On the road again

It seems as though I just returned from Scotland and here I am away from home again.  My friend, Teresa, and I planned this trip to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival about a year ago, long before I imagined that Mike and I would be going to Scotland and Ireland.  I love this festival best of all the ones I have ever attended.  They always have fabulous workshops, wonderful vendors and who wouldn't want to be in the Hudson Valley when the leaves are turning such fabulous colors?

Today I had a great workshop in handpainting yarn and roving with natural dyes.  It was taught by Jackie Ottino-Graf.  We worked outside in a tent and enjoyed the perfect, clear blue sky and just-warm-enough weather.  (I took that top photo with my iPhone, just a few steps from where we were using the dye pots to steam our hand-dyed fiber.)  Jackie taught the workshop in a casual and fun way and I think we all felt relaxed and reasonably confident at the end of the day. (Well, except I'm not sure I will ever be able to figure out that stock-solution-percentage-thing without a worksheet in front of me, but that's because I have a long-standing case of math anxiety, not because it wasn't explained well!).

(Some samples from my classmates)

(Anyone who knows me could figure out that these were my handiwork. My color choices are so predictable!  This is madder, logwood and weld with a few drops of iron solution added to the weld.)

I am wishing now that I had come up soon enough to take the Thursday and Friday classes.  I wanted to leave Saturday open for enjoying all the vendors have to offer (ahem) and having the chance visit with friends from Squam and past workshops. 

So, one last photo before I get too sleepy.  I spied this after the workshop was over, when I was walking through one of the many areas where the vendors were in the process of setting up. I was scouting walking toward the exit gate and just happened to see it. Needless to say, I'll be heading for that booth in the morning because I'm pretty sure the standing stones were telling me I need a Sassenach Capelet Kit to go home with me! I posted this same picture on facebook on the Outlander Pattern Central group page and caused just a little stir of wishful thinking on the part of some fellow Outlander obsessed folks.

(In the booth of Bijou Basin Ranch)

 

 

 

 

 

Crossing it off the list .....

Good afternoon, all.  I'm able to cross a major event off the to-do list now.  The Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival was last weekend and it went off without a hitch.  The workshops were well attended, sales looked to be very good (I did my part in helping boost sales, after all, it was the least I could do, right?).  I bought some (okay, maybe a little more than some) of Anne Hanson's Bare Naked Wool and have already cast on for the Tidal Sands Infinity cowl, using BNW Breakfast Blend DK in Cocoa. Anne's patterns are perfection and the various natural shades of the Bare Naked Wool line are especially beautiful when seen displayed altogether. I could not resist!  Be sure to check out Anne's write up of her time here in Kentucky.

After the festival I had the pleasure of hosting Mary Jane Mucklestone and Dagmar and Chet Klos at the farm for overnight visits.  It was wonderful to spend time with each of them and get to know them a little better.  Regular readers might remember than Dagmar did a fabulous natural dye workshop here at the farm last May and we're doing a little thinking and planning in hopes of putting together another one in the future.

Midgie and Phaedra went to the festival with me on Saturday because they are still getting several bottles a day and there was no one at home on the farm to do that.  I set up their pen under a shade tree outside the workshop building and they got lots of visits from friendly people, had their pictures taken a bunch and even got to take several walk-abouts.  (Phaedra got lots of compliments on her beautiful fleece coloring.)  My grandson, Coleman, and I used the opportunity to train the girls to walk on a lead and they spent some time visiting at the Locust Trace plant sale booth.  Halter training them is a gift that will keep on giving because from this time forward, I'll be able to take them almost anywhere and be confident that they won't have a nervous breakdown (nor will I).  By the way, those teeny little halters are actually extra small alpaca halters and they work great on lambs.

Meanwhile, here on the farm, the grass seems to have grown about 2 feet while I was otherwise occupied.  I'm seeing a fair amount of time on the ZTR mower and the tractor in my future.  It's hard to complain about having lush grass when I know there are parts of the country that haven't had rain in ages.  Once again, it's important to be grateful for where I am.

Starting tomorrow I have the pleasure of taking part in a two day workshop Nicola Brown is teaching in Lexington.  As part of my continuing quest to learn more about natural dyes, I'm excited to have a chance to do some eco-dyeing.  We'll be printing on fabric with leaves, onion skins, flowers and who knows what else.  Workshops with Nicola are always fun so I have a lot to look forward to.

