Amazing Fall Day

Afternoon Sun

The last day, maybe, at the craft tent was gorgeous! There was only a little breeze, enough to toss a few signs around just to tease. Otherwise it was warm and wonderful, with bright sunshine on the hills. I woke up early. The time change always weirds out my schedule and Lily runs on old time for awhile. Until I get adjusted, anyway. I puttered around the house, worked on Jane's shawl, tended bunnies and then headed up to set up for the day. When I went to the store for much-needed caffeine, there was some comment on my attire!


Note the Socks

One woman thought I might be a mannequin set up in front of the spinning wheel. Sue said I looked pretty witchy from a distance! I didn't really think I did enough, just bunches of weird jewelry, the hat and the socks. Not much different from my usual get-up!


New Mountain Meadow Crafts Creation

Sue's beautiful golden gourd jug, embellished with feathers and a gold and rhinestone setting. Very handsome! We had a terrific day at the tent with lots of people. Enjoyed talking to old friends and making new ones.

Last night I spent a few minutes at a Halloween Party at a local restaurant. Dad went with me but when we got there he wouldn't go in. I think the belly dancing demonstration made him nervous. So, to keep him from being out late, I just said come back in 45 minutes. I was tired, anyway, from getting up so early and from such a busy day.

And the new dog has moved on again. She was just too much for my dad to handle, and since Lily is the jealous type I can't give a second dog the attention it deserves. So some craft tent customers took her with them; she was quite content to go along and Dad was relieved! So was I; training a puppy is work!

Last Craft Tent Weekend

Craft Tent Weekend

Sue and I put up small tents, because the wind is not kind to the big one. Of course, before I got mine secured the wind picked it up and threw it against the truck. Sue's nice young son helped me get it battened down.


Fall Days in the Field

We had a pleasant day but it was COLD! The wind kept blowing and I got my exercise getting up and retrieving hats, scarves and larger items as they tumbled across the fields. We had lots of customers but no one stayed very long. Too chilly for them, I think.


Shetland Fleece

I started spinning this Shetland for a special order shawl, so that I could have something for demonstrating today. It's spinning up very fine in spite of the fact that I'm using a larger whorl. I want a nice soft yarn for this project and this feels wonderful so far. I've had the fleece awhile and I'm not sure where I got it. It's a little messy in places but worth a little trouble to pick out the VM.


Coopworth Shawl and Wendell's Birdhouses

And here is Jane's shawl, visiting my stepfather's birdhouses. Oh, you can't see the shawl? Darn.


Dad's New Dog

This is a dog. The dog is a Basset Hound. Lily is staying with Mommy. All the time. The Basset Hound is sweet but needs some fine-tuning. Hence the crate.

Projects

Yarn Ready to Begin Coopworth Crocheted Shawl

Here's the yarn for Jane's shawl. I did several rows last night, as usual really love the sheen and handle of this wool!


My Knitting Progress

This probably doesn't need any comment. No reflection on my teacher; I'm just a dunderhead. I will persevere!

Fall Days

My Room Under the Eaves

After a busy week of meetings and running errands, it's nice to have a day at home. Fall has arrived at last here on the mountain, with frosty mornings and brisk days. Chilly nights make curling up in my warm bed all the more attractive, with a cozy spaniel curled at my feet.

Most of the week has been taken up with meetings about projects that my brother and his wife are planning for the property here. Big ideas and good news for the area, I think. None of it really has a great deal to do with me but I'm excited to see what they're thinking about and appreciate being included. Yesterday's meetings involved Round the Mountain, the Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Network. I rashly volunteered to help with their web site (also wound up volunteering to help with a Patrick County web site Tuesday evening). The other meeting was with The Crooked Road committees. There I kept my mouth shut but Sue blew them away with her ideas. I could tell that both groups were made up of very intelligent and highly talented people but everyone was very nice and quite interested in Sue's ideas.

