Now that everyone has probably received their June Yarn club package, I thought I would share it here.  This year the theme is on the Roaring 20's…and I think it will be a fun year.  Of course I am working on the 1/2 year, starting in June, which is probably confusing, so maybe next year I will change it, but it will be fun all the same. 🙂

I am so fortunate to have 6 amazing designers on board, all with fabulous ideas.  For the first installment Anne Hanson's lovely pattern Isadora was featured.
Anne writes this about the design:
The wide scarves of the 1920's were worn long and silky to accent the new slender figure and clothing of the decade, but probably came in handy, too, for those baring shoulders for the first time.  This fine silky rectangle features a shimmery damask pattern that relies on changes in stitch direction for the play of shadows across it's surface.

…and it is absolutely LOVELY!

Anne did tell me that the magic in this design really came to life in the blocking….and we all know what a master blocker Anne is…simply amazing!
Thank you Anne!!!

In every club package I always send a little keepsake card with a quote that fits the mailing and also touches my spirit.  I also include a little extra gift that compliments the yarn and design as well.  The little gift this time was a beautiful hand made silver stitch marker with a bead that matched the yarn.  The stitch marker is made by Plover Designs Jewelry Company.  I love how the small loop is for a smaller needle and the larger loop to accomadate a larger needle…..SO beautiful!
Thank you Donna and Colin!!

The next mailing will feature an up and coming designer,
Bristol Ivy.  I was introduced to her designs via Jared Flood and her amazing Winnowing Shawl, and had the fortunate opportunity to meet her at SPA…she is delightful!  I have seen what she has cooked up for August and it is wonderful…stay tuned…it's lovely!

Can you believe I just got my garden planted last weekend?  Me either!
We had that incredibly warm April, then a cooler and very rainy May.  I guess I should have started in April…sheesh!
Anyhoo, I took a full day off and finally got it done.  This year I am doing a few different things.  First, I am not planting any squash or cukes…boo.  The beds need a rest from those pesky squash bugs and cucumber beetles.  I am also trying some companion planting.  In between the rows of tomatoes, I have planted some carrots.

…and in the center dividing the 2 different kinds of tomatoes is some basil which is supposed to help the tomatoes grow bigger.

This is my favorite spot in the garden….my herb bed.  In the back you can see some sage and oregano along with some tarragon that has already had a full clip.  These all made it over the winter, a second time..yay!

The thyme survived the winter as well…what is a little different however in the herb bed is the addition of yellow pepper plants.  I read that the pepper plants like humidity and by allowing some of the ground covering herbs such as thyme to grow around their roots it helps the pepper plants along, so we will see.

I also read that Rosemary repels cabbage flies and actually geraniums trap cabbage worms, so I have some rosemary sprinkled around the broccoli and I think I will pick up a geranium to see if it traps the little suckers.  Anything to help getting rid of bugs is totally worth it.  So we will see again here as well.

The lettuce and onions are sharing the same bed along with a small potting of mint, which is supposed to repel slugs and the onions repel aphids…hmmm.

…and the last bed, replacing the squash and cukes this year is going to house 2 different types of corn and some bush beans.  The beans will add nitrogen to the soil which will help the corn.  Corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder, so they should play well together.

I also added some Calendula plants to a few of the beds.  I want to make a calendula salve this summer, so I am excited about this addition.  Yep, that is bird netting over my little basil plants. 

I love that my yard is a natural habitat for my little bird friends, but I absolutely hate the way they like to break my basil plants up when they are small and tender.  Hopefully this will help them along.  In this picture you can see one of our little fledglings along with his parent.  There are never less than 15-20 of these little ones wandering around on our property.  They make me smile. 🙂

Whew….that was a lot of work and it was super nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor, along with a nice cold lemon martini and some knitting.  Yes, my knitting mojo has finally returned after a very long hiatus.
Fingers are crossed for a successful garden this summer. 🙂

A while back Ashley and I were talking about my shop and she had suggested doing a color of the month.  I thought it was a great idea!  Currently my webcart limits me in so many ways, so I can only offer the color in one yarn base right now with the discount taken off at checkout, but when the new shopping cart is completed I am hoping to be able to offer the colorway in all yarn bases. 🙂

This month…..it's a new colorway called "Viola" in Pearl
I love the soft gentle purples that Spring gives us.  The lovely lilacs and the perennial geraniums….and of course the soft pansies and violas.
I hope you enjoy it too!

