The big fair of the year is fast approaching and I have been very busy in preparation.  As I am processing all of my fiber right now, the carding machine has been working over~time as have the dye-pots.

Angora is wonderful stuff, as many of you have noticed, however, it can be very stubborn when it comes to dyeing.  Angora needs to soak in warm water for quite a long time.  As you can see from the above picture, it is very very resistant to water…..good for the bunnies, not so great when you want to dye it.

In both pictures you can see how angora clumps together when it is placed in water.  In order to dye the angora, those clumps need to constantly be pulled apart, to make it more accepting of the water and then the dye.  Even when I think that I have been as diligent as I could possibly be at breaking up those clumps, sometimes I am disappointed at the angora that didn’t take the dye, due to the clumps that I missed, which of course will lighten up the final product, due to the amount of white that gets blended in with the colored angora.

This time I was rewarded for my diligence with the rich deep colors in both the dyed wool and angora.

After the dye~pot it is onto the carder.  This is where I find out whether my color choices are going to be a hit or a bomb.  What looks good to the eye separately, once blended on the carding machine can sometimes yield unpleasant surprises.

This time, however, I am pleased with what the machine is presenting to me.  I like it enough, that I decided to only do one pass, leaving the colors to shine, instead of my usual tendency towards more muted color.

I will spin up a couple of ounces of Northern Lights to see if I made the right choice…….we will see. 😉

One thing I am finding out about myself, is that I have a tendency to want to do it all. I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to produce.  I don’t think of myself as a type A person, but sometimes I find myself behaving as though I am (hhmmm….).  As I pile on project after project and demand after demand, I start to loose the enjoyment in my pursuits and it starts to feel like work.  For this fair, I have 13 items entered into the judging competitions, 3 loom demonstrations that the looms need to be warped for and of course the rovings (which help fund Rhinebeck 😉 ) and I am dizzy.

A few years ago, I took the year off, spinning one bunch of roving at a time and then knitting something special from each at a comfortable pace…..keeping to myself and enjoying the freedom of quiet "me" time.  It was a productive and stress free year.  As I wind down from this self imposed pressure cooker that I have created for myself this year, I am going to take that time once again and enjoy my hobby for what I want it to be……..my hobby.

If you have stuck with me this long, you will understand why this closing verse spoke to me from my little meditation book today.

I want to make myself an empty room:
Quiet whitewashed walls with slant sunshine
And a fresh breeze through the open windows.
Deng Ming~Dao

Enjoy the day~in your corner of the world.

A sentinel owl regards me unblinkingly,
And beyond, alpine forest form a cadence
To a distant moon.
Deng Ming~Dao

Sandy is having a contest and the prize is two skeins of Lorna Laces Sock yarn in the Gold Hill colorway……..thus the evening sky picture.  This is the pond across the street from our home.  It is home to geese who gently honk at this time of the night. (it always scares the bejeesus out of new puppies…..LOL)

And here is where the sad sock tale beings…….

Once upon a time, there was a 6 sock KAL.  The second sock in the series was called Making Waves.  Now this was a fun little cable sock that moved along at a nice pace. 

They were much loved as they matched the colors of green that I always wear.  They were loved so much, that they made the long trek to Rhinebeck with me…..my prized socks, that looked so nice with olive green or Khaki.

Now given that I am of that menopausal age, sometimes I get "hot" feet…….and when that moment strikes, off come the socks, and frequently, they are neatly folded over on themselves and tossed in a corner.  Imagine my dismay, when a few days after returning home, I found my pride and joy to be missing.  Frantically I made waves and called the hotel……..no sign of the socks.  Boo Hoo!!

So Norma………..I know you are lining your pages with Gold……heck, you are looking like a regular Golden girl…..but you must admit, it was kismit that Sandy has this sockyarn up as a prize and with just enough time for a pair to be made again for Rhinebeck ;-))

Just in case the "Golden Gods" do not shine my way, Autumn in Opal Silk (Safari) is hoping in the Rhineback backpack this year too 🙂

In late summer, heaven’s breath is damply hot.
It smothers the earth with dullness.
Suddenly, thick clouds gather:
A wave of polar air passes like a frigid rake.

