Home is my favorite place to be. It’s a glorious blue-sky morning and I was glad we got to have coffee on the porch today before we hit the dirt. Hubby’s taking the dog to the vet, grabbing some chicken wire and getting our boat serviced, I’m headed to Augusta for a meeting and then back to clean up after being away for a couple of days.
I had the pleasure of traveling with friends to Compton, Quebec this weekend so that we could attend Julie Asselin’s Needle in a Haystack event. This is the third year, I think, and despite foul weather (it was damp, windy and cooler than we’d have liked) it was a lot of fun.
On the way to Quebec we stopped by the Wire Bridge in New Portland, Maine. I hadn’t ever visited this historic landmark and it was fun to see!
I booked an airBnB in Compton and we were the only inhabitants of the house with access to the common living room. It was quiet and clean and very pleasant. We found Erabliere du Village in Compton where we had an early dinner and a late breakfast the next morning. The food was simple and delicious and an incredible value.
Needle in a Haystack is a community event with some vendors, all Canadian indy yarn companies, dyers, makers of yarn-related accessories and an opportunity to taste the cheeses at the Fromagerie la Station on whose land the event happens. Because of the weather we huddled in the two barns to get out of the wind. My friend, Michele, from Montreal and two of her friends and our friend Cindy from Northern California were all there and it was fun to sit and knit with them, catching up on the years between our visits. There is something so sweet about the people I’ve had the luck to connect with over yarn and needles over the years. There are some people who are extra special like Michele and Cindy. I am grateful for their friendship! I am also grateful for the women I’ve met at the store who are willing to get up and go when I come up with a crazy travel idea. Knit City, Needle in a Haystack, and there will be more to come! I am so glad I threw my Easy Foldover Poncho into my suitcase at the last minute … I really needed it (and could have worn a true sweater!)
I used a lot of self-control and only bought three hanks of yarn from a delightful shepherd who was knitting such a pretty sweater with her own sheep’s wool … the sheep, Gordon (Sir Gordon Ramsay) is an Olde English Baby Doll Southdown sheep in a natural colorway. Gordon’s wool over the years has gone from quite dark to lighter and I bought a shade in the middle. Leystone Farm is in Pontiac, Quebec and the wool was milled in Manitoba. I think it’ll make a really fun vest or sweater and the memory of chatting with the woman will linger every time I wear it. I’m really excited about it – and it’s so soft and wooly!
My friend Cindy felt badly about our long, never-ending winter gray weather and she gifted me some sunshine! She even makes the beautiful stitch markers! I will be so happy to use all these sunshiny knitting tools and will remember her every time I use them.
And I made some new friends while waiting for my turn at the porta-potty!
Today I’m heading off to Compton, Quebec for A Needle in a Haystack, a fibery event in a field next to a fromagerie. That’s about all I know … except that now I know they have a rainy day plan and I’m grateful for that.
Meanwhile this week has been super busy at home and at work. The store has been receiving new boxes of yarn and we are trying to find places for it to live. Carol and I spent the day Thursday reworking the sock yarns to add in a dozen new colors of Cascade Heritage and Heritage 6. When we were done, it was gorgeous and organized in weight-order (fingering … sport … worsted). My classes yesterday, with the exception of the morning class, were smaller than “normal” but it was a pretty day and the weather reports for the weekend aren’t promising. I’d have been planting my vegetable garden if I’d had my druthers.
I’m making such good progress on my tabard! I have reached the twenty-one inches for the front piece and now have to work the shoulders. I am not going to knit a big turtleneck, I will instead knit an inch or so of ribbing and call it done. SO … I think I’m going to start the back and get it to the neck shaping, if there is any, and then finish the front. I still love the green and I’d have said I wasn’t a green girl. I can’t wait to wear this “vest” and I hope I love it as much as I think I will. (I’m also eager to block it out to see how the size changes. I may put the front on holders and wet block it to see what happens. Stay tuned.
Broadgate Tabard in gorgeous green linen
And I have a FO! I have finished my Salty Air Tee by Samantha Guerin. I adore the color and the yarn that I used from Rachel at On the Round in Thomaston, Maine. The Nimble Sock yarn is so round and squishy and the colorway, Harbor, is the perfect grayish-blue. The size I chose is the perfect size and I am thrilled with the final product. I wore it yesterday and it was very comfortable, not to warm, draped well and fit was just what I had anticipated. The pattern was well-written and a relatively quick knit considering it’s a fingering weight yarn on US4 needles. I will wear this shirt a lot!
Salty Air Tee in On the Round Nimble Sock
So, that leaves a few projects on the needles and I’m planning to take a few with me to Canada today. I have my Easy Folded Poncho (miles of stockinette stitch), and I cast on a skirt for my granddaughter yesterday that is also a bunch of stockinette … but with increases every six rounds. She’s going to love it – it’s a deep purple with stelina sparkles and it will twirl! Pattern is Olive’s Swing Skirt and I’m using Plymouth’s Electra Light, a stashed yarn, that was on the clearance rack at the store.
I’ve also started a new pair of socks, shortie socks, from the Summer Lee Sock Project book. I’m playing with carrying the contrasting color on these socks so I don’t have a bunch of ends to weave in and so far, so good. This pattern uses an afterthought heel … I’ll report my thoughts when they’re done and I can wear them. I still like my heel flap and gusset best of all but I’ll keep an open mind.
