I’m a crazed knitter. I love it, am passionate about it, read about it, write about it, and pretty much am fascinated with anything knitting related, including all the marvelous critters that populate our knitting world. On Ravelry I’m the LaidBackKnitter, because as a knitter, I’m relaxed and filled with joy when I pick up the sticks. On Twitter, I’m @knittingnews because of my absorption with the folks and fiber, events and festivals, patterns and designers, and anything else that pertains to the knitting life.
I’m a mystery novelist, the author of Body Parts, The Dead Stone, The Grief Shop (winner of the Daphne du Maurier award), and The Bone Man, all Tally Whyte mystery/thrillers from Leisure books. At present I’m working on my fifth Tally Whyte mystery. More of my mystery-writing life is at www.vickistiefel.com I’m also a photographer (LightPlay Photos) and graphic designer.
I live at Chickadee Farm with my husband, novelist and outdoors writer William G. Tapply, and my animal menagerie—Muffin, Burt, Gracie, Cranberry, and Cody, the black bear who visits on occasion.
IGOR ZAKOWSKI
You may have noticed my marvelous LaidBack Knitter “icon.”
It feels utterly like me. I adore it. How did it come about? I was fortunate to stumble upon a fabulously talented young artist named Igor Zakowski. Igor crafts illustrations, sketches, and paintings. His book, 12 Dreams, is out. Of course, the latter is in Polish, and while it’s a bit of a challenge for me to read, the illustrations are marvelous. I feel lucky to own it.
You see, Igor lives and works in Poland, yet the Web has gifted us with a friendship. Now how cool is that?
Here is where you can see and purchase many of Igor’s illustrations. They include pugs and Santas and anglers and pumpkins and so much more. He manages to capture ideas and critters and professions in a few brushstrokes. His work is impossible to resist.
, as is evidenced by the sketch at left.
