Unusual Treasures

Two Gifts

Is there anything more fun than going to the mailbox and pulling out a gift? How about going back the next couple of days and finding another one! Both totally unexpected and much fun!

JAG sent the delightful photographs, which are of letters in a print set that belongs to favorite cousin. They are absolutely amazing and look splendid here in the window of the shop. I'm going to have to get some kind of special frame for them; they are just perfect with the light behind them. And speaking of wonderful images, JAG has opened a new etsy store, JGeorge Photography, where her marvelous images are now available as prints. You too can be the proud owner of a piece of the astonishingly beautiful and quirky world of JAG. Go now, I'll wait.

And I have never had anyone send me socks before! These are Cathy Clark's Forget-me-not socks, and I'll certainly never forget her kindness in sending them to me! Cathy's beautiful patterns continue to amaze me. These socks fit me perfectly, thanks to plotting between Cathy and JAG. They're everything a sock should be: cozy, warm, beautiful!


Another Dye Day!

If I put up pictures of all the dyeing we'd be here awhile, so I'll just say the dye pots have been bubbling and there are some new yarns and spinning fiber here at the shop. Even the really bad mistake I made with one pot fortunately turned out pretty!


Orange Blossom Special

And I'm still knitting. This Finished Object pattern is Hot Head by Alex Zorn, found in Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook by Debbie Stoller. I made it in one of my hand spun Music yarns, called Orange Blossom Special. I really like the way the yarn knitted up. Not exactly the way the colors are in the original Hot Head sample, but more my style.


Beginning Violet Beauregard

I haven't hung up my crochet hook, though. This will someday be Violet Beauregard by Heather Dixon, from Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet, also by Debbit Stoller. The yarn is Tahki Cotton Classic and the colors are wonderful. Progress is a bit slow, though. This stuff is a little harder on the fingers than my soft hand spun and I'm using an itty bitty (D) hook. Sorry to be obsessing over the Stitch 'n Bitch books, but the knitting one has really been helpful and it's just that now I'm getting some time to work on the crochet projects for ME that I liked in the crochet one!

Did Y'all Miss Me?

I've been down with my usual fall allergies. Somehow I just don't feel creative when I'm sneezing and coughing all over the place!


Monday Night Dinner!

In spite of my ills, lots has been going on around here. I had another lovely day out at Chateau Morrisette, for the Pet Adoption event sponsored by the winery and put on by some local humane societies. Lots of delightful dogs and cats found new homes despite a windy start to the day. It turned out to be beautiful, though, and everyone had lots of fun with the animals.

Awhile back my friend Kym suggested we get together once a week and have dinner, so we have been gathering every Monday night since. Two more friends joined in right away and we've been having a lot of fun. Kym and Trinity cook; I bring a salad. They are so creative: we've had Mexican, home-cooking, a cook-out with spooky tales in the dark, Cajun and Chinese. Next week it's Greek!

FO:


Windy City Scarf

The Windy City Scarf is done! I call it Windy in the Country but I might go to the city sometime. I really enjoyed doing this simple pattern and I think I learned a lot. One thing I did figure out was that knitting can really be much faster than I used to think! I made a few errors but at least I can see them. I think I'll try a hat for my next knitting project.


Finished Felted Crocheted Bag

I always said I'd never be interested in one of those little music players, but I received one as a premium on one of my business accounts awhile back. I've had a bit of fun with it. My playlist isn't as interesting as JAG'sm though. I'm so old-fashioned, I'm afraid! I put together this little bag to keep it in. The bag that came with the thing was too little and all the wires and stuff kept tangling up with the bag's lanyards. I might decorate this one a bit more or, knowing me, put it somewhere after the novelty wears off, music player inside!

Knitting Report

Windy City Scarf

Who woulda thunk it? After ten years and multiple tries I am finally, at last and actually in a manner that looks almost right, KNITTING. Yep, with two pointy long sticks even. If I spent the time I should thanking everyone who has contributed to this long effort we'd run out of Internet space. Lots of patient teachers have tried, and tried, and tried.......

I'd have to credit the final breakthrough to a couple of knitters that work Continental, because the way you hold your yarn while knitting with this method is the same way you do when you crochet. I watched Merike knitting at group the other night, and made up my mind on Friday that I was jolly well going to figure this thing out. Fortunately Jane from Fiber on the Mountain was here, and guided me through starting the scarf above. It's made with a k1, p1 rib, and at long last I can actually see what a purl stitch looks like and what a knit stitch is supposed to be. Hurray!