Make every move count.
Pick your target and hit it.
Perfect concentration means
Effortless flowing.
Den Ming~Dao

I grew up in a household that sewed.  My mom made a lot of our clothes growing up and almost all of the drapes and curtains in our home.  My grandmother used to make THE most amazing doll clothes for my beloved Skipper doll in additon to the obligatory sewing, so sewing has just been a part of my life as long as I can remember.

As a child I was frequently sick with bouts of tonsillitis until I finally had them out in the second grade, but before they came out, my mother would set me up in my bed with some fabric, thread and a needle and she taught me how to sew.  When I was in the 4th grade she sent me off to sewing school at the Girls Club, then it was home-ec in junior high when they still made girls take sewing classes.(so sad this is not mandatory any longer…booo)  I made my older girls dresses when they were young and the same drapes in my own home, etc. etc. …then….then….. the time came that I didn't "have" to sew any longer so I didn't, other than I took some hand quilting classes when I was pregnant with Ashley.  I took a very long hiatus from sewing…

A number of years ago however I got the bug again. I started sewing my little "wee bunny bags" about 5 years ago at SPA.  You see, fabric can be every bit as addictive as fiber can be.  SO many pretty colors and patterns! Making bags gave me an excuse to play with those palates….and now that I didn't have to sew because I couldn't afford to buy clothes, it was a whole new adventure.

About 2 years ago I stumbled into the world of quilting blogs.  Seriously….there are other worlds out in blog land besides fiber blogs….who knew?  Well that was that….I jumped in with both feet.  Heck, these blogs just gave me permission to buy beautiful fabric and lovely quilt kits.  They gave me permission to get a new machine that was not older than Stacey (although I have fallen in love with certain older machines, but that is another post)….and they brought me full circle back to a craft that has been with me as long as I can remember, but now I sew because I want to, not because I have too. :-)  I'm not so sure that Ken is happy I found those blogs though…LOL

Last year, actually almost 2 years ago, when I took a ride over to Freeport, Maine, where SPA is held, I ran into a quilt show that was being held at the same hotel as SPA.  Sanford Sewing Machine Center had a long arm sewing machine there for people to try…..I LOVED it!  I had previously done some free motion quilting on my sewing machine and enjoyed it, but this machine brought machine quilting to whole new level for me.  It took me a while to squirrel enough money away, but this year when Babylock was running a super special, I bit the bullet and brought one here.  (as a side note…Sanford is an amazing company to do business with….fabulous customer support)

You might remember seeing parts of this quilt being worked on about 2 years ago, when I was working on Ashley's quilt at the same time.  This was a kit that I had purchased from Fat Quarters…designed by Rachel Griffiths for Moda.  I so enjoyed piecing this top.  The fabric is one from the Fig Tree Line that I love, so watching the colors come together just made me smile….but then, that top just sat and sat waiting for the backing to get done, which scared me a wee bit.  All that math stuff…measuring, making sure it's square….Yikes…it feels like a word problem…eek!

Part of the problem was the kit did not really include enough fabric for the back so a portion of it had to be pieced, which caused me to set it aside and you know how that goes….UFO in a bag somewhere…ouch.

Now, because I love Fig Tree fabrics, I did have a few choices.  Even though the patterns change with this line, the color palette is pretty much the same, so I dug into my stash and found a charm pack that would work.  While I was anxious to have this finished, in the end, I love the extra little splash of color on the back.

This little table topper/lap quilt is the very first big quilt that I have machine sewn from beginning to end. Is it perfect…absolutely not…you can see some of the puckers on the back, but it's finished, on my sofa and makes me smile, so that counts for something right?  Years ago I used to think that machine piecing was cheating and didn't really count, but after doing this….not so!

I am going to spend some time with my granddaughter this summer teaching her how to sew…..paying it forward to the next generation and it makes me so happy. 🙂

There's a time a for joy
A time for tears
A time we'll treasure through the years
We'll remember always
Graduation day

What a crazy busy few weeks it has been here for all of us.  For me it's been a busy time in the studio and balancing that with supporting Hannah by going to her track meets and getting ready for prom, spending time with Stacey and the kids and helping Ashley get thru her last few weeks of school and the stress that went with that.