Acorns fall like bullets,
And a new wind breaks through.
Deng Ming~Dao

It has been such a hot and humid summer for us, which is very unusual up here in the mountains……This morning we were greeted with delightfully cool mountain air.  Even the asters were smiling.

Ahhhhh
This was a weekend of test knitting.  Not usually one of my strengths, given that I am not a patient person, but I am learning, some times painfully that….sampling is a good thing

I started on US #1’s and wasn’t sure that I was going to get the same
effect in the ribbing that I originally liked, so I ripped it out and
used US#2’s and as you can see from the picture, the ribbing looked
nice, but I could tell from handling the sample that the fabric was
going to be too loose and flimsy for me.  Last year I made this pair of gray koigu socks on size 2’s as the pattern called for and they are never worn, as I can feel those pesky stitches and they are a bit too loose,

So…..rippppp we went again and I went back to US#1’s and although the ribbing is a bit closer, the fabric is a much firmer fabric and I am happier with the results.  As Margene pointed out to me, the fabric done with the #1’s will help the sock to last a little longer…..something I hadn’t thought about.

What I did find out though in my weekend of sampling and researching is how confusing information on metric sized needles is on the internet. When I googled 2.5mm knitting needles, what it told me is that it is a US #1 a US#2 or a US# 1.5 (which I never knew existed).  How confusing is that???
I have a feeling that my friend Tracy, used what is a size 1 1/2 and not a size 2.  I think I will pick up a pair of 1.5’s for my next pair of socks to see how the next batch of Opal knits up  🙂

Enjoy the day………it is lovely~

Our boy Max is now…..
"Champion Fairfield Maximus of Ballymena"

A very special thank you to John Marcus
for getting Max out into the ring for me!

Finally!!  These lovely socks have been on my sock needles since last winter……..can you believe it??  They whispered to me every now and then………..sat there making me feel guilty and even then they were ignored.  I am great for whipping thru the first sock, but then my cheating heart gets me into trouble, when the boredom sets in with the second one.  Although I love the socks……I am happy that they are finished. 
Pattern: Marguerite’s  Old Shale Socks
Yarn:  Lang Jawoll
Needles:  Size 1 bamboo dpts.

Even though I have some pretty yummy sock yarns waiting to be knit, I made myself finish the  2 pair that had sat most of the summer, before I would allow myself to contemplate the next sock.
(I am trying to stay focused……trying, I tell ya)

I wavered over which sock yarn to start on next, but at the end of the day, this lovely Opal Silk yarn won out.  After seeing these socks on Tracy’s blog, I allowed myself to set on a mission to find this yarn, as it is not available in the states (not that I could find anyways)

Now the question:  This opal yarn recommends using a 2.5mm (US2) needle and the pattern has you cast on 60 stitches, which is what Tracy followed.  One thing I really really hate is to be able to feel the stitches on the bottom of my feet, so I almost always knit with #1’s.  Do you think that the opal yarn with #2’s would make the stitches loose enough to feel?  Would I be better off using #1’s and 72 stitches?  A conundrum……..I’m looking forward to hearing what has worked best for you all when using Opal yarn.  I love this yarn so much that I want to be sure that I love the socks too 🙂

When I first learned how to spin, I went crazy purchasing raw fleeces.  There is something that calls out to me when I see an especially nice and clean raw fleece.  I don’t know if it is the grease glistening on the crimpy fiber, the smell or the colors, but it just does.  If you were to take a peek into my barn, where my roving stash is hidden, you would be amazed..
I am much better now.  I only allow myself one fleece a year that is just for me and I usually get it from Skylines Farm.

I have to admit that my favorite part of preparing a raw fleece is washing it.  I know…….that is pretty strange, but there is something magical about taking this greasy, sheepy smelling fleece and watching what happens to it after a few soakings with dish detergent and then a few more hot water soakings.  It never ceases to amaze me just how dirty those dark colored fleeces can be

Last week I had a sneak peek at this grouping of fiber.  What you see
is .5oz of Romney that was soaking in the above picture, .3oz of fawn alpaca and .2oz of
angora donated from Truffles, the bunny that was shorn last week.