Wednesday was girls' day out for RJ and me, as we traveled to town to pick up bunny feed, enjoy a very leisurely lunch at our favorite restaurant, and then hit the stores to pick up necessities. RJ is feeling great and we had a wonderful time with our usual discussions of interesting subjects and with checking out the stores. We headed home under clear skies, enjoying the drive through beautiful Floyd County. The fall colors are not nearly as intense as they can be some years but the landscape is still beautiful.


Grandma's Big Bureau

It has finally turned cool, with more seasonable temperatures. A but of a shock, though, after so many days of warm fall weather that kept the leaves from turning much. A few complaints have been aired locally, but everyone is secretly glad to see the change in the season. Cooler weather brings quiet days and things seem to slow down as we head toward winter. Tomorrow we'll start the last weekend at the craft tent; I'm looking forward to a final weekend with the crafters spinning in the sunshine. Soon I'll be having to work in the sitting room, while cold winds shiver around the eaves and the house moans and rattles.


Victrola

Today the sun has come out; I hope to tackle laundry and a couple of rabbits that need shearing. Although it seems cold, it's time to take their coats and I can put extra hay in their cages. The barn is warm, sheltering them from the wind and they never seem to mind the cold very much.


Old Trunk

I did manage to fit some work in during the week. I plied some more yarn for my cousin's shawl; it's hanging outside right now, waiting for me to collect it to begin crocheting. And I carried around my bed shawl and worked on it on the way to and from meetings, getting a few more rows accomplished. Today I have to get into the stash and pull out some white Shetland for a special order shawl. I want to spin it this weekend to demonstrate at the tent. I love working with Shetland, although I don't take the opportunity as often I as should.


Lily's Corner

Lily was happy to have me home last night, sleeping stretched at my feet while I crocheted and watched a hilarious Will Smith movie, Hitch. Dad and I have joined Netflix.com, at my friend Kym's recommendation. A large part of Dad's recreation is watching videos and DVDs, along with reading. So far the netflix thing has been pretty good. Because of our location it takes an extra day for the movies to get to us, but it's still cheaper and more interesting than the local video store. I like the old movies that are available; I've found titles that I never thought I would see again.

Marvelous SAFF Weekend

SAFF Riches!

What a wonderful weekend we had to travel down to Asheville for SAFF. Chris Morgan of Woolybuns came in Friday evening bringing a handsome senior buck. Very senior; he's five but looks to be in excellent health and condition. Given the longevity issues I've heard about and seen with Germans, I'm glad to see a fellow this old still going strong. When the sun comes out I'm going to try him with a couple of does, just in case he has a rough time with the winter. I plan to seriously coddle him, though!

After a nice dinner at the local nice restaurant, Chris and I sat up awhile and caught up with bunny news, family news and shared interests. Then we were up early, for more talking and then packing up to head south for our fibery adventure. The day was bright, clear and cool, totally different from the forecasted rain. We had a lovely trip that flew by in such good company, and when we reached the festival we were ready to shop until the billfolds were crying for mercy. Our first visit was to Mary Ellen of ISeeSpots Farm. She always has a great selection and since she's a former bunny lady that was wonderfully helpful to me when I was starting out, it's always a pleasure to visit with her. She is always very busy in her booth; she does a super job with selecting good merchandise. I replaced my broken ball winder, the third since I started with fiber. I also bought a Brittany crochet hook and a nice box of crochet patterns for scarves and hats. It's always nice to learn some new techniques and ideas, and my crochet skills are a bit dated, I think.

Walking around the vendors once again reminded me how many wonderfully talented people there are in the fiber world. Felting seemed to be big this year, with lovely scarves, hats, vests and other items done in many beautiful techniques. Chris is a big felter; I'm not so keen. Although after seeing such marvelous work I'm tempted to join in!

I think our next buying stop was at Rising Meadow Farm. I had two goals when I went down to SAFF. I needed to replace the ball winder and I wanted a light gray fleece to blend with my black angora for a mill-spun yarn. Last year Chris and I split a wonderful moorit fleece from this vendor and I was happy to see a lovely gray Corriedale fleece that looked exactly like it would suit my purposes. So Marian's fleece came home with me, seven pounds of lovely gray wool. I've already washed a little and handcarded it with my angora; have to spin it up to see how I like the color. It looks great so far.