My daughter’s Levitate Wrap sweater/cardigan is still in time out awaiting a try-on. I had hoped that I would be able to squeeze in a trip to New York City before our summer family guests arrive on the 19th but I’m not sure it’s going to work out for me. Boo. I will see some of the kids starting in mid-June and in early July and I hope that I can get into New York to see the other kids, too. It feels like it’s been a really long time since I’ve seen them. Not sure what that means for this “old” person who is “semi-retired” but I have been so busy and my calendar is way too full. Even for sitting on the porch and enjoying the hummingbirds!
I have been enjoying the yard and watching the flowers grow. The lilacs are gorgeous! I brought some indoors and they only last a few days before wilting. I don’t know how to make them stay beautiful … they make the whole downstairs smell wonderful! Our first iris are blooming and the day lilies are coming right along. They typically bloom around July 4th.
And I baked! I made my hubby’s birthday requested scones. I make the Levain Bakery recipe and they are delicious every time. We love, love, love them and because they have oatmeal in them, they’re heathy, right? I also made him a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I’ve frozen half of the cake, cut in pieces, and the leftover frosting. He’s a happy man. This was making up for his birthday cake out of a box. Horrors! (Not really, it was delicious!)
I’ve “wasted” a lot of time writing this and I have to focus on packing my knitting and being ready to go … gone knitting!
We had a wonderful whirlwind trip to celebrate my big brother’s 70th birthday in Tucson, AZ this past weekend. We dropped the dog at the kennel and headed down to my brother and sister-in-love’s in Marblehead for the night on Wednesday and then flew to Phoenix on Thursday (it would have been our mother’s 94th birthday). Drove to Tucson and stayed with my sister and brother-in-love in their home in Oro Valley. I’d never been there before and it was so much fun to see where they live! If you haven’t been following me for a long time, you may not know that I grew up as the oldest of three kids and when I divorced and moved to Florida my mother’s cousin told us that my mother had had a baby boy on her birthday in 1956. I searched for him and found him in 2008. We met for the first time in 2009 and met his sister/our sister the following year. It’s not often that you gain a couple of wonderful siblings at age 50! I was blessed to add two and it’s been a pleasure every time we get together! Anyway, we stayed at Charlotte’s house and gathered at my brother’s VRBO rental for meals and visiting every day. My heart is filled up again! We celebrated my hubby’s birthday on Friday and my brother’s on Saturday. Yesterday we flew back to Boston, slept one more night at my brother’s and then came home today. We will sleep really well tonight!
We took a drive on Saturday morning to the Arizona – Sonora Desert Museum and walked around their zoo-like campus for a couple of hours before the big 70th Seinfeld-themed birthday bash. I was in awe of the landscape and the creatures! The cactus, especially the Saguaros were so much fun to see. My sister feeds the birds so we got quite a treat watching their different birds … the quail babies were so stinking cute! And we saw a squadron of Javelinas. With a baby! The guys were sorry (a little bit maybe) to not see a Rattlesnake in the wild but they saw one at the museum. I chose not to go in – I tried but couldn’t get past the door. I’m way too terrified of snakes.
It was a wonderful trip! My younger brother and his wife and my hubby and I travel so well together and we’re already talking about another trip out west in the spring maybe. As we all get older it’s difficult to be so far apart!
While we were traveling I finished my Arne & Carllos socks for my hubby’s birthday gift. He wore them home today! I’m really pleased with them … but I should have made the legs longer so I would have used up more of the yarn. I have quite a bit left over. I really love this new iteration of this yarn and I’ll be buying more (after I nibble away at my stash a bit more). I also hope we’ll get some of it in the shop where I work.
I also finished my Salty Air Tee! I’ve got it soaking right now and can’t wait to pull it out and wear it … maybe this week! I am really happy with the pattern and the garment. I love the On the Round yarn that I used, too. It’s got a really soft hand and the yarn was round and squishy and the colorway was perfection. It was also a rather quick knit! The lace yoke wasn’t difficult at all and I would say it would make a good introduction to lace knitting in the round and lace yokes. I made no modifications to this top … well, I did lengthen it a bit because no woman my age should be wearing crop tops! Ha! Ha! (Color isn’t photographing the truth, this appears to be more gray. It’s a medium blue in real life.)
We arrived home today with the grass ready to be cut again (it was a rainy weekend) and the lilacs in full bloom and smelliing absolutely perfect. Our first yellow iris is about to pop open as are the purple ones next to the lake. The weeds are already winning the battle and after the suitcases are empty the laundry will be a maximum capacity again, too. There’s always lots of stuff to clean up when you come home again but this trip was so worth it!
On the flight home I started a new pair of socks and worked on my Broadgate Tabard. I’ve nearly reached the end of the second repeat of 52 rows on the first side of the tabard. It is becoming easier to remember and see the pattern/texture. I’m doing most of the “cables” which are really mostly crossed stitches without a cable needle and that makes it so much smoother knitting. I don’t love knitting with linen yarn but this colorway is still the apple of my summertime knitting eye! I love it. The photos are not impressive so I’m not going to post them … scroll back a post or two and there’s a photo … It still looks the same just a little longer. New socks pic coming soon.
