You may remember this picture from when I was demonstrating at Fryeburg Fair.  I have to be honest with you, it was a last desperation as what I had planned to do, failed and my second choice failed, so I looked at what was hanging in my shop and pulled off 2 skeins of Opal for a plain weave scarf and prayed real hard. 
(Note to self….get this done when you have more than 1 week to warp your loom.)
I figured that as long as I got something on the loom that I could demonstrate with, it was all good.  I wasn't thinking that I would have something that could be used, but I was pleasantly surprised with this….

I was so pleased with the fabric that Opal gave me and I will definitely be using it again for scarves.  The one thing I had wished I had thought about a little more was making sure I had long enough ends to twist, but truly, I was just praying that I could get something on the loom that was workable, because it's all about demonstrating, not necessarily the finished item when you are at the fair.
It's fun to see how much of an attraction a floor loom is at the fair and surprisingly it's always the men and little boys who are very fascinated by the mechanics of a loom.  I love watching them study me while I am weaving.

When I used to teach people how to spin, I always stressed to them that 15 minutes every day at the wheel with your cup of coffee was far more beneficial than an hour once a week.  I have decided to take that lesson to my weaving..and eventually my pottery throwing.

It's all about the process and repeating the process daily helps to cement that process.
I will be weaving a lot more this winter.

Life has a wonderful sense of weaving lessons into our days and love into our lives….and you all are a part of my life's weaving's by visiting me here and sharing your stories with me….thank you!

Who am I?  Blogging every day and joining a knit along, which I rarely do because you know…I don't usually do things that require a long term commitment because I know how easily distracted I get. I am looking at this KAL however as a distraction to the sweater I just can't seem to get finished, so it's all good. (more about that another day)

This KAL is for a mystery cowl, but it is also about mindful walking each week, which is why it intrigued me.  I usually walk about 4 days a week, so this part will not be hard for me, but I love the prompts that come with each clue delivery.  I am going to shoot for a goal of 5 days a week, if my back doesn't complain.  If it does, I have learned to listen to my body and will back down again.

I pulled out the 2 different colors of Sporty Kashmir and while I think one would match with more, I am going to use the one that I love, even though I have a skein of the same colorway in Opal ready to go for a small shawl.

Many of you see my walking pictures on Facebook or Instagram, but this little girl really made me smile as I walked along today.  These cows are rotated between a few different pastures and this week they are in the pasture very close to the road where I walk.  I love watching them….the curious babies, the protective Moms and the ones who could care less and just keep munching away on the pasture grass. 

It was a nice walk and now I am casting on "A March Through Time"

When I am looking for designers to work with on my yarn club, I spend a lot of time on Ravelry, looking at their designs and looking at their websites.  When I happened upon Elizabeth Doherty's website, well, how could I not fall in love with a "Blue Bee Studio".

Elizabeth made this lovely hat for our yarn club last year and then went on to create an e-book called Metalworks based on the stitch design that she used for her yarn club design. It is a great collection of designs.  Go take a peek.

Elizabeth is also very generous and sent me a copy of her new Top Down book and I have to tell you that this is one hard print book that I will never let go of. I know that every one says a bottom up sweater with set in sleeves fits better, but…..the 2 sweaters that I wear all the time are top down sweaters that I was able to tweak along the way given that I could try it on a long the way.

This book is full of really good information.  While this is not a conventional set in seamed sleeve, but rather a sleeve worked in short rows starting at the top, it's a brilliant way to knit a sleeve, giving the sweater the look of a set in seamed sleeve.  I have done this once before with my Bluebell sweater and I love doing a sleeve this way, once I figured the instructions out.  Elizabeth gives very clear instruction about how to do short rows and she also gives super information on how to adjust your stitches based on your swatch.  I am SO not a math person, but the way she explains it is very clear and concise, so much so that I think I might be able to sit and figure this out.  No easy feat for this ADD brain.

When Elizabeth sent me the pictures for her final project, Rose Gold, for her e-book that she created using my Emma yarn, which I love, love, love, the one thing that jumped out at me was the beautiful sweater that she was wearing.  I quickly asked her what the pattern was, because I love it and Elizabeth quickly sent me the pattern, Helvetica…thank you Elizabeth!!

