Milestone

My wife, Gudrun, hit a milestone today. A new knitwear pattern of hers, called Lang Ayre, just appeared in THE BOOK OF HAPS, by Kate Davies and Jen Arnall-Culliford. 

Thing is, when Gudrun checked out her Ravelry page, she realized this is her 100th pattern! Yikes. She's been busy...

You can see all Gudrun's patterns here!

Gudrun's Got A Creative Bug

The famous Shetland Trader knitwear designer is at again. A new thing this time. She's gone video!

Gudrun's first Creative Bug knitting video is live now. It's an instructional video for a lovely lace cardigan. Got knitting? You might want to give a look, then. Personal tutelage and all that. Lots of explanations and details.

The shooting of the video was quite a thing. They flew Gudrun out to San Francisco for the better part of a week to shoot several different projects. This first one was the most complicated in that during the filming they had to work backwards, ripping out stitches and essentially unmaking the cardigan in the process. But in the video everything's been rearranged. A bit mind bending, but it worked!

The other cool thing is that they do a short (free) intro video about each designer. For Gudrun's they sent a guy out to film in our home and environs for an entire day. Out of all of that he edited down to a few minutes. If you want a glimpse of where we live and what sort of stuff we get up to (walking the dog and crazy things like that) take a look.

The clip is HERE.

Squam Arts Workshops

Here's a thing...

I'll be teaching at the Squam Arts Workshops in June of 2013! This is rather a cool thing, the first time I've been invited. Makes me nervous, actually, but it should be a lot of fun.

Here's a sample from the teachers list...

That's me! And below me, yep, that's Gudrun. She, of course, is a veteran of Squam events, including one in Italy. Much of the program is knitting and fiber-related, artistic and holistic and enriching.

My part? Well, I'm sticking to the only thing I know. Writing. I'm doing a few classes called Story in a Day. It's my first time teaching this kind of workshop, but I've got some ideas and I think it'll be fun. It's open to any style of fiction, just working within a framework of prompts that are fundamental to all storytelling.

Gudrun has come back from Squam having loved it every time. It's a wonderful atmosphere, good people, in a stunning lakeside setting in New Hampshire. So, if you want to hang out and write a story in a day, please do. Bring family and friends! Make it a holiday. Go check out the course list. There's lots of cool stuff to choose from!

Knit with Me

Or... Not, me, so much, but with my wife and, hopefully, with someone close to you!

Just wanted to announce that my wife, Gudrun Johnston, has just published her second book of knitting patterns. This one she did in conjunction with the yarn company Quince & Co.

It's called Knit With Me - a mother and daughter collection. You can read all about it HERE.

The idea, in brief, is that all the patterns are ones that could be knit in adult and children's sizes, mixed and matched, hopefully projects that a mother and daughter could work on together.

The photo shoot happened at a friend's awesome, rambling New England farmstead, and features family friends as models. It's lovely, and it would make a great present! As would Gudrun's first book, The Shetland Trader.

Any Knitters Around Here?

If so, go check out my wife's new shawl pattern at The Shetland Trader! It's lovely, as usual.

And if you know any knitter friends please consider her new book as a present for the holidays. It's not out just yet - next week, I think. I'll be sure to mention it here when it been born.

More Iceland Photos

My life right now is all about moving back into our house, painting our metal roof, sorting through my many books, taking care of the kids, reading student writing and working on my middle grade fantasy. (The latter I want to have basically done before September, at which time my full energy goes to my Spartacus novel!)

My wife, however, continues to hang out in Iceland. Go figure. Here are two more photo diaries from her:

Day Four is HERE. 

Day Five is HERE.

Beautiful place.

Well, it's back up on to the roof for me. Yes, I'll be careful. Thanks for caring. ;)

The Wife's in Iceland

That's not a metaphor.

Gudrun is off for about two weeks in Iceland. She's teaching at a knitting retreat with Knitting Iceland, and having a grand time. Interested in what the place looks like? She's only a few days in, but she's been putting up daily photo collections on her blog.

Day One is HERE.

Day One continued is HERE - wherein she happens on a gay pride march!

Day Two is HERE.

Day Three is HERE.

I've been to the Reykjavik airport tons of times, but never got out of it. Next time, I think I will...

Gudrun & Mary Jane in Iceland

Proud husband here. Just wanted to announce that my wife, Gudrun Johnston of The Shetland Trader, has an upcoming teaching gig in Iceland!

She's teaching with the wonderful Mary Jane Mucklestone this summer. It'll be an awesome holiday, because of knitting, hanging out with these two marvelous ladies, and because of all the cool stuff attendees will do in Iceland!

Are you a knitter? Know anyone that is? Ever needed an excuse to go to Iceland? This could be it.

Find out more: HERE.

Enough About Me...

My wife, the knitwear designer Gudrun Johnston, just posted about her most recent sweater pattern on her blog. It's lovely. All of her designs are, but with this one I'm reminded how unique her style is, how recognizable. Perhaps I appreciate it all the more because I'm going into like a fourth week without her - or my kids!

Can you believe she not only knit this garment, but designed it? I see her do it all the time, but it's totally beyond me. (Although, that said, she's famous for having very clear and accurate instructions in her pattern designs.)

Anyway, I just wanted to mention it. The image here is of the sweater (on a model). If you had any interest in checking out more of her stuff (or want to send any knitters you know toward her) you could enter her site HERE.

Anybody Seen This Woman?

I'm just wondering because it's starting to seem like she's famous. The woman in question is, of course, my wife Gudrun. She's a knitwear designer and the talent behind the increasingly popular The Shetland Trader blog.

Things have been going well with her blog for a little while now, but recently her designs have really taken off, with people from all over the place buying her patterns and talking them up on the internet. Not only does she get mobbed at fiber-related conventions, but nowadays she's getting recognized... on the street in Northampton... in the checkout line at Whole Foods (which happened today)... in random places wherein people come up and say, "I just had to say how much I love your designs" or "Can I take a picture with you?"

I'm not sure that I can claim to be the celeb of the family anymore...