I don't remember the vendor where I picked up the two prettiest dyed silk caps I've seen in awhile. But I do remember the amazing display of gorgeous yarns at Brooks Farm. Every color and combination was absolutely beautiful in a selection to delight the eye and charm the hand with wonderful softness. I had to buy three skeins, although I knew that I did NOT need more yarn.


My First Knitting

In the meantime, of course, Chris had been shopping as well, and just as hard right beside me. We made several trips to the car and finally stopped for lunch. Then Chris decided to fulfill my long-expressed wish and teach me to knit. And SHE DID IT. Before half an hour went by I was actually making stitches with the lovely Brooks Farm yarn that looked like knitting. Chris is an excellent teacher; she can get right to the point you need to know and makes everything so clear. I tried knitting along off and on all weekend, going astray several times. But Chris patiently corrected my messes and got me back on track with a minimum of frustration. On my side, at least! We went back down to show the Brooks Farm vendor my accomplishment; she really seemed thrilled for me!

Believe it or not, I think that was everything I bought the first day. It only took a couple of hours to strain my pocketbook's resources. And I already have so much stuff in my stash; I was trying to be conservative and only buy what I really needed for the fiber business. But it was tough to by-pass so many tempting goodies as we made our way down to see Elaina of Avillion Farm. It was fun to visit with Elaina and Joy, her friend that shares a booth with her each year at SAFF. They had some beautiful rabbits for sale and other items from the farms. Elaina is a delightfully knowledgable young woman who knows a lot about the medical side of raising rabbits. I learn something from her each time we visit. While we were chatting Cathy Robinson of Perfect Spot Farm came by and it was terrific to catch up with her news as well. Cathy also raises German Angora along with lovely Jacob sheep. I have a couple of wonderful fleeces from her now and keep thinking about more! Cathy is very busy with family and farm and I don't see nearly as much of her as I would like.

We made arrangements to meet Elaina and Joy for dinner and kept wandering through the festival, looking at all the wonderful merchandise and encouraging each other not to buy too much. The hours flew by and things started winding down at the end, but we made one more stop at the booth of a young couple that we had met the year before. They make and sell wonderful crochet hooks. I had purchased one last year and have enjoyed it thoroughly. Keep watching my sidebar; when their site is finally up there will be a link to Hooked on Needles. They had wonderful knitting needles, too. I'm eyeing them in case my knitting skills ever warrant good tools!

We stopped in at the Felters' Guild meeting, to be impressed with more wonderful creativity and skill. There were glorious felted dolls, scarves, an amazing leather bag that was somehow felted, and many more beautiful pieces. Chris had to try to get us in trouble playing with some charming little felted bowls, making alternate suggestions for their use that might have suited Madonna. Or Wonder Woman!


Knitting at Day's Inn

We had a wonderful dinner with Elaina and Joy, catching up on bunny news, discussing bunny issues and personalities and just enjoying good company. After a full day of festival, though, we all were soon ready to retreat to warm motel rooms to relax. Elaina wanted to try out her new electric spinner and Chris and I were ready to do some knitting. I started a shawl under Chris's tutelage and she started working on one of her own. At least, that was the plan. A snarled skein of yarn soon changed the situation.

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear and we headed back to SAFF, mainly with the intention of purchasing a swift for Chris. The first person we saw when we came in that we knew was Connie Delameter of Delly's Delight Farm. She's another bunny lady, of course, and it was wonderful to see her and share some stories. She had to dash but we caught up with her in her booth a little later. I had to have some gorgeous painted mohair roving in green and crimson from her. I swear that was my last purchase! One of my best bucks is Connie's breeding, and a lot of my good stock comes from her lines. It's always a treat to be able to visit with her. She's always very busy, too; someday we'll just have to all get together somehow so we can really talk!