While I was away the ice went out and the loons returned. What a glorious morning it is when we can once again hear the loons calling! This morning was that morning. “Our” loon pair was out in front of the house letting us know that they’re back. And since they were out front, we got the chair cushions out of winter storage so we could have some coffee on the porch (with blankets) just to spend a few minutes out in advance of the warmer weather.
My trip to Quebec City was everything I hoped it would be. Knitting friend and student, Rudy, and I had tickets to see Arne & Carlos at the Chateau Frontenac on Thursday evening. We made a girts trip out of it and drove up to Quebec City on Wednesday. Rudy has been there before and was a wonderful “tour guide” leading me on the best wanders around town, some great restaurants and more. We stayed at the Hotel du Vieux-Quebec which was exceptional. My room was comfortable and modern with historic details. We spent some down-time in the lounge by the fireplace knitting when we weren’t out and about. The art in the hotel was exceptional and there were a couple of pieces that I would buy for my house. The staff were very friendly and welcoming (as were all the people we me along our way.) Each room has a coffee maker and a tea kettle, a small refrigerator and a full bath with a towel warmer! Everything is labeled in French and some with English translations and it was just a short walk up hill to the shops.
We wandered shops in the Quartier du Petite Champlain where the streets were cobblestones and many of the buildings original (old!) We had some cheese for a snack and a maple “lollipop” made just for us. We went up to the Chateau Frontenac on the Funicular, an automated tram that climbs the steep (STEEP) hill up to the Chateau, and wandered around the shops between there and our hotel.
Cathedral Notre-Dame de QuebecGoat cheese and herbed bread snackPetite ChamplainMaple treatsthe Funicular – going up!Dinner Wednesday
I highly recommend a ride UP the Funicular! We had our Wednesday dinner at Hortus, connected to our hotel. It’s a farm to table-style restaurant and we had a lovely meal with dessert, too! As we were waiting for our food, we saw Arne and Carlos for the first time – walking by on the sidewalk on their way to dinner. We nearly flew out of our seats to go speak with them … but thought better of it. (Later Arne said we should have come out to say hello. Bummer that we didn’t but oh, well!)
Thursday we had breakfast at a crepes restaurant – savory for me and dessert for Rudy! They were delicious. And then we did some wandering around the shops near our hotel. We took a historical tour of the Chateau Frontenac area that afternoon and it was very interesting. The guide was wonderful; a perfect mix of history, comedy, and acting. We had a late lunch/early dinner at Bello near the Chateau. They serve wonderful Italian food. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and then headed on to the Chateau where the main attraction was happening. Arne and Carlos were sponsored by Boutique de Tricot, Les Laines Biscotte in the new part of the city. (More on our visit there later) We arrived early and were among the first registered and were milling in the ballroom (salle de balle) when out walked Arne and Carlos. Arne walked right into our “circle” winding a ball of blue yarn and picked up the conversation. It was thrilling to stand and chat with one of my knitting heroes. Carlos came over a bit later and also joined the group for a little bit before their talk. They talked for an hour about their creative endeavors and what inspires them, their home (that Arne bought without consulting Carlos and without any electric or heat), their gardens and their travel. It was inspiring listening to them.
We didn’t win any of the drawings but we felt like winners just being there! After the talk, Arne and Carlos autographed their newest book and put up with us all wanting photos with them. Hey, there’s no proof without photos!
I’d heard that they were warm and kind and welcoming and they were exactly that! Carlos was wearing his (now) famous denim shirt that Arne got the security tag off of (they talked about it on their youtube channel) and they were simple delightful to meet. I need to go on one of their trips now to allow me to spend a little more time with them. (I’ll be saving my pennies!) We also met some lovely women and men who traveled to Quebec to meet “the guys”. The Canadians, no matter what province they’re from, are so lovely to visit with!
And we have arrived at Friday already and time to head home. Rudy ordered us breakfast to be delivered to our room on Friday morning to allow us time to pack up and relax a bit. Imagine my surprise when I opened my door at 6:30am to see this …
Breakfast was beautifully presented in a rattan picnic basket with a red and white checked cloth and included orange juice, yogurt, cheddar cheese, honey (from the hotel’s rooftop bees) and two items from a patisserie – a perfect croissant and a fruit and cheese danish. I will tell you that it was my first idea to eat one and bring one home but I ate them both. LOL. And the yogurt. We met around 8 in the lounge for some knitting near my favorite piece of art there until the three shops that we wanted to stop at to buy a few gifts to bring home.
We ran out at 10am to the Atelier Les Trois Corbeaux for some glass pieces that were made right there in the store. Needless to say, it was plenty warm there with a forge in the building! On to the shoe store for a gift for Rudy and then to Mary’s Popcorn. Yes, we did bring popcorn home and it is something worth mention – if you’re there, buy it! The small size isn’t big enough. Trust me.
And then we were off to the yarn shop! The store space is large and open and well organized. I always love to see what different shops carry and what is different and how they organize their yarns. It was so much fun! La Laine Biscotte carries their own line of yarn, too. It was difficult to not buy more … I controlled myself.
