At the Top of Squirrel Spur and Down a Crooked Road

A Blue Ridge January

2012-01-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

January in Meadows of Dan sometimes looks like this:

And then sometimes it looks like this:

What I'm spinning: "Bluegrass" Hand dyed, hand carded Romney wool from Thistle Cove Farm
What I'm knitting: Fingerless mitts and Truly Tasha's Shawl by Nancy Bush
What I'm crocheting: Hibernating
What I'm reading: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte for book club and
Current sounds & sights for spinning along: Craft-Lit podcast, Dracula by Bram Stoker

2012-01-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

This lamp post in front of the shop delights me. I suppose because it reminds me of Narnia.

A Mad Hatters' Tea Party

2012-01-18T16:33:00.000-05:00

My Fibery Mad Hatter's Hat

When I decided to start blogging at the first of the year, I made a promise to myself that I would make a post every day, even if it was only a photograph or a quotation. I haven't quite kept that promise. It's not so much that I'm busy, although I am, with setting up the shop and keeping the bills paid on time. It's more that there seems to be only a few days when there is something new to say. Most of my days march along with a certain sameness to their hours.

A Classic Merry Widow (the hat, I mean)

This past Sunday, however, was very different from all the days surrounding it. I took the day off because I was invited to a Mad Hatters' Tea Party at the house in Croquet Hollow, just over the hill from my place on Squirrel Spur.

The next victim

When I arrived there were already hats in the making, and the process was entertaining, if a bit grim for the participant. The hats are made of sheets of packing paper and clear packing tape, and the idea is that each hat is unique and fits the participant. To make it fit, the hat is formed TIGHTLY over the face and head of the, uh, volunteer.

Is she still OK in there?

Then the edges are rolled up into a hat brim and the pleased new hat owner heads off to decorate her new creation. They all turned out beautiful, very different from each other and they all reflected the unique personalities of their creators.

A real charmer (and so is the hat)

There was a little contest to see which hat was the most popular. It was tough to vote but Mary D. was the winner for her quirky creation.

Mary's fun hat

We had a lovely tea with wonderful savories and sweets and three different blends, including an unusual Hungarian herb tea and a flavorful African black tea. There was an interesting mix of intelligent people, good friends new and old and the discussion was great between exclamations of admiration for the table and food.

Sweet Stella

The family dog, Stella, wasn't always sure what was going on but since everyone seemed to be having a good time she was OK with it. It was a wonderful and relaxing afternoon and I was ready to go back to work after having so much fun.

What I'm spinning: "Bluegrass" A hand dyed Romney batt
What I'm knitting: Truly Tasha's Shawl by Nancy Bush
What I'm crocheting: Winkle Vest by Tracy St. John
What I'm reading: The Golden Ass by Apuleius
Current sounds & sights for spinning along: Craft-Lit Dracula
How the diet is going: Haven't lost any weight according to my cheap scale but a few inches are gone here and there

A Peek At the Bookshelves at Greenberry House

2012-01-16T15:10:00.000-05:00

A few of the history titles at Greenberry House

The Calm Before the Storm

2012-01-12T13:54:00.000-05:00

Snow is supposed to be on the way but today is gloriously warm and sunny. At least, gloriously warm for January. I've been hurrying to get a bunch of things done before the weather changes. Bringing books and paper into the shop so that I won't have to go out onto the road if the snow really happens, getting a few groceries so I can nibble while I work and bringing in lots and lots of wood at the house.

So I've accomplished most of that, and suddenly I've been hit with a remarkable lack of initiative. All I want to do is lay down and take a nap. Possibly because I haven't been sleeping as well as usual the last few nights, or maybe it's because the weather really is going to change and it's triggering some latent need to hibernate. Whatever the reason, this lack of ambition is seriously cutting into my creative efforts at the moment. I really have so much I want to do, and there aren't enough hours in a day, even without a nap!

Speaking of creative, I had a wonderful opportunity last month to take a class with Merike Saarniit, knit designer and extraordinary teacher of all things Estonian knit. Wooly Jumper Yarns in Floyd hosted this local class and I learned amazing things. The fingerless mitt above is what we learned to make and they have become my constant companions since I finished the pair. They don't exactly match, but don't tell Merike!

What I'm spinning: Finished the East Friesian and haven't started another batch. Maybe some dyed Romney in my future
What I'm knitting: Truly Tasha's Shawl by Nancy Bush
What I'm crocheting: Winkle Vest by Tracy St. John
What I'm reading: Just finished the Trollope and haven't started another book. Weird. But there was a handspinner in La Vendee!
Current sounds & sights for spinning along: Craft-Lit podcast - Dracula
How the diet is going: Holding my own, getting lots of exercise

Winter Beauty

2012-01-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

We're having an unusually warm winter here in Meadows of Dan. Two light snows and a short cold snap have been the extent of it so far. Today it's foggy with a little rain, more like March than January. I keep thinking the weather will get bad and I will have to stay in and spin! I did get back to the wheel last evening and finished spinning up a bobbin of East Friesian wool.

Yes, this is from a sheep. Apparently this breed, the East Friesian, is a relatively recent import to America from Europe and is used as a dairy sheep as well as a meat breed. According to the online resources I checked the wool is considered coarse, but the wool I've been spinning, from a local farmer, is pretty nice. Not extremely soft but certainly not unpleasant. Would be great for hats and mittens. This wool was clean but there are some short cuts in it. I'm going to recommend that they fuss at their shearer and make sure their fleece skirters shake out the fleeces to get the second cuts out.

Things are moving right along at the shop, thanks to the help of a lot of people. My stepdad Wendell put up my larger mailbox so I can keep mailing eBay purchases out and maybe receive some yarn and knitting needles from here and there. Linda and Mary have been coming and helping organize and Stella, Beth and Kathleen have visited and cheered us on. Peter and Kathleen did the huge bulk of the work in moving over all the displays and a lot of the remaining yarn and fiber stock. It has been a wonderful community effort and I'm grateful. Right now I'm pricing books from storage and getting them onto the shelves in the book rooms. An April opening date is certainly looking possible right now.

A New Home for Greenberry House

2012-01-07T09:43:00.000-05:00

During this past year Greenberry House has been nestled into a corner of Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market, thanks to the generosity of my sister-in-law. We had a great season, but due to the limitations of space I could only represent a few of my talented spinners and farmers there. I spent most of the summer searching for a new home for the shop and ended up considering moving out of Meadows of Dan entirely to find a good location.

The couple of deals I was working on to relocate fell through, and at the same time the renter moved out of my uncle's house on Concord Road here in Meadows of Dan. It's about half a mile from the old shop location and on the same road, and when I walked in to look the little house over for a prospective renter, I realized that it would make a wonderful home for Greenberry House.

Thanks to the help of some wonderful friends, I'm already getting moved in and most of the displays are set up. I'm really excited about the future of Greenberry House here and, although the location may present some challenges, I'm sure knitters and spinners that want wonderful artisan yarns and locally produced spinning fibers will find us. I'm planning to do some fiber shows this year to let the world know that GREENBERRY HOUSE IS BACK!

What I'm spinning: East Friesian wool from a local farmer
What I'm knitting: Truly Tasha's Shawl by Nancy Bush
What I'm crocheting: Winkle Vest by Tracy St. John
What I'm reading: The Greene Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine,La Vendee by Anthony Trollope
Current sounds & sights for spinning along: Deep Space Nine Marathon
How the diet is going: Doing pretty well, thanks to a lot of walking and the exercise group two times a week.

The Whiting Sisters

2012-01-04T10:00:00.005-05:00

Evelyn Virginia and Laura Alice Whiting

I have a lot of vintage photographs here. Some of them I purchased at various auctions over the past ten years and some of them were given to me. It is quite a collection. In order to pay bills I've been selling them over the past summer. It was hard to give up some of them but, although I can be sentimental, practicality wins out most of the time.

I rarely know much about the photographs I sell. Many of them wind up in estate sales and I often wonder how families can give up such treasures. But most of them have no labels or names and I imagine the current generation just doesn't know who those people are anymore. No one asked their grandparents about those old pictures and the stories of the people in their families were lost. In later years they may regret the loss of such interesting family information.

This little photograph, for sale on my web site, is of two little girls. They are identified on the back as Evelyn Virginia Whiting, Age 6 years, and Laura Alice Whiting, Age 3 years, 9 months and 6 days. They are wearing identical lacy dresses and little necklaces and even have their hair cut in bangs in similar styles. They were from the Newport News area of Virginia and photographed by Mr. Tennant of Newport News. Sadly, as a little research showed on the Internet, they have even more in common. Five years later, this family lost both of these lovely little girls. Evelyn died in April of 1911 and Laura died in June of the same year.

So many stories. I have another photograph on the site of "Little Laura - Dead." So much heartache revealed in these three words. But life is made up of so much pain, so much loss. And so much joy. Life goes on and is filled with memories and love and days of pleasure as well as sadness.

Take a moment to think about these little girls who never grew up to know how full and rich life can be. As long as there are pictures, they are never completely forgotten.

A Hint of Winter

2012-01-03T08:56:00.000-05:00

14 degrees here on the farm this January morning.

A Booth Sprucin' Day in Floyd, Virginia

2012-01-02T19:16:00.000-05:00

The booth I share with postcard dealer Beth Almond Ford

One of my many business ventures lately is this booth at Chic's Antiques just up the road in Floyd, Virginia. Beth Ford, postcard dealer and great friend, invited me to share her space and it has worked out very well.

New Beginnings

2012-01-01T13:21:00.000-05:00

Time for tea.

It's hard to know what to say after such a long silence. I know I don't really want to talk about the reasons for my time away from the blog. Many of you already know and it's just something I'm not prepared to handle right now. Maybe someday. But what to say? Should I pretend nothing happened and just go on as if I haven't been away for months and months? Those months were full, and important, and it's difficult to ignore them. Perhaps as I begin writing again those months and events will creep into the paragraphs and entries.

I do know one thing. I have the most wonderful friends and family in the world, and I'm grateful to everyone for their support and love during this past difficult year. I'm hoping this coming year will be better for everyone, for Greenberry House and for anyone who is reading these words.

There have been more positive changes in my life, I think, and I hope to be able to talk about them as this blog heads into new directions. I'm not really sure where I will go with my writing here, but I think things will remain much the same. I hope to be a little more inspired than in recent years, more sharing, more creative. I hope there will be some interaction with my readers, maybe some discussion, learning and growth. There is still a great deal of the unknown ahead of me, in life and in the business, so I hope you will join me on my journey as I discover my new beginnings.

What I'm spinning: East Frisian Wool from a local farmer
What I'm knitting: Truly Tasha's Shawl by Nancy Bush
What I'm crocheting: Winkle Vest by Tracy St. John
What I'm reading: The Greene Murder Case by S. S. Van Dine, La Vendee by Anthony Trollope
Current sounds & sights for spinning along: Deep Space Nine Marathon
How the diet is going: Gained back almost everything I lost but have started exercising and watching what I eat again. Lost 7 pounds since the first of November.

In the Fluff of It

2011-04-14T11:17:00.000-04:00

The fiber season is beginning and some exciting things are happening already! Although we really were sad that Sheep Shearing Day at Thistle Cove Farm couldn't happen because of family things, we did get to attend the Peacock Party at Unplanned Peacock Studio down in Ferrum, Virginia. Linda drove and it was wonderful to enjoy the below the mountain spring that is happening. Redbud was blooming all along every road where we traveled, as if it was planted just for us!

Natasha's farm at Unplanned Peacock Studio is absolutely charming. They have a lovely old Victorian style farmhouse with high ceilings and a charming entry way planted with beautiful weeping cherries. One room is filled with Natasha's amazing hand dyed yarns and spinning fibers, and we got to try out her wheel (I've got to ask her again about the maker but it was a DREAM to spin). There were new lambs frolicking in the pastures, which wander across the hills, and two babies were born while we were there.

I've never had a sheep just walk up to me and demand to be petted, although I've been around plenty of sheep that were cordial and didn't mind being touched. Natasha's Icelandic were beautiful and it is easy to tell that they are well cared for and maybe a little spoiled. Two of the sheep were right there with us, asking for head scratches and attention. Chickens wandered around nearby and the namesake peacock paraded elegantly across the yard.

Of course there was good food, and plenty of knitting time and fellowship. I made some new friends and really appreciated some gorgeous work by some very talented knitters that was on display. All the items were made with Unplanned Peacock Studio yarns and they really showcased the color and softness of her work.

This week I've been busy getting ready for company and to hit the festival trail toward Olde Liberty Fibre Faire in Bedford, Virginia, on Saturday. Rain is forecast but that won't discourage the true fiber fiends, and our booth is inside the building. Chris is coming down from Connecticut and we've got more fibery plans in mind for the rest of the week!

What I'm spinning: Merino/bamboo/nylon roving in the Murasaki colorway from Fiber Monster & Romney from Thistle Cover Farm.
What I'm knitting: Seaweed Cardigan by Cecily Glowik MacDonald, Interweave Knits, Spring 2010.
What I'm crocheting: Maya from Wrapped in Crochet by Kristin Omdahl
What I'm reading: Who is Sylvia? by Kitty Griffin
Current sounds & sights for spinning along: Chop Bard podcast
How the diet is going: Hanging in; not much exercise this week as SO has been out of town and I've been cleaning and sorting. Not gaining weight, anyway!

Spinning into Spring

2011-04-06T10:52:00.000-04:00

Hiking with great friends in Rock Castle Gorge

hings are changing a little here at Greenberry House. While I've always considered myself active, the last few years have not been quite as vigorous and exercise-filled as they should have been. Hence and extra 42 pounds that I really don't need to be carrying around. I would probably have let that slide, even though I haven't been feeling as well as I should, if it hadn't been for a little health crisis with the SO. So we got with the program and have been working hard on eating better and getting more exercise. One of the benefits of the exercise has been wonderful hikes with some fantastic people we know nearby.

Our last hike was in Rock Castle Gorge, which was the birth place of my grandmother on my mother's side. I wrote a series of articles about her and her life in Rock Castle. I've often thought that if I could get enough material together I could do a nice book about her there. We had a wonderful day and took our time with the hike, stopping to take pictures of wildflowers and talk about all sort of things. Of course, two days later we had a terrific hail storm and then it snowed again. That's what living on the mountain is like.

Merino/bamboo/nylon roving in the Murasaki colorway from Fiber Monster

I haven't traded my wheel for hiking boots, though. In fact, I've been spinning like mad because the Olde Liberty Fibre Faire is coming up fast and I need lots of stuff to sell. I've been spinning and carding and just took a big bag over to storage of new handspun yarns and some lovely hand carded batts that we hope to offer at Olde Liberty. Chris is coming down for the weekend and I'm really looking forward to it! Fiber festivals are always so inspiring. It's great to meet new people and visit with people you know, and see what interesting work everyone is doing.

The fiber above is becoming these singles

I think I mentioned kittens awhile back. As in abandoned mother cat who produced three of. I think I also mentioned how much I adore the little creatures. A couple of weeks ago, after I shopped around to every vet in the area and got extremely discouraging news as to the cost of having four female cats spayed, I stumbled across Planned Pethood in Rocky Mount. Don't you love the name? They did a fantastic job with the little cats for a very reasonable fee and included rabies shots. When I'm back in funds I'm going to start sending them a little money along to help with their expenses. If you've got an extra dollar or two to spare I'm sure they would appreciate it. I just couldn't afford $200 each right now on these little girls and I really appreciate a caring place that puts the animals before the bottom line.

Seaweed Cardigan

There has been some knitting going on. I'm loving this beautiful lace pattern by Cecily Glowik MacDonald. Not sure I care for the name "seaweed" for my cardigan but the wavy lace could resemble fronds of seaweed waving on an ocean current. The yarn is a cone of mill ends I got at Maryland Sheep and Wool last year and I really like the shimmer of the cotton/rayon blend in this pattern. I've finished the back and started the right front; do you think I'll finish it in time for Olde Liberty?

What I'm spinning: Merino/bamboo/nylon roving in the Murasaki colorway from Fiber Monster & Romney from Thistle Cover Farm.
What I'm knitting: Seaweed Cardigan by Cecily Glowik MacDonald, Interweave Knits, Spring 2010.
What I'm crocheting: Maya from Wrapped in Crochet by Kristin Omdahl
What I'm reading: Who is Sylvia? by Kitty Griffin
Current sounds & sights for spinning along: Six Feet Under, Season 2.
How the diet is going: We're cooking! (Mostly at home) The So has lost 20 pounds and I've lost 17. We hiked nine miles last weekend!

Dixie Lee Jackson's Guide to Cookin' & Kissin'

2011-03-30T13:43:00.003-04:00

t has been a scandalously long time since I posted, and it would take 6 months to write out what has happened in the last, well, six months, so I'm just going to start fresh with a book review and we'll just go on from there. In case you happened to know the rest of the story, Dad is doing fine and so is Mom, and yes, we got all the kittens and the mama cat spayed, and yes, there are new yarns up on the web site for Greenberry House, and there is a ton of new stuff up at Scraps of American History. Wow, that didn't take near as long as I thought it would!

Dixie Lee Jackson's Guide to Cookin' & Kissin'

Recipes for Better Livin' &; Lovin'

2011, Bisel Books, Topeka, Kansas. 85 pages.

$15.00

Just when I decide to go on a lifestyle change journey with the SO because he's starting to have health issues due to our indulgent diet, this book arrives in the mail. Dixie Lee is a real Southern cook, and that means fatback, butter, white sugar and lots of lots of plain good eatin'. It may not all be on my diet for now, but I can recommend pretty much every recipe in this book; mainly because I've eaten most of them cooked up by family and neighbors right here in Meadows of Dan.

Mild-mannered journalist and historian Deb Goodrich Bisel, like Clark Kent, has a superhero alter-ego in Dixie Lee Jackson. Deb was a Coalson, you know the family, from down in Ararat, Virginia, just a few miles if the crow flies down the mountain from Meadows of Dan. Deb was also in high school at the same time I attended. I'm just kidding about the mild-mannered part. I'm not real clear on how she left Ararat and wound up way off in Kansas as an expert on local history and a radio personality, but as folks say around here, "she done good."

Dixie Lee, on the other hand, is a personality I know by reputation, but I've known gals like her all my life. I've even been one of them on occasion. Maybe not so flamboyantly, but every true Southern woman knows the tips and tricks that Dixie Lee is offering to the rest of the world on a silver platter. A platter full of biscuits and gravy, mind. There are recipes here for chicken 'n dumplin's as well as for how to tell whether your man is worth the effort it takes to make him a banana sandwich. You can learn how to make company food and how to get over rejection by that man (15 minutes allowed "life is short, honey"). There are some sinfully delicious recipes and an explanation of just how sinful some shortcuts and behaviors (upside-down tomatoes?) should be considered.

All in all this is an entertaining read with some valuable recipes that preserve the country cooking of the area where Deb and I grew up. A few of her recipes were new to me; it's amazing how different things can be passed within 15 miles of rough terrain that isolated people for a few generations. But some are the same, and reading this book will also make you realize that people from this area can be warm and witty and they'll straighten you out when necessary. And I'm not just sayin' this 'cause Deb mentioned me in her book, neither!

What I'm spinning: Merino/bamboo/nylon roving in the Murasaki colorway from Fiber Monster & Romney from Thistle Cover Farm.
What I'm knitting: Seaweed Cardigan by Cecily Glowik MacDonald, Interweave Knits, Spring 2010.
What I'm crocheting: Maya from Wrapped in Crochet by Kristin Omdahl
What I'm reading: The Help by Katheryn Stockett
Current Sounds & Sights for spinning along: The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) - IMDb http://awe.sm/5HQu9
How the diet is going: Bad weather knocking us out of exercise but we're still losing about 2 pounds a week.

Did You Miss Me?

2010-12-09T08:48:00.001-05:00

Christmas at The Draper Mercantile, Draper, Virginia

Things have been a little scattered and complicated around here lately. I've had some big business decisions to make which required a lot of time and effort to carry out, and we're still not finished. In October I closed the shop at 10 Concord Road because the plan all along has been to have a building on my land on the home place farm, just around the corner. It seems to be time to make the move, although now that cold weather has moved in I'm just hunkering down and waiting until spring to have the building finished. So that means lots of time selling stuff on eBay to keep the bills paid!

This is the life

In between hectic moments of moving stock and cleaning up the old shop, things are pretty peaceful up on Squirrel Spur. We had our first snow last Saturday, just in time for our last show of the season at The Draper Mercantile. It has been brutally cold and windy, which adds a touch of adventure and a lot of extra work looking after the rabbits. Fortunately I'm home almost all the time so that I can haul water down to them frequently. Since Saturday the temperatures haven't reached freezing despite a bright sun. What snow that hasn't blown away is still out there!

Spindle

Once upon a time a little cat showed up at Greenberry House wanting desperately to be loved and cared for. No one wanted her because she was skinny and sickly so she went down to a little gray house in a big field not far away. The cats there didn't want her either; they were very mean to her but she stayed and managed to get enough food to feel better and gain some weight. One day she felt funny and went down to a place near a lot of big fuzzy quiet animals that lived in the old barn. The next thing she knew there were three tiny kittens there, which she instantly loved enormously. She was so proud when someone came down the path and she could show off the kittens. The someone didn't even know the new mama was living at the little gray house so it was a big surprise.

I need a home!

I guess this is a pretty common story, unfortunately, as unwanted cats and dogs are dumped every day. So now we have four extra cats here on the farm, although one of my resident cats got her nose out of joint and has moved away, visiting only occasionally. The little mama has done a wonderful job of looking after the kittens and they are really sweet. Want one?

I have to admit, though, that after being a responsible pet owner and getting every animal that has come here (except the rabbits) spayed or neutered for the past twenty years, it has been pure pleasure having kittens to play with and watch. They are a joy. Uncomplicated, happy, wanting only a little cuddling and some cheap cat food to keep them roly-poly and purring. The mama has been teaching them to hunt; a sometimes gory business. They live on my front porch where there is an old cat door and play in the sunshine on the south side of the house. They are round and tabby and charming and I'm pretty sure one of them is going to stay. I'm hoping that some friends will take the other two but I haven't talked to them since the weather got so cold.

