Do you wake up some days and just know it's going to be a good one?  That is just how I felt when I got up this morning.  The sun was shining as I poured my morning coffee and settled in for a few rows on Maplewing.  I could just feel the good karma of the day….

I'm telling you, each row of this shawl is pure enjoyment.  Watching the little leaf swirls grow and seeing the way the colors are lining up is fun.  The pattern is very well written, so it is moving right along now.  This will have my full knitting attention over the next week, except for a little spinning. 🙂

Yep…..some nights I am just too tired to knit….well, I should rephrase that.  Some nights I am just so tired that I would like to just sit and have a glass of wine (or 2) and that does not bode well for lace that has over 500 stitches in each row….

I have learned the hard way that wine and lace do not make good companions…..just sayin'.  Last night I plied the BFL singles that I had been spinning over the last few weeks….

…and skeined them this morning after working on the shawl.  I'm trying to be better about finishing things to alleviate some of the clutter.  Spring is definitely in the air here and that always makes me want to dig in and organize stuff. 🙂

After I had my morning coffee, packaged up some yarn to be mailed and had the dyepots stewing, I set about blocking Acer.  Yep…that is right, another thing finished…whoo hoo!!

Isn't she pretty?  Kirsten's pattern is such an enjoyable knit and another very well written pattern.  I can honestly say that I loved each and every stitch of this sweater.  Beaverslide is incredible to work with.  Soft and cushiony with great stitch definition.  I can definitely see more of this yarn in my future.  I actually have almost 2 skeins of this left, so I'm thinking felted slippers or a hat might be nice.

Saturday's sky…….

Even the sky today is brilliant.  The temps are warm, the sun high in the sky …. and the birds are coming back!  Just the other day, I am sure I heard a robin peeping and a few geese are gracing the pond across the street. :).  I so love when the birds come back home!

Of course what you don't see in the sky picture is all the snow we still have left…….but with the upcoming warm, sunny days that they are forecasting should give us a nice melt.  Yep…………..it's been a great day here. 

Simple things frequently make me smile……I hope you are smiling in your corner of the world too. 🙂

At SPA a bunch of us went to dinner at a fabulous restaurant called the Azure Cafe.  The decor was funky, the food fabulous and the company even better. :) 

Some of us ordered the Inhalator Mescolare as our salad and let me tell you it was scrumptious.  The grrls were trying to figure out the dressing when I told them I thought it might be an apple balsamic vinaigrette, as I have a recipe that is very similar in taste.  Guess what, I was pretty darn close :).

I found my dressing recipe on the internet a while back and recognized the flavors in the restaurant dressing, as this is my new favorite dressing here.  I told the grrls I would post the recipe for the salad and the dressing I make, so here it is. 🙂

Salad: (amounts vary for number of people, so use your best judgment)
Mescalin lettuce mix
crushed walnuts
red onions sliced ultra thin
Gorgonzola cheese
currents
thinly sliced grilled chicken

Dressing: serves 3
2T apple juice concentrate
1T cider vinegar
1T white balsamic vinegar
1tsp Dijon mustard
garlic salt to taste
1/3 cup Olive Oil

Place all ingredients except for the olive oil in your small food processor or blender.  Drizzle Olive oil in as you blend.
YUM……………………

Acer is just about finished now, so I have been letting myself knit a few rows of Maplewing, and I have to tell you this pattern is wonderful to knit.  With a cast on of 522 stitches, I wasn't sure how it would go, but I have been pleasantly surprised.

My first cast on attempt was a mess, but second time around I used the cast on that I knew Vanessa had used and this time….bingo……..perfection.  It is a knit cast on that will give some stretchiness when blocking.

By the 3rd row, I picked up the rhythm in the pattern and it is nice.  Easy to pick out errors which sure beats having to tink back rows when you are working with this many stitches.  I am finding that each row takes me a good 20 minutes.

Nan, one of the test knitters for this pattern has finished her shawl.  Go take a peek…I will wait.

It is so beeutiful!  Nan used Oakmoss for her shawl and I have to admit I was sorely tempted to use that for mine after seeing hers, as all know that those golds have my heart.

This time however, I really wanted to try something a bit off of my usual color radar so I am staying with my first choice, Mama Mia.  I am not quite sure how this will turn out as it may be a wee bit busy for this shawl, but I am trusting my  instincts here.  (we will see where that gets me…..LOL).

The funny thing…….the more I knit, the more gold I am seeing in this colorway…haha!  I guess even when I try to move away, I end right back at that beautiful honey gold I love.

Ken always shakes his head at my gadgets, but even he thought that this one was a winner.  Let me introduce you to my new electric ball-winder.  Yep….electric. :)  I found this one on Ebay…it's made by hague.

As you know I frequently work with lace weight yarns and winding them with a hand crank ball winder usually works fine, but lately I have been having some problem with my shoulder and arm.  I know it is from repetitive motion, but that is the nature of the beast with what I do. 

Last week it was hurting to the point where I had to take a few days off, which I hate to do…but the arm was useless.  It was on that day that I decided I would make my life a wee bit easier with this new gadget….and let me tell you, it is wonderful!  It doesn't save any time when it comes to winding, but it is going to help save my rotator cuff. 🙂

Coming down the home stretch….

