Whew………it’s done and it fits!!  Whoo~hoo!  After working on this vest, I have come to the conclusion that I really do not care to work with scratchy wool very much.  I worked my way thru the black abbey yarn vest a year or so ago and now this one.  Both yarns were ones that I found to be hard on my hands although I do like the end products that the yarns produced.   I just didn’t enjoy the process very much.

Ashley’s vest is soaking in some Eucalan as I type, so perhaps tomorrow I will have some modeling pictures.  Actually the pattern once I got in the groove was a nice pattern to knit.

A Weekend of Dogs……….

So…….how was your weekend?  Ours was chockerblock full of activity. 

First on tap was a dog show held up here in the mountains.  The weather was HOT, HOT, HOT!  Go figure.  It has been a very moderate summer here temperature wise, but on Saturday, it was 90 plus degrees and just as humid.  Not really much fun for people or dogs………..

Although, I do have to admit when you come home with all of the ribbons my girls did, it certainly does help make you feel a whole lot better. 🙂

Little Skyy went Winners Bitch, Best of Opposite Sex and Best Puppy in Breed.  Her bigger sister Cleo went Reserve Winners Bitch, so all in all, the trip to the show was well worth a few hours in those hot temps!

And Wedding Anniversaries……

Sunday was a special day for my entire family as it was my parents 50th anniversary.

My parents didn’t want a big gala event, but rather a smaller family gathering, so we had a small party at a lovely restaurant in Newburyport.  The food was fabulous and it was good to see relatives that I do not see very often.

  My oldest daughter put together such a touching DVD covering the last 50 years of our lives together.  Time does have a way of flying by, doesn’t it?

I think my parents really enjoyed their day, which made it extra special for us.

(Yikes………I look at this picture of my dad and yep……it’s the same face that I see in the mirror every morning!)

I hope your weekend was a fun one too!

"I get by with a little help from my friends."
– John Lennon

I was hoping today to have a finished project, but unfortunately that is not a happening thing.  Yep…..still working on the vest and it is nearly killing me not to pick up something soft to knit, but I must be true if I am ever to get that vest completed.  The dreams of bee shawls and smooshy socks are quietly calling me……shhhh…..I must be true!

So…..instead of showing you my unfinished vest, I will share some of the gifts that have been showered on me this past week.
Gifts from a Special Friend……

Jean came with some little lovelies in hand and although she didn’t need to do that……I am happy that she did!  In the beautiful little sheep bag was this exceptionally soft Fortissima Cotton yarn from Germany.

Some beautiful flower markers in the prettiest little rose tin.  This is the second tin that Jean has gifted me with and I LOVE them both!

and……the beautiful, beautiful natural Shetland yarn from Jean’s trip to Scotland.  There is another large container of some yummy Shetland lace yarns for weaving.  I can’t wait to come up with some ideas for that yarn :-).

Gifts from a Special Swapper….

How lucky to receive 2 wonderful gifts in just one week!  My Special Swap partner this time around was Renee of A Good Yarn.  Renee and I were swap partners before, so I knew what ever was coming would not only be good, but would probably involve a little wine, especially given that this was a picnic themed swap……and of course, I was not disappointed. 

Just look at the wonderful things that Renee sent to me.  Along with the cute green grass bag (great for supermarket shopping), some barbecue towels and a sweet smelling watermelon pencil, were these beautiful and enjoyable items….

Dream Colors Smooshy yarn…whee!  Most people think because I dye sock yarn that I wouldn’t like to receive it as a gift but that is so not true.  I absolutely LOVE trying new sock yarns and this particular one was high on my list of wants!  Smooshy is the perfect name for it…….it is SO soft and SO smooshy!

….yep….wine and oh my, was it ever good!  (was…is the key word….yum!), along with a little cheese sticks to go with the wine!  Yes, I do love swapping with Renee, she has GREAT taste in wine 🙂

…and finally this absolutely scrumptious alpaca/cashmere blend of yarn in a picnic grass green.  It is just delicious!

Yes….I more than get by with a little help from my friends! 
Thank you Jean and Renee!!

