Back from Squam

It feels like I just got back but it’s been over two weeks already…how time flies by! Here are some photos from my third time attending Squam Arts Workshop (see my posts here and here with some pics & musings from past trips), September 2023:

(I can’t help it - I always take a photo of the ice house)

Being on the docks is one of the best things about Squam. The lake is so calming, and the sky always serves up a show by way of gorgeous sunsets, sunrises, the Milky Way, and stunning clouds. And there’s swimming, kayaking, and sitting and chatting.

So many lovely conversations and much laughter happens on those docks with friends old and new. I met Megan (below) at my first Squam, and we’ve been friends ever since, and we shared a cabin with Amy (also pictured below); all of us went to Squam for the first time in 2017 - though I didn’t meet Amy until last year. And, just like in past years, I met so many new friends again, which makes the weekend even more fun.

One of the classes I took this year was Simple Beauty, which was paper flower making with Inga Ilze Peterson. We created beautiful, detailed flowers from crepe paper and wire - it was completely amazing to see them come together.

I always love walking along the tiny footpaths that run along the water from dock to dock, the entire length of the camp. It’s so peaceful to see the different parts of the lake and to hear laughter from floating over the water from windows and porches of the cottages.

The cabins are rustic and unheated, but they all have screened in porches overlooking the lake, and fireplaces to cosy up to at night. Each one is different and they all have a special charm.

A real highlight of this year was that I got to see loons, close-up: once on Friday, one was swimming right by the window of our writing classroom, and another on Saturday, the last night after we ate dinner on the dock, when I suddenly turned around and one was right at the end of our dock. We hear them every year, calling at night, but this was the first year I actually saw them.

I sold my patterns at the Marketplace on Saturday and it was so fun to have such a great response. So many people came up to me with encouraging things to say about my patterns and outfits that I had been wearing over the past few day, speaking of which…

One of my favorite things to do each time I go is create a fun and colorful handmade travel wardrobe to wear at Squam; a mini-collection that encapsulates my personality. Here’s what I wore this year:

You can see I wore some things that I sewed just for Squam and posted to the blog just this past week, like my plaid Trillium and striped Luna pants. You can find posts on all my knitted shawls and sweaters in the “things made with yarn” category on the blog, and a few of these garments are not patterns - just self-drafted things that may or may not become patterns someday! *winks*

One last note: since my kids were little, I’ve taken creative vacations by myself or with friends, including weekends in Vermont, Palm Springs, Austin, Colorado, Washington, and of course, New Hampshire at Squam. It’s become incredibly important to me and I value the time spent away. It’s not a selfish endeavor: prioritizing creative time helps me recharge, which is good for our whole family (not just me), and also models for my children the importance of having my own life, identity, and creative work. I hope someday they’ll be able to find ways to nourish themselves similarly.

And I hope the same for you, dear readers!

xo, Rae

PS. Feel free to share in comments your favorite places and ways to rest, recharge, and get your creative juices flowing. I’d love to hear!