So much going on!

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.