THE END OF SUMMER
The summer days are fading, as they must
From endless hours to short and fleeting light
The bird’s once bright, immortal tune, now cries
A melancholy aura to the dusk
The children fiercely climb, and dream, and race
Before their wild and unchained days depart
And yet beneath the zeal lies a half heart
For there isn’t time, there’s only enough space
The sun seems low, a hazy orange sphere
Now reminiscing sweetly of the days
When endlessly before you summer lay
And as in the deep, crimson dusk you stir
Your soul joins with the birds in wistful brood
Crying for lost summer days, for childhood.
Shannon Georgia Schaubroeck

I had a very different post in mind for today until I sat down at the computer and reflected over the weekend’s events. 

This summer has been a very busy one for me on the work front which did not give me the time to enjoy the daily activities of summer…..in fact, this summer seemed to fly right before my eyes, which is one of my regrets.  Life is short, and up here in the mountains our summers are very very short, so each one that slips by unnoticed is a shame.

This last weekend however has been different than all of the rest because I made time to clear my schedule in~spite of my workload.

Early Saturday morning after cleaning the bunny barn, I took a few pictures of my garden in the heavy morning dew.  The air was very cool and yard was alive with the twitter of birds.  In the early morning sun, I was surprised and pleased with the gifts that were given to me.

The spider webs on the garden fence were glistening in dew, as were the Sungold tomatoes ripening on the vine.  It was an indication to me that this was indeed going to be a good day……and it did not disappoint.

After the barn and garden chores, I set upon my trip to visit with fiber friends.  Did I bring my camera?  Of course I did.  Did I take any pictures………of course not.  This Woolen Rabbit is much too chatty and forgetful at times, but the company was absolutely wonderful and the fiber trekking was fabulous.  I have to admit I was smitten by a beautiful cherry wheel…..but I need to think on that a bit more.

Sunday we spent the afternoon and evening visiting with Dan and Jean (Scottish Lamb).

It was such a treat to meet a friend from afar.  After reading Jean’s blog for as long as I have, I felt that I knew her family before I even met them……….and it was good.  I SO enjoyed our visit and I know that Ken did as well.

Monday was the day I was going to spend the day working, but the day was beautiful and my summer had been one of work already so I decided to take the day off and just enjoy it.  It was a good choice……….somehow magically, lobster, steamers, corn on the cob and good company appeared and it was all good.

I hope your Labor Day weekend was just as good!

Ah Sunflower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the sun;
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller’s journey is done;
~William Blake

As summer’s end is drawing near, my last Friday Flower is one of my favorites……the Sunflower.

The first picture was a picture I took last year when we were visiting the Shaker Village in Canterbury, NH.  Not only are sunflowers beautiful to look at, but the seeds that they present when they are spent are gifts to the birds and squirrels as they prepare for winter.

Every year that I plant a garden, I always plant a bunch of colorful sunflower seeds. At the end of the summer I am rewarded with these beautiful happy faces…..hmmm….makes me think of one of my favorite REM songs….Shiny Happy People, but I digress…that happens as you get older I am told…

My favorite of all the sunflowers that I plant is the enormous Mammoth Sunflower, but unfortunately due to my late planting this year, they are only just starting to open their eyes.  The dried sunflowers at the top of this post are Mammoth Sunflowers.

I love everything about this particular type of sunflower.  The flowers are HUGE and the seeds are plentiful, giving the birds that I so enjoy all summer a little extra to munch on before their long journey south.

As the summer comes to a close, there are things that I enjoyed and things I wish I had more time to indulge in, but of course there is always next year to dream about, right?  The upcoming season is my most favorite season of all……and this labor day weekend will be spent with some neighboring fiber friends on Saturday and a special visit from a blogger who has come home from overseas on Sunday. 

Enjoy your labor day weekend!!!

Honey bees depend not only on physical contact with the colony, but also require it’s social companionship and support.  Isolate a honeybee from her sisters and she will soon die.
~The Queen Must Die: And Other Affairs of Bees and Men

This one paragraph sums up exactly what my fiber sisters and blogging is all about for me.   The friends I have come to meet in the blogging world have become as important to me as some of my long time friends.  We have all connected with each other through our love of fiber, but we have also become a sisterhood of friends over the years as well…..like bees in a colony.  Some of us are worker bees and some of us are queens, but our community itself is one that supports each of us in a unique way.   It’s a place I like to call home 🙂

This summer has been a summer of bees and honey for me.  I just finished my book, "The Secret Lives of Bees" and it was just the right book for me to read this summer.  I loved every single page….so much so, that I teased my husband about becoming a bee keeper.