Ribbons and Lace Cardigan

There has been a little knitting. There is a sock in a bag hanging nearby that is in disgrace due to a mistake I made at knitting group one night that I haven't decided how to correct. I'm loving knitting the Ribbons and Lace Cardigan out of some lovely cotton yarn in a white that will go with most of my summer wardrobe. I'm at an age where a little cardi is a very useful piece of apparel. The pattern is by Connie Chang Chinchio and I really like the design and am enjoying the process. Enough lace to keep it interesting and enough auto-pilot knitting so that I can enjoy watching old movies and listening to podcasts.

Peaceful Barnabas

Time for more knitting. The big black cat is sleeping in the chair nearby and the spaniel is asleep at my feet. A lazy Labrador is stretched out the entire length of the couch and the cockatiel is muttering to himself sleepily in the morning sun. I stitch and think about how lucky I am in my quiet winter quarters, home, safe, well, and use the stitches as prayer beads for friends with lives that are not so peaceful and content just now.

So much going on!

2010-10-04T16:52:00.000-04:00


Shockley Old Timey Days

It has been a busy couple of weeks; seems like I always want to get too much done before it gets cold and now that the cold weather is arriving I am WAY behind. The garden is definitely winding down: the dry spell, then a series of rainy days and now cold winds have shriveled up almost everything. Tomatoes are still with us, but we dug up the potatoes (very nice) and took in the giant watermelons. I think I might get some more green beans if it doesn't get too much colder just for the table. The freezer is full and I'm looking forward to quieter days this winter.

We spent the best part of two weekends at Shockley's Old Timey Days up in Hillsville, Virginia. This is a delightful local festival that should get more attention than it does. The Shockleys spend the year putting together a host of demonstrators that put on a show featuring just about every kind of traditional activity that has ever been done in this area. You can see everything from making soap to stacking hay, from building a fence to how to make cornbread. Some amazing old farm machinery is demonstrated along one side of the farm while blacksmiths, weavers, spinners, cooks, potters, molasses makers, apple butter stirrers, cider makers and quilters work along the other. I've signed up again for next year; my fourth year there demonstrating spinning with a walking wheel. I really enjoy it, despite the fact it rained the first weekend and we nearly froze yesterday!

Greenberry House

We have been very busy at the shop: lovely Linda looked after things while I was over near Hillsville and everyone really enjoyed her. She's such a shining light. She went down to Christopher's Pizza with us on Saturday night and we had a great time listening to the band and talking about the big plans we have for Greenberry House in the upcoming months.

And about those plans....Greenberry House is moving! Not very far, though. It has become time to finish the building on my property that I mentioned a LONG time ago. The plan is to close this shop down on October 31 and reopen in the spring in the new location. Keep your eyes open; we're going to throw a big party when we show off our new, expanded shop building! We'll be doing updates here and on the web site as the project goes along.

Ruby Slipper Socks

I've been doing a little knitting but now that the cold weather is moving in I'm pulling out the spinning wheels and happily spinning away at some gorgeous Romney from Thistle Cove Farm and the Texel I had processed that came from Border Springs Farm. The roving spins like a dream on the walking wheel. In the three weekends I did demonstrations recently I spun up just about two and a half pounds of singles. The sock I'm working on when I get time is the Ruby Slipper Socks pattern by Inna Zakharevich from Think Outside the Sox. I haven't got as much sock on the needles as the picture shows, though. After working this much of the pattern I realized I was way off gauge and had to rip back and start again on smaller needles. Which the pattern called for to begin with; I really need to learn to read!

This is the first time I've done a toe up sock and the first time I've used two circular needles. I think I'm going to like it; there's a good bit of flipping things around and back and forth and that takes some getting used to. I'm using the Chiagoo circular needles that I carry here at the shop and it has been smooth sailing moving stitches back and forth over the join. The yarn is Crystal Palace Panda Cotton in Lacquer Red, some I got in for the shop because it sounded interesting. I've done several projects with it and really like how soft it works up.

Spinning, Socks and Spinning Again!

2010-09-19T17:15:00.001-04:00

Blue Ridge Parkway 75th Anniversary

Cooler days with the garden winding down have turned my thoughts to handspinning, and thanks to Blue Ridge Heritage, Inc., the group that is working on a project on the Parkway, I was able to represent them and Meadows of Dan at Cumberland Knob during the 75th Anniversary Festival. I was spinning on my walking wheel, one of my favorite things to do on a cool day, while Kathy Dulaney of Highland Farm created beautiful baskets. It was wonderful to share the experience with Kathy; her farm produces Highland cattle and beef. I've been fascinated with these beautiful and useful animals since I first saw them in Scotland. She's also just lovely to watch as she weaves her traditional Appalachian baskets. Unfortunately we had some bad weather during the weekend so we had plenty of time to chat as we worked and visitors avoided the fog and didn't flock as expected to the festival. I managed to spin a pound of Texel wool into singles and I'm pretty sure Kathy completed at least three baskets.

World Wide Spinning in Public Day 2010

We had much better luck yesterday with the weather as June and Kathleen joined me for World Wide Spinning in Public Day. I had such a good time; there is nothing like having such congenial fiber folk join me for a spin-in. Several people came by and talked to us and we even met another spinner. Kathleen is such a talented weaver and she finished a shawl while she was here and it was nice to cuddle with it. June was spinning some beautiful black Shetland that was working up in to a nice tweedy single. I had some rough wool roving that I dyed in a hurry for Folk Fair in peach for the Virginia Peach Festival theme. It's spinning up quite nicely, though. Kathleen took a great picture of her mother and me that is on June's blog. I really like it!

The tomatoes are starting to roll in from the garden but almost everything else is done. It may be the dry weather but it's looking like an early fall. Grass is starting to turn brown and there's a little color here and there in the leaves.

Button those socks!

And here we have another finished item. I was almost late to work because I was determined to get that second sock finished! This is a charming pattern from a delightful sock book called Think Outside the Sox, mentioned in my last post. Button-up Socks by Annette Devitt has, as suggested by the title, a buttoned closure on the cuff. The rest of the sock is made interesting by a mesh pattern on the upper side and the fact that you use two different sized needles for the instep and sole. This is the first time I was able to follow a chart with very few errors on my part. Speaking of errors, though, there are a few in the pattern so check for errata before you begin to knit!

My next new project is to finish up a couple of old projects that are long overdue for some attention. Cooler weather makes it much easier to contemplate working with heavier wool!

I've been reading a bit

2010-09-16T14:40:00.000-04:00

Testimony: A Novel by Anita Shreve

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Testimony. This book, about a sex scandal in a private school in Vermont, is an unexpected offering by an author who often surprises. Written as a look back at an event that changed the lives of many involved, the chapters are made up mostly of interviews and reactions to questions asked later during an investigation, I think by a sociologist or student.

Although some readers have found the style of narrative hard to follow and disjointed, reading the chapters as if they were the testimony of witnesses in a court case makes understanding the story a little easier. I had no trouble following the tale, although I found that the style made it difficult to sympathize with many of the characters involved and made me look at the testimony with less involvement than the usual style of novel. Which may have been the intent of authorAnita Shreve. In later chapters things seem to come together a bit better and it becomes easier to identify with and understand the motivations of at least some of the characters.

The theme of the book is less about sexual misconduct and more about teenage alcoholism and the tragic consequences of choice. This is not an easy read, although the chapters flow swiftly and I finished it in a couple of evenings. The first chapter shocks, deliberately, and realizing how the characters are affected by the scandal is difficult to take. Young lives are shattered by a deed done under the influence and families, friends, teachers and students all struggle with the lasting effects.

View all my reviews

September Song

2010-09-06T14:19:00.001-04:00

September Garden

September has caught me by surprise once again. It's going to be another busy month, with festivals here in town and some traveling. I'm looking forward to it but at the same time wondering how I'm going to cram it all in with the gardening, spinning and knitting!

This weekend was the Chinquapin Festival, and from the sound of things they had some great music this year and some awesome crafters there as vendors. I had friends stay in tents in the yard for the festival and we went up to Chateau Morrisette for Movie Night. It's becoming a yearly tradition and we had the most fun this year so far. The movie was Hitchcock's Rear Window. I don't remember ever seeing it before and it was funnier than I expected. The movie doesn't really matter; it's all about the experience. The evening was lovely and it was fun to snuggle up under a blanket after an excellent meal provided by the winery and with good friends nearby.

Aran Necklace Camisole

Another finished knitted object. I must be going for some sort of personal best record this year in finished projects. This was a lovely and easy piece from the Spring 2010 Interweave Knits, done in some beautiful Miss Bab's sock yarn I got from Spin A Yarn down in West Jefferson, North Carolina, last fall. I can't wait to take it away from Veronica here and wear it!

Are you sitting down? Because my next project may shock a few readers, given my negative attitude about certain garments. It seems to me an awful waste of good yarn and stitchin' to make something that gets stuffed down inside a shoe. Yep, I'm talking about socks. But not just any socks. A few weeks ago Some Bunny's Love came into the shop bearing temptation in the form of an absolutely gorgeous sock book called Think Outside the Sox, from XRX publishing. I've got at least four patterns I just have to make and several others I'm eying. They may not wind up inside shoes; though; I'm going to have to figure out a way to show them off with some funky sandals or something.

Button Up Socks

The first pattern I tackled is the Button-Up Socks by Annette Devitt. I've already messed up; this is supposed to be the left sock but somehow I managed to make the heel for a right sock. Not a terrible problem as I can fudge the opening and the buttons. I'm not sure where I went wrong so I'll really have to keep my eyes open when I do the second sock. The yarn is by Pagewood Farm and is their Denali Hand Dyed Sock that I purchased last fall from Orchardside Yarn Shop up in Raphine, Virginia. The yarn is lovely in color and has a nice hand for this project. Shiny, too!

We've had some lovely cool days and the garden seems to be winding down a bit. There are still tons of green tomatoes on the vines and it looks like some cucumbers are going to happen. There is still plenty of corn and we haven't started checking on the potatoes. And goodness knows when those huge watermelons will be ready. But there's a feeling in the air that everything is going to be over soon; October is coming and winter is not far away. I've been spending a lot of time outside even when there isn't any gardening to be done. It's pleasant to sit under the trees to knit or spin, and nice to come out early in the morning and pick grapes for breakfast right off the vines.

Butterfly and begonias

Last year we had a wonderful little gathering here to celebrate World Wide Spinning in Public Day. I'd like to do it again, so if anyone out there wants to come out and spin, knit, weave, crochet or do anything else fibery I'd love to have you join us. We'll set up a tent and have it ready by 10 and probably spin until about 4 PM.

How Did That Happen?

2010-08-28T16:29:00.000-04:00

August Morning on the Farm

I can't believe nearly a month has passed since I posted and that September is nearly here. We've had some glorious days, some rainy days and some busy days since the last time I checked in here. Busy is obvious, I suppose!

Meadows of Dan Folk Fair 2010

The biggest event of the month, for me, anyway, was the Folk Fair, held in association with the Virginia Peach Festival every year. We had an awesome day; clear, fairly cool, with lots of people around. An annoying shower popped up at the end of the day just as the play started, but folks were game and stayed around to see a fantastic presentation by Once Upon A Blue Ridge. I didn't get to see this play, Heaven on Wheels, but I have seen the troop perform and they are amazing.

Linda came to spin with me for the day, after singing down the road at Mountain Meadow Farm, and I really enjoyed what little time I had to sit with her and Sarah, another talented artist who came and set up in front of the shop. I really appreciated having both of them, especially since I got busy inside with lots of lovely customers and interesting people. From the pictures I've seen the Folk Fair was once again quite a success, with lots of music, crafts, wagon rides and great food!

Fresh Cantaloupe Breakfast

The gardens are starting to come in and this morning Sue surprised me with a share of her first cantaloupe of the season. It was a great addition to my breakfast! We've had an uncommonly wet August this year, with rain nearly every day and my garden is suffering a little because of that. Too much rain for the tomatoes; to keep them from splitting I'm picking them just when they start to turn pink and all my windowsills are crowded with tomatoes and ripening pears. The poor zucchini just vanished sometime this week, after suffering an attack by a nasty little grub that burrowed into the stem near the root and wilted it. I cut the bad part off and replanted the younger growth, which struggled on for awhile but apparently gave up at some point during the wet weather. When I went out to pick tomatoes this morning there wasn't a trace of it! The poor Brussels sprouts are still struggling along despite attacks by all sorts of varmints. Next year we're just going to have to be more prepared to fight destructive critters!

Other things are doing quite well. I've picked peas and peas and peas; it looks like they're about done. We ate lettuce until the plants bolted a few weeks ago but I have new plants shooting up from the second planting. The corn has tasseled and silked and now the ears are filling in and I can't wait until they're ready. Fresh corn out of the garden just can't be beat. The potato plants still look good and I've been getting a cucumber every day from one of the two plants we have. There are some tremendous watermelons out there; not so many as last year but the vines are everywhere and have to be discouraged from riding down the potatoes. My favorite half-runner beans are producing well with huge vines; I just have to have a dry day to pick them now and then! The freezer is filling up with good stuff and that makes me very happy.

Aran Necklace Camisole

Naturally I had to cast on a new project or two after finishing the Oatmeal Sweater. This is a charming little camisole by Caroline Bautista that appeared in the Interweave Knits Spring 2010 edition. I'm knitting it from some lovely Miss Babs Yummy Sock Yarn that I got last fall from Spin A Yarn down in West Jefferson. The pattern calls for a linen yarn so my cables aren't quite as defined in the wool sock yarn, but I'm pretty well pleased with it so far. I've made a couple of drastic mistakes that I think I can fudge. If you're making this pattern be sure you pay attention to which is the right side and which is the wrong side while you're doing the cables. I have one strap that is back to front to the rest of the neckline. I think I can fix it. And also be sure you untwist the straps before you join for knitting in the round. I didn't, bleh!

Finished Object

2010-08-09T13:32:00.000-04:00

Oatmeal Cardigan

More knitting news: I finally completed the Oatmeal Cardigan, which I started, according to my Ravelry page, back on February 26. I don't think that includes the spinning time! This was a lovely, easy knit, though; the hot weather intruded a bit and knitting on a larger wool project wasn't as much fun during the sticky near-90 degrees we were seeing. I tackled this all at once during some cooler days and got it completed. Right now Veronica is getting to show it off at the shop but I can't wait for cooler weather so I can wear it!

When I ordered a microphone for using with the Knitting in the Round podcast (we now have Episode 26 and 26.1 up, hurray!), I noticed that getting a web cam at the same time was cheaper than paying for shipping for just the microphone. I thought that maybe I could capture some birds or butterflies or something. Haven't accomplished that yet but I got brave yesterday and let the SO video me while I explained some of the techniques involved in doing the cardigan. It's terribly amateurish; I didn't have time to memorize my script and you can tell I was reading. And I think we have to work on getting closer to the stitching so you can tell more about what it looks like. Still, it might help someone be aware of what they need to know and it was fun to do. I was fighting allergies, as usual!

Sunflower, good morning!

We had a good bit of rain last week and I got a little behind in the garden. Things are looking lush, though, with half-runner vines sprawling out of their rows and watermelon vines everywhere. I had to discourage them this morning from overrunning the potato patch. Next year watermelon and corn are getting their own space where the vines can wander to their hearts' content. Tomorrow I'm planning to stay home and pick and shell peas. And mow the grass! The lettuce has finally bolted and I'll be putting in a new row for later in the season. We've been getting a zucchini a nice every few days and I can't wait for all those tomatoes to start showing some color! We had some lovely zucchini stir-fry with some of Mom's yellow squash, onion and mushrooms in olive oil.

The only failure this year in the garden, I think, is going to be the Brussels sprouts. No matter what I do I just can't keep varmints off the wretched things. I planted sage next to them and that has kept down the cabbage butterfly menace that was so unpleasant last year in the broccoli, but then flea beetles attacked. Sister-in-law Sue found a recipe using tomato leaves to make a spray to combat the flea beetles that worked beautifully. Then a nastily voracious striped-y sort of caterpillar thing attacked and I handpicked them but they just kept on coming. The poor sprout plants are riddled and I may just put them out of their misery tomorrow. My only comfort is that a bunch of paste tomatoes came up volunteer in that patch and I'll have lots of sauce again this year!

We've had some nice people come into the shop lately: new spinners and knitters, and people from as far away as Illinois. The power went off after a wild storm on Thursday; not uncommon in the mountains. I had to close the shop and cancel the stitching gathering and really missed seeing everyone. Our electricity came back at about 7:30 but parts of the mountain didn't see it until 3 PM the next day. I had to shut down the computer, of course, but it was too dark inside to try to knit! Later after the storm passed I sat out on the porch swing to make sure no one from the knitting group showed up that I couldn't reach.

I've been accepted to demonstrate for the Blue Ridge Heritage, Inc. at the Blue Ridge Parkway 75th Anniversary Festival at Cumberland Knob. This is taking place September 10-12 and is part of the kick-off of the anniversary celebrations this year. I don't know all the details but I'm making up some small pieces out of handspun yarns to take along. I'll be using the Great Wheel as well as the smaller wheels and I always enjoy that. Right now I'm knitting a small pair of fingerless mitts out of some variegated blue merino.

Next up on the calendar, though, is the Meadows of Dan Folk Fair on August 21; lots of great music and festivities planned all over town that day! I'm hoping to have some spinners here and maybe a big yarn sale; a couple of crafters will be demonstrating under a tent in front of the shop as well.

It's just about the garden, mostly

2010-07-25T14:46:00.000-04:00

Summer Garden

There's nothing quite like a garden. Ours is a small patch, just 30 feet by about 20 feet but crammed with goodness. Lots of bunny poop and diligent tilling and quite a bit of weeding have paid off with beautiful green, green lush plants. We've been getting fresh lettuce for awhile and I just picked the third zucchini off the one plant that we have. Green tomatoes are showing up on all the tomato plants and I'm watching the pea pods carefully as they swell. This morning we saw little watermelons on the vine! I'm hoping there will be blooms on the sunflowers in time for Folk Fair on August 21.

Last night's dinner included stir-fry zucchini and squash from Mom's garden, finished off with blackberry dumplings made with wild blackberries gathered around the house. Sue has been bringing us cucumbers from her garden over at Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market to garnish our salads and we've had local tomatoes, supplied by friends and the two other markets here in town. Not sure where the onions come from but we're doing pretty well continuing our "Eat Local" attempts!

There are a pair of killdeer raising their little family in and around our garden. At first Papa Killdeer was nervous about having us around and went through his wounded bird display every time we came outside. Now that the babies are larger he isn't paying as much attention to us. It's so funny to watch them all running around in the mowed festival field; the little ones are duplicates of the parents and they stream along like little sailboats over the grass.


Oatmeal Sweater

The only thing that might be more satisfying than fresh goodness from your own garden: nearing completion of a long knitting project. I started this sweater on February 26, 2010, according to my Ravelry page. This is my first attempt at a knitted sweater and things have gone very easily. It's designed to be knitted from the bottom up with no seams except for under the arms. Love that about it. The cabling on the sleeves doesn't show up well because I used a two-ply yarn for it. I took a time-out from knitting the sweater, though, to spin up some more of the wool and create a Navajo-ply 250 yards to do the cabling across the yoke. That worked much better, although I think the cabling could be more defined with a smoother yarn. But I love the way this is working out with my handspun Corriedale. I'm on the right side button band right now and have picked out some buttons I think will look great from the shelf here at Greenberry House.


Cutting the Corn Maze

In other news around Meadows of Dan: the corn maze design has been cut and now they are working to smooth out the design and keep it cleared. The mower is getting quite a workout wandering through five acres of corn field. Everyone else is getting ready for the 6th Annual Meadows of Dan Folk Fair. There are a lot of fun activities scheduled, crafts, lots of music and a play!

We've been seeing some lovely knitters and spinners lately at the shop and I've really enjoyed meeting some new people. Including a new spinner that just moved to Patrick County! Several people this weekend that came in said they found the shop through the web site. It's always great to hear that, because of the amount of work that goes into keeping the web site going! People also mentioned the podcast; we really haven't faded but we've been having both technical issues and scheduling problems! Don't give up on us!


Beating the heat

Not everyone is Meadows of Dan is busy. TJ and Lily have been spending most of their time just laying around. TJ is enjoying the very early morning walks we take before the heat moves in. Lily is liking her new hair cut because it's cooler but she's not sure she's happy with the fact that I took too much fur off her tail. When she tries to wag it she gets the oddest look on her face.

Summertime Dreams

2010-07-16T11:32:00.000-04:00

So, do you think that this:

Hand Dyed Romney Fleece

might have been inspired by this:

Pea Blossom and vines

The garden is mostly what it has been about for the past couple of weeks, with brief forays into dyeing and lots of spinning. It's almost too hot to knit right now, but I've been working a bit in the early morning hours on the Oatmeal Cardigan. I'm just at the point where I can see the finish line and I can't wait to have it done!

We've also been picking blackberries and part of our cook-local-at-home schemes includes some lovely blackberry desserts. Since we don't really have an oven, we've been doing blackberry dumplings on top of the stove. Turns out great but you have to really watch that the berries don't stick to the bottom of the pan! It turns out a lot like a cobbler, except there's not so much dough. The dough turns into a nice crumbly cake. If you want a recipe look up blackberry dumplings on-line. I found a good one and then just cut it in half because our pan isn't very big!

Zucchini all ready to be picked!

Other good food has been fresh lettuce from the garden, sweet cucumbers in the salad given to us by sister-in-law Sue and lovely tomatoes gifted by Susan. Our tomatoes are just blooming, along with the peas. Half-runner beans are just starting their runners and the corn is shooting up. I picked a nice if precocious zucchini this morning that I'm planning to use in a pasta salad tonight. Fresh is wonderful!

Other news around Greenberry House: I've been working hard on the web sites putting up new yarns and spinning fibers on the Greenberry House site and lots of interesting glass slides and autograph stuff on Scraps of American History. One thing I love about working with the vintage stuff is that I learn so much about how things used to be. The glass slides show some amazing depictions of how life was in the early 1900s. I have a new box of yarn that just arrived in the shop from Lil' Bit o' Heaven; her color work just keeps getting better and better!