I chose a hank of Arne & Carlos’ new sock yarn for my hubby’s socks, a couple of Biscotte sock yarns to make myself a pair of socks and enough charcoal gray Felted Tweed for another Easy Folded Poncho (or similar). I also bought the commemorative canvas bag. Of course! You can also see my autographed copy of the new ornaments book. I may have to knit a couple just because I have more of the yarn that matches my hand-knit Christmas items that ALL happen to be Arne and Carlos’ designs.
Our drive home was peppered with us saying “I can’t believe we met Arne & Carlos”! And how thrilled we were to get up there to meet them. It was a marvelous trip and we will have fun sharing our experience with the Friday morning knitters at Yardgoods Yarn.
I did get a little bit of knitting done. I’ve worked on the body of the Vanilla Sweater in lavender for my college roommate. I’m getting almost to the bottom of the body. And I’ve worked on my Shawl KAL project, the Hansel Hap Half. I made a little mistake in the first couple of rows in the setup for the border so I frogged back and reknit it last night. It’s much better now. I’m not sure where I made the mistake but I was probably talking too much. I’ve run out of the MC and am finishing the center triangle with a “stripe” of a close colorway that presents as more brown than gray. But it’s ok – I think it will look like another stripe in the shawl. It’s for me and I’ve blessed the project as it uses up some of my stashed J&S jumper weight wool. I have a few hats or a colorwork sweater or two still in my stash. I have no photos of said knitting, however. I’ll update again after I settle back in at home. It was delightful to find some crocus blooming in the yard when I got home.
Not a particularly beautiful welcome home weather-wise but it was so good to sleep in my own bed despite my snoring partner. LOL. I had a wonderful family visit in New York City, got to spend time with all of my kids and their significant others; the dogs, too! Nothing feeds this mama’s soul more than spending time with my adult children – they’re really terrific people and I’m so proud to be their mother! And now I’m home and this is a three-day work week for me as it’s my Saturday to work so I’m trying to get myself cleaned up and organized but also save some of my energy for the end of the week.
While I was gone, I finished my Thistle on the Moor vest. I am so pleased with the finished project! I knit this vest in Berroco Lanas Light, a sport weight 100% wool yarn with really great yardage (383 yards to 100 grams). I used only two balls for the fourth size thus making this project very affordable at $23.00. I will have to wear this to work on Thursday to try it out! The vest pre-blocking had some really wonky stitches but it’s gorgeous after blocking and it feels gloriously soft for a 100% wool that’s neither super wash nor merino!
Thistle on the Moor Vest on the blocking mat
I have also made a couple of purchases while I was away (or just before I left). I bought a sweater worth of Rauma Garn Finull in a beautiful heathered lavender for my second Vanilla Sweater by Corrine Tomlinson. This time it’s for my college roommate. I am excited to knit another version of this sweater and I love the colorway she chose.
I also ordered a total splurge yarn from Tribe Life Yarns in the UK. It’s a hand-dyed Art Yarns silk mohair with which I’ll be making a pullover that their Millie designed and it was free with the purchase of the yarn. The yarn was incredibly expensive, even for me, a self-proclaimed yarn snob, but I hope it’ll be a gorgeous sweater and a joy to wear. And I loved their packaging! The yarn is a creamy-white, blue, and shades of brown, beige, gray-ish and almost peachy. It’s quite different from any sweaters that I already have and if it’s really wonderful, I may have to buy some more! Oops.
I have ordered a new pouch to keep my bullet journal planner/calendar in, too. It hasn’t arrived yet but I hope it will be a favorite “tool” going forward. It’s by Soolla and appears to be a good weight of canvas with lots of outside and inside pockets where I can keep my pens, etc. A good way to carry those essentials that I need when I use my bullet journal. (And I never like to be without it!)
Last night I worked on my Frabjous Fibers socks again. I’ve turned the heel and completed the gusset decreases so I’ve just got to finish the foot and toe of the first sock and then get the second one started. I was pretty tired after my drive from CT to ME yesterday so I didn’t stay up late. I’ve got a bunch of chores to get done today and I’ll work on the socks and get the Vanilla Sweater cast on. I will be knitting a sweater for my daughter, too, this week. She’s asked for (and I’ve swatched for) Levitate Wrap by My Favorite Things. I’m excited to get started on another couple of sweaters.
I got home to some very dry plants and my Clivia up in my studio was covered in white mealy bugs. I gave it a good wash with some diluted soap and have done a shallow dive into how to treat mealy bugs on my Clivia plant … looks like I need an insecticide and some antibacterial dish soap so I’ll be back at it again today. Meanwhile, three of my four orchids are blooming and they’re being soaked in the kitchen sink because it’s been awhile! I’d best wrap this up and get back to it.
The lake looked like the surface of the moon this morning. Fog across the lake and the sunshine on new snow. We are so lucky to live here. I went into town this morning after my hubby cleared the driveway to pick up some groceries. It’s actually warm this afternoon – 49 degrees! The snow is melting and I’m up in my atelier working away. I think I will open the window a crack and get some fresh air in the house.