Home again under sunny skies; a nice trip that seemed short with all the ideas our heads were filled with and all the lovely fiber to look forward to playing with. We got back early enough to tend to the rabbits and visit Sue in the craft tent to see how her day went. My mom and Wendell were visiting as well so we had a nice time catching up on things and Chris was able to meet the family. Sue had some beautiful new gourd pieces to admire. While we were there an old friend came by and ordered a shawl from me.

I thought Chris needed to experience Pancake Days, so we headed down to the community building for dinner. The line was short and it wasn't long before we were served with buttermilk pancakes, sausage and gravy. (I can't do the gravy but I wish I could!) Lots of old friends were there working or eating, so I was able to introduce Chris to a couple of people. Hopefully she will be back to do a felting workshop; the community building would be great if we can't get something put together at the farm before then.


A Real Silk Cap

Late evening we settled in to knit; with me making more mistakes than correct stitches. So I switched over to crochet, figuring that I was tired and needed a break. Or it may be that I'm just an idiot at knitting. We were getting tired and a little silly; Chris put one of my silk caps on her head. You can see her pretty knitting on her lap; mine wound up frogged back almost to the beginning!

Chris left this morning under cloudy skies ahead of the possibility of rain from the hurricane. She was nice enough to offer to take a bunny back to a buyer in New York, so a German doe is along for the ride. It seems lonesome here right now; Chris is great company and we have such a good time.


Lily in her Space

Lily was so glad to see me when I went to the kennel this morning. She had to rush into the house to make sure everything was OK when we got home. Very important to make sure all the toys were there and no one had played with them!

A Moment

"When the gates swing wide on the other side, just beyond the sunset sea..."

Spinning at the National Folk Festival and chatting to new friends about old mountain memories. Then I heard the soft, clear tones of my brother's banjo, played in a gentle manner far different from his usual driving bluegrass style. A tune I knew, and one that always takes my breath away on the rare occasions that I hear it.

"There'll be room to spare as we enter there. There'll be room for you and room for me...."

Mountain voices joined the sound of guitar, bass and banjo, capturing the attention of a small audience as dark clouds moved over the busy festival grounds. A moment like no other, captured in memory as the sweet words echoed through the air on a melody that seemed to say so much more than the simple lyrics could convey.

It was only a moment, a pause in a day that had been filled with new faces, satisfying work and voices. The murmur of the crowd rose up as the song ended and people drifted in and out, the family story I was telling continued and was commented on, the music swirled around us in a quicker tune. But it was still a moment, never to be repeated, with echoing effects not to be judged or known.

The song is "50 Miles of Elbow Room" by F. W. McGee and recorded by artists from the Carter Family to Iris Dement. What this song says to me is what I think religion should be. Open, inclusive, with room for everyone of faith, however they think and however they chose to live. Religion with gates 100 miles wide, imagine.

And somehow the lyrics speak to me of the mountains, of my ancestors coming to this wild wide land from cramped poverty in Europe. The mountains, old, welcoming, still providing a haven above the crowds. Elbow room.

But none of that really has anything to do with the fact that in Richmond, during a busy folk festival, there was a very special moment.


________________________________

Special thanks to RJ for bringing the moment back to mind.

Too Warm for Fall

The beginning of color on the Parkway

Yesterday was a glorious fall day, but this morning was just too warm. We got out early for the gym for the first time in awhile. The moon was bright and the sky was clear. But it seemed unnaturally warm for October, and the forecast is for warm weather through the weekend. And rain. The leaves aren't changing as much as could be hoped, to attract the tourists out. But eight tour buses hit the stores uptown yesterday, so people are out and about.


Handspun Two-Ply Coopworth Skeins, Natural Color

It was so windy during the festival this weekend that I spent most of the time with the wheel plying Coopworth singles. People are interested in the process of plying, too, since I've discovered that a lot of people don't quite understand the term '2-ply'. Unless you're referring to toilet paper. I like to show the amount of work that goes into a handspun piece, and pointing out the different steps in the work of creating something helps a little toward comprehension of why a piece costs what it does. Sometimes.

These skeins are destined to be a shawl for the very special lady over at Hillbilly, Please. I'm really looking forward to working out a design for it. I'm debating whether to show progress pictures, as I usually do, or surprise her with the finished product!