We're hoping to revive the podcast this weekend; I bought a microphone and got Skype set up in the laptop and we're going to do a practice run this afternoon. So watch your feeds for Knitting in the Round to return!

Summertime

2010-06-27T14:41:00.000-04:00

Lily got a haircut

New garden

Peas!

The Silly Season

2010-06-20T11:58:00.000-04:00

This is SO not working.

Guess who is heading for the frog pond tonight. I love this yarn, think I like the pattern but there is NO way the two are going to work together. I'm hideously off on the gauge both in the lace and the stockinette. Fudging might work; I've been modifying the pattern like crazy but a good look at the fabric this morning made me realize: nope. I've been looking at some other camisole type patterns and think I've found another one I like so we'll see!

Miss Babs Roving at Greenberry House

Lots of lovely things have been coming in to the shop. In fact, it has been a lot like Christmas. I unpacked a beautiful box of hand dyed yarns from Lil' Bit o' Heaven last week and then this gorgeous hand dyed roving from Miss Babs arrived! I think she just keeps getting better and better with her color work. I've been reconstructing the shop portion of our web site and have just finished getting all the Bryspun needles up for sale. Today I plan to photograph and put up this lovely roving from Miss Babs; check it out! We also have some beautiful new stitch markers from Endless Possibilities in Meadows of Dan. Some are sophisticated and some are sassy!

Rose Garden

Speaking of Miss Babs, I finally finished spinning up the Rose Garden roving and wound up with three lovely skeins. They're in the shop now but I also plan to put them up on the web site as I get time. Kind of hard to part with them; they are beautiful, soft and shiny. I like shiny!

Otherwise we've been back in the garden! The SO has been tilling away, using the tiller my dad bought the year my brother was born! He did a fine job and the bunny poop enriched soil is great to work. The tomatoes are in (many less plants than last year); there are Brussels sprouts (with sage plants to guard them from the cabbage butterflies), corn, lettuce, green beans (many more than last year), peas, a cucumber plant, potatoes and watermelon. I think that's all. My sister-in-law started the plants for us and gave us the potato sets. I've not been knitting as much. Morning knitting time is taken up with gardening chores and watering!

Sorry about the delay in the podcasting. Natalie has been busy and I had an allergy attack last weekend that killed my voice on Monday. Hoping we can get together soon!

2010-06-14T10:32:00.000-04:00

Needlefelting!

Needlefelting at Greenberry House

Jane Plaugher of Fiber on the Mountain will be teaching a workshop here at Greenberry House on Friday, June 18, from 11 AM until 2 PM. Price $25.00 plus materials. Two spaces are available. Please contact me at leslie@greenberryhouse.com for a reservation! Jane is an excellent instructor that teaches weaving, knitting, needlefelting and crocheting at several venues in North Carolina. her workshops are fun, entertaining and instructive and you are sure to leave with an awesome finished object!

Can it be June already?

2010-06-11T15:48:00.000-04:00

It wasn't ready for May Day; it didn't appear at Sedalia, but I finished it just in time for the Carolina Fiber Festival. Ta-da!

Corona Camisole

Summer days, when a not-so-young woman's fancy turns to - gardening! We're late again in getting everything out but from my notes on last year's garden everything should turn out fine. I can hear the tiller churning as I write. That old tiller has been around almost as long as I have and I remember my lanky grandfather working in his huge garden with it when I was a child. It traveled between their little farm and the farm where I live now, tilling huge gardens that kept two families well fed. My mom and stepdad used it until about eight years ago and it needed a little tending by my uncle before it was ready to work again. It did a lovely job on my little garden patch! Can't wait to go digging in the ground in the morning!

It has been nice to just stay home the past couple of weeks and it has taken this long to get caught up with most things. I still have a long list of work to do and several boxes of roving, yarn and knitting needles to get unpacked. Three days of allergies hit me in the middle of everything; I've been lucky this year but the pollen, mold, whatever struck last Saturday and wrecked me for the weekend!

Lace for the Drawstring Chemise

I enjoyed making the last little top so much that I cast on another one a few days ago. This is the

Drawstring Chemise by Connie Chang Chinchio from the Spring 2008 Interweave Knits. I've been wanting to make it for awhile and when I got some lovely Miss Babs Yummy Sock yarn at Spin a Yarn last winter, it just seemed that the pattern and yarn were made for each other. NOT! I'm sure it's neither the yarn or the designer's fault, but I'm horribly off gauge with this one. I think part of it is that I'm getting more relaxed with my knitting with more experience and I'm making much bigger stitches! But to get on gauge I would have to use tiny needles and I'm not going there. So I'm fudging and figuring; we'll see how it turns out. I'm pretty good at crochet finagling...

During the festivals I worked on my Oatmeal Cardigan because that was what was handy and got the body done to the point where the sleeves are knitted on. Now I have to spin up some more yarn to ply into a three ply for the cabled yoke section. I started that a few days ago, after finishing up the lovely Miss Babs roving I've been working on forever. The Corriedale for the sweater is spinning like a dream, almost as wonderfully as the Miss Babs!

A Little Crazy

2010-05-28T11:33:00.000-04:00

First I was here:

Sedalia Spring Fiber Festival

And then I was here:

Carolina Fiber Festival

and in between was a lot of packing up and sorting and getting ready while at the same time looking after the animals and the shop. So there hasn't been a lot of blogging lately!

Both festivals were a lot of fun and very successful. It was great seeing so many fiber folk out appreciating all the hard work the promoters and volunteers had put into to making their events so wonderful. Chris came down from Connecticut for Sedalia and she may not know it yet but next year she's staying for Carolina, too! I found that trying to do a festival without her was like working without my right arm. She hung out here in Meadows of Dan through the Sunday and we got her on the podcast. Fun!

This weekend we're gearing up for a nice festival next door at Mountain Meadow Farm. I'm taking advantage of the Memorial Day festivities to have a yard and porch sale of some odds and ends of collectibles through the weekend. Good prices, come on out!

Needing Inspiration

2010-05-09T12:35:00.001-04:00

Paisley in a favorite place

Things have just been far too busy the past couple of weeks. The month of May doesn't look any better but I'm both excited and apprehensive about all the great things coming my way. I only hope I can do a decent job at all the tasks and shows ahead!

Attending Maryland Sheep and Wool

I had an awesome trip to Maryland Sheep and Wool, even though my plans didn't exactly work out and I had to stay home with the shop on Saturday. So I got up early on Sunday morning and drove the five hours north listening to podcasts and NPR all the way. Nothing to keep you awake better than listening to other knitters talk. The weather was lovely; a little hot in the barns but nice outside. I wasn't on a purchasing expedition but I did buy two huge lots of cotton yarns, some lovely silk from Gale's Art and some funny pin buttons about spinning and knitting.

Banana blended with BFL; OK....

I didn't get many pictures this year. My old camera weighs a ton and it's not wonderful at anything but really close-up work, so I took a few shots and dropped it back to the car. Since it was so hot I didn't see people wearing a lot of lovely hand knits, although there were some great hats and I caught sight of a few interesting socks. The colors of yarns and fiber in the booths were quite lovely. I remember the first year I went I thought the colors disturbingly harsh. Over and over again this year I saw wonderful work; indie dyers are certainly coming into their own. If I didn't have so many excellent people here at the shop I would have been tempted far beyond my budget!

I didn't see many people I knew, besides the busy vendors, but that doesn't matter among fiber people. After I got tired of walking around looking at lovely stuff, I bought lunch and settled down to watch some of the blade shearing contest. There were some nice people sitting nearby and I was able to chat a bit and knit while I watched. I didn't know it but Derrick Spangler of Lord Willin' Shearin' in Floyd was in the competition. I ran into him late in the day and he said he was pleased with how well he did in the contest. He had never used blade shears before. I don't know how the contestants and the sheep felt about it but from where I sat it looked a lot like work!

My main reasons for attending the festival (ok, they were excuses, but anyway) were to drop off fiber, pick up fiber and deliver a little spinning wheel. This led to meeting some more wonderful people and my Ravelry and Facebook friends lists have been expanded with great and talented fiber folk. While I was waiting for it to become time to meet people I sat with my knitting at the hospitality tent set up by the Columbia Sip and Knit group and sponsored by some awesome local shops. A nice spot and very friendly people!

The week since Maryland has been a bit of a busy blur. On Monday it rained but I was busy at the shop, unpacking lovely spinning fiber by Miss Babs to fill my shelves. Susan from Knitajourney mentioned on her podcast she was coming to Virginia, so I popped off a note to her saying she couldn't miss Southwest Virginia and especially Meadows of Dan. She took my broad hint and came to the shop despite the rain and it was a delight to meet her. She was just as lovely as I expected and it would have been wonderful if she could have stayed all day and knitted with me. But of course when you're traveling there's just too much to do. I wish her and her husband special journeys through our lovely state and a safe trip back to Minnesota.

Demonstrating at Welcome Center

On Tuesday I demonstrated at the Lambsburg Welcome Center on I-77 as part of the Patrick County blitz. I talked to well over 500 people during the day, handed out a bunch of brochures, got sunburned and managed to spin that entire basket of Texel roving into singles. Tuesday night we had a 'Round the Mountain networking and information session at the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts building in Galax. On Wednesday I was determined to stay home and rest! I got a rabbit sheared and a little of the yard mowed before I ran out of gas (both in me and the mower) and hung around knitting the rest of the day.

Things started up again with work at the shop on Thursday, a lovely Stitch and Chat on Thursday evening and then a Mother's Day special farmers market in Stuart on Friday morning. Yesterday and today I'm cleaning up the shop and working on getting fiber together for Sedalia. Last night I went over to visit with a friend who is putting together an interesting new living space on their land in Vesta. They are hoping to do workshops and have all sorts of interesting ideas.

Sedalia is this coming weekend, and Natalie and I signed up for the Carolina Fiber Fest the next (May 21 to 23). So come out and visit with us! And I almost forgot: Nancy did an awesome write-up about my presentation at the Women's Wellness Weekend at Fairystone Park a couple of weeks ago. I even like the pictures!

Starting Again

2010-04-30T15:42:00.000-04:00

Big quince at home on Squirrel Spur

Last week we had some glorious days and I've been watching the pear and apple trees blooming wildly under the spring sunshine. This hardy quince usually blooms early as well; sometimes it even puts out a few blooms in December. Yesterday we must have had a frost, although I thought there was enough wind to protect everything. This morning when I came out to go to work all these lovely blossoms were burnt and brown. The thing about the quince is that it will come back out again when the weather is warmer. Not so some of the fruit trees, I fear.

Corona Camisole progress

The quince doesn't seem to get very discouraged but I'm afraid I do, sometimes, when I make a silly mistake and have to start right back over from the beginning. I have to remind myself that these sorts of mistakes are easily mended, great to learn from and far from costly. There have been greater mistakes in my past that required much more than a few hours sitting cozily in a chair knitting a few rows over again.

I suppose I should be thankful that my mistakes, both past and present, have mostly been of the type I can accept and live with, or live down. I've never been one to dwell on past failures. Looking back, events that I once thought of as tragic matter very little. Situations I worried over or lost sleep about either never happened or were rarely as bad as I thought that they would be. I suppose that is the lesson that making mistakes has taught me; every day and every task is a chance for a new beginning.

Paisley gets cozy

Despite the cold and rainy it has been a busy week here at Greenberry House. Lots of new yarns came in from Lil Bit of Heaven and I'll be taking them around to shows and getting some of them up on the web site. Linda's dyeing skills just keep getting better. KnitKnerd (Kristen) brought in two braids of gorgeous Corriedale roving in a soft fawn color that is very much like the wool I spun up for my Oatmeal Cardigan. She bought the fleece from Rising Meadow Farm and I suspect that it may have come from the same ewe. Or a relative! Either way it's lovely and some lucky spinner is going to enjoy working with it.

I'm busy getting ready for our first big festival of the year, at Big Island, Virginia. Sedalia Spring Fiber Festival takes place on May 15 and is a lovely, friendly gathering of special fiber folk from all over Virginia and beyond. On Sunday I'm heading to Maryland Sheep and Wool for a fast day trip; really looking forward to it.

Time Goes By

2010-04-19T16:59:00.000-04:00

Sheep Shearing Day 2010

So where did a week go, anyway? Seems like only yesterday I was up to my elbows in wonderful fleece at Thistle Cove Farm, but I discover that over a week has passed and I haven't talked about it. Or about the grand opening at Chestnut Creek School of the Arts where I took part in a street fair and parade in Galax on Saturday. Shall I just say that both events were awesome, especially Sheep Shearing Day? I came home with fleece, again, after I swore solemnly that I wouldn't!

There has been spinning done:

Miss Babs Rose Garden colorway

And knitting accomplished:

Richard's Mitten

And mistakes made:

See the stitch marker for my commentary.

It may be hard to tell but there's a twisted issue in this garter stitch band for my new camisole knitted in Unplanned Peacock's Poppy colorway. A twist isn't a good thing for a waistband, y'all. So it got ripped out this morning and I'll be starting again when my brain is working properly. Bleh. In brighter news I finished this:

Completed Feather and Fan Cowl

and was very happy to find that it turned out exactly the size it should be. I only made one change; the directions said bind off loosely and I didn't like the edge, so I took the bind-off back out and made it much tighter. I also debuted my Larkspur Wrap sweater at the Chestnut Creek School event and was very pleased with the fit and style!

Breezy Spring

2010-04-09T13:50:00.001-04:00

Forsythia in bloom

It's a cold windy day here in Meadows of Dan; a bit of a shock after warm sunshine reaching 84 degrees. We had one of those wild downpours yesterday afternoon during our community meeting and a bit of thunder and lightning. Spring in the mountains! I don't remember a time when the forsythia in my back yard bloomed like this; those hardy shrubs must really like snowy winters!

Our community meeting was very interesting; we had a special guest speaker, Jeremy Bisse from Those Geeks in Abingdon, Virginia. He spoke to us on Facebook and blogging and I learned several things I didn't know. For example, this blog should be on my domain. So I'm going to be moving it, as soon as he gets time to fix something on his end. I don't think it will make any difference to you, though, because I think you can still find me at the old address. But just in case, the new one will be http://blog.greenberryhouse.com. There were lots of other good points; if you need a speaker on Social Networking Jeremy's your man.

Feather and Fan Cowl

The knitted cowl is coming along; the other projects, not so much. I did finish the second sleeve on the Oatmeal Cardigan and start the main part but I only have the ribbing and a few rows done. Nothing on the Winkle Vest all week. I did too much outside apparently and must have strained my wrist. Crocheting hurts it a little. I've been spinning just a little bit on some lovely Miss Babs roving in her colorway Rose Garden.

On the warm days I got busy and finished cleaning out the bunny house and piled up old rabbit cages for someone to come and take away. I discovered Craig's List; it's amazing how fast a not-so-far-away bunny farmer snapped the cages up when I posted them. I'm not giving up the German Angoras, mind, but a lot of old, beat up and needing some repair cages had piled up in the barns and outbuildings. I'm determined to get rid of some STUFF this year.

Getting back into the routines at work. On Wednesday we recorded a podcast and on Thursday I sent out a newsletter for the shop. If you're interested you can sign up at the web site. I usually get one out about once a week but try not to be a commercial pain about it. I've been offering articles, reviews and an occasional pattern. It was nice to be able to announce that the shop is finally open for the season!

We're heading to Thistle Cove Farm tomorrow for Sheep Shearing Day and really looking forward to it! Come out if you can and dress warmly!

Easter Parade

2010-04-04T11:21:00.002-04:00

of finished knitted, handspun and crocheted objects:

Old Shale Shawl

Larkspur Wrap Sweater

Handspun black angora yarn special order

It is a beautiful Easter weekend here in Meadows of Dan, with clear skies, soft breezes and brilliant sunshine. I woke up early to see a silver moon shining in my windows and had to just sit and knit awhile before snuggling back up with Lily for an hour's snooze before we began the day.

Everyone is obsessed with spring right now up here in Meadows of Dan. It has been such a long winter; the main topic of conversation is when will the weather settle. After a few cooler days this past week with lots of wind, it does seem to be getting truly warm. Daffodils are nodding in the breeze here and there and my forsythia looks like it is going to be more beautiful than it has been in years. My garden was plowed where an old flower bed had been for years and disturbing the soil revitalized the bulbs I had there. Lots of Virginia bluebells are dotting the surface and daffodil leaves are breaking through.

Feather and Fan Cowl

I had a lovely time on Friday at Greenberry House with Pamela, who wants to expand her knitting skills by adding some techniques. We started with lace and worked on the Feather and Fan Cowl by Debbie Grale from the Spin-Off Winter 2009 issue. I think I've made or am making almost every pattern in that issue. This is a lovely and easy pattern and I love the way both cowls are turning out. Mine is going to be bigger; my spinning skills don't quite meet the 17 wraps per inch requirement for the pattern. Pam chose a fingering weight merino hand painted by Knit Fit Knitting. The colors were beautiful!

On the spinning wheels I'm also thinking spring, with some lovely Miss Babs roving in her Rose Garden colorway on the Reeves wheel. Very delicate and I'm spinning fine with a technique of threading the yarn through the flyer hooks that Jasmine of the Knitmore Girls mentioned on a podcast and Natalie clarified for me in our last show. I'm spinning much faster than usual by threading the single through both sides of the flyer. Give the podcasts a listen to get more details. Right now I'm carding the black wool I've mentioned elsewhere in a blend with hand dyed blue angora to be spun on the Haldane wheel. I'm thinking to add some beads to this one!

Plans and Progress

2010-03-28T10:41:00.004-04:00

Old Shale Shawl, almost finished!

A touch of winter came back to Meadows of Dan this week and weekend, with snow showers on Friday and a cold breezy day yesterday. Now I'm looking out at a fog so thick that it seems as if my little building is alone in the world!

On the lovely warm couple of days that we had I cleaned out part of the bunny house and sheared a very shabby rabbit. I try not to let house and critters get in such bad shape, but with the winter we had this year there was never a time that I could manage to do more than the necessary to keep everyone reasonably comfortable. The garden has the benefit of a huge dose of bunny poop fertilizer, though. And although Misty's fleece was a total loss to me, I have a feeling that there are going to be some luxurious and cozy angora-lined birds' nests around Greenberry House this year.

For the rest of the time I've been knitting, spinning and crocheting. The Old Shale Shawl is nearly done and I almost can't stand how lovely it turned out. I so want it off the needles but I also want to be able to show how to do the crocheted bind-off in a video that Natalie is planning to film this week for the podcast. I've been working on the Larkspur Wrap Sweater again, since it finally got warm enough to block it for a day or two, and I'm ALMOST done with the black angora spinning. It will be nice to get something else on that wheel. I washed up half a beautiful Romney fleece from Thistle Cove Farm on the sunny day we had and am hoping to get it on the drum carder soon.

Speaking of Thistle Cove, Sheep Shearing Day is coming up soon! Join us on April 10 for fun and demonstrations. We're usually set up by 9 AM and the shearer is usually finished by noon. Most of the demonstrators hang around until about 4 PM. Natalie is going to try to come up and we'll be hoping to interview some of the Lost Arts Guild members for the podcast. Here's hoping for a sunny day. Last year was beautiful, breezy and clear. If there's a prettier piece of country in the world than the cove I haven't seen it.

And speaking of podcasts, yet another episode is up at Knitting in the Round.

Spring!

2010-03-21T11:38:00.003-04:00

Old Shale Shawl, pattern by Evelyn Clark

There's a haze of green timidly creeping over the fields and lawns up here in Meadows of Dan. The pussy willow catkins are out and I saw a red-winged blackbird perched proudly on the viburnum this morning as I went to tend the bunnies. I almost didn't need my coat.

I keep reminding myself that we're in the mountains, though, and we could still have snow. But today the air feels truly warm, without that little hint of keenness in the wind. Tomorrow it's supposed to rain.

It's hard to believe the winter months are over, though, and time has passed so swiftly despite the bitter weather. I didn't get half the spinning I had hoped to do done, but that's always the way it happens. Right now I'm working on some black angora singles that seem to be taking forever!

Silk and mohair plied singles and mohair two-ply yarn

After all the quiet natural colors of the CVM fleece and black angora I've been spinning , I seriously needed some color on the wheel. So I pulled out the lovely mohair batt that I bought at the retreat in February from Sherry Geisler and spun it into some bright singles. Last year at Sedalia my only fiber purchase was two ounces of some lovely dyed Tussah silk from The Flock Bransonas. I spun that up and plied it with two ounces of Sherry's mohair. Lots of sparkle and color in one place. Very pleased with the resulting two-ply yarns.

It has been a lovely week. Since the weather has changed I've been getting out a little bit. On Tuesday Mom and I went to Floyd for lunch to celebrate her birthday and for me to go to a meeting. She sat contentedly with a book at the Jacksonville while we had the meeting. Almost every morning we were able to walk with friend Kym and her dog Bently and it was nice to catch up with her. On Friday night I went to the PTO dinner theater just down the road at the community building. Lots of talented crafters and a really funny play produced by Once Upon a Blue Ridge. It was wonderful to get out, see the play and visit with local folks that have been snowbound!

This weekend has been busy at the shop, which I'm loving. Lots of old friends, repeat customers and new folks coming in. This is only the second weekend we've been able to open since the wild weather.

Change is good, right?

2010-03-12T11:10:00.002-05:00

Yarn, yarn and more yarn!

Every now and then it just becomes time to shake things up a little. It has been a very long winter here at Greenberry House and in Meadows of Dan. Although I do like having the chance to stay at home, my house began to feel very cramped by the end of February!

And so did the shop. I've been thinking about making some changes, both for aesthetic and financial reasons. Spring, even if it isn't really here yet, seems to be the time to clear out the old and bring in the new. So it was out with all the books, which will return elsewhere someday soon, and in with lots of lovely new yarns and brightness! I've also expanded my line of knitting notions and needles and added Greener Shades Dyes to the mix, along with some lovely buttons that are just perfect for our beautiful local luxury yarns.