Speaking of arms…..I am on the last sleeve of Acer…wheeeeeee!  The nice part about knitting from the top down, is that I will actually have sleeves that will fit me.  :). 

Margene had warned me that Beaverslide grows when it is washed and my swatch told me that as well, so I went down a size.  I also went down a size anticipating some more weight loss as well.  I don't want another huge sweater…but I know I am probably going to have to give this a hard block as I haven't lost as much weight yet as I hope to. 

I have to admit, I slacked off a bit on the scale in February, but with March here and spring around the corner I am back at it and looking forward to wearing Acer to NH Sheep and wool.

The only thing left to complete Acer other than the sleeve is the buttons.  Do any of you know some good on-line places to shop for nice buttons?  We do not have one single store up here that sells buttons other than Walmart….and I'm not going there. 🙂

Next on the Horizon….

Now that I am almost finished with my sweater, I have cast on for Maplewing.  With a cast on edge of 522 stitches, I haven't gotten too far, but I am really looking forward to this knit.  I am curious to see how this colorway works with the pattern so it will be fun.

A new sweater is in the queue as well.  I will share that with you next week. 🙂

Today I am going to join Terry in "You Tube Saturday".  It gives me a good excuse to share Ashley's music with you. :) 

If you remember, Ashley won a vocal contest up here just about this time last year.  With the proceeds from her winnings, she purchased her guitar.  She's doing pretty good considering she had never played on one before… isn't she?

 
Spring was a time of swaggering declarations.
Reaching autumn, one finds few absolutes.
Life is mystery and ambiguity.
Toward winter, that now seems agreeable and comfortable.
Deng Ming~Dao

Before I continue, I just want to thank everyone for their kind words about my lost shawl.  It means so very much to me to be part of such a supportive and kind community.  Whilst I don't think Oh Canada will be coming home anytime soon….who knows….stranger things have happened. 🙂

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I don't know about you but I am VERY tired of winter, and this is coming from a grrl who loves winter.  It's been unusually cold up here and I think that is what has me more than the snow.

The one thing that always helps me come this time of year is playing in the dyepots and coming up with new colors.  Of course Spa gives me a great excuse to play as well.  This year's new color is called "Pussy-willow".  The silvery downy brown in this color reminds me very much of our little Springtime fuzzy friends.

One of the things that I DIDN'T do in my rush to get out of the house for Spa was bring an entire tote of BFL rovings full of new colors for Spring, so I listed them up on my website.  Colors like:


Dream

Valentine

Lady Blues

Erie

and a few others.

I also put up a pre~order link for Maplewings.  I am offering this beautiful shawl in 5 colorways, one of which will be Pussy-willow.  The kits will start shipping once Anne's pattern is finalized. 🙂

Here's hoping that Punxsutawney Phil was wrong and Spring is just around the corner, but until then, we can fill up our world with color!

Another successful Spa has come and gone and  I think that fun was had by all.  Each year the coordinators ask everyone how the Spa experience could be improved upon and each year they truly listen.  So much so that this year was completely seamless as far as I could tell.  Lots of fun, fiber and friends!

The last 2 weeks have been full to the brim with dye pots, yarn and
fiber.  I love trying to come up with a few new things each year.  This year I made sure to have a full supply of Opulence dyed in many different colors and lots of roving.  Pictured above is some Merino/Tussah silk.  I have to admit, I snagged one of the teal color blends for myself. 

The star of my booth however was this incredibly lovely faroese shawl now known as Maplewing.  Anne mailed the shawl to me the other day and I will tell you that I gasped when I saw it.  This shawl is a true work of art…..absolutely STUNNING!.

I am not the only one who thinks so as you can see.  Anyone who saw her….loved her.  The shawl is so flattering for most everyone, especially given that it doesn't point to that part of us we would rather not have pointed too. 🙂

Hmmm……Mystic Mountain Pine or New England Red? 
(I will be taking pre~orders for kits later in the week on my website)

I was fortunate to have a little helper come along with me.  Hannah has been working fiber fairs with me since she was 10 years old.  Thru the years she has learned how to do math, make change, listen carefully and most important for a shy kid……..she has learned how to talk to people.  It's been fun watching her come out of her shell and really enjoy these events.

This year Hannah had some candy with her as a fund raiser for her trip to Washington DC.  Many people stopped by and gave her a donation and told her to keep the candy……Hannah was blown away by the generosity of so many.  Thank you for being so kind!

It goes without saying that the very best part of any fiber event is spending time with friends………..my "peeps".
 

Laurie and Kathy sharing smiles….

Blogless Manise always encouraging…and…enabling. 🙂

Judy's booth looked lovely with so many beautiful colors!

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I also had a picture of Jean and I proving that we actually were in the same spot at the same time, but I looked like a convict, so I will just let that picture stay in the folder…LOL.

I wish that I had more pictures to share, but unfortunately I did not feel comfortable leaving my camera downstairs in the vending room while I was too busy to watch it.  You may be wondering why that is so…..

