Friday, September 11, 2009 - a Bucket List event!
This was a significant event for me.....after all these years of reading her books, being amazed at her colour sense, and intrigued by her life.........
I was unaware of what a serious influence Alice Starmore would be on my life when she was touring in the US.....somehow I was totally unaware at the time.....but her "Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting" was the very first serious knitting book I ever bought.
It took years to get up the courage to attempt one of her designs.....but I kept buying her books, and dreaming of the day when I'd have courage enough to attempt one. When I finally knit Grant Avenue and absolutely loved it.....my whole knitting world changed. Traditional Fair Isle, using the fine yarns became my passion - it still is!
So when I heard earlier this year that she was going to be doing workshops and presentations at the I Knit Weekender 11-12 September, 2009, I picked up the phone and ordered tickets for both her Fair Isle Workshop and her "Influences on Design" talk.
Friday, September 11, 2009 was the reason for our trip -- Let me tell you that it was well worth the trip to London!!!!
The Fair Isle workshop was an hour long -- ours ran over -- and as an experienced fair isle knitter, it was lovely just to hear her speak about the kind of knitting that continues to thrill me.
Here she is cutting the armhole steek on a child's sweater.Her "Influences on Design" was a powerpoint presentation that covered the inspiration for her Hebridean yarn shades......and she spent a bit of time on how she works to protect the environment of the Island that she lives on. I felt that protecting her Island environment is her passion these days.......
It was a great day.....one that I will always remember....and another tick off of my "bucket list".
My apologies to Alice for posting these photos -- I hope you don't mind!
Happy Knitting
OMG! I'm so thrilled for you! Meeting your inspiration! Yowza!
ReplyDeleteDid she show any of her FI's?
Did she wear one over her outfit?
Did you get her signature?!
You lucky,lucky duckie. I would love to have been a fly on the wall.
ReplyDeleteI almost got to go to a lecture by Nancy Bush, a couple of months ago. I'm sorry that I didn't just change my other plans and went. I do wonder how these people feel about being the rockstars of knitting?
ReplyDeleteAnne- She looks great- and she's tiny, isn't she?
ReplyDeleteShe did indeed change the knitting world.
WOW! That really was worth the trip to London....it would definitely be a 'bucket list' event for me, too! She looks wonderful and teensy-weensy! Did she have anything there to purchase? And did she allude to any other books being re-published in the future?
ReplyDeleteOh, that must have been so fabulous! I heard she wore a store bought sweater. Oooh, the gossip.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a Bucket List item checked off! Lucky girl.
WOW! What a stunning experience! That was my first book of her's too ("Alice Starmore's Book of Fair Isle Knitting") that started me on my "knitting journey". I still kick myself that I was out of Alaska the summer she visited here to do a presentation. ;o(
ReplyDelete