Wolle's Yarn Creations Color Changing Cotton Yarns

One of my favorite new yarns in the new yarn room is a lovely hand-dyed cotton created by a Virginia artisan. This is a unique yarn that really captured my attention when I saw it on Etsy. I'm making the Old Shale Shawl by Evelyn Clark with her Triple Green colorway for our Knitting in the Round KAL. There will be more pictures later, when I reach the point in the skein where the color starts changing.

Patons Silk Bamboo

Lily's Sugar `n Cream

Patons Canadiana

This is my first venture into commerical yarns, but I've had a demand from customers for yarns to make dish cloths and for prayer shawls. Our lovely local hand-dyed wools are wonderful for shawls, sweaters, scarves, hats and mittens, but sometimes you just need a work-horse yarn for certain projects. I chose two Canadian yarns for the shelves that seem to fit into the category of just plain good yarn. Patons Canadiana is an acrylic worsted that I stock in both solid and variegated colors, while Lily Sugar 'n Cream is a nice cotton worsted weight in soft solid and variegated colors. Lily is made from American cotton, which is nice. I'm also looking at some other cotton yarns that are a bit more upscale.

Greenberry House is now open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM. We're seeing a drizzly, foggy day here in Meadows of Dan and snow showers are predicted for Monday, so winter isn't over yet. But soon the sun will be shining and it will be perfect weather for a visit to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Meadows of Dan!

Left Squirrel Spur for another mountain...

2010-03-06T13:07:00.003-05:00

New River Gorge

... and what do you suppose I found? Yes, more snow! Of course, anyone that heads into West Virginia in February is just asking for trouble!

Snow in the West Virginia mountains

The last weekend in February this year was set aside for the Fibernet Spinning Retreat, held twice a year at the lodge at Hawk's Nest State Park. Let me tell you right off that these people in Ansted, West Virginia, learned hospitality from the south, maybe before the Late Unpleasantness that split that chunk of Virginia off. The lodge is lovely, with an interesting design that gives every room a wonderful view and the service was excellent. The food was good in the Canyon View restaurant and the lodge staff couldn't have made it a better weekend.

Fiber at the retreat

In addition to the lodge hospitality, the greeting I was given by the retreat attendees could not have been warmer or friendlier. This was my first year at the retreat and my first retreat ever, so I thought I might feel a little awkward. No such thing with these lovely fiber folk. I was immediately enfolded into the group and soon I was spinning away at the everlasting California Variegated Mutant fleece. Chatting and spinning as if I had known everyone for years, it was lovely to watch the snow fall as the wheels turned.

And the snow did fall. Sixteen inches or thereabouts, in all, throughout the weekend. I didn't leave the lodge once, which was fine, as the company and cozy atmosphere suited me and the wheel. In all I think thirteen people made it to the lodge through the snow, although more were expected. It was a lovely sized group and I'm looking forward to next year and meeting more wonderful fiber fanatics. Poor Natalie was one of the expected attendees that didn't make it through the snow on Friday to the lodge.

And of course I wound up with some fiber. David Simpson was there with his beautifully dyed roving and yarn. He's a bit of a local celebrity for his talent with color around the Blacksburg area and his work certainly lives up to his reputation. I came away with six ounces of a merino and silk blend after winning the door prize gift certificate he donated. I also fell in love with some brilliant fuchsia mohair in a batt by Sherry Geisler, some mystery natural black fleece, also donated as a door prize and, along with a nice goodie bag, I won a salad spinner. I've been wanting one to dry my yarn and fleece.

California Variegated Mutant Yarn

Even with lots of extra spinning time at the retreat, I seriously failed my Ravelymics goal of spinning a seven and a half pound fleece. I managed to spin up about two and a half pounds and now I'm plying the singles. It's making a lovely yarn, anyway, with lots of soft variations on a gray theme.

Oatmeal Cardigan sleeve

I think I mentioned that this handspun yarn was just not working with the Every Way Wrap that I intended to use it for. I frogged the wrap during our last podcast recording and cast on for the Oatmeal Cardigan by Amy King that appeared in the Winter 2009 Spin-Off magazine. It's a lovely pattern and will be my first knitted cardigan. The cabling still doesn't show up very well, though, in this two-ply yarn. I may try to spin up some more singles in this wool and made a three-ply more regular yarn for the yoke cables. If I get ambitious!

Next week: Big Changes at Greenberry House

Epic Failures (but I'm not too ruffled about it)

2010-02-24T11:18:00.004-05:00

Singles so far from CVM fleece...and lots more to spin!

I have been sitting in that chair in my crafting corner for days; and I'm beginning to feel a little like Dorothy Gale. There may be too much gray in my little part of the world, with fleece inside and snow outside. I'm pretty sure I'm going to let the team down in the Ravelympics quest for the gold and the glory, but that's just the way it goes sometimes, I guess. In the meantime I'm going to have some lovely yarn ready for spring and that's really what counts in the end.

In other news the Every Way Wrap was not a success in my handspun Corriedale. The color was wonderful and the yarn worked up delightfully in the ribbed section, but it was a total fail in the cable and moss stitch section. Just not enough stitch definition. So I frogged the whole thing while we were recording the podcast this morning and am planning to use the yarn in the Oatmeal Cardigan by Amy King that appeared in the Winter 2009 edition of Spin-Off. First I really want to get as much of this fleece spun up as I can, plus finish the black angora special order. And some mittens for a terrific uncle, plus maybe a few more odds and end patterns. There's always something out there waiting to be discovered.

We're planning our first knit-a-long with the Knitting in the Round podcast, and we're aiming for an Easter finish for the Old Shale Shawl by Evelyn Clark that appears in the lovely Interweave Press Knitting Traditions that just came out. The pattern can also be found in the Jan-Feb 2005 edition of Piecework magazine, or on the designer's web site. I'm planning to knit this shawl in a lovely hand dyed cotton yarn I just got in at the shop.

The Shelor Book

On major project that I did finish successfully is up and running at the Shelor Family Genealogy web site. It's early days for the site and I plan to add lots more information and pictures, but in the meantime we've just issued a second edition of The Hills Touch Heaven, compiled by me, with corrections and some additional information and pictures. So if you're a Shelor or a member of one of the many connecting families, or if you're interested in local history and great stories about ordinary people, head on over and check the book out. We received a sample copy of the book, which can be ordered on-line, from the publisher and the quality is excellent. We also plan to revise and reissue the genealogies of the descendants of Lawrence Shelor.

Tomorrow I'm heading out to West Virginia to attend a fiber retreat at Hawk's Nest State Park. Natalie is following me on Friday and we're hoping to interview some spinners and knitters as well as enjoy the lovely setting and visiting with like-minded fiber folk. I'm talking along some fiber for sale from our local vendors and I understand that there are several other vendors who will be attending. So if you need a fiber fix drop me a note and I'll keep an eye out for fluff for you!

Nap

The Sky is blue,

2010-02-14T10:10:00.003-05:00

Pointer

the ground is white. Although there is a tiny bit of tan peeping through the south bank above the road here across from the shop. Just in time to get covered up again tonight and tomorrow, no doubt!

I know some people are getting stir-crazy, and although I'd love to be able to open the shop again, I have plenty to do. I finished typing the family history and set up a web site for it; more on that later when I see how the finished product looks. At the shop we're creating havoc, tearing apart the book room to make room for LOTS more yarn. More about that later, too, when we have things a bit more organized and stuff starts coming in. I'll be putting some sneak peaks here.

Ravelympics project!

So, since this is winter and I have soooo much free time, I decided to enter the Ravelympics challenge, egged on a bit by Natalie. Since I never do anything by half, I decided the challenge for me would be to finish spinning this lovely California Variegated Mutant fleece by the end of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Two weeks. Seven and a half pounds. Yeah. It's supposed to be a challenge! If I get it done, a portion of the sale of the skeins will be donated to Special Olympics. I started when the torch was lit on Friday at 9 PM. This morning I finished the first bobbin and started the second. And of course, during the time I'm spinning this fleece I'm working on a special order for 300 yards of pure black angora yarn on the other wheel!

It'll be a wrap

Since I couldn't start the Ravelympics project and I don't like taking the Reeves wheel out in the cold, on Thursday for stitching group I started on the Every Way Wrap by Okim Park that was published in the Fall, 2009, edition of Interweave Knits. So far I'm loving the fabric. The yarn is some of my handspun; a Corriedale fleece from Rising Meadow Farm. She's one of my favorite fiber producers and this was a lovely fleece in fawny tan with some darker patches.

I can't say that anything else is really going on. Mostly winter is a round of taking care of animals, keeping the house warm, reading and catching up on things. While I'm spinning and knitting I've been thinking about things I'd like to do to make the house more comfortable for spending so much time here next winter. With three dogs, two cats, me and my projects and Dad the downstairs is just a little crowded! Snug, I guess, but no one has room to stretch out. Lily and TJ are loving that I'm home so much, though.

I've been enjoying the box of books my aunt send down, especially the Rex Stout mysteries. Nero Wolfe is the man. Some of the titles were new to me and others I hadn't read in years. Makes me want to dig out my Stout stash. Instead, I've been reading through the rest of the stack my aunt sent. Right now I'm reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and I think this is one that will stay on my shelf. It's a gentle story, just about a boy's journey, but there are such depths to the tale. I think I will want to read it again and again.

Oh, yes, and yesterday Natalie and I recorded Episode 17 of the podcast. She's thinking she's lost her knitting mojo and I still need to find mine!

It's About Time....

2010-02-03T12:40:00.003-05:00

Snowy weekend in Meadows of Dan

and how I've been spending it lately. A little snow shoveling, a little nice time with stitching friends and a WHOLE lot of typing. My self-imposed deadlines are far more harsh than any set for me by anyone else! The Shelor Book project is coming along, though. I'm finally on Chapter 11 and see the end in sight. Way out there, but in sight. I also have 300 yards of black angora to spin up before the 12th of this month, maybe. Not sure that one will be happening, though, but I'm going to try!

The groundhog didn't see his shadow here; yesterday I was out shoveling snow in the rain. It rained all day with a little icy stuff in the morning. More snow is forecast for this weekend. I'm not sure I have a lot of faith in forecasters, four-footed or otherwise. Guess we have to take it as it comes but the shop would be happier with more company and fewer days closed due to bad weather!

Pointing

The dogs and cats are happy to have me home so much more, though. They stay close while I'm typing and Paisley spends most of her time curled up in my neglected knitting bag at my feet. Barnabas stretches out on the top of the sewing cabinet by the window, soaking up sun if there is any. The dogs are either piled up on the couch or on the rug at my feet, depending on how warm it is. Lily hasn't enjoyed the snow as much as she used to; I think the cold is getting into her almost thirteen year old joints. TJ thinks going out in the snow is an excuse for a romp! He didn't like our morning walk under the cloudy sky this morning, though. I think the wind was blowing too much and it had him a little freaked. A neighbor said he saw a coyote near their house a couple of weeks ago and I wonder sometimes if TJ doesn't pick up the scent of something strange in the air.

Still River Mill Mystery Batt

I tool a break from typing last night to watch a long-neglected Netflix DVD and finish spinning the mystery batt Chris gave me. Lovely to spin and fun to watch the new colors coming. I got a lot of yards out of it; I think it was about four ounces. It's going to be a lovely, soft and fine yarn; probably DK weight.

The only other thing I've been doing is cooking a bit. I made a really good pot of chili a week or so ago made with some nice local beef my sister-in-law brought me. Then I made a big pot of vegetable beef soup with frozen stuff from our garden, local potatoes, local stew beef. Last night I thawed out more of the beef and there's a huge bowl of homemade spaghetti sauce in the fridge.

Natalie is supposed to be coming up in awhile and we'll be recording another podcast. Last week we talked a lot about spinning!

I Love Mittens!

2010-01-24T10:40:00.002-05:00

Clun Forest Mitten pattern by by Carol Huebscher Rhoades in Spin-Off, Spring 2009

I know this is turning into a knitting blog. I didn't really plan on this, and frankly I preferred things around here when my inspirations were a bit more fanciful. But since I've had the shop yarn is pretty much what I do, what I talk about in the podcast and what I work with morning, noon and night. So, since yarn has taken over my life, it's only natural that it would take over the blog. I'll try to start thinking about some other things, though, so as not to be too obsessive. And boring!

The mittens above are done, blocked with the delightful mitten blockers I talked about in the last post, and have been much appreciated during the wintery weather we just keep on having here in Meadows of Dan. After a few days of blissfully warm weather in which I made an idiot of myself trying to wash a fleece, we had another ice storm on Thursday that kept Greenberry House closed on Friday. This entire weekend has been drizzly, foggy and now rain is falling. Great day to curl up with the cats and knit. But since I'm at work, I'll just stay cozy behind the computer and watch the world splash by.

Tweed Beret by Kristen TenDyke, Interweave Knits Accessories 2009

I love the mittens and the pattern, which has a sort of architectural flare on the cuff. I'm not so happy with the hat, made in the same lovely yarn from Foxfire Holler Farm. It's not the designer's fault; my gauge was way off. I thought it would be smaller rather than larger, though, so I added some stitches and it turned out huge. I took it down to Spin A Yarn when we went to record the podcast with the intention of frogging it. Three expert knitters vetoed that idea at once. So I brought it home and followed their advice, which was to "stomp it" to full it. I did, standing in a big bucket in the bathtub while reading the entire "Knight's Tale" from The Canterbury Tales. You'd think that would shrink it, huh? Nope, it grew! To 13 inches around. So I threw it in the dryer for a couple of rounds and got it down to 11 inches. It's still not the perky little beret I had planned and Ron still says it looks like a potato sack but I've been wearing it. Cozy and the yarn is beautiful. Maybe I'm just not a perky beret kind of girl.

I had better luck with the Tahoe hat by Jill Smith-Mott in Spin-Off Winter 2009. This was done in scraps and left-overs from other projects, which is very satisfying. I also finished blocking the subway mittens mentioned in the last post and I'm very happy with the way they turned out. Natalie says it's a good thing I fixed them, as the picture of the unblocked mittens in the previous post looks like I'm making a rude gesture!

Lovely Linda Handspun Yarn

I'm trying to clear the wheels for two big projects: I want to spin the CVM fleece for Ravelympics and also have to spin 300 yards of black angora as a special order. So I was glad to finish up this hand painted roving I bought last summer at Coffee Buy the Book in Pulaski, Virginia. I know lots of people that know Linda Akers, who raised the wool and hand-dyed the roving. The colors are lovely and I really enjoyed spinning it. About 260 yards in a sport weight and it's for sale at Greenberry House. Now I'm busy spinning up a Mystery Bump from Still River Mill that Chris gifted me with on her last visit. I think it's also going to be lovely.

New (to me) books!

My aunt in Connecticut sent riches! Barnabas leaped into the box as if he thought the books were for him, but he's shown no interest in literature since I took them out. I have a stack of mysteries and other great things by my reading chair and I'm longing to dive into Rex Stout and Sharyn McCrumb. But they will have to wait for a little while.

I've just started another project that will be cutting into my knitting time. In 1997 I helped create a Shelor family history book that has been out of print for years. Now that technology has advanced, the family and I have decided it's time to do a second edition. So I've been busy scanning photographs and typing. The first chapter is done: thirteen more to go, plus indexing. Why do I always think I'll catch up during the winter?

Blocking and washing and whirling....

2010-01-15T12:23:00.003-05:00

Country Mittens

The down side to having both a blog and a podcast is that I think I'm done talking about a project when I do it in one place or the other! I posted about Eve's Mitts here last week and forgot to talk about them on the podcast, and then I talked about these on the podcast and forgot to put it here. Not good when folks are wanting pictures!

Anyway, above is the before blocking picture of the mittens I made for myself out of Natalie's hand painted bamboo/merino blend. The pattern is Subway Mittens by Colleen Michele Meagher which appeared in the Interweave Knits Accessories 2009. As you can see, there's something a bit weird about the top of the hand and thumbs of these little things.

So, presto, thanks to an episode of Knitting in the Round, I know how to fix that! I put in an order with Seven Yaks Design for a set of their mitten blockers. They arrived yesterday (very fast shipping, excellent packaging and some cute little decals attached to the address label) and I just couldn't wait to get my mittens up on them.

Blocking the mittens

As you can probably see, the shape is much more "mittenish" on the blocker. I took them off this morning because thanks to the light acrylic construction they dried fast. There's an extra little thumb piece that is also a inch gauge for yarn included and two little needle gauges in metric and American cut out of the center of the mitten blocker. There's also a diz with several size holes for making different sized rovings. I never had a WPI gauge or diz before....too cool.

The only thing I didn't like is that the ribbing got stretched with the rest of the mitten. Easy to fix...I just wet the bottom again and now they're laying flat to dry with the ribbing bunched into shape. I just wet the ribbed part again, mind.... I'll post a picture when it's dry to show how that worked. I do love this pattern and yarn. The mittens are light, useful and warm!

Speaking of photos, there has been a tragedy at Greenberry House. The SO decided he needed a new web site, so he borrowed my treasured Olympus digital camera, given to me by the wonderful father of the one and only Jagasaurus. And he dropped it. I might start speaking to him again someday. It doesn't work anymore and I can't afford to get it fixed right now (neither can he) so I had to drag out the trusty old Sony Mavica. It works......just doesn't take the awesome photos that the Olympus did. So there will be a distinct lack of beauty around the top of Squirrel Spur Road for awhile.

Washing Wool

The January thaw has arrived and we're seeing bare earth again. And mud. There's still plenty of snow yet to melt but I'm grateful for some warmer temperatures. It's been nice to get back to our early morning walking routine. Yesterday I went a little mad and washed half the California Variegated Mutant fleece I bought at Estes Park in June. It weighed 7 pounds before washing and wasn't very greasy so there's still a lot left. I'm thinking of making spinning this entire fleece my goal for Ravelympics 2010.

What are Ravelympics, you ask (or maybe not but I'll tell you anyway)? Ravelry members that want to do something amazing during the two weeks of the 2010 Winter Olympics in February will be gathering into teams and competing in knitting and spinning "events" designed like Olympic events. The picture shows about a third of what I got washed...which means it's about a sixth of the entire fleece... So I'm in training for the gold, which means I have to get this washed before the start of the Olympics and carded if it needs to be done. We'll be talking about it during the podcast and Natalie and I are on Team Sasquatch. Right now there is wool draped everywhere in my house drying. It wasn't quite as warm as it seemed outside yesterday!

More mittens for me

The only other project I have on hand right now, besides the lovely Larkspur Wrap Sweater I talked about last post is another set of mittens for me. I have these mitten blockers now, ya know? I've made the cuff of this mitten FOUR times....in two different yarns. Just can't seem to get gauge in the yarn weights suggested by the pattern. The pattern is lovely if I can get it to work out. It's from Spin-Off Spring 2009 and is a design called Clun Forest Mittens by Pattern: Clun Forest Mittens by Carol Huebscher Rhoades. Clun Forest is a breed of sheep. In going back to the magazine and reading the articles about it I'm wondering if my problem is that the yarns I'm trying to use aren't as "springy" as the down breed Clun Forest. Or it could be I'm just not good at gauge!

Winter Mitt Madness...and some spinning!

2010-01-07T15:52:00.003-05:00

My little angora mitts

Well, actually they are merino/angora in a millspun I had done by Still River Mill some time back. The merino came from Thistle Cove Farm and the yarn is sweet to work with. I hand painted this in a colorway I called Rhododendron. This is the last little bit of it in this color. I still have some in greens and blues. The pattern is called Eve's Mitts by Gina House, an indie designer. There was a corrected mistake in the last cable cross that I didn't catch but I really don't mind the result. The designer has a book of her patterns available and is also doing a podcast that I need to check out! I also finally finished a pair of "man mitts" in a sturdy gray wool yarn for the SO...his late but much need Christmas present!

It has been cold enough to need angora mitts here in Meadows of Dan. Bitter, bitter winds, with temperatures plummeting at night to 4 degrees, and highs in the mid 20s on the days we're lucky. Not fun unless you're properly prepared! I wear lots of layers and really like my bigger angora mitts in bright yellow over a pair of gloves. It's taking three trips a day, at least, to the bunny house to make sure that they have enough water to keep them eating. As I'm writing a few snow flakes are starting to fall. Again. Tonight is supposed to be knitting group night at Two By Two BBQ...we'll see how that works out if the weather gets bad. Most folks are from the mountain, but the couple of people from further away have already canceled. Safety first!

Larkspur Wrap Sweater

Surrounded by white snow and gray skies, I've been longing for color and my current projects are amply fulfilling that need. This is the Larkspur Wrap Sweater by Ellen Gormley, which appeared in the Interweave Crochet Fall 2009 issue. I've been very happy with how this stitch pattern shows off this lovely yarn, which is hand painted superwash merino by Woolybuns. I kept saying this was an angora blend until I read the tag...it's SO soft and lovely to work with. The colors are a bit more subtle than they look in the picture here on my screen. Lovely deep pink and a soft lilac blue. Ellen also has a book coming out on crochet soon.

Jelly Beans!

And of course, since it's now officially winter, I'm spinning! I have several projects lined up, as I think I mentioned before, and now I've added a special order in natural colored black angora to the list. But I couldn't wait to get this lovely fluff onto my wheel, ahead of all the fleeces that are demanding to the spun and the angora that is begging to be blended. "Jelly Beans" is a beautiful roving from Fiber Monster that I purchased last month. Just couldn't resist this shiny when I saw her tweet on twitter about some of her fiber. And I even had a project in mind when I ordered it, the Feather and Fan Cowl that appears in the latest issue of Spin-Off.

Hope everyone is keeping warm and cozy, surrounded by wool and other fiber! If you need something to listen to while you're knitting, spinning or otherwise fulfulling your fibery goodness, check out the Knitting in the Round podcast. We're on lucky episode 13! I'll be working on the show notes as soon as Natalie and I can reconnect.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T12:11:00.004-05:00

Fingerless Mitt Obsession

2009-12-27T13:34:00.003-05:00

Just a few of the Christmas Knitting Fingerless Mitts

These aren't all the pairs. Including the set I have on the needles right now, plus one more pair I'm making for the SO that he knows about, I'll have managed to make 13 pairs of fingerless mitts since the middle of November. Which means that almost everyone I know will be wearing them. Oh, no, it's fourteen pairs...just remembered I made a secret surprise pair for someone who is doing me a large favor. More about that later.