I’ve been knitting like mad. What’s new? I have so many projects on my mind and in my Ravelry queue. I’ve also made a few yarn purchases. I told my co-worker friends on our girls day out yesterday that I’ve made an impulse buy for a hand-dyed mohair sweater for myself. I had to buy the yarn to get the pattern, so … I did. I’m going back to work tomorrow before I’m gone again to help with our granddaughter next week. I’ll earn the money back. I also ordered some yarn for a Vanilla Sweater for my college roommate, Carrie. She loved mine. AND I have bought yarn to make my daughter’s sweater. The mohair has come in and I can get ready but first I have to finish at least one of the WIPs on my needles.
Ranunculus #2 in Berroco Dulce
I have been working away at my second Ranunculus. I had hoped to finish it today and wear it to work tomorrow but maybe I can finish it Friday and wear it on the weekend. We shall see. This is the project that I’ve put most of my time and effort into. It’s a quick knit and if I’d made good notes on the first one, I’d be further along. But, alas, I’m winging it again. I’ve got the body length at 8 inches and have begun the ribbing. Meanwhile, I also started the first sleeve wondering if I will be able to make long sleeves before I run out of yarn. I think I have plenty. This yarn is very soft and I like the way it’s looking but the fuzz is obnoxious. I think the finished garment will be very wearable, though. I don’t have far to go on this one.
My Thistle on the Moor vest is also coming along. Believe it or not, this is still the first ball of. yarn that I’m working with. I have a few more rounds to go before I’ll have to add the second ball. I don’t think I’ll need the third ball at all. I’m almost two thirds of the way done with the lace thistle motif down the front of the vest and I have one more repeat of the chart to go. Can you see the thistle in the second picture? I love this! Berroco Lanas Light is a wooly wool but it’s not really rough. I am liking working with it for the most part. If I just had more days in the week, I could get this finished.
The third project is my vanilla socks. I’m using Summer Lee’s I’m so Basic Socks pattern just to change things up. I think these may be baggy socks because her instructions say I should cast on 72 stitches. I think I know better but I’m knitting on. We’ll see how they turn out. The yarn is a sock set, a 100 gram ball of speckled yarn for the main color and a teal blue mini for the cuff, heel and toes. I haven’t worked on these much this week. I’m the only one measuring my progress with my SISC (self-imposed sock club.)
I have one FO. My little cousin asked me to make her a beanie when we were in Reno. I found this cake of Lion Brand Mandala Watercolors in my stash (away from where I can see it) and I think she’ll like the color. Her room is pink. This hat knit up in a flash, I used the Daily Beanie pattern which is free on Ravelry and the bulky yarn. I used a US10 needle and knit the hat to 8 inches before I started the decreases. It’s super soft and will wash and dry well. All important things when knitting for kids.
Yesterday we went to Belfast, ME for a girls’ day and visited another Maine yarn shop, Heavenly Yarn which has switched ownership in the last year or so. I love the space that Heavenly Yarn is in, an old building with squeaky wood floors and I love the layout of the shop and the samples. I bought a couple of hanks of Harrisville Highland yarn because I have never knitted with it and I like to try different yarns. I think I’ll knit myself a new pair of snowflake mittens. As my friend Bette says, my first ones have yellow snow. I’ve been wearing them for ten years. There’s nothing wrong with them, I just “need” a new pair. One without yellow snow. LOL
A couple of days before I leave for New York … I’d best get knitting!
February certainly flew by! This morning I woke up at 8:00 o’clock when my alarm went off … I could probably have slept longer. We were exhausted when we got home yesterday late afternoon. We got up in Denver just prior to 2:00am for our 5am flight – come to find this …
TSA in Denver International Airport doesn’t open until 3am but they suggest you get to the airport two hours before you are scheduled to board your flight. Our boarding time was 4:45. We got to the airport at 2:30 and not a thing was open. Ugh! AND TSA Pre-check doesn’t open until 4! Needless to say, we were among the first people to go through “standard” security. (And all of this was without coffee!) Once we were at our gate (after waiting for the trains to get running) we could only get coffee from a vending machine. What an opportunity missed – someone could have a small food cart with coffee and pastries or muffins or something and make a decent living! And the airlines could do a better job of communicating with customers on those early morning flights, too.
We started off a week ago with an overnight in Portland, Maine. Thankful we decided to drive down to Portland the night before our flight because overnight snow would have made the drive challenging. We took off after a de-ice around 5:30am and flew from Portland,ME to Baltimore, MD to Austin, TX to Reno, NV. Visited with my cousins and aunt and uncle who live there. My aunt is experiencing short-term memory loss and that was difficult to see. We’re going to have to do the travel so we can visit at least once a year. She is like my second mother to me and grandmother to my kids and it’s important to me that I keep the connection with her. On Sunday we toured the place where my aunt and uncle are living and then went out to Virginia City where the gold rush created the town way back when. There are original buildings and a lot of history there. In the right season there are gun fights in the streets and people dress in period clothes. We saw a couple of wild horses on a hillside on our way down the mountain. They also live in my cousins’ neighborhood! We had a big family dinner on Sunday night with my aunt and uncle, their two sons (my cousins) and their spouses and three of the five grandkids (my first cousins once removed?) It was fantastic to see them all and I look forward to going out again … and hope to be able to stay a bit longer next time! Getting to Reno was quite a challenge from Portland, ME. I’ll try from Boston next time. And we thoroughly enjoyed our visits to our western family!