This week it's been back to my real life.  There are fleeces waiting to be skirted and fleeces waiting to be washed and shipped off to their new owners. There is grass that needs immediate attention and a garden that will soon disappear under the weeds.  I am much more interested in catching up on "Call the Midwife" and "Mr. Selfridge", reading Heather Ross's new book and knitting on my cowl.  It's not at all like me, but I may even be a little bit interested in taking a nap or two.

Rhinebeck

(glorious New England color)

This week, well actually this whole month, has been a bit of a blur and a slowdown is not yet on the horizon.  It seems we've either had some big activity going on here at the farm or we've been on the road, away from the farm, for most of October.  I'm thinking some quiet time settling into the coming winter will be a very good thing during the month of November.

Last weekend was the glory that is Rhinebeck.  Friday we drove 13+ hours to Rhinebeck, New York for a nearly perfect weekend of beautiful foliage, good food, wonderful weather, meeting new and old friends (it was so great to be reunited with my Squam cabin mates!) and the ultimate in fiber festivals.  It's surely a combination of all of the above that makes me love Rhinebeck so much.  I have gone to a lot of festivals over the years and this is the one that continues to top my list of events that I'm willing to travel long distances to attend.

(my 36 colors)

Saturday was my day to check out all the vendors and because we arrived at the fairgrounds well before the gates opened and were close to the front of the line, that was mostly accomplished before it became too crowded.  Sunday was devoted to the "36 Color Wheel Workshop", taught by Gail Callahan (The Kangaroo Dyer).  It was an eye-opening class for me and I think I finally understand the process of combining a few primary colors to achieve just the shade I'm looking for.  Gail explained and demonstrated the process in a clear and easily understandable way and then turned us loose to try it for ourselves.  It was fun and educational - the best possible outcome for any learning experience.  Gail has inspired me to be more creative in my color choices for this year's palette.  As soon as I can stay home for more than a day or so, I intend to pull out the dye pots and start working on the mountain of my "fresh from the farm yarn" that arrived back from the mill a few weeks ago.  (More on that in a later post.)

(buttons & detail of front)

My Olive "Antler" was indeed finished in time to become my 2013 Rhinebeck sweater .... just barely!  She made the drive on Friday, stretched out on top of the luggage in the back of the car,  feeling still slightly damp.  One of the best parts of the weekend were comments and questions from other knitters.  I love that walking around Rhinebeck in a handknit starts so many conversations with people you don't even know, who immediately become your friends.  For someone as introverted as I am, it's the best possible way to talk to strangers.  Even more fun, was spotting other "Antlers".  Because Olive was handspun and a little larger gauge than the pattern called for, she was somewhat different from other versions.  It's a great pattern to knit, easily adaptable and I can highly recommend it.

(the back view of Olive)

Tomorrow,  my friend Teresa and I are heading to Asheville, North Carolina for the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair.  Asheville is such a great town and SAFF is a fun place to catch up with fiber friends in this part of the country.  It's an easy drive through beautiful mountains and I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend of (more)food, (more)fiber and (more)friends!

My own "Old Kentucky Home"

(morning fog - view from our back door)

I am in love with my own old Kentucky home right now.  We have been having the most perfect autumn weather - warm (but not too warm) sunny days and cool nights (referred to as good sleeping weather around here).  We've had just enough rain to provide plenty of green grass and all the animals are still contentedly grazing in the pastures.  To my way of thinking, it just can't get much better than this.  It's no secret that fall is my most favorite time of year.  (Doesn't everyone love their birth month better than the rest of the year?)  After several summers of blazing heat and occasional drought conditions, this summer proved to be much more tolerable.  Because the weather is completely beyond my control, it feels very much like a precious gift when it's this good.

So, what's happening besides glorious weather?  We had a big event on Saturday when my oldest son's architectural firm had their fall outing here at the farm.  Mike and I have concluded that we need to schedule some big party event (just maybe not always a wedding) every fall to motivate us to get our act together.  While the farm can never be manicured and groomed in the way a city yard might be or like one of the fancy horse farms that are around our part of Kentucky, with the right stick being held over our heads, we can spiff ourselves up a little!  Luna and Marilla had a starring role when I penned them beneath the old catalpa tree for all the little people to get close to and the alpaca boys did their part by coming up to the fence to gawk at all the cars and people.

