WHAT’S NEW

• Creativity Matters… At Any Age!
Some Thoughts on Aging and A Blog Interview to Share

 

I was recently interviewed by a woman named Judith Zausner who writes a blog about creativity, explored within the context of aging. The subtitle of the blog is “Topics that address creativity in the landscape of our lives today and as we age.” This is a bit of a mouthful but an accurate reflection of her POV (as they say on every reality competition show – Point Of View) and I am enjoying reading what she is bringing to her audience. It also has me thinking about my own POV with regard to aging and how in truth I have never felt limited by my age in whatever I have chosen to pursue. Except maybe just a little when I shop for clothing… Thankfully, I have a VERY honest daughter who keeps me from embarrassing myself. But I digress. I have to say that most likely I owe my ability to not feel limited by age issues to familial role models. My maternal grandparents were married for 75 years. That’s not a typo. Married for 75 years! My grandmother was still painting and swimming at the YMCA well into her 90’s and my grandfather decided that 92 was a great age to start learning to speak Russian. My amazing mother is now 87 and still searching out additional places to volunteer, taking an 8-week mindfulness meditation workshop and is the star of her Silver Sneakers fitness class. So I guess that compared to them, at age 63 I’m a spring chicken and just getting started. Good to know, don’t you think?

Start reading the Creativity Matters blog by clicking here: Creativity Matters



• Getting From “Before” to “After”…
Staying Open to New Ideas Can Make All the Difference

These “Before” and “After” photos show one way that the gorgeous materials pictured here – some of my favorites: Just Our Yarn Almaza tencel, Kreinik Silk Serica, beautifully variegated, small, round jasper beads and larger, shiny brown, oval shell pearls, along with some teeny tiny needles (Size 0000 DPN’s!) and 26 gauge copper wire – could be worked together to create a new necklace. It’s named for my friend, fellow teacher and inspirational designer Myra Wood.

But the wonderful materials are not the only “Before” and “After” story here.

 
 

By the time I begin work on a new piece, I’ve usually engaged in several rounds of play with my chosen materials and have at least some idea of what I think the finished piece might look like. It started out the same way this time. But then, and I don’t know why, I found myself knitting most of the colorful wrappers for the variously sized beads without even graphing the patterns. Let me repeat…WITHOUT graphing the patterns! SO not like me. But SO much fun! Maybe Myra’s right-brained, organic way of working has inspired me? But then a snag. After several attempts, my original idea for what I was going to do with the completed beads didn’t pan out and I began to feel as though I might have hit a brick wall. Then I saw a random picture of a very simple necklace in a magazine and whammo! Although very different from my finished design for this piece, something about its construction got me un-stuck and started me working with the same components but in a new direction. It required making lots more beads (the small, plain knit beads that form the “chain” of the necklace) but that’s fun for me. And before I knew it, I found the joy of the piece that I thought I had lost.

So many lessons brought home in the making of “Myra.” Staying open is what it’s about. I love what I do.

 



• On the Road Again…
Atlanta and Seattle are next in line

Heading off next week to another wonderful Stitches South Expo in Atlanta, GA. Teaching classes, doing some book signings and demos in the Marketplace and meeting lots of friends, old and new. Going down south in the Spring! What could be better?

Stitches South 2013 Info

 

Many of you already know that I am a huge fan of the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat held each February in Tacoma, Washington. The founder of this retreat, Suzanne Pedersen is an ardent supporter of the fiber world and a true nurturer of all of us who work in and love this world. She is always looking for ways to help us along our path, asking thought provoking questions, providing platforms so that we may share our ideas and creativity and making us feel valued in oh so many ways. I could not be more excited to share that I will be leading a Madrona Fiber Arts Spring Workshop: Adventures in Bead Knitting Design , a three day Design and Creativity workshop at Suzanne’s home this May.

From what I have been told by others who have taught or attended Suzanne’s workshops, you WANT to be there. In addition to the ample time we’ll have to work (and play!) together, know that classes are held at Suzanne’s beautiful lodge style home in the Cascade Foothills just 30 minutes from downtown Seattle. If commuting is not possible for you, there is limited space to stay FOR FREE (!) at Suzanne’s and other accommodations are close by. And I hear the food is amazing! Can’t beat that!

For full class descriptions, costs and to register for the workshop: Contact Suzanne at Suzanne@madronafiberarts.com or 425-222-3554. Remember the class size is limited. Would love to see some of you there!

Madrona Fiber Arts



• I’m Often Asked, “How DID you make that???”
Take a Peek Here at One “Before” and “After”

When my students express concern that some of the projects in my book feel intimidating, I respond by telling them that the knitting techniques I use are almost always those with which they are already familiar, requiring just two sticks and a string. It is often in what I DO with the finished pieces of knitting where the magic lives. I like to call it KNITTING MADE CLEVER. There’s an expression that says “No one wants to see the sausage made,” implying that the process is often less attractive than the finished product. But in the case of this bib-style necklace, “Meander II,” I thought it might be fun to show my fellow knitters the “innards” of this “sausage” before it became a finished necklace. The jumble of knitting you see in the “Before” photo is a VERY long, multi-color, knitted tubular strap with beads knitted in on both edges. This strap is then stitched together in a meandering switchback, like a road down a very steep mountain, with some wonderful turquoise beads stitched into some of the spaces. So you see? It’s all in the manipulation of the fabric: Knitting Made Clever! I’d love to hear what you think of it.