Originally, I was thinking that I would like a sweater made with this combo, spun in a dk weight, but as I started spinning, the wool told me that it didn’t want to be a dk weight, which surprised me as the romney felt pretty scratchy. (Yup……my wool talks to me..can you believe it??)

As I spun, I just was not sure that I was going to like this combination
and I was thankful that I had only carded up 2 oz.

After it was plied, wet and dried out in the air, I found, much to my surprise, that I liked it very much. The yarn ended up somewhere between a fingering and a light sportweight yarn.  I am thinking that I may just continue carding up some more to become the diamond lace cardigan sweater pattern that I purchased at Harrisville yesterday.

Mr. Bunny looks pretty pleased doesn’t he?

Yesterday I took a "me" day.  I packed up my car and headed off to Southern NH for a a day of dogs and yarn.

My first stop was to visit Francie Stevens of Fieldplay English Setters.  Cavaliers will always be my first love and I can’t imagine not having a few, but we are facing some new serious health conditions in the breed, in addition to MVD (mitral valve disease) we are now dealing with SM (syringomyelia) Cavalier owners and breeders have really done their part in providing enough blood samples from cavaliers in the UK, US and in Canada to convince the researchers to do a complete DNA marker, which will at least help breeders make educated decisions in breeding down the road, but that is at least a few years away.  For me, I will breed very few litters until we know more about this condition and it’s mode of inheritance……….and I am also looking at a few other breeds.  English setters are amazingly like Cavaliers in temperament, just in a bigger package and is a breed with few serious health issues.

Now with gas prices being what they are these days.  How could I resist the temptations along the way?  Who knows when I may get back down to Southern NH and we wouldn’t want to make separate trips to places, as my DH keeps reminding me……….so……….first stop on my travels was a side trip to the Elegant Ewe.  I just love this store!  You walk in the door to celtic music and the store is just filled to the brim with some of the nicest yarns, books and spinning supplies.

After visiting with the ES breeder, I took a look at the map and by golly, Harrisville Designs was only a mere 20 minutes away.  What can I say?  Even though it was already 3:30, it was just too close to pass by with out visiting…….and what a treat!!

What an incredible room of colors, textures and unique designs.  The staff is very friendly, the store if full of eye~candy and the building is located in such a beautiful setting.  Even though it is a good distance away from me (almost 3 hrs), I will have to take another trip down in the future!!

As you may remember, just a few posts ago, I spoke of wanting to keep my fiber purchases under control and you would be proud of me.  Can you believe that in visiting 2 incredible shops, that I only came home with a few patterns and the new copy of Spin~off?

I had such a fun day , inspite of the nasty hot and humid weather we are experiencing……..I highly recommend a visit to Harrisville Designs!!

I have such great friends!

September 11th is my birthday and it goes without saying that it is a hard day to celebrate on, but every year, a small group of friends throw a lobster party in true Jimmy Buffet fashion  for me.

Last year, one of the girls brought fixings for pomegranate~pinapple vodka martinis.  Me, being the conservative wine drinker that I am, was going to pass on trying one, but as you can see from the banner, not only did I try one last year………..I LOVED it!

Now, this is a creative group of friends……..and when I arrived at the party and saw balloons pinned to a wall, cans all lined up and a smiling pinata…….I got very nervous..  What the heck was in store for me this year?????

Needless to say, between the martini’s, the games, a beeeutiful fall tiara and great company, a very good time was had by all……but thank goodness, martini’s are a once a year thing. 😉

and a little knitting……

Now I remember just why I enjoy koigu so much!

Being the ADD and Menopausal woman that I am, keeping focused and staying on task can be a challenge at times.  My DH, God love him, is a very organized, task minded person who has always made lists for which I have always teased him.

So……..what am I going to do ??  Hehe……make lists.  In my desire to stay on task a bit more, I have decided to set daily goals, ala The Knitting Maniac  Now mind you, mine will be much less ambitious, but heck…..I’m going to give it a try.  (what Carrissa accomplishes in a week is pretty impressive).  I have a busy fiber season coming up and hopefully being a little more goal challenged, I just may stay on track………..or not………we will see.