It has also been the summer of the Bee Shawl, which is high on my list of to do’s this Autumn.  A few weeks ago, a woman contacted me to do a custom order of laceweight yarn in the same colorway as my Tupelo Honey sock yarn.  Of all the color palettes there are, these golden colors are my favorite, so it was easy to take this order on.  I loved this yarn so much so, that I dyed up enough for myself to make the stole and I will sell the remaining few skeins as I purchased enough to play with.  I’m thinking this lace merino may become a staple here….I like it VERY much!

Before I can play in the honeypot however, I need to finish Ashley’s vest.  The back is finished and I have moved onto the front.  I am not touching another knitting project until this is finished as I know, once I put it down, I may never pick it back up again.  I am just not really feeling the love…but Ash loves it, so onward we go!   Hopefully it will be finished this weekend.

Contemplate in the morning.
Pull weeds in the afternoon.
The joys and labor of a single day
Are part of a whole journey.
Deng Ming~Dao

Have a great weekend!

There was a time in my life (before knit addiction) that I was an avid reader, always having my nose in a book, but these days not as much.  I do however try to spend a little time each night before going to bed reading, if even for 15 minutes.  This month, the book I have been reading is "The Secret Life of Bees".  Interesting that this was the book I chose for summer reading, and also the summer of the Bee Shawl, which I hope to work on this fall.  I have found a new appreciation for Bees……..and Beekeepers.

Early in the summer I was a bit worried that I did not have enough Bee activity in my garden, which of course is not a good thing.  However, as the summer has progressed, my squash flowers have become havens for the Bees.  Many mornings I find a Bee sleeping in almost every flower.

I do have some garden quandaries however that I am hoping that some of you more experienced gardeners can help me with.  This garden patch has been a learning experience for me.  Having only used raised beds in the past, I find that a patch has a few more challenges.  I’m not sure why, but it has.

Squash….As you can see, I have beautiful winter squash plants with tons and tons of big yellow bee filled flowers, but yet, I am not getting many squash fruit (vegetable) from these flowers.  I think maybe 10 altogether.  With all the flowers and bees, why so few squash?

Basil….we had quite a few good harvests from the basil plants, but over the last week, they have become discolored and less hardy looking.  Could this be from the cooler temps…or is is due to something else?

Red Onion……this was a very new to me thing to plant and I guess I didn’t thin out the seedlings enough….I had no clue how to grow onions, but next year, I will know better as these onions will not get big enough for much 😦

Bugs…..uggh!  Anytime I have a garden, I plant Mammoth Sunflowers, both beautiful and a source of seeds for the neighborhood birds, but this year we have visitors on the leaves.  Does anyone know what these are?  Usually with this cluster of bugs on a leaf, I will find a big black ant as well.  I don’t know if the ant is eating or nurturing the bugs……..either way, I don’t want them…uggh!

Tomatoes….. No problem, other than our cooler than usual temps…..yikes, with they ever turn red??  I know there is no help for these other than a couple of good hot days 🙂

Thanks in advance for any suggestions :-).  On another note, I had quite a few people ask me if I were getting out of the dyeing business and I want to assure you that I am not 🙂  I will be dyeing full steam up until Fryeburg Fair and then I plan to take a few months off to recharge before vending at Spa.  Everything that I have will be available now in both the wool/nylon blend and my normal merino/nylon blend up until the fair, then I will shut down for a little spell to spend some time working on the homestead and playing with these things…

The other day when I was getting ready to go to the fiber revival, I pulled out my wheels deciding which grrl should go with me.  Given that my little Lendrum was still folded in her bag from my last trip to Newburyport, I figured I would just take the easy way out and bring her again.

As I was looking at the wheels, it dawned on me that I had not actually spun for quite some time.  I also realized with the fall like weather we have been having that Autumn is right around the corner and I NEED a new favorite vest, as my old one is getting a bit worn. With that in mind, I picked up my Robin and started spinning the lovely mohair/border leicester blend that I have been working on for ……..drum roll please………..2 YEARS.  Holy crap!  Get that vest done already woman!