I've not been doing much cooking or baking lately, except for an occasional loaf of no-knead bread (using the recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day).  It is seriously easy and so, so good!  I nearly always have a container of the dough in the refrigerator these days.  I bake mine in one of my Le Creuset pots and it comes out perfect every time.  If you haven't tried it, you should.  What I'm really in the mood for is hearty soup, so last night I made this recipe (scroll down to the bean, kale, rice and sausage soup) from Heather Bruggeman.  Her blog is Beauty That Moves and she has terrific, healthy recipes.  This soup has become a favorite because it's delicious and good for you, plus I nearly always have all the ingredients on hand. 

On the knitting front - it's all about my Olive sweater right now.  I'm hoping to get some serious knitting time in the next few days in order to wear Olive as my Rhinebeck sweater during the weekend.  I'm so excited to be going to Rhinebeck again, after missing the last few years.  It is my favorite fiber show of the year in one of my favorite parts of the country.  The pattern is Antler by Alexa Ludeman.  It's in the book Pacific Knits and is available through Ravelry as a single pattern.  It's very well-written and I'm loving knitting all those cables on the yoke.  Of course, I'm having to make adjustments because my gauge is off, but what else is new?  :-)

So, what's going on at your house?  Any knitting or cooking to share?  Happy Autumn Days everyone!

I. Could. Not. Help. It.

I was powerless in the face of such cuteness. In my defense, I have been thinking about getting a bunny or two for some time now.
Long, long ago, I had way too many angora bunnies ( 28 to be exact ) and the number of food and water bowls to clean every day and all the grooming required, ruined the experience. I loved having all the fiber, but at the time, it seemed as though the bunnies took more time than the sheep!

Could you resist that face?

So, anyway, I was walking through the vendor area at Midwest on Friday and came to the Vintage Fibers booth, and there she was.  She seemed to be telling me that she really, really wanted to come home with me. For every excuse I could think of, there was a solution. So, I bought her and when we left the festival, I went straight to a discount store to find some sort of temporary container. I ended up with a plastic storage bin for her overnight accommodations. Mike didn't have a go-to-pieces, as I feared he might, so I began to relax and enjoy the whole experience. Saturday night we drove into downtown Chicago to meet Mike's daughter for dinner. We stayed in a wonderful hotel ( The James Hotel ), one block off of Michigan Avenue. I was worried about how to smuggle her into our room, especially with the plastic storage bin, but not to worry........they were pet friendly and said it was fine to have her there. In fact, everyone from the valet who took our car, to the doorman, to the man who took our luggage up, wanted to see her.  The young man who took our luggage to our room texted his girlfriend, who is an avid knitter, and later that evening slipped a note under our door with recommendations for the best yarn shops in Chicago!  I'm telling you, fiber brings out the best in everyone!

Phoebe admiring my other purchase - luscious BFL roving from Blue Moon Fibers

So, I've made several trips to Tractor Supply for a cage and various accessories and Miss Bun* is ensconced in the studio for now. She will ultimately be housed in the barn with the other fiber producers  ( really, she will ), but at the moment, we're having some bonding experiences.

*Actually, her name is Phoebe, as decreed by the grandchildren.

His and mine

His idea of a good time? See above picture. On our way to the Chicago area this past weekend, Mike had it all planned out. We were going to stop at Cabelas for some fishing equipment purchases. Those who know my husband, know that he is, umm, thoughtful about such things. He likes to do lots of research, think about all the pros and cons, consider all the options and then, maybe, he's ready to make the move. I knew that even though all of the above had been done, it was not going to be a quick stop. I understood. I was prepared. I needed to replace my favorite Cabelas barn boots and I had plenty of knitting to keep me occupied. Sadly, my boots were not in stock and will need to be ordered on-line. (I did manage to buy a Life is Good t-shirt on sale.)

My idea of a good time. The reason we were on the road to begin with was that we were heading to the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair, in Grayslake, Illinois (that's about half an hour outside Chicago). I was signed up to take workshops on natural dyeing and button making. This was the second year thecrazysheeplady and I have taken workshops, while the menfolk occupied themselves floating down some stream in fishing kayaks. Midwest is not a large fair, but the selection of vendors is good and they have offered some outstanding classes. It's worth the trip, if you are so inclined to do such things.