Crocheted Bed Shawl from Hand Dyed Alpaca and Natural Merino/Angora

When we were in Richmond Sandra snuggled up one evening in a warm shawl that she said she used for reading in bed in her cool room in the mountains. Which got me to thinking how cold I get when I read in bed every night in my cool room in the mountains. We made a stop at a bookstore and I picked up a copy of the Special Issue 2005 Interweave Knits Crochet magazine, which I didn't even know about until Sandra pointed it out. There is a wonderful article in the issue about crocheted capelets made by women in Northern Spain and I love the look of the little garments in the pictures. So that is what this little shawl hopefully will turn out to be. For me, for a change, to wear on those cold winter nights while I'm curled up in my bed under the eaves. I'm cheating a little; the stitch design comes from the same magazine in a pattern for a shawl made with bulky yarn. I'm not a bulky yarn fan, though, and I'm crocheting this much tighter than suggested in that pattern. Also working for a shaped piece, like the capelets, rather than a flowing shawl. This is my carrying-around piece, until I can get enough yarn made to start on the Coopworth shawl. I hope to have hers done by the time she comes home for Christmas!

Perfect Fall Day

The hay is cut and the sun is shining

What a beautiful day to get bunny chores done! We spent all morning cleaning trays, mending cages and taking away trash and now the bunny house is looking as good as it gets. Bunnies have been playing outside in the sunshine, taking it by turns in the little dog pen to romp and nibble at green grass.


Indian Summer Days

We had a wonderful weekend festival at Meadows of Dan Farmers Market. Lots of wonderful crafters, good music and good comapny made the day very special. The wind was a little rough on Saturday; we spent a lot of time chasing our stock as the gusts rocked the tents. But folks came out to see us and we enjoyed ourselves between tumbles!


Great Goodies!

The best part of any festival is the food, and we had some great vendors, Chocolate Moon with her glorious fudge, the Cookie Lady with cakes and cookies, Meadow Creek Dairy with their farm fresh cheese, and Buffalo Mountain Funnel Cakes, which were wonderful. I ate far too much sweet stuff and have been suffering for it. Today I've been nibbling toast! But it was wonderful fun and something special!


Kate's Garden

We had a delightful visit with my SO's sister, Cathy, and her SO, Gerry. They are both wonderful people and it was good to have them come down to spend some time and enjoy a little piece of our world. Sunday was Pancake Days, sponsored by the local volunteer fire department and assisted by many in the community. We always try to get out at least once during the season for food and to visit with some of the local folks. I love the sausage. Unfortunately!


More Wonderful Stuff!

There was a selection of tie-dyed clothing from a shop in Floyd, a wonderful soap maker that was as interesting as her product, a local artist, the Civil War Reenactors, another gourd lady, our special young friends with the alpaca and their wonderful felted and crocheted creations, and terrific music from Tenbrooks and The Highlanders. As usual the quality of workmanship was fantastic and people seemed to really appreciate the efforts of the crafters and cooks.

Gourd from Mountain Meadow Crafts

Sunday was a much nicer day than Saturday, with less wind but colder. Cold weather brings folks up onto the mountain. Changing leaves will bring even more of them, but there are still many green trees around here right now. My favorite maple out by the Parkway is just starting to change and I can see a haze of gold and red over the hills. The farmer came this weekend to cut and roll his hay. The fields look wonderful now, still green but with a hint of the winter's browning starting to creep across the grass. The hay bales are still dotted across the rolling fields in an elegant random pattern.

Yesterday we ran errands and today was time to catch up on work with the bunny house. Tomorrow I hope to do a couple of bunny haircuts and then I'm counting the days until SAFF!

I was reading a post over at Hillbilly, Please (Smells and Memories) that made me wonder how many people can remember their great-grandfathers. I can remember two of mine, one not as well as the other because he died when I was very young. I have pictures of Grandpa Ellis; he looks to be a tall man with a big mustache. There are many family stories about him, of course, but my own memories of him are dim.

