The History of The Knotty Stitchers...

The beginning of the Knotty Stitchers came about during a time of “revamping of The Knotty Oak Washer woman” I had wanted to create an Act that gave a group of “Wenches” the freedom to move about faire and playfully sing and entertain the audiences. We started with 5 girls up at the first Big Bear Renaissance Faire in the early part of the year 2000. We had a handful of songs and some funny light comedy lines we would toss back and forth between us.

The group changed year after year we would always keep the core members Myself, Molly and Tina. It was trying at times to teach the old routine and add new material as well as new costumes and props. After five years the group of younger members went off in their own directions leaving myself in a slump and a state of theatrical shock. I was not ready to throw in my “bodice” and quit the Faire. I had become so fond of the time spent and friends I had made at the Faire. I walked around in a daze for a week. I knew if I were to start some new “gig” at faire it would have to deal with a concept that had not been done so far. Thinking of what all encompassed the entertainment and history of the Renaissance period left me with a thought and a very risky one at that. The “Codpiece” it had to be a comedy act with props and songs and we had to be able to get the audience to play along. I still remember calling Tina on the phone and spilling out the whole idea to her. The silence at first was painful to think she wasn’t buying into the new act, but then she started to giggle and then we both broke in to laughter. We knew we had some thing of great creative worth and we were going to make our mark in the Renascence Faire circuit.

We introduced our new act at the Renascence Pleasure Faire in Devour Ca. Spring of 2005. We were a street gig and worked for a “pass your hat” wage. We were doing good and having way too much fun! We realized we had a good act because we had gotten some of the Faire’s Washer Woman at the Well jealous enough to try and get our passes pulled. It did not work but we did! We wanted to get our new act on a stage; we had now developed our act full circle “The Knotty Stitchers” better known as the Titswillow Sisters. Bella Dona and Poppy and from time to time we added a Sister or two (Fichus, Hazel, Rose A Mary, and Periwinkle).

We still played the “Pleasure Faire” but realized we would not get the stage time we wanted. It was time to move on to new venues and find Faires that would give us stage time and monies as well as freedom to pass the hat. Our Luck brought us to Dick and Condit the owners of Gold Coast Productions. We had found the Titswillow Sister’s a home.

We had even built in a Fan base and audience who would return each season to see what new songs and acts we had written. Their was a large amount of history on the codpiece, but the facts of our theme always got a bit twisted in the performance. Humor is a must if you want to survive at faire. The “The Knotty Sisters” had become our “nick” name. When we were not on stage we walked about the faire grounds talking to people and handing out hand bills telling everyone when our next show time was. We even wore sample codpieces, colorful and defiantly crowd stoppers. The props we used help to explain the history, but they also became great at getting the audience to come up on to the stage and become part of the performance. Never let it be said that men don’t like to dress up in silly over stuffed animal codpiece to pose to all who dare to look! The show was always addressed as a bit “Knotty” but never “Dirty”. Meaning we never really used bad language it was more use of sexual over tones in the comedy side of the performance. If people were offended we would smile politely and hint to them it is “only as dirty as your mind lets it!”

The new season of Renaissance and Pirate Faires is approaching and when spring has come so do the faires. I now look forward to being invited to many new venues at other faires. We had played the San Francisco Golden Gate Faire, two years ago. It was a long trip for one week end and at the end Tina had found she was “tired” and needed a break. I had already committed us to the last faire of the season and I would do the faire myself. I brought in one of the “Sisters” to play, but the timing was off and it wasn’t the same with out Tina and or Molly, she had moved to Texas.

It was at that time I had to rethink the whole Act over again, should? could I? These questions nagged at me. It wasn’t until my youngest Daughter Blythe made the bold statement, “why don’t you just do it by yourself?” Even my Husband David and one of my Sons Ben agreed. I took the chance to pull it off as a solo act with more use of audience participation. I went out shaken in my striped stockings stumbled over my tongued for a moment and then I found “Freedom” I was in control of the lines, the pace the timing no longer did I waited for a cue line I ran with the script in side my head. I was no longer held back by any one I could pick all the shows I wanted and not worry if the other Sister could make it. I Have sent many “Bios” on the show to other Faire sites.

The hope is to travel and play as many faires as I can, while “Faire” is still the rage!