I have an idea…
(this is a phrase that either makes my boyfriend preemptively say “no!”, or run in the opposite direction…he knows better)
For the author photo on my books, I want to be wearing handknit (of course!) — something colorful / happy, and I’d like to take a piece of each and every one of you with me into that photo, because you all inspire me to do what I do. So, here’s my idea: for all you spinner-knitters out there, and all stashaholics… send me a little bit of yarn that you’ve made, or something handspun from your stash. (No handspun? What about a chunk of The Coolest Yarn You Ever Found? I’ve got one of my particular favorites sitting on my head a few entries down)
I’m going to knit them all into a Zimmermann Adult Surprise sweater to wear for the photos, and anywhere I go to promote the books.
What will you get in return? Ah, I’ve thought of that, too! When the yarn comes in, I’m going to take individual photos of each, and code them with your info. Next, I’ll have a big, cool poster printed with all the yarn photos, and a picture of the finished product. Then, I’ll send one to you with a present. (If enough calendula flowers grow in my garden this year, maybe I’ll make a big batch of knitter’s calendula hand salve, or bath salts, or more vegan lipbalms… at any rate, some sort of very cool reward will be yours).
Send some handspun yarn to me, preferably animal fiber (wool, alpaca, llama, etc), or a blend. Singles or plied, it doesn’t matter. I tend to like dark and dark-bright colors (madder, moss green, charcoal grey, ochre, denim blue, greyish purple), but that doesn’t matter, either. You don’t have to send a ton; even a few yards is good. (Time to clean out those bobbins, spinners!)
Mail it, with any information you want to give about the fiber (is it from your pet sheep Dorothy? did you buy in on vacation in Maine? is it the last little bit you have left from a skein you got at Rhinebeck?), and your name/address to me at:
Shannon Okey
PO Box 112312
Cleveland, OH 44111
I can also post photos of the yarn here on the blog as it comes in … Yay! This could be so much fun. I can’t wait to see all the little bits of yarn come together.