When Ashley was little and was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, her answer was always this.."a couch potato".  Of course we would all laugh at her and tell her that was not a real job, so her answer then became…."I want to be a movie critic, so I can be on the couch and watch tv."  As the years went by, it became apparent that Ashley was a wee bit competitive and it showed in the way she attacked a soccer ball, or a game in the yard with her brother.

The day came when we brought her to start her college journey and she spotted a little bench and she said…"this will be the spot that I will sit, reading a book..and look smart."  Ken just laughed and said.."look"…you need to do better than that!"

 
…and better she has done.  She just completed and graduated with her Master's Degree in Education….and she did it with a perfect 4.0 GPA…way to go Ashley!!

~

now onto the second part of our day….Prom

The last few weeks have been fun ones with Hannah.  Watching her track meets and seeing her little competitive streak shine as well.  Hannah is my child who put her foot down and told me that she HATED running…running in any fashion or form when she entered Junior high.  We were sad to see her stop playing basketball and then soccer in high school, so when she decided to run track, we were gobsmacked.  Track?  Track is well…..running!  Go figure?  She loves it and does well as a hurdle racer.

Along with the track meets we squeezed in a few trips up north to the bridal/prom dress shop in Berlin, Betty Dee's. (which is a fabulous place in a little town). 
Hannah was invited to attend the senior prom, so it has been fun spending time trying on and choosing the dress that she loved.  I think she chose well.

Unfortunately the championship track meet, Wilderness happened on the same day as prom, which meant these kids were at the track bright and early on a sunny and warm Saturday morning as we were the host team for the race.  Right after the meet, Hannah had to run home, shower and rush to get her hair done (we were still at graduation).  Then rush home to meet us, jump in her dress in time for pictures….whew!
The kids all had a fun time at prom and for those of us who sat at the track meet from 9am till 4pm on a hot sunny Saturday the weekend before can chuckle at all those track jersey marks …..even with them, they all looked so beautiful!

These are the days that I will forever cherish as I know my Dad will as well as is evident in this picture with Ashley.  Family….it's always all about family isn't it?  I am very blessed to have one that I love so much.

~

I have to admit, it was really nice not to have to do one single thing on Sunday. 🙂

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.
~Author unknown
Normally Mother's Day weekend goes like this….
Saturday is spent all day long at the NH Sheep and Wool festival with Ken, visiting with people who I love.  Sunday I run out to the garden center to get something pretty for my Mother's amazing garden and then as many of us who are home go to visit with she and my Dad.

This year was a bit different however.  Hannah has really decided that she loves track and field over the last few years, so we have been supporting her by attending most of her track meets.  As a result, this Saturday we chose to go to her meet instead of the festival and had planned to sneak away for a few hours on Sunday to attend the 2nd day of the festival……that was until my son, who I haven't seen since Christmas told me he was coming up on Sunday.  No brainer…we would stay home and host a party. 🙂

So this year…..Saturday…..

…and Sunday….

…for me the best part of Mother's Day is sharing it with my children and my own Mum.  As the years go by I cherish each and every Mother's Day because I know it will be harder and harder for us all to be together as the kids grow in different directions.
This year was extra special as  4 of my 5 children were home for the afternoon, along with my grandchildren and my parents…..and I will see Ashley later in the week as well. 
I am so blessed to have 5 amazing kids and a VERY amazing mother. 🙂

Happy Mother's Day in your corner of the world!!

Spring has finally decided to really show her face here in the mountains and it has really helped to get the creative juices flowing again.  One of the things that I love most in the spring is the little Robin's nest that quietly appears in one of the bushes in front of my studio each and every year, as long as we have lived here.  This year those little birds were the inspiration for a new colorway…."Red Riding Hood"

Normally my colorways are a bit quieter and muted, but after this long and physically difficult winter, I needed a wee bit of vibrancy to celebrate the end of a winter that I never hope to revisit. :-)  I can't think of any color that celebrates life better than red can you?  So as I dye this yarn and peek in on the little baby robins that are growing day by day, I will smile.

A few weeks back, my very dear friend Margene managed to squeeze in a visit with a few of us when she was visiting a relative here on the east coast.  She and I started talking about how we used to always think and react in our blog mind and how we have somehow managed to lose that.  You know what I mean…how we always had our cameras near by and how every opportunity could be a blog moment….and how we have lost that.  She is right and I kind of miss that, so I am going to try to get back into my blog mind, because I miss you all!

