’re staying at home today for some final cuddles.
by carmen | Oct 2, 2011 | Ramblings
have a nervous breakdown. I will not have a nervous breakdown. I will not have a nervous breakdown.
I will have some chocolate.
by carmen | Sep 28, 2011 | Special Projects
Today’s post is brought to you by the colour —all of them. I am on a solid rotation now for spin, skein, dye and repeat. It’s been hard to get anything to dry with this weather, but I’m plodding along and things are getting done.
Disney is taking a little nip out of my time again and I’m on set today with a new wheel and making Rumplestiltskin spin more straw into gold. It’s exciting and a bit scary to go on set with an antique wheel and be the one to tweek it, spin on it and make it work for the actor in the shoot.
I’m so lucky to have already worked with Robert Carlyle (who has a natural knack for the craft) and John was right, it turned out to be an amazing experience. Robert’s spinning translated beautifully on film and the drive band only tried to jump ship once. I even received a round of applause from the director and crew for my down and dirty wheel repair prior to the last take.
I had the good fortune to meet Deborah Sparrow for the first time who was also consulting on set. Although we both teach at Birkeland, somehow we just never managed to cross paths.
Deep breath……now the real work begins.