The folks that have received their mitts so far seem very appreciative. That's not always the case when you give away hand knit garments. As many knitters can attest. Sometimes the response is a little...underwhelming. I'm usually kind of picky about who I give hand made items to, but this year I went all out. I'm not sure if it's the fact that this year everyone is broke and they understand the handmade ethic better, or if it's just that you can't resist pulling on a set of fingerless mitts. Whatever the reason, the thanks I'm getting for these gloves seems a lot more sincere than previous gifted handmade garments!

Greenberry House is still closed. First we had snow:

Drifts near Buffalo Mountain

Then on Christmas Day we were hit by an ice storm:

Blackberry tangle glazed with ice

We spent Christmas at home, which was really the plan even before the ice. Sue gave us some lovely Brussels sprouts frozen from her summer garden and they were wonderful cooked up with some mushrooms and onions and a hint of garlic. I had some green beans in the freezer and we had enough other good things here to make a feast. On Saturday (yesterday) I donned my Yax Trax (or whatever they're called...rubber and springy things that keep you upright on the ice) and made it to Mom's house for breakfast. Very nice despite the fact that Sammy and Sue were iced in behind downed trees without power over on Mountain View.

Snug

Now that the endless round of fingerless mitts are nearly done, I'm looking forward to some selfish knitting. One of our Knitting in the Round listeners suggested that I check out the Eve Mitts by Gina House. Since I happen to have some pretty angora blend yarn left over from another project, I think this is going to be my small carrying around project to be cast on next. Then I've got two bigger projects in mind. One is the Every Way Wrap by Okmin Park that was in the Interweave Knits Fall 2009. I'm making this in some handspun two-ply yarn I spun up from a beautiful Corriedale fleece from Rising Meadow Farm.

I also need a crocheted project...have to continue to hold that hook high...and I've decided on the Larkspur Wrap Sweater by Ellen Gormley that appeared in the Fall 2009 Interweave Crochet. The yarn I'm planning to use for this is some gorgeous hand dyed merino from Woolybuns in Connecticut. This has been in my stash since May, just waiting for the perfect project.

And I can't wait to get back to the spinning wheel. I have SO much lovely fiber to spin this winter! Fleeces in natural color....hand dyed angora blended with natural colored black....vibrant hand dyed roving from Miss Babs, Fiber Monster and others....riches indeed!

Can't remember if I posted that we managed to get the bunny house cleaned out before the winter weather. Just...sleet was coming down as we were finishing up hauling the last load to the garden. Now it's just a matter of keeping water and food to the rabbits...more use of the Yak things to keep me on my feet as I go down the hill morning and beyond. Fortunately the days have been warmer and thought the water bottles are frozen most mornings, I've been able to take them back down after the sun shines for awhile. I'm a little behind in shearing, which I don't like, because it's not good for the rabbits or for the fiber. But I'm hoping to catch up if the weather stays warm this week!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T11:47:00.001-05:00

Blessings upon you all!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot like......

2009-12-18T13:33:00.002-05:00

Winter!

Snow is falling outside, and I'm blazing though the computer, trying to get everything done I want before I head for home to cuddle up with these guys! And my knitting needles! Hoping the power stays on...nothing like a few unexpected days off because of a snow storm!

Although winter weather has slowed things down at the shop, I'm staying busy. Natalie came up yesterday and we recorded Knitting in the Round and discussed some plans to do some fiber shows this coming year. She also came up with a fabulous contest, so go check out the podcast and enter!

I also reviewed a wonderful new book by a local author on the podcast and at my web site. Becky Mushko has written a delightful book for children that should appeal to all ages. I can picture parents enjoying reading it to their small ones and I know I enjoyed reading it even though I'm far past childhood. Maybe. I don't think we should ever lose the magic of make-believe, or ever completely let go of fairies. Check out my review of Ferradiddledumday and visit the shop after the first of the year....I'm going to try to get copies to sell!

Paisley has made herself at home, as you can see from the picture above. The dogs weren't very happy about a new baby at first, but she has wormed her way into their acceptance, if not their affection. Paisley is my new knitting familiar...never very far from my knitting bag or my lap when I have the needles out.

Time to finish up the newsletter for Greenberry House and then head home for a warm bowl of soup. Hope everyone stays safe and warm during the snow!

I finished something besides Christmas presents....

2009-12-13T13:32:00.002-05:00

Moss Fern Wrap by Kimberly K. McAlindin, from Interweave Crochet, Fall 2009. Done in Unplanned Peacock's merino/silk laceweight. I made mine a bit smaller as a shop sample and I think it will be lovely as a small and snug scarf when I decide it's MINE!

Other than that it's all been about knitting Christmas presents. I don't do this often, so it's requiring some concentration. Fun, though. I've been getting up early to knit and listen to my favorite podcasts out there, Electric Sheep, Brass Needles, the Knitmore Girls. Even Knitting in the Round. But, woe is me (we watched A Christmas Carol last night) my brand-spanking-new 6 week old RCA mp3 player died a couple of days ago. Just quit after a few whimpers and connection issues with the computer. I did all the usual poking around on the Internet looking for fixes and finally caved and contacted the company. They said return it, with the receipt. Of course I didn't keep the receipt....generally I never have to look at the things again. Totally my fault but I'm miffed 'case I figure things ought to be made right in the first place. I know...I should have been born in the 19th Century.

Anyway, I tweeted my woes and a fantastic and almost complete stranger in Canada offered to send me her player, since she has an iPhone and doesn't need it. How cool is that? It's really not the player so much as the thoughtfulness...that someone would reach out across the continent to help out....kind of restores this old cynic's faith in human nature a bit, you know?

It was supposed to be icy today but it's just raining. Not so picturesque but safer. I didn't realize it but last Tuesday's ice storm broke out a lot of timber here in Meadows of Dan and up the Parkway. There are limbs down by the Baptist Church and we saw a lot of jagged tree tops when we traveled up to Chateau Morrisette for the open house yesterday. Lovely at the winery as usual, by the way and nice to visit with people that I don't see often enough.

We put up a different daybed/sofa thing for me to sleep on, and it's much more comfortable. Room for the dogs. This morning I woke up with both of them snug at my feet and a kitten purring on my pillow!

Sorry for the suspense....

2009-12-06T12:33:00.003-05:00

Meet Paisley

I thought I had revealed the name that won the contest here, but I guess I only put it up at the podcast blog. Marian of Freshisle Fibers suggested "Paisley" and it seems to suit the little darlin'. She's become my knitting familiar...her favorite place to sleep is curled up on my knitting bag as I work! Everyone had terrific suggestions for her name and we really appreciate the participation!

Awesome bag, for knitting and more!

I sort of accidentally-on-purpose didn't mention that last Sunday was my birthday. I had a lovely day with nice knitters dropping by and visits with friends. On Tuesday Kym and Trinity went out to dinner with me and Kym presented me with this beautiful bag! I love, love, love it...can you tell the color is amazing? It's terrific for holding all my usual stuff plus the current knitting project. And occasionally a little kitten creeps into it!

I'm still knitting away on Christmas gifts, so no pictures again. I've just done something with cables, for the very first time, and I love them! So, so easy....!

Winter surprise

The forecasters, some of them, got it right yesterday and we wound up with three inches of snow. The roads were covered for a little while but the road crews cleared them up pretty promptly. It was really cold last night...17 at my house when I got up but the snow is leaving now. My rabbits' bottles were all frozen...I need to go down now that it's warmer and put them back up. When it's really cold I can only use water bowls and that just isn't as satisfactory!

'Tis the Season...

2009-11-29T12:33:00.003-05:00

Kitties all snug in a lap...

...puppies are all curled up on the couch (see previous post) and I'm knitting, knitting, knitting. Mostly Christmas presents, so no pictures. I'm still crocheting the Moss Fern Wrap, now dubbed "The Endless Shawl" but since I'm still enjoying the yarn and stitch pattern it's fine that it is taking some time. Make that a LOT of time....

I did finish plying the Corriedale for my next knitting project, after all the Christmas stuff, and I can't wait to start. The yarn is a lovely color that is hard to capture in a picture, sort of a warm, light tan. The pattern I want to make with it is the Every Way Wrap by Okmin Park that appeared in Interweave Knits Fall 2009. I can picture this yarn looking nice in this pattern. Of course, I still have to figure out if I can knit it!

We've had a lovely week in Meadows of Dan. Thursday was dinner at Mom's with family, which was wonderful, as always. Everyone is always so busy it's nice to have a little down time to just visit. Then yesterday evening just after dark there was a little ceremony "uptown" here to light the community Christmas tree. It was lovely to see so many people! The parking lots were full of folks, children waiting for Santa, everyone sipping cider and hot chocolate and sampling cookies. There was a nice "ahhhh" of appreciation when the tree was lit and then we sang Christmas carols. Village life!

I've been getting up with TJ every morning for a walk, although we haven't always had our favorite company along. He's just happier with the exercise and it's not doing me any harm, of course. Then I come home and knit or crochet along with podcasts for about an hour before tackling the kitty and bunny chores. A nice pot of tea warms me up after that little excursion. One more month and I'll be staying at home more, and I'm really looking forward to that. Cozy winter days with the spinning wheel and needles!

So When It Rains for Three Days I.....

2009-11-19T13:35:00.002-05:00

Blend wool and angora on the drum carder....

.... and crochet a few fine loops and stitches...

...and ply some lovely Corriedale singles....

...and ply some Cheeky batt....

...and cuddle a cheeky kitty....

...and let sleeping dogs lie...

And I knit, too, but I can't show pictures of that, as I'm actually going to knit Christmas presents this year for a change. Betcha can't guess what people are getting.... Has anyone ever tried to knit with TWO cats sleeping on your lap? Good thing the little one is, well, little.....

Finished Objects and Other Treasures

2009-11-16T17:41:00.003-05:00

Je Suis Jolie Mitts

You folks may get bored with fingerless mitts before I'm done; I do apologize. But I'm obsessive...what can I say? These were a fast knit, just a 3/1 rib with a silly little flower and a vintage button. I love the silly little flower. I'm not girly that often...

Lots of handspinning getting done. It's dark outside so I can't take a picture yet, but I finished plying the Fire Ant Ranch Cheeky Batt. The yarn turned out nice and I think it's kind of interesting. I'll talk more about it later when I can get pictures. I've started plying the Corriedale singles I've been spinning since April. I'm planning to make the Every Way Wrap from the Interweave Knits Fall 2009 issue with them.

And speaking of treasures, Natalie brought some of her gorgeous new yarns today! Some of them did NOT want to leave my hands and make it to the shelves!

Name the kitty!

This little one still needs a name, so head over to our podcast, listen to Episode 7, and then enter the contest! Here the little darlin' reveals the usual state of my knitting/spinning/crocheting/book work table! (P. S. Votes for a name over here don't count...you have to visit the podcast to find out what to do!)

Little Feet

2009-11-13T15:31:00.004-05:00

We have another baby....

...found in a basket on my doorstep. No, not really; she arrived on Bent Road and couldn't stay because the resident cat did NOT approve. Fortunately things have gone better for her here. Barnabas is baffled, Lily regally disdainful, Deuteronomy frankly delighted, and TJ chastened. Rudy, the bird, keeps a wary eye on her but so far kitten has been very ladylike.

And kitten needs a name. I think her little face looks like a flower. Names that begin with "P" present themselves, for no clear reason that I can understand. So I'm considering Posy, Petunia, Paisley....any suggestions? Not Pansy, please; that name was ruined for me by the Harry Potter books. Penny? Princess? Precious?

I've finally managed to get some work done at the shop today, although that means that all the people have gone away. That's not so good but I got all the vendor checks written at last, a blog post done at Meadows of Dan, pitiful though it is, and the newsletter for the shop is out. Sign up in the pink box to find out about a great review by Tammy of Footheel Sock Knitter.

Je Suis Jolie Mitts

This is a simple pattern, so far, by Clara Parkes that appears in the new Interweave Knits Accessories 2009. This is another pattern that also appeared in an earlier Interweave publication, this time Knitscene, Fall 2006. I'm not sure how I feel about all these recycled patterns, Interweave, appearing in a $15.00 magazine. Anyway, the yarn is my Greenberry House angora/merino millspun sport weight. Since I can't bear to take the Wine and Roses Mitts off, I figure I should have another set waiting in the wings. I'm eying some cotton in my stash, too, for some summer styles!

Shiny

This is my version of the Moss Fern Wrap by Kimberly K. McAlindin from the Fall 2009 issue of Interweave Crochet. The yarn is from Unplanned Peacock, one of my vendors, and is a beautiful and very fine laceweight merino/silk blend in the colorway Quail. Since my obsession with mitts I haven't worked on it a great deal but it's still coming along nicely.

With all the wet weather there isn't much other news. We managed to walk a couple of mornings this week and then it poured. No moon, no stars, just wet dogs and me. Last night our community organization was invited to Primland for our meeting and a tour of the lodge. The hospitality was great and the reserve is beautiful. Check out the web site, or better yet, come visit Meadows of Dan and Primland in person!

Natalie came up on Monday and we recorded Episode 6 of the Knitting in the Round podcast. We're really going to try to be more regular with our releases. Honest! Natalie is planning to come up every Monday, and when I cut back on the shop hours after Christmas I'll be able to go down to Mount Airy. Such sacrifices for our public!

Oh, look, it's raining again. Surprise...

Falling for Fall

2009-11-12T12:08:00.003-05:00

Wine and Roses Mitts

Look out, Sock-a-nistas, you may just have met the Mitt Diva of Meadows of Dan. I've fallen in love with these things. Tried one on for this picture on Monday and didn't want to take it off. Then got obsessive, since it rained all day yesterday, and sat listening to knitting podcasts and finished the second mitt. I think my eyes may recover in time but at least my hands are warm! I've already wound up a ball of my angora/merino blend to cast on for another pair of mitts in a different (and simple) pattern!

In other news...it rained. And it's still gloomy out there, with the wind whipping across the porch and snapping the flags. A great day for knitting or crocheting, although I have a newsletter to get out, an agenda for a meeting tonight to type up and the minutes of last month's meeting to dig out and organize. So more news later...we have an announcement that involves the pitter patter of little feet here at Greenberry House!

Winding Down into Winter

2009-11-06T12:06:00.002-05:00

Such Nice Friends...

What? You mean you think it's too soon to be thinking about winter? Let's not kid ourselves, people. Time is flying by so fast...and I kinda like it! October is over and we had a fair season, allowing for the bad weather on the weekends, and I'm turning my thoughts toward knitting, crocheting and especially spinning. Wintertime thoughts!

Road trip alert! I had to go down to West Jefferson on Wednesday to deliver the hat yarn I finished to Jane, so she can knit the hats up before our deadline. It was a lovely day for a drive, even with getting lost a few times...don't ever place all your trust in Google maps. It was Wednesday knitting group at Spin A Yarn, Weave a Web, the local yarn shop, so of course that's where we met! It's always wonderful to get together with great friends, and what could be better than throwing yarn in as well?

The shop is even nicer than it was the first time I visited, with a more focused look and lots of great books and yarn. They still have their great locally produced honey, meat, eggs, cheese, flour and so forth, which is an awesome addition to the yarn and fiber offerings. There were also some lovely baskets around and hanging from the ceiling. I really liked some nice handmade and commercial project bags they carry. One of them said something about "Old hippies"; I was really tempted but it didn't have a price on it and I forgot to ask about it!

Spin a Yarn, Weave a Web

It was great to see Nancy and Christy again...they are Facebook buddies but it's better to talk in person. The knitting group was fun; I knew some of the women already through Jane. We had a fabulous lunch brought in from a pizza place nearby. I can't remember the name but if you're down in West Jefferson there are several nice places to eat, apparently!

More Yarn and a Book

And of course I couldn't leave without yarn! And a book of crocheted wraps and shawls. I'll probably be reviewing it soon. The white yarn is a pima cotton from Peru and feels very nice. I haven't worked with cotton for awhile so I'm looking forward to it. I'll be making a shawl out of the book with it. The brown big skein is an 8 ounce, 300 yard millspun merino/rambouillet/alpaca blend from Nancy's Fox Holler Farm. I haven't decided what to do with that but whatever I make will be beautiful!

The trip back up through the mountains around West Jefferson was lovely, even though I got us lost again. There's nothing nice than driving along a narrow country road that winds along a beautiful river, even if you're not sure where you might wind up!

Completed Seine Scarf

Did I mention how much I'm loving listening to podcasts? In the mornings I've been settling in with a cup of tea, my knitting, and my favorite podcast playing while I work. My current favorite, which I may have mentioned, is Brass Needles. As a science fiction fan and knitter I've really enjoyed her commentary on movies and more. I've listened to them all, though, so this morning I downloaded a few more, mostly recommended by Miss Kalender, and look forward to listening to them. And I discovered that iTunes has books, too! I started listening to BarknKnit yesterday because I found her on Facebook somehow. Her podcast is fun, and would probably appeal more to those among us that aren't into science fiction. (Are there really people out there who don't LOVE Dr. Who?)

I started two more projects this week, both from recent Interweave magazines. I really need to get back to brandishing my crochet hook so I decided to make the Moss Fern Wrap from Interweave Crochet Fall 2009. I'm making it with a skein of Unplanned Peacock's laceweight merino and silk in her Quail colorway. It's making a slow start setting up the first row of shells but I think it's going to be a beautiful shawl. I love the softness of Natasha's colors and yarn.

I also started the Wine and Roses Mitts from the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2009 issue. This is a pattern that also appeared in Interweave Knits, Winter 2006. I guess I just wasn't ready for lacy back then. I'm knitting them in a yarn that was almost a pair of socks, but I lost the love just after I finished the cuff of the second sock. They've been laying around for over a year so I decided it was time to jump in the frog pond! I've put up photos and descriptions of these two projects on my Ravelry page.

Cheeky Batt

I finished spinning the Teeswater/Cotswold Cross roving very quickly and it plied into a nice variegated yarn in shades of brown and white. Next up for spinning on the Reeves wheel was this interested striped batt from Fire Ant Ranch in Georgetown, Texas. I picked it up at the Estes Park Wool Market when we were there in June, mainly because I had never seen anything like it. The white is Gulf Coast and the black is Black Welsh. The textures of the two wools are very different and it's a lot of fun to spin. I keep thinking that Lily has crawled into my spinning basket, though!

Yesterday I had had more enjoyable crocheting time, visiting with Tammy and Lynn, who came to meet each other at long last. Bloggers often become great friends over distances, and Greenberry House served as a good location. Each blogger brought a friend and relative, so we had a nice visit getting to know each other better. Then the Thursday night knitting group got together, and I had more fun while crocheting the new shawl. so it has been another week with wonderful fiber friends.

Early Morning TJ

I woke up early this morning, got TJ his walk in and then settled down to knit on the first mitt cuff. Lily curled up at my feet and Barnabas, the black cat, decided that the chair arm was the perfect place to settle with his head against my elbow. I rearranged the living room a bit when we had to turn the heat on and now the big chair has the lamp beside it. Lily doesn't like that much because on the couch she could curl up right against me. Barnabas finds it an improvement. TJ sort of resents it as well, since Lily has possession of the dog bed at my feet. He generally settles down on his couch by the window though. The toy that Chris gave him has survived. So far.

Friends...Old and New!

2009-10-30T13:50:00.003-04:00

Spinwych visits Greenberry House

It has been a wonderful couple of weeks...occasionally frantic but always fun...typical October. The lovely thing about this October has been meeting some great people that I've known online, as well as reconnecting with wonderful old friends.

Spinwych is someone I've "met" in various handspinning forums through the years. She was here from Central Victoria (that's in Australia, y'all) visiting friends and it was lovely to finally see her in person. Apparently from the web site I found for her she's now into photography and she has a fantastic eye. I'll be excited to see what kind of photos she posts of her trip to America and the Blue Ridge Mountains!

Also this past week or so a bunch of Facebook folk came in to visit and I was thrilled to see them. Some are like family, really, with close family connections to Meadows of Dan. Others are just great people I've come to know online in various ways. It's always fun to put a face to a name, though!

And I almost forgot to mention one of the best "old friends" that I met in person this weekend. Lynn of Rocky Creek Scottie Adventures came to visit! For some reason, mainly because I've been seeing her comment on Tammy's blog for quite awhile, I thought she was living in North Carolina. But she lives nearer me and she and Tammy are planning to meet here next Thursday. So if anyone is wanting to visit with blogger/knitter/spinners come join us! it was really fun to talk to Lynn and I look forward to seeing her again!

The T and his new toy

I don't know how I managed not to get a picture of Chris (ahem) that I could put up on the blog, but it was great having her visit from Connecticut for the weekend. She came down so we could go to SAFF together, but at the last minute I couldn't make it away from the shop and the dogs. Chris was good-natured about it, went down on her own, and then came back so we could have a lot of fun knitting and talking. She came bearing gifts...an awesomely fun shaggy toy thing for TJ, above, and a glorious bump of variegated roving from Still River Mill for me:

Mystery...

It's called a mystery batt because it's not the same all the way through. I'm really looking forward to spinning it, and thinking I might ply it with something else. This is a really cool idea!

While Chris was here we did a lot of talking, as I said, and had fun trying out all the restaurants around. Our first stop was in Meadows of Dan at the new Two By Two BBQ. They just opened last week, just in time for Chris to visit, and we told them she came all the way down here just to come to their place. The food and service were great and we really enjoyed the way they're fixing up the place. Nice red checked tablecloths and they're putting together a bluegrass music theme with photographs of bands they know from festivals.

We also visited Tuggles Gap Restaurant up the Blue Ridge Parkway and had a nice evening there. Good food and we sat knitting in public, which attracted the attention of another knitter that was visiting the area. She came into the shop the next day and we had a nice chat. On Sunday evening after Chris got back from SAFF we headed to Stuart for dinner with friend Linda. The two of them kept me in stitches (besides knitted ones) and we may not be welcome back to the Mexican restaurant there on Main Street!