I swatched both WW Kashmir and Neshobe for this sweater and while both yarns would work, I love the fabric that I got from WW Kashmir.  So soft and relaxed.  I was going to use this group of Cape Cod Blues that I had on hand, but those are not colors that make my heart sing, so I am going to dye up a sweater lot this week to match a few skirts that I have purchased this week for a new adventure that I will tell you about maybe next week.
 ~
If you are on the fence about getting this book…jump right off this fence.  You won't regret it.!

Soooo….here I go.  I wasn't go to do this again after doing it last year, but as I was walking on Friday I thought it might be a good brain stretch for me.  I've had a rough few months and have been pretty quiet here on the blog, but I have missed chatting with you all and this will force me to do just that. 🙂

I have also decided to add another little challenge to start off November.  I am going to stay away from Facebook until next Sunday, which I think will help me with the NaBloPoMo challenge of posting every.single.day in November.  My blog posts will show up on Facebook, but I won't be reading there to respond to any comments.

I used to spend my mornings with a cup of coffee catching up on my friend's lives by reading their blogs, but in this fast paced world, most of my blog reading has been replaced by skimming through Facebook a few times a day.  It will be nice to spend time reading blogs again with my morning coffee.

That was a lot of thinking on my Friday morning walk, wasn't it?  I almost always enjoy my morning walks, especially if it is a sunny day.  As many of you know, my husband, Ken, has also been walking most every day and has now lost 25 pounds.  I asked him yesterday what he thinks about when he walks and his answer shows how very different we are.  He told me that he doesn't think about anything, that he tries to keep his mind empty and just observe his environment. (he walks at dark o'clock am).  I was incredulous!  Seriously, I said?  I told him that when I walk I spend most of my time thinking about my day, about what might be troubling me, what might be making me happy…solving life's problems…ha!  I do also enjoy observing my environment as well too though and as I walked on Friday, it was a beautiful and crazy windy day. 
We were blessed with an amazing Autumn up here in the mountains and while I am sad to see the leaves depart, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the leaves dance across the driveways and streets as I walked along my journey home.

I look forward to talking to you on this NaBloPoMo journey too!

Autumn trees swept with dawn
Look as if they've been lacquered,
Rooted around an old battlefield.
The mist lingers here like ghosts.
Deng Ming Dao

Man oh man it's been a crazy time around here.  We had a wonderfully relaxing vacation the end of August and since then I feel as though I have been chasing my tail in circles.  With 2 back to back show weekends, orders and a yarn club that went out a full month late due to production problems at one of the mills that I use, it has been b.u.s.y and stressful.
Yesterday was the first day in a long time that I didn't get up, throw on the dye uniform and stumble out to the studio to work and it felt glorious!

I have managed to get out for a walk 3 or 4 times a week though and took one day off to see my youngest daughter to take her shopping for some business attire.  It was an amazingly beautiful day to go for a ride with the foliage in full bloom. 
Autumn up here has been exceptionally colorful this year, so between visiting Hannah and getting out to walk, I was fortunate to take some beautiful pictures of our Northern NH fall.

The reds and oranges have been more vivid than they have been in a number of years.  I have been living up here for almost 25 years now and the display of color that we are always gifted up here never grows old. Every year I am always humbled to witness it.

I snapped this picture on my morning walk today and you can see now that a lot of the trees are now losing their leaves.  It was a very brisk and windy morning that had me reaching for my mittens and hat as I headed down the road.  There's no doubt about the chill in the air and what's to come.

I will keep these treasures in my heart and mind until the trees come alive with color again next year. 🙂
 ~
Have a wonderful weekend in your corner of the world.

I love Autumn…it's my most favorite time of year.  Yes, I know it is the season before the one we may not love quite as much, but I always embrace it every year.  It is a celebration of color before the quietness of early winter settles in.
While I love the amazing display of color that we will see in a few weeks up here in the mountains, I also love the quiet dusty colors of early fall that greet me on my morning walks. 
So soothing….it makes me smile.
So, I thought today that I would would share some random thoughts that run though my mind on my daily walks.

• I am so fortunate to have my daily walk in such a beautiful place that makes my heart smile.
• Damn pigeons!  The summer birds are leaving now and the pigeons are settling in again on the electric wire that goes through our side yard and will eventually try to settle on our roof when winter arrives.  Not a fan!  Sling shot?  The summer birds obviously feel the same way as they shun them away.

