What an incredible week this has been! My debut into the wonderful world of vending was a massive success. I learned so much, met tons of awesome people, got to see all my product lined up and displayed all pretty, and I sold so much I came home an entire bin lighter! I am so grateful for the outpouring of support and interest I can't even begin to express, it's too much for words. I feel so encouraged to keep going, and that my goal to live as an independent artist might actually be achievable. Thank you everyone who stopped by, especially all of you new newsletter subscribers!!
Special thanks to my friend Julie who hauled my whole display and bins of inventory in her truck and helped me set up on Friday. And to Sophie who helped me tear it all down and bring it home. I couldn't have done it without you two!!
On Sunday I went Capital Pride in Ottawa. As if I wasn't already bursting with love and community!! A very important political action took place during the parade in front of Parliament. Queers for Palestine stopped the parade for over 30 minutes, demanding an apology from Mayor Sutcliffe and the organizers of Capital Pride for quietly removing support for Palestine in the official statement last year. The parade was cancelled as a result and it is such an awesome reminder of how Pride has always been a protest for liberation. I try not to be overtly political in my presence online, but ending the genocide in Palestine is as urgent as it has ever been, and staying quiet about it is not an option I can personally live with. I hung my keffiyeh in my vendor booth on Saturday as a quiet solidarity statement.
After Pride I went and hung out with a few members of my Sheep to Shawl team. We compete at the Almonte Fibre Fest Saturday September 6th! If you haven't ever heard of a Sheep-to-Shawl competition, its where a team of spinners and one weaver (who has a loom set up and warped) are given a raw greasy fleece at the beginning of the day and it's up to us to process the wool and spin the weft as the weaver weaves the shawl. We will have 6 hours to complete it, then it'll be judged that evening and then put up for auction the next day as a fundraiser for the museum. I've never participated before, and I'm expecting it to be an absolute hoot!
Our team name is "The Thrill of Twill" so come on by to Almonte next Saturday and cheer us on! You'll know our team by the neon rainbow weft I dyed specifically for us 🌈
My next pop-up is at the aimé queer festival in Hammond Hill on Saturday September 13th from 12-6pm. I'm dyeing up some rad rainbows and queer flagging materials specifically for this fun crowd. I hope to see you there!
I have a very specific memory of being a child in the 90s going to a Sizzler restaurant and there were these heavy green glass partitions between the vinyl booths. If you looked at it edge-on you entered into another dimension of aquamarine mirrors casting angular shadows up on itself. Cool as shit.
DK is easily my favorite yarn weight. I'm sorry, I'm biased! It makes jumpers lightweight yet quick to knit. This BFL's crisp stitch definition makes your colourwork pop and your cables bounce. Just as soft but more durable than merino, what a dream!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a subscriber, it means so much to me as an independent queer fibre artist that you are interested in supporting my work. That's all for now! Love ya! Toodles!!
