Tag Archives: Knitting

Unknown's avatar

Today’s Post Brought To You By Wool

by

I finished my Far Away / So Close shawl last week and was waiting for a good day without rain to take pictures of it.

As you can see Emily is still quite fond of modeling knitted goods.  Fortunately she’s actually good at it.

When I bought the yarn back at Rhinebeck I was in love with the fall colors in it – all of my favorites.  But then, while I was knitting with it I was afraid it looked a bit too much like an old couch my parents had in the 70’s.

However, once I blocked it I feel in love all over again.  I love how perfect this is for throwing on on a nice crisp autumn evening.

The colorway is  Spices and it’s from Maple Creek Farm yarn.  I would love to buy more of their yarn but their website seems to be non-functional and I can’t find any on the internet.  I should have bought some back at Maryland Sheep & Wool this spring.

Either way this was an easy and enjoyable knit and I will certainly be making plenty more.

Unknown's avatar

Hurricane Prep

by

So we on the east coast are having a small “thing” this weekend.  Just a little stormy thing you may have heard of called “Irene”.

As if the earthquake (and subsequent continuing aftershocks) we had earlier this week weren’t excitement enough! (Yes, we’re only about 10 miles or so  from the epicenter of that little shaker).

But onto Irene.  We’re in central Virginia, safely inland.  We’ll see plenty of rain and wind and I am sure the river nearby will be flooding (it does whenever we get significant rain, and I am glad we don’t live very close to it).  Our creek out back will overflow and our yard will be a nasty, muddy swamp.  Also, since our power tends to go out at the drop of a hat I am fairly certain we’ll be without power at some point over the weekend.  Hooray for generators! (Though they do take some of the excitement out of a good ol’ power outage, don’t they?)

For all of these reasons we’ve gotten our hatches battened – down and our tanks full of gas and our larders full of provisions.

Except rum.  It seems I have somehow managed to overlook rum.  How on earth will I make my Hurricane Cocktails without rum? Ah well, first world problems.

What we DO have is a freezer full of prep work.  Slow – roasted tomatoes, bean & cheese burritos, marinated chicken, sandwich rolls, and fresh pasta.

I made pasta, y’all.  Thin spaghetti and pesto ravioli.  I now owe a whole new debt of gratitude to the folks at Kitchenaid, who make a kick-ass pasta roller set for the stand mixer.  Susan gave me the recipe and a run down of how it’s done and I was off!  The spaghetti and ravioli are in the freezer awaiting a plunge in hot salty water when we’re ready to eat them.

I also went out and filled the chicken coops with lots of dry bedding since it promises to be a wet and muddy and miserable few days for them outside.  All the towels and napkins have been laundered as well as fresh under garments for everyone.  The dishes are all clean.  The house has been (mostly) picked up and vacuumed.

I have plenty of knitting projects to work on and a Kindle full of books to read. The kids have plenty of books, paper and crayons and puzzles.

I wish we went into every weekend this prepared.

 

 

 

Unknown's avatar

Boston Weekend

by

This is an incredibly overdue post.  BUT I think I have finally figured out this whole Mac thing and how to use my photo program effectively enough to post again.

A few weekends ago I took the train up to Boston to stay with my dear friend Jenny and her lovely husband Ken. (Note: 12 hours on the train equals mad knitting time.  Knit a complete pair of baby socks on the way up).  She’s been to Virginia numerous times but I had never been to stay with her.  I was very excited, and the trip did not disappoint.

For the first time ever, I finally made it to Salem, Mass.  I studied quite a bit about it in college and in my spare time since, but I was beyond happy to finally get there in person.

Unfortunately, we lamed out on the whole museum experience.  When you get old friends together (our friend Amanda met us there) who haven’t seen each other in awhile, time seems to get away from you.  Even still, I wouldn’t trade the time we had there for anything.  It was just wonderful.

I spent a lot of time looking at all the old houses.  Salem, like the rest of New England, is full of great architecture.

We did take in the tour at the Salem Witch Museum, which though it ended up being not the one we had intended to do, was still fun.