Portland, ME snowy morningDe-iceReno from the skyVirginia City, NVWild horsesWild horses closer upSunrise and Gus
Then we jetted off to Denver, CO to see our youngest and her family which includes our now 6-month-old grandson, Mac. Boy has he changed since we were there in September! He’s now a smiling, laughing, engaging happy boy and we loved spending time with the kids. We got to celebrate Amy’s 33rd birthday and Mac’s half birthday on Tuesday with carrot cake. I had an interesting time with elevation this trip, both in Reno and in Denver, but stayed well-hydrated and tried to get some good rest at night.
BennyRolling with MacPoppy play
I brought knitting with me, of course, and did do some knitting on the way out. I have been working on my Thistle on the Moor vest and my second Ranunculus and I had a pair of vanilla socks. I’ve gotten most of the leg of the socks finished but I’m concerned they’re going to be too big.
I’m knitting Summer Lee’s I’m So Basic Socks in a sock set of Frabjous Fiber’s Mary Ann in a white/cream speckled main color with a teal cuff, heel, toe accent color. I like the hand of the yarn but the pattern told me to cast on 72 stitches for a 9″ foot circumference and I fear they’ll be too big – I always cast on 64 stitches for my socks on a US1. I’m going to put them on my leg and see how it fits before I go any further.
I worked on my Thistle on the Moor vest on the way out and I’m almost 2/3 done with the lace design repeats on the front. The rest of the vest is really simple stockinette stitch so it was good travel knitting. I am enjoying the Berroco Lanas Light yarn. It’s 100% wool but it’s not scratchy! I think it will bloom really nicely when I block it, too.
And I worked on my second Ranunculus. This one I’m knitting with Berroco Dulce in the gray colorway. It’s got a cotton core with alpaca fluff and the core has bits of peach and blue and maybe other colors but it’s very subtle. This version will likely be a more wintery version as compared to the silk one I made first. I’m not sure about how the yarn will hold up and I always feel like I have a bit of fluff in my eye but it’s very soft fabric and I’ve made good progress. I’ve gotten past the yoke and am working on the raglan increases and almost to where I will separate the sleeves. I have a very limited amount of yarn but I think it’ll be enough for at least 3/4 length sleeves. Time will tell.
I haven’t taken any photos of my knitting other than this one … taken while the baby was at his 6-month check up (getting four vaccines!) and the old folks and the dog enjoyed some time in the fresh air and sunshine. The weather was glorious but there’s no snow in Denver. I’m concerned for what that means for the summertime … this has been the least snowy winter in the last 40 years.
Today is for laundry and unpacking and settling back in. We are already missing the Reno and Colorado crew and can’t wait to get back out there. In the meantime, we have a week of “normalcy” and then I’m off to help my daughter with the granddaughter while her dad heads out to Las Vegas for work and mom is working, too! I’m looking forward to seeing the NYC family for a bit! My son-in-law was supposed to be going to Israel for a week, too. That’ may be cancelled because of the new war our government has entered into. Either way, I have to figure out if I want to drive my car, take the bus or train. So many options.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Happy Galentine’s Day! Happy Palentine’s Day! Whatever way you choose to celebrate it, I hope you’re having a wonderful Saturday. My hubby and I have gotten to the place where we don’t do gifts on Valentine’s Day but we will exchange cards and we will find something to do together. This morning we had our coffee together (and a leftover donut from my class Valentine’s celebration) and then we went for a drive. I brought my knitting, of course!
We stopped first at Wild Oats market in Brunswick. I had thought it would be like a grocery store. Not at all. Lots of gifts and books and kitchen-y stuff and prepared foods. We looked around twice and then we chose a frozen lasagna, a turkey tetrazzini and a chicken tiki masala. Each of these will feed us at least one dinner. If we make a salad, we can probably make it four meals. And we had to try their desserts, right? he chose a (mini) chocolate peanut butter pie and I chose a key lime pie (also mini.) Their Iciardi Mini Print Vending Machine was right between the cashier and the dining room. You didn’t have to buy anything to access the machine. I started collecting these wonderful little prints from their mini print vending machines last year in August. We’ve found vending machines in four states so far and we’ve only started to visit the machines in Maine. Today we hit two locations and we took the back roads as much as we could. It was a beautiful day for a drive and we had fun.
Our second stop was at the Maine Beer Company in Freeport. We collected a few more mini prints there and we saw a couple of beautiful Golden Retrievers, too. I told hubby we could stop and he could try their beer flight but he wasn’t eager. So … off we went prints in hand. We have just started talking about what we want to do with the prints and we’ll probably frame some of our favorites for the kitchen, and I’d like to display some in my atelier. I’ve given a few away already and have another one to give to someone special this week. We have a couple of duplicates but they make me (us) happy as is their mission. We’ll be going out to collect more one day soon.
I cast on a new project in the car on the way down. I’ll be making the Thistle on the Moor Vest in Berroco Lanas Light, 100% wool. I bought a tweedy-lavendery-rosey-grey-ish color # 78117. I’ll be making the fourth size. I’m doing this while waiting for some lace weight mohair from Berroco in the charcoal colorway for my daughter’s sweater. I have one ball here that I’ll be swatching with. Needless to say, I’ve brought home two sweaters worth of yarn this week. I brought home some clearance yarn for another Ranunculus, too. I hope I have enough but yardage-wise, it’s the same as the first one I made and it’s a worsted. I’ll play with it later, probably.