Grandpa Greenberry, who I remember a little better, was a quiet man. My great-grandmother, Katie Bell, is much clearer in my memory, since she lived to be much older and was also a vivid character. They lived in a small house on a farm on a high hill in West Virginia. We visited often; my father's mother also lived in the area, along with his sister and nieces and nephews. It seems like there were always lots of people in the house so Grandpa Green seemed to be just quietly there. I didn't know him as a young man, of course, but in his later years he seemed to be very retiring. I remember my dad once hauling him out of the kitchen, where he was washing dishes, to get him on film. He stands in the doorway, a little smile on his face, a dish rag in one hand.

I also remember a different house, a white one on a river, where I think the family spent time in the summer for Grandpa Green to go fishing. I remember him better there, talking of catfish and adventures on the river. I don't know what his profession was; in later years they had a garden on the little farm and he worked in the mines, I think, since Katie Bell cooked and ran a boarding house in a mining town. But his passion in his later years was fishing.

As a child I never thought much about the feeling and emotions of the older people around me. Looking back I don't know if Grandpa Green was happy, discontented or just reconciled to life the way it was. No one knows anything about his family background; he was born in Kentucky but nothing was ever said about who his people were and I don't know if he visited them when he was younger. Kentucky was a long way from West Virginia in those days. I know now that things are complicated in families, and that his quiet demeanor may have been concealing much more than I could realize in my childhood.

I think I'm lucky to have known my great-grandfathers. In spite of the fact that my memories are dim they are a connection to the past, to part of what made me who I am. I often think of the women in the family, wondering about their lives and also realizing more about how their lives have affected me. But I appreciate the reminder to think of the great-grandfathers.

National Folk Festival, Richmond, Virginia

Weekend of Adventure

Friday morning I was up tending to bunnies, kitties and Lily and getting ready to head up to I-81 to meet Sandra of Thistle Cove Farm for our big trip to Richmond. Dad and I arrived at our meeting place and soon Sandra came along, eager for the trip in spite of the rain. We traveled across the beautiful rolling hills of Virginia to the city, talking all the way. I've known Sandra for quite awhile but we've never had any time to just visit. It was great to get to know her better!

We arrived in the rain in Richmond, and headed downtown to drop off items from the Lost Arts Guild to be displayed in the Round the Mountain booth. We were able to get close to unload the things, which was good because Sandra has been struggling with a respiratory-sinus thing for weeks. Then we headed over to meet Mary Lois, our gracious hostess, Lucy the beagle, and the two cats, Skipper and Rock. Rock wasn't as welcoming as the others but Lucy was delighted to meet an old friend and make a new one. I don't know what I would do if I ever had to stay in a house without a dog!


Patrick County Booth Set Up

Saturday morning, after a wonderful night's sleep in a beautiful room, Sandra and Mary Lois dropped me off at the festival so that I could demonstrate at the Patrick County Booth. My brother called before we left; some of the stages had been flooded out and some of his performances were cancelled. It kept raining off and on all day, but it had rained very hard in the late evening. I was early for the festival but soon company came by. There were lots of wonderful volunteers around to try to make things run smoothly; some even offered to run errands for the vendors. Then I met the Knitting Ranger! She was working, of course, so we only were able to talk for a minute. But she took my picture and I looked her up when I got home. Check out her blog; she talks about knitting and also about different parks. Interesting!


Patrick County's Finest

I didn't get to see many booths, since I was working and didn't get out much, but the Patrick County folks did a splendid job and their booth was one of the most attractive. Woodworkers, gourd artists, weavers, artists, knitters and more all had their items for sale or display.


Sue's Gourds at the festival

My sister-in-law's gourds were gorgeous and really highlighted her talent for thousands of people to see!


Featured Artist: Storyteller, knitter and crocheter

Lisa has a farm in Patrick County and raises sheep. I can't bring the name of the farm to mind but she had some wonderful yarn for sale, along with beautiful hand knitted and crocheted scarves. She was a terrific storyteller and kept our visitors enthralled. Unfortunately it rained most of the day Saturday; my workbag and purse got soaked! But we were cozy under the big tent and we had several visitors through the day. I sat spinning while Lisa entertained.