We had lunch at a pub called “The Old Spot”, full of photographs of Old Spotted Pigs, the breed for whom the pub was named.  Our bellies full of Cheese Fries with Gravy (drool) we headed back out to take in the town and get some gelato.

See?  Great architecture!

Did you know that Salem is also on the water?  Gorgeous!

Salem was perfect and next time we know just where to go.  We’ll also make a beeline for the ancient cemeteries for some photos of the elaborate gravestones.

After our day at Salem Jenny took me to one of her favorite places, Portsmouth, NH.  If you’re ever there, please be sure to stop by The Friendly Toast restaurant ( Guinness – battered onion rings anyone? ).

Noticing a trend?  Yeah.  Jenny and I know how to do food.

Another sure – fire sign you’re in New England?  Lobster rolls being advertised everywhere.  If you’ve never had one, you need to make it a goal.

More excellent New England architecture.  Clearly you can see where my heart lives.

There’s a great little park full of flowers in Portsmouth where Jenny and I stopped to rest.

It’s right on the water.  And do you know what’s on the opposite side of that water?  (This blew my un-geographically smart brain) MAINE.  I immediately made Jenny get back in the car and drive across the bridge so I could say I went to Maine.

I am a nerd.

I very much did not want to leave and return to the south.  Although I have come to love my home in Virginia, there’s nothing like the restorative power of your homeland.  The upside is that the 12 hour train ride back got me pretty far along on a shawl I started while at Jenny’s house (and I brought Polar Birch Beer & Drake’s Cakes home with me – we can’t get those down here).

The train may have been an all – day affair but now that I know how easy it is to hop on and go I am certain I will be making more trips north to see my friends.

And the architecture.  You can’t forget that.

Unknown's avatar

Holiday Weekend Noro Giveaway!!!

by

Just in time for the 4th, it’s time to give away THREE (50 gram, 100 meter) balls of Noro Silk Garden!  Two are colorway number 341, the 3rd is number 326.

 

To enter, leave a comment about your favorite thing to do on the 4th.

Entry is open until Sunday night at midnight.

The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday.

Good luck friends and have a fabulous holiday weekend!!

Unknown's avatar

Staying Productive

by

As I mentioned last time, the kids are away this week and so the pressure is on to get things done before they get back.  It’s actually more difficult than I would have thought, because with no one needing me every ten seconds I can lose myself in things for a lot longer than I probably should and before I know it I’ve spent far too long reading rather than cleaning.

It’s okay.  Relaxation is good for me, too.

Yesterday I spent the day with Susan and Caroline over at the farm working on sewing projects.  We had all been lusting after a dress made with  this pattern, and it just so happened that I have it.  We played with fabrics and zippers and sewing machines and in the end managed to finish a skirt from this Amy Butler pattern.  We’re not necessarily the most productive team when we’re having too much fun enjoying each others’ company.  But it was just what I needed to break up a week of sequestering myself for the purpose of house cleansing.  Being around the animals and hearing the sweet “baaahs” and “maaahs” is wonderfully rejuvenating.

And now, on to the BIG news.

I will be shortly giving away 3 skeins of Noro Silk Garden RIGHT HERE to one lucky reader.

Details to come!!!!!!

Gratuitous Wren picture.  Lord, I love that lamb!

 

 

Unknown's avatar

Busy Week

by

This week the girls are staying with their grandparents in New York and the pressure is on to get things done!

Don’t worry, I am making sure to have plenty of relaxing down time as well.  Lots of Japser – cat cuddle time is happening, lots of knitting time with Gulliver in my lap, lots of catching up on the tv I can’t watch with kids around.

BUT.

Also lots of cleaning out, throwing away, packing up for storage, weeding, steam cleaning, etc.  You get the idea.

Even better, lots of knitting and sewing.  I am getting ready to put the finishing touches on a strip patchwork quilt using all of my precious discontinued  Heather Ross fabrics.

It’s looking better than I could have hoped, and I found a queen – sized flat sheet at WalMart that looks very similar to one of the Heather Ross polka dot fabrics.  It’s doing nicely as my quilt backing.

But it won’t get done tonight.

Tonight I am taking Maddie to PF Chang’s as a belated birthday gift.

Hooray!