Dyed wool yarn for hat project

It was lonesome to see Chris leave on Monday morning. But I pulled myself together and tackled all the stuff that has needed doing this week. Chris brought back some lovely yarns from Avillion Farm and Red Gate Farm for the shop, and I've been putting them up on the shop shelves and admiring some talented spinning and color work! I also spent most of this morning stocking some lovely roving from a farm up in the Buffalo that features some of the most gorgeous Jacob I ever saw, along with some beautiful Romney and some merino/Rambouillet.

And I hit the dye pots quickly on Wednesday, although at the time I wasn't sure I was going to get the yarn done in time. This was some coarser roving I had made up just for projects like this. My usual spinning doesn't generally qualify as hat yarn. I was pleased with how this turned out, though, and Jane from Fiber on the Mountain is going to be knitting the hats before long.

Teeswater/Cotswold Cross Variegated Roving

And so to treat myself after finishing the dreaded hat yarn roving, I started spinning this variegated roving from Black Hills Woolies. I bought the roving when we were in Colorado at the Estes Park Wool Market. My original intention was to spindle-spin this, but I haven't been making much progress on spindling lately!

I have made progress on the Seine Scarf, though...see the last post for pictures. 45 inches long and counting! Thanks to Natalie, I've was intrigued about podcasts beyond our own. I went out and bought a little mp3 player, an adventure in itself. I had one before, but realized I never listened to music unless I was in the car. I didn't know anything about podcasts back then. Now that I want to listen to them, I had no idea where the cheap player I had wound up. It didn't work very well anyway. I went out searching for a player and would up with an RCA gadget named "Opal". Seriously. That's what it says, anyway. After a bit of fiddling around to figure out how to download these wonderful knitting talkers, I've been really enjoying my morning knitting sessions. Check out my review of my current favorite podcast, Brass Needles. I've also posted a review of the new Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2009 issue.

Tonight I'm supposed to be helping with the Haunted Corn Maze, so I've spent the day in striped stockings and a black dress. Only a couple of people have looked at me like I'm a bit weird. Not sure if that is good news or not!

Creeping though the fields

2009-10-22T15:35:00.003-04:00

Giant hay-der in the Corn Maze Fields

Come out and visit the haunted maze on Friday and Saturday (if it doesn't rain) this week and on Friday and Saturday (Halloween) next week. For more information check the web site.

October Days equal Autumn Daze...

2009-10-18T16:43:00.002-04:00

Leaves changing on the farm in Meadows of Dan

As usual, things have gotten very busy around Greenberry House! With fall festivals, leaves changing and Pancake Days happening here in Meadows of Dan, I haven't had much time to think about writing. Spinning special orders have taken some of my attention, along with running the shop.

Ms. W's Komodor yarn

I have to admit that I'm not always thrilled when someone brings dog hair for me to spin. It doesn't always hold together well for spinning and sometimes it turns out coarse and lumpy no matter how I much I try to get a nice yarn from it. Adding sheep's wool helps a lot with some of the less cooperative dog hair, though, and I've successfully spun some yarns from a less than promising beginning.

This time, though, when Mrs. W brought in a pound of her beloved pet's hair to be spun, I almost couldn't believe it wasn't alpaca. It was a dream to spin, and I got four beautiful two-ply skeins from it. I think the customer was pleased as well! Now I'm spinning some coarser wool for a special order hat project and I miss the dog hair!

Last week was taken up with catching up with outside chores...mowing the yard, shearing rabbits, cleaning up the garden a bit. This week it rained on my day off, so I cleaned house a bit. Friend Chris is coming down next week to go to SAFF with me, and I really need to scrape off at least one layer of dirt. If the sun comes out this week I'm going to have a hard time making myself finish the house!

Karen Simpson, Master Felting Artist

It has been a fantastic time despite the rush of fall traffic to get together with friends, new and old. I saw Karen at the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts in Galax, when we were invited up to see the new space on Thursday. Karen is a warm, talented artist and I love her work, some of which she made out of my fiber! She's teaching classes already at Chestnut Creek and her talent is just amazing.

The school is in an old bank building on the main street in Galax and I think it's going to be a wonderful thing for the artisans of the area. I met some interesting people there...some musicians, fiber people, potters and other artists. Some I knew already...Kathy was a member of the guild in Independence when I was and Mary is a neighbor.

I also had a lovely visit on Friday with Tammy, who brought a knitting project along that she's talked about on her blog. We had a good time talking about books, dear doggies, ghosts and the Wizard of Oz! Then Linda called on Saturday and we headed down to Christopher's Pizza for more knitting, good music and lots of fun chat. Oh, and great pizza! Linda sang at the Indian Summer Days Festival today with Sammy Shelor, Gale Shockley and Barry Collins. I think she had a terrific time, although she was a little nervous before the show. Today I also met some great people from Yarmouth, Maine, who had heard of the little town where I lived when I was in Maine SO long ago. It was great to talk to them about how things are in the North country and to see the pictures of snow they took up on the Blue Ridge Parkway north of here.

Last Harvest

I guess it's cold everywhere...I've been seeing snow on some blogs as well as in the pictures my visitors showed me. Yesterday morning I decided I had better bring in the watermelons, ripe or not! I cut one over a week ago and it wasn't quite ready yet. But it ripened in the refrigerator and I had half of it for breakfast this morning (quite a little one, by the way). It was really very good. The mountain is not known as a good place to grow watermelons!

Seine Scarf

Even though things are very busy right now my mind turns toward the slower days of late fall and winter. I'm looking forward to lots of spinning time in my warm and cozy room with sleeping dogs lying nearby, and a purring cat that is pretending not to be annoyed because he can't get into my lap. A stack of carefully selected books is awaiting my attention and I'm planning a special knitting project or two, along with lots of crocheting. Do you suppose I'll get half of what I plan to do accomplished before spring?

Festival! (Yeah...again...)

2009-10-05T17:36:00.002-04:00

Shockley's Old Timey Days, Hillsville, Virginia

Cindy at her loom (My great wheel, which I demonstrated, and my little wheel in the background)

Betty, another spinner who is also an awesome fiddle player!

Quilter's Show, with quilts made by the lady that ran out of the shot plus some family pieces.

Churning Butter

This is a really nice and growing festival. The Shockleys are very interested in the "old time" ways and have gone to a great effort to find people that still practice traditional arts. I demonstrate hand spinning on a great wheel while the weaver weaves and the quilter shows off her beautiful work, and another spinner spins on a flyer wheel. Not far away is a woman churning butter next to a lye soap maker. Down the path two fellows are working hard making cider out of huge bins of apples. There's a hit-and-miss engine making ice cream, an old time country store, two mills (that I saw) grinding corn meal, a cane mill working, horses plowing, hay stacking, a potter, woodworkers of all sorts, molasses and apple butter being made, fried apple pies available and I'm sure I've left out a ton of stuff! If you want to see an old time farm in action, catch Shockley's Old Timey Days next year. Last weekend in September...rain date the first weekend in October.

Country Cousin Visits the Big City

2009-10-01T15:22:00.003-04:00

View of Washington from Vantage Point Restaurant, Arlington

A long time ago, maybe even in another life, I lived and worked in the bustling region known as Northern Virginia. Back then it wasn't quite so bustling; it still amazes me to hear traffic reports that include the far reaches of Gainesville and occasionally even mention Haymarket. As for Chantilly, one of my coworkers used to talk about it as her country home town.

Still, it's exciting to be able to travel into the cities, especially with someone who helps out to look after all the complications of getting around. On behalf of Patrick County, then, as volunteers, Charlotte and I traveled up the Shenandoah Valley to attend the annual tourism conference, also known as the VA-1 conference. We were invited to stay with my SO's sister, Kate, in Annandale, not far from the conference site in Alexandria.

Kate went out of her way as our hostess and transportation director throughout the entire weekend. When we had a free moment (not many of those) she fed us tea and lovely little snacks (with some kick; watch those brownies). Charlotte wanted to meet with her granddaughter, Sadie, on Sunday so Kate found a terrific restaurant for us all and turned the dinner into an experience. I wanted to visit with cousin Jane, too, but she was suffering from flu shot induced plague and we had to miss out!

The Power of Travel

The theme of the conference was basically about tourism as a large part of the Virginia economy. Everyone admitted that things have been difficult lately but the tone was upbeat and hopeful. Charlotte and I went up early so we could take a couple of pre-conference seminars. We had to navigate the Metro and after some help from some very nice people, we figured it all out and managed to get to the Alexandria Hilton on time. If I lived up here now I'd love the Metro, at least the times we were on it. Not nearly the crowds I expected.

The seminar I took was on Social Media and Marketing (hey Facebook and Twitter). Speakers pointed out the advantages and power of participating in these types of marketing opportunities. I think the first time I told the county folks that we should do these things was three years ago....

The second day was mostly speeches and a ton of great information. Virginia now ranks 8th in the US for domestic visitor spending. Not bad, especially considering the current economy. TOURISM WORKS FOR VIRGINIA!!!!

Now for the important stuff:

We ate great! And not so expensively. Vantage Point on Sunday was a nice restaurant and we enjoyed the view, the company and the food. It's always great hearing about Charlotte's lovely and talented granddaughters and it was fun to see Sadie after so many years. She and her friend Tiffany are having a wonderful adventure working in the area.

On Monday evening we attended the conference opening and reception at the Masonic Memorial in Alexandria. I didn't get pictures because we had a full day's work and I didn't bring the camera, but it is a lovely building. The reception room was deafening, though, with a couple hundred tourism folks all trying to talk. I kept slipping out to look at the marvelous prints of all the Masonic buildings in the country. Not much networking there! I did get a chance to talk to some great people, though, outside the reception room. After things wound down Charlotte and I went out to stand on the steps and look at the city. Lovely to see in the twilight. The food was good at the reception and of course Kate had to feed us when we got home, despite our protests that we were fine. Just a little something was what she said.

Then on Tuesday there was food all day at the conference (even cookies) and dinner with Kate and Gerry in the evening. This was our chance to really have a good talk, since the rest of the time was pretty much all about work and tourism. It was lovely sitting in Kate's cozy English cottage in the middle of Annandale! I went home with stacks of clothes and blazers from Kate's closet, including a gorgeous new coat!

Shopping!

On Wednesday we got up late and headed slowly for home, with an eye toward quilt shops and local yarn shops along the way. We tried to get to a quilt shop in Haymarket but there was a construction mess and I got in the wrong lane. Traffic was backed up half a mile in the direction I wanted to travel when we crossed the intersection so I just kept going.

We made a couple of stops in Sperryville, Virginia. Charlotte wanted peaches and we saw a sign on the way up. The farmers market was also an antique shop and they carried Nancy's Fudge candies. I mentioned that I was from Meadows of Dan, where Nancy's is made, and managed to sell ten of her hot chocolate spoons to a customer! I picked up a few Empire apples because they look like dusky Macintosh.

Our next stop was the Beech Spring Farm Stores. I wanted to show Charlotte their lovely quilts but I fell in love with the little spinner in the picture above. And since I do so many demonstrations, I thought the handled basket from the same shop would be great to carry carded wool.

Once we were out in the country, though, we found our way easily to Rachel's in Staunton. Charlotte is the quilter but I admired the lovely fabrics (and the store cat) in the unique shop. The old railway depot served to house the shop and the Depot Grill, where we had a great lunch.

Orchardside Yarn Shop

Then it was my turn to shop, although Charlotte, who is also a weaver, did her part. We traveled off the beaten path a bit out beyond Raphine, Virginia, to a delightful LYS beside a beautiful stream along a rural road. Orchardside Yarn Shop has a lovely atmosphere, a wonderful selection of yarns and friendly people! And shop dogs...what more could you ask? And who wouldn't love a yarn shop with a bottle of wine sitting in the middle of the table?

Friendly Orchardside folks (and pups)

It was tough to decide what to buy, as I already have plenty of yarn. I hovered over the lovely colors of yarn brands I recognized, then I saw one that was new to me. The two skeins in my "purchases" picture are labeled Pagewood Farm, Hand Dyed Sock Yarn, Denali. The two colorways I chose were Chuck's Favorite and Rainbow. This is a soft superwash merino/nylon blend. I'm looking forward to seeing how it knits up. Probably won't be socks, though. Even though this isn't a local product (it's dyed in California) it has a small company attitude I like.

I can certainly recommend taking the time if you're traveling up or down I-81 to stop at Exit 205 and head west through Raphine to Orchardside Yarn Shop. It's easy to find because there were signs all along the way to encourage you to keep going. Just slow down past Wade's Mill and you'll see the sign on the right.

Hi mama!

I saw some lovely sights and met some wonderful people but coming home to these happy faces was the highlight of the week. It was nice to settle in with the dogs and the cat for a quiet evening of knitting after an interesting week. Now I'm glad to be back at my little shop here in Meadows of Dan and looking forward to a busy October!

Words of Wisdom

2009-09-23T09:22:00.002-04:00

A waist is a terrible thing to mind.
- Jane Caminos

Meanwhile back on Squirrel Spur:

So I started knitting this lovely scarf pattern, Seine Scarf by Ann Budd, from the new Interweave Knits Weekend 2009.

I love this yarn...it's from indie dyer's Knit Fit Knitting's yarns that she has here at Greenberry House. But I don't love the fact that you can't see the lace pattern well. This is a repeat and a half of the pattern.

Same dyer, different colorway. This is two repeats of the pattern. Knitting has gone much faster with this yarn, too. So what do y'all think? Scarf one or scarf two? During our podcast last week we talked a bit about whether or not to continue with a project if you're not happy with it. I think it's a topic for further discussion!

Spinning With Friends!

2009-09-20T15:32:00.002-04:00

Beautiful Joan and lovely Tammy spinning!

We had a fabulous day for World Wide Spinning in Public Day here in Meadows of Dan. Thanks to our local media, who were gracious enough to print and broadcast a press release I sent out, we had a nice turnout of spectators to see us demonstrate our spinning skills. It was sunny and a bit too breezy at first but things finally settled down.

Weaving on every side

Kathleen got a lot of attention, too, with her lovely weaving projects on her frame looms. She's a teacher and her explanations of her art were really interesting. We had some visitors from England yesterday and I think we made a good impression!

Tammy got some really great pictures that she posted on her blog. I should have taken a lot more but I kept getting distracted by the great conversations we were having. Kathleen is well-traveled and very interesting, while her mother, June, is knowledgeable about so many different aspects of spinning and other crafts that it was great to compare notes. Tammy is a gifted knitter and spinner, and there's always something to learn from her as well.

Tammy spinning a lovely thread

Next year I'm going to plan a little better and not have WWSIP Day on such short notice. Still, I'd call this one a success and I really enjoyed my time with these talented ladies!

Other news in Meadows of Dan:

Did the Fairies visit Meadows of Dan?

Maybe not, but I'm not sure what these creatures were flying around at the top of Squirrel Spur Road late one afternoon...

Hand Dyed Texel Roving

I had all these plans for working outside Wednesday, and of course it was raining when I got up. So I hauled out the dye pots and poked some Texel roving in while I snapped half-runner beans. I'm thinking of crocheting some cushions for this lawn swing...think it needs them? The sun came out later in the day but by then I was on the road for a quick up the road and right back down again trip to Northern Virginia. I hear I'm going to have to do it again this week...wonder when I'm supposed to get the yard, garden, bunny house and housework done?

Nasturtiums in the garden

WWSIP Day

2009-09-13T11:24:00.002-04:00

Spinning in Public

I've decided, at the last minute as usual, to host a gathering for World Wide Spin in Public Day this coming Saturday, September 19, from 10 AM to 4 PM. Or whenever people get tired! So come join us, it should be fun! We'll set up outside the shop under tents. Bring chairs if you have them...I do have a few, though. People love to see handspinners at work!

Greenberry House
10 Concord Road
Meadows of Dan, VA 24120

Easy to get here. We're right off Route 58 at the corner of Squirrel Spur Road and Concord Road in Meadows of Dan. The Blue Ridge Parkway is within sight so we're easy to find from it, too. Come join us!

Projects, projects...and a few projects

2009-09-11T14:08:00.004-04:00

Seine Scarf by Ann Budd, knitted with Knit Fit Knitting sock weight yarn

Natalie's knitting ways may be rubbing off on me. Usually I don't have very many projects I'm working on at the same time, unlike Natalie, who seems to have lots of projects to work on. But, well, new magazines just keep coming in to the shop with more and more tempting patterns. And then there's all this wonderful yarn here.....

Little Crocheted Bag

And of course I can't neglect my crochet hooks....after all, I'm still a hooker at heart! So I also have to keep working on this little bag, which a customer is eying because she likes the colors. Which means I'll have to start another little bag for the shop that I was supposed to consign this one to....

Dog hair

And of course the spinning wheels can't be left out. Especially when customers come in with gorgeous fiber like this that they want spun. This is the combed fiber from a local's Komodor (I think that's what she said) and it is lovely! Creamy soft with no doggy smell. As I commented on our recent podcast, I'm not always thrilled to see dog hair coming in the door for me to spin. But this stuff is just like alpaca and spinning into a beautiful single. Check our the latest episode of our podcast for a hint on what to do if the doggy smell DOES appear in your carefully saved combings!

Dog Hair Singles Yarn

TJ doesn't think much of it, though, so I carefully remove the bag from his reach when I leave him alone. Lily just sniffs me with an expression that says, "Dull, really dull...."

Drum Carder

And naturally, since I had the opportunity to buy a drum carder from a former spinner (now there's a tragedy...someone that doesn't spin anymore...) I have to keep working on the lovely Corriedale fleece I've been spinning. I think I'm going to like the carder. I'm still figuring out the best way to use it but the few batts I've made from the Corrie so far are lovely.

So what's on your needles? Or hook? Or wheel?

P. S. I often don't know what's going on in the bluegrass musical career of my brother, Sammy Shelor. Mostly because he just doesn't think his accomplishments are any big deal. I happened to see a link on his Facebook page to this article. Not a small deal, I think, and congratulations, Sammy! Check out his web site to see more about the band, and some other good things that have been happening lately.

And to give equal time, the Corn Acoustics! Corn Maze is open in Meadows of Dan now and very popular with visitors of all ages. Check out the web site for a planned romantic couples night. And I'm hoping to be hanging around on Halloween telling spooky stories!

Awesome Weekend in Meadows of Dan!

2009-09-08T07:48:00.002-04:00

What's Needlin' Ewe: New yarn shop in Mount Airy, North Carolina

It has been a busy week and weekend up here on the mountain, although you might have guessed that from my silence on this blog! Lots of people came up to enjoy the cool breezes, the Chinquapin Festival, the opening of the Corn Maze and lots and LOTS of yard sales!

Strange tomato from Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market

The garden is sort of winding down, just in time for me to be busy with other things. My tomatoes have fallen victim to late blight, but the freezer is full and I'm content to let them go the way of all things. The half-runner beans, however, haven't gotten the hint that fall is on the way and I've been stringing and freezing for days. We're also waiting on the sweet corn, planted late, and impatiently checking the watermelons every week for signs that they are getting ripe!

Wild Aster on the farm

It was a lot of fun this week seeing so many people at the shop. Some old friends came to visit and I met some new and enthusiastic knitters and may have started a couple of nice neighbors into spindle spinning. Everyone that comes in to the shop makes a bee-line for Miss Babs and her beautiful rovings, even if they don't spin. Yet!

We have a couple of great sales going on with two of our vendors. Fiber on the Mountain is running a 20% off sale on her beautiful handspun skeins and Knit Fit Knitting is continuing her 50% off sale on her hand dyed and handspun yarns, mostly sock weight. Come in and check them out!

At What's Needlin' Ewe

I took a break from my shop on Saturday to go down Squirrel Spur to Mount Airy to check out the new yarn shop there and record Episode 3 of our podcast. It was a beautiful drive down the mountain and a lot of people, especially on motorcycles, were enjoying the scenery and the sunshine. I saw the new Angel Overlook about halfway down Squirrel Spur. It's shaping up to be a lovely spot where people can picnic and see an impressive view of a lovely part of Patrick County.

There were lots of people in Mount Airy, but I found easy parking not far from the LYS. We talked a lot about the shop on the podcast, but I do want to say that it is lovely and the yarns they've chosen look to be smashing. I didn't have time to really shop because I had to get back to work, but I'll be heading back down soon to fondle and purchase. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and I know how knowledgeable Natalie is about knitting and spinning. Check out their web page for classes!

Blue Texel Two-ply Handspun Yarn

I finished the Texel I've been spinning, and really like how it turned out this time. I aimed for a finer single and the resulting yarn is a nice sport to light worsted thick and thin. The colors range from deep to light Carolina blues. I'll be putting it up for sale at the shop as soon as I get the skeins measured and rewound. It think it would make beautiful hand warmers or hats!

And now I'm spinning dog hair! One of the Stitch 'n Chat knitters told her neighbor about my shop and she brought in a lovely bag of combed "wool" from her dog. I think she said it was a Komodor. It has been fun to spin, much like alpaca. I haven't had much time to work on anything else lately, but I'm still crocheting a bag and spindling some of Miss Babs beautiful roving, when I have a break!

Fresh!

2009-08-28T11:44:00.003-04:00

Heritage tomatoes from my garden

Beautiful new spinning fibers from Miss Babs here at Greenberry House!

Moss Creek Farm lotions, also at Greenberry House.

Favorite girl, Lily, enjoying cool summer breezes in the garden.

Like another hole in my head....

2009-08-20T13:16:00.002-04:00

Jacob Wool

....that's how much I needed more fleece. But this was a deal in a farm's fiber destash, not quite up to selling standards because the sheep managed to get wood chips in their wool on shearing day. I just got it yesterday and haven't been through it much, but it certainly looks worth the price, even with the chips!

Just doin' my job, ma'am....

Once upon a time someone started remodeling the closed in porch of my house. Then he went fishing....and after a few years we split up. The porch still isn't finished, which is convenient for the outside cat, Deuteronomy, because he can get inside whenever he likes. And he likes to come in frequently, as there are luxury accommodations and plenty to eat out there. At noon I went home for a break and there was a mouse lying neatly just where I would step on it when I came into the porch. Thanks, Dude....

And this morning when I got up there was half a mouse in the kitchen, thanks to Barnabas and his diligent guarding of his food bowl, no doubt. Fall must be rapidly approaching, since the mice are trying to come in.

We got a new toy.