Patrick County Girls

A big bravo and special thanks to Jeannie, on the right, for inviting me to demonstrate and for all her hard work to make the booth a grand success. It was a lot of fun!



Crooked Road Booth

I got out for a little while in the afternoon and took a few pictures. Not nearly enough. It had cleared up a little when I ventured into the crowds and it was hard to get close to the individual booths.


Crowds Walking the Streets of the Festival

When I came back to the Patrick County booth, some folks came by who turned out to be connected to old Meadows of Dan families. We had a wonderful time talking about family stories and comparing notes. A historian had happened by earlier in the day asking about the same family; he came back and we really chattered then! My brother came along and a group from the Crooked Road project all got together to play. I had to leave far too soon!


Sammy and Company

We got home to a lovely dinner and some rest. I was exhausted but had a wonderful time. Mary Lois spoiled us with feast and good company all weekend. It was nice to sit on the couch with Lucy curled up beside me. I soon went to bed and we all rested up for the big day on Sunday. We got up to see sunshine greeting us; we knew it was going to be a fantastic day at the festival.


Round the Mountain Booth Set-up

It was quite an honor to be asked to demonstrate for Round the Mountain, a new effort in Southwestern Virginia to promote local artisans. Sandra is founder of the Lost Arts Guild and she had many items for sale made by herself and other guild members. The Round the Mountain people also had pottery, brooms, ironwork, woodwork and lots of other lovely pieces for sale. It made for an impressive display!


Sandra of Thistle Cove Farm and Diana of Round the Mountain

Soon we were very busy, explaining our craft to interested spectators and selling our wares. I sold lots of yarn and roving, to my surprise. There are lots of knitters out there, some felters and spinners. It was wonderful fun talking to people and trying to keep up with spinning as I talked. I've had some practice, though, thanks to the craft tent here.


Bobbin-lace maker and me

We had hardly a break all day to even glance at each other. Sandra was plying a wonderful yarn made with a colorful strand and a strand that included fiber from her curly horses. I was spinning my old standby, Coopworth wool. I got through two and a half bumps over the weekend. It was a successful weekend; I gave out all my business cards and brochures and hope I'll have company at the websites!

At six the lights went out, a hint to the crowds to "go home", I guess. We helped pack up the Round the Mountain booth, tired and happy with how the day went. Mary Lois greeted us with a wonderful dinner. I can't say enough about her generous hospitality! We enjoyed our stay so much in Richmond because of her and her wonderful house in such a quiet neighborhood. I had a picture of Lucy but it didn't get home with me; have to get another because she has such a sweet face!

Monday morning we left our new friends, Lucy waving us away in Mary Lois's arms over the gate. It was raining again as we traveled back over the hills toward the Southwestern mountains of Virginia. Dad was waiting for us when we got back to our meeting place. Tough to leave Sandra. We had such a great time! But it was good to get back to my little house and animals. Lily was SO happy to see me when I got her out of the kennel. She was tired, though, and has just now gotten out of bed! Bunnies were fine and the cats came to greet me, lying about being fed! I spent the rest of the day catching up on accounting and computer stuff, including getting rid of about 400 junk mails!

Another Room

Sitting Room By the Window

When I tackled straightening up and sweeping the sitting room, I decided it might be easier to just go ahead and rearrange the furniture rather than sweep around and under it. So I moved almost everything, except the little sofa, to try to make it a little cozier. The big chair on the left, given to me years ago by a great-aunt, is where I spend most of my reading and crocheting time. The little sofa was meant for me to sleep on when company comes and to curl up on while I watched birds at the many feeders this winter. Lily has claimed it, though, as her throne!


Lily's Opinion

Lily supervised and I'm not sure she's happy with the changes. Of course, her rug is in the washer and that is annoying! Like a lot of animals, she's happiest with routine and she hasn't been thrilled by my actions today. I went through the craft boxes and sorted out what I want to take to the show tomorrow. Then Lily was upset when I took the boxes outside. She knows something is going on, since she heard me say the dreaded word "kennel" yesterday.