 
 



• Who Knows What the New Year Will Bring?
Here’s something! (Watch for more in the days ahead…)

One thing I know for sure is that I will be in California for Stitches West from February 21-24. And see those little “ETC” dates, Feb 25-26 on the image above? I’ve been invited to stay after the regular Stitches event to teach a two day workshop entitled “Adventures in Bead Knitting Land.” So while all of my regular Stitches classes are already sold out, (thanks students!!) there is still room in the ETC workshop. Here are some photos of the things we’ll be working on. Trust me –
it’s SO much fun!!

Click on this link Stitches West ETC for more information.



• Now I’m “In the Zone,” Way “Down Under”!
Read my interview in a great Australian Arts Blog

Do any of you remember the old military recruiting slogan that said “Join the Navy! See the world!”? Today I’m feeling like the slogan should read, “Become a knitter! Make friends around the world!” Over the last few months, mostly due to the release of my book, and my class on Craftsy.com, I have discovered that I have a lot of new friends all around the world. I’ve gotten wonderful emails from Denmark. I read lovely posts to my Betsy Beads Ravelry Group from London. I even discovered a picture of the cover of Betsy Beads in the middle of a Russian blog written all in Cyrillic! And now I can share a new interview I was asked to do for an Arts organization in Melbourne, Australia! Deborah Blakeley, the head of Zone One Arts in Melbourne was a treat to work with and her blog is interesting, informative and inspirational. Check out my interview from the link below and then spend some time wandering around the site, getting to know some truly unique and exciting artists. Thank you Deborah! I’m honored to have my work showcased on your site. Now all I need is someone to invite me “down-under” to teach…

Betsy’s Interview on Zone One Arts



• I’m in Fiber Art Now!
Fall 2012 issue is available now at Barnes & Noble stores

What a wonderful surprise when Marcia Young, the Editor-In-Chief of the magazine Fiber Art Now called me this summer to tell me she was interested in featuring my work in her magazine. Those of you who know me are aware of my life-long struggles with the meaning and significance of “A” words like art and artistic, etc. So to have been asked to write an article about my creative process and submit pictures of my work for publication in a magazine with “ART” in the title feels like quite something. I think the “something” is proud. Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?



• Fall Classes!! Full Speed Ahead
Have Beads, will Travel…

Fall is my favorite season of the year. The cooling trend of the temperatures and the changing colors of trees and shrubs here in Pennsylvania wakes me up, helps me focus and stirs my creative juices. I’ve already traveled to the lovely town of Maryville, TN to provide a trunk show and workshop at the beautiful store of fellow designer/instructor (and all around delightful human being) Antje Gillingham.

Next week I’m heading up to Hartford, CT for another fabulous adventure at Stitches East, including a first for me: Following my regular Stitches classes (all SOLD OUT I’m afraid), I’m teaching a two-day ETC workshop on Monday and Tuesday, Oct 15 & 16. It’s called “Adventures in Bead Knitting Land” and I couldn’t be more excited to spend two whole days with the same group of students. We’ll knit, we’ll talk, we’ll explore the many facets of creative process and we’ll design and start original bead knitted projects. Heaven! And there’s still a bit of room for any late deciders. See here: Adventures in Bead Knitting Land

And on Nov 17 I’ll be in New York City teaching two workshops for the fabulous members of the Big Apple Knitting Guild. How lucky can you get?

I’ve already made some great new knitting friends in Tennessee and now I can’t wait to share some new techniques, see lots of old friends and make some new ones in the next few weeks. See! Fall IS great. :-)



• Spotlight On New Work: Andromeda
Maybe You CAN Teach an Old Dog….

As a self-described “pathologically organized” left-brained person, I often joke about how much I would love to be able to come up with the occasional funky, less controlled design. Over on Craftsy.com, where I teach a class entitled Brilliant Knit Beads, I challenge students to try something new. So I decided that it was time to take my own advice. With lots of inspiration from the wonderful work my students are doing, I’ve taken a step in that direction with this new one-of-a-kind necklace called Andromeda. You can call this necklace a lot of things, but “controlled” would not likely top the list. It was so much fun to make, is SO much fun to wear and makes me laugh. I’m going to post this picture over on Craftsy as well. Let me know what you think! :-)



• Come Take a Class with Me Without Leaving Home!!
‘Brilliant Knit Beads’ Now Available on Craftsy.com

If you’d like to learn how to make and use my wonderful bead knit beads but can’t get to a group class, I can now bring this class directly to you! I worked with the great folks at Craftsy.com to film a new class entitled “Brilliant Knit Beads” and you can sign up and watch it in streaming video on your computer from the comfort of your own home. At your pace. On your time schedule. You can ask questions and I’ll answer them. AND……you can watch the class as many times as you’d like. Forever. Wow.

Brilliant Beads Title Card

Follow this link to view class previews and learn more:     Brilliant Knit Beads      Go now!  :-)