Boo!

A couple of weeks ago, Crafty Girl found a teeny pumpkin, and dressed it up nice and cozy in one of my felted bowls. No frost on this pumpkin!

As I was taking pictures of it on the picnic table, I noticed something in the background. Do you see it too?

The frost on the wood was melted away.

I do believe we've had a visit from the Halloween Cat.

Happy FRIght DAY!

visit at a Local Yarn Shop

As we are getting ready for the first winter storm of the season here in the Northeast, I thought I'd cheer you up with something.

At the beginning of the month, I went to Rochester, NY to pick up Tall Son for an extended weekend home. He was getting out of his last class of the day at 2:30 pm, enough time for me to stop at one of the ten yarn shops in that city. The Yarne Source is closest to the thruway exit I had to take.

This is the view from the entrance door:
A relatively small space simply crammed with yarn, floor to ceiling, organized by yarn weight and color.


To the left of the door, a Noro department, and books.

The owner designs purses, and sells them as well as the patterns for them.

She LOVES mixing yarns, and embellishments!

The shop window was all decked out in Halloween decorations, and then some.

Basic yarns live toward the back of the store. She literally has something for everyone!
I found lace weight yarn, sock yarn, handdyed and basic, bulky yarn, fancy yarn, glitter yarn, striping yarn, solid colors; I do not know how she gets it all in there, but it's there. Including the table where knitters can get together and knit and chat. Amazing.

When I first walked in, I was greeted with a loud and friendly Hellooo!! Susie is a cheerful, exuberant, friendly, hard working yarn shop owner who left corporate america to do this and be creative with everything she touches, in her own way. While I was there, her husband walked in and she begged him to bring her some lunch, at 2:15 in the afternoon! (I remember those times well, when I had my shop, when I simply did not have time to stop and eat.) Which he promptly did. I perused some patterns while Susie had her lunch.

I ended up getting 2 books and yarn for 2 small projects (socks, baby sweater).

Upon cashing out, I asked if I could get her picture so I could put it on my blog.

Susie said ,"Yes, but not without my HAT!"

How can you resist a funny hat loving Local Yarn Shop Owner??


Happy snowstorm-pending Tuesday-before-the-elections.

I'm gettting my needles out.

wooly guys, and random monday items.

There was a new booth at Rhinebeck this year that had these guys on display:


You could tell that a lot of helpers had made a whole village full of gnomes.
Each one had their own personality.

I ended up getting the kit to make one, for $20.

I should have just bought one, they were $22 all finished.

My needlefelting skills will be challenged!

~~~~~~~

In other news, Crafty Girl had to be treated for a case of hot tub folliculitis last week, after she had spent time at a friend's house. It seemed like fun at the time... Then she had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic, and we ran to the doctor again. She is back in school today, but we need to be vigilant about this rash. It could take weeks.

~~~~~~

Eight days until the election. I don't know about you, but I really want it to be over already.

more Rhinebeck goodness

Here are a couple more snapshots. Not the greatest pictures. I am hoping the subjects can forgive me.

Jillian Moreno, of knittyspin and Big Girl Knits fame.


The not-so-great picture of two great ladies, Mason-Dixon bloggers and authors of 2 books, Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne. Like I said, I goofed on the picture, so here it is for you to see and judge:


Here's our Kay of Sliver Moon Farm on the right with a customer, Sara, both sporting the most often spotted sweater at Rhinebeck 2008: the February Lady Sweater. I know I saw at least 20 of them.

Every year, there is a project that appears in multiples. Can we say Clapotis? Central Park Hoodie? Tilted Duster? Tangled Yoke?

I wonder what next year's Rhinebeck sweater of the year will be.

Rhinebeck 2008

I am sitting here trying to recuperate from my annual Rhinebeck hangover. Do I wait another day so I can be coherent? No. Must post and tell you, at least with pictures.

It was fabulous.

Saturday in the wee hours of the morning, I drove down with my yarn and found this in the parking lot:


Later when the sun was up all the way, it lit up the trees.
We had the best weather ever, chilly but sunny.

On Saturday, Famous Meli came by to see me with her mom, Cara of January One, and dad.

They made my day right then and there.

Next, we have my friends Diane and Eric, Ravelry's Other Parents. Diane won a huge number of ribbons this year!!! (Diane, do you still have a blog? Can we see what you made?)

This is our booth. Before all the happy knitters came and snatched up all the wool.

