Heading to Iceland

Well, I expect to be heading to Iceland!  If the volcano stays at its current levels, all should be good.  I hope.

So, what’s in Iceland?  Besides the technical conference at which I’ll be presenting, there is also a rich textile heritage which I’m hoping to sample while I am there.  It all starts with the Icelandic Sheep.

The Icelandic breed has been around for over 1000 years and has not changed much in all that time.  The sheep come in a wide range of colors and each sheep has a range of fiber types right on them.  So, at the end of the day, a flock might give you just the right wool for a blanket, a sweater, socks, rope, and more.

There is a tour already planned out by the Knitting Iceland group, which will certainly direct part of my stay in Reykjavik.  And I have hopes to see a sheep or two, it being lambing season and all.  But this is also the time of year that the sheep are released back to the highlands, so who knows?  For certain, I will come home with some wool, either an entire fleece, or maybe just yarn. Definitely mittens, a sweater, and slippers!  That’s my souvenir list.

Expect photos in a week or so of what I see up in the tiny, volcanic, very bright this time of year country of Iceland!

A Photographic Opportunity

Last week we had a bright, sunny day in Seattle, a fact which was both unusual and mildly irritating since that day was also the day a few friends and I went outside to do a photo shoot of my body of weaving works to date.  A couple of years ago, when I first started in on my various fiber hobbies, I found that understanding photography was critical to properly displaying my work online.  A quick snapshot from a smartphone was just not going to cut it.

There are many good photography websites out there, if you are looking for advice.  Articles like ones from Table Top Studio or videos from eHow, there is a LOT of good advice out there.  If you want it summed up, however…

1. Get a tripod and use it
2. Use natural lighting or a good lightsource that is not your in-camera flash
3. Learn how to use your white balance adjustment, either on camera or in post processing

Photos can say so much, and even if photography itself isn’t your passion, learning the basics of photography sure does help your website!

Settling down and stepping up

I’ve been enjoying spending the last few years exploring a wide variety of fiber arts. I reminded myself how to crochet. I taught myself how to knit and discovered a love for lace knitting. I explored yarn in its many varieties as I took up spinning. I learned the natural dyeing process. But most of all, I found a passion for weaving.

I will definitely keep in touch with the rest of my fiber hobbies, but today marks the day I call myself a weaver first and foremost, and explore that craft to the best of my ability.

This blog will explore things I’m learning, projects I’m doing, and even the business of being a crafts person. There won’t be frequent posts – time at the computer is time away from the loom! But I hope you all enjoy what you do see here. If it inspires you to take up a bit of weaving yourself, I’ll consider myself a success.