After I finished my Ranunculus and my Paper socks, I cast on a pair of Rose City Rollers shorties in an unknown, deeply stashed sock yarn. I quite literally have no idea when or where I bought this yarn. It’s not a color that I think I would have fallen in love with. But it’s here so it’s getting knitted up and the Rose City Rollers is a free pattern on Ravelry. If you’re new to knitting shorties or socks in general, except for the needle size (they’re made on a US1) this is a good beginner pattern and the designer explains her process very well. I’ve finished my first sock and started the second one last night. Yay, me!
Rose City Rollers in unknown sock yarn
The fit is good and the pattern is great. I’ll be making more of these for sure. AND they’re quick to knit. I’m letting my Good Trouble yarn rest a bit in time out while I decide what it wants to be. LOL. Next up on my needles are the vest I cast on today, a sweater for my daugther and a sweater for me. I’m considering a shawl cast on but I’m hesitating because I haven’t been wearing shawls this winter. I’ve been wearing more “scarves” that are long and narrow. I have two in particular that I am loving … one is Brambling by Bristol Ivy and the other is Dangling Conversation in Good Karma Farm yarn. Brambling was part of one of my Year of Techniques classes and featured Fiber Spates yarn and an Intarsia technique. It was fun to knit and I loved the yarn. It just so happens that I found some new colors of the same Fiber Spates yarn to make a second one at a Marden’s clearance sale from a yarn shop. I will knit another one and I’m sure I’ll love it just as well.
On another note, I pulled out my Jelly Roll Blanket again this week when I had a zoom meeting to attend and didn’t have to run the meeting. I just had to listen so I reminded myself what I chose to do for this blanket (the project that will likely last forever and a day) and knitted about a foot more on it. I still have a HUGE basket of leftover balls of sock yarn and it grows every time I finish another pair of socks. I may be crazy but I think this blanket will not use up all of my sock yarn leftovers. I may need another idea … maybe Rose City Rollers for my granddaughter and grandson! I don’t think they’ll care if they match and they can choose the pretty colors by themselves!
I baked a batch of my “famous” granola this week, too. Baking also soothes my soul. This recipe was in a magazine back in the 1980s and I’ve been making it and tweaking it ever since. I’ll never share the recipe. I change it up on the regular. And I have finally learned how to make the raisins and cranberries turn to rocks after they’re added. Yay! Hubby and I will enjoy this for breakfast or lunch with some yogurt or milk. We both love it and it’s so good for us!
We got home from Denver Sunday night and we were fried! We had no delays or challenges but it was a 16 hour travel day … and I don’t sleep well when I have to travel early in the morning. I really didn’t sleep well the whole time we were there but it was so worth the trip. We went out so I could meet our new grandson, Mac Thomas who is a month old. He is adorable, perfect in every way and his parents are doing a great job keeping it all together. We are really excited to have another grand baby and will be traveling to Denver more often so that Mac will know us.
I cast on in the Portland, ME airport for a hat that I just happened to find on social media. The Coby Baby Hat is adorable lace and bobbles in a tiny size and I just happened to have a hank of baby alpaca in a worsted weight which was exactly what was called for. I forgot to change to the US 8 needles after the ribbing but it wasn’t a big deal and the hat came out really well. I left it in Denver because it may be the first Yaya-made hat that fits the kiddo.
While in Denver we had an excellent adventure to see if we could find some Inciardi Mini Print machines. There are two in the Denver area. One was a bust and has very limited hours but the second was a total hit and a wonderful place with helpful, friendly staff! We visited Leven and found the machine where I bought six prints. (one was a duplicate but it was one of my favorites and is going to a special friend who told me about the prints.)
Each of the prints is a little work of art by an artist named Ana Inciardi who is from Brooklyn, NY but based in Portland, ME! Her prints are all over the country and my friend Carol has been collecting them in Maine. After finding the machine at Leven, I think we’re on the band wagon! They’re so much fun!!! Leven was also a boon for baked goods we bought some cheese and a baguette for our supper and some drinks and they kindly gave us a couple of cookies and a brownie … the brownie (we got a print of a brownie there) was phenomenal. A fun visit all around … and I spoke with two of their customers who asked about the machine and bought some prints, too. The prints are $1 each (four quarters go into the vending machine) so they’re accessible for everyone. I won’t be buying six from every machine I find! Ha! Ha!
We also went to this food hall in Denver where we found a yarn shop. I enjoyed visiting the shop and found some fun gifts for my co-workers and some Cascade merino (that we don’t carry at my LYS) that we picked out to make a pair of pants and a sweater for baby Mac. The store was well-organized, clean with plenty of space to maneuver around. They had some lovely books and just a little bit of local yarn. A big wooden table at the center front of the store looked like a wonderful place to gather for a little knitting time or a class. I hope they’re very successful. The food hall idea seems brilliant to me. Lots of little restaurants, like food court sized shops in a mall, with all sorts of different international and regional foods. We stopped at the bar for a daytime beverage so the new parents could feel like real people, too. Fun!
