This summer feels different. Maybe it's the lack of rain, though today's showers made a dent in the drought conditions. Maybe it's my job that requires me to be a little more orderly with my time. Maybe it's that the nine year old, my MiMBY Girl, has spent the last ten days with her grandparents in Tennessee, thus interrupting our usual summer pattern of spending the afternoon with friends at the pool, picking berries, and hiding from excessively hot days by curling up and reading or watching a "show."

When I feel unsettled, it's hard for me to be creative. I tend to fall back on knitting - it's reliably soothing and occupies my hands while my mind wanders. I've been knitting Hitofude, which is pleasantly mindless as far as lace patterns go. It was supposed to be for me, but I broke the cardinal rule of garment knitting and didn't do a gauge swatch. As many a teacher (and parent!) has said before me, "Do as I say, not as I do." My daughter is getting a lovely cardigan when it's finished.

The good thing about my circle of friends is that when I falter they pick up the slack. One friend is planning a Smitten Kitchen evening of cocktails and desserts inspired by the creative genius of Deb Perelman. We did a trial run and it was pretty stupendous. Another friend, a fabulous knitter, came over for help with a handsewn skirt. She brought flowers. We talked about books we were reading and our parents and somehow didn't talk about our kids at all.

Erika has been busy plotting out some new classes and events that you'll see on the website soon. One might involved metalsmithing.... I'm only slightly excited at the prospect. There is a wonderful natural dyer coming to show her yarns, and one of our instructors will be videotaping an instructional video at the Craftstitute space for a new product.

Writing this reminds me why we started Craftstitute.

- Robin

Summertime... and the living is easy....