About Me

I’ve been a knitter for many years – taught by my mother, starting at age 5.  I was very lucky to also be bitten by the travel bug early on.  That has taken me around the world, and introduced me to wonderful people and places, and has given me an appreciation for the amazing diversity on this planet.  I can’t think of a single place I’ve been that hasn’t given me incredible things to consider, ideas to expand my vision, and life-long friends who have helped make me who I am.

My parents were both artists – my dad a painter, and my mom a weaver.  They certainly contributed to heading me in the direction of my working career in the museum field.  I was a textile conservator and curator and also taught museum studies to classes in the US and abroad.  It was an incredible and enjoyable career, and it always took me back to my knitting as part of the creative expression of my life. 

As part of my professional life I spent 2 years in Fiji working at the National Museum there to preserve their collections.  I also joined a group of my museum colleagues in 1991 as a Fulbright Lecturer in Central America.  That was a great opportunity to exchange ideas and problem-solve on the many difficulties of preservation of museum collections in humid climates.  I also spent a wonderful year in Turkey as a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar, studying traditional repair techniques for rugs and kilims (and finding quite a few knitting opportunities!).  That year resulted in an exhibition at The Textile Museum in Washington, DC on the nomadic and village weaving traditions of Anatolia.  Some of my pattern designs reflect my ongoing interest in Turkey and the Middle East where the rich cultures continually inspire and amaze me.

Travel and knitting combined in 2018 and provided the opportunity to write my book Knit (Spin) Sweden.  In addition to writing about knitting history and providing some great knitting patterns, it gave me the opportunity to talk about my favorite subject; the importance of indigenous breed sheep. Many early and primitive breeds are endangered, and like many others, I want to see them survive and thrive. I call myself a Cheerleader for Sheep.

Together with my partner a Bruce (and 2 Russian Blue cats), we are living by a lake in Central Massachusetts when we aren’t out on the road having new adventures. As of this year (2024) I’m hard at work on my next book which I plan to title Those Kindly Sheep. This book focuses on the sheep of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and their significance to the development of textiles in that country.