While Friday was a little slow sales-wise for most of us here at the show, it was a very successful day networking and promotion-wise for Scott and I. Our booth is on an end of a group along the back wall, which puts me in the perfect position to be seen with the spinning wheel by all who walk by. Thursday, every sale we made started with people coming over to check out the spinning wheel. Even better, Lilly the Lendrum (my spinning wheel) earned her keep by catching the interest of Chuck Moore of www.comicrelated.com. Mr. Moore is a very nice man who has a weekly podcast on comics, but he does a nightly one during conventions. He took this picture of me at the wheel, which was posted on his website last night, AND he interviewed Scott and I about Johnny Saturn and put it on his podcast last night. He had purchased the Johnny Saturn: Synns of the Father graphic novel and he had nothing but praise for the story and Scott’s art. Look for his review of our graphic novel on his website in the near future.

And to make things even better, Mr. Moore was lucky enough to get a five-minute interview of Warren Ellis, who is here with a HUGE line waiting to meet him. This interview was part of last night’s podcast as well, so we are in excellent company.

The wonderful gentlemen with Blue Line Pro and Sketch Magazine, Bob Hickey and Bill Nichols, stopped by and spoke with Scott yesterday. Scott has written a couple of recent articles about the web-comic scene for Sketch and they discussed future articles that they are interested in getting from Scott. I think Scott already has his next one in mind and just needs the time to sit down and write it. Check out Blue Line Pro and Sketch at www.bluelinepro.com.

As a fun side note, a young man with a video camera stopped by and asked it he could film me spinning and ask a few questions for a show of which he is part. Of course, I said yes, because as much as I love promoting the comics, I LOVE promoting fiber related subjects. The chance to pass on information about spinning to people who have never had the chance to see it done is a high priority with me.

The amount of people who stopped by, asked questions, asked to see spinning demonstrated was inspiring. One person who was here with his wife last year and talked to me about spinning came back by yesterday. He is looking to buy his wife a wheel and a gift (I can’t remember if it was a birthday or anniversary gift) and wanted to know where I got my wheel. I gave him my email address and the name of Woodland Woolworks, which is from where I ordered my wheel so he could check out what kind of deal he could get. I hope she loves her wheel as much as I love mine.

Today is already off to a great start. Having repeat customers from last year is a fantastic feeling. Having enthusiastic repeat customers is the best thing ever. Long live our fans!

Sitting next to us is Tom Stillwell of Spinner Rack Comics www.spinnerrackcomics.com. He is a fantastic writer and his comic books always sell well and are fun. He is also giving away coloring books and crayons, so the kids are flocking to him and bringing their parents. Maybe when our newest story idea, an all-ages fantasy comic, comes out, well do coloring books as well. Unfortunately, Johnny Saturn isn’t very conducive to children. Can you imagine, “No, little Susie. Blood is red not purple. And that knife sticking out of him should be colored so that it is noticeable.” Uhhhh…. No.

Don’t forget to stop by www.johnnysaturn.com and check out the new store that Scott is setting up. It should be fully functional by the end of this next week. So if you weren’t able to attend Wizard World Chicago, you still have the chance to purchase all the folio issues, the graphic novel, calendars (both Johnny Saturn and a Fantasy Art calendar (16-month, not 12-month)), fantasy prints, and our newest item, Ogre Ale bottles. If you know of an ale maker who’d like a built in audience, tell them we need to talk!

I’m not one to work on very many projects at one time in any given area of my interests. I like one weaving project, one knitting project, and not more than two or three books (usually one fiction, one non-fiction and one instructional). But, I have discovered the benefits of having more than one project going at the same time.

For example: Currently, I have three knitting projects going – 1. a 48″ by 72″ garter stitch blanket knitted on the diagonal in Sugar ‘n Cream cotton in what I consider to be “Happy” colors. 2. A sock in merino and nylon in a nice green and brown colorway. 3. A Prairie shawl in naturally madder dyed Shetland.

Here is where the benefit comes in. I am knitting the blanket at work on my lunch hours and at my twice-monthly BASK (Beautiful and Aspiring Knitters and Spinners) get together. It’s a very easy pattern and I can talk and have fun with no concentration on the knitting needed. The sock is a small project for waiting for doctor appointments or anything that means down time and general quietude. The shawl so also a nice pattern for traveling, but is good for times when I need a compact project but my attention is divided as it is a simple K8, YO, K to 8 from end YO, K8, Knit back on wrong side.

The blanket and sock get knitted on the most, the shawl not so often, but I will get going on it once the blanket is done. When I get the blanket done, I will switch the shawl to the work and BASK project and have a library shawl pattern I want to start for the third project. I will have a pair of socks in the works pretty much continually, beginning a new pair as soon as one is done.

Next, the multiple project idea is going to move to my weaving. Right now, I am taking an advanced weaving class, so that is one thing I am weaving. I am working on a school-owned loom right now, but the next project for them is going to be on my LeClerc Dorothy so I can take it home and weave for my homework, rather than have to find time to go in between classes to work on it. Also, on the July 4th weekend, I plan to warp up my Harold 8-harness loom with a series of baby blanket/throws for sale and warp up my 4 harness Harrisville loom for some huck lace dishtowels for samples for a class I’d like to teach on woven laces next year. So that will be three projects on looms – one for class, one in Studio A when Scott is working on Johnny Saturn or the websites, and one in Studio B when Scott wants to paint. Again, each project has different requirements from it.

Another multi-use project is currently on my spinning wheel. I have two out of eight pounds of Ashland Bay merino in the Sandlewood colorway spun and as soon as I get the other six pounds spun up, I plan to warp my Harold with it for a large piece of fabric woven with a pattern for interest. Once the fabric is finished, my plans are to make a blazer and either pants or a skirt to wear to work.. So, I will spin, weave and sew this project. Only the spinning can travel with me to visit family, sit in Scott’s open studio sessions and to comic book conventions. The weaving and sewing have to be at home, but they, too can be split between Studio A and Studio B of our house.

By the way, Studio A is upstairs in the large bedroom and is the main studio where Scott spends the vast majority of his time. Studio B is what would normally be the living room of our house and is my dye studio and Scott’s painting studio. Our house is basically a huge studio space with living quarters on the fringes. You walk into our house and can immediately see that we are not your typical family. We are more interested in our art projects than the typical activity of watching television. In fact, we don’t watch television.