Naturally it wasn't that easy. On Friday night after knitting a couple of inches I discovered I was one stitch shy in my row. I couldn't find where I went wrong, so I started over. I've been knitting happily away, finally figuring out the movements needed to get the yarn where it should be for the next stitch. I can see a glaring mistake in about row 5, where I purled when I should have knitted, but otherwise it has been smooth sailing! So far. So thanks Chris, Jane, Susan, Merike, Anna, Debbie...and everyone else for getting me started! I have a feeling I may be bugging all of you again when I get past this simple project!

The scarf, by the way, is going to be the Windy City Scarf by Jennifer Mindel, from Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook by Debbie Stoller. It's made from a wonderful yarn I received in one of last winter's yarn swaps: Fearless Fibers 50% Alpaca and 50% wool in the colorway Saltwater Taffy.

Saturday Sky...and a winery!

Saturday Sky at Chateau Morrisette

We couldn't have had a more beautiful day for the festival! Clear with those wonderful mountain breezes that keep it from getting so impossibly hot. The way summers are supposed to be!

My young friend Kym told me about this event last winter, and I was excited to finally be able to participate in something at Chateau Morrisette, the winery just up the Blue Ridge Parkway from Meadows of Dan. We headed out early to set up, and were greeted cheerfully by busy winery workers getting things ready for the day.


Winery Grounds

I have been to the winery for visits and a wedding, but I've never spent a great deal of time there. It's an enchanted spot, nestled onto the ridge and surrounded by beautiful views. Buffalo Mountain is on the horizon, and the winery buildings are spectacular. The story of the winery is legendary in our area. I need to get with someone and get the details correct. People come from long distances to enjoy the wine and the experience, though, and many have been returning for years and watching their favorite winery grow.

There were several vendors at the festival:


Nancy's Candy Company, my sweet neighbor in Meadows of Dan


Blacksnake Meadery and Foggy Ridge Cider, also near Meadows of Dan


Hope Springs Farm, a B&B and Alpaca Farm In Willis, Virginia


And our favorite tree climbing expert, also near Meadows of Dan

Oops, almost forgot these guys:

Alpacas from Hope Springs Farm

I had a wonderful day, talking to interesting people and showing off the lovely yarns and fiber of my vendors. There were several people I met who had never been in Meadows of Dan. Of course I told them what treasures and adventures await them in our little community!

Boteh is beautiful!

Boteh Scarf

I finished the Boteh scarf last night, just after the stitching group meeting. Almost finished it while the girls were here, but got interested in some of their wonderful projects. Merike was working on an absolutely gorgeous cape-style jacket, while Rhonda is making great progress on her multicolored sweater that has perfect colors for her. Mary is enlarging her soft blue baby blanket for the grand-boy and Peggy was asking for ideas to make a quilt for her sister-in-law. Susan is working away on her needlepoint project and adding a lot to our discussions!

The boteh scarf was great fun to make. It looks very classy and difficult but really wasn't. I didn't like some of the samples I saw in variegated yarn but the subtle colors in this yarn seem to work with the design. This will be fun to wear, if it ever gets cold again!

I've been battling something all week that I thought might be allergies but I suspect now was a cold. I'm less drippy and sneezy today but still feel like something the cat dragged through the screen door backward. Fiber on the Mountain Jane is coming up to cheer me today!


New Camels

Cousin JAG came down yesterday, and we exchanged pleasantries and...things. These guys have now been added to the camel herd. Despite something of a hard life and a few nicks, they retain pure camel audacity and I adore them! Jane blogged Meadows of Dan with some absolutely gorgeous photos of yarn and the local produce market.

Saturday Sky....and Festival!

Saturday Sky Over the Corn Maze and Festival

Everyone is getting ready for the big day. The "Corn Acoustics!" corn maze is opening for the season and there is lots going on down on the festival grounds this morning. Everyone seems happy and ready for a big crowd, despite a few problems. The wind whipped through and snatched a popup away from a couple trying to put it up. Tom Perry of the Free State of Patrick and I ran to catch it and I left him helping them put it back together. It's standing in the picture, anyway.

We had a lovely and heavy rain last night and now there are cool breezes. I went up to Maple Shade Road to drop in on a fantastic yard sale and they told me up there we had two and a half inches of rain. Lovely! I scored some neat things for the shop, more clothes for me (I love thrift stores and yard sales) and some really cool strappy platform shoes.


Greenberry's Alessandro

I rarely have to take a rabbit back once it finds a new home, but occasionally people have life changes and it becomes hard to take care of pets. Sandy has been living north of Roanoke with a lovely lady that really appreciated and took care of him, but she has developed severe allergies to his coat and was beginning to have problems shearing him. I've always told my buyers that I will take a bunny back rather than have it be in a situation that would be difficult for owner and rabbit. And I was glad to see this boy. He's a chocolate agouti from one of my favorite lines. And his former owner and I had a terrific visit when she brought him down. Fiber people are just excellent!