As I spun this bobbin, I thought about my life over the last few years and why I don’t seem to have the down time that I used to.  My conclusion is….I create my own stress by trying to do it all, which of course we all know unless you are wonder woman (which I am not), many things start to fall by the wayside. For me these past few years, it has been my spinning and weaving. (both loom and basket).

It’s a fine line………I love to work with dyes and create colors and I love working at festivals where I get to chat about what I love most……color and fiber.  On the other hand, the sad reality is, I have to work to make a living, which cuts into my creative time , so I find that I am spending my free time working on yarns so other people can be creative.

During the hours I sat spinning, I thought about it.  I go thru creative cycles when I create for myself, which I enjoy and then I go thru cycles when I create for others so that they can enjoy………and really it is balanced.  I am just realizing that the pendulum needs to swing in the create for myself end for a little spell, so it can once again sit balanced again in the middle.

One of the things I really do need to get off my plate is Ashley’s vest.  Ashley saw this pattern on my desk one day and declared that she MUST have one.  So for her birthday, I ordered the yarn that the vest in the pattern was made with and there it as sat until she reminded me 2 days ago that she would be leaving in one short month, so I tackled the task of getting it done.  I have to admit it truly has been a task.  The yarn, Tahki Donegal Tweed, reminds me very much in texture of Black Water Abby yarn……..a bit scratchy and hard on the hands.  Remember…..a Woolen Rabbit is used to working with fine angora type blends so this yarn is a real challenge to stay committed to, as those soft little hussies whispering in the corner are very hard to ignore.

Once I get thru the fair season, I think I will take a short break and get comfortable with my wheels and loom and put the dyepots away for a spell.  One of the songs I loved best as a young teen was Turn, Turn, Turn…………those words, "To everything there is a season" still resonate in my head to this day.  It has taken me a long time on my life path to understand balance as I am a jump in the deep end kind of person….but I am learning, slowly, but surely. 🙂

Birthdays, anniversaries, memorials, festivals…
Measure our progress on the path.
Den Ming Dao~

Today’s mark on my path was a festival.  Cheryl and Julia’s fiber revival was held today in the small town of Newbury, Mass at the Spencer Pierce Farm….and it was every bit as enjoyable as I knew it would be.

Some of you know that I am from the Newburyport area and going back home (as it will forever be my home) is always bittersweet.  Some of my fondest memories are held there as well as some of my saddest.  No matter the occasion however, I am always happy to go back and visit.
Pour a glass of wine and pull up a chair and let me share my day with you 🙂

As I drove down the lane, this is the first thing I was greeted with…..A sign like this, there was no doubt it would be a good day!  (Blogless Sharon…soon to be blogging Sharon is actually taking one of these girls home…she’s a lucky dog, lucky dog…..lucky dog..)

Further down the path……..the old and beautiful trees that lined the country road…..just beautiful on this Autumn like day

and friends…….two of my favorites…..

and of course fiber, the reason we all get together…….is this batt of Julia’s not beautiful?  Did I spin……..no, it was too windy.  Did I knit………Um no.., too busy talking to friends 🙂

and babies………how can you not just love this little face?  I was so very happy to meet little Lily, her dad Scott and extra happy to see her Mum again 🙂

As the day was getting late, a bit chilly and the sun was starting to wane, I walked back down the lane to my car….. happy that I decided to make the trek down.  Good friends and a day of fiber in a place I call home………what could be better than that?

Okay…….well maybe not a flower in the sense of what we know to be a flower, but these Orchid Mitts rank right up there as a thing of beauty.  I test knit this pattern for Anne last week.  They would have been finished sooner, but my workload in my real job was heavy this week.

Pattern:  Orchid Mitts
Yarn:  My hand~dyed merino/silk blend (I plan to carry this later in the fall)
Needles:  Knitpicks size 2.5mm (pattern calls for US 2’s, but I knit loose)

Perhaps not as Sexy as Anne’s…heehee, (my model is 12).

These lovely mitts made their debut in my slow, but growing garden.  While the rest of the country has suffered crazy hot temps, the weather up here in Northern New England has been quite cool, especially at night.  Hmmm……..I’m seeing fried green tomatoes in our furure….<grin>

A beautiful, fun pattern………thanks Anne!