I've been spending my one day off a week trying to keep up with the rabbit chores and do a bit of gardening. About a month ago we bought this little thing, which is really a riding lawn mower but I'm calling it my garden tractor. At the age of might-as-well-be-50 I mowed my first lawn on Tuesday and Wednesday. Can you believe I was terrified the whole time? Oh, and that's not me in the picture....

Tuesday we went and got a little cart for the tractor to pull along and on Wednesday I filled the wagon up with bunny poop and proudly drove it up to dump beside the garden. Not so scary that time, so I guess I'll get used to it. I got half the bunny house cleaned out, since my hired helper isn't able to help anymore. Hoping to get the rest next week. A brewing grumbling storm drove me inside before I could finish, so I worked on freezing tomatoes and pears. After the little bit of rain that fell with all that fuss, I went out and got Zeke, a nice German buck, and sheared him off. He seemed very happy to get rid of all that fluff! After a nice supper of grilled fresh local veggies and salad, I settled in to more spinning of the blue dyed Texel roving. I'm going to empty that basket one of these days!

VDOT (Virginia Department of Transportation) is outside on the main road. Looks like they're painting lines. I always want to run across the wet paint and leave footprints!

Innocence...and a garden..

2009-08-16T10:17:00.003-04:00

Candide and Other Writings by Voltaire

I like to read....and I'll read almost anything I can get my hands on. Sometimes when I say I'm reading a "classic" I get the feeling that people think I'm pretentious. But when I do read a classic, such as Candide, I realize that there is little difference between the writers of centuries past and the modern author. Both have something to say, and many books that are now considered classics are just as readable as any current bestseller.

And Voltaire surprised me with how simple his stories are. I'm sure I miss a lot of the irony, since I have only a passing acquaintance with the politics and history of his time. But going beyond the satire the stories and short novels that I've read so far have been delightful, witty and applicable to the life that I've been striving to live for the last ten years.

I'm only a quarter of the way through the book, which is a Modern Library collection edited by Haskell M. Black. The first section is Voltaire's fiction, which I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy the most. The first story, Zadig, or Destiny, tells about the trials and tribulations of a truly wise man in Babylon. Part of my interest in this tale is Voltaire's use of deductive reasoning by his character, who gets in terrible trouble as a result. The charm of this story is that it reminds me of a book I was given as a child, called Watermelons, Walnuts and the Wisdom of Allah. This was also about a wise man who could sometimes be very foolish.

Candide is probably the most famous of Voltaire's stories. The main character is named Candide because he is a complete innocent, and considered simple-minded by his peers. Honest and gentle, he is the victim of an injustice that sends him out into the world. Throughout a long series of adventures and misadventures, Candide tries to cling to his love of a beautiful girl and to the philosophy of his old master, who said that everything that happens is for the best. In the end, after many trials and sufferings, Candide concludes the story with the words "But we must cultivate our garden."

He arrives at this as a philosophy that I think more and more people are understanding. Candide's garden was cultivated in order to accomplish the goals that Voltaire sets out in his book, which are keeping at bay the evils of vice, boredom and need. A garden will certain help prevent hunger, and hard work certainly will help prevent boredom and temptation. But for me the garden, and the way of life I try to follow, keeps me focused and connected. Connected with the past, with the earth, with the women that came before me and the women that will come after me.

I value the fact that in watching my mother and grandmother garden I learned skills that seem to come to me naturally now. While I learn something new every day from my garden, I also know I'm building on the traditions passed down to me, just by my observation of their work. I know what those half-runner beans should look like, when to replant the lettuce and how to tell when the tomatoes need staking or watering. And I know how to weed.....

I'm not sure it's necessary to have a physical garden. As life gets more and more complicated and technological, however, I think more people are coming to a place where they need to feel connected. To something. Maybe that's why Internet social sites like Twitter and Facebook are so popular (and you can farm on Facebook, among other things!). There seems to be a social function in almost everything on the Internet these days.

So. What's Voltaire saying? Plant a flower and you'll feels peaceful? As I said, I'm sure I missed a lot of the sharp satire in this story, but at the same time, why wouldn't this be as good an interpretation as any? It's not that simple, of course, because life doesn't work that way. But a few hours in the garden, a few stitches on a crochet hook or knitting needle, a few pages of a book....none of these will solve all your problems and magically give you happiness. Maybe....

Episode 2: Confessions of a Dyeaholic

2009-08-15T13:22:00.003-04:00

New podcast is up! We really had a lot of fun with this one. Natalie and I enjoyed comparing notes on spinning wheels, dogs and how people react when they see us spinning or knitting in public! It was also great to talk to Natalie about her business and all the wonderful projects she has going these days while she raises her two lovely boys! There are book and product reviews as well and we have lots of great ideas for future shows!

P. S. It's also great to see that we're on iTunes...just search under knitting or by the name of the podcast, which is Knitting in the Round.

August Mornings

2009-08-14T13:36:00.002-04:00

August Morning in Meadows of Dan

It's hard to capture how beautiful a summer morning can be here. Every leaf and blade of grass is shining with crystals of dew and the early light chases wisps of mist across the fields. Lazy clouds drift across the skies, riding an easy breeze that only hints at the briskness of the coming fall.

Don't touch me!

This time of year I love getting out early, for my walk with Kym and the dog fellows and for a bit of gardening here and there. The weeds have slowed down a bit, either that or I've just become accustomed to their presence! This week I made a little tomato sauce but the tomatoes haven't really started coming in. The peas are about done and I've cut the heads off the broccoli. Still waiting on Brussels sprouts to do something and the half-runner beans are just now blooming.

Baby watermelon

Very glad to see how these guys are coming along. I really wasn't sure how well watermelon would do "on the mountain" but I think we'll have some nice ones. Nothing to rival those of the great watermelon growing areas...

There are still more wonderful new items at Greenberry House, all local and all special.

Sparkle and Softness, Gorgeous Yarns by Claudia Hurt of Blacksburg, Virginia

Elegant Lampwork Beads by Silverfish Designs

Enchanting Scented Soaps by Moss Creek Farm

The day after the Folk Fair

2009-08-09T11:39:00.004-04:00

New Earrings from Rocky Cross Studio

I didn't get any pictures from this year's Folk Fair, although I saw the Chairman of the Community Association floating around briefly with her camera. We had a fantastic day, though, and saw a lot of great people. I was so tired I could barely enjoy a visit and dinner with my landlord last night but appreciated their good food and company!

I saw the earrings above on Barbara's blog not long ago and fell in love with them! They are more beautiful than I can capture in a photo. Barbara is a talented artist and these unique pieces just shine with her originality and her personality. Each pair is different from all the others and the colors are striking!

Gramy's Old Fashioned Hard Candy

I made another serendipitous connection this weekend as well, with a candy make from Dobson, North Carolina. She was selling her hand made artisan candy at the Folk Fair, and I really like her product. It's nice to be able to sell things you love! This is what I would call a "sanded" drop candy, with lots of wonderful traditional flavors such as peppermint, spearmint, sassafras, horehound, blackberry, orange and more. Very much a local product.

Broccoli from the garden

Tonight's planned menu includes fresh broccoli from the garden! I also picked the last of the blackberries this morning, so I may make up some blackberry milkshakes for dessert. According to my sources these broccoli "flowers" that I cut out of the top of the plant are just the beginning...the plants should produce some smaller ones at the sides. After fighting the cabbage worms for the past two weeks it's nice to have a reward!

Mani and Me

There are lots of senior citizens among the animals here. Lily is getting older, at twelve, while several of the rabbits are seven years old and beyond. Mani, a cat that reached his fifteenth year this summer if I'm remembering correctly, was one of the oldest. This summer "Old Kitty" had become quite feeble. I started feeding him special tidbits, fish, well-cooked chicken, and so on to build him up and he had been looking a bit better the past couple of weeks. But on Wednesday evening he vanished and we haven't seen him since. Unusual in an elderly cat that rarely left the yard by the back door. Nothing out of the ordinary happened this week with the animals so I feel like "Old Kitty" decided his time had come and he slipped away.

When Mani came here fifteen years ago, shortly after I moved in, he was a tiny kitten with a badly injured eye. My aunt in Connecticut helped me pay a rather staggering vet bill because he required special treatment to heal the wound. For many years it took a very close look to even notice that anything had happened to him, however, and he thrived as an outdoor cat. Even as a youngster he never got the hang of what a litter box was about, or he was too independent to care. Mani was one of the old-fashioned, cobby bodied tabbies that I used to have here on the farm as a child. I'll miss those black-velvet little paws!

Taking a Deep Breath.....

2009-08-07T12:31:00.003-04:00

Vintage and collectible spoons at Greenberry House

I'm sitting here reminding myself to STOP for a minute. It has been a busy week, with the usual good stuff along with getting ready for the Meadows of Dan Folk Fair tomorrow. There have been a few more errands and a bit of advertising work extra but I'm looking forward to the event.

I had a nice surprise when I posted about the Folk Fair on my Facebook page this morning. Deb Goodrich invited me to call in to her radio show way out in Kansas to talk about the Folk Fair and my shop! It was great to talk to her after so many years. We went to school together and Deb is a talented author with a deep interest in local and Civil War history. It was wonderful to reconnect!

I spent most of the Sunday pricing our auction finds from Saturday so they'd be here for people to see at the Folk Fair. Lots of lovely vintage linens and fabrics, books (of course) and some really interesting collectible spoons. Some are older souvenir spoons and others are truly unique...there are some made of old coins, some sterling and some lovely silver plate.

Little Wagon at Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market

It's still all about the garden here on my days "off" and I've been picking peas and replanting lettuce in the hopes of having a fall crop. I really enjoyed my Black Seeded Simpson until things got too hot and it bolted. I've been getting tomatoes every day and mixing them in with lovely squash and eggplant I bought locally at Sue's market. Sue got this cunning little decorative wagon from J. D. Briles (336-462-1369) down in North Carolina. It looks great beside her shop.

Wednesday was one of those lovely, perfect mountain summer days. Sunshine, a light breeze and a thunderstorm in the evening. I got out early walked with friend Kym and the dogs, and we enjoyed the last of the moonlight as the day dawned. Then I played in the garden most of the morning, weeding out, replanting, and just enjoying the smell of earth as I picked and shelled peas. Finally I sheared one of my older rabbits, grand dame Highland Mary, sitting out under the spruce trees. She went to sleep and I nearly nodded off myself in the quiet!

Late in the day a thunderstorm blew up, and I settled in with the dogs napping by my side to spin more of the Texel roving. I finished one bobbin and I really like the variations in color from light to dark blue. Natalie and I talked about Texel on our little podcast last week, and I think this week we're going to talk quite a bit more about Natalie and her dyeing and fiber projects. I hear that "What's Needlin' Ewe" is going to be opening in Mount Airy on August 20! I'm going to try to figure out a way to get to the grand opening on September 5!

Well, it rained some...

2009-07-30T11:24:00.006-04:00

but who had time to notice? Sadly a lot of folks in Patrick County haven't been seeing the nice showers we've had here in Meadows of Dan. My garden is very happy right now, though. I'm happy, too, because I'm getting a few little tomatoes and the watermelons are blooming! Don't have any idea that we'll see a watermelon here but you never know!

Eggs in a nest in Sue's garden

Sue found a nest in one of her caged tomato plants a couple of evenings ago. She was watering and looking for ripe tomatoes when she saw it. There were four eggs in it and some poking around at bird information sites makes me think the nest might belong to a house finch. According to the books, a house finch will nest twice during the year. There are few things more beautiful to me than birds' eggs. I love the look of them.

I've been wildly busy, trying to get some advertising done for this year's Meadows of Dan Folk Fair, scheduled for August 8 this year. Amazing how fast time flies! I'll be hosting hand spinning demonstrations here at the shop and Blue Ridge Tree Climbing is coming to talk about his interesting tree climbing teaching and demonstrate tying knots. There's a play in town that day, lots of music and crafters and some other demonstrations going on. Even a chain saw artist!

I've also been working on three new web sites, which I'll talk about a bit more when they're all ready for company. And as usual, I'm behind on the newsletter progress but hope to get it out today or tomorrow. I need to start bugging some of my vendors for articles...hint, hint!

And speaking of projects, I've just signed on for a fantastic new one. Natalie of Knit Fit Knitting, on of my talented vendors, is an indie dyer with great ideas for promotion. She approached me not long ago about doing a podcast called "Knitting in the Round" which would feature local artisan yarn, spinning fiber, and the process of creation from the fiber animal to the finished product. We recorded our first session yesterday here at the shop and Natalie has it posted. We also put up a blog, Knitting in the Round, with more details and some photographs. We plan to post a session every two weeks and our next will feature an interview with a local fiber artisan.

Texel Singles

And somehow I've managed to get some spinning time in, between meetings, computer work and the odd weeding session in the garden. I'm trying to fill a bobbin on the Reeves wheel with some fine Texel wool singles. This is yet more of the Texel I bought at Border Springs Farm and had processed at Central Virginia Fiber Mill (there's plenty at the shop if you'd like to try it!) Natalie and I talked about it a bit on the podcast and she dyed it with a cold method which worked well for her. I was pleased with how mine turned out. The roving I'm using for these singles is some I painted with acid dyes in delicate shades of blue.

And some more exciting news that Natalie told me! Not long ago I heard a rumor that someone was going to be opening a yarn shop in Mount Airy, just across the North Carolina line from Patrick County. I was excited to hear about it but then the rumors drifted away. Recently in talking to Natalie I discovered that it's her mother that is involved in this project, and they are just a couple of weeks away from opening "What's Needlin' Ewe?" at 411 North Main Street in Mount Airy. I think it's a great idea and I'm happy to have more neighbors. Yarn crawl, anyone?

Gardening and gathering

2009-07-24T14:29:00.005-04:00

Lettuce in my garden

I could bore you for hours with "garden porn" 'cause I love the way the plants look in the evening light. Green comes in so many colors.....and leaves have so many wonderful shapes. But I'll restrain myself here but if you really want to see garden pictures....

Rewards: Amish Paste tomato and wineberries

I've been busy gathering lately, from the garden and beyond. But Sue brought over these delightful red berries that she's been picking out in the wild. She calls them wineberries and they are almost too pretty to eat. I wanted to string them together like beads. I didn't, though. They taste a little like blueberries only better. You can get them from her at her shop, along with fresh sweet corn and beans. Just down Squirrel Spur Road from Greenberry House! Hurry, though, because I don't think they stay in season long and I know people that know about them will snap them up!

I picked enough peas, at last, from the vines yesterday evening to make a nice little meal for me tonight. And I've been picking blackberries, always a favorite of mine, from the brambles right around the house. I'm still getting lettuce, too, from the garden, to eat with local tomatoes, onions and cukes from below the mountain. I've only gotten one little tomato from our plants so far!

Hand Painted Texel Roving

We had a damp morning on Wednesday, a day I had planned to shear a couple of rabbits, so I pulled out the dye pots instead. Hadn't planned on a dye day and didn't have much ready, but I popped in some Texel Roving and did some painting with blue and red. This time I was more careful with the heat and the roving turned out softer...I'm very happy with these results. I'll be banding up the roving this weekend and putting it out for sale here at the shop.

Sandra's Unique Project

I forgot to take my camera to our Stitch 'n Chat gathering last week, but Mary remembered hers and took this shot of Sandra. She's knitting (honest) on Size 50 needles with a thick single made of alpaca, wool and nylon (I think). It's going to be a stole and it really is gorgeous. Sandra says she'll have some similar yarn from this year's alpaca fleeces! We had a nice meeting at the Atlantic Breeze Alpaca boutique and it was lovely admiring all the beautiful alpaca creations.

Barnabas: "This blog needs a cat photo!"

Neglectful Blogger

2009-07-18T13:07:00.003-04:00

Be(ar) alert!

I know I haven't been around much lately, but we've been busy digging in the dirt, spinning and selling yarn and enjoying the gorgeous weather we've been having here in Meadows of Dan. And also enjoying the excitement of the recent bear sightings in town and nearby. The folks at Lovers Leap Birdhouses posted this recently. I was walking with TJ a couple of weeks ago, early in the morning, and saw a bear of a very similar size really close to the farm. Exciting indeed!

White Rhododendron

We had a little rain on Wednesday so I took the opportunity to get away from the garden and wander around the top of the mountain a little, after shearing two chocolate rabbits. The color, not the confection. I don't remember when the white rhododendron (which is a little pinkish) has every bloomed so well. The big shrubs are just covered with blossoms. I've missed the height of the season...I was down at Lovers' Leap as well and it looked like the picnic area must have been amazing not long ago with bloom.

View from Lovers Leap at what Grandpa called "The Rock Cut"

This has been a lovely week of enjoying good friends as well as summer weather and activities. I found RJ at home while I was rambling around and we had a lovely visit out on her screened porch. Maudie the magnificent cat stalked the birds that were serenading us as we talked, planning the possible addition of a bedroom to my house. Things are getting a little crowded in the cottage on the mountain lately!

Shiny

There are some wonderful new fibers at the shop, and I fell for this Miss Babs roving hard! Love the shimmer and the colors. It's spinning like a dream on my new favorite spindle, the one Mike Clark in Colorado made for me. I finished up the California Red roving I bought in Estes Park in record time and dived into this new stuff immediately. On the wheels I've carded and am spinning up the last of a Jacob fleece that I got quite awhile back from Perfect Spot Farm in North Carolina with the little upright wheel. The Haldane is busy with a variegated Corriedale fleece that I bought two years ago at SAFF from Rising Meadow Farm. Loving how the singles are turning out!

Yarns from Unplanned Peacock, Ferrum, Virginia

And I've been bragging about these lovely yarns from a delightful new vendor here at Greenberry House in our weekly (mostly) newsletter. Natasha is a wonderful dyer and her yarns are so soft and richly colored. These yarns need to be touched!

It's All About the Garden

2009-07-05T12:53:00.002-04:00

Belated Happy 4th of July (from Eunice and me)

It has been a wonderful week, with great friends dropping by, lots of spinning to do, big projects nearing completion and a little time on the road for a change. At last I have my car back, after it spent a couple of months helping out the SO because his vehicles were all terminal!

The fruits (or, rather, vegetables) of labor

I've spent a good many satisfying hours out in the little garden this past week or so and loved every minute of it. If I had to chose between spinning and gardening....well... Have I fooled you with the picture of the lovely squash, cukes and peppers? This is the mountain, remember, and we had a heavy frost on May 17 this year. So my garden really looks like this....

Time in a garden....

We do have some lovely heirloom tomato plants, and there are little tomatoes on almost all of them. All green so far. I planted broccoli and brussel sprouts before we went on vacation and they're showing signs of growing now, after I weeded and weeded the rows. June is not a good time for a gardener to go on vacation. My only harvest, though, is some lovely lettuce from the two different types I planted and I've been living on salads for a couple of weeks. On Wednesday I weeded and weeded, mulched and mulched, and planted half-runner beans, sweet corn and a row of marigolds. I also lugged some big pots out to the garden and planted nasturtiums and marigolds in them.

Keeping company by the garden

It was such a love day. I brought Lily out to stay with me while I worked, and she settled down under the big spruce tree to watch. Frequent breaks sitting with her and reading with a glass of iced sweet tea made the day even more pleasant. The breezes were lovely and made working out in the garden a pleasure.

Pea blossoms

We put some little fences up for the peas and there are a few little pods growing along with the blooms. So it won't be long until we have some peas. The rows are quite short so I may have to save them up over the summer for one meal!

Crisp garden lettuce

The cool breezes and wetter weather have been great for my lettuce and I almost hate to pick the pretty leaves. So not going to let it waste, though, if I can help it. The big pot belonged to my grandmother, my father's mother, and I set it up on a big concrete block. Every garden needs a focal point, huh?

Greenberry House at the farmer's market

And the lovely squash and stuff in the picture above? The product of a real farmer's labor, Wayne Kirkpatrick in Stuart. "Below the mountain" the season starts a good bit earlier than it does in Meadows of Dan. I went down early on Friday morning to participate in the Patrick County Farmers Market, which is open every Friday morning during the season. I was there before seven but farmers were already setting up and customers were coming in very soon after.

Mary Jo and Charlie Leet

This week's market was something of a special event, and several farmers and artisans were set up, along with some fantastic musicians. It made for a lovely start to a busy weekend. There were more beautiful vegetables than I can post pictures of here, but more are in my Flickr album.

Daylily at Farmers Market

One thing I loved about the farmers market was that some things were food for the soul as well as to nurture the body. Several farmers had cut flowers for sale and there were daylily plants available as well. Just looking at all of the beautiful products was a pleasure...every piece seemed polished and buffed for display with care.

I bought red potatoes, some lovely small squash, some beautiful purple onions and some tiny black potatoes as an experiment to saute in olive oil and garlic. And lovely Mary Jo gave me an ENORMOUS bag of green beans, Blue Lake, that I'll eat fresh and also freeze the rest.

Speaking of markets, it looks as though the Crafts in the Meadows festival was a great success yesterday. It has been raining all day today (good for the garden but not great for festival vendors) so I'm not sure how they are fareing. It has been pretty busy at the shop today so hopefully the crafters and authors are getting visitors. Last night we enjoyed fireworks and music at Christopher's Pizza, just down the road. The next big festival here in Meadows of Dan is the Folk Fair, on August 8. Sounds like some good things are planned!

Back home in the Blue Ridge Mountains

2009-06-26T14:51:00.002-04:00

Tired and glad to be home

We had such a lovely time, but it was great to get back home, however grubby, and have the dogs and cats be so happy to see us. I always miss my girl Lily especially, and every time I see a dog when we're away from home I have to talk to it and see if it looks like her. I even missed TJ a little when I was walking in Colorado!

First harvest...fresh lettuce!

I came back to a pile of Dad's dirty dishes, laundry and lots of weeds, of course. Could have been worse, of course. And work, which I'm still catching up on. The weeding was kind of fun, really, and I uncovered broccoli, a few Brussels sprouts plants that we had seeded before we left, and some nice lettuce. I've been eating lots of salad this week! There are little tomatoes on the plants and I staked the largest ones this week.

Getting crowded in there....

