I Still Can't Believe It!

As many of you now know via Facebook if you follow me there or on Instagram, my latest design has been published in Knitter's Magazine, and shock of shocks, it even made their cover! I was so smitten when I first heard the news. It was so difficult NOT to be able to share it with you all as it had remained a secret project for some time now. This is the first time that I have been published in a magazine before AND made the cover? Crazypants. Absolute crazypants. I still can't believe it. I wanted so badly to be able to share with you the finished pictures of the shawl that I took here at home but I couldn't. As soon as I was given the all clear from my editor/publisher, I shared the news via Facebook, several of the groups that I belong to on Facebook, and also Instagram. At any rate, here are the initial pictures I took while blocking and on Lucy here at home...


The yarn used for this initial version is from Crave Yarn in Santa Fe, the colorway is "Voice The Vision.' It was in Crave's 'One' yarn, which is a single ply 100% merino and was absolutely dreamy to work with. This was the second collaboration I have done with Crave Yarn. The first one I did was my shawl Ferryn which can be found on Ravelry here


Oh, see that color?! It was AMAZING. I had named the shawl but my publisher changed it for the magazine. In the magazine it is "Crescent & Arch" which is totally fine with me. The little sample I sent in to the magazine was done in Madelintosh TML which was a good equivalent to the Crave I was already using. Here is a picture of the itty bitty one I sent to Knitter's Magazine...


It has all the technical elements of the full size shawl but was tiny! I was almost done with the shawl and told them that I would just send the shawl but they really want that. 

Just out of the hospital on April 10th after being in for a week with a big kidney stone I had (I had to have emergency surgery to put a stent in to help an almost septic infection drain and was in the hospital for a week) the following morning I received an email from their editor Rick Mondragon that he wanted my shawl for the magazine. I was so excited and after the week I had just had, it was very welcomed news...that I couldn't share with anyone. Except Mom. Mom knows everything because we live together. I hurried to finish the shawl's edging and got it to them. There were some technical things to work out with the pattern that Rick did while knitting the shawl himself. His shawl is the one that appears on the cover, my version of it is shown inside starting on page 28. 

On June 27th, while in the hospital again for an abdominal abscess that I developed after surgery on June 1st, I received the email from my editor that I could share the news with the world...pictures of the upcoming magazine were attached to the email. I was so excited and promptly shared the news on Facebook and Instagram which, as I said previously, you have all likely seen. These are the pictures they sent me to share...




Then, about a week and a half ago, my publisher sent me three actual copies of the magazine in the mail! I was beyond exited. Ma took a picture and I posted this also on Facebook and Instagram...


I was one happy shawl designer from Albuquerque New Mexico!


I have received messages from friends online and here in town that the magazine is now available for purchase at Knitting Stores, Barnes and Noble, and online directly from Knitter's Magazine as well (see the link at the top). I'm so excited about this I can barely stand it! If you are from New Mexico, I am having 2 upcoming trunk shows and magazine signings if you'd like to attend. The first one is at Yarn & Coffee in Santa Fe on August 6th and again here in Albuquerque on August 13th at The Yarn Store at Nob Hill. I will have my entire shawl collection with me including the new one from the magazine. I aim just about finished with my 2nd Crescent & Arch which I needed for my own collection. The yarn is from Sapphires and Purls and the yarn, OMG so dreamy, its a blend of baby alpaca, silk and cashmere in a silver-ish color...


Cant wait to block this version and photograph it! If you are available to come to either of my trunk shows, please do, I would love to see you! If not, go get your copy and enjoy! 

Also new in my world is another tattoo! I was originally going to get a portrait of Audrey Grace done on my arm but then I got to thinking. At some point, hopefully not for a long time, she will be gone and I will have another cat. Instead of her portrait I wanted to express my love for all cats in general. I had this tattoo done at the back of my neck where it can be seen because my hair is short and my shirts show it off nicely. Here are the pictures from that adventure. If you've never had a tattoo before and are thinking of getting one, I would not recommend this be the very first spot you choose. It was most painful and my skin showed it in ways my other tattoos have not...


This is me in Orlando's shop getting jazzed up for my session!


See just how red that all is!? Painful I tell ya, painful....


This is after it was done and I was back at home again. Bad lighting. In any event, see how red that shit is?! I absolutely LOVE the freehand flowers that I asked Orlando to add to it!


This shows the placement pretty well and how my shirts sit underneath it. And the next day I had Mom take this pic which was much better...


I am absolutely in love with this addition! Although I will say that the absolute worst thing about getting this tattoo was that I could not sleep on my back for 2-3 days.....and I am a TOTAL back sleeper. At least I have been since I got my new bed last February. I had to sleep on my side, remaining conscious that the sheets NOT touch the back of this tattoo which had to also remain moist with Aquafor until healed. I had the tattoo done on Wednesday and by Friday I had had enough and was in the shower peeling as much of it as I could. This ended up being a good thing because the next day, I ended up in the hospital again . 

The surgery I had on June 1st had abscessed. I should've known better. With my immune system I seem to have abscessed in some form of severity or another with every surgery I've had. I should have seen the signs. I woke up Saturday morning with a gnarly rash all over my stomach which turned out to be a systemic reaction to the abscess I had. So, my surgeon opened it back up bedside, packed the wound and asked for the wound care team at the hospital to come and hook me up to a wound vac machine for faster healing. I was in for another week. Well, I was discharged on June 31st and I still have the wound vac. Making only very slow process with it. I see my surgeon again next Monday for a follow up and we'll see where we go from there. We are trying to do what we can to try and salvage the mesh that was put in (and got infected) before going back in and doing surgery to replace it. So for now, I'm hooked up to machinery but still knitting! 

As I finish this Crescent & Arch, which will likely be tonight, I will start designing my next shawl. It will be a rectangular shawl that I have had in mind for several years now, I'm finally going to make it a priority! I cannot wait to get started on it. The only other rectangular shawl I've designed was my very first design I ever released called Tameron which can be found on Ravelry here

That's all for now my knitterly friends! With all the chaos there seems to be in our country right now, we can all use a little peace and kindness. Be kind to people. For no reason at all. Knitting brings us peace. Therefore, as always...until next time...Knit On!

Comments

  1. I am SO happy for you!! This is awesome work. (Including the tattoo!) xoxox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Jane! I appreciate it so much! Cant wait to see you again sometime soon...when I am off this wound vac!

      Claudia

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  2. Love the shawl, love the tattoo, and wish you a speedy recovery! Congratulations on the publication! If it doesn't rain, it pours...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Jeri! Yes indeed, if it doesn't rain it pours!

      Claudia

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