Saturday, February 17, 2007

One Skein Wins ACE Award

Interweave Press's One Skein Wins Craftrends ACE Award for Best Knitting & Crochet Book

Loveland, Colo., February 12, 2007: Interweave Press's One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit & Crochet by Leigh Radford is the winner of the 2006 Craftrends' Award of Creative Excellence (ACE) for best Knitting & Crochet book. Trophies were awarded last month at the Craft and Hobby Association Winter Show in Anaheim, California.

One Skein, a treasury of quick-to-knit designs requiring only a single skein of yarn, is the fastest-selling title in Interweave's history, having sold more than 58,000 copies since its publication in April 2006 and currently on its fifth printing. One Skein features more than 30 knitting and crochet projects that range in size, time commitment, and experience level, providing both beginning and experienced knitters a variety of projects from which to choose.

This is the 15th year for the annual ACE Awards, formerly known as the Awards of Excellence. Entries were judged on overall quality, originality, attractiveness, clarity of instructions and ease of use, retail support, advertising/marketing support, and whether the products and books met consumer needs. Information on the other Craftrends winners is available online at: http://www.craftrends.com/news/index.cfm.

Source: Interweave Press LLC

Labels: news

Posted by Leslie Shelor :: 8:02 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Fiber Geek Questionnaire

1. Do you raise fiber, animals or plant, or are a fiber user only? If you raise animals/plants...what do you raise?
Rare, primitive Shetland and Romney, Merino and crossbred sheep. I knit with natural fibers and with acrylic but only spin natural animal fibers. I've never spun plant fibers.

2. What's your favorite fiber & why? Which fiber do you like the least & why?
Wool because that's what I raise; specifically Romney because it has a lovely luster and long staple. The Shetland is great as well and I especially enjoy the Merino Shetland fleece I raise. It has a much shorter staple length but the softness makes up for length.
I'm not fond of harsh fibers, either natural or acrylic.

3. What's your worst habit relating to your fiber?
Spending too much time writing about it and not enough time spinning. I do knit almost every day and that brings a great deal of pleasure. Most of what I knit I give away.

4. In what ways does your fiber habit make you a better person?
It centers me, especially tending to the animals. It brings a nice circularity to my life and allows me to focus on what's truly important. I spend time on a daily basis with my animals and, when it's good weather, I take my knitting or spinning wheel to the pasture and enjoy their company while I'm engaged in fiber pursuits. When I take time to knit, I enjoy the time to pray for the recipient, to remember their needs and the way they fit into my life. If it's someone I don't know, charity knitting, I pray for what I imagine their needs to be.

5. How would your life be different if you had to give up fiber?
More stress, definitely more stress. I would have to quilt more because I have to keep busy. Idle hands are the devil's workshop as the old saying goes. I'd rather be too busy than not busy enough; boredom is so totally unnecessary and unwanted in life!

6. What tools, yarns, books or gadgets can't you live without?
The books I most use are the stitch pattern books but the books I most enjoy looking at are pattern books. Morehouse Farm Merino, Mason Dixon Knitting, Stitch n Bitch, any of Melanie Falack's books, Interweave Knits, Spin-Off, Easy Knits and Creative Knitting are fun magazines. My spinning wheels are a joy both to look at and to use.

7. What was your first fiber project?
First fiber project was a knitting project...a simple basket design scarf. The first spinning project was a wild hat, spun tightly with bits of mohair sticking out and then knit into a hat. Very fun project!

8. Do you have any fiber mentors? Who are they and why?
Jane Fournier is the only spinning class I've ever taken and she's a lovely person. She's a great teacher...very knowledgeable and fun to be around with a great sense of humor. Most of my "fiber mentors" are authors who have written great books...Rachel Brown is one. Merike Saarnit is another person whom I admire and would love to have taken one of her classes.

9. Are you a member of any guilds? If so, which one(s)?
I used to be a guild member but it's 200 miles round trip and just too far to go to meetings. I really enjoyed the guild, enjoyed learning about fiber, making friends with women who had similar interests but the drive is just too onerous these days.

10. What's the most exciting fiber project you've undertaken?
Spinning enough fiber to make a shawl...still haven't finished.

11. How many people have you mentored? In which fiber arts?
I've taught dozens of people to knit and spin. When people come to the farm for tours, the interested ones all get a lesson in spinning and then knitting. Sometimes they carry their interest further but sometimes not.

12. Do you consider fiber crafts to be functional or artistic?
Both but I'm interested in the functionality of the craft. I'm Appalachian through and through and, first, last and foremost, want people to be warm and clothed. Maslow said, "food, shelter and clothing are the basic needs in life; all else are wants" so I focus on the needs of clothing and food. It's important to me that people have a hat to warm their heads and food to warm their stomachs. In the USA we live better than 70% of the world's population, it's important to me to give back in the ways I'm able.

13. What, mainly, do you make? Do you keep, or give away, most of your projects?
Hats, scarves, shawls and blankets; most of which I give away. I do a lot of charity knitting but also knit for family and friends.

14. Are fiber crafts an avocation or vocation for you?
Vocation. I'm an eighth generation Appalachian shepherd and farmer and feel, quite strongly, this is what I'm meant to do in life. I love living at Thistle Cove Farm and teaching about spinning, knitting, weaving, fiber arts, sheep, horses, gardening. I love teaching people about the wonderfulness of being an Appalachian American and have traveled all over the world with my message. There's no place I'd rather be or rather be doing than right here, right now. God has given me the desire of my heart, here at Thistle Cove Farm and I intend to live my days and live out my days here, doing the work of my hands and heart.

15. How many people are you committed to being a mentor for in 2007?
As many as will sit still, listen and learn!

Posted by Thistle Cove Farm :: 5:12 PM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, February 01, 2007

PRIZES!

Fiber Femmes is giving away more prizes!

If you're already a subscriber to Fiber Femmes newletter, you're already entered. If you're not a subscriber, head over to Fiber Femmes e-zine and sign up for our free newsletter.

Newsletter subscribers number almost 1,000 and the 1,000th subscriber will win a beautiful periwinkle Rolodex business card holder. What better way to keep in one safe place all those fiber business cards, eh?

BUT...on alternate months from the FF zine, we're going to share the bounty. We'll draw a name at random and that person will win "something fibery"...a book, magazine, etc. We'll post the winning name here, on the FF blog, and the winner will have 30 days to claim their prize. After 30 days, unclaimed prizes will go back into the pot and we'll start over on the next bi-monthly drawing.

The first winner will claim Big Girl Knits by Jillian Moreno and Amy R. Singer. This book has "25 Big, Bold Projects Shaped for Real Women with Real Curves. Celebrate your curves with sassy, stylish knitwear. Part knitting instruction, part fashion guide, Big Girl Knits is paced with expert advice to help you make the most of your three Bs: Boobs, Belly, and Butt."

So says the book cover and this is one great book! If you don't know, Amy Singer is Editor of Knitty and the book covers big girls from head to toe with beautifully designed knitting that serves to highlight the nice bits and downplay the less than spectacular bits.

So...if you're subscribed, you're already entered; if you're not subscribed, get thee to FiberFemmes ASAP and sign up for the newsletter. Then...say your prayers, keep your fingers crossed, think wonderful thoughts and hope to win...if not this time, then next.

Posted by Thistle Cove Farm :: 3:59 PM :: 0 comments

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