You can see some of my yarn parked in the last four cubicles on the left.

Here's Laurie the Phantom Dyer as she describes herself, with our friend and customer, Gail.

Last year I managed to take no people shots, something which I remedied this year!

On Sunday, I got to wander a bit with my friend Sharon and took in the festival in all its facets.

You can sit and decorate a pumpkin, or text your friends. Whatever moves you.



I happened upon a llama and alpaca parade,





and I always make sure I visit the sheep to thank them for all the beautiful wool they grow.

Here comes the parade of famous people.

This is Jennie the Potter, whose blog I've been reading. I was very excited to see her there! She had the most windswept, exposed to the elements booth, but she is from Minnesota and probably used to weather...we traded yarn and pottery and I do hope very much she will make the trek again next year.

The Yarn Harlot in her element: talking to a baby.

I met the author of Shear Spirit, a book which I admire. Joan Tapper is wearing the Montana Tunic, a garment which has fascinated me and which I will have to knit in the near future. I mean, when do you ever meet a sweater that you can go hiking in, or wear going shopping New York City?

I also met the Mason Dixon ladies but I goofed with the picture. They are LOVELY. And funny. But you already know that, if you've ever read the blog or bought one of their books.

These ladies are not Ann Shayne and Kay Gardiner, but they are Very Important looking and I think they were judges.

And of course you know who this is.

Jess from Ravelry, and her mom.

That's it. Now I have to go lie down a bit before I go to work.

A wool hangover is no joke.

Ready, set, go!

Before you start looking at the following pictures and ohh and ahh about the yarn, I need to tell you that I am not worthy because I have proven again what a moron I can be.

I did not finish the sweater for afghans for Afghans in time. I did try my darndest, but then work and the dyeing took over completely, and the sweater is still here.

I want to remind you that I got yarn free from them specifically for the purpose.
I am a bad, no good knitter, because I am causing suffering for a child in Afghanistan this winter. Or at least I did not get my act together in order to help alleviate the suffering.
Of course I will keep knitting for them right after the fest, and still send out the sweater, but I don't think it's going to make it for this shipment. Trust me, this is causing me bad dreams.


During the day, I have been working on this when I could:


This pile is going to Rhinebeck with me tomorrow, and will be parked in the SLIVER MOON FARM booth, where Kay and Laurie are so graciously letting me sell my yarn alongside theirs, in exchange for me helping them out.

Still dyeing this morning, hoping this will dry by tonight.

Any more than this, and I need to apply for my own booth. I have almost all merino worsted and sport here, kettledyed, and also some individually hand painted skeins.

Anyway, I hope you will stop by and see me, even though I am the world's lousiest charity knitter.

a few points

ONE. I'm OK again. Took a few days. Thank you for thinking of me!

TWO: I scored a seat in a class with Norah Gaughan on November 1st, at Colorful Stitches in Lenox, Mass.

THREE: There is going to be another Contemplative Knitting Retreat at the end of January, where I'll be teaching. Details to follow in a couple of weeks.

FOUR: I messed up the armhole/sleeve on the kid's sweater. Tonight, after work, I will rip and re-do.

FIVE: Next weekend is the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival. I will be helping out in the SLIVER MOON booth, and they in turn will let me sell some handdyed yarn again. So guess what? I have been trying to get yarn dyed every free minute.

SIX: Crafty Girl is getting her braces installed on Tuesday. We stocked up on tylenol and soft food.

SEVEN: Gotta run!

sometimes a Monday

Sometimes a Monday feels like such a letdown.
Especially if you've had a good weekend with your college freshman home, and you had a couple of nice homemade dinners and went to see a movie and worked in the yard in the bright sunshine, and then on Monday you had to put him on the train after he walks his sister to school, and it's raining and you have a cold and your gut is all wrenched up because of some food you ate that does not agree with you. (Stupid gluten.)

But. Then there are people who are MUCH MUCH WORSE off than you and you consider them and you sit down and make a really warm sweater:


And even that cat gets in on it.



Project for the latest a4A campaign. A thick sweater for a child. I need to have it done in three days. I even got the yarn for free, if you are on the mailing list they told you in August that they have some yarn from a generous donor (not saying who at the time), all I needed to do is send them a check for 1st class postage.

It ended up being this gorgeous handdyed yarn from Blue Sky Alpacas, a 50/50 blend of wool and alpaca. Enough for a whole sweater.

I am sure I can fit this in between naps and rice crackers.