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Peggy talks with Martha Stewart about her latest book during a photo shoot.

 Rachel Gaffney of "Rachel Gaffney's Real Ireland" and Peggy Gaffney of Kanine Knits

I am just back from The Big Apple and a wonderful week of learning and socializing with Martha Stewart and eighty dynamic entrepreneurs who are part of Dreamers into Doers   If you want to see a video showing highlights of the event click the link.

The sessions were taught by dynamic experts in their fields, and I got a chance to talk to Martha and others about the new book, The Crafty Llama and Alpaca Knits. Above I'm wearing a sweater I did to show off the beauty of alpaca yarns in its natural colors. In spite of the cold icy rain that ruled the first day, the spirit of these ladies could not be dampened.

Now I'm back to create more books and designs plus some teaching products that will be coming out this year, but more on that later and on some speaking events that will be coming up this spring.

Martha Loves Kanine Knits

I was delighted when this tweet appeared on Twitter. It is so rewarding when someone whose work you really respect gives you praise. The event where the photo was taken was Stitchfest at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in NYC.

I was lucky enough last Thursday, to attend a unique book launch. Martha Stewart was bringing out her newest book, Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Craft. There were several hundred eager crafters getting their first look at the book, and the demonstrations of the crafts included, plus a chance to do some themselves. In areas around the room, which was huge, experts demonstrated several crafts and invited everyone to sit down and do it themselves. The feeling was festive, with both experts and attendees enjoying the event and talking to everyone was Martha Stewart along with all the members of MSLO who help with the wonderful work she does.

As a member of MSLO Dreamers into Doers, I had met some of those involved, but I was delighted to be introduced to some attendees including David Blumenthal and Karen Tanaka from Lion Brand Yarn, a wonderful company which has been around since 1878. Their yarns are found everywhere.

I got to chat with Martha and spent time with Hannah Milman, executive editorial dir. of Martha Stewart Living. As you might imagine, the crafts department is my favorite. The care and intense attention to detail given to every project in the magazine, books or show is amazing. I am in awe.


In the meantime I may take a few hours to play hooky and do some of the wonderful crafts in this book as I enjoy spring. The weather has finally warmed up and here it is a combination of sunshine and mud. In between washing dogs on rotation, the back can't take doing more than one at a time, I am pushing to get the designs finished for the next two books about cats and llamas & alpacas. They will be coming out soon.

Visit With Some More Remarkable Women
of the
Martha Stewart's Dreamers Into Doers

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A Busy Week - Full of Books
"Autograph Anyone?"

The week has been filled with lots of exciting adventures as well as the day to day routines. To begin with, I approved the printing of The Crafty Welsh Corgi Knits - Pembroke and Cardigan. I had a lot of fun creating this book and it is dedicated to my late friend John Lang who was a longtime obedience club member and who had a amazing bond with his Pembroke Welsh Corgis over the years. John was always interested in forwarding the interest of the breed.

On Thursday, I stood in line with hundreds of others for the chance to meet Martha Stewart at the book signing for her new book Cupcakes at RJ Julia Bookstore. This is a wonderful shop in Madison, Connecticut. The line stretched the length of the block which gave me a chance to chat with those around me. I entertained my new friend, Joanne, by telling her all about Kanine Knits and the Crafty Dog Knits book series that I write. When I got to the front of the line, she took these photos. Martha autographed her book Cupcakes and then I showed her two of my Kanine Knits: Portraits of Dogs in Knitting patterns that showed her breeds. One pattern showed the Chow design I created that had been knit by Victoria Pettigrew of VIP Fibers using the hair spun from her own Paw Paw. She then checked out the Crafty Bernese Mt Dog Knits book of the series. She enjoyed it and was delighted with my concept of single breed knitting portrait books.

Saturday I was off to Greenwich Kennel Club to sign some autographs myself. It was fun sharing the tent with a bunch of very talented authors. I got to talk about my books and patterns, autograph and talk to exhibitors about future books. The Portuguese Water Dog group decided they definitely need a knitting book and some Poodle exhibitors said they would like to send me photos of their dogs for the book I'm working on now. It was a perfect day for showing with temperatures cool enough for the dogs and the sun out. This was a great place to show off my books as well as "talk the talk if not walk the walk" of showing that has been such a large part of my life for more than forty years.

Just to finish the weekend on a theme, I drove over to the Fabric Bug in Thomaston, CT to attend my friend Marie Bostwick's autograph session for her new novel The Thread of Truth. This is the second in her wonderful series that is based around a quilt shop in Connecticut so it was appropriate that she'd be signing books as quilters worked merrily away around her. The first book in the series, A Single Thread, introduced us to these strong interesting women and the challenges they face.

It was a wonderfully busy week with old friends and new. I look forward to what next week will hold.