“Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” ~Albert Einstein

I have not been here for a while, but remembering my word from January, I am trying to sort through the clutter that keeps me from finding harmony.  Bit by bit I am making progress V E R Y slowly.  I think I may need a few more years to complete this task..ha!

I have missed blogging.  Sometimes I get paralyzed by all the goals that I set for myself.  Does this happen to you?  I find that I end up doing nothing except spending hours on line looking at the amazing things that so many others do and yes I learn a ton from my reading and have grown as an artist, but it's time to put the reading aside and get back to creating and connecting with friends.

I plan to be here a whole lot more….I've missed my friends, you always give me inspiration!

 

It's been a while since I have visited, but I wanted to share my weekend with you and to encourage you to take a class with Elizabeth Doherty of Blue Bee Studio if you have the chance.  I have known and worked with Elizabeth for a few years now on various projects but this weekend was the first time that I have had the opportunity to take a few classes with her, in fact I was able to take 2 classes.  Saturday's class was learning how to work with linen.  I LOVE linen after it's been washed, but in all honesty, I found that I do not love knitting with it.  

Part of the process for me when I am knitting is enjoying the wonderful handle of different yarns, from winding the ball to knitting, blocking and ultimately wearing the item.  Linen is a bit hard on your hands, so my focus when working on my next sweater that I bought yarn for will be to remember how glorious the finished sweater will feel when I am wearing it, because I love this sweater done in linen.

Sunday's class was focused on top down knitting and putting in a fitted sleeve.  I did this on my Helvetica Sweater and was so pleased not to have to seam it in, but I can't say that I did a fabulous job with it either. It's definitely passable, but I really wanted to learn the thought process behind the pattern and to watch Elizabeth explain and do this.  I left the class on Sunday with a much better understanding of the mechanics of getting something to fit the way that it should.

The classes were held in Salem Massachusetts in a Yarn Store called Circle of Stitches, which is owned and Run by Ana Campos.  I grew up in this area when I was young and frequently rode my bike to Pickering Wharf, so it was a treat to go back and visit this area again. 
What a treasure this little shop in the middle of historic Salem is!
Tucked away on Wharf Drive as you walk into the store you are welcomed by friendly faces and a bright sunny shop with some of the highest quality yarns.
Such a very comfortable place to visit and Ana is extremely knowledgeable and a Master Knitter.  
If you are in the area, stop in and say hi.  I bet you won't leave empty handed…I know I didn't.

On Saturday there was an art show which made finding a parking spot nearly impossible.  It took me 20 minutes to find something…I was in full panic mode by the time I got to my class!  I left super early for my Sunday morning class because I didn't want to have another stressful morning. Such a gorgeous day to be up and out early!  I arrived an hour before the class and enjoyed my coffee with some knitting time while sitting on the wharf.  It was such a peaceful hour.

 Before I left for the show, I gathered all of the supplies that were required for my classes and a knitting project that needs to be finished before vending at Squam next weekend and realized that I didn't have a bag big enough to hold all of the things I needed and wanted to bring with me. 
Right? 
Kim who makes bags for everyone else?
In true Kim fashion (that makes Mr. Woolen Rabbit crazy) I sat down to my sewing machine an hour before I needed to leave to make myself a much needed "Bunny Bucket Bag".

I will be full steam ahead getting ready for Squam this week, but then I will spending some down time working on some new bags.  I forgot how much I enjoy working on them, so check back soon. 

 …and if you are in the Holderness area and want to have an enjoyable evening shopping with some of the most talented people I know, come on over to the Art Fair at Rockywold!!