Have a wonderful evening in your corner of the world. 🙂

Pattern:  Deephaven
Yarn:  Woolen Rabbit WW Opal
Colorway:  Pomegranate
Needles: US 7

This past winter, Ashley, agreed to help me work at SPA once again, which is always a happy thing for me.  We get to spend time with each other and I have a much needed helper.  Ashley is always such a huge help!  Very cheerful and so good with my customers.  In fact, this year, when so many of them congratulated her on her wedding and commented on her vocal talent she was a bit overwhelmed and very touched that people actually felt like they knew her through my blog.

So when she asked if I could make her one of those "wrappy things" to go around her neck, how could I say no?  I told her to choose the yarn she liked and I would find the right pattern.  She actually ended up choosing my newest yarn, WW Opal, in the pomegranate colorway, which I think looks wonderful with her dark hair and light skin.

So once home from SPA, I set about finding just the right mobius pattern for her.  Of course I headed straight for Ravelry and plugged in Mobius.  After scrolling thru a bunch of patterns, I came across his one .  PERFECT!!

Ashley and Brian lived on one of the lakes that connects to Squam Lake in Ashland.  Brian also worked a spell for the Squam Lake Association up until he got his career job last year….and I have vended at the Squam Lake Arts Workshop for the last 4 years at Rockywold, so this little ebook could not have been more perfect.

All in all, I have to say that this has been one of my most favorite knits.  Typically I find scarves pretty repetitive to knit…and this one was as well, but it had such a nice, organic flow to it that I was sad to see it come to an end.  I would definitely knit another one, and that says a lot for me.
I was to thrilled when the designer asked if she could use one of my pictures on her ravelry design page….Ash you did a good job modeling!

If you are looking for a good knit….this one could be it for sure!

All that we experience is subjective.
There is no sensation without interpretation.
We create the world and ourselves;
Only when we stop do we see the truth.
Deng Ming~Dao

This past weekend was spent gathering with both friends and family.  The picture above is a picture of 4 of my most very favorite people.  There is a long story that goes along with how I ended up calling these girls my closest friends, but the short version is I came to know and love each one of them thru blogging….and while we all do not live close to each other we are always neighbors in our hearts!

The sad part of life becoming as busy as it has, is less time for reading and writing blogs.  No matter how much I try there just never seems to be enough hours.  It's funny, when I was spending time healing on the sofa, I actually managed to get caught up with all my blogs and thought I would be able to do so from that point forward.  Ummm….that lasted about 2 weeks and now I am in the weeds again.  Oh well…busy is ok too….beats the alternative. 🙂

The rest of the weekend was spent with family.  I was so fortunate to have 4 of my 5 children and their significant others home for Easter as well as my 2 grandchildren and new grandpuppy. :-)  Terry was kind enough to give me the recipe for her absolutely scrumptious lemon martini's, so you may see a few martini glasses here and there…thanks Terry!

It's no secret that I really enjoy having my kids home and Courtney is my late night companion.  She is a college student now and of course dorm living is not conducive for early night sleeping.  Frequently when she is here we will watch some late night series of House Hunters and catch up on life a bit.  She is a chatty soul much like I used to be in my younger days….ok…so…maybe I still am.

We also had the opportunity to get to know Hannah's boyfriend, Shawn.  It's no easy feat for a new guy to be introduced during a holiday dinner, but Shawn did great.  We all enjoyed having him here.

And then there was the puppy who is going to be one huge girl, just sayin….she is 5 months old and is the same size as my setter…yikes!  Ashley's new puppy, Makoda, is such a sweetheartl!  She is a Great Pyrenees/Black Lab mix and is as mellow as they come and we were so happy to get to know her as well.  Aidan really enjoyed snuggling up with her which is amazing as generally he is pretty nervous of dogs, even though I have a houseful of them.  (see empty martini glass…yum!)

Not to be outdone by her brother, McKayla managed to spend some quality time loving up on Makoda too.

I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends and an amazing family!!  I hope that you all had enjoyable gatherings this weekend as well.

(Oh….and you got a sneak peek of what the living room is going to look like minus a lot of things.)

It's that time of year ~ Yarn Club 2012
Sign ups open on April 1st at 12:00pm

Join us on a new year long yarn journey!!

I am excited to have you join along! 
(graphic compliments of Leapfrog Designs)