I apologize for my absence over the past few weeks. How have you been doing? This is the time of year when The Firsties are sharing their learning, and we have just put a big production to bed. Three months ago we began writing our own play, based on a favourite story, The Gardener, by Sarah Stewart. My Grade 1 program is fully integrated, so we have enjoyed creating the drama, dance, visual art, and musical elements to support our academic learning, that were all a part of our production. We showed the gradual transition from our depression era costuming into our ‘greens’, showcasing our art work as a backdrop, and emerging gradually on the stage into a sea of floral beauty, all created by The Firsties! We are blessed to have a theatre space to perform in, and former students rallied behind us, coming back from high school; a former Firstie, now in Grade 3, played piano for one of our songs; I joined in too, playing guitar and recorder; Grade 7’s worked as lighting and sound crew, with leadership students working back stage. It has been sheer joy! Here is our gathering on stage as the show ended. . . . you can see a Firstie painting being projected on the back wall. So beautiful!
So that’s where I have been in my head for the past few weeks, 24/7. There was of course, serious knitting happening feverishly, in an effort to calm the spinning head. This morning I pinned out my Winter Wander Shawl. I am planning to unpin it just in time to wear it to a choir concert tonight.
You can’t really see my skirt very well in that photo, but it is one that I bought on a Firstie field trip to Granville Island a few weeks ago, at Maiwa, with a generous gift certificate from my Firstie parents. It is swamp greens, gored so that the greens swish in and out of dark and light. It’s really beautiful. Why swamp? Well, I was trying to look like the Firsties in their plant costumes of course! You can probably guess that I have yarn in mind to knit a shawl to go with it! You are right! I am going to knit the London Loop Piccadilly in Silky Baer Swamp Colourway, and Hedgehog Fibres Purple Reign Colourway. (This might be a Summer Program project. Would you be interested? Please let me know.) But the bonus is that the skirt goes beautifully with the colours that will be worked at the top of my Miss Rachel, as part of our Fair Isle Fiesta Program. I totally scored, didn’t I!
I am very excited to share with you, that the movie I did some costuming for, will be opening on July 1st! Here is the latest trailer – watch for the crocheted belt! Yay! The other pieces I created come later, as Sophie stitches them onto her quilt to record her story. The Firsties and I are planning an ‘event’.
I am also bursting about this amazing project:
That collection of breathtaking wood is going to be a baritone ukulele, my 5th string instrument, because I don’t have enough! A wonderful knitting student named Terry, is married to a luthier named Greg. I emailed for advice on choosing an ukulele recently, and Greg offered to custom make one for me! Terry invited me to come for a beautiful dinner, and Greg and I chose the wood. It has arrived, and Greg sent this photo of the bird’s eye maple, with a spruce tone board. I love the contrast of the dark neck! Woo Hoo! Many more tunes to come! P.S. Greg is also a urologist who helps many little peeps. Very cool!
Friends, Stacey and Rod, are launching Rod’s first novel on Tuesday night, at The Wooden Spoon, in White Rock. Stacey and Rod are teachers who have travelled the world extensively, teaching and learning. Come along and have a glass of wine, to meet them, and to buy a book!
This week Class #4 of our Whispers Lace Program will happen on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. Our focus will be on the blocking process, as Shawl #1 is being finished off. We will begin our second shawl, the Winter Wander, or one of choice. I know that there is a Hap in the works, like this one.
Thank Goodness It’s Friday Night Knitting will happen from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. on Friday night. Please let me know by Wednesday, if you plan to come.
It is still possible to reserve a spot at the Edenvale Retreat Centre focusing on Brioche this year. Kim McKenna and I will be presenting a program together, that will include spinning for, and knitting Brioche, on the August long weekend. Please contact Brenda of Penelope Fibres if you would like to join us.
If by any chance you see buttercups growing on my front lawn, please embrace them. Yesterday, my fully charged lawnmower lost power after the second pass, arghhhhh, and I realized, whaaaaat!, that batteries don’t just go on and on after all! So a replacement is winging it’s way to my doorstep as we speak – no shops sell them, so good ole Amazon saved the day! I pulled out my reel mower in the meantime, but the yellow persists! Love they neighbour, just sayin’.
This just in . . . .The Lower Mainland Sheep Producers’ Fleece Sale will be happening June 11. You can read more about this event in a blog post here.
Well that’s it for this week! I am off to find all kinds of distractions, because report cards are due! Cupboards and closets are calling. I am sure Cardigan needs a bath. There is a baby shower coming up, so this will be getting finished, and these will be getting cast on. My Making Zine arrived on Thursday! This shawl pattern is staring at me, with the yarn chosen and ready to go! Uh oh! Yes, I am that bad!
I hope you are enjoying a day of beauty in this amazing home of ours!
Remember that reality is something we can all rise above, especially when we live in fairyland, and make beautiful things!
I am grateful for you! Thank you for being there, for supporting each other, and my studio.
I will be drinking tea in this beautiful Firstie gift, in just a few minutes. I think Tazo Passion will be just the thing to help get all the things made!
I can’t wait to see you!
Venessa