 

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Where to begin?  It's amazing how time just slips by isn't it?  I will admit that I tend to post a little more regularly on Instagram or Facebook because it's quick and easy, but I love my little corner here in blog land where I have met so many of the people who I now call friend most.  I will always keep this little corner even when I am quiet. 🙂

Since we last visited, Ken and I have embarked on a new Whole30 for the month of April and so far we are doing great, even though it is the month of jelly beans!.  We allowed ourselves to enjoy Easter Day in moderation and then got right back to it.  It's not easy and finding foods that keep it interesting can be challenging, but it's also a feeling of accomplishment when you are finished as well….and your body thanks you by giving you a reprieve from inflammation pain.  We will definitely be finding ways to incorporate this more in our daily lives once we are finished.

On the knitting front, I have been testing a few new yarns that I will be bringing into my shop.  These are 4 natural, non superwash merino blends that I am really excited about.  Above is one of the blends…it is a DK weight merino/silk yarn that is incredibly soft.  I enjoyed knitting Stravaigin so much so that I decided to knit another one with this blend and I was so pleased with it.  The colors in this cowl are Blush, Natural and Daddy Steelbucks.

I am currently knitting up some plain swatches of the other 3 yarns and I have a few skeins of the sport weight merino dyed and ready to go on the needles next week to test a new project with.  I am so happy to have found my knitting mojo again and knitting these smaller projects have really made me smile.

I will also be adding a "wee little sweater" to the knit list next week and I really look forward to knitting this!!

Oh…and one more little tidbit of news.  I will be starting a new job next month that I am really looking forward to!  It will be doing many of the same things I am doing in my current job, but in a smaller setting with a great group of people, along with keeping The Woolen Rabbit going strong.

It really has been a busy month here with new adventures on the horizon and new adventures are always fun, aren't they?

Weekending….

As slow as the work week goes, the weekend just flies by doesn't it?
This weekend, I completely took one full day off….well, almost…there were a few vats of dyeing that happened, but no power dyeing. 😉
  Last weekend I spent my days off getting up early and working in the shop, so I spent this Saturday relaxing, watching some cooking shows and working on a project that I will share with you this week.  It was fun to stretch my knitting skills a bit.

Every year this weekend the Maple Syrup folks celebrate with open houses across the Northern States.  It's hard to believe that I have lived up here now for 24 years and have never been to a Sugar House!  After talking with a client at work this week about a Sugar House that he was going to go to that also serves up a scrumptious breakfast, Ken and I decided to head out to a few this morning.
First on the stop was Oak Hill Farm just over the border in Hiram Maine.  Ken marveled at the intricate web of tubing that went from tree to tree and ultimately into the Sugar House to be boiled and made into Maple Syrup.
They also cooked up a nice breakfast!

From there on our way home we stopped at a local Maple Sugar House that we never knew was there…in our own back yard!  The Sap Hound Maple Company is located right over the Conway, NH line in Brownfield Maine and is just a few miles from one of our favorite kayaking spots on Conway Lake.
It was fun to watch the way the Maple Syrup that we love to put on our breakfast foods and ice-cream are made and the samples we indulged in along the way were pretty darn good as well!

…and speaking of those indulgences, we decided to strap on our snowshoes to burn off some of those calories when we got home, so we headed up to nearby Tin Mountain where we met a friend who used to teach there.  It was fun to learn what some of the different animal tracks that saw were!

I love the little trail markers that let you know you are on the right track.  There are beavers, bears, bobcats, birds, etc…they make me smile. 
The sun was high in the sky and warm, which made the snow soft and enjoyable to walk through.

There is a certain peacefulness to walking through the woods in the winter/now spring.  Each step moves you further and further into the woods…so quiet and peaceful, but yet you can see the evidences of the busy life that inhabits these woods from all of the various animal tracks along the way.  The little snow hares, the squirrels, the deer, fox along with the awakening bears..and the bobcat prints that we saw last weekend.

It was a very full weekend indeed!  I hope that you had an enjoyable weekend in your corner as well.

Celebrate Spring
with a Woolen Rabbit Sale!
This weekend to celebrate Spring we are having a 15% off sale!
 March 18 at 8:00 am thru March 19 at 11:00 pm (est)
After the long snowy winter it's time to celebrate the happy colors of Spring.
Join along with us in welcoming the new Season!
Happy Knitting!!

