Wednesday, November 30, 2011

More Projects

Yarn of a different color
I am getting excited about another project for the loom.  The yarn was some dyed merino roving  I had purchased some time ago at a Fiber Festival that I had been using as inspiration for the colorway.  Not being thrilled to look at it anymore,  I decided to try to spin it with the idea of keeping the colors as distinct as possible.  This proved impossible to do, so I took a different tack and blended it with some alpaca.  When it came to spinning,  I was disappointed to find the fiber not as pleasing to the touch as I felt it should be.  However,  I persevered and was rewarded with a tolerable yarn which immediately changed color when I washed it as about a quarter of the dye left it.  Hmmm.  Not happy with that!  Especially as it was the color that attracted me to it.  The final yarn is certainly not what I had anticipated, that is for sure, but like many of my experiments I am confident that once it becomes a finished product it will appeal to someone.   It is going on the loom as I found that having wool in the warp makes a huge difference in the strength of the yarn.  Pure alpaca does not seem to stand up to the stress as well, and fixing broken threads is not my idea of a fun time.
Fingerless gloves
We are going to be in Orwell this Saturday doing another craft show.   It is such a fun time to do local shows as people are really open to handcrafts.  Besides this scarf which I hope to have done for Saturday, I made a pair of fingerless gloves that I really think are sweet.  The fun thing about them is the ribbon I put in every few rows.  One thing I have to keep working on is taking photos of things.  It is not something that I find easy to do, no matter how many Etsy lessons I read on the way to take great photos.  Maybe I will make that a focus this winter.  Sounds like a plan!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Giving Thanks

Lovely new roof
There are so many things that I am giving thanks for this year.  I can not possibly list them all, nor would I want to bore you to tears with the recitation.  Here, though, are some of my more unusual ones.
Grateful to have at least half a roof done before it snows tonight and tomorrow.
Knitted lace scarf







Thankful to have these two scarves finished.









Aurora Borealis woven scarf






Happy to have sold three items at Benson's Craft Fair on Saturday.
Thankful to be going to Thanksgiving dinner at the Married Daughter's house.  What a shift in the general scheme of things to be going and bringing pies and wine, instead of doing the whole shebang.  I think it is going to be a real treat.  Plus, she has graciously included MacTavish in that invitation (did she tell you yet, Kevin?) so here is another thing I am grateful for----I found a place nearby that I can (and did) take MacT to that has a doggie washing tub.  So for a mere pittance I could stand and wash him in a very agreeable manner.  It was amazing.  Usually I have to lean over the tub and pour pans of water on him.  This place let me stand up, had shampoo etc all at hand and lovely washing hoses.  I loved it.
Exhausted dog
I don't think the dog did.
I wish you all a Blessed Thanksgiving.  I'm grateful that you are reading this and hope that in some small way I entertain you for a moment.  And now I need to go work with fiber!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Dismay and Joy

Slate off, paper on
November First was a happy day.  The men came to finally start removing the slate off the south side of the house in preparation for putting a metal, standing seam one on.  This is an event I had been longing for as we have had several winters of ice back ups and their subsequent leaks into the upstairs.
Not exactly standing seam....
Therefore, when it was a week later and the roof was bare except for the paper stuff they put on it, I was so ready for the metal to come.

And I waited....

November 14, which you will note is two weeks from the first,  the rains came, and they came inside as well as out.  I am not one to complain, much, but having to find buckets and rags to catch streams of water in the night was not my idea of Fun.  Especially since it worked its way down into the built in cabinet in the kitchen which houses pantry items.  Happily, some of the rain got caught in the vases and extra coffee mugs I store there.  Kind of funny.  And, since the Lord is so Good, the rain only lasted for a couple hours.  I was able to get to bed by 11.
Now my house looks like this.
And I am told that Friday the roof will be here.  Not holding my breath.



The Joy?
Daisie Mae

Pretty egg!
Little Daisie Mae laid her first egg yesterday.  It was so exciting!  When hens go to lay their eggs, they kind of sneak off from the rest of the flock to go inside and do it.  I saw Miss Daisie go into the barn, do a walk around, then come out and "sneak" along the side to the coop door.  When I went in later, she was on a nest.  And by noontime, there was the little pullet egg, ever so pretty.  That makes me smile!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Two Scarves

On the loom
I am now working on two scarves--one on the loom and one on the needles.  It is so much fun to see the pattern emerging on the woven one.  It is an old design called "birds eye".  I did a variation on it with the scarf before this.  However I was not happy with the close tones of the yarn I had dyed masking the pattern.  This one is definitely standing out.  It is a pleasure to weave as I dressed the loom using the method lined out in "Warping By Yourself" which makes a huge difference.  The warp is so nice and even.  I love it.
On the needles
The knit scarf is a lace pattern I found in my Stitch Dictionary.  I decided to put a two stitch cable running up the outside edge to help it lay flat, once it is finished.  The hard part about lace is that it doesn't look like anything until you block it.  I threw in the pink for accent and contrast, also hoping that the cables will weight the ends down to keep the scarf in place when worn.  Thought the pink seemed to go with the brown real well.  I am hoping to get both scarves done in time for the Benson Village Craft Show on the 19th.  Gloria and I will have a booth there in the hope of catching folks who are looking for Christmas gifts.  
In old news, we had chicken dinner last week.  It was delicious and once named Brisco.  I am getting better at this flock consumption!  At this point the remaining rooster is doing a fine job of protecting the girls--all but three.  Those hens stay in the coop all day and won't come out when he is around.  They seem very scared of him.  I hope that they decide to join the others soon as it isn't as healthy for them to stay inside on these lovely fall days!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Excitement in the Village

Here is a great story.  My husband is the long time barber here in our little piece of Vermont.  A few years ago he happened to look out his window and noticed a car parked across the street at the local convenience store that seemed odd somehow.  Being the kind of guy he is, he made a mental note of it.  It turned out he was looking at the get-a-way car for a bank robber and the information he gave to the police helped them to apprehend the thieves.   Flash forward to yesterday.  Not being busy he looks out the window, and in the same place notices another car that attracts his attention.  This time he watches the person get out, and when coming back, sees she has purple smoke coming out of her satchel.  He quickly writes down everything about the car, license plate, noting the time, etc.   A short while later he is visited by police, produces his info and less then two hours after the bank was robbed, they have a couple in custody. The Burlington Free Press was the first to acknowledge his help.  I got home and found a message on my machine that an Albany News Station wanted to interview him.  Such excitement!
Jeff,  Barber and Crook Catcher
I am glad that he is the type of guy that won't let it go to his head.  It will be fun to hear about his interviews tonight when he sits down to supper.  I am very proud of him, especially when he insists he didn't do much of anything unusual.  I think he did!