I got all of the knitting done for the Sorento Cardigan that I’m making for a client. I knitted both sleeves at once so that they’d be the same and finished them on the plane on the way back home. I’ve pressed the pieces gently and tomorrow I’ll sew them together in the morning when my mind, eyes and body are feeling fresh. I’ll only have the neck to finish and then add buttons and fully block before sending it off to its new home. The color is so cheerful and I hope she’s tickled with the sweater.
The pieces will go together much better since they’re lightly pressed. I can hardly wait to get this to Louisiana and see what my client thinks! It’s exciting when a garment comes out well.
Last project I took along with me is the September socks for my SISC (self-imposed sock club). The SISC hasn’t been a big success at work but it’s kicked my butt into gear … and this is the 3rd pair of socks that I will have made OUT OF MY STASH! I have a ton of sock yarn and often only one skein of any color … I used to buy one skein when I went somewhere, no more. A project quantity or nothing at all. Anyway, the Murmuration Socks are a lace pattern and I’ve reall enjoyed them. The second sock’s heel is turned and the gusset is decreased. I’m going to try to finish the foot tonight … not sure I can get it done but it’ll be done tomorrow for sure. I love this yarn so much for knitting socks (or anything, honestly!)
Murmuration Socks by Summer Lee in CoopKnits Sock Yeah!
We are off again on Sunday for a couple of weeks babysitting for our granddaughter. Her mom is in rehearsal for a play off Broadway that she goes into on October 10 for a month. Heathers is the name of the show, I hear it’s a “darker” Mean Girls and was very popular in the younger generation of the 90s. She’s excited to have some fun work and we’re excited to be able to help and at the end of it we’ll attend her 3rd birthday party! How quickly time flies.
Next on the needles, I have to finish my daughter’s fingerless mitts. I finally remembered to have her try them on at the beach. I have one mitt (mostly) finished and just one more to go. I’ll also be casting on the Poet pullover by Sari Nordlund in Julie Asselin Nurtured Fine that I bought a Knit City Montreal a couple of years ago. I hope this sweater pattern works for me in this yarn. I have to finish Noah the horse by Christmastime. Other than that, I’m not sure I’ll be knitting for Christmas other than the grandkiddos. Duh.
It was a gorgeous crisp morning on the lake this morning. Hubby was off to work early and I saw the baby loon and a parent (heard them, too) and saw a flock of Canada Geese heading south. It’s so much quieter in the morning now that the summer visitors have left and schools are in session. I spent most of the day yesterday in meetings representing the board of trustees at Maine Arts Academy. I’m so proud of the progress and growth the school has made.
On Sunday my hubby and I took a Sunday drive thinking the weather was going to be rainy. We were wrong about the weather but we had a lovely day on the coast. First stop was the Cashmere Goat in Camden, Maine. I hadn’t been there since before they moved to the new (now not-so-new) location and I was pleasantly surprised by the quantity of yarn they had in their space. I was pleasantly greeted, and happily offered use of the restroom. I did see a couple of samples that I have to make for the grands. A lobster sweater by Whitney Terrell, a Jamberry sweater for Sylive (I bought the Vintage DK yarn to make it) and there was an adorable colorwork hat made in Malabrigo Rios in Christmas colors …CUTE!
Next stop was Belfast and we tried a new-to-us restaurant, Must Be Nice Lobster. I had a lobster roll and the hubby had a crab cake. Both were pretty good. Because he’s a trained chef and I’m a pretty good eater, we are perhaps more demanding of quality than most. We sat outside in the shade with several other tables. The waitress never did bring ketchup for our fries but it was a serviceable lunch. AND then off to Heavenly Yarns and Fiddleheads. I bought an “In the Garden” skirt kit at Fiddlehead to make for the granddaughter and a couple of hanks of Ultra Alpaca Light from Heavenly Yarns for a Fishbones hat (Mary Jane Mucklestone’s pattern). Heavenly Yarns is under new ownership and it’s still a lovely store to browse. They have a yarn line called Helen which I assume to be the former owner’s work. A nice wooly wool and lots of lovely totes and baskets. I particularly love their logo tote and would have bought one if I needed one more tote. I do not.
I’ve been working almost monogamously on my Vanilla Sweater and have finished the body and am ready to pick up for the sleeves and head off onto sleeve island. I am eager to try it on, too. Maybe today. I am still loving the sticky wool which is already softening up as I work it. This is the perfect sweater to wear on cool mornings.
Yesterday I picked up the Sorento cardigan that I am making for a client and finished the back and the second front. I love the color of this little sweater, too. I will split the second hank of yarn today and knit both sleeves at once so they’re the same and both done at the same time. My goal is to send it off to my client by the end of October if not sooner. I have chosen a couple of different buttons and we’ll see what we think when the knitting is done.
When we were at the beach I had my daughter try on the fingerless mitts that I started for her last fall/winter and she liked the fit so I will finish those, too. I hope to deliver them when we are in New York to help with babysitting. One fingerless mitt shouldn’t take too long, right? The challenge with these is that she really wanted black and blue so my “old” eyes need some bright light to work on them – in the morning!
Today I’m off with “the girls” from work to Thomaston, Maine to visit Rachel Jones at On the Round. Rachel has moved her storefront to Thomaston and we decided we needed to head over to Carol’s part of the state for once. I’m looking forward to time with friends and another adventure.
Queen Bee Knits 