After seeing Liv’s little shawl, I couldn’t help myself when I passed Patternworks the other day…2 skeins of Koigu came home with me.  Little Miss H, LOVES shawls.  I swear there is a little old soul hiding in that young body.  While this was not on my "to do" list (see I am already wandering), it will get tucked away for a Christmas present.  I think a little black velvet or long grey wool skirt may go along with it.

And before I get to the Ewwwwww part of my post……..Have you seen the new Knitty?  Wow, wow, wow!  Sometimes the patterns are a bit too modern for this New England Yankee…….but I have to say that I LOVE all of the patterns this time.  Great Job!!!

and the Ewww… (Warning…..you may want to finish your breakfast before reading.)
Maddie is my oldest cavalier and is such a good girl.  She is 10 years old now and still acts like a puppy, in-spite of her advanced Mitral Valve Disease (MVD).  When my oldest daughter, Stacey, lost her baby a few years ago, she asked if Maddie could come live with her.  Stacey is a great dog Mum and takes wonderful care of Maddie. 

As I was sitting at the computer yesterday, Stacey came in rather pale and asked me to take a look at something that had been in Maddie.  Maddie had been to the groomers and it appears that the groomer found a rather large lump on Maddie.  Given that Maddie has a few fatty tumors, she didn’t think too much of it until she looked closer at it.  There was a hole in that lump and something was in it.  Of course, I knew immediately what it probably was……..a BOTFLY larvae…….eeeeeeeewwwwwwwI!!(I posted a link and not the picture……as it is pretty gross)  You can not even imagine how greatly relieved I was to hear that the groomer had gotten it out and I wasn’t going to have to do it.  However, Stacey not knowing what it was, brought it home in a baggie for me to see….yuk!!!  Needless to say, the first day of my new diet went well.

When you are a pet owner, you just never know what you are going to deal with.  Hopefully this is the first and last time with this critter!!!

 I sat down a few times to write something and really struggled.  Somehow, it is hard to go about the small day to day things that we take for granted and not think about those that no longer have that luxury…..I have found my thoughts have been so scattered.  I am way behind in blog reading and responding.

Sadness and tragedy will always be a part of life, but in order to go on with living, sometimes all we can do, is to do the best that we can for those that are suffering, and then give ourselves permission to keep on living, without guilt.

What I did on the first day of school…..
Now there are moms who really lament the end of summer and the children going back to school………..but………..I’m not one of them!  I love my children very much, but I also enjoy the ability to think an entire thought without being interrupted, so I relish those first few days of stillness and quiet when the kids board the school bus again…….
here’s what I did during school hours….

I showed you a picture of some very pretty mountain color alpaca yarn that I have been saving last week.  I went back and forth trying to decide whether to use it in a sweater or use if for a Ruana.  Because I am menopausal (eeekkk……i can’t believe I am using such a term to describe myself!!), and am suffering from the random attacks of the hot~flash monster, I rarely wear worcestered weight sweaters.  I lean more towards vests and jumperweight sweaters, so the Ruana won out.

I am using 2 strands of the alpaca blend and one strand of cascade.  To make a ruana, you make one shawl on the loom, push it back against the frame, make another shawl over it and then stitch them together.  It is tedious keeping the 3 strands from splitting, but I think it is going to be worth the work in the end.  I like the way the colors are working up against each other.  A Ruana is more like a jacket than a shawl and stays on your shoulders so much better.  It will also give me a chance to use the lovely celtic shawl pin that I purchased last year in Rhinebeck as well.

I have also started another lotus blossom scarf.  This time I am trying a larger sized knitting needle and like the way it is coming out.   Unfortunately, I couldn’t capture the pretty colors in this Mint Chocolate Roving.  It is much prettier than in the picture.

The pattern is a little more visible and the softness of the fingering
weight yarn shows a little better, with the larger needle and I can
still get a full scarf out of 2 oz of roving..   

I am getting a wee bit sick of knitting it, as I have done 3 in the last few weeks, but I want to work out all of the bugs before I put the kit up on my website.  One thing I can say, is that it has a nice rhythm to it and the pattern is easy to memorize.

and a peek………