I’m thankful that I’ve been lucky enough to make a career out of my love of textiles particularly knitting. I’ve been able to meet and make friends with so many of my long-time idols and many many new rising stars of the knitting universe! And I’ve been lucky to travel literally to the ends of the earth to teach and share what I’ve learned about knitting. I’m writing this post from Buenos Aires, in a cafe while it pours rain outside.
In this picture, I am giddy and tongue tied, meeting Barbara Walker. She is thinking, oh god, another of these vapid fan-girl-knitters. I met Barbara Walker while I was teaching at Interweave Knitting Lab in Manchester New Hampshire this fall, where she gave a great keynote speech. Here are the notes I took:
Does not wear wool
Entertained by knitting Barbie clothing
Must be precise with Barbie bosom shaping
Knits doll clothes top down
Heads stay on
Not just Barbie: Superman, Cher, Brooke Shields dolls
Barbie is a sexy flake and so are her costumes
Prefers plastic needles
Arrow
Partied her way through college
Bright young cub reporter
Small stash
Says not good at jokes
Walked thru blizzards to school
Was a waitress
Married a scientist
Minerals
Designed a tarot deck
Likes spiders
If you have the chance to attend Knitting Lab in Manchester, do it! It is a twin-treat for fiber and food. Manchester has a great variety of really good restaurants all within walking distance of the venue. The marketplace is just the right size in my opinion, small, manageable and jam-packed with great stuff, lots of it local. Yay for shopping local!
Happy Thanksgiving!
omg those notes are so fabulous. “Heads stay on” might be my favorite! Ha.
She was great! Really irreverent and wonderful. A real old school feminist too.
I agree , fabulous notes. Entertained knitting Barbie clothes???? Who’d a thunk ! lol
yes, the wonderful paradox of Barbara Walker….is paradox right?…who’d a thunk it says it all!
What a great photo! I love that grin on your face!
There were a few of us with shit-eating grins, bumbling around after the tiny woman!
Still so Happy and Grateful that we have met in Lerwick..Warm Memories…and Yes…I still wear my Marimekko shirt 🙂
Jan! yes yes yes! me too. I think of you often! someday we’ll meet again, I just know it.
What surprises me is that she doesn’t wear wool… Did she say why?
it scratches! and it didn’t seem open for debate. Plus I think she lives where it might be too hot…..in which case I would live at the air conditioned movies just for the chance to wear wool.
I love the yoke on the sweater you are wearing in the photo. Can you give us a reference for the pattern? What excitement to meet Barbara Walker! Glad you could have such a chance.
I found my sweater dress in Iceland, it is light as a feather.
Is your sweater pattern available?
I got it in the Westfjords in Iceland in a tiny shop. Then the knitter found Ragga and I at the airport! I think it is a lopi pattern, but a quick search could not reveal which one, Ragga might know. And it is a dress!!!!
I have the same look on my face when my pic was taken with her at this event. Yes, I agree the Knit Lab was fabulous; the food, the fiber, and lets not forget the fantastic, talented teachers! loved my color class with you. See ya next year!
I’m not sure *my* head would stay in if I met Ms. Walker. When I was learning to knit, I studiously worked my way through her books, which were enlightening and shockingly free of errors or confusion (unlike this reader).
Head ON.
Yeah. No errors, here.
Here’s a Lopi with the same pretty yoke pattern…. called Sjon
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sjon
Yay Jennifer! Thank You! I thought it was a Lopi pattern. Further details:
Sjón
by Hulda Hákonardóttir
Found in the Lopi book: Ístex Lopi No. 30.
Here’s the Ístex yarn company link: http://istex.is/prjonabok/Istex30.html
You’re very welcome Mary Jane! I knew the minute I saw it that it was familiar. That pattern has been in my Ravely favs for a while. I much prefer the simple one color yoke of your dress to the multi-colored ones shown in the pattern. So simple and pretty…..must make 🙂
I am catching up on blog reading (so many posts, I know) and those are fantastic notes. Thanks for sharing them. Barbara Walker, what a treasure.