Sadly, my lovely Oh!Canada shawl was stolen from my booth during a very busy period.  There were times when it was busy enough that Hannah and I could not watch everything….and never would I have worried about someone taking a knitted item.  I have lost the occasional skein of yarn and maybe a pattern or hand cream, but never something so dear.  I guess I will have to think of a way to secure the knitted samples that I display.

Oh Canada is my most favorite shawl to wear and she will be greatly missed.  If the person who borrowed her reads my blog and would like to send her back home, I will glady welcome her back with no questions asked. 

Her home is:
The Woolen Rabbit
PO Box 330
Conway, NH  03818

As I close this post I want to give a big THANK YOU to the Divas who organize and tirelessly work on making sure that each one of us has a wonderful experience at Spa.  Thanks grrls!

 
As you can see I have been moving right along with Acer.  I spent any free moment I had working on it over the weekend and had just reached the point where I was to start the waist increases.  I love how Kirsten added some shaping to what would be a very square looking sweater without it.

 
So…..last night as I sat down ready to start increasing, I noticed something……oh hell!  If you click on the picture, can you see it?
If you look at the markers in the front, you will see that the markers on the right are much closer to each other than the markers on the left….and sadly I know exactly how that happened, but why I didn't notice it until all of the decrease rows were finished is beyond me.

I just wanted to cry as that translates into about 30 rows and on a top down sweater, that is a lot of work.  So here is my dilemma.  Do I pull back the 30 rows …or…is there a way to just pull back between the markers?

If I only rework that portion of the sweater will there be enough distortion of stitches to make it sloppy?   I am very bummed out about this as I was hoping to have it finished for SPA….sigh.  What would you do?  Ken's suggestion…..Just push against your boob with your shoulder when you are wearing it so no notices the dart is in the wrong place.  Hmm……..NOT helpful!

Distractions………..
One of the reasons for making such a beginner's mistake on my sweater is I am completely swamped right now. 

My days have been filled with stirring the dyepotand my evenings have been full with paperwork for my real job, so by the time I sit down at night I am pretty tired……….thus the error.

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I am so fortunate that I get to do the things that I love for work, so I don't like to complain about workloads.  Getting ready for a big show is a workout, but getting to spend time with some of my favorite people always makes it so worth it!

On the near horizon………

Yep….some of that pinky goodness is for me to use on Anne's newest shawl pattern.  Anne designed this and the Autumn Arbor shawls using my yarns, which I am thrilled about and will have for you to see at SPA.  The pattern will be available soon and I will be offering it as a kit as well once the pattern is ready.  

Pattern:  Hoarfrost
Yarn:  Woolenrabbit Opulence~Dream
Needles:  US 3 Addi's
Raveled:  Here

I think this neck-warmer pattern from Knitspot is my favorite so far.  I love the edging and the way it compliments the main pattern.  It's a fun, easy and very fast knit!  Of course each time I think Anne can't top the last one………she does.  Good thing I love wearing these, because they are addictive.

You can see the pretty lace detailing in this picture.  You can also see that I have it on backwards…aggh.  My grafting could have been a bit neater, which is why you can see it should be facing the back….grin.

It's no secret I hate having my picture taken, but do you think I could bribe one of my 2 girls here today to put on a nice shirt and stand in front of the camera?  Of course not!  Where are my older grrls when I need them….acck!  🙂

The sun shines half a day,
The moon dominates the rest.
Even contemplation
Should have it's proper duration.
Deng Ming~Dao

Yesterday morning I received an email from some distant friends in the UK via another friend of mine here in the states.

A number of years back, the webmaster of the Cavalier Club website in the UK traveled to New Hampshire with his wife.  While they were up in my neck of the woods, they came upon an old picture taken at one of the railroads up here of two men holding Cavaliers.

They felt pretty sure that the rail-house they saw the picture in was at one of the houses in Crawford Notch, which is on the backside of the mountain. 

In looking at the picture that they emailed me, I felt pretty certain that the train was one out of our Conway Railway.  The date is blurry in the picture, but it looks to be around the early 1900's. I have to say that is a mighty fine looking early Cavalier!

It was such a beautiful day here in the Valley that we offered to take the 40 minute drive up to Crawford Notch to see if that is where the pictures was and to find out a little more information on when the picture was taken and if there was any documentation regarding who these people might be.

Unfortunately when we got up there, the Rail-houses were shut for the winter.  Of course the area was crazy busy with winter hikers, snowshoers, ice climbers and cross country skiers, but the little houses…..closed until Spring.

So….we meandered a bit, taking in the beautiful scenery.  The day was sunny and bright, although you could tell that there was a storm on top of the mountain.

I have lived up here now for almost 20 years and still each time I see the mountain, especially this backside portion of it, it takes my breath away.

I did of course take some "car knitting" with me……………..


I am test knitting Anne's Hoarfrost with a newly dyed color of Opulence.  I thought I might have been able to finish it on the trip, but the combination of lace and driving made me a bit carsick, so Acer got a good workout instead.  I am hoping to finish up with this stunning little neck warmer tomorrow. 🙂

Give the one you love an extra big hug today!~