Sitting Room Window

It's pleasant sitting in this quiet room, looking out across the field at the changing leaves and watching the seasons pass. I'm surrounded by books and usually a contented spaniel is by my side, watching the birds with me and whimpering eagerly when the doves come to feed.

Rainy Day

Sterling Shawl, Version 2

I ran out of time for this shawl; it had to be washed Tuesday night and blocked, and with the rain I'm having to give it time to dry. So it's spread out upstairs in the wool room. It's not as generous in size as I had hoped to make it, but if it doesn't sell I can add some more rows. At least I'll have something to take to Richmond tomorrow. If it dries!

The rain came in yesterday as fog and drizzle but it's getting serious about it today, with some wind and wet weather that we've been needing for awhile. Looking out my window I can see the farmer next door, dressed in a bright yellow raincoat, throwing hay bales out for his cattle. They're all gathered around the old truck in a ragged line.

Yesterday I spent the morning on the computer, getting more bottles up on the web site and Tias.com. Then RJ and I went to town for bunny feed and a little visiting time, with a stop at the favorite restaurant. It was very foggy as we came back across the ridge, but the rain had tapered off. I hadn't been home long when my brother and nephew came in for help putting the craft tent back up. Now it's looking like rain for Saturday. A bummer when the peak tourist season is this month.

Now that the shawls are done, I'm hoping to get the rest of the house in shape today. It will be nice to come home to a clean place after my trip. My friend Kym used to look after the bunnies and Lily for me while I was gone. She would clean up the house and it would be such a nice surprise! I also have a nice young buck that is due for shearing; hope to get that done as well. Then tomorrow morning I'll be meeting Sandra in Wytheville and we'll be heading off for our big adventure in Richmond. Lily has to go to the k-e-n-n-e-l for the weekend but Dad's bunny-wrangling.

Really Quick Update

Shawl #2: Merino/Angora Hand Painted Yarn

Hurrying to finish the shawls so that I can get them ready to leave on Friday for the National Folk Festival. So I'm catching up quickly; there's not been much going on around here except for a flying crochet hook! I did shear a bunny this weekend and hope to get one done today. I started the Coopworth shawl yesterday while I was staying with a friend's father while they were coming back from vacation; got a lot done!



Shawl #3: Coopworth Hand Spun Wool

This is the same ram that produced the fleece for my Sterling shawl, so the colors are similar. I had this one processed into roving, so the color is much more uniform. I like the effect of dark and light but this stuff spins fast!

More Cleaning!

Computer Room Work Area

I got up early this morning to see bright sunshine, cool breezes and a Spaniel under the cover because she thought it felt cold! I left her sleeping and went down to tackle the next chore on my agenda: getting my computer room into shape. My sister-in-law is coming today to work on some projects and I wanted to get it done in time to be ready. There are always bunny chores that come first, of course!


Lily Supervises the Chores

Lily soon came down to see what all the fuss was about, but chose to go outside and stretch out in the warm sunshine while I did the sweeping. It didn't take as long as I thought to get things cleaned up and organized. Thanks to the cooler weather the allergies seem to be at bay, so I was able to get more done without having to stop and sneeze constantly.


Done at Last

This room was the dining room when we were small. It has a lovely built-in china cabinet, right beside where the old chimney goes up between the walls. I remember playing in the cabinet when I was little. This room has always been sunny and inviting. I also remember when my brother's crib was placed in front of the window. Once he got into the cabinet and discovered that the crash of breaking dishes makes a delightful noise!


Rudy Takes a Bath

The cockatiel, Rudy, also supervises my activities and sometimes serenades me with song, and sometimes with squawks. This morning he decided that a clean house deserved a clean bird, and took a bath in his water dish. I love to listen to him chatter to himself while he bathes!


The View from my Room

No matter what the weather, there is always a beautiful view from my window as I work. Today the sun is shining brightly and the sky is wonderfully blue. The Virginia Creeper that is covering the house hangs over the windows in dancing tendrils, restless in the breeze.