Firstie Friday!

It's time for our next Firstie Friday installment, and it's our first interview of the term.

Lynn4MK (Lynn)

How did you find the Cup and what motivated you to give the Cup a try? I had heard some RL friends talking about it for quite a while, but always felt I didn’t have the time to get involved in something new. But in April this year, my hours were cut at my Muggle job so I am only working part time. So when I heard my friends talking about it again at a retreat at the end of April, I decided it was finally time to check it out. It was love at first sight!

What, in your own estimation, is your wackiest/most awesome project and why? I’m not a very wacky crafter (yet?), but I think my most awesome project would be the Waves and Brambles shawl. I entered in4 the New York State Fair in 2016. It was the first time I had entered items in the fair, and it won first place and Best in Division, as well as a special award & gift certificate from a local yarn shop. Talk about beginner’s luck!

Another awesome project I participated in was crocheting squares for a community art project to honor Harriet Tubman. The banner we made hung on the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, New York. It was part of the Love Across the USA project started by crochet artist Olek. Her plan is to do a community art project like this to honor a woman activist in every state of the USA. I highly recommend everyone participate if it comes to their area. You don’t even need to know how to crochet; they will teach you what you need to know and give you an easy square to make. 
Facebook page about the project: https://www.facebook.com/loveacrosstheusa/
Olek’s web site: http://oleknyc.com/
There are photos of the Harriet Tubman banner on Olek’s site here: http://oleknyc.com/current.php/harriet-tubman

What characteristics do you love most about the Tower so far? How do these things impact and change or encourage you? I love the chatty and upbeat atmosphere. So many people have health problems, yet the support everyone gives each other is truly inspirational. I love all the Specialist Studies. They have made me want to get back into sewing and weaving, and after visiting The Blank Canvas, I decided to take a basic drawing class which starts September 14. The competitive spirit encourages me to finish my projects, which has often been a struggle for me.

What is on your crafting bucket list? I would like to use up a big portion of my yarn and fiber stash and get it down to a manageable size. I would also like to knit some sweaters with my handspun, and fill my sock drawer with handknit socks. I also want to make more items for local charities.

What is currently on your needles/hook? I always have a pair of plain vanilla socks on my needles! They’re so portable and good for social knitting. I am working on my first crochet cardigan for my OWL. I also have two “Cast-on-apalooza” projects that I want to get finished by the end of the year (the Homin shawl and the Pine Bough cowl). And I have a couple long-term projects, a Tunisian crochet scarf and a handspun nap blanket. There are some other WIPs waiting in the wings, but they probably won’t get done until next year.

(Cast-on-apalooza is a fun thing some local Gryffindor friends started, where we cast on a new project every week during January. The projects don’t ever have to be finished and there are no prizes involved. It’s just a fun way to start the new year.)

We're happy you decided to join us in the Tower!