Things are definitely moving forward. Monday was Lexi's first day in the workshop and she and Andrea hit it off right away, going over designs and swatches and figuring out the Spanish and English words for different stitches and techniques.
A sample will be made for each design (13 sweaters and about nine accessories), followed by a second, perfected sample (or contramuestra) that Lexi can take back to Iowa with her at the beginning of March to show to potential buyers. We spent that afternoon and evening deciding which knitter would take charge of each sample and trying to estimate when the first and second sets could be finished. Always a lot of guesswork, but feeling good at this point.
After spending a rainy Tuesday morning with designs and measuring tape spread out all over the living room (above) we headed up to the workshop with measurements and more details for each design. Once there, Lexi went over the measurements with Andrea while I worked with the ladies to determine their availability and the possibility of meeting our initial deadlines.
Meanwhile, Josefina and Rocío -- who had returned as promised -- were straightening wires for the looms and oiling the machines until they ran smoothly, a ritual which they apparently complete once a year; Frida was at her loom pumping out swatches so we could see different gauges; and Sebastiana was busy balling yarn in the corner. It was a dreary day outside, but in the workshop there was a certain sense of excitement in the air as we prepared for battle.
No comments:
Post a Comment