My workshops were great. I had taken a natural dye class many, many years ago from Michelle Whiplinger, but will admit that commercial dyes seem less intimidating. Stefania Isaacson taught this dye workshop. One of our exercises was over-dyeing with indigo and, wow, was that magic! I'm finding that every time I'm out in public with my roving and/or yarn, often the first question I'm asked is if I use natural dyes. So, I'm thinking I'll give it a try. The button class, taught by Lynn Bergschultz, was fun and is for sure something I'm going to be doing.

So, it's back to reality now. The grass and the garden have grown like crazy in just the few days we were away. I need to be on the mower instead of playing with some new acquisitions* in the studio.

*next post

I am the perpetual student

and hope to remain so. There's nothing quite like taking a class or two to get me feeling creative again. This past weekend, Mike and I drove up to Chicago for a little get-away time. As we were walking out the door on Thursday afternoon, I might have been heard to say, "It's just not worth it! It's too stressful to leave the farm and the animals. We might as well stay home." I'm so glad we didn't give up on going. I took some classes at the Midwest Fiber and Folk Festival (and did just a little retail therapy). Friday's class was with Franklin Habit (that's Franklin doing a demo-and wearing a lace trimmed night cap!) and I can tell you he is just as entertaining in person as he is on his blog and in his book. Not only was the class enjoyable, but I learned a lot. We knit a miniature Tomten jacket, using Elizabeth Zimmerman's instructions, which had been adapted by Franklin. When completed, mine will fit an American Girl doll. If I could just finish up my Shepherd's Jacket and my Einstein Jacket, I might be tempted to cast on for a grown-up size Tomten. It's so cleverly designed, as are all of EZ's patterns. Franklin is a HUGE Elizabeth fan. When I told him I had actually known Elizabeth, he nearly swooned! (It's true----and to prove it, I have a big picture of myself with Elizabeth and Meg that was taken at knitting camp many, many years ago. I'm going to frame it and hang it in the new studio.)

At the end of the class, I asked Franklin what we might have to do to get him to teach at our very own Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival, next May. His answer was, "Just ask me!" So, anyone out there interested in taking a class from Franklin? I can highly recommend it.

As for that retail therapy......you know I can't pass up a chance to buy some Briar Rose yarn. I think Chris (the owner/dyer extraordinaire) is one of the nicest people on this earth and I don't think I've ever seen any colorway of her yarn that I didn't absolutely love. Of course, I'm so predictable, the yarn I bought is me all over the place!

All is right with my world

Kind of a big statement, but that's the way it feels today. The sun is shining, I'm seeing hints of green coming up, and I got to do a little dyeing yesterday. All of that really lifts my spirits. I've been grouching around here for several weeks because of a respiratory infection I just couldn't seem to shake. That and the cold, gloomy weather has had me feeling as though spring was never going to show up this year. But, thankfully, it seems to be in the air today and it has made a world of difference in my attitude. That picture above doesn't have much to do with anything, but it does make me happy to see this little family hanging out together and enjoying the sunshine.

I left this roving in the dye pot to cool overnight and couldn't wait to hang it out to dry this morning. Before I even finished draping it on the line, some of my honey bees showed up!. I guess they were hoping it was a big bunch of flowers blooming. They're as desperate for color right now as I am!

I'm starting to feel just a tiny bit of panic about getting everything done before the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival in May. The time is fast approaching and I haven't even begun to get myself ready. I am so excited about this event. Though this is our very first year, I think we are putting together a really nice festival and I hope everyone in the area will come out and support it. We need volunteers for lots of different things, so it would be great to have anyone interested signing up on the website.

And just one more gratuitous llama shot. Huckleberry just loves being with his big sister and I think she tolerates him very well. (She wouldn't want anyone to know it, but she occasionally forgets what a big girl she is now and actually plays with him!)

For real

This time I have literally been to the mountain top. It may seem as though I've been a bit of a gad-about lately, but to be honest, this is the only "vacation" kind of trip I've taken in quite a while. Mike and I almost never are able to have time away together, but we managed to take three nights for a short trip to North Carolina. The first night we stayed outside Asheville so I could take a class at SAFF from Rita Buchanan on Saturday morning. Rita is a long-time hero of mine, someone I've admired since way, way back when I first learned to spin. (We're talking close to 30 years!) She's written many books, many, many articles for Spin-Off and other Interweave Press publications, and served as an editor there for years. I'm not sure when I first got to know her, but she's a fabulous teacher (so clear and encouraging) and one of the nicest people you would ever want to know. Over the years she has spun several fleeces that came from my sheep and during the workshop she reminisced about a fleece from a Romney ram I owned long ago. "Bull" was named after that character on a television program called "Night Court" (sit-com from many years ago), because he was so laid back.....virtually bomb-proof. He was one of my all-time favorites and I was so flattered that she actually remember his fleece.