Unknown's avatar

Shearing Extravaganza!

by

Another Shearing Day has come and gone and I do believe we are all exhausted in the very best way possible. Even Oona slept more soundly after wards than she has in I don’t know how long. There were games, ribbons, pies, popcorn, maple cotton candy, luscious yarn and fiber, gorgeous pottery and baskets, a crazy – good bluegrass band, balloons, and SHEEP!

I was happy to see some dear friends from my Book Club at the festival as well as friends from all over the country who flew in just for the event.  I am also happy and proud to announce that my Buttermilk Pie won the pie contest!  It was such a beautifully fun day that I am already excited and ready for the next one this fall.  Just remind me not to bring my camera into the stalls with the lambs and the freshly shorn sheep.  Freshly shorn sheep are slick with lanolin.  And that, my friends, makes for blurry pictures when it gets all over your camera lens.  Ask me how I know.

Now go check out Susie’s blog account of the festival HERE, featuring pictures by the amazingly talented Joel Eagle.

Unknown's avatar

Scenes From Maryland Sheep & Wool

by

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival was amazing.  Not only did I get to run into some old friends and finally “meet” others:

Hi Marie!

We ALSO got to go to an after party where we were lucky enough to meet both Deb Robson and Carol Ekarius, who were generously signing copy of their new, not – yet – available – in – stores book, The Fleece & Fiber Source Book.

Y’all, I’m not gonna lie.  This is probably the BEST book on fiber and the animals that provide it.  As soon as we had it in our hot little hands, Susan, Caroline, Jenny and I went straight to our room and read through it.

It was a lovely weekend full of lovely people.  It shall only be surpassed by the awesomeness that will be this weekend’s Shearing Extravaganza at Juniper Moon Farm.

But for now, enjoy the pictured from Maryland!

Susie needs this sign.

Unknown's avatar

Findley- licious

by

I am lately smitten with a new yarn.

It’s Findley, one of the new Juniper Moon Farm yarns  in silk / merino that I was able to snag a few early samples of (along with an advance copy of a Findley pattern!) thanks to all the volunteer work I’ve been putting in over there.

On one of the many all – nighters waiting for lambs Caroline stayed with me and she was knitting one of the new patterns with Findley for the photo shoot for the upcoming book.  I was instantly in love.

Now that I am knitting it myself, I can tell you – it’s to die for.

I am working on the Three Lace Cardigan in colorway “Crocodile”.

I have never, ever, not once, knitted anything as fast as I am knitting this, for two reasons:

A: Caroline and I, completely independent of one another, decided we should have something knitted up in the new yarn to wear to Maryland Sheep & Wool this weekend (a whole sweater, knitted in one week.  Clearly craziness is in the water down here, ’cause it’s gonna be close if I can manage it)

B: I am addicted to it.  I can’t put it done.  It’s WAY fun to knit with.  Every day when school’s done I pop my earphones in, open my This American Life app on my ipod (or the occasional Ricky Gervais podcast) , and knit until I can’t keep my eyes open.

I don’t have any pictures of what the finished product will look like – you’ll have to wait until it’s complete.

BUT – if you’ll be at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Fest this weekend, be sure to find us.  There will be plenty of it to feel for yourself!

Unknown's avatar

Big Knitting News

by

Can I get a hands- up from all the knitters out there?

For anyone who hasn’t already heard, Susan’s Juniper Moon Farm has been licensed by one of the biggest yarn companies – KFI (Knitting Fever Inc) – in the country.  If you’ve heard of Debbie Bliss, you ‘ll soon hear of JMF in the same circles, since Debbie Bliss yarns are also made by KFI.

If you don’t know knitting, trust me.  This is a HUGE deal. Soon you’ll find Juniper Moon Farm yarn in stores all over the US.

The part of it nearest and dearest to my heart however are the pattern books that will be released to compliment the yarn lines.  In the past I’ve collected knitting books ravenously.  I never thought or dreamed that one day I’d be present for the making of any, and certainly never imagined that my daughters would be in any!

Check out Susan’s blog for a sneak peak at the books and my lovely Emily who will appear for several patterns.  Even Oona will put in a cameo!