I learned to knit while in high school, in a bonding experience with my mother and two of her sisters. In 1970 I began spinning, dying and weaving in formal textile and art studies for the MFA program at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. In 1979, I began graduate studies in ethnic textiles at the University of Minnesota. There I met Suzanne Baizerman and Karen Searle who asked me to write a book on Latvian mittens. Latvian Mittens: Traditional Designs and Techniques was published by Dos Tejedoras Publishing in 1981.

I penned the column “Other Places, Other Times” for Knitters magazine from its Premiere issue in 1984 until 1988, designed nearly half the garments in the magazine and was assistant publisher from 1985 to 1988. The second edition of Latvian Mittens was published by Meg Swansen of Schoolhouse Press in 1997.

From 1981 – 2000, I presented many workshops on Latvian mittens and other knitting techniques, including workshops at Stitches West, East and the keynote address at Stitches East in 1989. I have been curator and/or exhibitor of shows in Utah, Minnesota, Maryland and Wisconsin for knitting and weaving and continue to give occasional workshops across the country. I organized and led a tour of 20 knitters to Latvia in June of 2001 and plan to lead another tour to Latvia in 2005.

In 2002 I moved to Carlsbad, CA and became the Educator Coordinator for the Chopra Center at La Costa in Carlsbad, CA. In January of 2004 I moved to Lowell, MA where I live in a vital arts community and teach meditation, textile techniques, do taiji and sell the pure, safe and beneficial Arbonne International products. Please join me for workshops, classes and knitting and weaving conversations.