That's Rita after our class. She's holding a skein of yarn, which she said was not perfect (couldn't prove it by me). The vest she was wearing was knit from the same yarn, which she spun and dyed many years ago. Her point in showing it to us was that, though the skein had some irregularities, the vest had been worn many years and no one (except herself) had ever looked at it and pointed out the thick places and the thin places. She said that she had quit trying to be such a perfectionist and was just enjoying the process and the results. Words of wisdom for us all.

Rita gave me the courage to tackle knitting gloves for the first time because of her pattern that appeared in the original "Homespun, Handknit". I love that little book....I'm on my third copy. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be available from Interweave anymore and Amazon has a new copy for $155 ! What's up with that? Until finding Rita's glove pattern, I didn't think I would ever even try to knit a pair; it just seemed impossible, but her clear, concise instructions made knitting gloves easy.

The picture at the beginning of this post is from the terrace at Snowbird Mountain Lodge and it is one of my favorite places in the whole world. We left Asheville right after my class and headed for this spot, which is on top of Snowbird Mountain right outside Robbinsville, North Carolina. The Lodge has an interesting history, but the best part about it is the oh so peaceful atmosphere. There are no televisions, no phones in the rooms, and the big gathering room/lobby has a fire going in the fireplace almost all of the time. The big room is filled with comfy chairs and squishy leather sofas and the bookcases lining the walls are filled with books you can borrow to read anytime you like. And then, there's the food. So, so, so good! This trip, for the first time, I managed to pace myself and didn't leave there vowing to never eat again! Mike spent the day on Sunday hiking in Joyce Kilmer woods, which is nearby. The above picture might give you an idea of how I spent my day. My justification was that I almost never have a day when I don't have to do barn chores, cook meals, clean and/or just generally work at all the tasks that need attention when you live on a farm. I did a little spinning in our room, took a nice, long bath (with no distractions or interruptions!) and then claimed a prime knitting spot on the sofa in front of the fireplace. I was so relaxed, I almost took a nap. (Those who know me could tell you this would be an earth shattering event.)

So, now we are back to our real world, with somewhat of a thud. Our corgi girl, Ivy, has hurt her back and can hardly get around and this morning we found one of the yearling ewes dead in the field. We don't know what happened to her. I heard the Pyrenees barking a lot last night from the gateway into the farthest field and this morning, I found them both lying beside the body, guarding her, I suppose, to keep the coyotes from coming in for a feast.

To the mountain top

I've been there. It was all I'd hoped it would be and then some. I'm talking about Rhinebeck, of course. Rhinebeck is what every fiber festival wants to be when it grows up! It's in a beautiful location and has fabulous vendors, wonderful food and some of the nicest, most pleasant people you would ever hope to be around. I did my share of supporting the vendors and I saw many, many more things I would have liked to buy, but I ran out of money and room in my suitcase. (Did you know that having a suitcase 4 pounds over the 50 pound limit will cost you an extra $90.00? I didn't, which led to my having to open my suitcase on the floor in front of the Delta ticket counter and start pulling things out until I got the weight down to 50 pounds! Talk about losing your dignity.) Fortunately, I was able to stuff my carry-on, plus enlist my friend, Teresa, to carry on another bag for me.

(This is not what was in my suitcase, but I would have been perfectly happy if it had been!)

The only complaint I can muster about Rhinebeck is that I wasn't able to discover just what the heck was "Artichoke French" and the line for the chicken pot pies was so long (I'm talking hours!), that I never got a taste of one.

As much fun as Rhinebeck was, it is always so great to come home. There is nothing like that feeling of turning into the farm lane and being home, regardless of whether I've been gone days or just a few hours. I've got a to-do list going that will take me the rest of the week to accomplish (if I'm lucky and if I stay on task....which is oh so hard for me). We're having gorgeous weather right now, so I'm out to spend some time with my own fiber sources (sheep, alpacas, llama) and some quality time on the mower.

*That top picture is of a huge billboard on the route to the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. So Cute!