• What are my priorities today….not always easy for an ADD drifting mind, but I do try to make a mental list as I walk.
• Oh…the cows are out in the field near the road today….Hi girls!"
• Flo Rida's new song, "I don't like it, I love it" as I complete my first mile makes me smile.
• The bills…blerg, what do I need to do to stay on pace today.  Yes, my mind works overtime.
• Family…each one of the songs on my playlist makes me think about one of my children and Ken.  These songs empower me as I walk along.
• The MOUNTAINS!  So beautiful and never changing.
• Watching the seasons change.  Each season brings it's own beauty on my path, I love my path…it's so beautiful.
• Damn…that last hill…suck it up and get it done!
• A break at the traffic light to sit and catch my breath when the light is red…thank you!
• The light tells me go…..almost home….second cup of coffee and planning out my day.

  …and there you have it, a little glimpse into what runs through my mind as I walk.  Nothing life changing or earth shattering, but it's never a quiet mind.
  I will leave you with a portion of my favorite Vivaldi Four Seasons….Autumn.

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

This has been a busy work week for sure!  Given that one of the yarn mills that I typically deal with could not get the yarn to me that I needed for the August yarn club after patiently waiting for many weeks, I switched gears and went with a different base yarn from another reliable yarn mill.

While I was waiting, I took some time to process the pictures that Ashley was so kind to model in the Moon Shadow Shawl designed by Romi Hill.
I've already told you how much I enjoyed knitting it and every day when it greets me in the shop, it makes me smile.
It was a wonderful knit!

The yarn for the yarn club mailing finally arrived on Monday and the dye-pots have been full steam ahead.  Most of the yarn is now dyed and either drying or shipped thankfully.
After dyeing this yarn, I'm thinking this base may have been a better choice.  It's been delightful to work with!

Next week will be a busy week getting ready for Amy Herzog's retreat in Sebasco Maine and then the following weekend with be my favorite Fryeburg Fair.
I am so looking forward to visiting and chatting with old and new customers!

“Hark, now hear the sailors cry,
smell the sea, and feel the sky
let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic…”
~ Van Morrison

9 years ago, I decided that every year on my birthday weekend I wanted to journey to the ocean to spend time watching whales and embracing their gentle spirits.
My birthday falls on a difficult day in history and this has been the way I have chosen to celebrate my day while thinking of those who were lost, in a quiet way.

For numerous reasons, I told Ken that we could skip this year, but after reading this story, it reminded me of why I want to go every.single.year.
This is longer than my usual Friday Sparkle, but it touched my heart and spirit..

This year we were treated with a visit from over 150 dolphins which we were told was very unusual this far north in the waters we were traveling.  What a treat to see these beautiful animals jumping and swimming all around us!

We also spent time with the 2 whales above…a mother and her baby.  It was fascinating to watch the baby nurse, coming up on one side of her mother and then the other for a long spell before they showed us their tails and went down for a deep dive.
It was a beautiful and extra sparkly day!
~
Tomorrow we are heading off to the marshes of Maine to kayak.  It will probably be our last ocean visit of the year. 

I'm always sad to reach this point in the season, but the ocean is forever unchanging and it will be there again for us next summer.  I think this is why I love the ocean…it always just is.
Have a wonderful weekend!!

Pattern:  Three Sisters Shawl
Designer:  Anne Podlesak
Yarn:  The Woolen Rabbit Lucent
Colorways:  Suede and Butterscotch Pudding

I am now in my 11th year of blogging and have met some of the most wonderful people.  Some of which have become my best and dearest friends.  Amongst these friends is the person who introduced me to the world of blogging all those years ago, Anne Podlesak of Wooly Wonka Fiber

Anne and I met through our love of angora rabbits and became fast friends, having a lot of things in common…our rabbits, our dyeing and our love of beautiful designs.  Over the years, her designing talent has grown so much and she is now a very talented designer.
We have collaborated on a number of projects over the years and I have to say that this shawl is one of my most favorites.  It is knit with my Lucent yarn and these colorways are 2 of my favorites.  Such lovely fall colors.  A perfect time of year to knit this shawl!

I love the attention to detail in this design. It is so beautiful.
Go on over to Amazon and take a peek.  You just may want to pre-order this book filled with scrumptious patterns!
~
Thanks Anne!