Visit us on Instagram!

      
Play with color!

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Goodness the weekends go by fast don't they?  I had a relaxing and productive weekend…and Ken, well he was productive but I'm pretty sure Saturday wasn't very relaxing for him as he continued to work on putting our torn up bedroom back together.  He's making a lot of progress! (pictures soon)

Saturday I spent some time out in the studio dyeing some yarn for customers and myself.  Those 3 skeins up there are going to become this cowl ,Stravaigin. I have been wanting to do some colorwork this winter, so this gives me a chance. I am really looking forward to getting started on this once I finish the Peace Cowl. Hopefully tomorrow.

I also spent some time getting to know my serger…once again.  Every time I sit down to use it I have to re-watch the darn video on how to thread it.  I think I have it down now given how many times I had to thread it over and over.  I guess I should use it more often. 😉

 

Sunday we took a drive down to York, Maine to pick up this beautiful old hutch…just look at that wood, isn't it stunning??  I just happened to stumble upon this on Craig's list while I was l looking at something else and fell in love with it, especially given that it was only 150.00.  It nicely fills up a spot in my dining room that has been bare for a number of years now.

On the way home we decided to drive along the beaches of Southern Maine.  It was some kind of cold out, but the waters were so incredibly beautiful!  Soft shades of sea green and blue that was exceptionally clear.  The water almost looked like the waters of the Caribbean if you didn't mind the blustery 5 degree weather and winds.

Tomorrow we are expecting a major snow storm along with a good portion of the Northeast.  If you are in the path of the storm…stay warm and safe!

It's a very rare that I post pictures of myself, let alone 2 in one week, but I have lost all of my models now that they are all out on their own….sheesh!
  Ashley and Hannah are pretty good about modeling when I can get over to them, but it's not like having them right here.

Anyhoo…..this is another headband.  Yep, one of those, but this one is mine and I love it!  It keeps my ears warm and cozy on those cold winter walks both out on the road and now in the woods.
As many times as I have made this headband for both family and friends, I never tire of making it!

Pattern:  Elisbeth Headband
Yarn:  WW Kashmir
Colorway:  Cape Cod Blues

 

Yesterday it was such a gloomy, rainy day on my day off so I spent my time indoors reading, knitting and working on my soon to be new grand-daughter's quilt.
It's been a few weeks since I have been able to work on it, so it was nice to spend a few hours plugging away on it.

 

I love these happy, cheerful colors and I have to admit that I have been very happy with my points in this quilt.  It doesn't always happen this way but when it does it makes me smile.
It's hard to believe that the new little one will be here in 3 short months.
I will be piecing it together this coming weekend. 🙂

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Introducing my newest yarn base….Downy!
This yarn is a DK weight blend of merino, silk and yak and is incredibly soft, warm and cushiony. 
I am extra sensitive to wearing wool against my skin and I felt almost zero itch factor, while tromping around in the woods behind Tin Mountain today.

The cowl pattern designed by Anne Hanson is such a beautiful pattern and a quick, fun knit!  It's called Peu de Pluie and the colorway is Boysenberry.

Each 4oz skein has approximately 230 yards. I knit this cowl with one skein!
Beautiful definition when knitting textured stitches….I love this yarn base!

I gave Ken my phone to snap off some pictures and he became Mr. Photographer…ey yi yi.  We had a fun day though out in the woods trying out these new snowshoes.  I wish I had given snowshoeing a try years ago to help make the long days of winter a little more enjoyable up here in the North Country. 
If you haven't tried it yet, give it a try, you may love it! 

 

Spring is definitely on it's way and all of the snow we have had this winter will be a blessing, filling up the rivers and wells that were almost dry last summer.
As much as I am enjoying my time out in our winter woods, I am so looking forward to warmer temperatures and my toes in the sand again, but still..how beautiful is this?

 

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