While we were gone the baby barn swallows in the nest on the Greenberry House shop porch grew and grew. Mom and Dad have been trying to get them out of the nest all day today, but the babies are stubbornly clinging to home. I've been watching them stretch their wings and then hunker back down, while the adults call enticingly from the yarn drying swing. They keep looking down like they're thinking "you've got to be kidding! What do you think, I can fly or something?"

Border Leicester wool yarn

I've spent most of the week catching up on work. It's amazing how much can pile up during ten days away! Before I left I had a huge dye day and got lots of yarn and some roving done. This week I spun up some of the Texel roving I dyed into yarn, and reskeined some dyed Border Leiecester cross brown yarn that I had overdyed with acid dyes in red. Now I'm spinning some gorgeous Corriedale I bought at SAFF a couple of years ago from Rising Meadow Farm. Hand carding it because the colors are so nice in this variegated fleece and really loving the process!

Wrecked truck in the mountain on Route 58

I've been without a car (except for on the trip) for the last eight weeks because the SO has been battling serious problems with his trucks. I had been putting aside commitment after commitment because of lack of transportation, but this week I just had to get things done. Which meant some serious running around. Normally I don't leave Meadows of Dan more than once every couple of weeks, but this week I've been to Stuart four days in a row. Got a lot accomplished, though, and we're nearly through with the brochure for Patrick County's Community trail with 'Round the Mountain, the Southwest Virginia Artisans' Guild. I also proofread the Tourism Advisory Council's other big project, which is a hospitality book to be used to help tourists find the great things available in Patrick County.

On the way down the mountain yesterday I saw this accident. Didn't hear any details so I hope the driver was OK. It caused one of our rare traffic jams in Patrick County, though. I always bring crocheting, just in case, and was fine with sitting in the sun for a few minutes!

Crocheted Cotton Shawl

Another finished object. I spent most of the trip crocheting this piece, meant for a local consignment crafts shop. Haven't gotten quite ready to send it away, though! The yarn was a cone of cotton bobbly yarn and I really like how soft the shawl turned out. Nice for summer!

A Few Last Thoughts About Estes Park

2009-06-21T10:23:00.001-04:00

River through Estes Park

The town was lovely and the people were so friendly. I did get a chance to visit a yarn shop, called The Stitchin' Den, in a lovely space just off the main street of shops. Showed it to Cathy and Mike, who had never been there and were very much impressed. I had sort of met Susan, the president, on-line at Ravelry and she was so gracious. When I first went in it was quiet and I bought three skeins of yarn which I'll be adding to my Ravelry stash soon. When I went back with Cathy and Mike the place was packed!

Knitting by the river

This area is a destination for tourists, of course, because of the beauty of the mountains, the parks, the hiking trails, and all the shops. There is so much space, though, that it rarely felt crowded to me.

At Lily Lake

It's hard to convey how beautiful these mountains are, and how the town seems to be surrounded by them. I took so many pictures, and they just don't capture the real beauty. Maybe it's the heights, the starkness, the color, or just the wide skies that make it so different there in Colorado.

Tiny Purple Flowers

And not all the beauty was on a grand scale. The whirl of a hummingbird's wings, darting chipmunks, tiny purple, blue and white flowers, a swirl of water in a quiet spot of the river, the whisper of a breeze in a pine tree, the sight of the sun on a dancing limb of pale gray leaves...so much to move, to rest the eyes, to relax.

Chapel on the Rock

And not everything beautiful was created by nature, although the natural setting certainly made those created by man more beautiful. This is a chapel at a Catholic retreat center several miles from Estes Park. Coming across it so deep in the mountains is an astonishing experience. The first time I saw it eight years ago there was no one around and I had no idea of the story. This time there were several tourists but everyone was so quiet, and so respectful. I was able to sit alone in the chapel for a little while. The stone walls create a deep and spiritual silence.

At the Estes Park Wool Market

2009-06-20T13:13:00.002-04:00

Estes Park Wool Market

I'm not sure pictures, or words either for that matter, can give an idea of what a beautiful place this festival graces. The town of Estes Park is tucked up in the towering Rocky Mountains, and the fairground is within sight of the historic Stanley Hotel. Everywhere you look there is a wonderful view, and the highest mountains are snow-capped, even in June!

Young Yaks

Many things were different at this festival. I had never seen yaks before....

Suri Alpaca

and I had never seen a Suri Alpaca, although I have some lovely suri here from Mary Martin's farm in Bluefield, Virginia. This little guy made me realize why Mary's fiber is so lovely and soft! He was quite friendly, too.

Maybe a Wesleydale?

There were several breeds of sheep I wasn't very familiar with, but like an idiot I didn't get any pictures of them. I think this glorious creature is a Wesleydale, with a wool I have spun before. There were lots of lovely alpaca and pygora goats, lots of beautiful alpacas and llamas, and even a few angora rabbits!

Wool Market Vendors

This part of the show will look a bit familar to veteran festival goers, with lots of lovely yarn, tools and fiber. There were some different breeds of wool here, though, that I wasn't familiar with. I fell in love with a California Variegated Mutant (yeah, I know) fleece from Durakai Sheep and Fiber Arts. Left it sitting for a bit while I walked around but had to go back and buy it. Several people mentioned to me that they had considered that very fleece themselves. I also love the wool from Gleason's Fine Woolies Bond and Corriedale sheep. Just couldn't buy everything I wanted, though, so I had to pass this one up. But if you get a chance at least have a good look at their stuff...it's lovely!

Yarn and wool and color, oh my!

I recognized the names of a few vendors just from cruising around on the Internet, but most of them were quite new to me. That made things very exciting. We ran into Cathy and Mike, with their friend Barbara who has been getting all the wonderful curtains that Cathy has been making lately. Because Ron was along and I didn't want to bore him, we didn't hang around for all the activities. Cathy wrote about some great things that happened at the show during the weekend.

And of course I bought stuff:

Fleece and roving, oh my!

Sorry for the poor shot...it was raining when we got home and wicked dark in the house. When I start working with it all I should get better pictures. The fleece is the aforementioned CVM. When I got home I discovered that Spin-Off had done an article about this wool in the latest issue. So when I tackle the fleece, which will be soon, I should have some idea of what to do with it.

Another purchase was some California Red roving that I bought to spin on the delightful little spindle that Mike made for me. The vendor was Skein Train, and I had an interesting talk with her about another festival, in November, that she is involved with and promoting. So far I've spun an ounce or so of the roving and really like it.

I bought four ounces of a lovely variegated Teeswater/Cotswold cross roving from Black Hills Woolies, and just realized that I somehow didn't manage to get a picture of it! Hope I managed to get home with the ball! I was fascinated by the "cheeky" batt created by Fire Ant Ranch out of Black Welsh and Gulf Coast wool. Looking forward to seeing how that spins as well.

One thing that is the same, seems like, no matter where you go, and that is that fiber folk are special. Friendly, sharing and interesting...even though all the vendors were busy they took the time to talk about their enthusiasm for the festival and for their wools, animals and yarns. The Estes Park Wool Market was a great experience for me, and well worth the long trip!

Adventure!

2009-06-19T11:03:00.002-04:00

Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri

I often think I would like to put aside the many obligations of dogs, cats, rabbits, shop, spinning wheel and garden and just travel around this wonderful country. But then I realize just how attached I am to home and creatures and I come to my senses. But for a change a little travel is nice!

First glimpse of Rocky Mountains, east of Denver

So we took off on a road trip, with the excuse of the Estes Park Wool Market as a destination. Actually, we both just needed some time off. Thanks to Linda and Susan I was able to leave the shop, and dear Kym and Laveta and Diane all looked after the different animals. Good folks around here!

As usual, we got a late start on Monday, because Ron had to work later than he had hoped. By the time we got the car emptied out of his work stuff and the dogs to their different places to stay, then packed, it was after 4 before we headed out. We made it as far as Charleston, West Virginia, before deciding to stay the night. We headed out early the next morning, driving across Kentucky looking for horses and horse farms, then into new territory for me across Indiana and Illinois. I would love to dye yarns in some of the colors I saw...bright greens and rich earth tones that were almost moorit. We stopped in Lawrence, Kansas, for the night and treated outselves to a salad dinner. In Charleston I was able to get the laptop to work for a little while, then it went on strike across the rest of the country!

It was foggy across Kansas, so I didn't see much on the way out. I know several people through Twitter, Facebook, and so on through this part of the country, but without the laptop it was hard to get in touch. And there's just never enough time to do everything I want to do, is there? I even have an old school friend that lives in Kansas now.

Climbing the mountain toward Estes Park

We were getting a little tired after three days on the road and glad to see the Castle Mountain Lodge when we got into town. We had dinner at Nicky's, following the path by the lovely Falling River and surrounded by mountains.

Cathy and Me

One of the main things I was looking forward to on the trip was finally meeting in person Cathy of Catena Expressions. If you're not familar with Cathy and her wonderful original crochet designs and beautiful descriptions and photographs of her part of the world, get on over and have a look. I'll wait.

An unexpected bonus was meeting Mike, Cathy's husband, who is a talented photographer and woodworker. We met for lunch at the Grubstake in Estes Park, and I can certainly recommend the Henrietta sandwich! There wasn't an awkward moment in visiting with these people I had never met in person. They are so interested in so many different things and ideas that there was something to chat about every minute.

As you can see by the photo above, Cathy brought me flowers, beautiful peonies from her garden at home. We brought them all the way back to Virginia, and they're still beautiful on my kitchen table right now.

Handmade Mike Clark Original Spindle

This picture didn't turn out well, but I was thrilled on Saturday when Mike presented me with this lovely spindle he made from a lovely piece of soft orange agate. I'm not a very good spindle spinner, but with this one I've been making beautiful fine singles from the California Red roving I bought at the Wool Market especially to spin with this spindle. It's beautifully balanced and spins like a dream!

More about the Wool Market and our visit to Estes Park in my next post. There are a lot of pictures in this photo set on Flickr.

We Did It!

2009-06-05T10:26:00.002-04:00

The garden, at last!

Somehow, between rain showers, we managed to get all the seeds and the tomato plants into the ground. Some of the peas are up, the tomatoes look pretty good despite the wet and we planted broccoli, brussel sprouts and two hills of watermelon. Planning to get lots of other veggies from Mountain Meadow Farm and Craft Market through the season.

Other than gardening it has been a busy week, despite the rain. I sheared one of my favorite rabbits, Blueberry Belle. Belle is the doe in my mom's lap in the picture on this page of the web site. I also sheared Jack, a nice chocolate buck, also featured on this web page. Did some necessary cleaning down in the bunny house as well, all before the rains came again.

Imprinting

Speaking of birds, the barn swallows are back on the front porch at Greenberry House again. Mom looks to be sitting on her eggs, although I can't be sure. She isn't leaving the nest very much. Down in the barn there's another nest, and I noticed little heads peeking at me over the side this morning during rabbit feeding time.

During the wet weather I've been inside most of the time, and spinning and knitting. I don't have pictures of the spinning projects but I finished seven or eight skeins of a brown Border Leicester fleece that has been here for a little while. The yarn turned out lovely, but I'm still thinking I may over dye it for a variegated effect. That has proved popular with the customers. I just started a bobbin of hand dyed red Texel and I'm enjoying the way it is spinning up.

Knitting on a pillow

Last night at Stitching group I made a lot of progress on this project, while I had a great visit with Candy. I'm hoping to finish this while we're on the way to and from Colorado. Great time to knit, imprisoned in the front seat of a car!

Yesterday I had to take the dogs to the vet and it was the usual adventure. TJ is an angel at home, getting much better at behaving when we're walking together, but is an absolute lunatic in the car. He seems deliriously happy, but I'm not really sure what's going on in his head. He barks and whines the whole way with a huge smile on his face and his tail wagging frantically. Not much fun as a companion on even a short trip. We managed, though, and on the way home he sat up front with Lily and was a bit quieter. She didn't love having him there, though.

We got the full set of shots for the dogs because we're going to have to board them while we're away. I'm groaning with the expense of it all. I know the cost has more than doubled for regular shots over the past couple of years (although having to change vets may be part of the reason for that). I adore the dogs and don't really mind the expense, but in the back of my mind is the fact that a lot of people don't feel that way. I'm afraid that there will be still more abandoned animals because pet owners don't want to pay the high costs of caring for them.

Lily got sick last night...not sure if it was the heat, putting up with TJ's excitement during the trip or a mild reaction to the shots. She was restless all night after throwing up all over the living room and then mad at me because I didn't give her supper! This morning she seems back to normal. I'm glad I didn't stop off at the library for books-on-tape for the trip after all, though, because I would have felt guilty about leaving her in the car when she got sick. The vet visit didn't take very long and the library wasn't open yet, so I headed home rather than wait the extra twenty minutes. I'm going to miss my books, though!

So, Colorado here we come! I have so much to do before we leave!

I'm So Lucky!

2009-05-31T16:49:00.003-04:00

People just keep bringing me wonderful new yarns for the shop!

Wild Iris Wool

Bulky yarns from Ann Catlett

And then, just when I think it couldn't get any better:

Atlantic Breeze Alpaca Yarns and Roving

Come out to Meadows of Dan and see how gorgeous this stull really is. Pictures just don't do it justice.

The Sun Came Out.....

2009-05-30T11:51:00.002-04:00

so I took pictures.....

'Mater Plant, or tomato for you folks from somewheres else

Little pea plants (and an embarrassment of weeds)

Cats enjoying the miracle of the sun

Blue Ridge Parkway at Meadows of Dan

Getting inspired!

2009-05-29T16:47:00.003-04:00

Yeah, it's raining

Well, I'm trying to be inspired, but it's tough right now with all the wet weather. My friend and helper Laveta came by early this afternoon and managed to clean out the bunny house between showers, but a storm blew in just after she finished. The skies are "sulled up" again right now, even though it's not doing anything right this minute. It will be.

Another shawl

With all the wet weather I find that I'm not very inspired. Usually I'm out taking pictures of spring flowers and I'd love to be talking about the first garden I've put in since I can't remember when. But wet days just keep me dashing from barn to house to shop, and I don't spend as much time looking around as I'd like. I noticed as I ran back from getting lunch today that what looks like a big locust tree near the Parkway is blooming.

So instead of working outside I've filled all the spinning wheels with wool and my knitting needles and crochet hook have been busy. I've carded a big basket of brown Border Leicester wool that I hope to finish spinning this week to get overdyed. My dye day didn't happen this past week, and I think I'm going to be too busy getting ready for a trip to do much dyeing next week.

The other shawl above is one I'm working on for sale. This is in a cotton yarn and a very simple pattern I just make up as I go. I'm sure there are lots of variations on this theme out there. I'm also knitting a throw pillow to brighten up the shop porch. Stockinette and garter stitch in stripes...I'm sure someone else has had this idea before, too, although I haven't seen it yet.

The trip... in one more week the SO and I are heading for Colorado, in part for the Estes Park Wool Market. We haven't had a vacation together in I don't even remember how long. I've been so busy lately I haven't had time to get excited. But now that Linda and Susan are looking after the shop, Laveta is looking after the rabbits and cats and Diane is tending the dogs, I'm starting to think going away for awhile will be fun, even though it's partly a work trip. I don't have a booth at this show but I'm going to keep my eyes open to see if it might be something we'd want to do someday. I have an idea I need to do more fiber shows next year

For two mornings in a row I managed to take TJ for a walk...poor fellow was really happy to get outside. He doesn't like wet weather, though, and will turn right around if it starts raining on us while we're out! Lily is content to curl up on the couch with me after a short daily walk, whether it's wet outside or not. Last night she and the cat, Barnabas, graciously allowed me to sleep in my bed with them!

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-25T10:42:00.002-04:00

Seen in Meadows of Dan

It is really hard to get out and get fun pictures to illustrate the blog when it just rains all the time here in Meadows of Dan! Here I have tomatoes, lettuce and peas growing happily in my wet garden but no pictures to show and brag about. But then, I guess if you've seen one tomato plant you've seen them all! I've been dodging showers to get things planted but at least I can feel a bit better about all the rain, now that I have a garden!

In spite of the rain we had a busy holiday weekend. Lots of people around for the Hit and Miss in the Mountain Festival. I didn't have a lot of time to see what was happening down there, since we had customers (thanks, everyone, for coming by!) but I did see a good many engines setting up and lots of crafters. There are some folks still down there if you're out in Meadows of Dan today. Music is scheduled for 2 to 4 PM if the weather doesn't get impossibly bad!

Speaking of music, I looked out yesterday afternoon and saw the young man pictured above out on my neighbor's back porch playing his guitar. I don't think he was involved with the festival but he stayed out there quite awhile. I was a little too busy to find out anything about him but I'm sure passing visitors enjoyed seeing him out there!

As I suspected the new yarns and fibers I brought back from Sedalia last week have been very popular with customers. Quite a bit of angora blend yarn and some alpaca went home with customers this weekend. I hope I get to see some of the lovely things they create! A couple of felters came in as well, and some nice return customers from last year.

Cinema on the Lawn, Chateau Morrisette

Friend Jane has been spending the weekend with us, camping out in a tent in the back yard because she's allergic to Barnabas, the cat. Since she can't stay in the house, it's great to have something fun do in the evening. Saturday night another friend, Mary, was free to go with us up to Chateau Morrisette for a mini girlfriend get-away at the movies. This is our third time, I think, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. His Girl Friday, with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, may not be the best movie ever made but it was terrific under the cloudy skies on the lawn at the winery. Everything is funnier, and better, when shared with friends! There were other friends seated nearby, with their delightful little dog, and a friendly young couple we didn't even know to chat with. Friend Kym put the event together and she did a great job. The food was really good, service was excellent and with a smile, and the cost reasonable! I think the next show is Labor Day weekend, and we'll be there for the fun!

It's raining today (no surprise) but already a few people have drifted into the shop. On my agenda for the day is to finish up this week's newsletter (Ok, I haven't even started it yet!) and I'm hoping to put some books online and on the web site. This weekend I managed to put some of the sparkling yarns created by Linda Wright of Wild Iris Wool on the site, along with some vintage postcards.

Texel Roving

Oh, almost forgot! I did a dye day last Wednesday and it took awhile for the roving to dry in this wet weather. Very pleased with the results, though. This is the Texel roving I had processed at Central Virginia Fiber Mill from the fleeces Linda and I bought at Border Spring Farm. Nice so far! I'm hoping for another dye day this coming Wednesday. Come on over and bring your fiber!

Getting Ready for the Weekend

2009-05-22T14:14:00.002-04:00

A wreath of fiber

New yarns! New Fiber! And great new little bags to put your special project in! it was great going to the festival, but even better to come back with new consignments for the shop. Under the Dark Star is a new vendor for me, from Central Virginia (Sally, I need your address!) and she has glorious angora and angora blends, along with some other beautiful yarns and spinning fiber. I'll be putting them up for sale on the web site before long. But I have a feeling that when people get the chance to touch these wonderful fibers and yarns in the shop, they won't be staying here long!

Hand dyed yarns from Under the Dark Star

It has been a beautiful day, and I've been watching people getting set up for the 4th annual Hit and Miss Engine Show that is taking place this weekend here in Meadows of Dan. I can see that a lot of hard work has gone into promoting this festival and there should be a lot of fun, music, antique engines, heritage demonstrations and more to enjoy out in the field on Concord Road. I'll be at the shop all weekend, so come up and enjoy our beautiful breezes and all the things to do here!

Handmade Buttons from Lawre's Laine

Lawre has honored me by being a vendor here at Greenberry House since last year's Sedalia festival. Her workmanship is wonderful and we also have some beautiful little project bags she calls "Bagettes" that are just the right size for that sock project or other small, take-along knitting. Clip one on and go! I've got my eye on a black one with an Oriental print...always go for the drama!

Festivals, Friends and Fiber Frolics!

2009-05-21T11:42:00.004-04:00

Greenberry House at Sedalia Spring Fiber Festival

I have to say this has been a wonderful week! Busy, of course, but truly special in a lot of ways. As I mentioned last week, Chris of Woolybuns came down for a visit and to go to the Sedalia Spring Fiber Festival with me. I don't know what i would have done without her, as we loaded her car and mine as full as we could manage. Tough on Chris to have to do so much driving after her long trip down from Connecticut but she tackled it like the trooper she is! Her lovely yarns were the hit of the booth!

Setup was a breeze, partly thanks to the SO coming along to help with stuff and partly because of the great location we had under the pavillion. Ron had the bright idea of bringing two vintage oriental rugs along as a floor to Greenberry House booth, and I think that they really set off our fiber and yarns. Not to mention giving us a place to put all the fiber that over-flowed the shelf space and also making it easier on the feet for standing all day. I told him he isn't getting them back!

Under the pavillion, Sedalia

Dana, Dianne and the rest of the staff did a wonderful job putting the festival together. Dianne acted as emcee all day and was a riot as she handled the raffle and the announcements. I almost typed "rabble" instead of raffle...think that means something? It was obvious how much hard work had gone into making everything run smoothly. I overheard a couple of conversations that indicated people would love to see another Sedalia Fiber Festival during the year!

At long last I got to meet "The Thinking Knitter", Rae, in person! She's just as delightful as she seems on Ravelry and on other projects I've become acquainted with over the years. Plucky and hard-working....I saw her throughout the day and she seemed to be in helping mode every time. And of course I got to see some old friends...Sandy from Mosaic, Lawre from Lawre's Laine, Natalie from Knit-fit, Mary Ellen from ISeeSpots. And I know there were lots more folks! New friends and old, fiber folk are fantastic!

Cooling Off

We were so lucky with the weather! The storms held off and although it got hot there was a breeze most of the day. This lucky llama settled down in front of a big fan late in the day and the wind shows off the length of his coat!

I picked up a new vendor that I'll be talking about in the next couple of days and also have some new items from Lawre's Laine that are absolutely awesome. I didn't buy much for myself, just some beautifully dyed silk from Bransonas. I saw Chris over with our booth neighbor that makes awesome looking handbags. I didn't get her information because I have a hundred knitting bags and didn't want to be tempted. Our other neighbor was Long Locks Ranch in Riner and I'm talking to them about selling their lovely mohair yarn at Greenberry House.

It was wonderful visiting with everyone, new friends and old, at Sedalia on Saturday. Hope to see everyone at Sedalia again next year, along with lots of new people!